With a name like that I would have thought she had a clue.
She worked in Finance and Finance people aren’t used to experiencing consequences to their actions?
First, she was from Siberia. By Siberian standards, this was not extreme weather. (Russian aircraft manuals include takeoff procedures for -50F.)
Second, she was apparently well equipped, having an emergency beacon (and presumably other survival equipment).
Third, she nevertheless violated one of the cardinal rules — never go into dangerous territory alone. This is a lesson drilled into every Boy Scout, soldier, and fighter pilot (but ignored by NASA, whose exploration mission plans still center around the concept of a single capsule without a wingman, despite the near-disaster of Apollo 13).
Yes, it was the solo that I thought was crazy.
This is pure speculation, but it may be the case that her husband originally planned to go with her but backed out because of the weather and couldn’t talk her out of it.
I also think it’s highly likely she suffered some minor accident, like a twisted ankle, which would have been survivable if she had someone to take care of her. (If nothing else, having a companion for body heat would significantly increase chances of survival.)
This sort of mistake is much less understandable in a $10-billion program like Orion. With all of NASA’s multiple safety boards, no one seems to have mentioned it (or, if they have, it hasn’t been made public). “Government oversight” has an ironic double meaning.
“First, she was from Siberia. By Siberian standards, this was not extreme weather. (Russian aircraft manuals include takeoff procedures for -50F.)”
You don’t know Mount Washington, that mountain is far more treacherous than it’s elevation would indicate. It isn’t called the most dangerous small mountain in North America for nothing.
Going onto it in the middle of an Arctic blast is insane.
The Hike Known as the most dangerous small mountain in the world, 6,288-foot Mt. Washington boasts some scary stats: The highest wind velocity ever recorded at any surface weather station (231 mph) was logged here on April 12, 1934. And 137 fatalities have occurred since 1849. No surprise: Most are due to hypothermia–and not only in winter. “They call them the White Mountains for a reason,” says Lieutenant Todd Bogardus, SAR team leader for New Hampshire’s Fish & Game Department. “We see snow right on through the year.” Several weather patterns collide on Washington and produce its notoriously foul weather, which can move in quickly. In 60-mph winds, hiking becomes nearly impossible: Traveling north along the Crawford Ridge from Washington’s summit, hikers routinely–and unknowingly–get blown off course by powerful westerly winds, which shove them down off the ridge into the Great Gulf or the Dry River Valley. “It’s human nature to go with the wind rather than into it,” says Bogardus. Unfortunately, hikers often find the winds have steered them many miles from trails and roads, thwarting their safe return.
Exhibit A: Staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center warned 23-year-old Gabriel Gauthier that 1 p.m. was too late to start a summit bid. But sunny, 70°F weather in the valley convinced him otherwise, and on September 21, 2006, he and three friends hiked up the peak in little more than shorts and T-shirts. The mercury plummeted 40 degrees as they climbed, and Gauthier’s body temperature dropped as well, ultimately rendering him unconscious. His pals continued to the summit and summoned help by breaking into buildings that had been closed for the season, but rescuers couldn’t revive Gauthier. He lives–but with massive brain damage inflicted by profound hypothermia.
Survival Plan: Lots of New England’s nor’easters are predicted well in advance, so check the Mt. Washington Observatory forecast (mountwashington.org/weather). And most accidents occur in shoulder seasons to hikers not expecting winter to last so long or summer to end so quickly. Plan for high winds and icy temps, and pack warm, weatherproof layers and an emergency blanket or bivy sack. Check hikesafe.com for more tips on surviving Washington. – See more at: http://www.backpacker.com/survival/natural-hazards/weather/america-s-10-most-dangerous-hikes-mt-washington-nh/#sthash.EuTfh5bD.dpuf
The same kinds of changes happen in the Colorado high country. Back in 1986 when I was in-processing to my Colorado assignment, they warned us that there were only two calendar days of the year where snow had not been recorded somewhere in the high country. IIRC, those were August 2nd and 3rd. People go hiking on perfectly clear and warm sunny days only to get caught by violent thunderstorms and sometimes snowstorms. The weather changed so quickly that forecasts weren’t very useful. You had to be prepared for bad things to happen. They often did.
