A unique opportunity to write about a rescue in the mountains has occurred. All rescues in the White Mountains are unique, but this one is especially so, as I was the victim.
I was so impressed with the professionalism of the crew that brought me down from the base of Right Gully in Tuckerman Ravine that I feel motivated to write about the event so people know a little more about their work, and the cooperation that occurs in Tuckerman Ravine in the spring. We hear about accidents but less about the activity of those charged with getting victims out safely.
kAmpD 7@C 9@H x 76== 5@H? #:89E vF==J[ x 2> ?@E 4=2:>:?8 E@ 36 3=2>6=6DD] x >256 2 >:DE2<6[ H2D?’E A2J:?8 2EE6?E:@? 6?@F89 2?5 A2:5 E96 AC:46] x 2> G6CJ =F4<J E@ 36 2=:G6 @C ?@E 9FCE >@C6 D6C:@FD=J]k^Am
kAm~? |2C49 ab[ x H2D 9:<:?8 @? E96 H:?E6C {:@? w625 %C2:= 2?5 :?DE625 @7 8@:?8 E@ E96 DF>>:E[ 564:565 E@ 9:<6 5@H? #:89E vF==J :?E@ %F4<6C>2? #2G:?6] x 925 5@?6 E9:D >2?J E:>6D 367@C6] x H2D H62C:?8 4C2>A@?D 2?5 H2D 42CCJ:?8 2? :46 2I6]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2? 6I46AE:@?2==J H2C> 52J] %96C6 H6C6 >2?J D<:6CD :? E96 C2G:?6] (96? x EFC?65 @77 E96 {:@? w625 %C2:= 2?5 7@==@H65 2 A24<65 96C5 A2E9 E@H2C5 E96 E@A @7 #:89E vF==J[ 2 92=7 5@K6? D<:6CD A2DD65 >6 9625:?8 E@ E96 DF>>:E D?@H7:6=5D] {@@<:?8 5@H? #:89E vF==J[ 2?@E96C D:I D<:6CD H6C6 4=:>3:?8 FA :E :? 2 D6E @7 H6==\ 6DE23=:D965 D<: 3@@E EC24<D[ H:E9 D<:D @? E96:C 324<D 2?5 FD:?8 EC6<<:?8 A@=6D] %96 D6E @7 EC24<D H6C6 23@FE a 766E @FE :? E96 8F==J 7C@> E96 DEF?E65 DACF46 @? E96 D:56] x =6E E96> A2DD 2?5 E96? 42C67F==J A=2465 >J 3@@ED :? E96 EC24<D 2?5 DE2CE65 5@H?[ A=2?E:?8 >J :46 2I6 :? E96 D?@H H:E9 >J C:89E 2C> H:E9 6249 DE6A]k^Am
kAmp3@FE d_\766E 5@H?[ x G66C65 @77 E96 EC24<D @?E@ D@>6 A24<65 5@H? 6G6C8C66? 3C2?496D @? E96 D:56] p7E6C 2 76H J2C5D[ x EC:65 E@ 7:?5 E96 EC24<D 282:? @FE :? E96 D?@H] %96J H6C6 8@?6]k^Am
kAmx?DE625 @7 4@?E:?F:?8 5@H? E9C@F89 E96 3C2?496D[ H9:49 x D9@F=5 92G6 5@?6[ x E6?E2E:G6=J AFE >J C:89E 7@@E @FE @? E96 D?@H D=@A6 E@ D66 :7 E96C6 H2D 2?J DFAA@CE[ 2?5 A@DD:3=J =@@< 7@C EC24<D E92E >2J 92G6 366? H:A65 @FE 3J 2 56D46?5:?8 D<:6C] (96? x AFE H6:89E @? :E[ :E :>>65:2E6=J D=:AA65 5@H? E96 D=@A6] x 5C@AA65 5@H? 2?5 D=2>>65 >J :46 2I6 :? E96 D?@H 23@G6 >JD6=7 E@ D6=7\2CC6DE] xE 925 ?@ 67764E 2E 2== :? E96 D@7E D?@H[ 2?5 x DE2CE65 D=:5:?8 5@H? E96 D?@H D=@A6[ A:4<:?8 FA DA665]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE 76H D64@?5D EFC?65 :?E@ 2? 6E6C?:EJ] x DH@C6 :? 7CFDEC2E:@?] &?23=6 E@ EFC? 2C@F?5 2?5 7246 5@H?H2C5[ 96=5 >J 92?5D 369:?5 >J 9625 E@ AC@E64E :E] x D=:5 23@FE a__ 766E[ DE@AA:?8 :? D@>6 DEF?E65 DACF46 36=@H #:89E vF==J]k^Am
