Date: 2004-01-11
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Miles today: 0.0

The following is a copy of a news article that describes the episode I had in the White Mountains in November. It is easier for me to cut and paste the article than try to retell the story myself (in spite of a few inaccuracies). As of today I am working hard to recover from the fractured ribs and ongoing problems with my lungs. Unfortunately my focus is on healing rather than training and preparation for the hike. But I am hoping that I will continue to heal in the coming weeks and then be able to begin to get my body back into shape so I will be able to join my hiking friends (AKA "The Bandana Bunch) to start on April 1. I took the photo with my digital camera Monday morning just before I decided to hike to safety. Two nights alone and injured, Rockport hiker survivesByKen WaltzWEST ROCKPORT (Dec 12): Annie Kiermaier loves to hike so much she is determined to traverse the Appalachian Trail beginning in the spring ¢ even as she recovers from a fall during a recent hike that left her seriously injured. Despite the pain she suffers from the injuries from a fall during a late-November hike in New Hampshire, one that might have meant death for a less experienced hiker, Kiermaier looks forward to her soon-to-come six-month adventure along the Appalachian Trail. For now, however, she must recuperate. Kiermaier was solo hiking in the White Mountains ¢ on a portion of the Appalachian Trail ¢ when she slipped on an icy trail and fell 20 feet to a ledge. Due to less traffic on the trail this time of year, she remained on the ledge unnoticed for one day and two nights with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and extensive bruises. Finally, the ice on the rocks melted enough so she could, even with her injuries, climb back to the trail and make her way back to civilization. After arriving home, she spent a week in the hospital and now is recuperating. Despite her recent mishap, however, the 50-year-old is preparing ¢ one could say completely determined ¢ to hike the entire Appalachian Trail beginning in early April. In the next few weeks Kiermaier must get back on her feet, literally and figuratively, to begin training for her upcoming six-month trek along the Appalachian Trail. She is recovering from a scary experience Nov. 22-24. With gorgeous weather predicted for that weekend, Kiermaier decided to go on a solo hike in the White Mountains. The two-day hike was to be another training session for her trip along the Appalachian Trail. However, a fall on an icy part of the trail turned into a dangerous situation for Kiermaier. One that certainly might have meant death for a less experienced hiker. Kiermaier spent Nov. 21 at a hostel in Gorham, N.H. before beginning her hike, about 3.8 miles from the Pinkham Notch visitor's center, Saturday morning, Nov. 22. She hiked about 2 miles on her route across the Carter Moriah Range and planned to arrive at the Imp Campsite. But Kiermaier never arrived at her destination. About 4 p.m. Nov. 22, she came to a pass and saw ice. She slipped on her crampons for better traction. She figured everything was fine because she was within a mile or so of the campsite. She was making slow but steady progress when, coming down a steep, icy section, she slipped. Kiermaier tumbled 20 feet. The trail curved left and her body went straight. She came to a stop on a two-foot by seven-foot ledge, which was not exposed on a cliff, but in a wooded area, she said. "When I fell I realized I felt a lot of pain in my back and shoulder and ribs," she said. "I realized I could not move very much." What to do? Although frightened, Kiermaier did not panic. She hunkered down for the night. She battled through the pain to get out her sleeping pad, sleeping bag and tent. She put on layers of clothing and slipped into the sleeping bag. She pulled the tent around her for protection but was unable to set it up properly due to her injuries. She pulled the tent over her because "it added more warmth and protected me from the dampness," she said. It is in that position Kiermaier remained for much of two nights and one day. She took Ibuprofen for the pain in her body and rationed her food. Her hiking hydration system malfunctioned so the only water she had was a pint container, which she drank Sunday, Nov. 23. The experienced hiker also collected the snow she was lying on and put it into a pot, boiled it, filtered it with her bandana and treated it with iodine to make it safe to drink. She made more water in this fashion for the hike she knew she would eventually have to make. She figured at some point the search and rescue team would come looking for her, but she had not checked the long-term weather forecast. She had no idea what the weather for Monday, Nov. 24, or Tuesday, Nov. 25, was to be. Luckily, the temperatures never dipped below the low-30s. "If the temperature had gone way down, or if there had been a lot of snow or rain, I could have been in much more jeopardy of hypothermia." Thinking of others Kiermaier said one of the most emotionally draining moments was not the concern for her own safety but the concerns she knew her family would have. She said she could not focus on the "panic" her loved ones might feel. "All I could think about was what I had to do to take care of myself. I knew somehow I was going to get out of there." At about 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 24, she felt better and the ice on the rocks she had slipped