Just think of it as evolution in action.
Ah, Oath of Fealty is one of my favorite Niven / Pournelle books.
This sort of mistake is much less understandable in a $10-billion program…
It’s very understandable the more money involved because killing the messenger is so much more fun when the alternative is sober adult thinking. Facts can be very annoying.
I was using 5000 kg mass and 2500 kg payload for earlier red landers then recently checked wikipedia which says 6500/1000 which really makes planning more difficult and costly (still doable barely.)
Elon says FH isn’t big enough for mars although 13 ton to mars orbit is their claim. My solution is 2 crew per launch and link up enroute (not enough launch sites, but that’s fixable.) Launching serially rather than in parallel just means they take a bit longer to link up, but they’ve got 8 months and linking isn’t critical.
Now all I need is the $10b.
Well that was whacked. I guess the stress at BNP Paribas is piling up too much. Stressed out people do all sorts of dumb things. I once punched an iron gate with my bare hands. Not surprisingly the gate won.
As a N.H. resident and hiker in the White Mountains, most people were stunned to hear of this news. The route she planned to take is very aggressive in the middle of the summer, with perfect temps. To do it in February? With the Arctic-like weather we’ve been experiencing? Insane, no matter how well-equipped you are, or where you’re from.
Brendan.
Totally agree and she was solo to boot! Completely nuts. And as we have seen, fatal. A gun to the head would have been the quicker / easier way to kill oneself. If there is any good to come out of this I guess it’s the news that it was just one hiker dead and not two (or more).
Dave
One has to be careful hiking the Whites:
I’ve hiked there during the July 4th weekend and been snowed upon….
One August, rime ice fell one August and killed 3 hikers several years ago.
People who ski Tuckerman’s in the Spring have fallen through weak points int he snow and been strapped in under-the-snow streams. Their bodies found in the Spring.
The Whites are not gigantic like the Rockies, but they are dangerous.
As for solo flights in space yeah. That was one of the reasons why the Soviets were so reticent about the solo lunar lander proposals some people made during the space race. If you look at it the USA sent a two manned lander for good reason. As for the lone capsule commander this is actually less of a problem since the environment is less dynamic and a lot of the tasks can be automated.
The military usually don’t sent people in less than 2-3 man teams to do anything for much the same reason.
Having multiple crew members helps a little bit, but you really need multiple vehicles. Most tactical aircraft are single-crewman these days, but even when they had two-person crews, a fighter always flew with a wingman. A second aircraft can do much more to support you than a backseater.
One thing aircraft can’t do, which spacecraft can, is transfer crew from one vehicle to another in flight. A good example of that capability, in exploration, is Columbus. When he lost one ship, he was able to transfer the crew to other vessels and continue his mission. Without that redundancy, he would have perished and the New World would have waited for someone else to discover.
the New World would have waited for someone else to discover.
Not for long, though. The Portuguese would very likely have stumbled on to Brazil in a wide turn any year.
In a situation like that I’d have tried to burrow into the snow. Never gets below 0C in the air space and you get out of the deadly wind… assuming snow doesn’t bury you until spring…
Yes NH is my neck of the woods as well. The White Mountains are ALWAYS serious hikes and the weather on them is treacherous regardless of season. With the sole exception of air pressure, the conditions on the Whites can become as extreme as anything the Himalayas can throw and can change nearly without warning. What I cannot CANNOT fathom is why an experienced hiker would attempt solo on Feb. 15, 2015. When the fourth of our (so far) four seasonal blizzards triggered by an offshore nor’easter came through! We are on pace in southern NH for an all-time record setting season (snowfall) this year, and I think we will beat it! The video of the Androscoggin rescue teams trials seem to be wind driven snow in what was otherwise clear weather conditions. Imagine the same scene instead with full overcast, under extreme whiteout where it is not possible to even see your feet or your hand in an outstretched arm! Total disorientation in not only possible but should be expected! Please people when you plan your winter hikes please, please keep in mind the lives you are putting at risk besides your own!
I am not as familiar with that area, but all that is exactly what I was thinking. And still wondering WTF they were thinking.
With a name like that I would have thought she had a clue.
