Despite accident, hiking deaths on Appalachian Trail remain uncommon

ASHEVILLE – Considering the enormity of the 2,189-mile-long Appalachian Trail, which sweeps across 14 states and through some of the most remote an rugged country in the Eastern United States, hiker deaths such as the recent one in Maryland are surprisingly rare.

So say veteran Appalachian Trail hikers and officials with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the nonprofit that oversees maintenance and management of the trail.

Jason Parish, 36, of Philadelphia, died March 15 when a tree felled by strong winds crashed on top of him near the Ed Garvey Shelter near the southern end of the Maryland trail section. A hiking companion, Michael Sparks, said the tree was dead and had been marked with a pink ribbon, apparently meant to identify it for cutting.

Friends say Parish was an environmental engineer and folk musician, and a seasoned backpacker. They had begun hiking north from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, on March 13, and were returning home from their campsite March 15 when he was hit by the falling tree.

Maryland Park Service Superintendent Nita Settina said the agency closed the shelters in consultation with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Maryland’s partners in overseeing the trail segment, to evaluate the safety of the area and remove other potentially hazardous trees.

The trail is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” said Morgan Sommerville, southern regional director with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Asheville office. The nonprofit is headquartered in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. “There have certainly been instances when AT hikers have been hit by falling trees in various circumstances, but no other deaths I’m aware of.”

Although the Appalachian Trail Conservancy does not keep comprehensive records of deaths or injuries that occur on the trail since it passes through so many local, state and federal jurisdictions, Sommerville said deaths from other weather-related causes such as lightning and hypothermia are more common.

Sommerville said a rough estimate is that 2-3 million people hike part of the trail each year, and more than ever are expected this year because of the popularity of books and films, including “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed in a film starring Reese Witherspoon, and “A Walk on the Wild Side,” adapted from Bill Bryson’s book.

“It’s a pretty impressive record, considering 2-3 million people a year use the trail. There are probably more incidents of people having injuries from falling trees, but we don’t know about them because people don’t have to report them.”

Expected record number of hikers should be prepared

Sommerville said this year he is expecting record numbers of hikers and “thru-hikers,” those who attempt to hike the entire trail in about four to five months. In anticipation, the conservancy launched a voluntary registration system for the first time in early February, hoping hikers will choose to start at different times to ease impacts at typical crowding sites in the South, when most begin thru-hikes in mid-late March.

So far, Sommerville said, the online registry has been slow to catch on, with some 1,500 hikers signing up so far.

Bill Sauber, a former Asheville resident, began a thru-hike with his son, Pete Sauber, in late February at the southern end of the trail in Springer Mountain, Georgia. In a Facebook post, Sauber writes about the first day at Springer Mountain:

“Conditions were very tough. There had been an ice storm earlier in the week and temperatures in the single digits. There were hundreds of branches and tree limbs across the trail and tons of ice on the trail. We both fell down numerous times because of the ice, but we made it to the shelter and spent the night.

Hiking through the high elevations of the Smokies, they have encountered high winds, single-digit temperatures and plenty of snow and ice so far.

They were in Hot Springs in Madison County over the weekend, heading north into Tennessee.

In another Facebook message, Sauber said hikers have been talking about the tragedy that occurred in Maryland:

“We have heard other hikers talking about that. Mostly everyone is hoping the shelters will be open by the time we get up there (Maryland). All along the trail from Georgia through NC and TN we have seen lots of downed trees. One shelter in Great Smoky Mountain National Park had a tree down against one of the shelters we stayed in.”

As of Tuesday, March 24, Brian King, conservancy spokesman, said all but one of the Maryland trail shelters had re-opened.

Bob Proudman, director of conservation operations with the conservancy, said that most people attempting a thru-hike are prepared, but even seasoned hikers, such as Parish, can run into adversity.

“This is a very rare event. It’s more likely that you’ll be hit by lightning than being hit by a tree. But that doesn’t mean it’s not something we don’t have to pay attention to,” Proudman said.

