Said Christopher Roma's mother, quoted in "Experienced Hiker Found Dead on New Hampshire Trail/Christopher Roma called for help late Tuesday, telling rescuers he was 'very cold.' An experienced hiker, he had completed the triple crown of America’s major trails" (NYT).
He had completed the arduous “triple crown of hiking,” which includes the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, the country’s three major long-distance trails. He had also set up a business, North East Trekking Company, that helped others prepare for their own thousand-mile endeavors, according to the company’s website.
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We have friends whose 22yo son just embarked on the Appalachian Trail. And in college, when I was working doing rock sampling for a gold mining company in Alpine County, CA, I encountered a couple who were doing the Pacific Crest Trail; Markleeville, where I lived that summer, was a scheduled mail drop for them, in those pre-Internet days. Both of these trails sound simultaneously interesting, boring, and very arduous and dangerous to me, especially solo.
We have two separate friends (so far) who have each done the Camino de Santiago, alone - now, I'd love to do that one. Completely different beast.
The first thing I thought was, Mt. Washington, again. But it would appear that was not where he was, he was further West, in the Franconia Notch area. A sad story, still. However experienced, exposure can creep up on you - and he would have been better experienced at spotting it earlier, and taking measures, than 99% of hikers, given his background - something for all of us to bear in mind.
From his website and posted without comment.
“Tge hiker that is looking for the life lessons and experiences one gets through hiking. I experienced a lot of learning the hard way, and my goal is to educate and inform you about the dangers of the wild, the trials and tribulations, and the importance of sustainability. I want to show you that if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us, mentally and physically.”
I have a good friend who is an ultra-athlete. He's in his 50s. He traverses these mountains. My wife's family has hiked them extensively.
They have signs everywhere that more people die on Mt Washington than any other mountain in the world. And that it has the most extreme weather changes than any other mountain. People see a ~6000 foot peak and think New Hampshire and think "No big deal" - that mountain is friendly and accessible; until its not.
It's tremendously sad to see this.
Never killed by heat; finally killed by cold.
Obviously, he wasn’t experienced enough.
I gather Roma was hiking alone in subzero weather just for the bragging rights. Some people may think that’s heroic. I think it’s foolish. FAFO.
“Nature doesn’t care if you’re having fun “ - Larry Niven
There are old hikers and bold hikers but very few old and bold hikers.
Nature does not care. You make a mistake and you will pay... and can pay with your life.
And don't expect others to 'save' you.. hell they are risking their life to come to your aid.
I've been in two incidences in the ocean where I could have drowned... way way to far out yet I kept my cool and swam back to the boat in one (scuba diving) and back to the beach in the other (after being stung by a man-o-war.) And once ran out of water hiking with my wife (Texas of course) in JULY!
But again, I am now a old hiker/diver and not so bold one.
Don't do stupid 'must do or die' stuff.. like I said nature just don't care... in fact it is part of the natural process of selection... stupid dies.
On Dec 26, 2022, this blog linked to an article about the death of hiker Emily Sotelo in the White Mountains.I remembered that post but as I searched for it, I found one dated 6/22/2022 on the death of a male hiker. (also in the White Mountains) His wife was quoted as saying "He’s not a quitter — that probably actually got him into trouble this time." Very similar to the sentiment expressed by Christopher Roma’s mother at the top of today’s blog post.
BTW as I googled, searching for the exact date of the story on Sotelo (so I could search this blog) I read about 2 more deaths in the White Mountains in the past couple of years. Those are killer mountains.
People who throw themselves out there and take risks sometimes come up short.
Everyone weighs safety and adventure their own way.
Well...this is just sad. This man had spent his life hiking, learning the trails, honing his 'skills'. But his judgement was not up to the level he needed. You have to know and respect the power of the world around you. As Clint so famously put it playing 'Dirty Harry', "A man's got to know his limitations."
I actually use that whenever my wife wants me to go to the ballet.
"Nature does not care. You make a mistake and you will pay... and can pay with your life."
From his website: "I want to show you that if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us, mentally and physically."
The phrase "take care of us" has a double meaning.
A HS classmate lost her father years ago after he went solo hiking in the Rockies. He was an experienced outdoorsman but mother nature is a brutal bitch when you get overconfident.