kAmp >@>6?E 27E6C x DE@AA65[ x =@@<65 FA] p? 6>6C86?4J >65:42= E649?:4:2? Wt|%X 2?5 2 5@4E@C H6C6 ;FDE 2CC:G:?8[ 92G:?8 D66? >J 72== 7C@> ?62C3J {F?49 #@4<D[ 2 82E96C:?8 @7 3:8 3@F=56CD ?6IE E@ E96 q@H=]k^Am
kAm%96J :>>65:2E6=J DE2CE65 E@ 2DD6DD >6] %96 t|% H2D $632DE:2? s2HD@?[ E96 p|r %F4<6C>2? #2G:?6 42C6E2<6C] w6 2D<65 >6 E@ C6A62E 2 A9C2D6 6G6CJ 76H >@>6?ED E@ 4964< >J 2H2C6?6DD] w6 D2:5 E92E H6 >FDE 2DD6DD :7 x 4@F=5 H2=< F?2DD:DE65 5@H? E@ w6C>:E {2<6] x EC:65 E@ DE2?5 3FE :>>65:2E6=J 76=E 2 D92CA A2:? :? >J =67E =68 2?5 76== E@ E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAm%96 24EF2= |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? $<: !2EC@= H2D @77 7@C E96 52J] qFE @E96CD 2CC:G65 E@ 96=A] t5 #@J[ 2? #]}] :? E96 6>6C86?4J C@@> 2E |6>@C:2= w@DA:E2=[ H2D FA D<::?8] w6 H2=<65 @G6C 2?5 5:5 2? 2DD6DD>6?E] w6 H2D G6CJ 4@>7@CE:?8 2?5 <6AE 2 5:2=@8F6 8@:?8 H:E9 >6] tC:< $2>:2[ 42C6E2<6C 2E E96 w2CG2C5 r23:? 2E E96 32D6 @7 wF?E:?8E@? #2G:?6[ 925 366? D<::?8 2?5 G@=F?E66C65 9:D D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAmxE H2D @3G:@FD E92E 2? 6G24F2E:@? 3J =:EE6C H2D C6BF:C65] s2HD@? C25:@65 5@H? E@ 7@C6DE D6CG:46 $?@H #2?86C y677 u@?86>:6[ H9@ ;FDE 92AA6?65 E@ 36 2E E96 32D6 @7 E96 3@H= H:E9 2 =:EE6C] w6 DE2CE65 92F=:?8 E96 =:EE6C FA E96 b__\7@@E D=@A6 E@ H96C6 x H2D[ 2DD:DE65 3J D?@H C2?86C r9C:D (F]k^Am
kAm(96? E96J 2CC:G65[ u@?86>:6 E@@< @G6C E96 @A6C2E:@? :? 2 7C:6?5=J 42=> >2??6C] %96J 2== =:DE6?65 E@ >6[ 2?5 C6DA@?565 E@ 2?J 2EE6>AE 2E 9F>@C @? >J A2CE] p 7=2E A=2E7@C> H2D 5F8 @? E96 D=@A6 7@C E96 =:EE=6C] x H2D =:7E65 3J 92=7 2 5@K6? A6@A=6 2?5 A=2465 :? :E[ E96? E9@C@F89=J DEC2AA65 5@H?]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ H6 H6C6 C625J E@ 56D46?5] s2HD@? 2?5 $2>:2 96=5 D9@CE C@A6D 2E 6249 4@C?6C :? E96 7C@?E @7 E96 =:EE6C] (F 2?5 u@?86>:6 H6C6 :? E96 324<] u@?86>:6’D C@A6 H2D =@?8[ 2?5 96 36=2J65 E96 =:EE6C 7C@> 2 E9:4< DEF?E65 DACF46] {@D:?8 4@?EC@= @7 E96 =:EE6C @? E96 D=@A6 H2D ?@E 2? @AE:@?] (6 DE2CE65 5@H?]k^Am
