[at-l] Hiker was Kenneth Holmes

[agaudet at theworld.com (Arthur Gaudet)]

Here's the most recent info from the Manchester Union Leader.  Very fit, 37 
year old, clearly he died of hypothermia, leaves behind a wife and 5 kids. 
You gotta respect the Whites this time of year folks. --RockDancer
"Mass. man was experienced hiker" from The Union Leader, Jan. 17, 2004
	
Kenneth Holmes was a man who battled the elements, an avid outdoorsman who 
just loved roughing it, and who had helped rescue many a lost hiker.
The body of the 37-year-old father of five was found Thursday in the White 
Mountains near Franconia Notch, after another challenge turned tragic when 
temperatures plummeted to minus 44, the wind chill approaching 100 degrees 
below zero.
Those who knew the Athol, Mass., resident - a ranger at 3,165-foot Mount 
Monadnock State Park in southern New Hampshire - said they weren't 
surprised that Holmes decided to brave the elements.
Since he was hired last year to work at Mount Monadnock, Holmes was always 
up for whatever the job had in store: collecting money from campers, 
rescuing lost hikers or patrolling one of the world's most-climbed 
mountains.
"His time working at the park wasn't just a job to bring in money," said 
Don Davis, a regional supervisor for New Hampshire's Division of Parks and 
Recreation. "It was part of him. It was an extension of himself. He was a 
mountaineer, and this is what he wanted to be.
Davis added, "For people who go out in these extreme conditions, there's a 
drive that's very difficult to understand. It compels them to move on and 
go out into the elements. It's part of their lifestyle."
Holmes' body was found about 3.5 miles from the summit of Mount Bond, where 
it was flown to Concord Hospital. Rescue personnel said the advanced stages 
of hypothermia had driven Holmes' to remove several articles of clothing; 
his tracks showed his movements had become erratic.
Sometimes even with the best gear, "it's not always going to cut it," said 
Lt. Robert Bryant of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The state 
medical examiner's office determined yesterday Holmes died due to 
hypothermia.
Close friend Robert Gaylord said Holmes was always testing himself and was 
an experienced and well-prepared hiker. It was a rare hike where Holmes 
didn't have at least a 50-pound pack with all necessary supplies for 
several days.
"Of course it's risky going up there, but it was a controlled risk," 
Gaylord said. "He had on three layers, which shut the wind chill out. He 
had a stove with him, and hot drinks. There wasn't much more he could have 
done to be better prepared."
Holmes and some friends departed for a winter mountaineering trip on Monday 
morning, from Lincoln Woods off the Kancamagus Highway. His friends left 
Tuesday and he was expected to hitchhike home the next day.
"He would ride his mountain bike 50 miles from Athol to Monadnock, and then 
he'd climb it four times, and ride the 50 miles back," Gaylord said. "He 
was a marathon runner. He was a fitness and health freak. He was into wo  
rking out, and he was an expert chess player."
Gaylord said that Holmes had talked to him by cell phone Tuesday night, and 
seemed enthused about his camping trip. It was he who reported Holmes 
overdue, prompting the search.
"He was all excited," said Gaylord. "It was a little colder than he 
expected, and windy. He was supposed to call me."
A helicopter search by the Army National Guard started at Mt. Bond on 
Thursday morning. Rescuers followed tracks along the Bondcliff Trail toward 
Mt. Guyot, then northwest along the Twinway Trail.
A friend from Athol said she grieves for his wife and kids, who he had 
tried to instill with his same love of nature.
"He took the kids running and camping in the mountains all the time," said 
Bonnie Beauchemin, a 32-year-old bookkeeper. "He just loved roughing it 
without the luxuries. The kids are going to miss him a lot."
Beauchemin said Holmes would often tell stories about how he helped rescue 
lost hikers on Mount Monadnock. "He knew what he was doing," she said. "I 
don't think he realized how cold it was going to get."
Mike Bingham, a ranger who worked at Monadnock with Holmes, said his 
colleague's presence will be missed at the park.
"He was dealing with the public constantly, and he was really good at 
that," Bingham said. "He loved talking to hikers and campers, and he'd 
always make sure that everyone was off the mountain and safe by the end of 
his shift."
Correspondent Stephen Seitz, Staff Writer Riley Yates and the Associated 
Press contributed to this report.