A real horror story. Lots of detail is coming out on the WhiteBlaze forum today. While there is probably plenty of blame to go around, it's more important to learn lessons from this. All hikers need to practice navigation skills--you can usually find classes available in studying map and compass. Also, while you should stay put for a better chance of being found when you're lost, you need to stay put in an open area where you're more apt to be spotted.

As a preventive measure, those who know they are weak in navigation skills definitely need to take classes and not hike alone. She had a SPOT but left it behind in a motel along the way. Her partner had to drop out due to a family emergency. It's almost like a "perfect storm."

The info in her journal came out due to a Freedom of Information suit filed by a Boston newspaper. The Maine SAR felt that the information in the journal was private and should be only for the family, since there was no criminal case involved. I can see why, and really feel for her family with this nightmare publicity being spread all over the country.

If the knowledge derived from her journal and from the SAR inventories helps prevent such a tragedy in the future, maybe it will offset the pain to her family.