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was this on Reddit or MeFi recently? The mister flung me this across IM last night and it's been making the rounds of the XC ski clan here lately as well.
That said, it's a really good read. I have to say that pretty much everyone in CO has a fairly comprehensive survival kit in their car for just this sort of reason. The backcountry types amongst my friend set all pointed out that our brave protagonist was twice over an idiot for going out in the first place, and then on top of that without avi probes, beacon, GPS and associated rescue gear.
Incidentally if something like this happens to you in Colorado they bill you for all the search and rescue costs on top of hospital and transport, which are already staggeringly expensive (oh and good luck getting billed in-network EVEN IF you have insurance with our little po-dunk mountain town hospitals, too). All of which adds insult, as it were, to injury.
This was a really great read, and I wholeheartedly agree with lfr about the protagonist being a complete idiot.
In Fairbanks, where I lived a few years ago, there is at least one person found frozen to death a mere 10 feet from their door every winter. Usually alcohol is a contributing factor, but sometimes only stupidity.
My truck broke down one November drive about 15 miles south of Cantwell, 50 miles from the nearest town and 150 miles from the nearest hospital. It was around 6pm and -55°F, and in the truck with me were my boyfriend, one of his friends, and a small fluffy dog.
Because we lived in Fairbanks we had plenty of appropriate gear in the truck, and we pulled on as many layers as we could while we waited for anybody to drive by. That highway is rarely busy, especially that time of night at that time of the year. I held my bladder as long as I could but still ended up baring my butt to the elements so as to not soak my insulating layers. A car finally came by and we got a ride into Cantwell, where the only diner was about to close for the night.
We made panicked collect calls to our parents 250 miles south in Homer and managed to find a lodge in town that would put us up for the night. The diner closed and the cook kicked us out, pointing us vaguely in the direction of the lodge. It was the longest half mile I ever walked, that fluffy dog inside my coat, no flashlight, the whole time knowing that we could easily get lost and no one would find us.
Those temperatures are scary even when you're prepared and have the gear for it. People who are new to those climates don't realize just how dangerous it can be. My brother once had a woman walk her daughter a quarter mile to piano lessons at -50°F and he lectured her for 15 minutes about it. You don't make that gamble with your life, let alone your child's.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
