Mount Rainier |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2024. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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May 4, 1987 Location: Liberty Ridge Two climbers on an extended climb on Mt. Rainier were reported to be overdue on Sunday May 31. The area had received new snow and windy conditions at the higher elevations over the weekend. A search was initiated on Monday, June 1, but the ground crew turned back due to snow drifts 3-5 feet high. Army helicopters were unable to fly due to the weather. On Tuesday the helicopters flew but saw no evidence of the climbers. Wednesday the helicopters dropped ground crews on the summit. The searchers returned by Wednesday night end reported that they had seen nothing to indicate the whereabouts of the overdue party. Today, Thursday, the helicopters are flying with infrared equipment aboard. The ground searchers have not gone up today.
The bodies of climbers J.W. and D.W. were recovered at approximately noon on Saturday, June 5. A private climbing party had spotted a tent flap protruding from the snow, on Thursday, June 4. They hiked to Sherman Hut (which took 1 day) to radio the information to park personnel. Saturday a helicopter was able to fly to the tent location on Liberty Ridge. Two climbers, one MPS and the other, Seattle Mountain Rescue/found the tent with the bodies of the climbers inside. No evidence of trauma was found. The bodies were flown from the mountain. At 2:00pm a news conference was held by the Chief Ranger at park headquarters. The search had generated a great deal of media coverage in the Seattle area for the past 7 days. The coroner report shows cause of death due to asphyxiation. The brother of J.W. was present at the news conference. He praised park personnel for their efforts in the search.
Location: Mount Rainier A party of seven hikers were at the 9700' level of the mountain on Monday when two of them fell 2-300'. One suffered a broken ankle and possible head injuries; the other had minor injuries. Since the location is not accessible by helicopter, two NPS climbers are en route to the scene of the accident. No further information presently available.
Location: Tahoma Glacier No signs of the climbers have been found. On Thursday, 6/4, the helicopter noticed tracks on Tahoma Glacier. After talking with family members there is the possibility that the climbers used this route as a route off the mountain. They have used it before. The search has now been focused on the lower elevations of the mountain (6,000 feet and below), specifically, Tahoma Glacier. Ground searchers will begin again today. A dog team from the Seattle area has been requested. The NPS has contracted a helicopter for search purposes. The family of the missing party has also contracted a helicopter. The Army helicopters are no longer involved in this search. The upper levels of the mountain (6,000 to 8,000) have very low visibility due to rain which fell yesterday. Approximately 35 people are involved in the search, 7 of these are from Seattle/Tacoma Mountain Rescue. The rest are NPS personnel from Rainier National Park. The party has been overdue for 7 days.
Location: Steven's Canyon Mr. C.P. was reported missing on June 8th. Rangers found him on the 13th - his car had gone off the road and plummeted 4-500' into Steven's Canyon. There were no skid marks. Suicide has not been ruled out as a possibility. C.P. was known to park rangers, and had a history of drug abuse.
Location: Emmons Glacier K.F. was a member of a climbing party on the mountain. They had begun the last leg of the climb in the early hours of the morning and were crossing a snow bridge when it gave way. K.F. fell 80' into a crevasse and died of injuries. Because of warm weather and snow conditions, the body was not removed until the 28th.
Location: 1 mile South of White River Rd, Hwy 410 R.G. was the driver of a vehicle which was pulling a trailer. The trailer began to fishtail and caused both vehicles to fall over the edge of the roadway and over an embankment. R.G. was pronounced dead at the scene. NPS personnel are investigating the accident.
Location: HWY 123, 1/4 mile South of Tunnel An unidentified body was discovered approximately 30' over highway embankment. Park staff who are investigating the incident estimate victim had been dead for 4-5 days. One .45 caliber shell casing was found along the highway in the vicinity of the body. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted on 9/27 by the Pierce County medical examiner. A joint NPS/FBI investigation is ongoing.
Location: Naches Peak J.A. was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with his family. He parted from them on the 17th in order to climb Naches Peak. On his way back down from the ascent, he slipped on loose rock, fell 40', then rolled another 100'. His family advised the park that he was missing on the 17th. A search was initiated and his body was found the next day by Mountain Rescue Council searchers and search dogs.
Location: Plummer Peak P.B.L. and S.M. were skiing in the Plummer Peak area on Sunday afternoon when P.B.L. was caught under an avalanche that was later determined to have been 60' wide, 120' long and from 2' to 10' deep. S.M. probed unsuccessfully in the snow for about an hour before skiing out and notifying park rangers. Two rangers and two climbers attempted to return to the site with S.M. late Sunday night, but had to turn back because of darkness and the high avalanche hazard. On Monday, a team composed of 11 Mt. Rainier employees, 10 members of local mountain rescue teams and three dog units began probing the avalanche. One of the dogs alerted at a point near the base of the avalanche, and searchers were subsequently able to find her body with probes. According to the Associated Press, a high avalanche hazard was posted all day Sunday after Paradise received 10" of snow on Saturday, bringing the overall total there to 130". The avalanche hazard was still considered high on Monday.
Location: Longmire J.D.K.'s car was found in the concession employee's parking lot at Longmire on Saturday, April 9th. A records check showed that he had been reported as missing on March 25th, and that he had last been seen in Mt. Vernon, Washington, on March 11th. He apparently arrived at Mt. Rainier on March 20th; his car was not noticed before as it was covered with snow and appeared to be an employee vehicle. A note has been found in the car which indicates that J.D.K. apparently came to the park to commit suicide.
Three climbers who have been on the mountain since the 9th, failed to return from a summit climb as scheduled on the 14th. Rangers searched the mountain by airplane on the 15th with no clues. The search was to have been expanded today, but poor weather conditions are preventing the placement of searchers on the mountain.
The search for 3 overdue climbers is continuing with no new clues to the whereabouts of the three. An Army twin-rotor Chinook helicopter from Ft. Lewis dropped a 4 member search party on the summit on the 17th. The searchers found no signatures in the summit logs, indicating that the climbers had not reached the top. The search continued with the helicopter for 2 hours before weather conditions forced the ship to return to Ft. Lewis. Other searchers are working along the route planned by the climbers. Two Seattle Mountain Rescue Club members and a park ranger are at the Mystic Lake cabin and will begin searching along the base of the Liberty Ridge route. Last year, 2 climbers died on the same route when they were caught in a storm.
Location: Outside Park at Chinook Pass C.H., W. and T.H., ages not known, were stopped at a pullout just outside the park. C.H. and W.H. were playing around and fell 75 vertical feet and then rolled another 75 feet on a 40 percent slope. Rangers responded at the request of the Yakama County Sheriff's Office and and initiated CPR to C.H. who had suffered major injuries in the fall. T.H. had sustained only bruises and a possible broken wrist. Both victims were raised to the road and transported to the hospital. During transport T.H. became distraught over the incident and began creating a "scene". He was finally let out of the ambulance because the attendents could not handle him and care for C.H. Rangers picked T.H. up and held him until Sheriff's Deputies could respond. C.H. is currently on life support equipment and is not expected to live if it is removed.
Location: Tahoma Glacier R.S., 43, was solo climbing when he fell and slid 300 feet before hitting a crevasse and falling an additional 30 vertical feet. Although he sustained broken ribs and possible internal injuries, R.S. used ice screws to climb out of the crevasse and then hiked 15 miles to his car. Because he was solo climbing and felt he had to rescue himself, R.S. refused assistance from at least one party on the mountain. Rangers heard of the incident and met R.S. at his vehicle. He wanted to drive himself home and seek medical help. Rangers convinced him that he should go by ambulance and he agreed. The local ambulance crew thought that the park's Westside Road was too rough for the victim and would respond only if the park was unable to transport R.S. by helicopter. The park was able to get a Ft. Lewis MAST helicopter for the transport.
Location: Unicorn Peak A.G., 26, of Canton, Michigan, and E.M., age and address unknown, were attempting a climb of Unicorn Peak. During the climb, A.G. pulled out a large rock causing him to fall. He fell and rolled about 1,000 feet, with approximately 300 feet of vertical fall. E.M. climbed down after him, checked A.G. for vital signs, thought he felt a pulse and then left to get help. Rangers responded and found A.G. pulseless. The body had to be lowered down a steep 1,000 foot slope and then carried one and a half miles to the trail head. The body was turned over to the Lewis County Coroner.
Location: Tahoma Creek A jokulhlaups (mud flow) occurred about two miles below Round Pass on Tahoma Creek on the afternoon of the 14th. Mud and debris from 18 inches to four feet deep covered the entire Westside roadway for about 150 yards, stranding 21 visitors above the flow. All of them were able to walk out with assistance from park personnel, and there were no reported injuries. A helicopter was used to fly over the area to look for more stranded persons and to observe the general flow pattern. Road crew personnel were able to push their way through the debris, allowing the seven stranded vehicles to exit the area.
On Thursday, July 28, Mt. Rainier shook from an earthquake and associated aftershock of 4.5 and 3.5, respectively, on the Richter scale. The park has reported no damage other than rocks on the road.
On the morning of March 19th, a Cessna 210 piloted by 54-year-old W.S. of Rock Island, Washington, flew into Willis Wall at the 12,500' level of Mount Rainier. Rangers were able to spot the rear stabilizer section of the aircraft, but were not able to reach the accident site because of the extreme danger from falling rocks, ice and snow. W.S. was the only person on board and is presumed to have been killed. According to newspaper reports, W.S. had requested a turn while flying on instruments, and acknowledged the clearance after it had been given by an FAA controller. But flight control officials noted that W.S.'s plane did not turn when it approached the mountain. Radar contact was lost, and a search was begun immediately. The plane was found on Sunday by CAP searchers, and the park was then notified. It is not known when or if it will be possible to recover the victim's body because of the danger. (John Jensen, CR, MORA, via Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO; Associated Press, 3/19).
Last week, L.D., 26, S.N., 27, P.D., 26, and R.M., 33, all of the Lake Tahoe area, began an ascent of Mount Rainier. The four men divided into two teams when they got near the top of the peak, and L.D. and S.N. gained the summit on Thursday. On their way down, they found R.M.'s body at the 13,700 foot level, but found no sign of P.D. They continued their descent and alerted park rangers, who dispatched 30 searchers and three helicopters to look for P.D. On Saturday, the crew of an Army Chinook helicopter spotted his body at the 9,400 foot level on Carbon Glacier on the mountain's north side. A crew of six to eight climbers were prevented from retrieving the body because of thunderstorms which made it unsafe to fly in the area, but were to try again yesterday. It is thought that P.D. slipped off Liberty Ridge and fell to his death. (Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, and Associated Press report).
On the morning of the 19th, a passing motorist spotted a vehicle over an embankment a half mile above Cayuse Pass and about 400' below State Road 410. The driver, 60-year-old L.N., had been killed in the accident. The incident is currently under investigation. It has already been determined that there was an outstanding felony warrant against L.N. and that the incident may have been a suicide. (CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO).
Seasonal park ranger Nina Burnell, 26, and fellow climber Mark Ross, 28, ascended Mount Rainier to check climbing routes near the summit of the mountain. They reached the top around 8 a.m. on the 27th and were in the process of descending when they stopped to check a snow bridge around 13,500 feet. The bridge route had been abandoned by the guide service three days before because of the bridge's condition, but the guides had left a rope in place in case they needed to use the bridge in the future. Ross belayed Burnell across the bridge and was in the process of crossing himself when the bridge gave way. The pair fell 50 feet, and were partially buried in ice and snow. They were able to dig themselves out, however, and reported the accident via radio. Another group of climbing rangers and the guide service responded and provided assistance. Burnell and Ross were airlifted by military helicopter to local hospitals. Burnell has possible internal injuries, a fractured ankle and numerous cuts and bruises; Ross has possible fractured ribs. Note: Ross and Burnell are friends, and Ross was climbing with Burnell with park permission. Park policy requires that climbing rangers work in pairs and will allow "known", non-NPS climbers to work with rangers. (Bill Larson, MORA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).
Around 6 p.m. on January 20th, a Piper Super Cub carrying R.M., 53, and R.B., 47, of Tacoma, Washington, crashed inside the summit crater of Mount Rainier. The victims were attempting to fly over the summit, but their plane apparently did not have the power needed to clear the peak. The crash activated the plane's emergency locator beacon, which was picked up by the Seattle air traffic control center. Four rangers were put aboard a Chinook helicopter from Fort Lewis the following morning and ascended to the 14,400' Columbia Crest area of the crater, where the wreckage was located. They discovered that R.M. had been killed on impact, but that R.B. had lived long enough to exit the plane. The cause of his death is unknown at this time. When found, the only upper garment he had on was a T-shirt, although his jacket was lying nearby and he was only 40 yards from the summit steam vents. (William Larson, MORA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, noon EST, 1/22/90; supplemental information from United Press report, 1/21/90).
On April 29th, 55-year-old C.T. of Toronto, Canada, was found alive and in good health after being missing for more than a week on Mount Rainier. C.T. began hiking in clear weather on the 21st, but got caught in a blizzard that afternoon. He lost his compass and gloves, and found that he was walking in a circle when he attempted to get back down. C.T. had a tent, a sleeping bag, and just enough food for his planned overnight stay. He built camps throughout the week as he tried to make his way off the mountain, but confessed to losing hope of ever being found. About five feet of snow fell during the week. Up to 30 members of the Mountain Rescue Council searched for C.T. without luck on the 28th and 29th. Late on the 29th, a park ranger in a helicopter spotted him walking down the mountain and C.T. was subsequently rescued. He was examined at an area hospital and found to be in good condition. (UP report, 4/30/90).
On the evening of the 27th, K.V., 19, of Glide, Oregon, and V.P., 23, of Quincy, Washington, both employees of the park concessioner, were walking near Narada Falls when both fell into the river and were carried 100 yards downstream. Although they went through several rapids, K.V. was able to get to shore. She suffered leg fractures in several places, and was unable to pull herself completely out of the water. The two were reported missing by their fellow workers at the concession facility at Paradise around 9 a.m. the following morning. Searchers found their car in the parking area at Narada Falls, and found K.V. shortly thereafter. She was evacuated by litter and airlifted to Tacoma. V.P. was found a short distance away later in the day. He apparently drowned and was caught by two boulders. The exact circumstances are still under investigation. K.V. was the only witness and has been unable to talk at length. (Bill Larson, MORA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/29).
According to a UPI story this morning, a small plane carrying six people crashed yesterday on the south slope of Mount Rainier, killing all aboard. Search planes found the wreckage near the 12,000-foot level of the mountain about five hours after the plane had disappeared from air traffic radar. The plane was a Cessna 210 owned by Aerowest Aviation which had been chartered by PRCA Pro Rodeo Cowboys, and the passengers were cowboys flying from Aurora, Oregon, to a rodeo in Ponoca, Alberta. The plane's ELT activated moments after it dropped off radar screens in the vicinity of the peak. Several planes and helicopters from Fort Lewis and Portland joined in the effort to find the downed plane. (UPI, 7/3).
At 6 p.m. on August 5th, P.J., 24, of Tacama, Washington, was hit by a van as she attempted to turn her motorcycle into a pullout. Witnesses said that P.J. appeared to be somewhat inexperienced in handling a motorcycle, and that she had turned in front of the van. Her husband and child were on one of two other bikes in the group. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. (Telephone report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 8/6).
J.K., 38, of Seattle, became separated from his skiing party at the mountain's 8,000-foot level early on the afternoon of Saturday, October 27th. When last seen, the weather conditions on the mountain were very poor. J.K.'s three companions waited for him for two hours; when he failed to return, they got in touch with rangers at Paradise. A team comprised of three rangers and two of J.K.'s friends searched for him without luck from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. that evening. The search continued for him on Sunday with the aide of a helicopter and volunteer searchers, but high winds eventually forced the cancellation of the aerial operation. Plans were to continue the search on Monday. A snow advisory was in effect at that time, and it was thought that weather conditions would further hamper search efforts. (CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 10/30).
