New Hampshire, Mt. Washington

Publication Year: 1955.

New Hampshire, Mt. Washington—On Wednesday, January 27, 1954, Phillip Longnecker (25) and Jacques Parysko (23) graduate students at Harvard University, but not members of the Harvard Mountaineering Club, built an igloo for a campsite at the foot of the steep headwall of Tucker- man’s ravine; it was left of center of the headwall and about half way around to the left gully. This camp consisted of a hole nearly four feet deep and six feet across roofed over with blocks of snow and some ice fragments fallen from the cliffs above. The top was over a foot above the old crust and the site was on a slope of about ten degrees which led directly up to the much steeper headwall. No experienced person knew of the location of the igloo, although Longnecker was advised on Thursday not to camp at the foot of the headwall and not to climb on it because of the possible danger of slides from the three-foot snowfall of Wednesday night.

Sunday afternoon, January 31, Parysko’s body was found on the Sherburne Ski Trail near the Harvard cabin about three quarters of a mile down from the camp. He was wearing no boots, socks, mittens, cap, or parka, and had badly scratched ankles. The medical examiner said he probably died early that morning. A very erratic set of tracks was followed back up the ski trail to the foot of the little headwall, where some more recent tracks and the high wind had obliterated them. A search of the ravine by the Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol revealed no signs of the campsite and it was evident that much new snow had been deposited by the gale which was still blowing. At one point a small bundle of sticks for trail marking was discovered, but probing in the vicinity with a ski pole revealed nothing except four feet of fresh snow. The extremities of the men began to freeze in the sub-zero temperatures and they were driven out of the ravine.

That evening, a search party was organized at Pinkham Notch by Joseph B. Dodge, Hut Manager of the Appalachian Mountain Club, and early the next morning in clear weather, about twenty men, among whom were Forest Service representatives, ascended to the ravine. By digging a series of parallel trenches and probing between them, the campsite was located in the early afternoon.

Longnecker’s body was found in his sleeping bag with a heavy block of snow ice on his head; the empty sleeping bag of the other man, together with the rest of his clothing was there. Four feet of wind-packed powder snow lay over the camp and no signs of any sizable avalanche were present. The snow was evenly stratified to within a foot of the old undisturbed crust. About 30 feet down the slope from the site were found on the surface some more green sticks in the same place as those of the previous day. In this area the new snow was nearly 6 feet deep and the bottom 4 feet not obviously stratified. In this bottom layer were some blocks of snow and ice. These may have been fragments of the igloo roof or may have fallen from higher up. To explain the position of the blocks and sticks, it is easiest to suppose that a small slide of snow may have occurred, which caved in the roof of the camp as it passed by but which was not large enough to bury the site. Mere wind erosion and deposition of snow do not seem to account fully for the facts.

Source: Andrew Griscom, Appalachia 20:104, Newspaper clippings.

Analysis: By Andrew Griscom.

While reconstruction of the accident can only be by guess, a few possibilities may be suggested. Some time early Sunday morning a slide caused the igloo to collapse. Confused by the accident and the terrible weather, Parysko may have jumped out of his sleeping bag and run down the mountain for help without stopping to dress himself properly. Ironically enough, he passed three telephones to Pinkham Notch Camp, two first aid caches, the new Tuckerman Ravine Shelter, and finally died of exposure close to the Harvard cabin, in which, at the time, there were ten people. He had seen all of these places earlier in the week.

The mountain experience of the two men was not great so far as is known. Longnecker was the leader and had done some winter camping and climbing in Colorado. Parysko had never been in the mountains before. It should have been evident that the camp was in an extremely exposed and potentially dangerous position. Had the igloo been dug in sideways and deeper so as to leave the original crust for a roof it would have been much stronger. If Parysko had been more experienced, the situation might still have been at least partially saved. It is hoped that in time all campers will realize that winter camping high in the White Mountains can be a very serious undertaking.