The first thing I thought was, Mt. Washington, again. But it would appear that was not where he was, he was further West, in the Franconia Notch area
I have spent a lot of time in both those places and both locations deal with the same gnarly weather. My uncle was President of Dartmouth Outing Club for years and was responsible for maintenance of the various trails in that area. He always warned the challenge in New Hampshire is that conditions change too rapidly for hikers to adjust- both in being caught by bad weather but also in understanding the conditions you encounter. I don’t know exactly where this man was but some of the trails in that area are some of the most dangerous I’ve encountered- way too much for me in winter. Check on YouTube for video of the AT in that area. No matter how much they are warned, thru hikers from all over the world always remark how difficult the Whites and Maine can be…
"Obviously, he wasn’t experienced enough."
Well, he is now.
Such stories always cause me to recall Vernon Law's famous quote, "Life's a tough teacher. It gives the test first, then the lesson."
Law, pitcher for the storied 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. The team that beat the Yanks.
Look at that timeline… went for a day hike, made a distress call at 10 pm, search and rescue started at 2 am, didn’t find him until 5 pm
People often compare the hardships of past eras with today. How did they do all that?! Well a sizable portion died. We just don't remember those people.
The more civilized we become the less we realize how dangerous this world is. Though it's also a very human thing to just make our own dangers.
Sounds like Roma found a great life seeking a better way to use his energy but sadly that involved risking the old dangers
A lot of folks in our era are frozen in death while thinking they are still alive. And I think Roma was protesting that zombie like death though maybe this is all my projection onto him
Did he have snow shoes?
Things need to change when you father a child. It's not just about you. He apparently had not internalized this. Sad.
He did the Pacific crest trail more than once. wow. hats off.
from his blurb on his business web site.
"I want this business to serve you, the hiker that is looking for more than just a work out and a view. The hiker that is looking for the life lessons and experiences one gets through hiking. I experienced a lot of learning the hard way, and my goal is to educate and inform you about the dangers of the wild, the trials and tribulations, and the importance of sustainability. I want to show you that if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us, mentally and physically."
Sorry buddy - the dangers of the wild sometimes win.
"Once you get to a certain point, you have to make that choice to continue or turn back."
Words to seriously ponder in Election 2024. And not just for one side.
Reminds me of Julian Sands from last year. Another hiker died on that same trail recently, a trail I've hiked many times even in moonlight. The same place can be very different over the year.
And nothing changes it more than cold and ice. Which is so obvious and yet even the most experienced can be surprised.
Only an idiot would have hiked alone in New Hampshire in that kind of weather. Only two idiots would have done it with another person.
I know this is is going to sound heartless- but this was a Darwin Award winner. I hope people learn something from his death.
Interested in the CDT? You can watch Ryan Van Duzer do the Continental Divide Trail on his bike. (on the youtube) He is a local and he does an exceptional job on compiling the footage and commentary.
It's looks amazingly butte-e-ful... and unfathomably difficult.
I haven’t hiked Mt. Washington—there’s a parking lot at the top, so why bother?—but I have done a multi-day hike in the White Mountains. Despite their modest heights, the weather difference from the surrounding valleys is dramatic. It’s cold and wet and windy even in the summer. That said, you can get from the harsh peak to the mild valley in 2 or 3 hours, which makes it surprising to me that experienced hikers still manage to die up there.
"Law, pitcher for the storied 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. The team that beat the Yanks."
Still learning new lessons at 93.
Yes it was cold — single digits the (non-paywalled) article says — and the snow was deep, but people who are at least reasonably prepared survive worse up in Alaska. So I don’t understand why he didn’t set up an emergency shelter way before 10:00 PM and wait it out. But at my age I’m way past getting my kicks from doing things that can kill me.
Once you get to a certain point, you have to make that choice to continue or turn back
Isn't there a third option? - Stay where you are when you begin to realize there's a problem/if it's starting to get dark and you're nowhere near your destination. Do what you can to protect yourself from the elements and retain your body heat. I'm not an outdoorsperson, and maybe it's better to keep moving, but my first choice would be to make an "I f'd up" phone call and try to shelter myself while I wait for rescue or daylight.
It is odd that sophisticated people who long to experience the quiet majesty of the snowy mountain landscape cannot find a way to do so without endangering their lives.
It's as though endangering their lives were the goal, and the quiet majesty were the excuse.
I've hiked those trails. They are wonderful. Thoughts for safety are needed, regardless of the season.
Destruction is the Bitter part of Valor
One thing I always have in the car and in my hunting backpack and in my fishing vest is a space blanket. That mylar silver plastic sheet. They really work.
As people say the White mountains around Mt. Washington can be really deceptive. If you don't prepare for the changing conditions you'll get caught out. Please everything above a certain height is barren and just boulders. The winds will make you feel like you can just get blown off the mountain. So if you don't treat it as dangerous as other places you'll get killed, and I suspect that's the problem. You can drive to the top of Mt Washington! How can it be that dangerous!
