Found Deceased Tim Keiderling, 58, & daughter Esther Keiderling, 28, from New York, last seen heading to the summit of Katahdin, Maine 1 June 25,

[acutename]

Why would she go away from the trail and be far from her dad ? I fail to see what could have happened to her father first, an then her. was the weather still that unstable and cold ?
Did he have a health issue eg stroke due to the difficulty of the hike and did she leave to get help?

she could have tried to get help; he could have told her to try to go down; the top is rocky and either of them could have tripped. once the weather is bad, down means: less wind, less precipitation, less windchill, but you could totally lose visibility - some of the trail markers are cairns or white marks on the rocks... it could fog up and you would only be able to see a short distance. not sure if they had a navigation device. also not sure if they had down coats or a sleeping bag. I had a few spots where in perfect weather, I was looking carefully for a place to put my foot to keep safe. and you get tired.

 

[GraceG]

This is just so tragic - I just pulled up the weather for early afternoon Sunday. I have no idea if this was forecast before they set out but it looks like the general area got hit with some precip which at higher altitudes could be icy. You can select the date and time (which is in Coordinated Universal Time, NOT the 2400 clock) using the drop down boxes on the left of the website. Radar Data

 

[vls12345]

Missing Daughter Found Dead on Hike a Day After Dad’s Body Was Located Near Mountain Summit: Authorities

The body of a woman who went missing along with her father after they set off on an Appalachian trail hike together has been located.

people.com

 

[Knox]

Missing Daughter Found Dead on Hike a Day After Dad’s Body Was Located Near Mountain Summit: Authorities

The body of a woman who went missing along with her father after they set off on an Appalachian trail hike together has been located.

people.com

It is with deep regret that we share the news that today, at approximately 1:00 p.m. (June 4), search teams discovered the body of Esther Keiderling off the Tablelands, in a wooded area between two known trails,” authorities wrote, sharing that additional details would be provided later, after searchers returned to the base of the mountain.

 

[Knox]

It is with deep regret that we share the news that today, at approximately 1:00 p.m. (June 4), search teams discovered the body of Esther Keiderling off the Tablelands, in a wooded area between two known trails,” authorities wrote, sharing that additional details would be provided later, after searchers returned to the base of the mountain.

So how far is that from where her Dad was found?

 

[KBlackRabbit]

she could have tried to get help; he could have told her to try to go down; the top is rocky and either of them could have tripped. once the weather is bad, down means: less wind, less precipitation, less windchill, but you could totally lose visibility - some of the trail markers are cairns or white marks on the rocks... it could fog up and you would only be able to see a short distance. not sure if they had a navigation device. also not sure if they had down coats or a sleeping bag. I had a few spots where in perfect weather, I was looking carefully for a place to put my foot to keep safe. and you get tired.

If it was rainy or even just misty up there it gets much more treacherous. Too easy to slip on a wet rock and tumble down. If it was windy it makes it much worse. A easy breeze on level ground can be scary on a knife edge ridge.

 

[acutename]

there are a lot of posts on the Appalachian Trail Hikers FB page about this- 19F t the top with windchill
Sunday.... not good weather

 

[whitelilac]

I just read through this thread. So sad to learn of the outcome for these fellow nature lovers. Heartbreaking.

If only.....the weather had been bad and the pair decided to go on to NY, and stopping at Walden Pond, as Esther had planned in that event.

I hiked a lot in Maine, but not that mountain.
But I did climb Mt Washington in NH with a group many years ago. What were we thinking?? The weather can be notoriously unpredictable and dangerous.....as it turned out. Barely made it down.
I guess Mt Katahdin can have similar conditions, plus the hike itself is considered "strenuous".

 

[LadyL]

This is just so tragic - I just pulled up the weather for early afternoon Sunday. I have no idea if this was forecast before they set out but it looks like the general area got hit with some precip which at higher altitudes could be icy. You can select the date and time (which is in Coordinated Universal Time, NOT the 2400 clock) using the drop down boxes on the left of the website. Radar Data

which is weird cause she said in her substack that she would not proceed if raining

 

[LadyL]

very sad outcome
condolences to the family

 

[acutename]

So how far is that from where her Dad was found?

1000ft if you believe the AT trail FB

 

[RedHaus]

I just came here to say how sad I am about the deaths of this father and daughter on Katahdin. Too many lives are lost due to unpreparedness when hiking into the wild, even for a day hike.

p.s. please invest in emergency Bivvy bags for you and hiking mates... they cost and weigh so little.

