There seem to be a lot of stories about the risks of outdoor activities, but they never allude to how they arrived at these risks. This story presents the “top 5” fatalities, then say they are rare, but never offers any basis for either statement. I doubt anyone really knows how likely these fates are for a hiker, but they’re not afraid to report as if they do.
The risks seem mundane or trivial to those of us who’ve tallied untold hundreds of miles on the trail, but invariably the people who get in trouble hiking are either a) unfamiliar with the risks; or b) take on more risk than they are prepared to handle.
Whether the safety nazis are scaring off potential hikers is anybody’s guess — the only way a hiker makes headlines is to get lost, killed or attacked by a bear, so the media portrayals might skew people’s opinions a bit.
Another thing about whitewater crossings: Most mountain creeks and streams that hikers will encounter are snowmelt or glacier runoff. These tend to have the lowest flows early in the morning after a cool night and highest flows in the afternoons.
A bit of planning and ending a days hike (when you’re probably too tired to fight the water) near the crossing makes for a safer crossing next morning, and gives you the days hike for drying off and warming up.
For cautionary tales about fatal wilderness hazards, I highly recommend Last Breath: The Limits of Adventure by Peter Stark. This well-written, frank explanation of the means by which one can meet his or her end in the wild – all of which are avoidable with preparation and education – is a must-read for every outdoor enthusiast.
There seem to be a lot of stories about the risks of outdoor activities, but they never allude to how they arrived at these risks. This story presents the “top 5” fatalities, then say they are rare, but never offers any basis for either statement. I doubt anyone really knows how likely these fates are for a hiker, but they’re not afraid to report as if they do.
I’ve often heard this repeated, but I don’t know the source or it’s veracity:
“You’re safer for a week in the woods than you are for a day on the freeway or an hour on a ladder.”
The risks seem mundane or trivial to those of us who’ve tallied untold hundreds of miles on the trail, but invariably the people who get in trouble hiking are either a) unfamiliar with the risks; or b) take on more risk than they are prepared to handle.
Whether the safety nazis are scaring off potential hikers is anybody’s guess — the only way a hiker makes headlines is to get lost, killed or attacked by a bear, so the media portrayals might skew people’s opinions a bit.
Another thing about whitewater crossings: Most mountain creeks and streams that hikers will encounter are snowmelt or glacier runoff. These tend to have the lowest flows early in the morning after a cool night and highest flows in the afternoons.
A bit of planning and ending a days hike (when you’re probably too tired to fight the water) near the crossing makes for a safer crossing next morning, and gives you the days hike for drying off and warming up.
For cautionary tales about fatal wilderness hazards, I highly recommend Last Breath: The Limits of Adventure by Peter Stark. This well-written, frank explanation of the means by which one can meet his or her end in the wild – all of which are avoidable with preparation and education – is a must-read for every outdoor enthusiast.