As highlighted by the recent tragic fall of an experienced climber on the Abol Trail on Mount Katahdin, navigating steep terrain can be dangerous. There are several places in Maine and New Hampshire that are not by definition technical but should be approached with a healthy dose of respect. A few that come to mind are The Knife Edge on Mount Katahdin and Huntington Ravine on Mount Washington. Both of these have seen several injuries and deaths in all seasons. Here are some things to consider when hiking difficult terrain.
Stay on the trail
This has been the major cause of many injuries and deaths of not only the person who wandered off the trail but for rangers and searchers trying to rescue that person. The trail is where it is for a reason. People with years of experience surveyed the entire area before deciding on where to put the trail. Follow the blazes painted on the rocks. The guy or girl who put them there had a can of paint in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. If they chose that path to walk on, you should, too.
I have been reading “ Desperate Steps: Life, Death, and Choices Made in the Mountains of the Northeast” by Peter W. Kick. In this book, there are several instances where people left the trail seeking a shortcut and ran into trouble. I actually was involved in one search mentioned in the book on Memorial Day weekend in 2010, when a hiker attempted to take a shortcut off the Knife Edge Trail. Fortunately for that hiker, he lived to tell the story.
Watch the weather
Most thunderstorms come through late afternoon. Plan to be off the ridge and summits early. I remember one Mountain Leadership School trip where the group found themselves on a ridge a little later than planned and there was a storm coming in. While the students were debating the merits of continuing or going down, the instructors intervened and got the group moving down. A few minutes later, while looking back, we could see lightning striking very near to where the group had been standing. This is also true if you are out on the water. Get an early start and plan to be off the water before the wind comes.
Lighting is extremely dangerous and can strike well ahead of a storm. For more information, check out Lightning Safety at NOAA online. John Jensenius NOAA lighting expert does an excellent program on lighting safety and will go to schools and other venues. Have good footwear that is well fitted and securely tied. In some instances, trekking poles can be useful, and in other situations it is better to have your hands free.
In winter, on steep terrain, you will need crampons and an ice ax. Simply purchasing these pieces of gear does not ensure safety and to someone untrained in their use, they can be quite dangerous. Crampons must be properly fitted to the boot and many require a special mountaineering boot. There are a number of outfitters and Guides that rent gear and offer classes in winter mountaineering. The Maine Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club offers beginner winter workshops. Other options are Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School and the ADK Winter Mountaineering School.
Especially in the fringe seasons where full crampons may be overkill “creepers” or “stabilizers” should be carried and used when appropriate. In this case, ski poles can be useful in making two additional solid points of contact. When moving over questionable terrain maintain three points of contact at all times. Only move one foot or pole at a time and only after making sure the other points of contact are solid.
Creepers can also be very useful navigating icy city sidewalks.
Take your time
Never be afraid to turn back, however attempting to downclimb can be more dangerous that continuing up. I remember one year a group of friends and I intended to hike the Baldface Circle Trail in Evans Notch. That year we had very little snow and the night before our hike the mountain saw freezing rain. On this trail after passing the lean to the trail is over bare rock. When we got that point we saw that everything was covered with a light coating of ice. Not enough for crampons and too steep for creepers. We ended up turning around and doing a different hike. Later we heard that another group had gone up the next day and encountered the same conditions and attempted the climb anyway. One in that group took a serious sliding tumbling fall and was severally injured.
For more information please check out these resources:
— Basic Search and Rescue Training
— Maine Association for Search and Rescue
— Maine Wilderness Guides Organization
— Pine Tree Search and Rescue Facebook page
Bryan Courtois is a hiker and camper who is an active registered Maine guide, head of Pine Tree Search and Rescue, a volunteer search and rescue responder and the statewide education director and a member of the board of directors for Maine Association Search and Rescue.