She worked in Finance and Finance people aren’t used to experiencing consequences to their actions?
First, she was from Siberia. By Siberian standards, this was not extreme weather. (Russian aircraft manuals include takeoff procedures for -50F.)
Second, she was apparently well equipped, having an emergency beacon (and presumably other survival equipment).
Third, she nevertheless violated one of the cardinal rules — never go into dangerous territory alone. This is a lesson drilled into every Boy Scout, soldier, and fighter pilot (but ignored by NASA, whose exploration mission plans still center around the concept of a single capsule without a wingman, despite the near-disaster of Apollo 13).
Yes, it was the solo that I thought was crazy.
This is pure speculation, but it may be the case that her husband originally planned to go with her but backed out because of the weather and couldn’t talk her out of it.
I also think it’s highly likely she suffered some minor accident, like a twisted ankle, which would have been survivable if she had someone to take care of her. (If nothing else, having a companion for body heat would significantly increase chances of survival.)
This sort of mistake is much less understandable in a $10-billion program like Orion. With all of NASA’s multiple safety boards, no one seems to have mentioned it (or, if they have, it hasn’t been made public). “Government oversight” has an ironic double meaning.
“First, she was from Siberia. By Siberian standards, this was not extreme weather. (Russian aircraft manuals include takeoff procedures for -50F.)”
You don’t know Mount Washington, that mountain is far more treacherous than it’s elevation would indicate. It isn’t called the most dangerous small mountain in North America for nothing.
Going onto it in the middle of an Arctic blast is insane.
The Hike Known as the most dangerous small mountain in the world, 6,288-foot Mt. Washington boasts some scary stats: The highest wind velocity ever recorded at any surface weather station (231 mph) was logged here on April 12, 1934. And 137 fatalities have occurred since 1849. No surprise: Most are due to hypothermia–and not only in winter. “They call them the White Mountains for a reason,” says Lieutenant Todd Bogardus, SAR team leader for New Hampshire’s Fish & Game Department. “We see snow right on through the year.” Several weather patterns collide on Washington and produce its notoriously foul weather, which can move in quickly. In 60-mph winds, hiking becomes nearly impossible: Traveling north along the Crawford Ridge from Washington’s summit, hikers routinely–and unknowingly–get blown off course by powerful westerly winds, which shove them down off the ridge into the Great Gulf or the Dry River Valley. “It’s human nature to go with the wind rather than into it,” says Bogardus. Unfortunately, hikers often find the winds have steered them many miles from trails and roads, thwarting their safe return.
Exhibit A: Staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center warned 23-year-old Gabriel Gauthier that 1 p.m. was too late to start a summit bid. But sunny, 70°F weather in the valley convinced him otherwise, and on September 21, 2006, he and three friends hiked up the peak in little more than shorts and T-shirts. The mercury plummeted 40 degrees as they climbed, and Gauthier’s body temperature dropped as well, ultimately rendering him unconscious. His pals continued to the summit and summoned help by breaking into buildings that had been closed for the season, but rescuers couldn’t revive Gauthier. He lives–but with massive brain damage inflicted by profound hypothermia.
Survival Plan: Lots of New England’s nor’easters are predicted well in advance, so check the Mt. Washington Observatory forecast (mountwashington.org/weather). And most accidents occur in shoulder seasons to hikers not expecting winter to last so long or summer to end so quickly. Plan for high winds and icy temps, and pack warm, weatherproof layers and an emergency blanket or bivy sack. Check hikesafe.com for more tips on surviving Washington. – See more at: http://www.backpacker.com/survival/natural-hazards/weather/america-s-10-most-dangerous-hikes-mt-washington-nh/#sthash.EuTfh5bD.dpuf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_(New_Hampshire)
The same kinds of changes happen in the Colorado high country. Back in 1986 when I was in-processing to my Colorado assignment, they warned us that there were only two calendar days of the year where snow had not been recorded somewhere in the high country. IIRC, those were August 2nd and 3rd. People go hiking on perfectly clear and warm sunny days only to get caught by violent thunderstorms and sometimes snowstorms. The weather changed so quickly that forecasts weren’t very useful. You had to be prepared for bad things to happen. They often did.
