December 26, 2022

"She had no map, compass, or matches. No flashlight or headlamp, though her parents said she used her phone as a light...."

"[S]he had granola bars, a banana and water that likely froze very early on.... She wore long underwear but only light pants and a jacket. She had heated gloves and a neck warmer but no hat. Her shoes were for trail running.... She had planned to hike alone for three days, have her mother join her on the Wednesday and celebrate [climbing all 48 peaks] with a dinner at the grand Mount Washington Hotel. She told her mom she had checked the weather, as did her mother, but only saw the forecast for where they were staying in Franconia. 'It was cold, but ... I didn't know anything about the mountains or anything else. It did not look bad,' [the mother] said. The pair shopped for food that afternoon, and Emily did some school work before setting an alarm for 4am. The following morning her mother dropped her off at a trailhead at 4:30am, with plans to pick her up eight hours later....."

From the Daily Mail article, "Grieving doctor couple's daughter, 19, died on winter hike through snowy New Hampshire after setting out in thin clothing and sneakers with just granola bars and water for sustenance/Emily Sotelo, 19, was found dead on a New Hampshire mountain trail on what would have been her 20th birthday... Her goal was to summit all 48 peaks over 4,000 feet by her 20th birthday...."

132 comments:

Dave Begley said...

Big mistake.

Number one Boy Scout rule: Be Prepared.

Temujin said...

These are not smart people, I don't care how many degrees or professional credentials they have collected. Mt. Washington alone regularly records some of the strongest winds and coldest temps in all of North America- regularly. Going up into the NH Mountains in November is not for anyone under-equipped, either mentally or physically. Who does this? NH is a beautiful state, but not to be taken lightly.

Not to sound cold-hearted, but sometimes you look around and you see Darwin at work all around us every day.

Lurker21 said...

Another hiker has also been found dead in Northern New Hampshire. Male this time.

Do you need a Mt. Washington tag? Haven't you posted on this before? Or was that somebody else?

If Mt. Washington were in another part of the world, wise old tribesmen would talk about the angry gods punishing people for daring to challenge the sacred mountain.

Creola Soul said...

Darwin at work.

Yancey Ward said...

Actually, rule #1 is don't go hiking in New Hampshire in Winter.

Enigma said...

The first thought may be to add her to the general category of smartphone-social-media Darwin Awards. Fall off a cliff taking a selfie. Foolishly believe you can call for help in regions where there is no cell service. However, passionate mountaineers have died from freezing in blizzards or avalanches or falls for more than a hundred years. Most of the first group to ascend the Matterhorn in 1865 died on the way down. George Mallory and Andrew Irvine died near the top of Everest in 1924. Many die on Everest or K2 or Denali every year.

Mountains have always attracted a special (or marginally sane) type.

Rory said...

Well, that's terrible. I've mentioned here before, the one time I got into trouble in the woods for a few hours, most of my thoughts consisted of self-reproach. There's no bright side to checking out as a dumbbell.

Dave Begley said...

In the story the mom says, "I'm a medical professional." No, you're not. You had no wisdom or common sense.

I'm very, very sorry you lost your daughter. But she was young. Young people don't know shit. That's why the Boy Scouts existed: To teach young boys about the outdoors. Be Prepared.

You should have exercised your parental duty and made your daughter more prepared. Adults know more than kids. Adults exist to teach kids.

I see where her dad is a GI doc. He's rich and should have known better too. Now they want to start a foundation to help relieve their guilt. It won't work.

This is exceptionally harsh at Christmas time. Maybe some people will learn.

Kathryn51 said...

EVERY book we own on hiking - or even walking - on trails starts out by listing the 10 Essentials. Even if the hike is no more than 2-3 hours. Not that we follow that rule, but 8 hours climbing a 4000 ft peak in the winter?

tim maguire said...

I've hiked in the White Mountains. The storms can be treacherous even in summer. Maybe she was fooled by the fact that the peaks are not very high, but even so, the weather at the top can be completely different from the weather in the valleys and the storms they experience are not something to take lightly. Especially this time of year.

Rit said...

Winter hiking is New Hampshire is called snowshoeing and I've done dozens of such hikes in the White Mountains over the years. But winter hiking is a far more difficult different experience than spring/summer/fall hiking and trying to summit Mount Lafayette in the winter is a wicked-difficult endeavor and should only be attempted by those who know what they are doing, have made similar hikes in the past, and most importantly should never be done solo.

Nonyabidness said...

Definitely her parents contributed to her death. Her own mother let her off in that condition at the trailhead.

Stupid, stupid people. This is evolution in all its glory, stopping the defective genes right in their tracks.

Original Mike said...

Always, always, always take matches.

Cappy said...

Gotta go with Dave's comments above. Sad, but true.

Paul said...

Nature has many options for the stupid.... deadly options.

Now I hike and deer hunt... and I have a photographers type vest that ALWAYS contains a compass, knife (folding), fire starter, first aid kit, and the rest of the pockets change as the conditions change (summer, winter.) And yes a good canteen that has pockets for freeze dried food, coffee, sugar, LIFE STRAWS (water filters), and even a super sized aluminum cup to boil the water in! Cell phone to! The vest is made by BAUR.

