Once upon a time, about the time my Father died, I decided to take one last walk around the old farm before Mom sold it and (no doubt) p*****d the money away.
I was taking the old ‘shortcut’ through a wooded area between two fields when I suddenly realized that in his later years, my Dad hadn’t had the energy to travel the trails and keep the vegetation beaten down. In short, I was surrounded by thick vegetation and thoroughly confused.
Thankfully, it was in the afternoon, and once I figured out where the sun was, all I had to do is walk toward it, and a couple of minutes later, I found my way out of the brush. I resolved never to place myself in that position again.
Poor lady. It’s easy to criticize the dead, but when you’re on the spot and every tree looks alike, it’s a whole other matter.
As for me, you won’t find me in the woods again without a group, and ... a compass.
I only day hiker occasionally. I take 2 flashlights, rain gear, survival knife and fire starter, GPS with extra batteries, paper topo map, regular compass, compass on my watch, twice the water I expect to use, food, cell phone, altimeter on watch, whistle, small first aid kit.
I am not an experienced hiker, but I think I have some common sense.
This is a sad story. One, because a woman needlessly died, but two because it was so senseless.
Did she never watch “Survivorman”? How about “Dual Survival”?
“Gerry was no beginner. She had spent years attending hiking courses and camping in the Smoky Mountains. Fellow hikers described her as experienced and level-headed.”
Who, other liberals? This woman was neither experienced and level-headed. At least not experienced in the wilderness.
She died because she didn’t know “what” to do and did stupid things. First she is in the wilderness and is relying on modern technology. She relied on a smart phone to save her.
“She had also tried to make fires using the matches and lighters she kept in her backpack.”
She TRIED? What, and failed? She had matches and lighters (plural) and she couldn’t get or keep a fire going? You should be able to make a fire WITHOUT those things.
After reading the rest of the article, it says she had a compass and a map. Sounds like suicide to me. She didn’t even try to self rescue. She had a tent, a water source, fire making materials and a compass and a map.
I’m sure, suicide. Or suicide by God. I’ll just wait here fasting until God rescues me or die. Really Sad.
She had plenty of gear. Had she just pulled out a hank of rope or cordage, tied it to a tree and held onto it until she was far enough away to do her business she could have simply followed the rope back to the trail. No map, no compass, no sense of direction needed.
Sounds like a tough lady but NO ONE should be out alone, really. Unless you are way more seasoned.
Very sad story........
There was an episode on Animal Planet’s “North Woods Law” which spent the entire hour covering search and rescue efforts by the Maine game wardens and other agencies.
I don’t understand this. She had a compass, waterproof matches, plenty of dry wood, a nearby stream w/water, a pocketknife, string, a whistle, and on and on and on. I suppose she got so wrapped up in getting a cell signal ...
But still... She pitched a tent after being lost for one day and then didn’t move from under those trees. I just don’t get it. Even w/o a compass, just look at the sun and head south back to the trail!
May she RIP and God bless her family and friends. I just wish there was more we could learn from this. (And there’s a pdf file at the link that has photos of the scene, for anyone who missed it. Very sad to read that report.)
Go to take a leak and and become hopelessly lost? Ok, whatever, but if worse comes to worse light the damn woods on fire...
She has a lighter
She has matches
She has a compass
She has a trail map
She has food
She has water
She has a tent
She has a solar blanket
She has weather gear
She has a whistle
She's NEAR a body of water
And STILL, with all these advantages she couldn't find help, attract attention or find her want to someone or somewhere?
This is truly bizarre
I'll grant that she's in the center seat on this one not me, but she can't light a fire even with both matches and lighter and keep it going in the middle of a forest where the problem in general is NOT to keept it all going up in flames?
She can't follow the river/creek/lake to civilization?
How much brains or energy does it take to keep that whistle planted in your mouth and permanently blowing?
Must be me. don't make no sense at all
A Garmin topo GPS with breadcrumb trail would have saved her life. So much for saving a couple hundred bucks.
Should have watched a few episodes of “Mountain Men” or “Naked and Afraid” before she took off into the woods - at least she might have known how to make a basic shelter or start a fire.....
Pitiful
Was her mind not right?
Four weeks to just sit and wait to die?
That’s just bizarre
A big fire in Maine would have attracted search planes
She was a trail Walker by the book
Not a woodsman
Naive
Sorry for fam
I’ve never been a thru-hiker, but when I was younger I went on extended trips and did large swaths of the Appalachian Trail from the late 70’s through the early 90’s. In all I’ve done 800+ miles (Springer to past Rockfish Gap) and some sections I’ve done twice. I had plans to complete it one summer but marriage, a career, and three children took my attention. In recent years I’ve been more of a hunter and fly-fisherman than a backpacker, but I still hit the trail on occasion.
Back in the 90’s certain backpacking leaders began to urge a minimalist approach to gear, which I have always believed dangerous. Yes, a very light pack allows hikers to have a more enjoyable hike, which is all well and good until an emergency arises. I know of several fairly mundane situations that became trail emergencies due to lack of proper gear. I have no idea if this poor lady started the A.T. with a compass, but there’s a decent chance that if she did, it was dumped along the way to achieve a lighter pack, likely at the urging of some misguided guru who convinced her she’d never need it.
I’m an old scout. I believe in being prepared. But that doesn’t just mean having sufficient gear, it also means having sufficient knowledge to think yourself out of trouble. Or better yet, avoid it all together.
If she’d had a gun, she could have shot an endangered species and the feds would have been on her in no time.
The ‘modern’ wilderness is still... wilderness.
Not quite the same as a suburban sidewalk.