Colorado Springs Man Lost Descending Shavano, Both Legs Amputated

[zinj]

what fresh hell is all of this?

[teamdonkey]

Any new info that you can share with us?

Just listened to it, a few notes:
- he mentions 14ers.com at one point, so he's been here and could end up reading this thread
- he seems like a reasonable guy, not an egomaniac or a dumbass or anything. I got the feeling listening to him that he wasn't that different from me, and this is something that could happen to me
- there was snow on the whole route, but describes the conditions as very nice up to treeline. Just below treeline he decides to stash his pack (doesn't go in to detail about why)
- speaking of the pack, it was well stocked! He has snow pants in there, extra socks, etc. So he wasn't totally unprepared. Separating from this seems like one of the big problems.
- confirms a couple times that he's wearing trail runners. Towards the end of the interview he's talking about casual decisions that could have made a big difference, and throws out that boots might have been better. No mention of gators, but you have to assume that's a no. I get the feeling this is some of the first snow hiking he's done.
- above treeline conditions change drastically. Wind is fierce, which isn't a surprise to anyone who was in that area in October.
- he starts down around sunset. Has a headlamp, but I think the dark, the blowing snow, and the decision to come straight down instead of following the trail contribute to him getting lost

The rest you know. He punches through snow into running water a few times, loses his shoes, cell battery runs out, struggles and finally makes it back to the parking lot. His description of waking up in the hospital with no feet was heart wrenching. I get the feeling losing his feet wasn't entirely due to frostbite. He describes his feet as being really torn up and parts of them "dragging behind him" at the end. Also he gets a pretty serious infection. So maybe the immediate amputation was a combination of those things.

Remarkably upbeat considering what happened. Hard not to root for the guy and be glad he's alive.

[two lunches]

In case no one has posted this, Nolan was interviewed for about an hour on the podcast The Out There Colorado Podcast. I appreciate him taking the time to tell his story and helping others be more prepared.

Episode 33: Survival at the Cost of Amputation

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t ... 1448513180
(I just grabbed the apple podcast link but I'm sure you can find it elsewhere)

Any new info that you can share with us?

the episode is difficult to listen to. this guy was woefully ignorant of the risk involved with hiking a 14er in late october and his life is drastically altered because of it. but if you can look past the mistakes, it's very inspiring how much control he took over the situation by self-rescuing, as opposed to waiting for SAR to recover him at 13,000', which certainly would have had a different outcome. i am absolutely in awe of his positivity in light of the circumstances. he touches on moments that he has been sad about not having his feet/ankles anymore, but his overarching acceptance that he still has his life and can still do any of the outdoor activities he wants to (eventually) is absolutely incredible. i look forward to keeping up with him after this!

[peter303]

Story on KDVR TV today

https://kdvr.com/2019/11/12/climber-who ... -thursday/

[justiner]

So he was drunk?

[AndrewLyonsGeibel]

So he was drunk?

I don’t see where it says he was drunk. People can change. Only an addict can really understand the struggle to get sober. When I got sober, the first few days my HR went from low 40s to over 150. The dude made some mistakes but I can sympathize with using physical challenges to help stay sober. That’s what I did with ultras and Ironman.

[justiner]

So he was drunk?

I don’t see where it says he was drunk. People can change. Only an addict can really understand the struggle to get sober. When I got sober, the first few days my HR went from low 40s to over 150. The dude made some mistakes but I can sympathize with using physical challenges to help stay sober. That’s what I did with ultras and Ironman.

Not being flippant at all, I have a lot of empathy for those going through drug addiction. I would invite him to open up about this more (in time) if either: he was drunk during this hike, which would explain perhaps why he made so many terrible mistakes (plus alchohol would have at least complicated his frostbite), or if this hike was a reaction to feeling out of control. Or even: was this hike an attempt at self harm? Personal stuff, I know. To know how an accident is caused, is one step towards preventing furthers ones - which I guess is a selfish want on my part.

Maybe there's a bigger lesson in here, other than: wear boots rather than trailrunners.

[pw]

Not impossible, but seems highly highly unlikely that any alcohol was involved. He had a couple hour drive to the peak so he left CO Springs early, I don't think anyone prepares for a hike with a few drinks at 8 in the morning. Even if he did (he didn't), the drive and the climb up would have been time enough to mostly have it flushed out of his system. I interpreted his comment about getting treatment being the result of undergoing a very traumatic event and having that motivate him to take stock of his life.

[SurfNTurf]

The article was poorly worded, as most TV news articles are, but I agree that it's unlikely he was drinking while on the mountain. It read more to me like the transcendent experience of losing both legs made him reevaluate other areas of his life, and he's using his newfound clarity to get clean. It's not an easy thing to do in the beer-soaked outdoor community. As a fellow alcoholic, I wish him luck.

[ZNixon]

He had a couple hour drive to the peak so he left CO Springs early, I don't think anyone prepares for a hike with a few drinks at 8 in the morning.

I wouldn't put this past an alcoholic for a minute. As an alcoholic who no longer drinks, I can say I've started more days than I can remember with a stiff drink much earlier than 8am. Most days I taught seminars and met with clients to discuss their finances, I was smashed, even if I didn't portray it or even believe it myself.

I agree with what Jeff said, though, and hope that this was the case rather than alcohol contributing to the accident. I'm not saying he was or was not drinking, I'm simply pointing out the fact that in my own experience as an alcoholic, almost every day of my life started out with a drink. I hope he recovers well, and continues to hike!

[CORed]

I don’t see where it says he was drunk. People can change. Only an addict can really understand the struggle to get sober. When I got sober, the first few days my HR went from low 40s to over 150. The dude made some mistakes but I can sympathize with using physical challenges to help stay sober. That’s what I did with ultras and Ironman.

Not being flippant at all, I have a lot of empathy for those going through drug addiction. I would invite him to open up about this more (in time) if either: he was drunk during this hike, which would explain perhaps why he made so many terrible mistakes (plus alchohol would have at least complicated his frostbite), or if this hike was a reaction to feeling out of control. Or even: was this hike an attempt at self harm? Personal stuff, I know. To know how an accident is caused, is one step towards preventing furthers ones.

Maybe there's a bigger lesson in here, other than: wear boots rather than trailrunners.

For those that don't know alcohol speeds up the frostbite process.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... your-rings

Okay, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. However, alcohol generally increases peripheral circulation, which is at least part of the reason it makes you feel warmer, so I would think it would reduce the risk of frostbite at the expense of increasing the risk of hypothermia. In any case, consuming alcohol when you're going to be out in cold weather is not a good idea.

[climbingcue]

This story has a tragic end.

https://everloved.com/life-of/nicholas-noland/obituary/