Just think of it as evolution in action.
Ah, Oath of Fealty is one of my favorite Niven / Pournelle books.
This sort of mistake is much less understandable in a $10-billion program…
It’s very understandable the more money involved because killing the messenger is so much more fun when the alternative is sober adult thinking. Facts can be very annoying.
I was using 5000 kg mass and 2500 kg payload for earlier red landers then recently checked wikipedia which says 6500/1000 which really makes planning more difficult and costly (still doable barely.)
Elon says FH isn’t big enough for mars although 13 ton to mars orbit is their claim. My solution is 2 crew per launch and link up enroute (not enough launch sites, but that’s fixable.) Launching serially rather than in parallel just means they take a bit longer to link up, but they’ve got 8 months and linking isn’t critical.
Now all I need is the $10b.
Well that was whacked. I guess the stress at BNP Paribas is piling up too much. Stressed out people do all sorts of dumb things. I once punched an iron gate with my bare hands. Not surprisingly the gate won.
As a N.H. resident and hiker in the White Mountains, most people were stunned to hear of this news. The route she planned to take is very aggressive in the middle of the summer, with perfect temps. To do it in February? With the Arctic-like weather we’ve been experiencing? Insane, no matter how well-equipped you are, or where you’re from.
Brendan.
Totally agree and she was solo to boot! Completely nuts. And as we have seen, fatal. A gun to the head would have been the quicker / easier way to kill oneself. If there is any good to come out of this I guess it’s the news that it was just one hiker dead and not two (or more).
Dave
One has to be careful hiking the Whites:
I’ve hiked there during the July 4th weekend and been snowed upon….
One August, rime ice fell one August and killed 3 hikers several years ago.
People who ski Tuckerman’s in the Spring have fallen through weak points int he snow and been strapped in under-the-snow streams. Their bodies found in the Spring.
The Whites are not gigantic like the Rockies, but they are dangerous.
As for solo flights in space yeah. That was one of the reasons why the Soviets were so reticent about the solo lunar lander proposals some people made during the space race. If you look at it the USA sent a two manned lander for good reason. As for the lone capsule commander this is actually less of a problem since the environment is less dynamic and a lot of the tasks can be automated.
The military usually don’t sent people in less than 2-3 man teams to do anything for much the same reason.
Having multiple crew members helps a little bit, but you really need multiple vehicles. Most tactical aircraft are single-crewman these days, but even when they had two-person crews, a fighter always flew with a wingman. A second aircraft can do much more to support you than a backseater.
One thing aircraft can’t do, which spacecraft can, is transfer crew from one vehicle to another in flight. A good example of that capability, in exploration, is Columbus. When he lost one ship, he was able to transfer the crew to other vessels and continue his mission. Without that redundancy, he would have perished and the New World would have waited for someone else to discover.
the New World would have waited for someone else to discover.
Not for long, though. The Portuguese would very likely have stumbled on to Brazil in a wide turn any year.
In a situation like that I’d have tried to burrow into the snow. Never gets below 0C in the air space and you get out of the deadly wind… assuming snow doesn’t bury you until spring…
Yes NH is my neck of the woods as well. The White Mountains are ALWAYS serious hikes and the weather on them is treacherous regardless of season. With the sole exception of air pressure, the conditions on the Whites can become as extreme as anything the Himalayas can throw and can change nearly without warning. What I cannot CANNOT fathom is why an experienced hiker would attempt solo on Feb. 15, 2015. When the fourth of our (so far) four seasonal blizzards triggered by an offshore nor’easter came through! We are on pace in southern NH for an all-time record setting season (snowfall) this year, and I think we will beat it! The video of the Androscoggin rescue teams trials seem to be wind driven snow in what was otherwise clear weather conditions. Imagine the same scene instead with full overcast, under extreme whiteout where it is not possible to even see your feet or your hand in an outstretched arm! Total disorientation in not only possible but should be expected! Please people when you plan your winter hikes please, please keep in mind the lives you are putting at risk besides your own!
I am not as familiar with that area, but all that is exactly what I was thinking. And still wondering WTF they were thinking.
Today is a good day to die?
Only if you kling on to guns and religion!