What was that sound?  Is that a wild animal up ahead?  Or just an oddly shaped fallen tree branch. Steady, now.  You’re safer here in the mountains than in most places in the world, as long as you keep your head cool and mind where you step.

Death by Hiking is pretty rare.  Usually, fatalities are associated with falls or exposure. Typically, an unfortunate outcome is related to lack of adequate equipment or clothing, lightening strike, dehydration, hypothermia or lack of experience.

I’m reading my former colleague Chip Brown’s fascinating book Good Morning Midnight – Life and Death in the Wild about intentional death in the White Mts.  Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild is another gripping account of what can go wrong in the mountains.

Safety tips for hiking alone.