And yes I carry a pistol. The pistol is not only for defense but it is a great sound maker, game getter, and the bullets can be pulled and the power used to start a fire and lead slugs used as sinkers for fishing... yes a few hooks and line are also in my vest.

And I have a great hiking stick!

Anytime I hike or hunt... I always wear that vest!

But you see I'm an old geezer and seen a lot. This 19 year old woman had not seen a lot and apparently nether had her parents.

Nature has many options for the rash... all deadly.

Kate said...

The report is obviously playing off the fact that everybody else on planet earth knew what a bad idea this was. I'm so sorry for their loss.

William said...

She deserves the very opposite of a Darwin Award. There are some deaths that only the affluent and adventurous suffer. If she had previously climbed 47 peaks, she had experience. Maybe she was overconfident, but she wasn't dumb. That sense of adventure would probably have led her to make something special of her life. Well, she has to settle for a special death.

Andrew said...

Every teenager should read Jack London's To Build a Fire.

boatbuilder said...

I really don't understand this. She and her parents lived in Marshfield, MA. The White Mountains are not some faraway mythical place--every sentient person in MA knows that the weather can become hellish very fast. Especially in November. She supposedly had been previously hiking to mountain summits--did she not experience anything to give her pause here?

Sad and bizarre.

tommyesq said...


The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department conducts an average of 200 rescues a year for hikers in need of assistance. According to Outside magazine, Mt. Washington has had almost 150 fatalities since 1849, mostly due to hypothermia. Several weather patterns collide there, producing foul and highly volatile weather. High winds can cause hikers to drift off course and get lost (and the mountain experiences hurricane-force winds about once every four days). Weather at the base can be very pleasant while the peak maintains dangerous conditions, particularly in the spring and fall seasons (as with the woman of the story).

Not a place to take lightly.



robother said...

Sad, but understandable. The 19 year old girl was obsessed with her goal and just thought she could dress a little warmer than her summer hiking clothes. How the mother could live in N.H. and not have better sense (no hat, hiking boots, really?) is less excusable. But every year in Colorado we see deaths like this, people who have no respect for the mountain dangers.

Michael K said...

Darwin Award candidate for the daughter. I don't know what to say about the parents. Didn't they like her ?

Joe Smith said...

Isn't that one of the most notoriously bad weather spots on the continent?

The end of November is winter for all intents...

Very sad.

Iman said...

Mama come here quick
And bring dat hikin’ stick

Richard Aubrey said...

What was her mother thinking? Had she never been cold in her life?
Perhaps the only experience with cold she's ever had is from the parking lot to the office? It can be uncomfortable, but you won't notice any diminution of capabilities, nor beginnings of hypothermia. You learn nothing. Like telling your kid to dress warmly.
My wife and I worked with exchange students for a couple of decades. Always wanted them to read "To Build A Fire" but as a general rule their English wasn't good enough until the urgency had passed.

Political Junkie said...

Speechless. I am without speech.

Howard said...

Yancy's Nancy boy advise is the classic stereotypical Trump cuck dandy attitude. As the Norge's say: there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.

stlcdr said...

I'm going to go along with Dave B. above.

Nature is trying to kill you, 24/7.

I taught kayaking (ocean and creek, basics to advanced) a few years ago. One of the things I discussed with participants that, although that bridge is only 100 yards away, if you capsize in even mild water, you can find yourself in a life or death situation very quickly.

I think this is a sad situation, where we are falsely comforted by technology - she had a phone, with a wealth of information at her fingertips, yet it couldn't save her.

stlcdr said...

I recall seeing recently a picture from mount Everest. The frozen body of a guide left for years as a marker, both for where they are on the trail to the top, and how deadly it can be for even experienced people.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

I don't hike, but even I know that Mt. Washington's weather is highly volatile. It might be nice now, but give it 5 minutes and the weather will be beastly. There have been plenty of news reports about people dying on Mt. Washington due to its volatile weather.

Hiking in November on Mt. Washington with light-weight clothing is just a new form of suicide.

Jaq said...

I saw a report that Mt Washington was experiencing 150 mph winds, even settled towns were experiencing 90 mph gusts.

Estoy_Listo said...

"Her goal was to summit all 48 peaks over 4,000 feet by her 20th birthday."

And there's the tell: It was hubris. It was all about her.

Ann Althouse said...

I remember hiking around there years ago. At the trailhead there were signs warning you how cold it could get, even in summer. I remember the phrase "Many have died..."

Ann Althouse said...

Particularly disturbing in this story is that the mother was right there helping her, sending her off and reinforcing her idea that she was properly equipped.

Carol said...

Bucket lists are overrated.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Sad. Way out here in suburban SoCal we have heard how treacherous Mt. Washington is and we’ve seen rescues in Spring and Summer by the Fish & Game people. They get multiple calls a week all summer long to find hikers. Just a sad holiday story all around.

Christopher B said...

Good judgement comes from experience.

Experience comes from bad judgement.

