Two in one day is too much, but I could not resist bring this to your attention....

Shenandoah National Park (VA)
Disoriented Hiker Found After Multi-Day Search

Last week, a DC area hiking club contacted the park and reported that a member of their group had become separated from the party on the Lower Hawksbill Trail. The missing 53-year-old man had just joined the hiking club for the first time that morning, so the person who called had limited helpful information. Moreover, no one actually saw him with the group once they started on the trail. The parking area they started from serves numerous trails that go off in virtually every direction. With no information to work with, only hasty searches of the extensive trail system could be conducted on the following day. Those hasty searches did provide one lead, a possible witness who reported seeing someone along the Appalachian Trail above Timber Hollow with the one identifying feature of the missing hiker - he hiked with an ice axe, something not normally seen in Shenandoah in August. But the man was described as very disoriented and frustrated. This piece of information led to a more focused search of the area around the possible point last seen, although no clues were discovered during the second full day of searching. The investigation however, led to a better understanding of potential problems this hiker may have been experiencing. He was described as an alcohol user who had a history of seizures that would leave him mobile but disoriented for hours at a time. On the third day of search, teams were sent down into Timber Hollow below the AT, where it seemed likely he may have stumbled or otherwise entered - terrain described as some of the worst in Shenandoah. Almost immediately one team found clues believed to be associated with the missing person, including an empty bottle of vodka. Shortly before noon on the third day, another team found the missing man at the bottom of Timber Hollow, lying in Hawksbill Creek. He was suffering from hypothermia with a body temp of 94 degrees and had a significantly altered mental state. He was littered to the boundary, where he was picked up by an ambulance that took him to a hospital. The man ultimately spent four days in the hospital, being treated for significant chemical imbalances among other things. Once he regained his mental alertness, he was able to provide some details of his experience. He had started with the group on the trail but was the last in line. He then experienced a seizure shortly into the hike. When he came to, he began to search for his party, but was still somewhat disoriented. The weather had deteriorated, with thick fog and heavy rains. He remembered meeting the man who had provided searchers with information on the point where he was last seen. After talking with him, he was hiking the AT when he stumbled off the trail and tumbled down the steep slopes, ending up well below the trail. He was injured from the fall but otherwise still able to move. He did not want to climb back up to the trail, so he walked across the slope, hoping the trail came down to him. He ultimately found the drainage and decided to follow it down. He then spent the first night near the bottom of the hollow, and on the following morning continued to look for a way out but started having difficulty with his legs going out. He ultimately just stopped and sat down. He had no memory of what happened on much of the second day. He spent about another 48 hours in stormy weather until the search team found him.
[Submitted by Pete Webster, Deputy Chief Ranger]

That's my neck of the woods -- our usual campground is near there and we've hiked extensively in that area. He is a lucky man to have survived all that. The slope beneath the AT can be very steep and is extremely rocky in that area.

I wonder precisely what "hiking club" this was. I doubt he had informed them of his history of seizures. And I'm reminded why when groups of my friends hike (as many as 6-8 peops), the person in the lead and the one at the back each have walkie-talkies. Disparate levels of fitness can result in the group stretching out.

If some strange guy carrying an ice axe in August were in my group, I wouldn't be hanging back with him.


"...he hiked with an ice axe, something not normally seen in Shenandoah in August."

"He was described as an alcohol user who had a history of seizures that would leave him mobile but disoriented for hours at a time."

"...one team found clues believed to be associated with the missing person, including an empty bottle of vodka."

" The man ultimately spent four days in the hospital, being treated for significant chemical imbalances among other things."

"He had started with the group on the trail but was the last in line. He then experienced a seizure shortly into the hike."

"... he was hiking the AT when he stumbled off the trail and tumbled down the steep slopes, ending up well below the trail. "

No wonder he was frustrated, finding some ice to put in the Vodka is a little tricky at this time of year....

LOL dude you are KILLING me!

BTW I think I found a video starring you on YouTube. When he riffs on the Gettys and the Rothschilds I think he gets a few licks in on Facebook and Twitter...

Why would someone hike with an ice axe???

I don't hike with strangers. Sometimes I won't hike even with people I know that are likely to be trouble.

What kind of a hiking club takes on new people and then lets them trail along at the end, getting farther and farther behind? Why not have experienced people at the front and back?

The whole situation sounds strange.

Sue

People endless discuss the merits of solo hiking versus hiking with a group, usually accepting that membership in a goup is somehow safer.

Well, there are groups and then there are groups. An assemblage of individuals is not necessarily a group, certainly not in the sense that a group can respond effectively to emergencies, communicate, and cooperate productively.

To answer your question, one hikes with an ice axe because it looks cool. It is also pretty effective at digging cat holes.

Back in the day (don't ask how far back) I used to help guide a backpacking trip or two. If we had two guides and the terrain was non-technical we always ran one guide at the back of the pack. An experienced eye at the back of the pack can see a LOT of trouble before it gets out of hand.

Isn't that the same way one would herd sheep? Which is precisely the problem with a lot of "groups"....

Exactly. I don't do much of the guided tours thing, but the last person in a group should be someone who is capable of spotting and dealing with trouble.

What's the point of a group if the members can't take care of each other?

Not to mention the bad effect on morale if the weakest members ALWAYS fall WAY behind everyone else (quite often, the slowest members will also be the one least capable of taking care of themselves). Having someone more capable back there really boost the morale of both those slow goers as well as the fast members.

Personally, I fall behind if no one else assumes the role. Besides, it's quite nice to shufle along at a sedatary pace, chatting and having a good time.

Yes indeed. On one occasion, I started on a sixty miler with two companions, only to realize that the harmless stumble I had suffered a couple of days earlier had left me with a gimpy knee. The solution was for me to leave camp early ahead of my companions, hike at a steady, but slow, pace, and get to our destination somewhat behind them. I was hiking alone, quietly, and i saw more wildlife on that trip than any other.

I prefer groups that are non hierarchical, in which there is solid understanding of the goals and objectives, and everyone is relatively self sufficient, but anyone is ready to assist in an emergency.