The story is fascinating, though, not just because of the tragedy:
As a point of reference, if you’re not physically capable of doing a day hike to the top of Mount Whitney and back, and aren’t a skilled, off-trail hiker, you should stay out of this area. My opinion, anyway. That’s a measure of how hard it is to get into the area on foot (and out, safely!). At this point I know the location and surroundings probably better than anyone, and I’m not going back. The area scares me just a bit.
There are places on earth that approach the difficulty it takes for us to get to space. That is fascinating. Remember the story of the surgeon who operated on himself while on an Antarctic mission?
Or this doctor who cut a cancerous lump out of her own breast, again in Antarctica?
This story holds special significance to me, as I am likewise religious, and likewise often backpack for extended time by myself. This summer, I visited the place mentioned in the article (top of the pass pictured with me in it), saw the eclipse, and visited a place where a WWII bomber crashed.
Lots of heartbreak in this area. Also where the movie “Wind River” was set.
Do you ever think of investing in one of those Garmin sat-com beacon units? For someone who does that all the time, seems like a pretty good idea. I’m one of those boyscout, over-preparer types when it comes to outdoor solo excursions.
@TimElhajj, yeah, this sort of thing can happen. It also happened to a young gal this summer in the Tetons, except shifting boulders trapper her by the face. Ick! Luckily her boyfriend was there, IIRC, got her somewhat dislodged, and managed to get one of the HeliExpress rescue choppers there quickly.
@Enidigm, my friend convinced me to. The weight sucks, but if you’re alone, I think it’s worth it. It sends texts, too, along with your position. I also have a GuardianFlight subscription.
And @Giles_Habibula, I hope that I never have to find out how I’d handle it.
The literature of the sea suggests that in watching the distress of others from safety, we can do more than take pleasure in our own security. As Miranda suddenly knows, watching from shore, they could be us.
I love this article! it’s dense with historical and mythological information, a great read. Not terribly heartbreaking though I suppose it is inherently tragic.
@wumpus what did you find heart breaking about the hermit story? It’s a weird one, I’ll give you that. I kept waiting for the other shoe (of sadness) to drop, but it sort of had a happy ending. He got off easy. He will live to a ripe old man age, which is more than he would have gotten in those unforgiving woods. Plus, he got to do exactly what he wanted with the prime of his life.
I guess this sounds kind of snarky, but I don’t mean it that way. I’m just curious if it really broke you heart for some reason, or if maybe you added it because of the freaky factor.
His name, he revealed, was Christopher Thomas Knight. Born on December 7, 1965. He said he had no address, no vehicle, did not file a tax return, and did not receive mail. He said he lived in the woods.
“For how long?” wondered Perkins-Vance.
Knight thought for a bit, then asked when the Chernobyl nuclear-plant disaster occurred. He had long ago lost the habit of marking time in months or years; this was just a news event he happened to remember. The nuclear meltdown took place in 1986, the same year, Knight said, he went to live in the woods. He was 20 years old at the time, not long out of high school. He was now 47, a middle-aged man.
…
When, said Perkins-Vance, was the last time he’d had contact with another person?
Sometime in the 1990s, answered Knight, he passed a hiker while walking in the woods.
“What did you say?” asked Perkins-Vance.
"I said, ’Hi,’ " Knight replied. Other than that single syllable, he insisted, he had not spoken with or touched another human being, until this night, for twenty-seven years.
Then you might be interested in this. (Can’t remember where I came across it, could be from Qt3 or another board or reddit.) Different kind of hermit, different type of isolation. They had each other, but no modern niceties.
Thanks for posting those. I’ve so far only read the hermit story. I found it to be very well-written, and very moving, probably because I can relate somewhat, in that when I was much younger, I often dreamed of escaping society, but could never figure out a good way to do it. The thought scared me. I grew up with the comforts of home and family, and yet there were so many other negatives in life that seemed to outweigh the good.
In a way, I envy that he could do it.
In another way, I’m glad I don’t have to worry about winter nights without heat. That had to be terrifying, but to read what he said, he didn’t sound terrified. He just did what he had to do.
Does anyone happen to know if this article is a the print version of the magazine (and if so, which issue)? I know a guy who would appreciate reading it, but he refuses to own a computer or any other electronic device that he can’t figure out how it works.
