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From
"Veteran journalist dies after 50-foot fall on Maine mountain" (NY Post).
The former longtime journalist [Donald MacGillis, 74] suffered chest injuries and a broken leg in the fall, which occurred at about 3 a.m. Wednesday as he stood up and stepped away from the trail.
He and his nephew [Paul MacGillis] were rescued some seven hours later, but MacGillis died from his injuries at a hospital in Bangor, his son [Alec] said.
“Paul was extraordinary and kept him going throughout the night,” Alec MacGillis told the newspaper. “It was just heroic.”
MacGillis climbed the mountain every year with a hiking group and was eager to make the trip up the 5,269-foot mountain — Maine’s tallest peak [Mount Katahdin] — with his nephew... 'You could hear the light in his voice,'...
“MacGillis regarded journalism as the noblest of professions,” said the Eagle’s executive editor, Kevin Moran. “A newsman through and through, he loved breaking the news and demanded that journalists dig deep and investigate and report sides of the story the public wasn’t getting.”
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57 comments:
I am back in Vermont for a little while, and I tell you what,, it was windy yesterday.
Nothing much more to say than it's a shame. RIP.
They were hiking in the middle of the night without proper clothing? And why step away from the trail; especially at night?
But did he already vote? Or will he still vote by mail next week?
Yeah, nasty but I couldn’t help myself.
A sad and dumb end to a life well lived.
Sad. My kids make fun of me for being "paranoid" when we go on hikes and bringing too much water and gear. But you can't be too careful around mountains, oceans and deserts. Be prepared, as we learned in Boy Scouts.
[Donald MacGillis]... and his nephew [Paul MacGillis] were rescued some seven hours later, but MacGillis died from his injuries
If a journalist of higher nobility had written this article I wouldn't need a slide-rule to figure out which MacGillis died.
This is such a sad story.
I didn’t know Don MacGillis, but growing up I knew who he was, knew people in whose lives he was central. Everything I ever heard about him, just any casual mention, added up to what a truly, unusually good guy he was.
I’ve hiked that trail. It’s spectacular, but we were blessed with fine weather that stayed fine. I would hate to be up on that ridge in low visibility.
It hurts to think of his last hours; or to think of his nephew, who must surely have thought it was all going to be OK when the helicopter finally carried his still-living uncle toward a hospital.
Safety tip: Don't step away from the Knife's Edge Trail.
"Stepped off the trail" In what story does that end well at 3:00 AM. I'm sorry that the old guy is dead, but this is how old guys die. I enjoy white water canoeing and fly fishing in impossible to reach places, But as I get closer to 70 I realize that those days are over.
I've climbed Katahdin a couple of times. It's the northern end of the Applachian Trail. A lot of people like to spend the night near the peak to see the sunrise. The last time I did it was around 20 years ago. It was in the summer, but it still got pretty cold after the sun went down. You're kind of stuck because, as this guy found out, it's a treacherous place to be after dark. I feel bad for his young campanion. His old fool uncle not so much.
That last paragraph was so extraordinarily ridiculous. “'MacGillis regarded journalism as the noblest of professions,' said the Eagle’s executive editor, Kevin Moran. 'A newsman through and through, he loved breaking the news and demanded that journalists dig deep and investigate and report sides of the story the public wasn’t getting.'"
Pure fiction. Does not resemble reality in any imaginable way.
Wondering if the weather forecast gave any indication of the dreadful weather they encountered.
Headline: COVID 19 Claims Veteran News Reporter After Heroic Climb
From this article, it seems they set out the previous day, got lost in the fog, called 911, and were told to shelter in place till help could be arranged. The older man got up in the middle of the night, and misstepped:
ttps://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/former-eagle-editor-donald-macgillis-dies-in-maine-hiking-accident/article_47ec5680-095e-11eb-abcf-bf94a0ce0be8.html
I was going to hike on Katahdin once. Decided not to when I had driven to within about ten miles, and couldn't see the mountain in the middle of they day.
