Boy Scouts rescued from unexpected snow on Appalachian Trail - Lynchburg News and Adv

[perdidochas]

I still feel I'm missing something in that story. 7 am start, and calling for help at 8:20 am after 7 miles? Doesn't sound like a backpacking trip, so maybe they were day hiking. I'm also wondering if the reporter just got the timeline wrong, and that maybe they had started on Saturday.

Anyway, I'm a Boy Scout leader. Weather is the toughest call to make. Sounds to me like people in the area are saying that snow wasn't expected, just rain. I do think we would have tried to hike it out, if the timeline in the article is true, at least until I started seeing the very early signs of hypothermia.

[bamboo bob]

They should have gone down to Dutch Haus

[Hill Ape]

Media has become too sensational. This is the second story of rescue in a week where it sounds like dramatic reporting is a little worse than the reality. I hope these boys are all well, no fears of going out again, and some lessons learned no matter where blame should fall.

I was kicked out/left scouts. We went camping, I brought my gear, including an old turbo bluet stove. Leader confiscated it, but he then loaned it to an Eagle who didn't know to turn the gas off after he blew it out. I was ticked because it was a brand new canister of fuel.

I never went back to that troop. Not all are created equal. But getting kids into it is important.

My kids all went to campfire boys and girls. I thought they were great. Only issue I ever had that didn't really bother me much, a strange blending of native American and a little over the top Christian beliefs.

[bamboo bob]

The native American was from the Cherihonkie Tribe. I can't tell you how many middle age white guys I've met who have told me they're part "---" fill in the blank, Native American. If so they should get their DNA done. Maybe the own part of a casino.

[Mobius]

If you check out the troops website it looks like it was planned as a 3 day trip (Sat, Sun, Mon). Based on photos on their site of kids on Mount Pleasant last April I'd guess they did a similar trip last year. Looks like young kids too. Good for them for getting out in the woods!

I wouldn't be surprised if they hit Mount Pleasant on Saturday, left Sunday morning and were headed out along Tar Jacket Ridge to the shelter (about 7 miles), and would spend Monday morning heading to Spy Rock and then down to the Fish Hatchery (about 5 miles from the shelter). That's all a guess though based on location and assumptions.

I wasn't there so I don't know the circumstances. Glad everyone made it out ok.

[Slo-go'en]

Sounds to me they were not even perpared for rain then eveyone and everything they had got soaking wet. The snow might have been a suprise, but the rain shouldn't have been. But we've all seen how these kids were likely dressed. Sneakers, blue jeans, cotton hoodies and trash bag rain gear. There's a FS road which crosses the trail every 3-4 miles through that area. They could have bailed at any one.

[HikerMom58]

They should have gone down to Dutch Haus

They aren't open for business this year per 2014 A. T. Guide.

[Slo-go'en]

I found thier twitter feed and this photo- which apparently I can't link to. It looks like what actually happend was they had hiked the Tar ridge and were camped at the Seely-Woodward shelter Sat night and woke up to the all the snow.

[Feral Bill]

There are endless youth groups doing outdoor trips. BSA, GSA, Campfire, 4 H, Churches, Schools, etc. Leading these groups is no picnic, and mistakes will happen. Uneventful trips are almost never covered by the media. Perhaps we could be a bit less judgmental of groups, as well as individuals, who get into trouble. Let's use these incidents as learning opportunities, and actually improve safety.

[Hill Ape]

There are endless youth groups doing outdoor trips. BSA, GSA, Campfire, 4 H, Churches, Schools, etc. Leading these groups is no picnic, and mistakes will happen. Uneventful trips are almost never covered by the media. Perhaps we could be a bit less judgmental of groups, as well as individuals, who get into trouble. Let's use these incidents as learning opportunities, and actually improve safety.

+1 all day

[Old Hiker]

The native American was from the Cherihonkie Tribe. I can't tell you how many middle age white guys I've met who have told me they're part "---" fill in the blank, Native American. If so they should get their DNA done. Maybe the own part of a casino.

Don't need my DNA checked, Bob, just a quick peek at my family tree. I'm 1/16 Eastern Band Cherokee.

