Mt Washington Hiker

[Pine Island Guy]

When an incident occurs like this in the White Mountains there is a battalion of rescuers, both paid and volunteer, that risk their own lives to try and find the person that (often times) has gone hiking without the proper precautions or experience.

For whatever reason, people don't believe the incredible and swift changes in weather that can occur up there... starting with the first hiker death in 1849... almost 200 years and people still think that they won't be another one.

These brave rescuers put their own lives on the line for others, going out in the worst of the worst conditions. A few years ago, one of them died in an avalanche trying to find two woefully unprepared 17 year old's (both of them found alive four days later, although lost limbs to frostbite).

This 20 year old losing her life is very sad indeed, but let's not forget the rescue squad that tried to have it turn out to be a happier conclusion!!!

It continues to be a beautiful week on the island, ice will be coming in soon enough (hopefully) -PIG

[SailinAway]

While it's important to acknowledge the harm that rescuers risk, it's also a fact that ALL people are subject to certain tendencies of the human mind (hubris, psychological biases, impulsivity, etc.), and that the brain isn't fully developed until age 25, which explains in part why teenagers can have poor judgment. Anybody here who hasn't made a major error of judgment at some point? I sometimes make such errors even after gathering a lot of information and thoroughly analyzing a problem. Some mountain accidents are just plain dumb. Others happen in less blameworthy circumstances. Hopefully we will learn more about how and why Emily Sotelo died.