Let's talk about preparedness

02-01-2009, 06:41 PM

When the rubber meets the road will you be ready?
Or will you be part of the golden horde in desperate
need of parental supervision?

**********************************************

Okla. woman freezes to death in remote Mont. cabin

MISSOULA, Mont. — A couple from Oklahoma that moved to Montana's rugged mountains for a cheap place to live apparently got caught off guard by a snowstorm, with the woman freezing to death in their remote cabin.

Her common-law husband, suffering from hypothermia and starving, was found propped up against her body, with an array of weapons spread in a half circle in front of him, authorities said.

Mickey Charlene Davis, 67, had probably been dead for about two weeks when authorities reached the cabin Jan. 13, Powell County Sheriff Scott Howard said.

The man, 44-year-old Jack McWhorter, had only a few bouillon cubes in his pocket, Howard said. Their two cats and two of their three dogs were also dead.

"They'd been in there for months, and they just flat ran out of food," Howard said. "They didn't have good clothing, they didn't have any firewood cut, and no way to even start a fire."

McWhorter was evacuated by snowmobile more than 20 miles, and spent several days in a hospital. He declined to talk about the ordeal Wednesday, the Missoulian newspaper reported.

Howard said McWhorter and Davis apparently had their eye on the inexpensive 20-acre lot when they arrived sometime early last year. They had some sort of agreement with the landowner but "didn't realize what they were getting into."

"They planned to live there year-round," Howard said. "They saw an ad and thought that would be wonderful place to be, with absolutely no knowledge what a mountain snowstorm can do."

No one had seen the couple for months, until neighbors who lived three miles away asked two snowmobilers to check on them. Howard said McWhorter told the snowmobilers to call authorities because his wife was dead.

Authorities gave Davis a county burial in Deer Lodge after attempts to locate her family were unsuccessful. Her driver's license listed her hometown as Salina, Okla.

Howard said McWhorter is too emotional to talk much, but the sheriff figures things got bad starting when snowstorms hit in late November.

He found McWhorter sitting on the floor against his wife's body, with the weapons nearby.

"I don't know if he was worried about us," Howard said. "... I don't know what was going through his head."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/6236477.html

02-01-2009, 06:57 PM

"It was good to be back in the wilderness again, where everything seems as peace. I was alone -- just me and the animals. It was a great feeling -- free once more to plan and do as I pleased. Beyond was all around me. My dream was a dream no longer. I suppose I was here because this was something I had to do -- not just dream about it but do it. I suppose too I was here to test myself -- not that I had never done it before but this time it was to be a more thorough and lasting examination. What was I capable of that I didn't know yet? Could I really enjoy my own company for an entire year? And was I equal to everything this wild land could throw at me? I had seen its moods in late spring, summer, and early fall but what about the winter? Would I love the isolation then, with its bone-stabbing cold, its ghostly silence? At age 51, I intended to find out." - Richard Proenneke,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss
http://www.outdoorblogging.com/the-l...w-inspiration/
http://www.dickproenneke.com/DickProenneke.html

Lunaris · 02-01-2009, 07:19 PM

wow...what a sad story...

i grew up very close to the woods and spent a load of time exploring, camping, hiking, playing in them and i guess living in them for bits of time...

...those poor silly people how could you not have cut wood ready for winter??? the right clothing????

in my time we have had crazy drunk friends try and find our "shared" cabin in the dead of winter, in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods...yeah they forgot that the snow would of covered most of the cabin..they wandered and wandered the woods...they actually found the outhouse (which is up in a tree) and realized that since it was almost ground level that the cabin must be buried ! they finally figured to head for the surrounding cabins that were up on stilts and find shelter there after going through a mini "we are lost in the woods we are going to die" drama...they made it even though they are super retarded...i am not sure if they even had flashlights! we know that land so well but without moonlight its pitch black!

even for a summer camping trip we bring loads of extra stuff..you never know what could happen...

did they really not know that winter would be different than in a city??

that is so sad and strange to me.