Tofu King said...

This whole story makes no sense. She didn't even have a hat? Climbing in NH in November? And the MD mom just dropped her off at the trailhead like that?

Tofu King said...

This from a Medical Doctor!
She told her mom she had checked the weather, as did her mother, but only saw the forecast for where they were staying in Franconia. 'It was cold, but ... I didn't know anything about the mountains or anything else. It did not look bad,' [the mother] said.

gilbar said...

Estoy_Listo said...
"Her goal was to summit all 48 peaks over 4,000 feet by her 20th birthday."
And there's the tell: It was hubris. It was all about her.

She was Just Dying to get all 48 peaks in!!
She'd rather Die, than not get ALL 48!!!!!!
The MOST IMPORTANT Thing.. In Her Life; was getting that 48th peak!!!

The Drill SGT said...

Also missing from the story?

any mention of her 'Ranger Buddy" or "Never, ever, leave your Wingman"

The good news here is that none of the searchers died in this attempt.

Narayanan said...

she had smart phone but was not smart herself!!

did she even tell anybody what she was doing?

gilbar said...

William said...
If she had previously climbed 47 peaks, she had experience. Maybe she was overconfident, but she wasn't dumb.

There's an aviation saying about this..
Pilots only crash, when they're students.. Or when they've flown so long, that they know it all.
In between; a pilots have a healthy skepticism of their own skill sets

Narayanan said...

Carol said...
Bucket lists are overrated.
====
must make sure not to add 'kick bucket' anywhere on list

Michael K said...

Blogger Howard said...

Yancy's Nancy boy advise is the classic stereotypical Trump cuck dandy attitude


Howard can't let one day pass without spewing his hate.

jim said...

Incredibly ill equipped. One twisted ankle, or missed turn, and she's dead. Astounding.

Narayanan said...

The following morning her mother dropped her off at a trailhead at 4:30am,
==========
so what were ambient conditions at trailhead pre-dawn that day?

Mason G said...

A fictional short story about what happens as you freeze to death:

"Frozen Alive", from Outside Magazine...

When your Jeep spins lazily off the mountain road and slams backward into a snowbank, you don’t worry immediately about the cold. Your first thought is that you’ve just dented your bumper. Your second is that you’ve failed to bring a shovel. Your third is that you’ll be late for dinner. Friends are expecting you at their cabin around eight for a moonlight ski, a late dinner, a sauna. Nothing can keep you from that.

Driving out of town, defroster roaring, you barely noted the bank thermometer on the town square: minus 27 degrees at 6:36. The radio weather report warned of a deep mass of arctic air settling over the region. The man who took your money at the Conoco station shook his head at the register and said he wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight if he were you. You smiled. A little chill never hurt anybody with enough fleece and a good four-wheel-drive.

But now you’re stuck. Jamming the gearshift into low, you try to muscle out of the drift. The tires whine on ice-slicked snow as headlights dance on the curtain of frosted firs across the road. Shoving the lever back into park, you shoulder open the door and step from your heated capsule. Cold slaps your naked face, squeezes tears from your eyes.

continued...

https://www.outsideonline.com/2152131/freezing-death/

Narr said...

Sounds like she was prepared for a walk in the park, not a hike.

That the parents are educated professionals should be surprising, but it isn't.

Narayanan said...

The following morning her mother dropped her off at a trailhead at 4:30am,
==========
so what were ambient conditions at trailhead pre-dawn that day?

Mason G said...

"She had granola bars, a banana and water that likely froze very early on....

She had planned to hike alone for three days, have her mother join her on the Wednesday...."


Hiking alone for three days with some "granola bars and a banana"? Does that make sense to anybody?

Narayanan said...

Her parents, psychiatrist mom Olivera
============
should mom be counseling / analyzing anyone at all??

Narayanan said...

Her parents, psychiatrist mom Olivera
============
should mom be counseling / analyzing anyone at all??

Original Mike said...

"This whole story makes no sense. She didn't even have a hat? Climbing in NH in November? And the MD mom just dropped her off at the trailhead like that?"

I too was particularly struck by the 'no hat' detail.

If the mother were my doctor, I'd be changing doctors. She may be educated, but she's clearly pretty dumb.

Hannio said...

Too bad her birthday wasn't in August.

Rick67 said...

This is the 2nd article about someone dying while hiking in New Hampshire that I came across this year. I have a co-worker who told me how close he came to dying while hiking with his girlfriend in New Hampshire. He had experience and equipment but still after a change in weather they came close to dying of hypothermia. They survived because he could still barely use his hands.

People genuinely have little idea how bad it can get.

Rit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rit said...

She sounds like she was a mission hiker. Mission hikers are typically pretty single-minded about reaching the summit and getting back down, and if they can do it in record time then all to the better. I watch these folks blow by me going up the trail, and sometimes even whiz right by me heading back down just as I summit. They carry no backpack and maybe will hand carry a water bottle. I'm often carrying 15 pounds of camera equipment, along with food water and whatever additional clothing is appropriate for the season.