Back on track: need more info: maybe they DID wake up to the snow - in which case leadership may have decided to have help come instead of trying to hike out. As for saying we've all seen the pictures of the wrong clothes, etc. has anyone seen pictures of this group?

Still: what was the weather forecast for those days? Here in FL, we've been surprised by the ferocity of the "scattered t-storms" we planned for. Still looking for the other half of the tarp that disappeared one day.

[ChuckT]

Journalists = slime mold and that's giving slime mold a bad rap.
Most of the "stuff" in the media today would only appeared in the supermarket rags not so long ago.
Still I wouldn't want to be in a Scoutmaster shoes when it came time to say little joey couldn't go because (fill in the blanks).

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.

[Slo-go'en]

Back on track: need more info: maybe they DID wake up to the snow - in which case leadership may have decided to have help come instead of trying to hike out. As for saying we've all seen the pictures of the wrong clothes, etc. has anyone seen pictures of this group?

Here's a link to the twitter picture showing a gear and snow covered picnic table.
https://twitter.com/BSATroop259/stat.../photo/1/large

I really can't understand why they called for help. They ended up having to walk to the Fish Hatchery road - 2.3 miles - anyway and from there it's only another mile or two into town. I suppose they thought they could have someone drive right up to the shelter and pick them up there?

[Old Hiker]

Slo-go'en - don't have Twitter - can't see it. Rats. Thanks for trying, though.

[HikerMom58]

Awesome pic Slo!! That's what it looked like in the VA mountains! It's sunny & 70 today! NO SNOWWW!!

[The Old Boot]

Slo-go'en - don't have Twitter - can't see it. Rats. Thanks for trying, though.

OH, I didn't need a twitter feed to click on the link.

In addition to thinking they were somewhat less than prepared for March weather in the mountains, they also keep a really messy campsite..!!

[FarmerChef]

Boy they really did get some snow. All I have to say about that is that the forecasters up here completely borked the forecast. We had wintry mix all day long on Sunday instead of rain changing over to mix in the evening with highs in the mid to upper forties. I never saw higher than 34!!! Saturday was also somewhat sideways. That said, I had planned on taking the kids and my wife (all experienced backpackers) out for an overnight prep hike this weekend and took one look at the (wrong) forecast and said, uh, no. As much as I like to challenge myself, hiking needs to have some element of fun and hiking all day in the rain just isn't my idea of fun. All day in the snow is, however. But you have to be prepared for it or it's mighty uncomfortable.

+1 to the slimy sensational reporting. This crap is everywhere now, even on formally "reputable" outlets like CNN. And as for the scouts, well, they should have been prepared for any weather. But remember, Boy Scouts is boy-led with adult supervision. If I had been the Scoutmaster I would have had the SPL hold a quick council to make a decision on what to do and then guide them if that decision wasn't truly safe enough to be acted on. That's what helps the boys develop leadership skills, especially during a stressful situation like that. As it was, though a bit embarrassing, they all made it out ok. And, ultimately, that's the most important thing.

[daddytwosticks]

Is it me or has anybody else noticed how hosed-up the weather forecasting has been these last few months? Turn on the Weather Channel and get a constant stream of reality shows. Look up Weather.com and get some really messed up temperature predictions. The last few weeks especially, they have been way off predicting the daily highs around my area.

[Migrating Bird]

Sorry but: Mountains make their own weather, expect the worse hope for the best! The season may be spring, but at elevation anything goes. If it were not for reporting, good or bad - this thread wouldn't' exist.

Parents trust the safety of their kids to the Scout Masters, it is SM's responsibility to take care of the safety of the Kids which in this case they did by requesting assistance.

As far as the weather forecasts, in Western Mass this winter (all three TV stations out of Albany NY), have been spot on 24 - 36 hrs out - too easy to blame others, forecast the weather yourself and see how that goes.

[perdidochas]

Is it me or has anybody else noticed how hosed-up the weather forecasting has been these last few months? Turn on the Weather Channel and get a constant stream of reality shows. Look up Weather.com and get some really messed up temperature predictions. The last few weeks especially, they have been way off predicting the daily highs around my area.

I've been noticing it as well. For example, the ice storm that hit Birmingham and Atlanta in January wasn't expected to hit that far north (which caused major traffic problems, etc.)