Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/02/15/6-hikers-stuck-on-mt-baldy-wearing-only-hoodies-airlifted-days-after-womans-body-was-found-video.html
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6 hikers stuck on Mt. Baldy wearing only hoodies airlifted days after woman's body was found (video)
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Damn, some people are trying their hardest to ruin it for the rest of us and get the whole mountain closed down in the winter. At least these guys didn’t hike solo like the last couple of fatalities, though.
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It’s not an unusually dangerous or challenging peak as such things go—at least if you go during the summer. It’s just that it’s so easy to get to that it attracts a lot of casual hikers who don’t know what the hell they’re doing.
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LOL - yeah there are much more dangerous routes than the toughest thing on this hill.
The issue is that certain places attract newbs more than others - and said newbs lend validity to the saying ‘gumbies gonna gumb’.
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Just cotton hoodies?? In the winter? That’s beyond bonkers. Darwin seems to have failed this time, though.
And for those of you who don’t realize the issue–it gets wet, it loses all insulating ability and it holds so much water that it chills you for a long time. Wet cotton is worse than naked.
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i have friends who love to camp in the snow in the winter (granted, they are experienced campers in general, but still) in the Sierra and other places, and i’m like, “NOPE.” They try to convince me that “Camping adventures in all types of weather are awesome!” and i just say, “The Sierra in the winter killed the Donner party.” – shit happens even to those that are prepared, and if you’re UNprepapared…
I’ll go snowboarding for the day at an area resort or ski area, but you’re not gonna catch me pitching a tent in the snow and trying to convince myself that it’s fun.
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Don’t take a serious hike without preparation. And hopefully with someone along who knows what they’re doing.
Those days are over!
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People don’t realize that 1.) weather can change quickly, and 2.) it changes more so as you ascend a peak, particularly when you get up over 5000 feet.
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This story was so confusing. Turns out there is a “Mount Baldy” in California, and “Baldy Mountain” in New Mexico. Baldy Mountain is part of Philmont, a Scout ranch. I was like “they let non-Scouts into Philmont in winter? That seems odd.”
To make it more confusing, the 10,064-ft Mount Baldy in Southern California is also officially Mt. San Antonio.
There’s a persistent urban legend that I’ve never been able to confirm that a speculator sold the same lots in Baldy Village back in the 1920s or 1930s twice to folks back east: once with a Mt. San Antonio map and once with a Mt. Baldy map.
But back to being on topic: Devil’s Backbone is a narrow trail, with steep sides. It may not be super technical, but the wind can whip across it, and if there’s snow or ice it can be slippery. I’ve also seen people just do full-on runs down into the bowl when coming off the peak, and while it’s fun, it’s not always clear from above if you’re getting off-path to a sudden drop-off. There are a lot of way to get into trouble on Baldy, and the easy access via road and chairlift just bring more people up there and into the danger zone.
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Oh, it’s worse than that. Wikipedia has an entire page with dozens of mountains called Baldy:
I’ve hiked four Baldys, but not this one.
Hah, that’s perfect.
ETA: Holy smokes, 235 different “Baldy” places in the US and Canada! Damn.
Probably best to avoid Bald Mountain though. You don’t want to get caught up there at night.
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I only knew of the one in Indiana, from a webcomic. I first thought “how did anyone get stuck on that? It’s barely even a hill!”
Why are they being called “Experienced Hikers” ? Sounds like a group of unprepared morons to me.
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