He said there are an average of 2-3 deaths a year on the Appalachian Trail.

“The most common is elderly people having trouble, such as heart attacks or breathing trouble. The next would be hypothermia in the north country, in the White Mountains (in New Hampshire). Accidents from falls are probably in the mix, but are not often fatal. We often have youngsters or people drinking and messing around on the cliffs near the James River,” he said.

In January 2014, three hikers set out for a 10-day trek on the Appalachian Trail, but they wound up woefully unprepared for the snowstorm they hit. They called for help when they found themselves burning their clothes to keep warm and had to be rescued by the North Carolina Helicopter and Aquatic Rescue Team, which airlifted the men out of the park and to Mission Hospital, where two were treated for hypothermia.

Trail crime is also low, but hikers should take heed

Proudman said the conservancy tracks all incidents it hears about, including crime, which he said is also quite rare on the trail.

“We do have some crime. One of our volunteer caretakers was robbed at gunpoint a month ago at a trail shelter near Eckville, Pennsylvania,” Proudman said. “The individual was captured in Wyoming.”

Most of the 200-300 incidents reported a year are petty crime, Proudman said, including vandalism and backpacks getting stolen.

“Our most frequent call lately is graffiti on the trail shelters. They call it tagging. They draw their tag and take a cell phone picture and post in on Facebook,” he said.

This is not considered hip, cool, or legal, Proudman said.

Probably the most infamous Appalachain Trail crime of the past decade was the murder of hiker Meredith Emerson in 2008. The 24-year-old University of Georgia graduate was hiking with her dog on New Year’s Day in the Blood Mountain, Georgia, area.

She was attacked, kidnapped and killed four days later by serial killer Gary Michael Hilton. He received a life sentence in Georgia for Emerson’s killing. Hilton is also serving a life sentence without parole for kidnapping, robbing and murdering John and Irene Bryant while they were out for a hike in Pisgah National Forest in 2007.

Those types of crimes, Sommerville said, are even more rare. But hikers would do well to follow safety precautions.

“The main thing is to plan ahead and prepare, to know where you’re going. If you’re going to take an overnight trip to a Southern Appalachian grassy bald, remember that there might be thunderstorms, and if you camp on top of mountain, lightning could strike, or you could just get blown off the mountain because it can get very windy,” Sommerville said.

Always having a trail map and compass and hiking with a partner are good rules to follow.

“Something as small as a twisted ankle could turn life threatening if you didn’t have anyone to help,” he said. “Bring your essentials, your raingear, water, food, something to start a fire in case get stranded, all the basic stuff.”

Jennifer Pharr Davis, owner of an Asheville hiking guide service, who set the endurance hiking record in 2011 by completing the Appalachian Trail in 46 days, is also the author of the autobiographical “Becoming Odyssa,” in 2010, in which she recounts her first solo thru-hike and the many mistakes she made, including being hit by lightning.

But she said those incidents are rare and she hopes that these accidents will not deter hikers, but will make them more prepared.

She recommends anyone planning to spend time in the wilderness learn as much as they can ahead of time, through reading Internet accounts, guide books, and perhaps the best way to prep is to get in-the-woods experience.

“Go out hiking with the Carolina Mountain Club, or the Blue Ridge Hiking Co. (Pharr’s company), or with Outward Bound, where you can learn from experts,” she said. “It’s also good to take a wilderness medicine class.”

A good one is Landmark Learning in Cullowhee, which offer classes throughout the year.

She said when people feel safe and confident in their outdoor knowledge and skills, they enjoy the hiking experience more.

“People killed by a limb falling is a freak accident, but statistically, you’re always in more danger driving to the trailhead than hiking on the trail,” she said.

“Three pieces of advice I would give: Learn the lightning position – if you get stuck in a storm, there’s a squatting position that can keep you safe; If you get lost, stay put, let someone find you; and learn what poison ivy looks like, and take a first aid kit whether it’s a trail run or a backpacking trip.”

