[at-l] Hiker snowed in, in NM

[rgcmsg]

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20071220/NEWS/32349914
Hiker's close call
By Rick Laney
of The Daily Times Staff

Bert Emmerson is a serious hiker. The 59-year-old Maryville resident is chasing hiking's "Triple Crown," which includes the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. With more than 7,000 miles logged and two of the three trails finished, Emmerson is less than 200 miles from achieving his goal - but his plans were put on hold this week in a remote area of southwest New Mexico.
On Monday afternoon, Emmerson knocked on the door of a complete stranger in Gila, N.M., and asked for help. His lips were black, and he couldn't feel his hands. The toes on both of his feet were frostbitten, and he was running low on food after being caught above 10,000 feet in a four-day snowstorm. Temperatures were 10- to 20-degrees below zero and, as he tried to hike, the snow was nearly to his waist.
"It started snowing on Saturday, Dec. 8, and continued for the next four days," Emmerson said during a telephone interview from New Mexico. 
"I'm 5 feet 10 inches tall, and it got to where the tips of my mittens were dragging in the snow while I was walking.
"When my toes started to get numb, I got in my tent and crawled into my sleeping bag. My socks were frozen to my toes, and I knew I was in big trouble.
"The next morning, my toes were black - so I tried to follow a route down through the Gila Wilderness Area to a road that I planned to hike out on."

Follow the above link to the rest of the story.

Below link is to his Trailjornal
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213519


It could have been very bad for him.  But all is well and he is home safe.

http://www.thehungersite.com 
http://www.liverfoundation.org
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