 

[Bodhi]

A bit about Esther, she writes beautifully in Substack

Keep the Banner Flying | Esther Keiderling | Substack

Trying to connect on faith, family and culture (books, music and poetry). Click to read Keep the Banner Flying, by Esther Keiderling, a Substack publication.

keepthebannerflying.substack.com

Keep the Banner Flying | Esther Keiderling | Substack

Trying to connect on faith, family and culture (books, music and poetry). Click to read Keep the Banner Flying, by Esther Keiderling, a Substack publication.

keepthebannerflying.substack.com

Keep the Banner Flying | Esther Keiderling | Substack

Trying to connect on faith, family and culture (books, music and poetry). Click to read Keep the Banner Flying, by Esther Keiderling, a Substack publication.

keepthebannerflying.substack.com

Keep the Banner Flying | Esther Keiderling | Substack

Trying to connect on faith, family and culture (books, music and poetry). Click to read Keep the Banner Flying, by Esther Keiderling, a Substack publication.

keepthebannerflying.substack.com

She wrote this a few days ago

I'm on another sales trip with my dad like the one I described in this post and this time we planned the trip around a weekend so that we could climb Mount Katahdin. Tomorrow if it's not pouring with rain we’ll start hiking up the Abol trail between 6 and 7 a.m. If weather prevents us from going up Katahdin we’ll drive back to New York and stop at Walden Pond on the way. I'm a little nervous after everything I've read about the Abol trail but I'm going to do it if weather permits! If you don't see me back on Substack notes again, that's where I am.

Home | Substack

The app for independent voices

substack.com

Beautiful Twinkling Star

"Though sun or moon I cannot be to make the whole world bright, I'd find some little cheerless spot and shine with all my might." L.M. Bateman (from "If I were a beautiful twink…

comingfromstars.wordpress.com

About the Author

Hello! My name is Esther. I enjoy writing and trying to learn new skills such as cooking and crocheting. When I was a kid, my family used to sit around and read James Thurber, E.B White and Edna St…

comingfromstars.wordpress.com

Wow. Esther was a wonderful writer! I am especially touched by her essay about making Christmas presents for her young nieces. She learned new skills in order to make them because she'd do whatever it takes for them. In light of what's happened, Esther left them a greater legacy than the princess dress and painted wagon: her story of love for them.

 

[realanastasia]

Wow. Esther was a wonderful writer! I am especially touched by her essay about making Christmas presents for her young nieces. She learned new skills in order to make them because she'd do whatever it takes for them. In light of what's happened, Esther left them a greater legacy than the princess dress and painted wagon: her story of love for them.

Just FYI, the status of Esther’s Substack seems to have been changed to private.

 

[roche.analisa]

Family Speaks Out After Dad and Daughter Found Dead on Hike: ‘Days Have Been Filled with Endless Hours of Heartache’

The family of Tim and Esther Keiderling, the father and daughter who died while hiking Mount Katahdin in Maine, have spoken out about the 'heartbreaking tragedy' and how it is 'difficult to fully grasp.'

people.com

 

[airportwoman]

I do not like where my mind is going with this scenario.

Most likely, he had a medical incident, most likely a stroke or heart attack, and she left to get help and something terrible happened to her en route. We'll find out when the autopsies are finished.

 

[ErinC]

The White Mountains in general have a pretty good death toll, just because conditions change SO fast- we've got several cases on here, I believe, if anyone feels like searching. I also suspect that he had a medical event, she went for help and then inclement weather got to her.

 

[DS2021]

Katahdin hiking victim’s cause of death released

We’re learning more about the father and daughter from Ulster Park, New York found dead in Baxter State Park earlier this month.

www.wabi.tv

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner says the daughter, Esther Keiderling, 28, died from blunt force injuries.

Park officials say it appears Esther continued downhill off-trail and attempted to traverse the boulder area, which was steep and snow-covered, and slid downhill until she hit large boulders

 

[*LD*]

I wonder if her father suffered a medical emergency and she was frantically trying to go get help. Very sad.

 

[iusedtofloat]

I read a LOT of Esther's wordpress today which she preferred over substack. We had religious, cultural, and political differences, but we share one thing very strongly: the love for our fellow man and the wish for the world to improve. I was moved reading her resounding empathy, compassion, willpower, and self-motivation.

Her last entry on Wordpress, just a week before her life ended too soon, ends with this absolutely poignant and beautiful quote.

“But this terrible individualism must inevitably have an end, and all will suddenly understand how unnaturally they are separated from one another. It will be the spirit of the time, and people will marvel that they have sat so long in darkness without seeing the light. And then the sign of the Son of Man will be seen in the heavens… But, until then, we must keep the banner flying. Sometimes even if he has to do it alone, and his conduct seems to be crazy, a man must set an example, and so draw men’s souls out of their solitude, and spur them to some act of brotherly love, that the great idea may not die.”


Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Brothers Karamazov