Two Hikers Give Unintentional Seminar on Poor Preparation for a Hike Up Mt. Mansfield
Courtesy of Stowe Mountain Rescue
After dark on Sunday evening, Stowe Mountain Rescue was toned for a rescue of two young men who had embarked on an adventurous raid on Mt Mansfield, up the Hellbrook trail. They achieved the summit but had set out late in the day and were missing some key components that would have made this outing a success.
The first is technical clothing. Cotton hoodies and sweatpants are disastrous in the backcountry – there’s nothing colder than saturated cotton, which will literally freeze solid and provide zero insulation.
The second is appropriate footwear. You wouldn’t know it from conditions in the valley, but it is winter up there, with 6-8 inches of snow on the trail. Four-season hiking boots are essential, with microspikes for the ice.
The third is headlamps. The days are short and headlamps are essential. Getting darked out on a mountain in winter conditions is no joke.
The good news is that these young people had the vision to climb a mountain and they have long lives ahead of them. Last night will have taught them a lot about how to prepare for a backcountry adventure. If they’d been carrying the right gear they would’ve got away with it.