Search teams continued to look for J.K., 38, of Seattle, on Tuesday, but couldn't get above 7,500 feet because of poor weather. Searchers and dogs were able to cover the area from the Nisqually River to Box Canyon, but found no trace of him. Poor visibility precluded the use of aircraft. The tentative plan for yesterday's operations called for the deployment of four teams of three searchers each. The weather forecast was for "considerable accumulations" of snow down to the mountain's 3,000-foot level. (CompuServe report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 10/31).
M.F., 26, of Anchorage, Alaska, and two companions were descending from Camp Muir at the mountain's 10,000-foot level on the morning of January 3rd when M.F. separated from the party to find a better route to the west. M.F. was on skis; his companions were not. They reached Paradise later that day and waited until 4:00 in the afternoon for him to appear. When he failed to arrive, they notified the park. A group of rangers and one of M.F.'s two partners searched for him throughout the night. At approximately 4:00 a.m. they found his tracks and followed them to the edge of a cliff, where they found skid marks, one of his ski poles, and a piece of climbing equipment. Later that morning, a helicopter found M.F.'s body about 1,000 feet below the cliff edge. (Bill Larson, NOCA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 1/7).
At 4:00 a.m. on May 17th, J.T., 44, of Lakewood, Colorado, and L.S., 37, of Littleton, Colorado, began the last leg of an ascent of Mount Rainier. They left most of their equipment at Camp Muir, which is at 10,000 feet, and took only fanny packs with them. While crossing a snow bridge at 12,500 feet, both men broke through and fell and tumbled 150 feet into a crevasse. L.S. was able to get free, but was unable to extricate J.T. J.T. died of exposure and injuries about four to five hours later. It took L.S. a day and a half to climb out of the crevasse. He used J.T.'s crampons as hand-held aids in conjunction with his own crampons to ascend the crevasse wall, then started back toward Camp Muir. Meanwhile, a search had begun for the climbers. Although initially hampered by weather, a helicopter was finally gotten aloft on the 18th, and rangers on board soon spotted tracks around 9,000 feet. These were followed to around 5,500 feet, but were lost due to fog. Search efforts were halted by darkness, but rangers were posted on the roads in case the climbers made it out to a highway. One ranger left his vehicle to make tracks in the snow to aid the climbers if they came that way. He left a note in the car telling them to start the engine and warm up and that he would return shortly. When he got back to his car around 7:30 p.m., the ranger found L.S. inside. L.S. briefed rangers about the events which had taken place while being transported to a local hospital. As of yesterday afternoon, the park was reviewing the possibility of recovering J.T.'s body. Attempts are under way to find the crevasse. [Bill Larson, MORA, via SEAdog message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 5/20]
J.S., 32, and C.P., 28, both of Colorado Springs, Colorado, were climbing the Liberty Ridge route on Mount Rainier on June 2nd when they began suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. Two rangers from Joshua Tree - Debbie Brenchley and Todd Swain - were climbing the mountain at the time while on vacation and came upon J.S. and C.P. around the 12,400-foot level. Brenchley, a former climbing ranger at Rainier, had been given a park radio while on her climb with Swain and was able to call park dispatch and request assistance. She and Swain stabilized J.S. and C.P. and stayed with them overnight. Two rangers and two MRA climbers were transported to the area via helicopter yesterday. The rescue party will assist the injured climbers to the landing zone, where an Army helicopter will airlift them off the mountain. [Bill Larson, MORA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/3]
On July 23rd, D.C., 21, of Castle Rock, Washington, slipped and fell down a steep 200-foot embankment on the Wonderland Trail between Panhandle Gap and Indian Bar. The incident was reported to the White River Ranger Station at 9:00 p.m., and rangers Mark Blaisdell and JoAnn Germano hiked all night and arrived at the scene at 4:30 a.m. the following morning. They found that D.C. had suffered a number of serious injuries, including a possible fractured left tibia, separated shoulder and multiple lacerations and bruises. Rangers Mike Mullen, Pam Cox, Sandy Lustig and SCA emergency hire Keith Nicholson hiked most of the way to the scene with technical rescue gear and a litter during the night, then were ferried the remaining distance by helicopter and lowered to the site of the accident. By noon, however, the weather had deteriorated dramatically, and the planned helicopter evacuation was cancelled. Rangers Chris Nash, Paul Giordanella, Joe Dreimiller, Berger Dodge, Peter Paul and Art Smart were then dispatched with additional supplies and equipment for another night's stay. Around noon on July 24th, a second hiker, L.H., 28, of Rochester, New York, fell in the same location while attempting to comply with rangers' instructions to leave the area safely. Initial reports indicated that she was uninjured, but it was later learned that she had probably fractured several ribs. By 9:00 p.m. that evening, both D.C. and L.H. had been evacuated off the slope and stabilized at a camp on the Wonderland Trail. A nine-person Tacoma Mountain Rescue team was dispatched to the camp to assist with the carryouts on the 25th. D.C. was sledded to a point above Summerland, then transferred to a wheeled litter. NPS teams, including a crew made up of rangers Cathy Bruno, Kyle Nelson, Laurie Axelson and SCA emergency hire Jeff Jacobs, carried L.H. out. [Randy Brooks, MORA, via CompuServe message from Diane Wisley, RAD/PNRO, 7/29]
On the afternoon of August 7th, a motor vehicle accident occurred one mile east of Backbone Ridge overlook. Two of the passengers in the 1972 VW hatchback were killed; the two survivors, both seriously injured, were airlifted to Yakima Memorial Hospital and are listed in critical condition. Two of the passengers one of whom was killed and the other of whom was injured were Norwegian citizens. The consulate in Seattle has been notified, but names are being held pending notification of families. An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. [Dispatch, MORA, via CompuServe message from Diane Wisely, RAD/PNRO, 8/8]
On the afternoon of August 7th, a motor vehicle accident occurred one mile east of Backbone Ridge overlook in which two of the passengers in a 1972 VW hatchback were killed and two others were seriously injured. Both injured parties are now listed in stable condition and are expected to survive. From the evidence at the scene, it appears that the vehicle went off theroad due to driver inattention. There was a break in the trees on the right side of the road with a view of the valley below. It appears that the driver may have looked to the right and accidentally turned his wheel the way he was looking. [Bill Larson, MORA, via SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 8/13]
A fire broke out in the cab of a park-owned 1987 Dodge Dakota 4x4 pickup parked in the Longmire maintenance area just before midnight on the 15th. The vehicle operator summoned the park fire brigade and attempted unsuccessfully to contain the blaze with an extinguisher. The brigade was on scene in six minutes, but the vehicle was fully involved by that time. Although the truck was parked near other vehicles and park buildings, the firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevent further damage. The operator stated that an electrical fire started under the dashboard on the passenger side when he started the truck, and that the entire cab was in flames within a few minutes. The pickup is a total loss. An investigation is continuing. [Dispatch, MORA, via SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 8/19]
Over the past weekend, two separate climbing accidents claimed the lives of climbers on Mount Rainier. On September 1st, two roped teams of two people each were attempting a summit climb when one of the teams fell into a crevasse at the 12,400-foot level about 300 feet above Disappointment Cleaver. One of the two climbers was killed; the second suffered injuries to the upper chest, possibly including broken ribs. The other team was able to extricate the surviving climber, and the trio spent the night on the mountain. A climbing party comprised of Rainier Mountaineering guides and their clients reached the three climbers around 7:30 the next morning and notified rangers of the situation. About 15 minutes later, the guides saw an unauthorized solo climber who was on the mountain about 300 feet below them slip and fall 700 to 800 feet. Two of the guides descended to check on him. They reached the victim at 8:40 and determined that he was dead. A Chinook helicopter was dispatched from Fort Lewis and recovered the injured climber, who was then transferred to a MAST helicopter which took him to Harborview Hospital. The bodies of the victims were removed by rangers and Army and Seattle Mountain Rescue personnel. Next of kin had not been notified at the time of the report, so names have not yet been released. All climbers were earned of the hazardous climbing conditions on the mountain during this period. [CompuServe message from Diane Wisley, RAD/PNRO, 9/3]
J.T., 30, of Federal Way, Washington, fell into Ranger Creek near Ranger Falls on the Carbon River on September 22nd and sustained multiple injuries. A team of rangers and maintenance workers from Carbon River, led by seasonal ranger Dave Halloran, an EMT, responded. A medical doctor and six other hikers also responded. J.T. was diagnosed as having a fractured pelvis, multiple fractures of the femur, an open fracture of the radius/ulna, pneumothorax, hypothermia and a possible ruptured spleen. He was stabilized, warmed, and prepared for a technical evacuation. An Army reserve Chinook helicopter and crew on training maneuvers in the park transported a technical rescue team led by ranger Steve Winslow from Paradise/Longmire to the scene of the accident. A Tacoma Mountain Rescue Council team was flown in from Fort Lewis by MAST helicopter. Based on recommendations by the doctor on scene and an evaluation by the MAST pilot, a medic was lowered by hoist to the site and J.T. was raised by hoist about 200 feet and flown to a local hospital, where he's reported to be in good condition. [Lance Gillespie, MORA, via SEAdog message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 9/30]
Seven-year-old A.A. of Puyallup, Washington, was hiking with his mother and 13-year-old sister along the Ohanapecosh River near the west end of the Steven's Canyon Road bridge on the afternoon of October 12th when he fell into the river. His mother entered the water in an attempt to rescue him; at one point, she had the boy by his hair, but was unable to hold on to him. A.T., a visitor from Mount Vernon, Washington, heard cries for help, ran to the river from the picnic area at the Grove of the Patriarch, and dove repeatedly in the river in an attempt to reach A.A., who'd become trapped in a ten-foot-deep pool. At the same time, ranger Tammy Wilson, who was working at the Steven's Canyon entrance booth, radioed for assistance, closed the booth and headed for the river. As rangers arrived with rope, A.T. again dove, finally reached A.A., and pulled him to shore. By that time, he'd been submerged for between seven and 14 minutes. A visiting nurse and two doctors helped rangers administer CPR. A MAST medevac helicopter then flew the boy and his mother to a local hospital. Despite all efforts by hospital doctors, however, A.A. succumbed at 9:30 p.m. that evening. [Lance Gillispie, MORA, via SEAdog message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 10/15]
On December 31st, ranger Randy Brooks came upon three radio-collared hunting dogs who had treed a cougar on Backbone Ridge, almost two miles within the park's boundary. As Brooks was attempting to catch and remove the hounds, the branch on which the cougar had sought refuge broke, causing it to fall about 30 feet to the ground. The hounds resumed the chase and again treed the cougar about a quarter mile further up the ridge. During the second attempt to either capture or drive away the dogs, one charged Brooks, who shot and killed all three hounds in order to protect both himself and the cougar from harm. The dog's owner, who lives near the park in Packwood, Washington, had previously been cited by a ranger for running dogs off leash. The cougar hunting season is open outside the park, but the dogs' owner did not have a cougar hunting tag at the time. He had released the hounds outside the park, then lost track of them. [SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, LES, RAD/PNRO, 1/7]
Park employees discovered a 200-gallon fuel leak from a park residence at Longmire around noon on January 7th. the leak had been caused by the failure of a fuel filter gasket on a 250-gallon, above-ground tank. The park moved the soil the following day and placed it in temporary storage. The park will send the state a final report on the incident with soil test results after the cleanup is completed. [Bill Oates, MORA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 1/8]
On Friday, February 28th, G.T., 27, and J.V., 25, began a winter ascent of Fear's Finger on Mount Rainier. They were due back on Sunday evening; when they failed to appear, the park was notified and a helicopter search was begun the following morning. Neither of the climbers was spotted, but searchers reported seeing recent avalanche activity in the area. Helicopters were to continue searching yesterday, and additional searchers and support were en route. Both climbers had made several unsuccessful attempts to climb Fear's Finger in the past. [John Jensen, MORA, via SEAdog message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 3/3]
The search for climbers G.T., 27, and J.V., 25, has been suspended because of weather conditions and high avalanche danger. Visibility in the search area has at times dropped to less than 100 feet. Several rangers are currently at Camp Muir waiting for conditions to improve. [SEAdog message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 3/5]
The search for climbers J.V. and G.T. was resumed this week despite high winds, poor visibility and high avalanche danger. The search eventually involved over 70 personnel from three mountain rescue groups, over a dozen NPS employees, several Rainier Mountaineering guides, and two avalanche search dogs. All of the teams were supported by private and military helicopters. On March 10th, park teams led by rangers Steve Winslow, Garry Olsen, and Steve Klump searched Fuhrer's Finger and adjacent glaciers. Rainier Mountaineering owner Lou Whittaker, who was assisting as a spotter on a military helicopter, saw a boot at the base of an avalanche debris area at the 8,400-foot level below Fuhrer's Finger. Shortly thereafter, the ground teams found the bodies of J.V. and G.T. at that location. Indications are that the climbers were descending Fuhrer's Finger when they were swept down the mountain in an avalanche. The coroner will be examining the victims to determine the exact cause of death. [Dispatch, MORA, via CompuServe message from Diane Wisley, RAD/PNRO, 3/11]
A group of four climbers from New York City began an ascent of the mountain on Saturday, April 18th. Some time later, the group divided; three of the climbers - W.P., 28, T.D., 27, and P.B., 29 - continued up the mountain, while the fourth climber remained at their base camp at 11,100 feet. On Tuesday, the climber who remained behind heard someone call his name and shout what sounded like "go for help." The climber headed back to Camp Muir and called for help from an emergency radio there that afternoon. Three rangers climbed overnight to Camp Muir, then were picked up by an Army Chinook helicopter and flown higher up the mountain, where they spotted the three climbers at the 12,000 foot level. The rangers were dropped off slightly above the climbers and at the time of the report were making their way toward them. The rescue team planned to guide the climbers down the mountain to the next spot where the helicopter could land and pick them up. According to NPS spokesman Cy Hentges, only one of the climbers was experienced in climbing in snow and ice. The trio had left most of their gear at their base camp and apparently had only one sleeping bag and a bivouac sack with them. [Associated Press, 4/22]
The three climbers from New York City who were rescued from Mount Rainier on the April 22nd were dehydrated but in good condition. They reported that they had been unable to find their way down the mountain due to bad weather. The three rangers who comprised the initial response team were Rick Kirschner, Garry Olson and Steve Winslow. They climbed to Camp Muir throughout the evening of the 21st, encountering 50 to 60 mph winds and white-out conditions during their ascent, and arrived in camp at 1:30 a.m. on the 22nd. After a few hours' rest, they were transported by helicopter to the 12,800-foot level, then climbed another few hours before reaching the missing climbers. The rangers were assisted by the military and several state mountain rescue units. [cc:Mail message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 4/23]
S.S. and J.R. signed out for a climb of Mount Rainier via Liberty Ridge on April 23rd and succeeded in attaining the summit. Late on the 30th, S.S. became hypothermic, and J.R. decided to leave him on the Columbia Crest rim and go for help. S.S., however, was able to make it to Camp Muir by the following morning; he contacted another climbing party there, who radioed down that S.S. had lost touch with J.R. and didn't know where he was or in which direction he'd gone. Rangers Steve Winslow and Joe Driemiller left Paradise and headed for Camp Muir to meet S.S.. They found him suffering from dehydration and frostbite; after spending a night in the camp with him, the rangers descended to Paradise with S.S., where he was evacuated to a hospital in Puyallup. A Bell 206-B from Aerocopters in Seattle was brought in for an initial search of the mountain and to lift a search team to the peak, and a Chinook from Fort Lewis was en route for high altitude search and team insertion. Further information on the search will follow. [cc:Mail message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 5/4]