The physical challenge seems to be the only satisfaction mission hikers desire. Me, I like to stop, observe, capture some images and just plain enjoy being outdoors. To each his own, but mission hikers are almost always seem to ill prepared and the most likely to get themselves into trouble.

Howard said...

Sure she was stupid, but she didn't lack guts. That's what really bothers you fake tough guys lacking in testosterone and compassion. I hope you enjoy your gluttonous desperate sedentary afterglow judgementalizing the brave young maiden and her grieving parents. Your biggest Shadenchubby of the year: "Look, honey!! I think it moved???"

Breezy said...

Sad story. Why didn’t she simply turn around when the temp dropped or she first saw snow, when she could still find her way out?
You have to be guided by conditions as they are, not as you wish they are.

Lawnerd said...

Mt. Lafayette is my favorite climb in the White mountains. I've done it at least five times. Even in the summer, when it is in the high 70's at the trailhead, it can get wicked cold at the summit with fierce winds. For those of you from out west who haven't climbed an east coast mountain, they never heard of switchbacks in the east. Straight fucking up. Mt. Lafayette is especially intense. The main trail up boarders a spring fed creek and the rocky trail is always wet and slippery. It would be easy to get lost above the treeline in bad weather. She shouldn't have tried to solo this one.

JK Brown said...

Putting aside no plans for things to go wrong, her reported preparations for being 8 hours hiking, in New Hampshire even for summer were inadequate. And that goes 10 times for a day hike in late November. Unfortunate, but really looks closer to suicide than accident. I'm not saying it was anything of the sort, but really, had she never seen late fall in New Hampshire?

kcl766 said...

Lived in NH 40 years ago. Drove to the top of Mt. Washington in late August. 76 degrees at the base, 31 degrees after reaching the top and the wind felt like it was going to rip off my car door. Learned a lesson from Mother Nature that day.

Yancey Ward said...

Howard once got his head stuck up his own ass because someone once told him it was a bad idea.

Yancey Ward said...

Howard, I heard it is a bad idea to play Russian Roulette. Tell us all how your experience works out.

n.n said...

The audacity of [unqualified] progress.

Yancey Ward said...

More advice for Sir Drill Sgt. Groomer Howard to bravely, bravely not follow:

(1) Don't stick a fork into an outlet;
(2) Don't use the blowdryer in the tub;
(3) Don't shoot up heroin you bought from a guy named Jose;
(4) Don't try to cross I-95 at night;
(5) Don't try to pet the tiger at the zoo.

boatbuilder said...

She was going to hike for 3 days and had her cell phone for a light. What? How was she planning on charging it? (the flashlight feature uses power very quickly).

Very strange. Maybe the Daily Mail has things wrong. My experience with the press is that even when they are trying hard to get it right, they get things wrong.

Michael said...

It is not s though the family was from Florida. They live in NH. How incurious can you be to live in that state, long to climb all its peaks and not know the basics and dangers of the range? There are guide books. There is the freaking internet. There are blogs galore. But nope. Put on your running shoes, grab a bar and take off. At the end of fall.

Alu Toloa said...

Hubris, as one commentator noted, is just the overt expression of narcissism. If you "know everything", as our 3 and a half year old grandson proudly exclaimed when complemented on his assured identification of "pineapple" bushes at 6,000' in the Marble Mountains, just shy of the Oregon border,you need not trouble yourself with the most fundamental knowledge of White Mountain weather patterns or the 10 essentials.

madAsHell said...

My mother stopped eating at 95 years of age. The physician called it self-death.

madAsHell said...

Every teenager should read Jack London's To Build a Fire.

.....or be a Boy Scout.

farmgirl said...

Andrew- pretty sure we were read that or read it ourselves in the 6th grade.
Put the fear of God in me very early.

Laslo Spatula said...

Climbing the 47 peaks successfully imbues you with the sense that God is looking after you.

Atheists and believers can write their own addendums to this.

I am Laslo.

ALP said...

Stories like this chill me to the bone (pun intended). I was stupid enough to go on a solo hike in the Mt. Ranier area of Washington, Eagle Peak if I remember correctly (1816 elevation). It was early June. Was supposed to go with a friend but she cancelled. I'll spare the experienced hikers reading this any trauma by listing what I did or did not take with me - don't want to be the cause of soiled underwear.

I consider it one of the dumbest things I've ever done and one of the luckiest days in my life that the weather didn't turn on me.

~ Gordon Pasha said...

Mother Nature doesn't care if you're having fun ~ Larry Niven

JPS said...

Oh, that’s so sad.

I have the same feeling I always do, reading the comments after some adventurer dies in a way that looks awfully foreseeable and avoidable: I pushed my luck when I was younger. If I’d made the headlines, you would have said what a fool I was and how I ought to have known better. And you’d have had a point.

I understand why she would set a goal like that, and I think it’s neat. I wish someone had impressed on her the need to prepare for contingencies. I can’t reproach her parents because it hurts too much to think how I’d blame myself for the rest of my life if that were my kid. I hope they can find peace.

Like William at 9:58 I’m a little surprised she’d hiked so many, and not come to grief earlier.

Rest In Peace.