Brian King, publisher and spokesman with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said in his 28 years with the conservancy, he has heard of people being struck by lightning, but never anyone killed by a falling tree, although falling limbs have crashed onto shelters and torn roofs off.

“The general hiking, backpacking rule is to be aware of your surroundings, not just forward and backward, but what’s upwards of you, too,” King said.

Hiking safety tips

•Don’t hike alone. You are safest with a group; neither a single partner nor a dog is a guarantee of safety. Be creative. If in doubt, move on.

• Leave your hiking plans with someone at home and check in frequently. Establish a time you will check in upon completion of your trip, as well as a procedure to follow if you fail to check in. On longer hikes or thru-hikes, provide ATC’s number, 304-535-6331.

• Be wary of strangers. Be friendly, but cautious. Don’t tell strangers your plans. Avoid people who act suspiciously, seem hostile, or are intoxicated.

• Don’t camp near roads. Be aware that anywhere people congregate—including shelters and designated campsites—may have greater risk. When tenting, find a location not easily seen from the trail.

•The Appalachian Trail Conservancy discourages the carrying of firearms.

•Eliminate opportunities for theft. Don’t bring jewelry. Hide your money. If you must leave your pack, hide it, or leave it with someone trustworthy.

• Use the Trail registers (the notebooks stored at most shelters). If someone needs to locate you, or if a serious crime has been committed along the Trail, the first place authorities will look is in the registers.

•In an emergency, note where you are and call 911. Report emergencies or incidents to ATC at incident@appalachiantrail.org or by calling 304-535-6331. Suspicious or illegal behavior should be reported to the local rangers or local law enforcement (911 usually works, but other phone numbers are on official A.T. maps) as well as ATC.

•Be mentally prepared for the risks you may encounter. If you encounter trouble, chances are a law-enforcement officer or ranger will not be nearby and a cell phone may not work.

•Always carry current trail maps and know how to use them.

• Stay alert. Pay attention to details of your surroundings and people you encounter, and look for anything that does not fit or sends a red flag. It is easier to avoid getting into a dangerous situation than to get out of one. Trust your instincts about strangers.

•Avoid hitchhiking or accepting rides: Hikers needing to get into town should make arrangements beforehand and budget for shuttles or a taxi.

Weather-related hiking safety tips:

• Pay attention to the changing skies. Sudden spells of “off-season” cold weather, hail, and even snow are common along many parts of the Appalachian Trail. Winter-like weather often occurs in late spring or early fall in the Southern Appalachians, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

• Hypothermia: A cold rain can be the most dangerous weather for hikers, because it can cause hypothermia, a dangerous lowering of the body’s core temperature due to exposure to cold, wind and rain chill. Dress in layers of synthetic clothing, eat well, stay hydrated, and know when to take refuge in a warm sleeping bag and tent or shelter.

• Lightning: The odds of being struck by lightning are low, but if a thunderstorm is coming, immediately leave exposed areas. Boulders, rocky overhangs, and shallow caves offer no protection from lightning. Sheltering in hard-roofed automobiles or large buildings is best. Avoid tall structures, such as ski lifts, flagpoles, power line towers, and the tallest trees, solitary rocks, or open hilltops and clearings. If caught in the open, crouch down on a pad, or roll into a ball.

• Heat: Dry hot summers are surprisingly common along the trail,. Water may be scarce on humid days, sweat does not evaporate well, and many hikers face the danger of heat stroke and heat exhaustion if they haven’t taken proper precautions. Wear a hat and sunscreen and stay well hydrated.

Source: Appalachian Trail Conservancy www.appalachiantrail.org.

Appalachian Trail Fest

The Appalachian TrailFest is April 17-19 in Hot Springs to celebrate the arrival of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers with bike riding, river rafting, music, outdoor crafts, hiking and more. For more information, call 828-622-9575 or email hstrailfestA@gmail.com.