Death in the Wilderness

Adventure Girl is deeply saddened this morning. I logged onto the Seattle P-I to read about Jeff Graves, an experienced hiker who had been lost in Mt Rainier National Park since Saturday. His body had been found at the base of a cliff near Eagle Peak. My thoughts and prayers go with those left behind - not only will they mourn the loss of their dear husband, son, father, and friend but they will also be called on to answer the inevitable questions.



Questions such as why did he go alone, why wasn't he properly prepared and why, why, why. To which the only answers could be because that is what he does. Please remember, Jeff was an experienced hiker. He left for his hike equipped for a dayhike - which let me tell you, going through his gear list is a lot better than I have seen on the trail. He took extra food, had a gore-tex jacket, enough water for a dayhike and a few extra hours. I have seen hikers climbing the steep slopes of Mt Rainier on hot July days ascend without pack or even a water bottle.



The same questions and speculations came after Robert and Frances Annette Blakely died in the Carbon River area earlier this spring. Speculations arose as to why they died - the mistakes they made. They were both experienced hikers who loved the outdoors and had been prepared for an extra night in the wilderness. But mother nature had other plans for them that bitter spring morning.



Why does disaster strike one individual and not another? I can't answer that question - the most prepared hiker can meet with disastrous effects where the least prepared hiker has a glorious visit. My only advice is to be aware. Watch your surroundings as you hike and figure out what you can do when events start to take a disastrous turn. Prepare not only your supplies but your mind. A walk in the woods is anything but. This is not admonishment to those that have lost their lives on the mountain we so love. It is more of an admonishment to those that would question them and their friends and families.

My other piece of advice: let them rest in peace for peace is what they were searching for in the first place. And let their friends families remember their loved ones as the remarkable person they remember.