Zev said...

climbing 48 peaks
what a dumb goal
I don't even understand why it would be someone's goal
People need better aspirations

Dave Begley said...

Why are the girl's parents talking to the Press at all? Aren't they embarrassed by their own stupidity and culpability?

Dude1394 said...

No map or compass. It’s like a how-to to get lost.

Inga said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...

Be prepared is a strict sentiment and lesson that is often perceived, presented as congruous with transgenerational angst.

Inga said...

How terribly awfully sad, no matter the circumstances, their daughter is gone and I’m sure they are heartbroken. When a person is missing and found, the day they are found is the legal date of their death. My son was found on his birthday also. My son’s death certificate had to be re-written because the coroner accidentally used the year of his birth on the day of his death. I’m sure his birth day and death day being the same threw him off. So it looked as if my son had been born and died on the same day and year, as if he had died as a newborn.

I’m so sad for these parents, whether they were partially responsible or not.

Robert Marshall said...

When I was law-schooling about 50 years ago, we used to drive up to the White Mountains on a fall weekend, and ascend Mt. Washington. In the fall, it was usually pretty much okay; cool at the start, cold and windy at the top, but not too much below freezing most of the time. There were usually 3-4 of us. Tuckerman's Ravine is a great trail.

Once I went up with a guy who had a good bit of experience, in January. We got equipped at the EMS store in Boston, including crampons, and hiked up the auto road (because you can't easily get lost.) Probably 2/3ds the way up, I had to take off a mitten to adjust a strap on a crampon, and my hand got very stiff in just a few seconds. Took that as a sign, and we started back down. Later saw weather report that conditions at the top were -20 degrees, 60 to 80 mph wind. Heading down was definitely the right choice.

Just because it's not super high for a mountain, doesn't mean it can't kill you.

typingtalker said...

Grieving doctor couple's daughter, 19, died ...

Awkward and reads as if the story will be about the "doctor couple."

How about, "19 year old woman died ... "

Big Mike said...

It must look really, really easy. Walk up a well-marked trail and call it hiking.

It would have been immaterial on this outing, but I don't understand why women go solo hiking or solo jogging without a firearm. The woods have four-legged predators that regard humans as being below them on the food chain, plus women may have to deal with two-legged predators -- and I don't mean Sasquatch. Eliza Fletcher, a teacher and mother, could comment except she was abducted, raped, and murdered while jogging alone in Memphis last September. Out in the woods only your abductor(s) will hear you scream. One also needs training, preferably from a qualified woman who will teach her to aim at a potential rapists crotch. A lot of women seem to balk at shooting a male attacker in the face or center mass. I never heard of any woman who wouldn't shoot a potential rapist in the groin.

Also immaterial on this outing, but she didn't have bear spray. Yes, black bears are mostly hibernating in November, even down here in Virginia. But the ones that are still out will generally still be out because they haven't eaten enough to let them settle in to hibernate.

She didn't pack extra clothes.

She didn't have a personal locator beacon. A PLB sends out a signal at 406 MHz that is picked up by search and rescue satellites to alert authorities that someone is in trouble, and what their GPS coordinates are. Would have helped. They're very light weight and the hiker will barely notice that he or she is carrying it. A really good one costs north of $300, but her parents will spend a lot more than that on her funeral.

She didn't have a map and GPS, or even a compass. Did she even know how to read a topographic map if she had one? If you're going to go off trail and not know how to get back to the trail, you really need to have some navigation support. Some of the better PLBs have a GPS built in.

She didn't bring a shelter, nor did she know how to build one in winter from tree branches and snow. Nor did she have matches in a waterproof container, nor any sort of firestarter.

She was hiking in darkness without a source of light. Are the hiking trails in New Hampshire so smooth that one won't trip over rocks or tree roots and injure oneself?

If she had been injured hiking in the dark, she had no first aid kit.

She did have a cell phone, fat lot of good that did out where there are no cell towers. Did she even think to carry a solar recharger (which admittedly wouldn't have helped much with very cloudy conditions).

I am sorry that she died freezing alone in the deep woods, and I feel sorry for her parents, who will spend the rest of their lives wondering why they didn't try harder to talk her out of the trek. But Mother Nature is a callous bitch who will kill even the knowledgeable and well-prepared if she can. Unprepared newbies are risking more than they know.

Rory said...

White Mountains Forest reddit page, as the search was in progress:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wmnf/comments/z15vad/updated_information_on_emily_sotelo_was_dropped/

Just chilling to read.

Howard said...

Blogger Dave Begley said...

Why are the girl's parents talking to the Press at all? Aren't they embarrassed by their own stupidity and culpability?


Embarrassment? Are you fucking kidding? Their daughter is dead. Just try and rap you're narrow minded corn-fed pea-brain around that for a minute. Maybe your not a parent and cannot fathom the absolute sense of loss. Do you think that embarrassment should be the grieving parents primary motivation at this moment so that they are not sneered at by cowardly pussies such as yourself and other hateful Trumpers? Your just another fake christian who worships money, status and power while operating on fear, guilt and shame. It most certainly sucks to be you. Have a grand time at the Governor's Ball, sport.

