When outdoor adventures cost an arm (but luckily not a leg too)

Be prepared. It’s the Boy Scout motto and the first principle of Leave No Trace, and when ignored, is the most frequent cause of backcountry emergencies. A perfect example is Aron Ralston. You may remember Ralston: He’s the mountaineer who survived a canyoneering accident by cutting off part of his arm.

On April 26, 2003, during a solo descent of Bluejohn Canyon in southeastern Utah, he dislodged a boulder, pinning his right wrist to the canyon wall. After five days, he had to break his forearm and amputate it with a dull multitool to break free. Finally, he had to make his way through the canyon, rappel down a 65-foot drop, and hike 7 miles to safety. The incident is documented in Ralston's autobiography “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” and 2010 film “127 Hours”.

Ralston was a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, with degrees in mechanical engineering and French, with a minor in piano. He was a bright guy but his list of mistakes in preparing for his excursion was as long as his arm…which in his case wasn’t as long as it was before he cut it off.

Ralston would have liked this sharp Leatherman rather than the dull imitation that he had

What were his mistakes? To borrow a phrase from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Let me count the ways.”

First, going alone: Had he been with someone else, they could have helped free him or gone for help immediately after the boulder pinned his arm.

Second, failing to inform anyone of his plans: Ralston didn’t tell anyone his route or destination.

Third, overconfidence and lack of caution: Ralston was an experienced climber and outdoorsman, but some argue that his sense of adventure bordered on recklessness.

Fourth, limited provisions and equipment: While he did have some supplies, they were insufficient. His multi-tool knife, which became his last resort, was cheap and dull, making the amputation much more difficult.

Fifth, prior near disasters: According to sources, Ralston had experienced close calls before his canyoneering accident, including escaping death in an avalanche earlier that year. As a matter of fact, he lost a number of friends who refused to travel with him again.

Ralston was a smart guy who made simple mistakes that we should all avoid. The key is to ask yourself a few key questions before you head out into the outdoors? What if the weather deteriorates? What if I get injured or sick? What if I get lost? Do I have the basic means of surviving these circumstances? You need to address these questions BEFORE you head out the door.

This leads to one of my pet peeves. Using Facebook or other social media to gather outdoor information. If you want to ask a question, ask Google, not some social media site. When someone asks a question on social media, they rarely ask the question in a way that will get them the information they’re looking for. For example, “We’re visiting Saranac Lake this summer. What's an easy hike for our family?”

Here’s what goes through my head, Define “easy”. Do you have kids? How old? What kind of previous experience have they had? What kind of shape is everyone in? Is a view important? A picnic table? An outhouse? Are you familiar with Adirondack bugs?  Do you know who to call if someone gets hurt and you need help? Have you checked the weather forecast…and not just for rain? Will it be extremely hot, cold, or windy? Do you have a flashlight?…and don’t tell me you’ll use your cellphone as a flashlight, it will run out of power when you need it most…And even worse, don’t tell me you don’t need a flashlight because you plan on being back before dark. Every person ever rescued after dark has said the same thing.

No wonder people on Facebook get snarky. If I was to respond to such poor questions, I might get snarky too. It sticks in my craw that everyone asks, “Where can I go?” but few are asking, “What do I need to do to be prepared to go?”

If you are a novice, Step One should be to go to YouTube and watch some videos on wilderness safety. There are many excellent ones.

Step Two should be to acquire the ten essentials and put them in your day pack. (If you don’t already have a day pack,‒ buy a one.)

Step Three should be to visit the Leave No Trace website. (LNT.org) and take a Learn Online: Leave No Trace 101 Course.

Now you’re ready to look for places to hike or paddle. Don’t go to Facebook, though ‒ do a general Google search and look for reputable websites. There are some decent apps out there but I’m wary of the ones that are too socially oriented. One that I think shows a lot of promise is Jonathan Zaharek’s, hikeadk.com. Jonathan is a prolific hiker who authored a FalconGuides “Hiking the 46 Adirondack High Peaks” that was released last May (Full disclosure, Falcon published my first book, “The Backcountry Classroom.”) It currently focuses on the High Peaks Wilderness Complex, but he hopes to expand coverage to the entire park.

Whatever you do, don’t become what Tony Goodwin, long time Adirondack outdoorsman, calls a CHUMP, that is a “Clueless Hiker Using a Mobile Phone”. Your cell phone should serve two purposes for your outdoor adventures: As a camera, and, if you’re lucky and have coverage, as an emergency phone for help.  Don’t use it as your only source of information and definitely don’t use it in place of a compass and paper map.

Aron Ralston lost only an arm. You may not be so lucky.