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The Two Biggest Killers of Backpackers — I Faced Both in One Day

Howe's The Hike?

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Nobody is coming to get us. Not today." 🏔️

This is the reality of the deep backcountry when an August blizzard shuts down the high passes of Glacier National Park. While falling is the #1 killer for hikers, hypothermia is #2—and on this day, one nearly led to the other.

🎒 WATCH THE FULL GLACIER VIDEO: See how we survived the next 4 days after this storm here: Enduring a summer BLIZZARD. This is August...

It started out like any other backpacking day. A fairly long trail ahead of us with a steep climb to start. A hint that the weather was turning, but no indication that by the end of the day, a large portion of Glacier National Park in Montana would be shut down, and more than a foot of heavy, wet, snow and high winds would've pummelled us on the trail all day.

The number one killer for backpackers and hikers is a fall. Number two? Hypothermia. On this day, unexpectedly, one could've easily led to the other.

Press the SOS button on my InReach? Nobody could get to me in time. Not at all. I couldn't even stop for 18 1/2 km because the minute I did, when I get to camp, I descended into stage one of hypothermia and it took a couple of hours to recover from it.

And a huge THANK YOU to Briden Solutions for the meals that will help keep me out in the trail all summer. Bridensolutions.ca. Tell them I sent you!

It started out like any other backpacking day. A fairly long trail ahead of us with a steep climb to start. A hint that the weather was turning, but no indication that by the end of the day, a large portion of Glacier National Park in Montana would be shut down, and more than a foot of heavy, wet, snow and high winds would've pummelled us on the trail all day.

The number one killer for backpackers and hikers is a fall. Number two? Hypothermia. On this day, unexpectedly, one could've easily led to the other.

Press the SOS button on my InReach? Nobody could get to me in time. Not at all. I couldn't even stop for 18 1/2 km because the minute I did, when I get to camp, I descended into stage one of hypothermia and it took a couple of hours to recover from it.

00:00 Intro
01:37 Underway and aware of how quickly I now get cold
04:59 Realizing the risks. Assessing necessary actions. Inner thoughts
06:46 Stopping... The Danger Zone.
08:07 Where are the guys? And, the NPS conflicting info...
10:03 Camp for the night...
11:10 The moral of the story

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#Backpacking #GlacierNationalPark #Survival #HikingSafety #HowesTheHike

20 Comments

@HowestheHike Creator 4 months ago (edited) Pinned

The blizzard footage in this video happened on Day 3 of our Glacier trek. If you want to see how we managed the rest of the week after the storm, the full expedition video is right here: https://youtu.be/5tmKmFFAy9Q

@kevinwalsh1619 4 months ago (edited)

OK, the title threw me for a loop. I thought the top two were heat stroke and dehydration. I do remember having a case of hypothermia once that truly puzzled me. I had made a ten hour climb of Humphrey's Peak, the only time I ever successfully climbed it in winter. I felt fine and hadn't even worn the jacket I kept secured to my backpack straps. The animal heat of the exertion of the climb seemed to keep me warm despite the freezing temperatures and gale force winds. When I got back to the parking lot at sunset, I decided to drive to a restaurant in Flagstaff, thinking I would need food and caffeine for the long drive back to Phoenix.

As I exited the restaurant, having consumed nearly 2000 calories in one sitting, I started to shiver. I took the leather jacket from my car and wore it, but it seemed to do me no good. As I entered I-17 and began the long drive southward and downward my shivering became so violent, I could barely control the steering wheel. I contemplated what a funny way it would be to die to get into a wreck because hypothermia kept me from holding the steering wheel steady. Eventually I stopped shivering after covering most of the distance to Phoenix, and I felt fine after that, but it seemed very strange that the hypothermia occurred when it did.

A few months later I attended a presentation on hypothermia, and I asked the speaker about my experience. He asked how much I weighed. In those days about 250 lbs. He said my large size allowed me to maintain thermal equilibrium for as long as I did. He said that the cold near my skin caused my capillaries to constrict and concentrated blood flow near the core of my body to conserve heat. Being in the warm restaurant later caused the capillaries to dilate and moved the chilled blood into my core. That dropped the core temperature below 95 F, and that's what caused the shivering. Naturally being a large man it took a long time to reheat the core.

@tinkertailor7385 4 months ago

Which is why a group should stay together..... Separation is why some people die in those conditions. They get separated, they get worried. They start doing things they shouldn't be doing in conditions they shouldn't wandering around in.

@randysandberg5615 4 months ago

He has a nice singing voice. The grizzlies appreciate that!!

@wesgilmer5391 4 weeks ago

Essential items for a Backcountry hike:
1. 1 Extra layer
2. 2000 extra calories food
3. 3 ways to make fire

@ronrash5895 1 month ago

After working with Mountain Rescue for 25 years I would say, 1) Separation from your group. 2) Hypothermia. 3) Falls. Great video showing how the weather can change suddenly in the mountains. And not being afraid to show your mistakes. Thank you.

@johnhutton2500 4 months ago

I’ve run into those conditions on remote hikes in the Canadian Rockies, alone days away from the trailhead. But I was prepared, physically mentally and had adequate gear. Hiking the John Muir trail I “forgot” that stuff happens. I “thought” ‘I’m in California, there’s people everywhere, civilization is never far away.’ I went over a high pass in bad weather conditions, didn’t get good layers on, kept going and the wind got fierce, hard rain and sleet. My hand were too numb to get clothes on and I was shaking uncontrollably. I got down. Obviously I survived. Too bad I can’t learn stuff like everybody else does. Knucklehead. I once forgot about elevation in the Andies. I had been acclimated and strong, went to Trujillo, on the coast for a month, Got back high and started right back in. Barely made it down again. What an idiot.

@austinpratt1923 2 days ago

Good reminder

@tetrapaktjernobyl 4 months ago

This is why you bring a padded ”Jervenduken”. Keep you warm and dry as a poncho and as a shelter/bivack if needed. Norwegian survival.

@leannalovesmountains4949 1 year ago

That could of easily taken a horrible turn for the worse, so glad it didn't! Also, thanks for checking in on me 🙂

@dmitryp4364 10 days ago

It’s either solo or a group. Instead, we got a hybrid that inherited the flaws of both.

@alejandramoreno6625 4 months ago

Hypothermia is what killed those hikers in Chile last year. They couldn't reach the shelter on time . The ones who survived (barely) managed to take cover among the trees.

@ralfhedin 10 days ago

A very important video, thank you for sharing. 👍

@CapitanFantasma1776 9 days ago

Man! Thanks! A tough one!

@jmpstel9701 1 month ago (edited)

With no breaks, steep descent, and the lack of calories I’m so glad you didn’t develop any Rhabdomyolysis symptoms!

@tylernblaney 1 year ago

Great reminders Stu! Glad you ended up safe and sound!

@Driftless_Wanderer 4 months ago

In my experience hiking in Montana, regardless of the month, if it starts snowing do not go up in elevation. Retreat. Wearing a down jacket under a rain jacket is not a good layering system. Down loses its insulating value when wet, better to layer with wool or fleece under rain or storm jackets.