At 6:00 p.m. on June 7th, a local fire department advised the park that they'd received a call from an unidentified individual who had heard a CB broadcast reporting that someone was in a crevasse at the 11,000-foot level of the mountain. About 90 minutes later, the Yakima detachment of the Washington State Patrol notified the park that they'd received a call from a climbing party with a cellular phone on Ingraham Flats reporting that a climber was immobilized at the top of Disappointment Cleaver. Rangers also learned that the victim, T.C., 39, was a member of a three-person party that had successfully climbed Fuhrers Finger the previous day. As they were descending via Disappointment Cleaver, T.C. started showing signs of poor judgement and breathing difficulties. His party placed him in a sleeping bag in a bivie sack and left him with food and water while they went for help. T.C.'s partners contacted another party on Ingraham Flats, and they had made the call to the state patrol. Due to the late hour and the altitude involved, it was not possible to rescue T.C. by helicopter. The party at Ingraham Flats offered to assist in the rescue with four of their strongest climbers. Ranger Ken Davis and three Rainier Mountaineering guides took rescue gear and oxygen from Camp Muir to the top of the Cleaver, then lowered T.C. to Camp Muir. T.C. was somewhat dehydrated but appeared to be in fair condition. At the time of the report, plans called for the parties to descend to Paradise following a rest at Camp Muir. [Lance Gillispie, MORA, via cc:Mail message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/8]
Following a successful ascent of the mountain, M.P., 34, and J.D., 29, both of Fort Collins, Colorado, were descending via the Emmons Glacier to Camp Schurman on June 21st when M.P. fell into a crevasse. The incident occurred around noon; although J.D. began calling for help, it wasn't until about 5:00 p.m. that he was heard by the Camp Schurman climbing ranger. The ranger ascended to the 11,000-foot level of the glacier and found Davidson in a very hypothermic state. The ranger and two independent climbers provided initial assistance to J.D., and the ranger descended about 80 feet into the crevasse and confirmed that M.P. had been killed. The party helped J.D. descend to Camp Schurman. At the time of the report yesterday morning, a helicopter from Bluebird Helicopters was flying a party of four climbers to the camp. J.D. was to be flow down and treated, and the climbers were preparing to ascend to the crevasse and recover M.P.'s body. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/22]
Early on the morning of June 23rd, the park received a report from a local sheriff's office that T.H., 48, a member of a three-person climbing team on the mountain, had suffered an apparent fractured ankle when he broke through some snow on the east side of the summit and struck some rocks. The call had come by cellular phone from the party's leader. T.H. had fractured his ankle the day before. Although his boot was removed and his foot was packed with ice, it became obvious by the following day that evacuation would be necessary. A Chinook helicopter was requested from Fort Lewis and arrived on scene just before noon. Three rangers flew to the summit and retrieved T.H. and the rest of his party. All three climbers are very experienced and made no obvious errors. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/26]
Early on the morning of July 21st, M.M., G.G. and R.L., all employees of GSI, the park concessioner, left Camp Muir en route to Paradise in total whiteout conditions and soon became disoriented. They eventually came upon some campers on the Muir snowfield and were advised to continue in a southeasterly direction. This route was actually far east of the normal descent route from Muir, and all three hikers ended up sliding down a steep 200-foot-long section of snow into a band of rocks. G.G. sustained possible head and neck injuries and injuries to her extremities; R.L. had a possible dislocated knee and elbow injury; M.M.'s ankle was badly sprained and he suffered various lacerations. Since M.M. was the least injured, he was able to hike out to Paradise and contact rangers. A search was mounted, but it took almost three hours for rangers to locate the injured pair because of the whiteout conditions and the sketchy directions M.M. gave them. Litters and emergency equipment were brought in with the assistance of maintenance employees, and a carryout was begun in mid-afternoon. The 25 employees who assisted in the rescue had the pair back to Paradise in just under three hours. All three individuals were treated and released. [Lance Gillispie, MORA, 7/22]
Rangers investigating reports of unidentifiable debris on the Cowlitz Glacier on the afternoon of September 15th came upon the remains of a small plane which were scattered across the glacier. Information furnished by the state department of transportation indicated that a Piper Cherokee Arrow had been reported missing in the area on January 13, 1972 while on a flight from Pasco, Washington, to Seattle. Rangers are continuing the search for the remains of the three occupants. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 9/18]
On the evening of June 27th, V.P., 25, and T.S., 20, were scrambling up a steep rock slope near Cougar Rock campground when both fell an undetermined distance. Campers advised rangers that they'd heard a rock slide somewhere above them in the quarry area around 8:30 p.m., and that they'd heard a cry for help about two hours later. Responding rangers ascertained that V.P. had sustained severe head injuries, and that T.S., his nephew, had probably fractured one of his legs. A hasty team, which was comprised of 15 park personnel, two Rainier Mountaineering employees, and an unspecified number of Fire District 23 employees, initiated a technical rescue. Fixed lines were utilized for the descent, as the accident site was several hundred vertical feet above the nearest access. Due to the nature of V.P.'s injury, a MAST helicopter was requested. The pilot employed night vision goggles to land the helicopter at the Kautz Creek heliport and evacuate V.P. At the time of the report, he had undergone three hours of surgery, but there was no word on his condition. T.S. was released from the hospital with contusions to his back and one leg. Alcohol may have been a contributing factor. [R. Bell, MORA, 6/28]
D.R.B., the leader of a climbing team on Mount Rainier, called from Camp Schurman on the morning of July 12th to request assistance in evacuating 31-year-old D.M., a member of the team who had sustained frostbite in both of his feet. The climbers had spent the night at the camp after completing a climb of Liberty Ridge. D.M. was unable to get his boots on in the morning due to the extent of the frostbite. A ground rescue team of four rangers and two Rainier Mountaineering guides was dispatched and reached the party around 10 p.m. that evening. It was determined that the safest method for carrying D.M. out would be to wait until first light before beginning the evacuation. The team started its descent at 6 a.m. Members of the Mountain Rescue Council met the group and provided additional and much-needed assistance. A group of six SCAs provided additional help for the portion of the carry-out from Glacier Basin to White River campground. D.M. was transported by privately-owned vehicle to Enumclaw fairgrounds, where he was picked up by an Airlift Northwest helicopter and taken to a hospital in Seattle. [Comm Center, MORA, 7/14]
On the afternoon of September 26th, the park communications center was advised of a serious multiple vehicle accident on Mather Memorial Parkway near Deadwood Creek. Responding rangers found that two people had been killed and that four others required advanced life support. All four were medevaced by helicopter. Accident investigators determined that a 25- passenger, privately-owned bus had been heading north on the highway when the driver lost control as it came upon a construction site where a line of traffic was waiting at a stop light. The bus collided with three southbound motorcycles from a Tacoma motorcycle club, then struck three northbound vehicles - a Chevy Blazer, a compact pickup and a passenger sedan - that were waiting at the light. Killed were R.H. and M.H. of Tacoma; seriously injured were J.S. and R.S. of Graham, Washington, and Don and P.B. of Puyallup, Washington. Twenty-three NPS employees responded to the accident along with Washington State Patrol officers, three ambulances, two military MAST helicopters, a commercial air ambulance, and a state vehicle inspection team. [Bill Larson, MORA, 9/27]
A.B., 31, and her partner, B.K., were descending from a successful ascent of 6500-foot Pinnacle Peak in the Tatoosh Range when A.B. slipped, knocked Kenny down, then fell another 250 to 300 feet. Kenny, however, was able to stop his fall after about 20 feet; he called for help, and members of another climbing party came to his rescue. They then located A.B., who was unconscious and bleeding internally. When A.B. stopped breathing, a registered nurse in the assisting party began CPR, which she continued until rangers arrived on scene. Doctors at Madigan Army Hospital subsequently advised them to terminate rescue efforts when A.B. failed to respond. The body was carried out and turned over to the county medical examiner. An investigation is underway. A.B. was a faculty member at the school of business at Portland State University. [Comm Center, MORA, 10/24]
On the afternoon of Saturday, November 28th, the family of M.T. reported that M.T. and a friend, L.H., were several hours overdue from a ski tour of the Lightning Springs, Pacific Crest and Dutton Creek trails. They reported that the two skiers had no day packs or extra food or clothing for a bivouac, as they had only gone out for the day. A search by park staff and Crater Lake Ski Patrol personnel was begun within the hour. The skiers were found about 90 minutes later. They were in good condition, but severely dehydrated. They were escorted to the trailhead, then taken to park facilities and reunited with waiting family members. [Uwe Nehring, CRLA, 11/29]
Superintendent Bill Briggle experienced a heart attack early on the morning of Saturday, January 15th. He was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where a blockage was found and removed, and is now out of intensive care and resting comfortably. It's expected that he will be home in a few days and recuperating for the next three to four weeks. Cards and get well messages may be directed to his home - 8908 31st Street West, Tacoma, WA 98466. [Bill Walters, PNRO, 1/18]
Frank Zurlo, 41, a maintenance worker at the park, was killed early on the morning of January 21st in a one-car accident just outside Elbe, Washington. State police officers are investigating the accident. No further details are yet available. [Bill Larson, MORA, 1/21]
Late on the afternoon of July 21st, M.H., 24, of Lakewood, Ohio became ill while at Camp Muir with his climbing party of six. M.H. went from normal activity to unconsciousness in less than 10 minutes. Though only at 10,000 feet, M.H. showed classic signs of cerebral edema. A doctor at the scene made the diagnosis, which was concurred with by the park medical advisor. Rangers at Camp Muir, assisted by guides from Rainier Mountaineering and M.H.'s climbing party, loaded him onto a sled while administering high flow oxygen. M.H.'s climbing party, led by a climbing ranger, then began a rapid descent. Meanwhile, ranger Scott Wanek ran two miles from Paradise to Pebble Creek to set up a landing zone for the helicopter. A MAST helicopter landed at the 7,000-foot level near the creek just as light was fading and picked M.H. up. M.H. began convulsing while on board the helicopter, so was flown directly to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. He subsequently regained consciousness and is expected to make a full recovery. This operation was especially difficult, as the incident occurred just before dark and conditions for the helicopter pickup were marginal. The situation was further complicated by the need to sled M.H. down to a point below 7,000 feet, which was the upper elevation the MAST helicopter was able to reach. Because of these conditions, Wanek had to run the two miles - with a vertical gain of about 2,000 feet - to set up the landing zone. The MAST air mission commander called the park the next day to commend Wanek for his efforts; he said the landing zone was the best he had flown into and that he would use it as an example for his troops. [Bill Larson, MORA, 7/26]
W.O., 41, of Seattle, Washington, disappeared from his campsite in the Ipsut Creek campground in the early morning hours of July 26th. W.O.'s two companions told rangers that they last saw him around 3 a.m. when they were all sitting and drinking by a campfire. They also reported that W.O. was intoxicated and may have been using drugs. Around 6 a.m., they found that he was gone; following unsuccessful efforts to find him, they advised rangers that he was missing. A hasty search of the area surrounding the campground was conducted, campers were interviewed, and checks were made with local law enforcement agencies, but all proved fruitless. The site where W.O. and his friends were camping is the closest one in the campground to the Carbon River, which is currently running at high volume. A helicopter that was working in the park was employed to make a low level aerial search of the river, but no sign of W.O. was found. Both air and ground scent dogs were brought into the search on the morning of the 27th. [Bill Larson, MORA, 7/27]
On the afternoon of August 4th, campers discovered the body of W.O., 41, who was reported missing from his campsite at Ipsut Creek on July 26th. A fruitless two-day search followed. The body was found a half mile downstream from the campground. Circumstances surrounding the death are uncertain and are being investigated by rangers and the county coroner's office. [Comm Center, MORA, 8/8]
Rangers, assisted by MAST helicopters from Fort Lewis, rescued four men whose single-engine Cessna 172 aircraft crashed in the Seymour Peak area on the afternoon of September 5th. The crash, which occurred around 3 p.m., was reported by cellular phone by a visitor who'd witnessed the crash. The four occupants were taken by helicopter to a hospital in Yakima just before dark. The pilot refused treatment; two of the passengers were treated and released, and the third was transferred to a hospital in Seattle. Further details will be provided following investigation by the FAA and NTSB. Statements from the pilot indicate that he was flying up a draw too slowly to gain sufficient altitude to clear the end of the draw. Since it was also too narrow to turn around, he set the Cessna down in the trees. [Bill Larson, MORA, 9/7]
Just after midnight on November 2nd, ranger Rick Kirschner found the body of a 20-year-old woman in the back seat of a vehicle in the parking lot of the National Park Inn. Kirschner was checking the vehicle because it had been parked overnight there for at least two nights. Registration checks revealed the vehicle was associated with a missing persons report filed by the Pierce County sheriff. Rangers entered the vehicle and determined the woman was deceased, possibly from an overdose of prescription medication. The exact cause of death remains unknown. An investigation into the death is underway. [Randy Brooks, MORA, 11/4]
On Sunday, November 6th, rangers rescued skier V.G., 23, of Tacoma, who'd failed to return from a ski trip to the Muir Snowfield which had begun the previous day. V.G. and a friend, Scott Houghton, had ascended to the Anvil Rock area above Paradise, then had become separated while skiing downhill. Two rangers searched the area as far as Glacier Vista on Saturday evening, but were unable to find him. Houghton and three rangers resumed the search the following morning, and found V.G. in the vicinity of the Moraine trail that afternoon. Although he suffered a minor hip injury and had broken a ski binding, he was able to walk from the area. Rangers were assisted by eight people from Tacoma Mountain Rescue and two from Rainier Mountaineering. [Bill Larson, MORA, 11/6]
During the 1993 climbing season, rangers conducted an investigation into a company that was guiding visitors on summit climbs of Mount Rainier without a commercial use permit. The park was concerned about both legal issues and the safety of visitors being guided up the mountain. The company, Yeti, Inc., is owned and operated by T.B., who was convicted of guiding without a permit in 1990 and has been engaged in an intensive letter writing campaign with the park ever since. The investigation encompassed several incidents in which the company attempted to guide visitors on climbs of the mountain, and culminated in the issuance of violation notices to T.B., several guides in his employment, and the owner of a second, related guide service in Alaska. The last of a series of trials was held this September; three parties were found guilty, and the district court judge issued the following sentences in October: * T.B. received a year's probation, 48 hours in jail, a $500 fine, and was barred from entering the park during the probationary period. * Do.B., a guide for Yeti, Inc., was fined $250. * S.R., another guide for the company, was also fined $250. Charges were dismissed against D.B., owner of Alaskan Extreme Adventures, an associate of Yeti. D.B. had spent several days in jail for failing to appear in court on NPS charges. At his arraignment, the U.S. attorney's office dismissed charges against him, as they felt it was not worth the expense of moving D.B. from Alaska to Washington for a trial. [Bill Larson, MORA, 11/15]
On the evening of December 11th, the Lewis County sheriff's office asked park staff to be on the lookout for M.T., 38, of Seattle, who might be attempting suicide somewhere in the area. Rangers found his vehicle within the hour, and discovered his body across from the National Park Inn shortly thereafter. M.T. had shot himself. [Bill Larson, MORA, 12/12]
The road to Paradise was closed on February 2nd and will remain closed until crews locate and repair water lines which were damaged during the 5.0 earthquake which struck the Puget Sound area on the evening of January 28th. Water service is now out to all facilities at Paradise, a popular winter area. The exact cause of the problem is still under investigation. Efforts to fix the problem have been hampered by a snow accumulation of between 15 and 20 feet throughout the area. No damage estimates are currently available, nor is it certain when Paradise will reopen. [J. Milton, MORA, 2/1]
Rangers at Paradise received notification that D.O., 44, of Kent, Washington, had fractured his ankle while descending the Ingraham Glacier at the mountain's 13,000-foot level on Sunday, February 26th. A cooperative rescue effort was initiated by rangers, Rainier Mountaineering guides, members of Tacoma Mountain Rescue, and aircraft and crews from the county sheriff's office and the Army. D.O. was stabilized, then airlifted from the site by an Army Chinook helicopter. [Comm Center, MORA, 2/27]
When M.J., 64, of Seattle failed to return from a snowshoeing trip from Paradise to Camp Muir on April 10th, rangers were advised and initiated a search in conjunction with members of the Washington Mountain Rescue Council. M.J. was found in good condition the following morning. [Bill Larson, MORA, 4/11]
