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Bryson discusses hypothermia, one of the many dangers that hikers can face on the AT. He explains that the common belief that most victims of hypothermia die in extreme weather events is a misconception: “Most victims of hypothermia die in a much more dopey kind of way, in temperate seasons and with air temperature nowhere near freezing” (313). Bryson is now hiking New Hampshire, the state where he and his family recently moved, so he’s excited to explore it. The state’s portion of the AT runs 162 miles through the White Mountains with 35 peaks higher than 3,000 feet. Naturally, Bryson is overjoyed when his neighbor and friend Bill Abdu, a gifted surgeon, offers to come along on some of the day hikes. Abdu is experienced in the mountains, so his company is welcome.
The pair begins with Mount Lafayette, which requires a climb of 3,700 feet and is notorious for sudden changes in weather. The weather is excellent at the beginning of the hike, but suddenly the sunshine disappears, the temperature drops drastically, and the forest becomes misty and foggy. Bryson forgot to pack his waterproofs, but the pair decides against turning back. Just as he begins to realize that he’s in distress, they reach the summit, and on their descent, the wind finally dies down. On their way down, they stop at Greenleaf Hut, a trailside stone lodge built and maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club, the oldest hiking club in America.
Joined by Abdu once again, Bryson hikes Mount Washington in New Hampshire, where, he notes, in 1934 officials recorded a surface wind speed of 231 miles an hour, the highest gust ever recorded. Bryson explains that Mount Washington owes its notorious weather records to its location: High-altitude weather systems from Canada mix with warmer air from the Atlantic ocean. They successfully summit Mount Washington, which Bryson notes is the highest peak north of the Smokies and east of the Rockies, only to find a huge crowd of people who drove up the mountain in their cars via a winding toll road. The summit of Mount Washington was now a bustling tourist destination with restaurants, gift shops, and a welcome center.
In Chapter 17, Bryson provides background information about hypothermia, which he describes as almost always “mysterious and improbable” (312). This piece of information ties in with his narrative because Bryson himself very nearly has hypothermia while summiting Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire. Reflecting the theme of Isolation and Companionship, Bryson’s type of hiking changes yet again when he begins doing day hikes in his home state of New Hampshire. He acknowledges that after hearing stories about the dangers present in the state’s White Mountains, he “was mildly uneasy about venturing into them alone” (317). Because these are day hikes, his friend and neighbor, Bill Abdu, offers to join him. While they’re hiking the 5,249-foot Mount Lafayette, the weather changes drastically, and Bryson realizes that he has forgotten his rain gear. As they summit, he realizes he’s in trouble, and just as he’s becoming convinced that hypothermia is setting in because his thoughts are becoming a jumble, they luckily reach a shelter and wait for the weather to turn again. This emphasizes the importance of preparation and heeding park signage or other warnings that weather can change quickly in an area.
The next day, Bryson and Abdu set out together once again, this time climbing Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Mount Washington is infamous for being one of the most unforgiving peaks in the world because of weather, especially wind. Bryson explains how the strongest gust ever recorded—a 231 mph wind speed—occurred there in 1934. Highlighting the theme of Wilderness and Civilization, when Bryson and Abdu finally summit Mount Washington, they find several buildings and crowds of people strolling about, all of whom apparently drove up in cars on a new toll road. Bryson notes, “It has the air of a world’s fair bizarrely transferred to a mountaintop” (331). The scene that they find atop Mountain Washington represents the blending of wilderness and civilization as well as the clash between them. In addition, it presents hikers unaware of the change with a minor and perhaps disappointing shock.
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