Fredrick said...

"The following morning her mother dropped her off at a trailhead at 4:30am, with plans to pick her up eight hours later.

At 5am, Emily sent a text listing what she wanted for lunch: quinoa, chicken, papaya, coffee and water. By 11am it was snowing lightly, and Olivera sent a text asking how the hike was going. There was no response."

Well she was alive before dawn as she started her trek to check off the bucket list. Mom waited another 6 hours before texting her daughter. Now just where was she going to meet her daughter for lunch if mom was at home and her daughter were on the mountain trail? Lots missing from that story but the hubris and lack of self awareness.

Steven Wilson said...

There's some bad writing here. First sentence indicates three days of hiking but not necessarily a three day hike. Sounds as though she may have been returning to a quarters each day. The first sentence below gives the former meaning. The second sentence, which in the actual article comes three sentences later, would indicate the latter reading.

"Her hike had begun on Sunday, November 20. She had planned to hike alone for three days, have her mother join her on the Wednesday and celebrate with a dinner at the grand Mount Washington Hotel.



The pair shopped for food that afternoon, and Emily did some school work before setting an alarm for 4am. The following morning her mother dropped her off at a trailhead at 4:30am, with plans to pick her up eight hours later."

At 5am, Emily sent a text listing what she wanted for lunch: quinoa, chicken, papaya, coffee and water. By 11am it was snowing lightly, and Olivera sent a text asking how the hike was going. There was no response.

This article could have used some serious editing, just as the young lady would have benefited from adult advice.

I think the second reading that she was hiking during the day and returning to base camp is the only one that makes sense as there is no mention of camping equipment.

A damned shame under any circumstances, but it is certainly a cautionary fable.

Mason G said...

About 30 years ago, I planned a four day/three night backpacking trip on my own out of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. I had all the typical stuff you'd think to bring- tent, sleeping bag, bad weather clothing, compass, map, matches, etc. Several hours into the hike while stopped for a rest it occurred to me that if something happened, I was on my own. I turned around and hiked back to my truck at the trailhead.

Yancey Ward said...

Howard thinks it takes guts to do stupid things. Explains a lot about Howard, doesn't it?

Rusty said...

Howard said...
"Sure she was stupid, but she didn't lack guts."
Everybody that ventures out into the wilderness and dies has those two traits. Sometimes without the stupidity, but I doubt you'd last very long. It doesn't take testosterone either. So that let's you off the hook.
She wasn't prepared.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Steven Wilson said...

Badly written and edited. One sentence implies she went on a three day hike. Three sentences later it seems as though she was hiking for three consecutive days. The second sentence speaks of her mother dropping her off on the same day she was to pick her up at the close of the day and go to the Mount Washington Hotel that evening.

There's no indication of camping equipment, so I suspect she was hiking during the day, returning to her apartment/home for the night and setting out the next day.

Under any circumstances a sad story, and one that should serve as a cautionary fable.

Andrew said...

@farmgirl,
"Andrew- pretty sure we were read that or read it ourselves in the 6th grade.
Put the fear of God in me very early."

For me it was 9th grade. But yes, that story made an impression that stuck with me. A vivid description of mistakes compounding on each other. Man versus nature means that nature wins, or shows mercy.

I was glad the dog survived at the end. Don't listen to your heart. Listen to your dog.

Steven Wilson said...

7 duplicates. Do I have the record. Insert frowny face here.

Paul said...

Come to think of it... she would make a great demotivational poster...

Something about being an example of what not to do.

They could post it along the highways around that mountain with a before and after photo of her (that is when she was found.)

Might even save some lives.

Gojuplyr831@gmail.com said...

Breezy said...
Sad story. Why didn’t she simply turn around when the temp dropped or she first saw snow, when she could still find her way out?
You have to be guided by conditions as they are, not as you wish they are.

One of the first effects of hypothermia is the loss of reasoning. Two brothers died elk hunting in deep woods full of downed, dead, timber. They froze to death. Last thing both of them did was to smoke a cigarette.

boatbuilder said...

In my late 20's on a trip with my wife and in-laws I hiked Mt. Wrightson (just south of Tucson--10,000 feet) alone, in July. Had a backpack with a bottle of water, a sandwich and a windbreaker. Started at about 5000 feet. Took all day, of course. Ice and snow--and a Spotted Owl--at the summit. Coming down was harder than going up.

I would never even consider hiking in the White Mountains--even in July--alone and/or without some serious plan in case of weather. Not even when I was young and even more foolish than I am now.

And the question about turning around once it starts snowing--once it starts snowing its probably too late.

Very sad.

Original Mike said...

"About 30 years ago, I planned a four day/three night backpacking trip on my own out of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. I had all the typical stuff you'd think to bring- tent, sleeping bag, bad weather clothing, compass, map, matches, etc. Several hours into the hike while stopped for a rest it occurred to me that if something happened, I was on my own. I turned around and hiked back to my truck at the trailhead."

