[pct-l] Hypothermia (was "Earthquake!")

[Edward Anderson]

L-Rod/Donna. 

AS you recall, in Mid May of 2008 I was caught in an unexpected snowstorm between Mill Creek Summit and North Fork Station. Knowing that I was coming, you had called Todd, the caretaker at North Fork. When I arrived he gave me the red carpet treatment. He had a corral and pellets for Primo and let me sleep in the barracks where I had a kitchen and could watch a vidio movie. What a surprize that was! Thanks again.

MendoRider 

--- On Fri, 4/9/10, dsaufley <dsaufley at sprynet.com> wrote:

> From: dsaufley <dsaufley at sprynet.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hypothermia (was "Earthquake!")
> To: "'Gary Wright'" <gwtmp01 at mac.com>, "'Eugene'" <atetuna at hotmail.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Friday, April 9, 2010, 9:26 PM
> Radar, 
> 
> As usual, you're correct.  The "I don't need this
> raingear/shelter" attitude
> is exacerbated by our warmer weather.  It can be hot
> and sunny for extended
> periods, leading people (locals as well as visitors) to
> believe that,
> "Summer is here so why bother with all this cold weather
> gear?" They send it
> ahead to Kennedy Meadows.  
> 
> Unfortunately, winter and spring are extremely variable in
> southern
> California, and you absolutely should hold onto your
> raingear and shelter
> any time you go for a hike. As Bill Bryson pointed out in
> "A Walk in the
> Woods," and as my WFA instructors have cautioned, more
> people die of
> hypothermia when the temperatures on a fair day plummets to
> a mere 50
> degrees or so, catching people without adequate warmth and
> protection, than
> die in snowy blizzard conditions. It doesn't take much
> chill before your
> hands won't obey your commands to strike a match or
> lighter, zip a jacket,
> or put up shelter, and things can go really south from
> there.
> 
> This is my same old, tired out, broken record,
> you're-all-tired-of-hearing-it warning. Sadly, I know that
> there will still
> be too many hikers who don't get this message and make this
> mistake. It cost
> one precious hiker his life. Despite that, I see hikers
> taking that chance
> though I hope and pray I won't.
> 
> L-Rod
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Gary Wright
> Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 10:56 AM
> To: Eugene
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hypothermia (was "Earthquake!")
> 
> 
> On Apr 9, 2010, at 11:06 AM, Eugene wrote:
> > 
> > I was so certain that we'd warm up quickly in a
> shelter that provided wind
> protection.  I took off my wet pants and put on my
> thick down jacket, puffy
> pants, bomber hat and crawled under my zero degree cuben
> fiber quilt. 
> 
> Any estimates as to the air temp and/or wind speeds that
> day?
> 
> This is a great example of why it is necessary to have
> bad-weather gear in
> Southern
> California.  It seems each year there are hikers who
> ask if it is reasonable
> to skip
> the rain-gear and shelter while hiking in SoCal during
> thru-hiker season in
> an effort
> to reduce the weight of their pack.
> 
> Radar
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