02-01-2009, 06:41 PM	#1
Baggywrinkle Guest Posts: n/a	Let's talk about preparedness When the rubber meets the road will you be ready? Or will you be part of the golden horde in desperate need of parental supervision? ********************************************** Okla. woman freezes to death in remote Mont. cabin MISSOULA, Mont. — A couple from Oklahoma that moved to Montana's rugged mountains for a cheap place to live apparently got caught off guard by a snowstorm, with the woman freezing to death in their remote cabin. Her common-law husband, suffering from hypothermia and starving, was found propped up against her body, with an array of weapons spread in a half circle in front of him, authorities said. Mickey Charlene Davis, 67, had probably been dead for about two weeks when authorities reached the cabin Jan. 13, Powell County Sheriff Scott Howard said. The man, 44-year-old Jack McWhorter, had only a few bouillon cubes in his pocket, Howard said. Their two cats and two of their three dogs were also dead. "They'd been in there for months, and they just flat ran out of food," Howard said. "They didn't have good clothing, they didn't have any firewood cut, and no way to even start a fire." McWhorter was evacuated by snowmobile more than 20 miles, and spent several days in a hospital. He declined to talk about the ordeal Wednesday, the Missoulian newspaper reported. Howard said McWhorter and Davis apparently had their eye on the inexpensive 20-acre lot when they arrived sometime early last year. They had some sort of agreement with the landowner but "didn't realize what they were getting into." "They planned to live there year-round," Howard said. "They saw an ad and thought that would be wonderful place to be, with absolutely no knowledge what a mountain snowstorm can do." No one had seen the couple for months, until neighbors who lived three miles away asked two snowmobilers to check on them. Howard said McWhorter told the snowmobilers to call authorities because his wife was dead. Authorities gave Davis a county burial in Deer Lodge after attempts to locate her family were unsuccessful. Her driver's license listed her hometown as Salina, Okla. Howard said McWhorter is too emotional to talk much, but the sheriff figures things got bad starting when snowstorms hit in late November. He found McWhorter sitting on the floor against his wife's body, with the weapons nearby. "I don't know if he was worried about us," Howard said. "... I don't know what was going through his head." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/6236477.html Last edited by Baggywrinkle; 02-01-2009 at 06:44 PM.

02-01-2009, 06:57 PM	#2
Baggywrinkle Guest Posts: n/a	This is what we'd rather see.... "It was good to be back in the wilderness again, where everything seems as peace. I was alone -- just me and the animals. It was a great feeling -- free once more to plan and do as I pleased. Beyond was all around me. My dream was a dream no longer. I suppose I was here because this was something I had to do -- not just dream about it but do it. I suppose too I was here to test myself -- not that I had never done it before but this time it was to be a more thorough and lasting examination. What was I capable of that I didn't know yet? Could I really enjoy my own company for an entire year? And was I equal to everything this wild land could throw at me? I had seen its moods in late spring, summer, and early fall but what about the winter? Would I love the isolation then, with its bone-stabbing cold, its ghostly silence? At age 51, I intended to find out." - Richard Proenneke, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss http://www.outdoorblogging.com/the-l...w-inspiration/ http://www.dickproenneke.com/DickProenneke.html Last edited by Baggywrinkle; 02-01-2009 at 07:33 PM.

02-01-2009, 07:19 PM	#3
Lunaris Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 149	Re: Let's talk about preparedness wow...what a sad story... i grew up very close to the woods and spent a load of time exploring, camping, hiking, playing in them and i guess living in them for bits of time... ...those poor silly people how could you not have cut wood ready for winter??? the right clothing???? in my time we have had crazy drunk friends try and find our "shared" cabin in the dead of winter, in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods...yeah they forgot that the snow would of covered most of the cabin..they wandered and wandered the woods...they actually found the outhouse (which is up in a tree) and realized that since it was almost ground level that the cabin must be buried ! they finally figured to head for the surrounding cabins that were up on stilts and find shelter there after going through a mini "we are lost in the woods we are going to die" drama...they made it even though they are super retarded...i am not sure if they even had flashlights! we know that land so well but without moonlight its pitch black! even for a summer camping trip we bring loads of extra stuff..you never know what could happen... did they really not know that winter would be different than in a city?? that is so sad and strange to me.