I did a lot extended, solo backcountry trips when I was younger. Typically out for 2-weeks at a time. I don't consider solo tripping to be reckless, though it certainly raises the risk compared to traveling with a buddy. You are carrying survival gear on such a trip, after all. And nowadays with PLBs, the risk is further reduced. But you absolutely have to respect the possibilities. My level of care and awareness went way up when I was alone. Part of the reward emanated from that.

Rory said...

Local paper clarified details:

"Sotelo’s mother dropped her off at the trailhead on Sunday morning around 5 a.m. The goal: to solo hike three peaks including Lafayette, Mount Haystack and Mount Flume. There was snow on the ground and the high temperature for that day was just 24 degrees Fahrenheit. The low temperature was 9 degrees. Despite the conditions, Sotelo expected she would complete the 13.7-mile loop in a day."

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/local/how-to-stay-safe-outdoors-in-the-winter/article_52b2e9ee-6f5f-11ed-b837-a3893d9ddac2.html

mongo said...

Years ago my wife and I took our youngsters, ages 2 1/2 and 6 mos, to Denali NP for a weekend. One afternoon the wife went rafting. I decided to take the little ones for a hike. We got ready and took off. About 100 yards from the lodge I thought, what the bleep are you doing? There are grizzlies, wolves, and God only knows what other carnivores around here. Turn your butt around NOW. So, we did. Never got to hike in the park, but my kids got to grow up, so it was a fair trade.

Rory said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Yancey Ward said...

Next, Groomer Howard will relate the story about how only he had the guts to have sex with a wild boar.

Yancey Ward said...

Brave, Brave Groomer Howard is going to beat the shit out of all us for not showing the proper compassion.

And, just imagine this were the child of, let's say, Tucker Carlson who died this way. Does anyone really think Howard would be berating the rest of us for pointing that the death occurred because this particular hiking trip was an act of stupidity? Of course he wouldn't be- in fact, Howard would surely be the most avid in pointing it out.

Assistant Village Idiot said...

I have most of the 4k's completed, but none in winter, and I'm not going to. Bad weather, hell. How about bad footing? Less and worse daylight? Fewer hikers to give you recent info? Though you can just go on any of several sites to get fairly recent conditions - which she must not have done. She had a cell phone - how was the reception on that half a mile up the trail?

I've been on Lafayette in mid-October supposedly supervising sons and nephews, when a snowsquall came up near the summit. I knew immediately it was time to turn around, and had a helluva time convincing one teenager not to keep going that last 200 yards, though I understood the temptation all too well. I know Westford, MA, too - farm country that my Dad grew up in. Rich suburb now. I hate to generalise but...

Big Mike said...

Howard said …

Embarrassment? Are you fucking kidding? Their daughter is dead. Just try and rap
[sic] you’re [sic] narrow minded corn-fed pea-brain around that for a minute.

Howard, my infantile co-commentator, sad as this episode is for the couple who lost their child and the young woman who froze to death alone in the deep woods, the only useful thing Ms. Sotelo can contribute at this point is for her actions and preparations to be analyzed carefully, objectively, and unemotionally to see what lessons can be drawn,

Her mother would probably have talked her out of the trek had they known how to exploit Dark Sky, or accuweather, or weather.com online. She’d probably still be alive had she packed more food, a fire starter, spare warm clothes, and either shelter or knowledge of how to create shelter in freezing weather. She probably would still be alive if she had a headlamp, spare batteries, a map (proving she knew how to read a topo map), and a compass (provided she knew how to use one). She’d certainly be alive if she’d had a personal locator beacon.

Mason G said...

"But you absolutely have to respect the possibilities. My level of care and awareness went way up when I was alone. Part of the reward emanated from that."

The possibilities are what turned me around, but the reward is certainly enticing. Ten or fifteen years later, I made a daytrip to the Colorado/Green River confluence in Canyonlands NP. It's about 10 or 11 miles roundtrip from the trailhead and I didn't see a single person the entire way. If something happened then, who's to say how that would have turned out?

Bruce Hayden said...

As a native Coloradoan, how can you have 4,000 ft peaks? Seems like an oxymoron. 4,000 meter peaks? Sure.

Richard Aubrey said...

I did a lot of hiking, usually under load, while working for the government (Infantry). Never alone so none of the alone things happened.
What is true is that it is not at all unlikely that you could lose or reduce mobility between one step and the next. And then, if alone, you're screwed.
Hiking in the Smokies and Blue Ridge. Beautiful. But, what with roots and rocks, you walk differently . Usually, each step implies the next step which is how you trip. You're moving forward and the relevant foot doesn't show up. Down you go.
Some terrain, you place your foot and scan for the next step. And the next.
Near Blowing Rock, between wet, slippery leaves, roots, steep trails, it was dangerous just to move.
Point of all of the above is...you don't need a blizzard or lightning or hungry bears to totally ruin your afternoon and if you're alone....you lose a lot of body heat with wet denim between you and the rain-drenched soil. And even at forty degrees, you could be in trouble.

~ Gordon Pasha said...