M.J., 64, of Seattle, who was found by rangers and SAR team members on April 11th, was located after a ranger found his tracks leading to a snow pile at the 7,000-foot level of the mountain early that morning. Voice contact was made with him, and he was evacuated from the area. Investigation revealed that M.J., an experienced climber, had climbed to Anvil Rock at 9,000 feet, then had encountered heavy snowfall and lowering visibility. In near white-out conditions, M.J. located some wands leading down from his position, which he followed until he lost sight of them. Realizing that he'd drifted eastward from the trail, M.J. utilized his snowshoes to dig a small snow cave. He was not prepared for inclement weather, and was suffering from mild hypothermia when found. M.J. also has a history of heart problems. [Lance Gillispie, MORA, 4/11]
A search was begun early this week for two climbers - J.H., 24, and C.W., 20 - who were overdue from their attempt to climb Mount Rainier via the Liberty Ridge route. The pair started their climb on Friday, June 2nd, and planned to return on Monday, June 5th. A climbing team comprised of rangers and Mountain Rescue Council volunteers left White River Tuesday afternoon, and other teams were preparing to fly to the mountain top when weather cleared. Shortly after noon yesterday, however, the two men were found descending the mountain via the Emmonds Glacier route. Both were okay. [Linda Whitson, PNRO, 6/7]
On the evening of June 6th, the park received a call from the 911 dispatcher for Columbia County, located near St. Helens, Oregon. The dispatcher had received a cell phone call from a person who said he'd fallen while climbing on Eagle Peak in Mount Rainier and was injured. The call was very scratchy, and the operator had a difficult time understanding the caller. A total of five calls were made, but the operator was never able to get the person's cell phone number. A searcher was sent up the Eagle Peak trail to evaluate the situation, and came upon a person who identified himself as the victim's climbing partner. He reported that the victim, C.R., 20, had a fractured leg. An eight-person team found C.R. near the top of the peak but on steep, rotten and crumbly rock. A Mast helicopter was accordingly called in, which picked up two rangers and dropped them at the location. They determined that C.R. had suffered injuries to various parts of his body sustained as a result of a 20-foot fall. He was evacuated by air, then taken by ambulance to a local hospital. [Bill Larson, MORA, 6/15]
The concession manager at the Paradise Inn called the park's communications center on the evening of June 24th to report a disturbance in the hotel's lobby. J.R., 34, of Spanaway, Washington, had entered the hotel through the kitchen and had begun acting irrationally, shouting and threatening to blow up the mountain. J.R. was escorted from the inn by the manager. When he reached the parking lot, J.R. attempted to abduct a park visitor and force him into a vehicle. The visitor was able to break free, however, and fled back to the inn. J.R. then broke into a guest's car and attempted to hot-wire it before leaving the area in his own vehicle. Rangers pursued him, but J.R. refused to stop. The chase continued outside the park until local officers stopped J.R. by flattening his vehicle's tires on a highway near Eatonville. J.R. then held two wires, claiming they were attached to a bomb, and commandeered a state patrol vehicle in an attempt to flee the area. Troopers again flattened the vehicle's tires, and were able to subdue and arrest J.R.. Due to earlier threats to blow something up and the fact that wires and blasting caps were recovered at the scene of the arrest, Paradise Inn guests were evacuated to the concession facilities in the visitor center until the inn could be secured. Members of the explosive ordnance disposal team from Fort Lewis searched the inn and the Rainier Mountaineering guide house. No bomb was found, and visitors were permitted to return to their rooms. J.R. is being held in the county jail until charges can be filed against him. The FBI is assisting in the investigation. [Lance Gillispie, MORA, 6/25]
On the morning of July 14th, E.W., 36, was attempting to climb the Liberty Route with his partner, K.D., at the 8,500-foot level of Mount Rainier when he lost his footing and tumbled about 40 to 50 feet down a steep scree slope, fracturing his lower left leg. K.D. hiked out to Carbon River, where he reported the incident at 6 p.m. that evening. Rangers flew to the scene via commercial helicopter, stabilized E.W., and moved him to a landing zone on Carbon Glacier, where he spent the night with the rescue party. E.W. was flown off the glacier early the next morning and taken to a local hospital. [Bill Larson, MORA]
A search is in progress for 39-year-old R.F., who disappeared in the park on July 17th. R.F. was involved in a single vehicle accident in the park that morning. After the investigation was completed and her vehicle was pulled out of a ditch, she continued on her way. Several hours later, the vehicle was found in a picnic area parking lot with the engine running and the driver's door open. Rangers found a broken drinking glass and blood spatters in the nearby restroom. They searched the area, but found no sign of her. Investigation revealed that R.F. had not been taking prescribed medicine, that she was depressed, paranoid, and suicidal, and that she'd tried to take her life at a relative's home that morning. Searchers have so far found no physical evidence, but two visitors reported seeing someone meeting her description at locations near the search site. [Bill Larson, MORA]
Two summer seasonal employees were killed when they fell while reponding to a report of an injured climber on the Emmons Glacier sometime during the night of August 12th. A three-person park rescue team left Camp Schuman to rescue the climber. One member of the group became ill, however, and was forced to return to camp. The remaining two employees were equipped with overnight gear and continued on. The last radio contact with them was around 11:30 p.m., when they reported their position as between 12,800 and 12,900 feet. They also reported that weather conditions were "cold and windy" and that the going was very slow due to accumulated ice. When contact was lost with them, a military Chinook helicopter from Ft. Lewis was called in to remove the injured climber and insert park ground search teams in the vicinity of their last reported position. An aerial search led to the discovery of their bodies at the 12,000 foot level on the Winthrop Glacier. Names have not been released pending notification of next of kin. Additional details will be provided as they become available. [Lance Gillespie, MORA]
The park has released the names of the two employees who were fatally injured in the climbing accident on Mount Rainier on Saturday. Killed were seasonal climbing ranger Sean Ryan, 23, of South Nyack, New York, and SCA Phillip Otis, 22, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The two were en route to the 13,400-foot level of the Emmons Glacier to assist a climber with a broken ankle when they fell about 1,200 feet to their deaths. Ryan was in his second season at Mount Rainier, having worked at the park as an SCA in 1994. Otis was in his first season. There will be a service for them for park employees and close friends today; a public service will be held in Seattle early next week for employees from other parks and agencies and the public. Funeral services will be held in New York and Minnesota during the next several days. Parks in the Pacific Northwest have lowered their flags to half staff until tomorrow morning. Further details on where to send notes of condolence will appear as soon as the information becomes available. [Lance Gillispie, MORA; Mark Forbes, PNRO]
Additional information has been received on where to send condolences and contributions in memory of seasonal climbing ranger Sean Ryan and SCA Phillip Otis, who were killed last week while attempting to rescue an injured climber on Mount Rainier. Cards and letters should be sent to the families in care of the park (Mount Rainier NP, Tahoma Woods Star Route, Ashford, WA 98304). Phillip is survived by his father, Todd Otis, his mother, Margaret Wurtele, and his stepfather, C. Angus Wurtele. Memorials should be directed either to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, or to the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming. Sean is survived by his parents, Judith and William Ryan. The family has asked that memorials be sent to either of the following: Sean H. Ryan Wilderness Preservation Fund, PO Box 881, Nyack, NY 10960-0881, or Sean H. Ryan Nyack Memorial Fund, PO Box 472, Nyack, NY 10960-0472. Donations may also be made to the Mount Rainier Search and Rescue Fund, Mount Rainier National Park, Tahoma Woods Star Route, Ashford, WA 98304. Checks to the latter should be made payable to DOI/National Park Service. Both the families and the park's staff sincerely appreciate the support they've received from everyone in the Service. [John Krambrink, CR, MORA]
Two members of a team of three Seattle area climbers were killed on the afternoon of August 20th when they fell 2,400 feet from the mountain's 11,000 level, landing in a crevasse. Responding rangers found the third climber still alive, but suffering from severe head and airway trauma. He was airlifted from the scene and taken to a local hospital. Names of all three victims are being withheld pending notification of relatives. The park reports that recent storms have encased the upper mountain with bare ice, making climbing hazardous, with little margin for error. Climbers are being urged to use extreme caution on all routes. [Bill Larson, MORA]
Shortly after noon on August 30th, the driver of a 1988 Ford Taurus carrying five passengers lost control of his vehicle, which rolled over before plunging nearly 200 feet down a steep talus slope. The five passengers were all ejected from the vehicle. Two of them were killed. A male passenger suffered a broken neck and had to be raised 100 feet by technical means before being flown by commercial medivac helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. A second male passenger had to be raised about 50 feet, and a female passenger crawled to the side of the road. They were both taken by ambulance to a military medivac helicopter waiting outside the park, then flown to the same hospital. One survivor is currently listed in critical but stable condition; the other two are in serious but stable condition. A state investigation team and the SSO law enforcement specialist are assisting the park in its investigation. [Christine Davies, MORA Comm Center]
High water caused by heavy rains and snow melt led to flooding and partial closure of some areas of the park on November 28th. The Paradise/Longmire area in the southwest corner of the park received over six inches of rain in a 24- hour period and over 15 inches of rain during a six-day period. Rivers crested at three feet above flood stage and damaged roads, trails, bridges and other park facilities. On November 29th, seven campers were evacuated by helicopter from the Carbon River area when the state road leading to the park was destroyed by flooding. Flooding outside the park was even more severe and closed many access roads to Mount Rainier. Two routes on the east side of the park were kept open to provide access to services for neighboring communities. Longmire was reopened on the 30th; on December 1st, the road to Paradise was reopened. Damage assessments are underway. Snow is rapidly covering the damage caused by the floods, however, thereby making damage assessment difficult. [Bill Larson, MORA]
Additional reports have been received from the Pacific West Field Area regarding the impact of the severe storm which struck the West coast earlier this week: * Mount Rainier - The National Weather Service issued a high wind warming for the area on Tuesday morning. Damaging winds of from 50 to 80 mph were forecast, so the park implemented emergency operations under incident command. Visitors were evacuated from Paradise and other higher elevations where greater wind speeds were predicted. The road from Nisqually to Longmire and from Longmire to Paradise was closed overnight due to high winds and falling trees and limbs. Danger from wind-thrown trees was significantly increased by the saturation of the ground by over 30 inches of rain that fell on the area during November and early December. Visitors were also evacuated from Sunshine Point campground. The park helped employees, residents, concessioners and contractors to prepare for damaging winds and power outages. Safety zones and shelters were established and supplied in the Longmire warehouse for overnight use. Fortunately, the storm tracked just west of the park. Some fallen trees and other debris had to be cleared, and power outages occurred in several areas. All recovery efforts concluded yesterday and the park was back to normal operations. [J.R. Tomasovic, GOGA; Jane Sikoryak, REDW; John Krambrink, MORA; George Buckingham, CRLA; Larry Carr, WHIS; Pete Cowan, NOCA; Don Neubacher, PORE]
Winter campers D.J. and K.H. were caught in a storm during their overnight trip to Camp Muir last weekend. On Sunday, they contacted park rangers by cellular phone to report that they were lost, but were okay for another night. Rangers gave them instructions on how to descend the snowfield and return to Paradise. The pair camped at the 9,000-foot level on Mount Rainier that night, then called the park the following morning. The battery in their phone died in mid-conversation, however, so rangers were uncertain on their condition or situation. The weather on Monday was severe, with strong winds, blowing snow and very limited visibility, thereby precluding any possibility of a search. On Tuesday, a ground team headed toward Camp Muir. A break in the weather later permitted a helicopter search of the upper snowfield, but the effort proved fruitless. The helicopter then descended below the cloud level and found footprints in a remote drainage far east of the Muir snowfield. The helicopter crew eventually found D.J. and K.H. at the mountain's 6,000-foot level. They were hypothermic, exhausted and on their second day without food or water. They had abandoned all their gear at the 9,000-foot level and had spent Monday night huddling in a snow cave that they'd dug with their hands. The helicopter flew them to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. [Rick Kirschner, MORA]
Relatively high temperatures and heavy rains - over 11 inches in four days - combined to cause flooding in and around the park on February 7th and 8th. Damage within the park was limited to basement flooding and some water over roads in the Longmire area. Most roads leading to the park were flooded and closed for periods of time, and the south approach to the Kernahan bridge over the Nisqually River was washed out. The bridge is located about two miles west of the park and provides the only access to a community of about 75 families and to numerous vacation cabins (currently vacant). At the county's request, the park combined resources with the local fire department to provide emergency access to the area. The park plowed open the service road behind Longmire which provides access to the isolated area. Fire department personnel are directing emergency traffic through this unimproved section of road for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. The park will attempt to maintain the road in conjunction with other priorities. Flood damage is so extensive in counties surrounding the park that it may be some time before the bridge approach is repaired. [Bill Larson, MORA]
A wind storm with sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph and gusts in excess of 60 mph struck the area from Nisqually to Longmire yesterday. Wind gusts reached 90 mph at Crystal Mountain in the northeast area of the park. The storm was still in progress at the time of the report, and forecasters were calling for a continuation of very windy conditions through today. Many trees in the Longmire area were blown over, and some struck structures, including the admin and Triplex buildings. At least one residential unit was hit; the extent of damage is unknown. The road from the Nisqually entrance to Longmire was closed to the public for the day. Only required employee travel was being permitted. Power lines are down at several locations. [Lance Gillespie, MORA]
On the morning of Saturday, April 6th, J.B., 17, and three companions began descending Mount Rainier after spending at night at the climbing camp at Camp Muir at 10,000 feet. The members of the party separated while in the Muir Snowfield around the 8,700-foot level so they could each descend at their own pace - one by skiing, two by walking, and J.B. by snowboarding. J.B. was last seen heading east toward Paradise Glacier. The weather at the time was poor and visibility was extremely limited. J.B. was reported missing after he failed to return to Paradise. On Saturday afternoon and evening, two teams searched for him, one along his probable route and the other in the area downhill from his last know location. Neither team was successful. Six teams comprised of rangers, mountaineering guides and mountain rescue volunteers resumed the search on Sunday morning. Clear weather also permitted an early morning search by helicopter. At 9 a.m., one of the ground teams spotted J.B. walking up the Stevens Canyon Road east of Lake Louise and directed the helicopter to the location. J.B. was flown to the park helibase at Kautz Creek, where he was determined to be in good health. [Bill Larson, MORA]
Several areas of the park have been closed temporarily to vehicle access due the continuing impacts of the heavy rains and widespread flooding that struck the area in February and last November: o Carbon River/Ipsut Creek Campground Area - A large section (about 1,350 feet) of the road leading from the park's Carbon River (northwest) entrance to the Ipsut Creek campground area was washed out when dikes failed to hold back the Carbon River. The roadbed in the vicinity of Falls Creek washed away to an average depth of ten feet, effectively cutting off all vehicular access to the campground. The road will probably be closed to traffic throughout the 1996 visitor season. o Paul Peak/Mowich Lake Area - Vehicle access to the Paul Peak/Mowich Lake area has been closed due to extensive slide damage to State Route 165 about a mile west of the park boundary. The road will probably remain closed until early July. One lane traffic will be maintained through five other slide areas on SR 165, except when periodic road closures are required due to road work. During these closures, traffic will be allowed through at the beginning of each hour. Construction will occur on weekdays. o State Route 123 - A 600-foot section of the road about five miles south of Cayuse Pass was damaged by extensive slides. Half of the roadway slid about 600 feet down into the Chinook Creek drainage. Cayuse Pass (elevation 4,675 feet) is usually cleared of snow and opened to traffic by mid-April. There's no estimate of when it will be opened to traffic this year. Travelers are asked to call the park at 360-569-2211 for updated information on roads. [Eric Walkinshaw, MORA]