You absolutely must be able to quit in the wilds. Embrace it, celebrate it, pretend you have a family who depends on you being alive.
I can't read the NYT, but did he die recently; in winter?
This is foolish.
I get it, push yourself etc.
When I bought new golf irons ten years ago I didn't buy the easy-to-hit kind because I wanted a bit of a challenge. Golf should not be easy in my mind.
But golf isn't life or death (unless you need to make par on the last hole to avoid buying all the beer)...
I've hike that trail mid-summer and it was quite pleasant. Where he was is not nearly as exposed as the Presidential Range, but it is one of the most remote. He was probably about 10 miles into his hike, and was another 5 miles from safety at Zealand Falls hut. In white-out conditions at night he had no chance of making that. Best to try to find/make shelter off-trail to the east. Keeping a fire going in those conditions would be near-impossible.
On a related note, I’m currently binging a K-Drama right now on Amazon Prime titled “Jirisan”. It centers on park rangers at South Korea’s Jirisan National Part and their rescues and other adventures, plus an interesting supernatural twist.
Highly recommended.
Tim Maguire said, " you can get from the harsh peak to the mild valley in 2 or 3 hours, which makes it surprising to me that experienced hikers still manage to die up there. "
I'm not familiar with that specific trail. The ridge of the Presidentials is comprised mostly of sharp edged granite boulders (the size of... covered with lichens that slick with moisture. Trails are marked with stone cairns in the absence of trees, and these can be 40-50 yards apart. When the fog/cloudbank or blizzard rolls in, you have little chance to keeping to a trail.A compass is not practical in those conditions.
"Destruction is the Bitter part of Valor"
Howard got stranded halfway up the stairs from his mom's basement in his quest for a Hot Pocket and had to call 911.
Hiking the Whites in Winter is a popular recreation activity. Sometimes people die living Free. I climbed Mt Tecumseh a couple weeks ago. There were a hundred people on the trail.
A bunch were humping skis and snow boards. My son and grandson climbed Mt Washington on New Years.
People died every year on the Central Coast of California when I swam surfed fished and kayaked there.
John Denver died in Monterey while I was in flight training at WVI. On my first flight within an instructor we had to hold short at a taxiway intersection to allow an aircraft that had crashed earlier that day on Final was towed away in front of us.
Do not ask for whom the Bell tolls...
Golf is for pussies
Danger junkies have their personal poisons. Can't blame him for what he does, maybe tip a small glass to his stepping over the line but won't think past it after now. Much like he probably would have dedicated to me if I'd bought it doing things I did.
Just now saw this headline in my news feed...
3 hikers rescued from frigid conditions on Mount Monadnock
I think I read somewhere that mount monadnack is the most summited mountain in New England. As I recall I think it's about 2,000 ft of climbing over a hike of about 3 MI a lot of it is scrambling over bare rock. I've only done it in summer. It's very close to one of my favorite swimming holes Dublin pond.
Think of all these failed activities as Militia training mishaps. If you want an omelette you got to break some eggs. No guts no glory. Enjoy your long slow death with all of your arteries clogging up on supersized Happy meals. Comfort food
'Golf is for pussies'
Says every shitty golfer with no hand-eye coordination : )
Howard is an asshole, but for once I do agree with him. There's nothing wrong with risking your life. The only sure thing is death. People are too soft.
Solo is esp dangerous. My next brother hikes solo a lot in the CO Mtns. He has all of the non-technical 14ers (52 14k ft Mtns in CO), and most of the Continental Divide in the state. Years ago, we got him a SPOT (FindMeSpot.com) emergency device (Garmin apparently has a similar device). He always carries it, and uses it to check out and in, with his hikes. So, a couple days a week, I get a text message or email, with his GPS coordinates, when he leaves his truck, and another when he is back. I sometimes click on the GPS coordinates to see where he is climbing that day. Works great - except once, summer before last, he forgot to check back in. Two of his brothers panicked a bit, esp since his cell phone was turned off too. Was talking to the local sheriff’s dept, when he finally called our youngest brother, when he found a message from him on his home phone. He had just spaced it out. This year, he upgraded his SPOT device, to one having more than Ok and Help! Messaging. In any case, you really are stupid, these days, if you aren’t carrying some sort of device, like his SPOT, that can call for help, when you are hiking alone and out of cell range. Maybe not just hiking solo - gave one last year to my daughter who hikes a lot with her husband.