I duck hunt in very cold conditions. My ideal party size is 3-4, that way if someone is injured there are 1-2 to go summon help. Garmin has a number of devices to help you summon help. This is my favorite

https://www.factoryoutletstoreonline.com/product/Garmin-inReach-Explorer-Handheld-Satellite-Communicator-with-GPS-Navigation/GARM-010-01735-10

Narayanan said...

rich parents like these are probably why their kids grow up believing global warming and electric vehicles powered by XYZ

howard can probably provide support evidence

Yancey Ward said...

Steven Wilson asked:

"7 duplicates. Do I have the record. Insert frowny face here."

Most I have seen. The "Whoops" error used to often mean the comment didn't go through, but it has been a while (over a year now) where that was the case for a comment of mine. One thing you can do is simply go back a page, and then hit refresh- if the comment didn't go through, you will get an alert that you will lose the text- if the comment did go through, you won't get that message.

James K said...

I hiked in the White Mountains one late summer and that was scary enough. It took a bit longer to come down the mountain than we'd anticipated, it started to get dark very quickly, and we were not the least prepared for getting lost. We made it down just fine, and it wasn't really a close call, but it was just enough to learn a lesson about how quickly conditions change in the mountains, even in seemingly benign circumstances.

About 10 years ago we lost a beloved cousin who decided on a whim to go hiking alone for a few hours on Mt Ranier in December. He was an experienced hiker in the northeast, but was obviously and tragically unprepared for that environment. His body was found the next day.

Rit said...

I don't even understand why it would be someone's goal
While mission hiking isn't my thing, I understand and respect it. I've probably done just shy of half of those 48, many of them more than once, over the past 30 years. I know two avid hikers that own a tracker board for the White Mountains that is just like this.
https://whakestudios.com/product/nh48/

Rit said...

I don't even understand why it would be someone's goal
While mission hiking isn't my thing, I understand and respect it. I've probably done just shy of half of those 48, many of them more than once, over the past 30 years. I know two avid hikers that own a tracker board for the White Mountains that is just like this.
https://whakestudios.com/product/nh48/

PM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rocketeer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wilbur said...

Ha. Yancey, you're right ... Howard and Inga are sad because it happened to their Leftist comrades.

If it had been one of Howard's corpulent Trump cucks (obvious projection, of course) they would all over this about how stupid deplorables are.

If you're that sad, Inga, make a big contribution to the parents' new foundation. Give till it hurts.

Wilbur said...

"The "Whoops" error used to often mean the comment didn't go through, but it has been a while (over a year now) where that was the case for a comment of mine."


I get the Whoops message on about 70% of my comments. I just hit refresh on the Whoops page and the message goes through. Of course you won't know it until it is actually posted. Trust the process.

TaeJohnDo said...

We live at the base of a 10,600' mountain. Albuquerque nestles right up to it and there is a tram that goes to the top. Lots and lots of people get in trouble on the mountain - they think since the mountain is right next to a city, it is friendly and inviting and will be kind. The mountain doesn't care and will let you die just as easily as if it was in the most remote corner of the state.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

“Why didn’t she simply turn around when the temp dropped or she first saw snow, when she could still find her way out?”

The trail map is telling, assuming her plan was as described to hike up Mt. Lafayette, down to Mt. Flume, and then back to a different trailhead for pickup.

The key decision in many of these survival ordeals is whether to go forward, go back, or stay put and make the best shelter you can where your are. Emily would have passed Greenleaf Hut on the way up, and her body was found off the trail to northwest of Mt. Lafayette, suggesting she got lost while trying to make it back to the hut, likely less than a mile or two from potential shelter when she got off trail.

If she had gone past the summit of Mt. Lafayette before turning back, the trail follows the ridge line where exposure to the wind and blowing snow would have been the worst. That may be why she didn’t make it.

Rusty said...

Nothing in nature is your friend. Everything in nature is at full survival mode all the time. You are at all times, wandering in the wilderness, prey.
And by wilderness I mean outside you're front door.

KellyM said...

The Appalachian Mountain Club used to publish their annual trails report (in book form) in the early summer, and it logged all of the rescues/deaths that had occurred the previous year. Many of the stories were like this: people lost due to lack of preparation.

This is so sad, but having hiked a good deal of the Presidentials, you don't screw around up there. As others have said, this poor girl was woefully ill prepared. Four season gear at any time of the year is a must. I've had to strip down and change clothes while trying to shelter on the lee side of a large boulder on top of Haystack with windblown fog swirling from every direction. It doesn't take much to get chilled.

Jim at said...

Next, Groomer Howard will relate the story about how only he had the guts to have sex with a wild boar.

No chance. There are some things even a wild boar won't do.

Bitter Clinger said...

Bruce Hayden: "As a native Coloradoan, how can you have 4,000 ft peaks? Seems like an oxymoron. 4,000 meter peaks? Sure."

What is the elevation at the base of those Colorado peaks? Given that Denver is the "Mile High City", the actual elevation gain on a 10,000 ft peak in Colorado isn't much more than the elevation gain on east coast 4,000 ft peaks. It is the elevation gain that causes the change in conditions.

Granted, you don't have to worry about altitude sickness back east.