[pct-l] re: death of a hiker

[mardav at charter.net (Marion Davison)]

I strongly agree with the statement that stream crossings are inherently 
quite dangerous.  It brought to mind an incident from 1992.  Hiking with 
a boy scout group north in Kern Canyon, we had a crossing of Whitney 
creek which was about 15 feet wide and  4 inches deep.  Most of the boys 
rockhopped.  I and some others were taking off our boots to wade when my 
husband began to rock hop.  Halfway across, a rock rolled under his foot 
and he fell into the water.  His face hit a rock hard and he was knocked 
unconscious.  I realized he was lying face down in the water, not 
moving.  I yelled to the boys on the far bank, "get him out the water!"  
It took four of them to haul his limp body and pack out of the water and 
get him onto the bank, where he swiftly regained consciousness. 
Most of us probably wouldn't think to unfasten a hipbelt when 
rockhopping a shallow stream--such rockhops are such a frequent 
occurrence in the Sierras.  Had this incident occurred when he was 
hiking solo, he could have drowned in four inches of water.
It was a sobering incident for all concerned.  Since that year we have 
hiked with two poles, and significantly reduced the frequency of falling 
during stream crossings and on loose downhill tread. 
On that note, last week, while hiking the PCT the last two miles north 
into Sonora Pass, I slipped 8 times on loose sloping tread and my poles 
caught me every time.  As soon as I got home I bought a new pair of 
shoes with better tread.
Marion Davison