Pennsylvania Game News - September 2008 - 51

other day. When my husband and I were climbing the High Peaks of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, we were turned back by Mount Marshall. A bear had stolen our food bag the night before, and we had only water to sustain us for the hike to the top. This peak had no official, Bob Steiner marked route up, only THIS BUCK is hard to spot in the colorful autumn foliage, but at a “herd path,” a some point his instinct will dictate if he continues on his path or sketchy trail made by turns and retreats. climbers who had gone before us. As a complication in way- found we were respected for having had the finding, the “herd” had sometimes veered good sense to turn around at crisis time, off into the thick evergreens in directions rather than going on and getting lost or that did not lead to the top. We tried sev- injured. I discovered that our having reeral unmarked trails that seemed to be go- treated from a peak when it was necessary ing the right way, but all petered out be- was an unspoken initiation into the ranks of “real” mountain hikers, not peak-bagfore the summit. When we realized that even these faint ging dilettantes. Withdrawing could be paths had disappeared and we were trying brave and smart. to trace a trail by broken spruce Pennsylvania doesn’t have mountains branches — “something must have passed with altitudes to rival the Whites or the by here” — and it was noon, with a long Adirondacks, but it has plenty of cold, way down and out to the car, we chose the snowy, icy, foggy weather and enough rocky better part of valor. My husband was the ground, ledges, cliffs, thickets, swamps and first to announce the retreat. He had territory without trails to give an unhappy preplanned that if we hadn’t summited by ending to a hunting trip. Knowing when midday, we would turn around. I felt a sink- enough is enough and retreating before you ing in spirit, or at least in pride. We’d come have gone from concern to alarm is as esso far, surely the top of the mountain had sential here as in more rugged country. to be close? Most of us have heard of the dangers of “It’s not safe, and we’re tired already,” hypothermia, becoming so chilled that the he told me. “We can come back another body’s core temperature drops dangerously day.” and the mind and muscles no longer funcSo we turned back before we were lost tion properly. If hypothermia isn’t reversed, and exhausted. Several days later, rested, death can result. Giving up or interruptrenewed and using a different route that ing a day’s hunting or leaving a “hot” deer was more easily followed, we got to the top stand to go back to the car, camp or home of Mount Marshall and added it to our list to warm up isn’t showing the white flag. of the 46 High Peaks we have climbed. It’s the intelligent, responsible thing to do, Telling the tale later to other hikers, I before shivering becomes uncontrollable, SEPTEMBER 2008 51

Pennsylvania Game News - September 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - September 2008