Mt Washington Hiker

[fatlazyless]

https://www.wmur.com/article/officia...trail/42340756 .... 'Officials identify hiker found dead on Franconia trail'

If the AMC Greenleaf Hut ..... http://www.outdoors.org/destinations...greenleaf-hut/ ...... located about one mile down below from the summit of Mt Lafayette overlooking Eagle Lake on the Old Bridle Path ..... was kept open all year long, this area in the mountains would get more winter day hikers, and provide a warm, safe place to get into a heated building and come in from the cold.

Believe that's something that happens in the Swiss Alps.

Sometime in the past, back in the 1970's me-thinks Greenleaf Hut had a winter care-taker and you could stop in for a hot chocolate, bowl of lentil soup, and delicious home made banana bread. That's the summit of Mt Lafayette up above the Greenleaf Hut.

...... those were the days.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

https://www.wmur.com/article/officia...trail/42340756 .... 'Officials identify hiker found dead on Franconia trail'

If the AMC Greenleaf Hut ..... http://www.outdoors.org/destinations...greenleaf-hut/ ...... located about one mile down below from the summit of Mt Lafayette overlooking Eagle Lake on the Old Bridle Path ..... was kept open all year long, this area in the mountains would get more winter day hikers, and provide a warm, safe place to get into a heated building and come in from the cold.

Believe that's something that happens in the Swiss Alps.

Sometime in the past, back in the 1970's me-thinks Greenleaf Hut had a winter care-taker and you could stop in for a hot chocolate, bowl of lentil soup, and delicious home made banana bread. That's the summit of Mt Lafayette up above the Greenleaf Hut.

...... those were the days.

I think that would just provide a false sense of security and increase incidents.

In fact, "Critical Hours" begins with a story about the old quonset hut thing near Madison that people began to see as a destination rather than emergency use.

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[LikeLakes]

Right, they ended up removing the quonset hut in Edmonds Col because too many people were using it to overnight rather than as an emergency shelter.

I've thought about the huts being open in winter over the years. I don't buy the "if they are open, more people will get in trouble" theory. If that were so, then Lonesome Lake and Carter Notch wouldn't be kept open. I think it's hard to staff, hard to supply, and hard environmentally to deal with people at most of the huts so AMC makes the financial/impact decision to keep them closed.

Gray Knob on Mt. Adams is open in winter, and Crag Camp isn't officially open but you can shelter there (or at least you could when I was last there in winter). As far as I know neither has contributed to more accidents.

I'm sorry the guy died, sorry for his family, it is truly sad. That doesn't excuse his actions. He had a phone he could navigate with, which means he had a phone he could spend 30 minutes online with and learn of the conditions and weather forecast and minimum equipment needed for that hike. People have to be responsible.

[pondguy]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I think that would just provide a false sense of security and increase incidents.

In fact, "Critical Hours" begins with a story about the old quonset hut thing near Madison that people began to see as a destination rather than emergency use.

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There is a book by Nicholas Howe "Not Without Peril" that gives 150 years of history of people lost in the White Mountains.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by pondguy

There is a book by Nicholas Howe "Not Without Peril" that gives 150 years of history of people lost in the White Mountains.

Pretty good book, for sure. I wonder if it'll be updated to reflect the last, what, thirteen years? It looks like the last update was '09.

In terms of the huts, I think someone here said the law calls things like that "attractive nuisances." I think the reason Lonesome Lake, Carter, Crag, etc. are still open is because they simply haven't become problems.

In either case, these deaths are incredibly sad and often avoidable...but empathy is still good.

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[LikeLakes]

BTW the guy was 28, not 19. From Salem NH.

[fatlazyless]

This link for the AMC Greenleaf Hut .... http://www.outdoors.org/destinations...greenleaf-hut/ ....says it closed for the season on October 28, gets boarded up for the winter, reopens on June 1, 2023...... is closed for seven months ..... if only it could be sublet to a Dunkin' in the 7-month long, winter season....... formerly named Dunkin' Donuts ..... and there would always be a Fish 'n Game officer nearby, way way up the mountains ..... enjoying a coffee and donut who could go make a fast Franconia Ridge hiker rescue, day or night ...... 24/7! ..... all 7-months, winter long .....

Looking at this picturesque photograph of the well constructed and equipped Greenleaf Hut, it's easy to imagine a winter sublet to a mountain Dunkin' Donuts for a 7-month long winter lease. That mountain in the background is 5249' ..... www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Lafayette. "A photo .... https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Laf...te_panoram.jpg ... of the Franconia Ridge as viewed from the Greenleaf Hut" with Eagle Lake between the hut and Mt Lafayette.

Dec 25, 2022 ...... www.concordmonitor.com/hiker-49331058 ..... 'A sadly familiar story in latest mountain hiker death, right down to the trail they took' ...... published Dec 27, 2022

A Dunkin' would do some good business in that there Greenleaf Hut, Old Bridle Path winter hiking location. ....... People could climb Mt Lafayette during the cold snowy months knowing there's a Dunkin' on the trail so's they can stop and get a hot bite to drink/eat and go inside warm building that smells like good strong coffee and donuts. What's not to like? It would be an instant hit-the-spot!

Lost souls on the verge of suicidal winter hiking without adequate warm clothing and a serious wind breaker, face mask, hat and large mittens would defer freez'n to death, up the cold mountain, when they can go rethink their life ending plan while enjoying a good hot coffee and a yummy old fashioned sugar donut. There's no yummy sugar donuts down there in Hell, you know. ......

Hey ..... anyone remember the snack shack from the 1960's and earlier at the ranger station at the base of Tuckerman's Ravine named Howard Johnson's because it originally had an orange roof. That was a popular place to get a yummy cheeseburger and a Coke in a paper cup for about $1.25.

..... da huts ..... http://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...elow-lafayette

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I think that would just provide a false sense of security and increase incidents.

In fact, "Critical Hours" begins with a story about the old quonset hut thing near Madison that people began to see as a destination rather than emergency use.

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Here's a photo of of the old emergency shelter at Edmund's Col ..... http://www.summitpost.org/emergency-...d-s-col/992659

As I recall it was 6' tall at the highest point, and maybe 8' wide x 10' long without a door at the entry. It was somewhat similar to a dog house with absolutely nothing inside, just the concrete foundation and the steel enclosure.

Edmund's Col , elevation 4938', is north on Mt Jefferson, elevation 5712'.