This is sad. The way they found him sparks memories of Guy Waterman, but there's every indication that this kid wasn't aiming to go out. RIP.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/1 ... story.html

Yeah. Sucks. We are again reminded of how quickly things can go from bad to worse to worst.

A frequent solo hiker, I am once again questioning the wisdom of my choices, as I always do with such news.

so its not anything like Guy Waterman other than a male died on a mountain. From what I've read he was well experienced. Well geared. Hypothermia just snuck up on him and ended in tragedy. Poor kid. Poor family. Could happen to any of us out solo in the winter.

Sad news, and it seems to happen more frequently these days. All the experience and proper gear needed apparently and Mother Nature still wins. With all the modern forecasting and conditions resources there's usually no need for it to happen either. Seems like people just don't thInk it can happen to them, or peakbagging fever gets the best of them. They see a forecast like the following and say I can do it. It won't happen to me. I'm a smarter/better/more experienced hiker than all those others. And often they roll the dice and things do work out for whatever reason, but there's little margin for error in judgement in such conditions, so sometimes they lose. Personally I don't get the peakbaggers fever and the need to knowingly set out to summit a great mountain in crappy conditions with nothing to see anyways, but to each their own. RIP fellow hiker.

Everything is ok, until it's not.

I wonder too, at how many times people dodge bullets without even realizing it.

Kathy,
I spent years solo hiking, and sometimes still do. My philosophy is not to take undue risks. That is, trails with precarious cliffs to be circumnavigated, boulder fields in the rain, ice walks, hikes that push the limits of daylight.

With that out of the way, I'm not so proud to admit that my most grievious injuries happen when I'm in the company of other hikers. That's when the over confidence comes out. Go figure.

What a sad news.

I hiked the Falling Waters Trail off Rt.3 in Franconia Notch on Memorial Day weekend. Stopped at Shining Rock. At the top of Shining Rock, there were a bunch of huge ice blocks at the top, each weighing a couple tons. Went back to the trail, hiked to the top of the ridge. On my way back down, stopped back at Shining Rock, maybe 1 hour later. All those ice blocks had collapsed into the woods, snapping trees as they went. Hiking the White's is great, but can be very dangerous.