An air and ground search for two missing climbers - M.S. and M.K., both of Weston, Connecticut - was begun on June 20th. The two men had registered for a three-day climb of Liberty Ridge with a descent down Emmons Glacier. The search was conducted with the assistance of the U.S. Army and county sheriff's office. Despite the coordinated effort, no sign of the climbers was found during the initial search of ascent and descent routes. It was later learned that M.S. and M.K. had wandered into the Summerland area of the park's wilderness, well away from their climbing routes and the initial search area. They had lost their way on the glacier descent route in poor weather, had fallen an estimated 1500 linear feet, and had lost or abandoned most of their equipment. A hiker subsequently encountered the two men, provided them with food and water, and helped them reach the trailhead, where they were cared for by rangers and taken to a hospital. They were treated there for frostbite, snowblindness, exhaustion, and dehydration, then released. [John Wilcox, MORA]
A vehicle with four male part visitors ran off the road four miles above Longmire and struck a large tree head on at 1:30 p.m. on July 20th. None of the occupants appears to have been wearing a seatbelt. All were seriously injured and had to be extricated from the car. Medical problems were compounded by the fact that none of the occupants spoke very good English, making assessment of injuries difficult. One of the victims did indicate that he had tuberculosis. Three of the men were flown to a hospital in Seattle; the fourth was taken to Puyallup. While rangers were still involved in evacuating patients from this accident, a second accident occurred about three miles below Paradise. The driver and sole occupant of a car suffered spinal, head and neck injuries when his car went off the road and rolled over. His injuries made the extrication difficult. He was also flown to an area hospital. [Rick Kirschner, MORA]
The park received a report of a single-vehicle motor vehicle accident in the vicinity of Chinook Pass around 3 a.m. on October 8th. Responding rangers discovered a white 1975 Toyota pickup lodged on an embankment on the north side of Highway 410 and provided medical assistance to the 21-year-old male driver, who was found lying in the middle of the road. The victim told rangers that Satan had instructed him to drive off the road to kill himself; he rejected further medical treatment and threatened to kill anyone who interfered with his death wish. The rangers took him into protective custody and transported him to the nearest emergency room for treatment and evaluation by a mental health professional. [Uwe Nehring, MORA]
Several additional reports have been received regarding the impacts of the series of storms that have been striking the West Coast. Forecasters are predicting more rain in coming days, and U.S. Geological Service's Tacoma office reports that "there is potential for serious and widespread flooding in the next several days over all of western Washington." This is at least partly because of the potential runoff from melting snow. USGS hydrographers estimate that the water equivalent in the snowpack between 3,000 and 6,000 feet in Washington ranges from about 15 to more than 40 inches. o Mount Rainier NP (Washington) - As of the end of December, a total of 449.5 inches of snow had fallen at Paradise - 244 inches above the average cumulative snowfall by the end of December and 29.5 inches above the amount of snow that had fallen by that time in the world record year of 1971-1972. Of that amount, 158 inches (13 feet, two inches) is still on the ground at Paradise. Although the unusually high snow levels have required some avalanche control work by the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort patrol and have led to reduced visitation, the storms have not had any serious impacts on the park. [USGS Headquarters, Washington; Colin Campbell, CR, GRTE; Bob Andrew, CR, YOSE; Superintendent, WHIS; CRO, WHIS; Paul Ducasse, SA, PGBSSO; John Dell'Osso, Acting CI, PORE; Jim Hammett, Superintendent, JODA; Randy Brooks, Acting CR, MORA]
Park volunteers setting up a compass course for seasonal ranger training on May 10th discovered what are believed to be the remains of S.K., a concession employee who disappeared from her quarters at Longmire last October. An extensive search last fall failed to reveal any clues of her whereabouts, and the subsequent investigation was equally fruitless. The park has received excellent support from an FBI evidence recovery team and from a local search dog team that was also in the area at the time, conducting follow-up searches as a training exercise. Positive identification from dental records is pending. The cause of death has not been determined and all possibilities remain open. Evidence collected will be analyzed by the FBI laboratory. [Randy Brooks, DR, Mather District, MORA, 5/12]
A solo, 47-year-old male hiker was reported overdue from a hike in the Carbon River - Mowich Lake area in the northwest corner of the park on September 24th. A search for him was begun on the evening of the 24th and continued on the 25th. Ground teams and air crews searched the Spray Park and Seattle Park areas. The lost hiker was eventually located by helicopter and transported to facilities for medical evaluation. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 9/26]
A major search is underway for C.H., 27, who has been missing in the park since Wednesday, November 12th. He was reported missing when he failed to show up for work that day. His vehicle was later found at the Deer Creek trailhead on the east side of the park. The search was begun early on Thursday morning. By Friday, representatives from almost a dozen state, county, private and volunteer organizations had joined park staff in the search area, which includes dense forest and rugged mountainous terrain at elevations ranging from 3,200 to 7,500 feet. Searchers had little to go on beyond the location of his vehicle at the trailhead and no clues were found. By Sunday, over 100 people, including family, friends and co-workers, were actively looking for C.H.. Efforts were intensified due to a weather forecast that called for rain and snow in the search area by yesterday afternoon. Although C.H. is in good physical condition, it's believed that he is wearing only light clothing and that he is equipped for only a day hike, with no survival gear. Searchers are being hampered by freeze-thaw cycles at upper elevations which have resulted in very hard snow surfaces that leave no trace of footprints. Cold temperatures and low humidities have also made it difficult for search dogs to track. Randy Brooks is incident commander. [Communications Center, MORA, 11/14-11/16]
The search for 27-year-old C.H., missing in the park since last Wednesday, was suspended late on Sunday due to deteriorating weather conditions. Although formal search efforts will be scaled back, the case remains open and park staff will continue to look for clues during routine patrols and park air operations. C.H. was hiking alone and left no itinerary. He has now been out over five nights, with temperatures during that period dropping well below freezing. Snow fell to the 3,000 foot elevation on Sunday afternoon. Indications are that he was lightly clothed and equipped only for a day hike when he headed out; he had no survival gear with him. Over the four days of the search, up to 105 searchers from a dozen organizations searched and researched areas with the greatest potential for finding him, employing a variety of overlapping search strategies and tactics. The overall search area is about 64,000 acres in size and extends from 3,200 feet to 7,500 feet. It includes dense forest, numerous drainages, waterfalls, and rugged mountainous terrain. Of the total of 4,000 search hours logged to date, almost 2,900 hours were recorded by volunteer search and rescue organizations, family, and friends. [John Krambrink, CR, MORA, 11/16]
The county sheriff's department reported an overdue skier to park rangers at 10 p.m. on Saturday, January 10th. J.F., a Seattle resident, had headed out on a ski touring trip in the Highway 140 corridor with the intention of skiing to Crystal Lakes Basin, traversing Crystal Ridge, and meeting his wife and friends at the Crystal Mountain ski area. When he failed to appear, a search was begun by rangers and representatives from the Pierce and Yakima County sheriff's departments, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol, and Mount Rainier Nordic Patrol. The temperature hovered around zero, moderate snow fell, and winds were from 15 to 25 mph; avalanche danger in the area was moderate. J.F. showed up with members of another touring party at Bear Gap Pass the next day. He had gotten off his route due to valley fog and crossed the Cascade Crest into the Morse Creek drainage on the Wenatchee National Forest. He met the ski touring group at a cabin in the Morse Creek area and overnighted with them. J.F. was reunited with his family at Bear Gap Pass. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 1/12]
The park and the FBI announced yesterday that laboratory analysis of evidence associated with the 1996 death of S.K., a park concession employee, indicates that she was the victim of a homicide. S.K., who worked for Mount Rainier Guest Services Incorporated (GSI), disappeared from her quarters at Longmire in early October of that year. An extensive search was conducted but failed to locate either S.K. or any clues as to her whereabouts. Last May, S.K.'s remains were found about a half mile from her quarters. Follow-up searches by rangers, a team of FBI agents, search dogs and Explorer search and rescue scouts led to the recovery of a number of items of evidence. Analysis of those items indicates that S.K. was killed. A joint homicide investigation by rangers and FBI agents is underway. A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in S.K.'s death. Contact numbers for those with such information are 360-569-2211 extension 2348 or 2330 (park) or 206-622-0460 (FBI). [CRO, MORA, 3/16]
Rangers found and rescued G.M., 33, and M.B., 34, from Mount Rainier on June 15th after the two men called for help on their cellular phone. One was hypothermic, the other was reported to be "cold but mobile." It was the second time in less than a week that rangers had to save climbers. A man was killed and seven other climbers were injured in an avalanche last Thursday. Details are not yet available. [The Pocono Record, 6/16]
On the evening of June 14th, the park communication center received a 911 relay of a cellular phone call from two climbers in distress at the 13,400-foot elevation of Mount Rainier. The call was forwarded to the park by the Washington State Patrol office in Wenatchee. The climbers had reached the summit via the Liberty Ridge route earlier that day. While attempting to descend via Emmons Glacier, one of the two men fell into a crevasse. He was held by his partner and was able to climb out of the crevasse after two hours' effort, but both were suffering from hypothermia by that time. They bivouacked in an effort to warm up, and made the distress call when one of them continued to lose body heat. Rangers organized a response that evening. A cold front was expected to move through during the night, lowering freezing levels and bringing snow, freezing rain, and high winds. Rescuers were dispatched from Camp Schurman at 4:45 a.m. the next morning. Visibility at the camp was limited to 200 feet and winds blew between 35 and 40 knots. Climbing teams from Tacoma, Seattle and Olympic Mountain Rescue also responded to the call, and a Bell Jet Ranger and an Army Chinook CH-47 were summoned to search for the pair and insert rescue teams. Efforts to do so, however, proved impossible because of strong winds. The ground team continued to climb to the site despite winds of up to 50 mph and below freezing temperatures, and reached the two climbers around 2:30 p.m. Both were in good condition but suffering from exposure. They were given water and food and rewarmed before descending to Camp Schurman. They overnighted their before continuing their descent the following day. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 6/16]
A cellular phone call from the 11,600-foot level of the mountain early on the morning of Thursday, June 11th, alerted rangers to an avalanche that had swept two rope teams off the nose of Disappointment Cleaver. Off-duty lead climbing ranger Mike Gauthier reached the party in 26 minutes by snowboarding from Mount Rainier's 14,410-foot summit and assumed on-scene leadership. While several medical, military, and contract helicopters attempted to transport rescuers to the scene, climbing rangers Stefan Lofgren and George Beilstein climbed to the site. They arrived at Ingraham Flats above Camp Muir (11,000 feet) at the same time as climbing ranger Joe Puryear and volunteer Dee Patterson arrived from Camp Schurman via helicopter. Ten people on two Rainier Mountaineering guided rope teams had been swept off the route. All but one of the fixed line anchors had ripped out, and the line's outer sheath had been badly frayed by rocks. The remaining inner strands held the climbers, who were strewn over the ice and rock cliffs with a variety of injuries. Four climbers hung from a rope which was coiled around the left arm of one guide, whose arm was trapped and twisted behind him; another guide was strapped to an unstable rock by a rope with two people hanging beneath. Several climbers hung suspended in waterfalls issuing from the melting ice and snow above them. Rangers replaced the frayed ropes and gradually raised the injured parties up and over the lip from which they hung. Several were treated for various injuries and moderate to severe hypothermia. P.N., 29, had died from exposure by the time rescuers were able to reach him. His body was lowered off the cliff. All parties were carried to Ingraham Flats. An Army Chinook helicopter was able to land just as darkness fell and evacuated the injured. Media interest was intense throughout the incident; more national and regional news crews were on scene than any at the park could recall at previous incidents. Interest remained high throughout the next day, when the non-injured parties walked off the Mountain from Camp Muir. The Today Show, Hard Copy, Dateline, Newsweek, and many other national media outlets carried the story. Ranger John Krambrink was IC. [Maria Gillett, CI, MORA, 6/17]
There have been several other rescues in the park over recent weeks in addition to the above incident and the rescue reported yesterday (98-288): Falling rocks injured a member of a Rainier Mountaineering (RMI) guided party on Kautz Glacier on the morning of June 11th. The victim, D.W., 30, suffered a broken leg. Climbing rangers' efforts to reach him via helicopter were stymied, so the 260-pound D.W. had to be carried out by RMI guides. Two climbers were injured on the evening of June 14th as they descended from Camp Hazard. While glissading into the Nisqually Glacier drainage, they hit a small band of rock, flipped over onto their heads, and slid 30 to 40 feet downhill. Thick fog hampered climbing ranger Mike Gauthier's attempts to reach them, and they walked most of the remaining distance to Paradise on their own. Gauthier provided medical assistance and escorted them to the parking lot, where they declined transport to the hospital. M.T., 60, who suffered a broken ankle, was rescued by rangers yesterday. The accident was reported to the park by his climbing partners yesterday morning. The party was descending from Liberty Ridge on Tuesday, having turned back from a summit attempt, when M.T, tumbled about 200 feet. His partners left him on a snow ledge around 9,900 feet with two sleeping bags and pain relievers. On-scene climbing ranger Mike Gauthier organized a lowering operation to evacuate M.T, to a landing zone at approximately 8,500 feet, where he was picked up with climbing ranger Stefan Lofgren and flown to a waiting ambulance at the park's Kautz Creek helibase. Climbing rangers George Beilstein, Seth Brothers, Mark Westman, David Gottleib, Rich Lechleitner, and RMI guide Jason Tanguay participated in the rescue, stabilization, and evacuation. The media was on scene at the helibase. Bill Larson was IC. There was also a significant non-rescue climbing even earlier in the month. Paraplegic climber P.R. made a highly-publicized attempt to climb Mount Rainier using a "snow pod", a device built with snowmobile tracks and bicycle chains which enables him to move upward under the power of his arms. The June 11th avalanche was reported by his party, which was at the 11,600 foot level at that time. P.R. did not summit; he made it to the 12,600 foot level on Friday, stayed through Saturday, then began his descent on Sunday. P.R. reached Paradise on Monday afternoon, and was greeted by a large media contingent. P.R.'s climb was allowed under a permit which exempted him on a one-time basis from some wilderness regulations. He was allowed to set up camp at places where camping is not normally permitted, and was allowed to enter a wilderness in a device not formally recognized as a wheelchair. Significant interest has been generated on the part of wilderness managers in other mountain parks and the Forest Service due to the potential precedent-setting implications for wilderness management. This climb took place early enough in the season for him to travel entirely over snow in his snow pod, thereby avoiding damage to fragile alpine meadow vegetation. John Krambrink was IC. [Maria Gillett, CI, MORA, 6/17]
The park reports three significant rescues during recent weeks: o Off-duty climbing rangers Mike Gauthier and Dee Patterson were spending
the night on the summit of Mount Rainier (14,410 feet) on the evening
of July 22nd when they were contacted by the leader of a scientific
research team who informed them that one of the team members was
suffering from mountain sickness. The rangers found 39-year-old P.H.
of Tacoma in his tent; he was disoriented, suffering from slurred
speech, and unable to support himself. Team members indicated that his
condition had deteriorated significantly in the previous 15 minutes and
that his behavior was abnormal. A helicopter was requested, but
nightfall and altitude prevented a safe response. Within 15 minutes of
the initial assessment, P.H. became unconscious and unresponsive due
to altitude-related edema or mountain sickness. Assisted rescue
breathing was provided throughout the night, while a climbing team from
Camp Muir attempted to reach them with oxygen. Newly formed crevasses
and whiteout conditions prevented the team from reaching the summit.
