Hiker Dies On the Pacific Crest Trail
Phyllis E. Hall hoped to hike the Pacific Crest Trial from Canada to Mexico during her lifetime. The Happy Valley, Oregon woman had completed hiking the Oregon and Washington portions of the trailway and was in the middle of working through the California portion in sections.
“She never had time to do it all at once. She was doing it in sections,” said her husband Dr. Don Hall.
On September 28, the couple set out for a 65 mile hike in the Lake Tahoe area with three other hikers expecting to be done by Friday, October 3. But car problems and slow starts caused the group to move slower than anticipated. The group were all experienced hikers but unfortunately they were not prepared for the weather that crept up on the additional three days they were forced to add onto the trip in order to complete the section. Wind, rain and cold temperatures forced the hikers to find emergency shelter. Hall chose to continue on the trail alone while the others (her husband had left the trip on Friday for home) found shelter off the trailway. Hall was found the following morning unconscious. She is believed to have passed away from exposure and hypothermia.
This sad story is a reminder to everyone, even the most experienced hikers, to be prepared for any situation that may occur while backpacking.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
