We used headlamps at the start, heading up the Daniel Webster Scout trail, which winds up Mount Madison from the campground. It got pretty steep pretty quickly, and I soon started shedding layers.

About an hour or so into the hike, we passed a sign warning that we should turn back if the weather was bad and we wanted to live to run another day. We saw no cause to reconsider.

Beyond treeline, the DW Scout trail goes up a steep, rocky slope where hikers are advised use their hands, and not look down. There are blazes painted on the rocks, but it was dark. That’s where we strayed. At some point, we realized that although we could see the ridge leading up to the summit, we couldn’t find any blazes, fore or aft. I was leading, so it’s my bad.

We knew ( hoped, really) that we’d find the Osgood and Gulfside trails on the top of that ridge, so we kept going up. Sure enough, we were soon back on track.

I’ve since learned that sort of mistake, combined with unfavorable changes in weather, routinely kills people. I hadn’t read “Not Without Peril” at that point, but it ought to be required reading for people who plan to hike the summits. It’s a fun read; I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

My colleague Jen O’Callaghan disagrees. Her pithy plot summary: “Here’s a promising young hiker. Now he’s dead.”

Part three