"he ...demanded that journalists dig deep and investigate and report sides of the story the public wasn’t getting.”
Another old white man who deserves to die
Hmm. No indication that they checked any weather reports before setting out. Boating, hiking - any wilderness activities - always keep on eye on the weather.
From Wiki:
"The most famous hike to the summit goes along Knife Edge, a glacial Arête which traverses the ridge between Pamola Peak and Baxter Peak. The mountain has claimed 23 lives between 1963 and 2012,[21] mostly from exposure in bad weather and falls from the Knife Edge. There have been more than 60 deaths on Katahdin since 1933 including October 8 and 9, 2020.[22] For about 3/10 of a mile the trail is 3 feet wide, with a drop off on either side. The Knife Edge is closed during periods of high wind."
David Begley,
They were hiking in the day. Weather turned south and they hunkered down for the night.
Though it feels distasteful, I will point out that if I were to bivouac unexpectedly with a companion, I might just try to step a few feet away to take a leak during the night.
RIP. We are avid hikers and always hike in remote areas with emergency blankets, water, food and simple first aid kit--former scout here too. It often seems like a waste of weight, but you never know. For people over 60 (that includes me!), a lot of hiking falls happen when they stand up after sitting on a low rock at the edge of a drop-off with a great view. Getting up from a low seat is not easy as you get older, even if you are in great shape for your age, and it just takes a little stumble in a place like when you stank up to go over the edge. First time I heard of this was on the Angel's Landing Trail at Zion--a hiker sat on a rock near the edge to eat lunch and then fell over the edge when she stood up and stumbled. Now when I sit in a place like that, I crawl away from the edge before I stand up!
A boy scout died last year on a hike up a small mountain in Arizona. Didn't bring enough water.
“A newsman through and through, he loved breaking the news and demanded that journalists dig deep and investigate and report sides of the story the public wasn’t getting.”
He was 74 so perhaps he really did have this sort of professional ethics, though I note that Dan Rather and Sam Donaldson, even older (late eighties) in age, have not demonstrated this sort of professional ethics for over fifty years. And today’s journalists come nowhere near such a lofty description. Anyway, RIP.
Fernandinande said...
"[Donald MacGillis]... and his nephew [Paul MacGillis] were rescued some seven hours later, but MacGillis died from his injuries"
If a journalist of higher nobility had written this article I wouldn't need a slide-rule to figure out which MacGillis died.
And it just gets worse for there, it's nearly impossible to figure out who did what to who in that sentence.
As a journalist, this person knew he was smarter than the people advising him to shelter in place so he acted on his superior knowledge and overall superiority.
JPS
I was an Eagle Scout. Be prepared!
I condemn people who smoke or are obese because the behaviors of those people impose their health care costs on the rest of us, and I don't smoke and I am not obese.
I regard the man in this story as a hero, although it may be true that his behavior imposed health care costs on the rest of us, because I am also an avid hiker, and I think that makes me better than most other people.
These guys should have gotten off the mountain as soon as the weather started to close in. Given the number of times they made this climb they should have known better. New England weather is notorious for its fickleness and, at altitude, it is even worse. Obviously they had phones with them and were capable of getting a weather report which essentially said get off the mountain.
I have been with people in the White Mountains who I practically had to drag off the mountain as the rain and cold settled in.
I have done my share of dumb things, but I have always been very cautious on the river or in the mountains when the weather turns wet and cold. We aren't built for it. I am sorry these guys weren't a bit more cautious.
When I was in my mid-20's, I made the hike to Angel's Landing in Zion. It was an amazing experience, but even then, I thought, "This is really crazy. One false step, or one brush with someone going the other way, and it's over."
I am 50 now, and I would never, ever do that or anything similar again. Once in awhile, I can feel faint if I get up too quickly. No big deal at home, but possibly instant death at a high altitude.
So this man was 74. May he RIP, but he should have known his limitations.
And as others have said, the romantic view of journalism has been discredited for good.
A respectable death. RIP.
