One guy unprepared...

[Shirt357]

So, this past Thursday/Friday I backpacked up to the boulderfield under Longs Peak in an effort to climb to the summit the next morning. I am a true believer in research, preparation, etc. an sometimes I think I may over do it (I am certain I could leave a few things out of my pack that weigh it down and I end up having too much of). However, at least I do my research. Sadly there are many who treat trails and mountain summits like tourist attractions and come totally unprepared.

Thursday I got up to the boulderfield about noonish and set about getting my tent set up, talking to hikers passing through, etc. I did not plan on going for the summit due to some possible weather passing through. Anyway... got to talking to two gals in the site next to mine who were packing up to leave. Seems the day before a day hiker came in to summit. He came in later in the day, had no backpack, no water, no preparations. Somehow it seems he made it to the summit. About 7ish the last of the day hikers were coming down and couple of them noted to some of those staying overnight that this guy was still up on the summit and seemed out of it and had not even started down. (Now I am not sure why these day hikers did not bring him down, but that is not part of this story) So, two guys in one site and a couple in another all headed back up to the summit (all four had summited that morning, so this was a second summit attempt) even as night was coming on to help this guy. They guided him down and got him to the boulderfield by dark or a little after. Almost everyone in a site in the boulderfield contributed something to help this guy make it through the night (sleeping bag, blankets, food, etc.). The next morning, some of them helped him down to the ranger station.

This could of ended so much worse than it did. Thankfully some caring hikers took the time, the effort, the sharing of supplies to get this guy home safely. I summited once and I know if I had to go up again in the same day it would of been tough... none of these people batted an eyelash about going up and helping someone they did not know. That says alot.

Just wanted to share since it seems these days we always see the bad stories... the drama.. etc. It is nice to have one to share about the goodness in people.

 

[Jeffrey Chandler]

That is definitely a nice story. Glad that it ended well. I feel I kind of have a vested interesting in this because I'm a moderator for a FB group that has 7000 people and... It's kind of scary how cavalier people are with off trail stuff. Like the ones in the group who are serious, add warnings and dissuade people from doing it, but the new ones who aren't as "in the know"? Today I had to diffuse a bomb because someone asked about a picture of a summit, people said it was technical, then this person got all "oh but you can do this off trail trip thats only class three and is so nice and a great view" and I had to shut that down. This person gave no indication of the risks involved (horrible, horrible dangerous scree descent and some significant cliffs) and it was just bad... I don't envy the people whose job it is to make sure people don't die out there... sometimes it feels like no matter how hard you try it'll never work, but if it saves one life, its all worth it in the end