P.H. was evacuated shortly after sunrise by an Army Chinook helicopter
and flown to Madigan Hospital. At the time of the report, he was in
critical condition, suffering from cerebral and pulmonary edema. [John Krambrink and Linda Birkett, MORA, 8/10]
Campers reported a man acting oddly in the Sunrise walk-in campground on August 5th. He was talking to rocks, walking into trees, and not responding in a normal fashion to queries about his condition. Rangers were contacted and confronted the 35-year-old man. They determined that a safety alert had been issued on him - that he had a record of over 72 prior law enforcement incidents in local jurisdictions, that he'd been in the care of mental health professionals for suicidal tendencies, and that at least two officers should deal with him in any contacts. They also learned that he'd been involved in a climbing accident over ten years ago and had sustained a head injury with permanent brain damage. The rangers convinced him to hike out to the nearest ranger station and placed him in protective custody. He was later released to paramedics and transported to a nearby emergency room for evaluation and treatment. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 8/6]
A vehicle went over an embankment and about 200 feet down a 45-degree slope off Highway 123 on August 14th. M.J., 41, suffered a fractured right arm and back and neck injuries; her companion, L.W., 46, had only minor injuries. M.J. was carried out via a technical raising of about 150 feet, then flown to Harborview Hospital. She told rangers that she had been asleep on L.W.'s lap when she woke up suddenly, startling him and causing him to go off the road. A three-car accident occurred on the same highway a mile south of Cayuse Pass the next day. The two occupants in one vehicle were severely injured; a 13-year-old in a second vehicle sustained minor injuries. All three were taken to the hospital, one by helicopter. The accident closed the road for several hours. Investigations of both accidents continue. [Bill Larson, MORA, 8/18]
Rangers saw a mini-van with smoke issuing from it at the entrance to the upper parking lot at Paradise on the afternoon of August 24th. The lot was full at the time, containing over 200 cars, RV and buses. The mini-van had stopped in the eastbound traffic lane at the lot's entrance and was within ten feet of a small sedan and a 30-foot RV. Rangers and bystanders employed about a dozen fire extinguishers on the fire, but were unable to put it out. As the van became fully involved, visitors were evacuated to a safe distance. While the park fire truck responded from Longmire, hose line was laid by hand from a hydrant about 500 feet away. Rangers Winslow and Olver donned turnout gear and used the line to protect the exposed sedan and RV. Rangers VanSice and Langley arrived with the truck and extinguished the fire in the van, which was completely burned out. The nearby sedan and RV received radiant heat damage but were driven away. Quick deployment of the hydrant line and favorable winds prevented a vehicle-to-vehicle fire across the parking lot. The van's driver said that he'd stopped, waiting for traffic ahead to clear, when the vehicle died and began to smoke. [Randy Brooks, DR/IC, MORA, 8/24]
The park's search and rescue response truck was destroyed by fire on September 12th. The vehicle was being driven between Paradise and Longmire when a fire developed behind the dashboard and in the engine compartment. Fire extinguishers were used, but with little effect. Search and rescue equipment was removed when it became apparent that the fire could not be controlled. Although the park's fire engine was on scene within minutes, the SAR truck could not be saved and was a total loss. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is being investigated. [Steve Winslow, IC, MORA,. 9/14]
The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on March 2nd. The commemoration of the centennial began with a flag-raising ceremony with a staff color guard and an ROTC drill team. Events included interpretive programs, a narrative slide show by author Ruth Kirk, and snowshoe walks and cross-country ski tours at Longmire and Paradise. A replica of the mountain in the form of a 230-pound birthday cake was cut and served. A special pictorial centennial stamp cancellation was available, as was a centennial commemorative coin. Other activities are planned for throughout the year in the park and outside communities. The weather was beautiful, and the road to Paradise was open for the first time in days. The park has had near record snowfall this year - a total of 832 inches at Paradise (281 inches still on the ground) and 50 inches at Longmire. [Becky Ingle, MORA, 3/5]
On March 21st, E.D.E., 56, was solo climbing the Gib Ledge route at 12,400 feet in the company of a four-person climbing party when he lost his footing and tumbled 1,900 vertical feet down Gib Chute. He suffered multiple fractures to his lower right leg and unknown internal injuries. A member of the climbing party used a cell phone to call for help, then climbed down to E.D.E. and stayed with him while the other members of the group returned to Camp Muir. Rangers Steve Winslow, Debbie Brenchley and Dave Turner were flown to the scene in an Aerocopters helicopter, while ranger Mike Gauthier hiked from Paradise toward Camp Muir. Tacoma Mountain Rescue provided a ground team of rescuers, which was held in reserve. E.D.E. was treated, extricated and flown out to a hospital in Harborview. [Rick Kirschner, IC, MORA, 3/22]
Experienced mountaineers M.C., 51, and D.G., 36, set out to climb Mount Rainier via the Gibraltar Ledges on Sunday, April 11th. High winds and whiteout conditions prevented them from ascending above Camp Muir (10,080 feet), so they began descending the mountain. The wind blew them off the Muir Snowfield route and onto Paradise Glacier. As they were crossing the glacier at the mountain's 8,800 elevation, both men fell into a narrow crevasse which was covered by snow and not visible. D.G.'s backpack caught near the top of the crevasse, and he was able to extricate himself; M.C. fell about 70 feet and became wedged in the crevasse. The park was notified via a 911 call. Climbing ranger Michael Gauthier and volunteer Tom Mallard were flown in by helicopter. They descended into the crevasse and found M.C. hypothermic, but ambulatory and not seriously injured. He was extricated and flown to Harborview Medical Center. M.C. has twelve Mount Rainier summits to his credit, including a climb of the challenging Liberty Ridge route. D.G. has attempted the mountain on four occasions and has climbed other Cascade volcanoes. The contract helicopter had a difficult time achieving lift; it took a half hour of knocking ice off its blades before it could fly from the glacier. [Maria Gillett, MORA, 4/14]
On the morning of Saturday, April 24th, a Washington Army National Guard Chinook helicopter made an emergency landing on the bank of the Nisqually River in the Longmire area. The helicopter was first observed in a spiralling descent from about 2,000 feet above ground level. It briefly hovered over the Longmire meadow before the pilot appropriately determined that the ground was too wet to land and instead came down on the Nisqually river bank. The helicopter was flying from Yakima Training Center to Fort Lewis, Washington, when a warning light indicated that there were foreign objects in the transmission fluid, a situation requiring an immediate landing. After clearing the transmission's foreign object screen and doing a 15 minute test run-up on the ground, the Chinook took off and flew to Fort Lewis. This National Guard unit also provides the park with high altitude SAR support. [Randy Brooks, District Ranger, MORA, 4/25]
Rangers at the Paradise Ranger Station received a radio call from Camp Muir (10,000 feet) on the afternoon of April 24th reporting an injured climber on the Ingraham Glacier at 11,000 feet. B.T. of Seattle had badly wrenched his knee at about 12,000 feet while descending from the summit and was unable to continue beyond Ingraham Flats. Other climbers camped there provided assistance and brought additional gear up from Camp Muir while the incident was being reported. A commercial helicopter was brought in due to forecasted bad weather, limited NPS staff, and the extended time required for a carryout. Ranger Mike Gauthier was flown from Kautz heliport to the scene; he splinted B.T.'s leg and assisted him to the helicopter. B.T. was flown to an ambulance waiting at the heliport and taken to an area hospital for treatment. [Randy Brooks, IC, MORA, 4/25]
The search for an overdue climbing party on Liberty Ridge ended happily on Friday, May 7th, when the party was seen from the air moving toward Camp Muir. Two parties of two climbers - R.R. and A.M. from the Seattle area and B.S. and S.H. of Lander, Wyoming - left Ipsut campground on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 27th and 28th, to climb Liberty Ridge. A.M. called his father by cell phone on Saturday, May 1st, and reported that the two parties had teamed up and were waiting out bad weather in a snow cave in the bergschrund at 13,000 feet on the ridge. They estimated the group had four days of food and fuel. On Monday, May 3rd, A.M. again called his father to say they had food and fuel through Wednesday. During the conversation. the cell phone battery died and there was no further phone contact. On Wednesday, rangers and Army Reserve soldiers conducting a training flight with Chinook helicopters observed the party of four at about 13,000 feet on Liberty Ridge. They were moving up the route and did not appear to be in distress. A supply of water, food, and fuel was left on top of Liberty Ridge where the party could find it. The weather deteriorated again that night. Because no word had been received from the party by Friday morning, search teams comprised of rangers and Mountain Rescue Council volunteers began looking for the men to determine their condition. While a ground team headed for Camp Muir in high winds, snow and low visibility, a Chinook twice attempted to transport a team of rangers and MRC members to the mountain but had to turn back due to bad weather. A small commercial helicopter with rangers on board was able to search the lower elevations on the north side of the mountain, but was also eventually grounded by bad weather. A second attempt in mid-afternoon proved successful. The party of four was spotted at about 10,800 feet, descending toward Camp Muir. The men looked tired, but gave a thumbs up. About an hour later, a member of the group radioed from Camp Muir and reported that they were OK. They continued their descent and met the ground team. Both teams returned to Paradise through wind, snow, and fog, arriving about 9:45 p.m. The climbing party had spent five nights in the snow cave at the bergschrund at 13,000 feet on Liberty Ridge and two nights in a tent set up in a crevasse at 12,000 feet on Disappointment Cleaver during the descent. Media interest was high. Ranger Steve Winslow was IC. [Randy Brooks/Sheri Forbes, Incident PIOs, MORA, 5/9]
On Tuesday, the park completed the third day in an on-going search for hiker J.R., 51, of Issaquah. J.R. was last seen on Sunday afternoon on the Muir Snowfield. He was descending from a point near Camp Muir at the time, having turned back from an ascent due to white-out conditions. J.R.'s companions last saw him somewhere above Pebble Creek, probably near the 8,000-foot level. One of them warned him that he might be heading too far west. The group continued, believing he was with them. They last had verbal contact with J.R. at 5:30 p.m. during a radio conversation in which he said that he didn't know his location. A ranger and a volunteer descended from Camp Muir to search for J.R. shortly thereafter, but ran into zero visibility and eventually had to give up. Four teams comprised of rangers and rescue team members began a search for him on Monday morning, but were hampered by poor visibility, bad weather and hazardous terrain. A helicopter joined the search later in the day when the weather improved slightly. A total of 33 ground searchers scoured the snowy area above Paradise on Tuesday. Twenty-four searchers in six composite teams left Paradise yesterday morning. Nine more rangers in two teams set out in the afternoon, returning to the search base shortly before dark. Search parties again encountered precipitation, wind, cold, and low visibility throughout the day. A brief window of clearing weather again provided an opportunity for a helicopter to fly over part of the search area. No sign of J.R. has yet been found. [Maria Gillett, Incident PIO, MORA, 5/18]
Three days of searching have produced no clues as to the location of J.R., 51, who has been missing since Sunday. A window of good weather which lasted for much of Wednesday enabled searchers to conduct flights, bring in search dogs, and comb the primary search area thoroughly. Forty-four searchers and two dog teams were on the ground yesterday; two helicopters flew overhead. Rangers, volunteers, Seattle and Tacoma Mountain Rescue Association teams, and climbing guides from Rainier Mountaineering were joined by dozens of J.R.'s friends who came to the park to aid in the effort. The primary search area was combed as thoroughly as the terrain allowed by both teams and dogs. One helicopter flew repeatedly over the primary search area while the other concentrated on scouring the river drainages and valleys and any other possible routes J.R. could have taken. Teams in secondary search areas again checked the Nisqually Glacier moraine and the Paradise Valley Road. A scaled-down search will continue today, as bad weather is predicted for both today and tomorrow. Helicopters and ground teams may continue operations during the weekend, when the weather is expected to improve again. [Maria Gillett, Incident PIO, MORA, 5/19]
The search for missing hiker J.R. has been scaled back following eight days of concerted efforts to find him. Good weather over the weekend provided excellent visibility and rapid snow melt exposed hidden crevasses, rocks, stream beds and other openings. No clues were found. J.R. was a group leader on a Camp Muir hike sponsored by One Step At a Time (OSAT), an outdoor recreation club which stresses alcohol and drug free activities. He became ill and was last seen by his companions in a white-out around mid-afternoon on Sunday, May 16th, at approximately 8,000 feet on the Muir Snowfield. Numerous OSAT members joined other searchers on the weekend, during which park staff saved the life of another hiker (see incident 99-207 below). More than 20 feet of snow remains on the ground in the Paradise area. Rangers will remain alert to potential emerging clues as the summer melt continues. Randy Brooks was IC for the incident. The search drew a high level of attention from the media and J.R.'s friends and family. The park employed its voice mail system to provide updated information on the operation to interested parties. Callers were directed to dial a specific number for current reports on the search, which significantly decreased the volume of media calls and kept all parties fully informed of developments. People from all involved and interested groups expressed their appreciation for the new system. [Maria Gillett, Incident IO, 5/23]
Rangers equipped with the park's new automatic external defibrillator (AED) saved the life of a hiker who went into cardiac arrest on the park's north side last weekend. J.R., 52, of Tacoma, was near the Carbon River suspension bridge, three miles from the Ipsut Creek campground, when he experienced heart attack symptoms. J.R. continued down the trail about a mile, where he was contacted by a park VIP. Ranger Nina Stevens and trails foreman Carl Fabiani were flown to the scene by a helicopter diverted from the J.R. search. While J.R. was being carried out to the helicopter, he went into cardiac arrest three times. Stevens and Fabiani successfully utilized the AED each time to restore J.R.'s heart rhythm. Stevens continued with assisted ventilations all the way to the hospital, where J.R. remains in stable condition. [Maria Gillett, Incident IO, 5/23]
Two climbers on Thumb Rock, a high camp on Liberty Ridge, called rangers on the evening of Monday, May 24th, and reported that a climbing partner was missing after an accident. The 31-year-old man from British Columbia had been skiing beneath Black Pyramid when he lost his edge, cartwheeled out of control, and disappeared from sight off Liberty Ridge. The Black Pyramid is at 12,000 feet; Thumb Rock is at 10,700 feet. Rangers Debbie Brenchley and Mike Gauthier flew in from Kautz Creek and found the man's body on the Carbon Glacier beneath the Willis Wall, notorious for frequent ice falls, rock falls, and avalanches. While Brenchley and Gauthier waited on the Carbon Glacier for the helicopter to return with additional personnel, an avalanche lasting approximately one minute descended down the chute where the victim had fallen, partially covering him. Continued avalanche activity led to the decision to remove the rangers from the scene. Weather permitting, rangers were going to attempt to retrieve the body via helicopter yesterday morning at first light, before the sun hit the high glacial terrain. Plans called for a second helicopter to hover nearby in case of an avalanche. The victim's name had not yet been released at the time of the report. Steve Winslow is IC. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 5/25]
On Monday, May 24th, D.P., 31, a Swedish citizen who was residing in British Columbia, was skiing beneath Black Pyramid when he lost his edge, cartwheeled out of control, and disappeared from sight off Liberty Ridge. Rangers Mike Cauthier and Chris Olson were flown to Carbon Glacier on Wednesday morning to find and retrieve his body from beneath recent avalanche debris. Rangers David Gottlieb and Dee Patterson and two helicopters provided backup safety support in case of an avalanche, rock fall or ice fall from the notoriously active Willis Wall. The body was retrieved without incident and flown to the Kautz Creek helibase. Steve Winslow was IC. On Sunday, D.P. had skied down the steep (50 degrees) Liberty Ridge from above the Black Pyramid to Thumb Rock. He and his climbing companion had reached the mountain's summit on Monday, and were descending when the accident occurred. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 5/26]
A search is underway for a snowboarder who's been missing since the afternoon of Sunday, June 20th. W.T., 28, of Seattle was last seen descending alone on a snowboard at 10,000 feet in white-out conditions at 5:30 p.m. He was reported missing by his father at 11:30 p.m. on Monday. Three NPS hasty teams were deployed the following morning, but poor visibility and fresh snowfall between Paradise and Camp Muir has made tracking and searching for clues difficult. Eight teams continued the search for W.T. yesterday. Light rain and snow, fog and very low visibility are impeding operations. A helicopter will be utilized when weather permits. Steve Winslow is IC. [Linda Birkett, MORA, 6/23]