Wow- I have hiked trails up Katahdin myself twice before- the trail I did narrows down to just a few feet along an arete call Knife Edge. I can't imagine doing any of those trails in the damned dark with just a flashlight. The hike is probably my all time favorite one- the views you get are just spectacular.
The hikes to top and back can be done in 8 hours if you are healthy and strong and you don't stop a lot, but a 74 year old man is going to find it difficult to do in less than 12- this is a terrible time of the year to try it- you need to do it in the Summer when the days are very long.
He died doing what he loved to do, getting up in the middle of the night to take a pee.
"The most famous hike to the summit goes along Knife Edge, a glacial Arête which traverses the ridge between Pamola Peak and Baxter Peak. The mountain has claimed 23 lives between 1963 and 2012,[21] mostly from exposure in bad weather and falls from the Knife Edge."
Yes! Very dangerous if it is windy. I did the hike in July both times- the second time it was a bit breezy the entire day, but not terribly scary- I was always conscious though that strong gust might come along. I was also 20 years younger than I am today. I probably wouldn't do it today if I had the opportunity.
"Blogger Marcus said...
Headline: COVID 19 Claims Veteran News Reporter After Heroic Climb”
Given all of these fake COVID deaths that are really caused by other stuff, it’s weird how the excess death number lines up pretty neatly with the made up COVID number. I guess that is just one of those mysteries that will never be explained.
The problem with trying to hunker down on that mountain is that there really isn't any place to shelter on any of the trail I saw- you are highly exposed pretty much every where once you get about 1/3 of the way up in elevation.
At 74 poor old guy had a little too much urgency to pee.
Vertigo is a thing. So is making a simple, small mistake in the wrong place. At least he died doing something he enjoyed. God bless and keep him.
Good Grief, I see "The Smart Boy, if only they had listened to me" crowd has made their expected appearance. If the man hadn't stumbled in the Dark, he'd be alive. That's it. People stumble all the time.
Sad. But not to put too fine a point on it:
He was a retired editor and journalist, but it seems not keeping a journal at the time of the event. He was not, as the son reported, "literally worried about being blown off the mountain." Rather, he was worried about literally being blown off the mountain.
Sometimes the acorn falls rather more distant from the tree.
Personally, I would never get within 5 feet of the edge of a steep hill or a ledge, because I have a paranoid fear of falling down. I've actually gotten uncomfortable walking across bridges, unless the railing is at least 4 feet high.
No shortage of journalists. That and the old Clint Eastwood maxim - A man has to know his limitations.
"I’ve hiked that trail. It’s spectacular, but we were blessed with fine weather that stayed fine. I would hate to be up on that ridge in low visibility."
My companion and I were warned to not hike it unless the weather was 100% absolutely clear and sure to stay that way the day of the hike. Same with Mount Washington and Mount Mansfield- we did all three in the same week in 1999.
" 5,269-foot mountain"
We call that "a hill" out west.
I'd prefer to die in similar fashion: taking a risk, doing an adventure, following a dream. That's a rare and special way to go. I hope to be nowhere near a hospital or nursing home in my final days.
Too bad he wasn't a veteran mountain climber.
Or had veteran common sense.
When I was little I read a book called something like "Lost on a Mountain in Maine" by Donn Fendler. He was a kid from Rye NY--10?--on vacation at Mt. Katahdin with his family. He stepped down a path and, from the point of view of his family, vanished. I think he had a windbreaker and sneakers. He had been a Boy Scout, so he knew a little bit about the woods (like following water downhill), and he was Catholic so he prayed, but he had to tamp down panic as well as dealing with no food and lots of bugs and cold. He was there for 9 days.
I've never forgotten his story, and it definitely made me a careful hiker.
As people age, they find out that what were once safe activities for them become less safe. My 77 year old cousin is an example. She has owned and ridden horses since she was 10, but now she has come to the realization that her horseriding days are coming to an end. We hope they come to an end before she gets thrown.
A further point about safety is that Mt. Katadhin has dangerous weather for hiking even in the summer. It is really pushing it to hike in mid-October.