At 4000 feet in the Whites you are above the treeline in an environment that can go from beautiful and bracing to deadly in just minutes. You can't see 50 feet in howling wind and driving snow. People die up there within a hundred yards of shelter. Try post-holing in 2 feet of snow in 50 mph winds in zero degree temperatures - what was 2 hours easy walking that morning becomes impossible that afternoon. Mt. Washington and the Presidentials get all the publicity but the ridges around Franconia are every bit as dangerous. Read "The Last Traverse" for a brutally detailed description of what happened to 2 hikers. Complete with a list of every mistake they made.
I've hiked Northern CA Coast in Winter, mild and spectacular. I've hiked Central CA Coast (Big Sur is beautiful, heavy winds, Pt. Sur Lighthouse--must see). I've hiked the Canadian Forest above Quebec City, usually Fall. I've been on the Appalachian Trail, the shallow parts in VT.
When it comes to NH, I will not get out of the car. Franconia Notch is amazing, seen it many times, but never on foot. I love NH, the gorgeous scenery, and--no sales tax !! But, their hiking trails are deadly.
Go Bills, Scalp the Chiefs!
The Lions did their part. Would like to see a Bills v. Lions SBowl.
My hiking has been mainly in the Sierras in the summertime, with friends. Bad weather is a risk year round but even at 9,000 ft., the mountains can be fairly forgiving at that time of year. I ended up abandoning the last trip I had planned- a three day solo hike in July. At the last minute, I had this nagging thought- "What if something happens? Maybe this isn't a good idea." It would have probably been okay, but still...
Sorry, as a doctor, I think the whole thing is silly. Risk you life for what? For egotism? And not just your life, but the lives of those who have to rescue you. They are the real heroes.
I was sure the location must be mistaken, because he would have already hiked over 10 miles in the snow, most of those in the dark. I haven't hiked this in 30, no (ouch) 45 years*, but Bond to Guyot is basically a ridge, so he knew he would be exposed. He must have been close to the shelter spur trail (he may have missed it in the dark and blizzard), but still a long way from both of the huts, which would have closed months ago.
But he's from the next town over and knew this particular trail well, and there are a precious few who have physically accomplished the type of winter hiking he was doing. If anyone could have pulled this off, he would be one of them.
But that's the point, isn't it? That this sort of competing against nature and competing against your own body never ends. There is always one slightly more crazy thing to do at the end of each insane risk. "Take care of nature" he said, as if it were some sort of living creature to be bargained with. If I am only nice to this wolfie and respect him, I'm sure he'll be good to me.
*I have done zero of the 4K's in winter. I decided that 40 years ago. Too many things can go wrong too quickly, no matter how good you are.
Yes it was cold — single digits the (non-paywalled) article says — and the snow was deep, but people who are at least reasonably prepared survive worse up in Alaska.
I live a bit north of Boston, so further south, but where I live we got a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet, and from my recollection, Sunday River (ski resort just over the NH/Maine border, about 30 miles east and 5-10 miles north of Franconia Notch) had similar weather. Snow can be tolerably cold, but once you get actual rain/sleet, body temperature will drop very rapidly.
Blogger Tofu King said...
Things need to change when you father a child. It's not just about you. He apparently had not internalized this. Sad.(
You got that right!
"Such stories always cause me to recall Vernon Law's famous quote, "Life's a tough teacher. It gives the test first, then the lesson."
Law, pitcher for the storied 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. The team that beat the Yanks."
Wow, haven't heard of Vernon Law in a long time! My mother, beautiful and charming as she was, got to know a lot of the 1960's Pirates at her second job in an upscale cocktail lounge; she mentioned Law flirting with her.
gilbar should appreciate this.
Some of the places I've crawled down into just to get to trout water.....looking back on it we should have roped down.
I've hiked all those peaks mentioned above, including Mount Madison. They are tough going, and in terms of endurance right up there with anything out of Yosemite Valley.
My boyfriend at the time really wanted me to get into hiking and camping. He'd hiked all the Presidentials and all through the Sierra Nevada. Me, being a game girl, thought, why not? Boy, was I in for it! My first ascent was on Mt. Washington on an especially cold, rainy, Columbus Day Weekend. It was brutal. That was followed up with Haystack, Mt. Lafayette and Frankenstein (Arethusa Falls) the next day. The pinnacle of the weekend was reaching the summit of Mt. Lafayette soaked and cold and having to find a rock crevice somewhat out of the wind in order to strip and put on dry gear for the hike back down. As I get to the nitty gritty, some rando hiker comes up around the rock formation and encounters my naked backside - and the rest of me. Of course.
BTW: that crazy boyfriend and I will be married 25 years in October.
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