There's an alarming number of people found dead or who disappear from the Appalachian Mountains between PA to GA.  While the height of the mountains don't come close to the Rockies, the terrain can be just as treacherous and deadly.

As for "experienced hikers," the podcast I coincidentally listened to yesterday made the comment that being experienced and knowledgeable could be just as bad as never having gone hiking in an area.  When you think you have all the answers, you make choices based on that rather than rational facts in the moment.

One story in the podcast was about an experienced hiker who tried hiking after dark in an area he was very familiar with.  When he was noticed to be 8 hours late for his return based on his trailhead sign-in, a ranger notified rescue who then launched a massive land and air search. One ranger miraculously heard a faint cry for help. The hiker was located on a small, loose ledge against a sheer cliff overlooking an 80 foot drop.  His body temp was 89F, and ICU doctors said he only had max 1 hour to live when he was found. Hikers need to learn from their experiences to make better decisions, not pretend their lengthy experience makes them less likely to get into trouble -- i.e. arrogance of expertise.

This is a news report about the first podcast story:

https://www.wgal.com/article/appalachian-trail-murder-1988-stephen-roy-carr-kills-hiker/62036085

Here's the podcast:

Sasquatch….🫈

Sasquatch….🫈

Dexter.