Donn Fendler hiked Mt. Katadhin in July 1939, at age 12. He got separated from his father and other hikers in a fog. Using his Boy Scout training, he headed downhill until he found a stream, and then followed the stream downhill. Nine days later, he was found. He had his 15 minutes of fame. There was a parade for him. President Roosevelt presented him with a medal proclaiming him the outstanding youth hero of 1939.
From a review:
Donn's harrowing story, as told to Joseph Burke Egan, who was an author and I think a journalist, apparently was first published later in 1939 and has been a beloved family and school classic in Maine since that time. Through the years, Fendler himself visited schools and libraries to share his experiences, and generations of Maine children have learned lessons about courage, faith, and will from Lost on a Mountain in Maine.
Generations of Maine schoolchildren have read his book.
Wiki: Donn Fendler
DuckDuckGo: Donn Fendler
On a clear day I can see Katahdin from my house here in Waldo County.In 1969 I and eight others carried a woman from Chimney Pond to Roaring Brook who had been badly injured by a lightning strike, which killed her newly-wed husband as they slept in their tent. I remember that storm and events like it was yesterday. At 70 years young, I have no interest in climbing her again. She sure is purty though!
Here's the thing about being old when you can't see around you. You can lose your balance. I kayak fish at night with wind buffeting me. Sometimes I get tipsy because my eyes and ears get confusing inputs.
Should old men stay home?
If he would have made it, what a story to tell about beating the mountain. The mountain beat him, but didn't beat him by staying home. I choose to live on the edge until I fail. Mother nature is a formidable foe whom asks me to try the wind and waves just one more time. I obey the call.
ORANGE MAN BAAaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddd !
Splat.
"Boy Scout training"
In my hiking years, which lasted into my forties, I kept an old Boy Scout manual and went over the preparation checklist every time I did anything more than an easy day hike. It saved me from every pitfall except getting too fat to hike.
I have a friend who died 5 years ago while posing for a picture with her husband (the photographer was her daughter) at a beautiful mountain lookout. She stumbled and fell off the cliff. Always be super careful near the edge of a cliff/drop off. Best to not get closer that day 5 feet or so as a prior commenter said. My wife won;t get closer than maybe 10 feet, if that.
The old mountain men of Jim Bridger and Daniel Boone days knew that if you make a stupid mistake it very well could kill you.
Now days with 911 these so-called explorers assume SOMEONE will save them by just dialing a number.
The key is the word 'assume'. To assume is to make an ass out of you and me (and in this case get you killed.)
Folks you are on your own when you hike. Nature is fickle. Here in Texas in the summer snakes can kill you, 911 or not. Up north the temps change suddenly... in Alaska bears and moose can stomp you in the ground. On lakes you can drown by a simple slip into the water. Just never know.
Call whom you wish but mistakes can quickly be fatal.
tim in vermont said...
"He died doing what he loved to do, getting up in the middle of the night to take a pee."
That's why you camp with a pee bottle. So you don't even have to leave your sleeping bag.
rcocean said...
"Good Grief, I see "The Smart Boy, if only they had listened to me" crowd has made their expected appearance. If the man hadn't stumbled in the Dark, he'd be alive. That's it. People stumble all the time."
Yes.. and to go in the dark near a cliff knowing people 'stumble all the time'... is to invite a fatal mistake.
Sometimes we watch FailArmy on TBD. You start to wonder if some guys will make it to 30, they do such stupid things.
I'd prefer to die in similar fashion: taking a risk, doing an adventure, following a dream. That's a rare and special way to go.
Not so special for your companions or the people who search for you. Tasty treat for the animals though.
"He died doing what he loved to do, getting up in the middle of the night to take a pee."
Cause of death listed as enlarged prostate. A urolift could have saved him.
“A newsman through and through, he loved breaking the news and demanded that journalists dig deep and investigate and report sides of the story the public wasn’t getting.”
---------=============
is it valid to ask if Pulitzer looks for any such qualities before awarding?
or such qualities are deemed disqualifying?
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