I Cried Outloud For You! Backpacker Mag

“Just sad for the fellow who lost his life. Atleast the dog made it out. Great story every one must read. Makes me remember the danger involved with soloing.”

“...the lost hiker's spouse was posting on several bulletin boards searching for information regarding her husband. It was kinda surreal seeing the posts and hearing about the missing person.”

“That was a real downer of a story.”

“I kept expecting the story to have a surprise happy ending! So sad, and can you imagine being that close to the lake and not having a way to get water?”

“I was expecting that too but the language they were using didn't get positive. So I kinda expected it but was still hoping for a rescue.”

“Yup. Expected a little happier ending myself... It's great he had access to his journal so he could record the last days of his life.”

“I have mixed feelings about this. I just re-read it again for the third time and I have the same feelings. I feel real bad for his family mainly, however, I have tried to find the reason why I don't feel so bad for him. Did he get what he deserved? I don't think so. Nobody derserves to die like that. But I can not help but think that if he had not changed his plans, things might have went better.
When I'm on the trail, in the back of my head I'm always thinking of my family and friends. I think that maybe this helps me keep safe. When the sh1t gets bad, I think the best thing for me to do is boot out and live to hike another day. This guy didn't do that. Had he heeded one of the most important rules, take no necessary risks, IMHO, he would be alive today.

I am sorry if what I say upsets anyone. If anything, we can ALL learn from his mistakes and the mistakes of others.....”

“Is the story in the latest issue? (I thought I had it) or is it on a website?”

“sorry.....that should've read UNnessary risks.....”

“Where is this story?
Is it the one about the guy who get his leg stuck in rocks near a mountain lake. He dies of dehydration but his dog is OK?”

“That's the one.”

“I'll have to read it. I was surprised they actually gave critical reviews to lighweight tents. I guess it's getting back to them that everyone is sick and tired of them giving positive reviews to EVERYTHING!”

“We've all gone solo and we've all gone off trail. I can only feel compassion for his family and friends. Despite the fact he perished in a horrible manner, I hope he found peace in his surroundings and realized he was where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do.”

“actually, not too many folks, from this site, go solo. many folks seem to cancel trips when others won't go and a few hike with their dog.

i must have skimmed my last bp mag. i guess i need to dig it up and check this article out, tho.”

“dude solo is the shi!t!!!!

i wanted to do a 100 m trek in Washington, but agreed to go on another with many. NOT AFTER THIS STORY! Ill get aten by a skunk or something.

seems like every one on this site backs out of trips thow to.

if I say Im going then Im going.”

“Hey man stuff happens.
That's life. Not everything works out.”

“hey, man. come back. the point is over here.

i was just responding to geezr's comment... "We've all gone solo and we've all gone off trail."

it seems that most of the folks, here, don't do the solo thing (or go off the trail). if i plan a trip and others can't go, i go. i usually just go and don't ask others to go, unless they have expressed an interest in heading somewhere that i'm heading.

now, go cut the 'grass', dude!”

“I normally don't do the solo thing. Thought about it alot, just never did it.”

“I solo alot...just have to be more careful. Better to turn back, or take the longer route than be sorry. So who cares if I don't arrive at a certain spot at a certain time...I'm solo-ing, no time table or people waiting for me.”

“I solo but for one night in a state park - not 9 days in uber-wilderness. I would get darn lonely - although having a dog for companionship might be nice.

lagtis - I hear you, but at the same time a little "off-trail" is interesting, again this is different in a state park vs. Montana wilderness. You are right wisely assess your own risks and abilities, and always rememeber the cost.

After the first paragraph She-Coop did not want to hear anymore of this story.”

“Listen up chillins, radagast has the point, don't wander off "the point".

I do however agree with the pointy-headed little dude.
Most of these folks wouldn't go it alone........or at least not without a magazine.”

“How dull would life be if all one did was follow a trail!”

“I'm just glad I read that article AFTER my solo mountain climbing trip to Colorado.

How strange it must be to watch yourself die a slow, lonely death in the middle of the place you loved most..........................”

“#&%!$ can happpen even when you stay on the trail--remember Marge the old gal was out for three days with that broken leg before another hiker came along.”

“Hey, if I'm gonna go I'd rather it happen in the middle of the wilderness then downtown being mowed over by some jackass that ran a red light, ya know?”

“I hear ya Rosey.”

“Options, choices, consequences.

I'm with Rosey too. Beats dying hooked up to tubes and machines.”

“Sometimes you get the shi! end of the stick and other times life is easy.Sure it is very sad what happned to him but there is a lession to be learned from it.

Solo hiking is great but you should always be 115% extra careful when doing it.

8|”

“I finally got my edition of Backpacker...

I think this story will make me think twice about abandoning my itenarary while out soloing. There was honor in his death, but I certainly don't want to leave without at least seeing my family. So from now on, I'll be alittle more careful, that could have been me....”

“When I go I want to be shot by a jealous husband flagranto delecto.

On my 100th birthday.”

“It could be worse! You could go with a bunch of whiney butt TTers!”