Park cultural resource specialist and historic architect Craig Strong, 36, was killed on June 25th when his sport utility vehicle collided with a loaded logging truck at the junction of Washington Route 7 and Alder Cutoff Road. Craig began his National Park Service career in June, 1988, as a summer architect technician in Washington, D.C. He earned his first career conditional appointment in 1993, serving in the Service's HABS/HAER division. Craig transferred to Mount Rainier in February of 1996. Last year, he received a historic preservation award from the Washington State Historical Society for his work on preserving historic structures threatened by road improvements in the park. Visitation will take place at the Fir Lane Funeral Home at 924 176th East in Spanaway, Washington, from 4 to 7 p.m today. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday at 1 p.m. and will be followed by an all-employee dinner at the Lions Hall in Ashford. Craig will be buried in Gamaliel, Arkansas. Condolences may be sent to Craig's parents, J.S. and P.S., at 1802 Brentwood Drive, Mountain Home, Arkansas 72653. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 6/26]
Craig Strong's parents have asked that anyone wishing to make a memorial donation in Craig's name should contribute to Washington's National Park Fund, 2112 Third Avenue, Suite 501, Seattle, WA 98101. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 6/28]
The search for a snowboarder who's been missing for ten days has been suspended. W.T., 28, of Seattle was last seen descending alone on a snowboard at 10,000 feet in white-out conditions at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 20th. The weather finally cleared sufficiently on the 27th to permit helicopters to assist in the search, and ten ground teams checked areas previously missed due to unfavorable weather conditions. No substantial clues of W.T.'s whereabouts were found during the entire search. W.T. was a recent medical college graduate and had just moved to Seattle from Atlanta, Georgia. He was to have begun his medical residency at a local hospital on June 21st. W.T. had frontcountry snowboarding experience, but the park trip was his first in the backcountry. The area where he disappeared at the 10,000 foot level of Mount Rainier is surrounded by crevasse-covered glaciers, precipices, and other hazardous terrain. The search area in the park measured approximately twelve square miles and included Box Canyon and the Nisqually, Paradise, and Wiliwakas Glaciers. Supervisory climbing ranger Steve Winslow was incident commander. Searchers included park employees, volunteers and mountain rescue teams from Tacoma, Olympia, and Skagit County. Weather conditions were very poor during the entire search. [Mark Morgan, Acting PIO, MORA, 6/29]
Two climbers were rescued on the steep Liberty Ridge route on Wednesday, June 30th. A cell phone call late on Tuesday revealed that L.S., 43, and M.M., age unknown, were stranded on Liberty Ridge and in need of rescue, having lost one of their packs. On Tuesday evening, a helicopter transported one team to the base of Liberty Ridge at 8,800 feet and another to Camp Schurman at 9,500 feet, but was unable to fly higher due to a cloud cap. Both teams were thwarted by white-out conditions, but the weather cleared sufficiently by late Wednesday morning for an Army Reserve Chinook helicopter to land near the summit with a ten-person team. Climbing ranger Chris Olson, a Mountain Rescue Council member and Rainier Mountaineering guides climbed down the 55-degree slope beneath the Liberty Cap and reached the stranded climbers, who were found at 13,600 feet. After having been pinned down for two days with little gear, the climbers had begun to move with the aid of three ice screws loaned by another group of climbers. L.S. and M.M. were seriously dehydrated and exhausted but uninjured. All were flown off the summit and were on the ground by 9 p.m. Steve Winslow was IC. While this rescue was under way, another team of rangers, interpreters, and trail crew members completed a technical lowering of an injured hiker down the face of Panorama Point above Paradise. While this incident was underway, rangers and interpreters also treated a woman suffering from chest pains. Both patients left the park via ambulance. The Liberty Ridge rescue followed the termination of the six-day search for missing snowboarder William Tietjen and occurred within several hours of the memorial service for Craig Strong, the park's cultural resources specialist, who died in an automobile accident on Friday. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 6/30]
On July 3rd, a visitor notified the park that a woman was injured on the north side of Naches Peak, just south of Chinook Pass. The 44-year-old woman had been ski touring with three friends when she lost her footing on a 45- degree snow slope and fell vertically about 35 feet into a snow moat. She sustained a head injury and was reportedly unconscious for five minutes. Her partners moved her from the bottom of the moat into a more comfortable position. Rangers mustered a team to immobilize and transport her to medical facilities. She was extricated, then transported over snow to Chinook Pass, where she was transferred to an ambulance. While in the ambulance, the woman became confrontational and insisted she did not want further treatment or evacuation to a medical facility by a waiting helicopter. Paramedics from a local ambulance company advised against this, but she insisted and was released. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 7/4]
Rangers began a search for B.B., 36, of Tacoma, and his seven-year-old son N.B. on Sunday, August 1st. B.B. and his son left Tacoma the previous Thursday to camp in the park. They were due to return to Tacoma on Saturday, when N.B. was scheduled to fly home to his mother in K.B., Texas. She called the park on Sunday morning and reported the pair missing. Rangers found B.B.'s vehicle parked near the Christine Falls bridge later in the morning. Search teams combed the area between the vehicle and the Cougar Rock campground. B.B.'s body was found about 150 yards downstream from the falls; his son's body was found a day later in Van Trump Creek. Two rambling notes written by Billy B.B. were found which indicated his intention to take his son's life and his own life. Preliminary investigation indicates that this is a homicide/suicide. Media interest has been very high. Ranger David Langley is the lead investigator, and is being assisted by FBI agents. Randy Brooks is IC for the incident. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 8/2]
A five-day search for a hiker missing since July 8th was suspended on July 19th. The park was notified on July 14th that J.W., 34, of New York City, was missing and that he might be hiking in the park. His rental car was found at Longmire. A hasty search of the area was conducted that day. The next morning, searchers established the point where he'd been last seen based on information received from a hiker who'd seen J.W.'s picture in a Seattle newspaper. The search was accordingly shifted to the Mildred Point trail, a spur off the popular Rampart Ridge trail. An intensive search was begun which employed scent dogs, bloodhounds, a helicopter, and ground teams. The search was suspended due to the lack of clues. Near record snowfall and a late thaw contributed to dangers in the area, which included many cliffs and numerous snow bridges and snow holes over rivers, streams, and waterfalls. Evidence indicated that J.W. was not carrying food, water or extra clothing, and he was not known to have had much wilderness experience. Additional searches will be conducted after more snow has melted from the backcountry. J.W. had been attending the Unity99 conference in Seattle, a large conference of minority journalists which had been addressed by the vice president and several presidential candidates. Media and political interest was high throughout the search and a large number of friends and family members came to the park while it was underway. Many of his friends and associates are reporters for major media outlets, which added to the complexity and number of calls the park received. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 7/19]
Vice president Al Gore and his 16-year-old son reached the summit of Mount Rainier in inclement weather on the morning of Friday, August 6th, along with a team of climbers and Secret Service agents. Ranger Steve Winslow accompanied the team. The vice president arrived at the park and embarked on the climb early Wednesday morning, spending two nights on the mountain amidst occasionally severe thunderstorms. The White House press office requested privacy, but word leaked out to the media and numerous satellite trucks occupied the Paradise area for two days. The Secret Service allowed the park to confirm the climb about two hours before the vice president arrived in the Paradise parking lot, where he was met by a small crowd of well-wishers. John Krambrink was IC. [Maria Gillett, Incident PIO, MORA, 8/7]
Approximately 400 guests and representatives from a variety of TV, radio, and print media participated on August 12th in a day-long celebration of the park's centennial, commemorating a century of resource stewardship. Director Stanton delivered the keynote address, unveiling the Natural Resources Challenge (see "Memoranda" below). Senator Slade Gorton announced his recommendation for $1.4 million in planning money to replace the Jackson Visitor Center and $1 million for restoration of the historic Guide House, both at Paradise. Surrounding the formal program were special interpretive programs commemorating a variety of events, characters, and issues in the park's history, a Northwest salmon bake hosted by park concessioner GSI and several Native American tribes, book signings by several prominent Northwest authors and photographers, special events for children, and other activities. The event was only one of dozens of special events and programs commemorating the park's centennial that have occurred throughout the Puget Sound region over the past year. Washington's National Parks Fund established a coalition of major donors to sponsor many of the activities and events, which will continue throughout the remainder of the year. [Maria Gillett, Event PIO, MORA, 8/17]
Three people appeared at the White River ranger station early on the morning of August 28th. When climbing ranger Joe Puryear asked why they were there, they replied that they were just waiting for their guide. Puryear attempted to elicit more information from them, but they had nothing more to say. Puryear notified commissioned rangers Geoff Walker and Uwe Nehring, who contacted the trio and a fourth man - D.M. - in the parking lot outside the ranger station. The four said that they were just friends going on a climb, and that there was no client-guide relationship. The three suspected clients were interviewed individually and admitted that each had paid D.M. $450 to guide them up the mountain. They were supposed to have climbed the mountain with D.M. in late June, but the trip was canceled due to poor weather. They rescheduled for August 28th and were supposed to pay D.M. an additional $150 cancellation fee. When confronted with this information, D.M. admitted that he was guiding for money and that he had formerly worked as an instructor for NOLS in Lander, Wyoming, and as a guide for Mountain Madness, a Seattle-based guide service. The rangers also learned that two more clients had arrived for the climb and that they'd been instructed to lie to rangers about the guided climb. The contact number D.M. gave rangers came back to a number listed in the Seattle Yellow Pages under "Rock and Mountain Climbing Instruction" as Climbing Connection of Seattle, Washington. D.M.'s summit climb was terminated and he was cited for conducting an illegal commercial activity in the park (36 CFR 5.3) and for providing false information (36 CFR 2.32(a)(3)). A review of the park permit system revealed that D.M. was listed as party leader for at least two other climbing parties that were on the mountain in June and July. Additional citations or a mandatory court appearance are pending. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 8/29]
Ranger Uwe Nehring discovered a commercial bicycle touring operation underway in the park on the morning of September 4th. A tour bus operated by Northstar, Pacific Coachways, towing a 30-foot bicycle trailer, was picking up cyclists who had completed a section of Highway 410 at Cayuse Pass. The coach was contracted to pick up 17 Swiss nationals at the airport in Seattle and transport them around the west to cycle portions of roads in western states and western parks. The arrangements were made through Euro Guide Service, a Seattle-based firm. The driver of the bus said that the group was scheduled to travel to Glacier NP and Yellowstone NP after leaving Washington. A mandatory court appearance is pending. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 9/4]
The remains of hiker J.R., 51, were sighted from a helicopter on the flank of Mount Rainier on September 7th. Climbing rangers Mike Gauthier and Aaron Billhart retrieved the body from a jumbled icefall below and to the southeast of Anvil Rock at the 8,100-foot elevation, near the point where the Paradise and Cowlitz Glaciers separate. J.R. was last seen on the Muir Snowfield on the afternoon of May 16th and was the subject of an intensive eight-day search. The cause of death has not yet been determined. [Maria Gillett, Incident IO, MORA, 9/7]
A park volunteer was assaulted on the afternoon of October 2nd in the vicinity of Tipsoo Lake, a heavily-used frontcountry area. A man approached her and said that there was an injured hiker nearby who needed assistance. He directed her to the area where the injured hiker was supposed to be, then assaulted her. The man is described as a white male in his late 30s or early 40s, about 6'2" tall, with a heavy build. He was clean shaven, had medium- length dirty blonde hair, and was wearing a green polar fleece vest. He also wore a large gold class ring with black inlay. The FBI is assisting with the on-going investigation. Scott Stevens was IC for the incident. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 10/26]
The search for missing climbers C.H., 40, of West Seattle, and R.V., 48, of Los Angeles, was suspended on the morning of November 15th. Over the previous week, searchers from the park and several mountain rescue organizations participated in the search for the two men, who were last seen on the morning of November 5th. Efforts were plagued by severe weather and limited visibility. The operation was suspended after three searchers - a park employee and two employees of Rainier Mountaineering - were injured on the afternoon of the 14th. A five-person team was crossing an icy gully at the mountains 10,500-foot level when the three climbers, who were roped together, slipped and slid over 600 feet over ice and rocks down a 45-degree slope. Injuries consisted of broken bones, cuts and bruises; none was life-threatening. The remaining searchers were called from the field immediately after the accident. C.H. and R.V. were experienced climbers; they were well-equipped, familiar with the area, and traveling together. The route they were following to Camp Muir, however, has numerous hazards, including avalanches and crevasses. Climber J.R. and snowboarder W.T. were lost in the Muir snowfield earlier this year in separate incidents. The climbers' families paid tribute to the searchers in a statement issued on the 15th: "(We) would like the public to know that we appreciate all the efforts that have been made in the rescue attempt of C.H. and R.V. Words are not adequate to express the gratitude that we feel towards all the folks involved in this operation. Friends and members of both families have been at the park throughout the search efforts. We feel that the National Park Service have done all within their means to find R.V. and C.H. We understand the weather conditions hampered rescue operations many times. However, this did not stop them from continuing to explore new strategies and implement them as soon as the weather cooperated. Sunday's efforts were extremely thorough. We wish to express our gratitude to all the individuals involved in the search. Our thoughts and prayers go out especially to the three team members that were hurt in Sunday's effort. The compassion, caring, and kindness that we have experienced from the National Park Service during this most difficult time will not be forgotten." [Alisa Lynch, PIO, MORA, 11/15]
The three searchers reported injured in the search at the park were seasonal park ranger Asha Anderson and RMI guides Art Rausch and Ashley Garman. Anderson suffered cuts, bruises and two broken ankles; Garman suffered head lacerations and a broken back; Rausch had only minor injuries and was treated and released. [Alisa Lynch, PIO, MORA, 11/17]
Two members of a guided climbing party were rescued after they were injured by an icefall while attempting to climb Mount Rainier on Sunday, June 4th. The accident occurred at 3:30 a.m. around the 11,500-foot level of the Ingraham Glacier, just south of Disappointment Cleaver. Four climbers roped together in two teams were hit by debris from a serac that toppled above them. The two climbers on the first team, higher on the glacier, sustained only minor injuries; the two climbers on the second team were more seriously injured, suffering facial trauma and head lacerations. Rangers and Rainier Mountaineering (RMI) guides stationed at Camp Muir were notified shortly after 4 a.m. They climbed to the scene of the accident with oxygen and medical supplies, then assisted the climbers in their descent to Camp Muir, where a helicopter picked them up. The injured climbers were flown to the Kautz Creek helibase inside the park. One of them, an RMI guide, had been hit in the face by ice. Airlift Northwest flew him to Harborview Medical Center. The other climber, a client, suffered head lacerations from the falling ice, but was fortunately wearing a helmet. He was met by ambulance and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. The other two climbers were able to descend the mountain under their own power. Steve Winslow was IC for the incident. [Maria Gillett, MORA, 6/4]
On the evening of July 24th, park rescuers, aided by an Army Reserve Chinook helicopter, rescued T.L., 47, of Temecula, California, from the 12,200-foot level of Kautz Cleaver on Mount Rainier. T.L. and his two sons, ages 17 and 15, were climbing on Kautz Cleaver and had stopped to camp. T.L. had removed his climbing helmet to set up camp when a rock avalanche struck the trio and he sustained head injuries. One of his sons called 911 on a cellular phone and was connected to climbing rangers at Camp Muir at 10,000 feet. A ranger team on the summit was dispatched to the site and reached the T.L.s after considerable effort. A ranger/EMT, assisted by doctors through a radio and phone link to Good Samaritan Hospital, assessed T.L.'s condition and determined that it was more serious than thought. Equipment and additional rescuers were lowered to the scene by the Chinook. T.L. was hoisted to the helicopter and flown to Madigan Army Medical Center for treatment. [Randy Brooks, IO, MORA, 7/24]