kAmx 76=E A6C764E=J D276[ 6G6? H:E9 :?6G:E23=6 3F>AD 2?5 D9:7ED E@ E96 D:56] p7E6C @?6 >@C6 36=2J @? E92E D=@A6 H6 C624965 E96 7=2ED 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 3@H=]k^Am
kAm(6 4@?E:?F65 5@H? E96 EC2:= E@ w6C>:E {2<6] ~?6 @C EH@ >@C6 36=2JD H6C6 ?646DD2CJ[ 2?5 2E @?6 A@:?E[ E96J 925 E@ =62G6 E96 EC2:= E@ 2G@:5 2? 2?8=65 =6586[ 3FD9H924<:?8 E9C@F89 E9:4< DACF46 H:E9 D?@H FA E@ E96:C 496DED 2?5 92F=:?8 E96 =:EE6C]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J H6 2CC:G65 :? 7C@?E @7 E96 7@C6DE D6CG:46 3F:=5:?8 2E w6C>:E {2<6] x >2?2865 E@ D:E FA] (:E9 96=A[ x DE@@5 FA E@ C6=:6G6 >JD6=7 :? E96 H@@5D] u@?86>:6 2D<65 :7 x H2?E65 E@ 8@ 5@H? E@ !:?<92> }@E49 =2J:?8 :? 2 =:EE6C 369:?5 2 D?@H>@3:=6[ @C D:EE:?8 FA @? E96 324< @7 E96 D?@H>@3:=6] %92E H2D 2? 62DJ 564:D:@?[ D:EE:?8 FA]k^Am
kAmx E92?<65 $632DE:2? s2HD@?[ r9C:D (F 2?5 tC:< $2>:2 7@C E96:C 8C62E 677@CE] x 82G6 E96> 2 E9F>3D FA 2D u@?86>:6 EFC?65 E96 D?@H>@3:=6 E@H2C5 E96 =@H6C %F4< %C2:=] r@>A2C65 E@ E96 6G24F2E:@? 7C@> #:89E vF==J[ E96 56D46?E E@ !:?<92> E@@< ?@ E:>6 2E 2==]k^Am
kAmu@?86>:6 A=2??65 E@ 5C@A >6 @77 2E |6>@C:2= w@DA:E2= @? 9:D H2J 9@>6 E@ uC665@>] pE !:?<92> }@E49 r2>A[ 96 AFE E96 D?@H>@3:=6 :? E96 7@C6DE D6CG:46 82C286 2?5 96 96=A65 >6 86E :? 9:D ECF4< A2DD6?86C D62E] pE E96 9@DA:E2=[ x H2D 96=A65 :?E@ 2 H966=492:C] x E92?<65 E96 D?@H C2?86C[ 2?5 H6 A=2??65 E@ 4@??64E =2E6C]k^Am
kAmp 76H 52JD =2E6C[ x 925 2? @A6C2E:@? E@ C62EE249 E96 A2E6==2C E6?5@? E@ E96 3@?6 36=@H E96 <?6642A] sC] %2J=@C H2D A=62D65 H:E9 E96 @FE4@>6] x’> :? 2 7F==\=6?8E9 <?66 3C246 7@C >2J36 7:G6 >@C6 H66<D[ E96? !%] uC:6?5D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 92G6 DE6AA65 7@CH2C5 2?5 6G6CJ 52J 3C:?8D D@>6E9:?8 ?6H]k^Am
kAm|J E9@F89ED 8@ 324< @442D:@?2==J E@ E92E 3=:?5 D=:56 5@H? #:89E vF==J] q6J@?5 >J 7CFDEC2E65 4FCD:?8 2D x D=:5[ H2D 2 A=246 H96C6 762C 2?5 =@G6 :?E6C>:?8=65 2?5 3642>6 @?6] x <?@H x 4@F=5 92G6 366? <:==65 @C H@CD6] |J @=5 7C:6?5 p8:@49@@< W|@F?E (2D9:?8E@?X =6E >6 @77 62DJ E92E 52J]k^Am
kAmq62C H:E9 >6 :? >J 9:<:?8 4@=F>?[ E96C6 2C6 3@@<D E@ C6G:6H 2?5 9:<6D E@ C642==] p?J3@5J 92G6 2? 6IA6C:6?46 9:<:?8 E96J H2?E E@ D92C6 H:E9 @E96CD[ 6>2:= >6 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i28:@49@@<o8>2:=]4@>Qm28:@49@@<o8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.