down had melted. She realized the time had come to make a move, to essentially save her life. "I knew I didn't have the ability to pull myself because of my injuries, but when I stood up I realized I was only a few steps from the trail." By 11:30 a.m., she slowly was hiking out of her predicament. It took her one-and-a-half hours to hike a steep, icy, 50-yard section. At about 1 p.m. she began her trek back to the pass she had been on earlier, arriving at 4 p.m. She found a stream there and replenished her supply of water. Just keep going Kiermaier hiked five more miles over two hours in the dark to the trail head using her headlamp. She got to a road and knew she had to make the 3.8-mile trek to the Pinkham Notch visitor's center. While on the road she frantically waved to motorists to stop and help her but none did. She finally arrived at the visitor's center at 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24. Although people knew of Kiermaier's itinerary, the policy is a search and rescue team could not start until 24 hours after a call had been made about a missing hiker. Kiermaier was supposed to return from the hike Sunday afternoon, Nov. 23, so a report was made Monday morning on Kiermaier, which meant the search and rescue would not have started until Tuesday, Nov. 25. So the injured Kiermaier was forced to survive two days in the mountains and somehow drew the strength to make it back to the visitor's center. She stayed Monday night at the center and arrived home Tuesday. Even to this point, Kiermaier had not been checked by a physician. After arriving home, she made an appointment to see her doctor. However, Tuesday night, Nov. 25, she became ill, including passing out. She was rushed to Penobscot Bay Medical Center, where she spent the next week recuperating. While in the hospital she had a tube put in her chest to relieve the bloody fluid that had accumulated. While Kiermaier's courageous story may sound amazing, she does not see it that way. "To me, I'm still feeling very tender, fragile and sore," she said. She admits throughout her ordeal she was frightened for her life, but maintained her focus and will to survive. "I knew the biggest risk for myself was hypothermia," she said. "It doesn't matter what you are injured with, if you die of hypothermia, then that is it. I knew I had to get into my (sleeping) bag and stay warm. It was hard to get in. I just did it." She said the ledge had a large amount of moss, which actually made the area more comfortable. "I knew it would not help me to go into being really scared all the time," she said. "It would have been very easy to do that." Kiermaier said using meditation phrases helped her make it through the ordeal. "It helps to keep your mind present and calmed down somewhat," she said. "You can't go into a fear of what might happen next." On her way out, Kiermaier said she focused on each step. "I just see it as I did what I needed to do to take care of myself," she said. "I felt very determined that I wanted to get back for my family. The big thing that was going through my mind is that it would be horrible if they lost me. It would be hard on them." Next adventure Kiermaier has enjoyed hiking most of her life. "I love it," she said. "I love being outdoors. I love the solitude. I love hiking. It is not something that is difficult. That is what fulfills me." She has done many solo hikes, including a 100-mile hike last summer. She also did a solo four-day hike in Baxter State Park. Kiermaier will not hike the Appalachian Trail alone, but will join a small group of others she has contacted around the country. The 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail goes from Georgia to Maine and is the destination of many serious hikers. Some spend a lifetime hiking sections of it until they have seen it all. In fact, each spring about 2,000 people attempt to hike the trail, but only 300 (about 17 percent) make it to Katahdin. The Appalachian Trail runs through 14 states: Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Most people start their hike in Georgia in the spring and finish in the fall in Maine on top of Mt. Katahdin. The trail goes over many peaks, including Mt. Washington. Along the way, there are places for a hiker to get supplies. For a hiker, however, there is a balancing act of how much food to carry. Weight is the enemy, and every ounce is precious. "I'm obsessed with weight," she said. "I'm carrying as little weight as I possibly can when I through hike. I have all this lightweight equipment." Kiermaier said "there is a balance between how many calories it takes to carry the food versus how much the food weighs. The idea is to basically carry only the amount of food you need. You are burning up calories to carry it." Kiermaier hiked the Appalachian Trail for about a week when she was a 13-year-old Girl Scout. Over the years the idea of doing the entire trail has been in the back of her mind. In recent years, the idea became more plausible. So don't be surprised in the near future to see Kiermaier, with her backpack on, walking on the treadmill or the indoor track at the Penobscot Bay YMCA. She must get back in shape ¢ after she recuperates from the injuries suffered during her previous hike. "I'm a pretty determined person and when I set goals for myself I tend to make them," she said. "I look forward to having time that is really just for me." The Appalachian Trail awaits. This story was printed fromhttp://camden.VillageSoup.com/Sports/Story.cfm?storyID=19385