“LOL, Biz”

“I also read the story, and I felt for him and his family. But when I was finished I was thinking to myself, if he had a cell phone he could have called for help ( me believing it would work in that area) I dont think Cell phones in ANYWAY replace wilderness and survival skills. This man seemed to possess both, but if he had a cell phone he might have been able to call for help and tell them where he was at. Before anyone decides to lock and load: I go solo most of the time and I really enjoy it and it gives me time to think, I don't bring a cell phone with, but where I usually BP there are other BPer. It is just a thought that hit me and I thought I would put my two cents in... Now I am off to look for a cell phone ;)

Sparky”

“Great article. Good issue of *backpacker*.”

“For all the whining and complaining and threats to cancel subscriptions I hear about Backpacker Magazine, it seems that a lot of us still read it.

The accident was a freak thing. You probably couldn't get something that freaky to happen again if you tried.

I don't believe a cell phone would have helped. He was in the middle of Wyoming's Fitzpatrick Wilderness and though I've never been, I doubt there's much cell coverage.

What do you think about people saying "at least he died doing something he loved"? I guess that is true to an extent. As Rosey said, better there than in a crosswalk...but still, you're dead. Your thoughts?”

“I would have rather died in a crosswalk. Quick and unsuspected is the way to go. Screw sitting for ten days wasting away! Sure, he had some nice scenery while his body slowly shut down but he also had the agony and frustration of waiting for rescue, trying to budge that hunk of granite and replaying what he could have done to prevent the accident. Would you really like three or four days to dwell on what life is going to be like for your family without you?”

“My wife and I were in the Winds in the middle of August, '98. While there was a fair "stir" going on regarding the at-that-time-unknown fate of Mike Turner, there were actually two other people missing at the same time as well. One was a woman who was doing a solo trip of her own, and the other was a guy who had wandered off in the night to relieve himself and never came back (the guy was with a couple friends). Since both had been missing for more than a month, my guess is that they both died as well.

I have been backpacking in the Wind Rivers since the late 70's, and it seems like someone is ALWAYS being looked for in those mountains. The Wind Rivers is a rugged place that has no patience for the foolhardy...

By the way, most of the lakes are in rock depressions jammed up against 3500-foot granite walls; even GPS has a hard time working in those sort of conditions. You can forget using a cell phone up there.

Be smart. Take a buddy (one that can TALK).”

“i don't care to go like that. yeah, he was out there where we all dream of being but he is dead. i usaully enjoy reflecting on trips as much as, and even sometimes more than, being on them. i don't want to fail on reaching my goal when my goal is the other end of the trail. that would not be good.”

“i think it's a little weird that backpackers never find dead body's, we hear about people being lost in the woods all the time, and then found dead by people just walking buy, been doing search&rescue for a while, seen a few, but the wittnesses who have found them, where alway's just walking buy, you would think as many as their are of us surely one of us would find some,,, sorry just a thought”

“Maybe someday soon I too will receive my new mag, so's I can read the article and remark on this thread.

I spent a week mapping glacial deposits near Pinedale & saw the Wind Rivers from afar...beeeeauuuutiful scenery!”

“Whoa! This is really strange. I had planned the EXACT same route one week later than when he went.

I chickened out because 1. the weather was questionable; and 2. I didn't feel that I had the necessary equipment to get over Indian Pass and through the snowfields on the other side. I ended up just hanging out at Island Lake for a few days and making day trips.

I was travelling solo too.”

“my goal is to be out there, go splat and then die...nothing lingering like that, sad.”

“To some degree, it sounds as though he was unprepared, even as experienced a backpacker as he was. Try to cross a glacier with no crampons and ice ax? What was he thinking?”

“That's why I backed off on my trip. I've been doing this stuff for 30+ years (soloing for 25+) and I know my limitations.

I REALLY wanted to get back into that area, but I did some research and saw photos from other people of some of the snowfields and they looked too steep for me!

It's pretty ironic that he made it past the "hard" stuff and gets caught up in the rocks.

Makes me think twice about this year's solo. I'm heading down to the Sierra to do a portion of the Sierra High route. Lots of talus!”

“It would be a #&%!$ty way to go. I think I would rather get hit by a bus.”

“Violin, I thought you wanted to check out due to chronic infections of the toes.”

“what he died from is something no one can prepare for, a freakish happenstance that can strike any one of us at any time.

wonder what i'd do in that circumstance- lash out at god, demanding an explanation, or analyze it logically, understand the unfortunate science behind what happened, realize my number is up, shrug my shoulders, grimace and accept my fate?”

“I was on my first backpack trip of any length there when they were looking for him. Its kind of haunted me ever since. I often wondered why he didn't use a signal mirror or shiny pan. So many "what-ifs" and "if only's." I'm sure it's been rough on the family. I think its good to finally publish this, we can all learn from it.”

“johnbre99: you said '...the weather was questionable...' I wish I had had YOU around to tell me that back in August '98! I was up near the same area (Island Lake; Fremont Crossing; Upper Jean Lake; Shannon Pass) at that time, and the rain was NUKING for a week! First time I had ever seen a long period of rain in the Winds at that time of the year (that was my fifth 10+ day August trip to the Wind Rivers).

Then jmitch observes: '...what he died from is something no one can prepare for...' Couldn't agree more. Another argument against going solo in that kind of area...

happenstance that can strike any one of us at any time.”