On the afternoon of August 13th, M.R., 51, was glissading down a steep slope in the area of Meany Crest (around 6,700 feet) when she lost control and slid into rocks at the base of the snow slope. Her partner called the park on a cell phone and reported the accident, stating that M.R. had sustained massive head injuries. Rangers Mike Gauthier, Tom Westman and John Leonard flew to the scene in an Aerocopters Jet Ranger and stabilized M.R.. The helicopter then continued to Camp Muir, where rangers Dee Patterson and Jeremy Shanks were picked up along with rescue gear. They were flown to the scene and assisted in transporting M.R. to a landing zone. The helicopter returned to the LZ, picked up M.R., and flew her to Sunrise, landing at night. M.R. was then transferred to a waiting Airlift Northwest helicopter and flown to Harborview Hospital, where she was treated for massive head lacerations, a compressed fracture of the right frontal lobe of the skull, a fracture of the orbit of the right eye, two fractured cheekbones, and a fractured elbow. She is currently only partially responsive and doctors are continuing to evaluate her mental status. The consensus at the hospital is that M.R. would have died that night if she had not been evacuated to the hospital so quickly. Rick Kirschner was IC. [Linda Birkett, MORA, 8/15]
D.S., 47, began to suffer from the symptoms of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) while camped at 12,000 feet atop the Fuhrer Finger route on August 11th. D.S.'s condition continued to deteriorate through the night (gurgling sounds were heard in his lungs) and he was semi-conscious and non-ambulatory by the next morning. His partner employed a cell phone to call 911 and request a rescue. Rangers Craig Patterson, David Gottlieb, John Leonard and Matt Hendrikson were assembled as a climbing/rescue team and flown to the scene in an Army Chinook. The location proved to be too steep for a landing, so the team was lowered to the mountain at 13,000 feet via the helicopter's jungle penetrator cable hoist. They climbed down to D.S.'s location and prepped him for evacuation. D.S., his partner and the rescue team were then hoisted back into the ship and flow directly to Madigan Hospital. D.S. was confirmed to be suffering from HAPE. [Mike Gauthier, IC, MORA, 8/17]
A motorist driving on Highway 410 through the Ghost Lake curves just north of Cayuse Pass around 3:30 a.m. on September 18th saw flames flaring up from a Nissan pickup that had gone off the road in heavy fog, then over an embankment and into a rock wall. The motorist attempted to help the driver get out, but was overcome by smoke and flames. State police and park rangers and maintenance staff were notified. The pickup burned out of control and was completely consumed by the fire. It was only after a local fire department extinguished the flames that rangers discovered that there were two occupants in the truck. The medical examiner is attempting to make positive identification through dental records, but it appears at present that the victims are two men, ages 18 and 19, from Packwood, Washington. The investigation continues. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 9/21]
Ranger Uwe Nehring was contacted by a hunter as he was entering the Longmire administrative area just before 11 a.m. on October 24th. The hunter said that he'd just shot and killed someone in his hunting camp nearby in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. He said that an intruder had entered his camp, started a discussion that led to an argument, and ended in a fight in which the hunter shot the intruder with a .45 caliber handgun. The hunter's camp was located on Forest Service land adjacent to the park. The shooting allegedly occurred the previous evening around 6:30 p.m. The hunter left his victim in the camp, stayed the night, then headed out to report the incident the next morning. The hunter was taken into custody and held for Lewis County SO deputies and USFS officers. Rangers Rick Kirschner, David Langley, Nina Stevens and John Leonard assisted deputies and detectives with the arrest, crime scene management, evidence processing and security. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 10/25]
A vehicle with two occupants was headed west on the main park road about a quarter mile from the Nisqually entrance station when the driver lost control and the vehicle spun into a large tree. They were extricated and flown to a hospital in Tacoma by two Airlift Northwest helicopters. One subsequently died. An investigation is underway. [Hal Taliaferro, MORA, 11/5]
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Washington yesterday morning had relatively little impact on NPS sites: o Mount Rainier NP - The park reports that no visitors or employees were injured. A preliminary damage assessment had revealed no readily apparent damage to structures or facilities. [Jay Wells, CR, PWR, 2/28]
Rangers were notified around 1 a.m. on March 21st that a search was underway for a downed aircraft and that the ELT fixes indicated that it might have crashed in the park. The Piper Cherokee 140 had been reported missing on the previous afternoon. A unified command was set up with the Greenwater VFD, and search teams from the park, Seattle Mountain Rescue and Tacoma Mountain Rescue began searching for the plane in the Lost Creek drainage. An Army Chinook helicopter conducted an aerial search of the drainage, checking out ELT hits picked up by a CAP aircraft. The wreck was found at the 4,250-foot elevation of Slide Mountain on a steep, heavily timbered slope. The plane was not visible from the air, but searchers spotted flames issuing from the wreckage. A search team was flown to a landing site in the upper Lost Creek drainage by the Chinook. They traversed the mountain along the 4,400-foot elevation until they reached the site. Two fatalities were confirmed. The remains were flown from the crash site by long line from a contract helicopter. Aircraft recovery efforts have been suspended until late spring or summer. An investigation into the accident continues. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 3/28]
On the afternoon of April 28th, a Pierce County deputy called the park to request backup on a vehicle stop just outside the park. A passer-by had notified the deputy that a pickup truck had been seen driving down the road with a load of explosives and roles of fuse in the bed. When the deputy stopped the truck, the two 23-year-old occupants jumped out and ran into the woods. Ranger Bob Dopiriak, state troopers and fish and wildlife officers responded; rangers Chris Trotter, Jill Wick and Steve Clump helped with containment and the closure of two highways that cross the park. The pickup truck was found to be loaded with 400 pounds of explosives, about 2,500 feet of fuse, and assorted blasting caps. A bomb squad was called in to secure the explosives, and search dogs were brought in to search for the truck's two occupants. Investigators found that the explosives had been stolen from a state DOT vehicle parked at Chinook Pass, where avalanche crews were clearing snow for spring road openings. One of the two men was found by a canine unit and arrested that evening; the second was captured while attempting to steal a car in nearby Greenwater the next afternoon. Ranger Uwe Nehring was driving by when the latter stop occurred and helped the deputy with the arrest. The mans questioned about the incident, and admitted to breaking into the work area where the truck was parked, breaking into the panel truck for the explosives, breaking into the Forest Service's Cottonwood work center to steal fire tools, and breaking into a recreational cabin in the Silver Creek area. DOT snow removal equipment had also been vandalized and a mobile radio stolen. The two men are reportedly members of a skinhead organization and have extensive criminal histories. They are being charged with numerous state and federal violations. The FBI and ATF are investigating. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 4/30']
Four climbers were rescued from the mountain on Wednesday, May 30th, following an avalanche which swept away their equipment. D.S.-S., J.F., A.W. and M.S. became stranded on Liberty Ridge on Monday evening and called for assistance. Rangers began a rescue effort at daybreak on Tuesday and contacted the stranded climbers via helicopter. The climbers reported that they needed help, so rangers were dropped at the summit and descended to their location. Rapidly changing weather forced the team to spend Tuesday night near the summit of Mount Rainier, and whiteout conditions kept them stranded there most of the day. Breaks in the cloud cover late on Wednesday made it possible for a Chinook helicopter to extract them from Liberty Cap. Uwe Nehring was incident commander. Liberty Ridge is a steep and demanding route, considered a classic among climbers worldwide. [Maria Gillett, MORA, 5/30]
A man attempting to climb Mount Rainier suffered a presumed heart attack yesterday while ascending the Disappointment Cleaver at approximately 12,000 feet. L.M., a 51-year-old climber from London, complained that he needed to rest at approximately 7:30 a.m. Shortly after stopping, he lost consciousness. Despite extensive efforts by climbing guides to perform CPR, he did not regain consciousness. His remains were airlifted off the mountain via helicopter after rangers reached him. He was accompanied on the guided climb by his 16-year-old daughter. Mike Gauthier served as IC. [Maria Gillett, MORA, 8/2]
A high volume of melt water flowing out of the Kautz Glacier combined with soft soils in the Van Trump basin to create a debris flow down Van Trump Creek into the Nisqually River on August 14th. Fluctuations and surges continued through the night, ceased for a while, then began again during the heat of the day. The winter snow pack, which normally would have absorbed much of the melt water which accumulates at this time of the year, was lower than usual, resulting in an increased flow of water into the loose, soft soil. Park personnel, assisted by officers from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, temporarily closed the road at several points and monitored Kautz and Tahoma Creeks throughout the night. No campers were asked to leave the park or the campgrounds. The largest flows of water tossed small rocks and dirt on the roadway. The flows ebbed for periods of over an hour, then would increase substantially for periods of more than a half hour at a time. On August 15th, several additional surges traveled down the river during high water. Hikers were evacuated from the trail to Comet Falls and Van Trump Park. This trail will remain closed until further notice. Four USGS geologists flew over the debris flow area yesterday to assess the hazards. All other park roads and facilities remain open as usual. Regional and national media interest has been very high. Jill Hawk served as IC. [Maria Gillett, MORA, 8/15]
On September 13th, rangers recovered human remains and approximately 350 pounds of airplane wreckage from the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount Rainier, presumed to be from a 1972 airplane crash. Hiker S.L. - a former climbing ranger on Mount Rainier and a park ranger at Olympic NP for many seasons - discovered the remains on Tuesday while hiking around the 6,300-foot elevation on the glacier. S.L. joined rangers Mike Gauthier and Alison Robb in a helicopter flight on Thursday to recover all the remains. The wreckage is presumed to be that of a Piper Cherokee Arrow which was lost in 1972 with three men aboard. A search was conducted by the Civil Air Patrol over a period of five days during January of that year, but the plane was not found. In September, 1992, rangers (including S.L.) found the remains of a human foot, two rings, human hair, airplane parts, and other objects presumably associated with this crash. Mike Gauthier was IC. [Maria Gillett, CI&E, MORA, 9/13]
A 23-year-old woman was hiking on the Chenuis Falls trail with friends on the afternoon of November 17th when she lost her footing and fell more than 20 feet into a plunge pool below the falls. She sustained injuries to her cervical/lumbar vertebrae and broken ribs, and was also suffering from the early stages of hypothermia when rescuers arrived. Park volunteers were the first NPS personnel on scene; they were subsequently joined by rangers and local fire and SAR personnel. The woman was stabilized and transported across the Carbon River to a waiting ambulance. She's reported to be in satisfactory condition. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 11/21]
Extremely high winds cause two trees to break off and land in the road a mile and a half above the Nisqually entrance early on the afternoon of November 25th. A large diameter tree broke off seventy feet up and landed on a 1995 Ford Explorer entering the park. The driver, 26-year-old J.C. from Bellevue, Washington, was killed instantly; passenger K.C., also 26 years old, sustained major injuries. Both were trapped inside the vehicle. Rangers and local firefighters first had to remove the twenty-inch diameter, 25-foot section of tree from the vehicle, then employed extrication equipment to gain access to the Explorer and remove the C.s. K.C. was flown to Harborview hospital in Seattle, where she remains in critical condition with internal injuries to her abdomen and crushing injuries to her pelvis, right leg, and left arm. The investigation is continuing. [Nina Stevens, MORA, 11/28]
Early in the morning on Monday, April 29th, Forest Service personnel found a note attached to the door of the Packwood Information Station reporting a strong fuel odor in the vicinity of Jody's Bridge near Packwood. The Forest Service informed park dispatch, and park personnel in the area responded immediately. Crews determined that a broken coupling in a return fuel line in the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center heating system was responsible for the spill. The building and heating system were brought back into service last week in preparation for spring opening. The tank and fittings had been inspected prior to activation, but the damaged coupling in the distribution line was not spotted. Park crews, in concert with Foss Environmental Services, have been working to contain the spill and have recovered significant amounts of the oil. An estimated 900 gallons is thought to have leaked into the soil adjacent to the visitor center and some of the oil has flowed into a tributary of the Ohanapecosh River. As of late Wednesday, it was unclear how much fuel had spread into the river. The tributary has been "boomed" in several locations with absorbent material to prevent any additional fuel from reaching the Ohanapechosh River. Federal and state environmental agencies have been notified. [Donna Rahier, MORA, 5/1]
Three climbers perished on the demanding and difficult Liberty Ridge route on Mount Rainier sometime between late on the night of Tuesday, May 28th, and the following afternoon. One survived. The four climbers - two women and two men - were slowed by severe winds and freezing rain. The male survivor descended the Winthrop Glacier alone, encountering a climbing party at St. Elmo's Pass at 7,800 feet, where he made a cell phone call late Wednesday morning. An Army Chinook helicopter transported a team of five climbing rangers to the Liberty Cap area, where they confirmed two fatalities - a man and a woman - on the surface of the glacier. They also spotted what appeared to be a third body about 15 feet into a crevasse, but were unable to reach it due to winds gusting up to 60 mph and deteriorating weather conditions. The woman's body was retrieved late Wednesday afternoon. A team of 12 climbing rangers was inserted on Thursday and confirmed the third fatality. The rangers safely retrieved the remaining bodies via the Chinook helicopter. The survivor and two of the climbers who perished were from Germany; the remaining climber who died was from Oregon. Their names will be released as soon as family in Germany is notified. National and regional media interest was high; some calls were also received from German media outlets. Steve Klump was incident commander. [Maria Gillett, CI&E, MORA, 5/30]
Additional details have been received on the deaths of the three climbers on Mount Rainier last week. The three were in a party of four climbers - two men and two women - who set out to ascend the peak on Saturday, May 25th. They spent their first night at St. Elmo's Pass and their second night at Thumb Rock, as planned. Once on the Liberty Ridge route, they encountered deep snow and difficult weather conditions that slowed their progress. Despite storms that raged through the night, they spent their third night in relative comfort in their tents, sheltered beneath the upper edge of a snow-filled crevasse 1,000 feet below Liberty Cap. On Tuesday, May 27th, they started out at 6:30 a.m., reaching the Liberty Cap summit at approximately 3 p.m. Severe winds, freezing rain, and whiteout conditions contributed to their exhaustion; the survivor said that a quarter inch of ice coating virtually everything, making zippers impossible to open and shaping their hoods like helmets on their heads. Their tents were destroyed by high winds, so they built snow caves into the icy 30 to 35 degree slope to wait out the night. Sometime during the night, C.B., 26, of Germany, fell approximately 400 feet to his death. Both snow caves collapsed, exposing the party to the continued fierce storm. As they tried to wrap themselves in sleeping bags and the remains of the tents, the second man fell, landing near the body of his friend. Having lost the outer shell of his climbing boot, he was unable to climb back up the 50 degree slope, but he managed to make his way down the Winthrop Glacier. He encountered a climbing party near St. Elmo's Pass at 7,800 feet, where he made the cell phone call that led to the rescue effort. An Army Chinook helicopter transported a team of five climbing rangers to the Liberty Cap area on Wednesday afternoon, where they confirmed two fatalities, a woman and a man, on the surface of the glacier about 400 feet below the remains of the snow caves. They also spotted what appeared to be a third body about 15 feet into a crevasse about 400 vertical feet below the first two, but they were unable to reach it due to winds gusting up to 60 mph and rapidly deteriorating weather conditions. The body of Keeta Owens, a 22-year-old student at Oregon State University originally from Alaska, was recovered that afternoon. A team of 12 climbing rangers was flown to the summit on Thursday, confirming the third fatality. The rangers safely retrieved the bodies of C.B. and G.K., 26, also of Germany. C.B. was a masters degree candidate at OSU. The survivor, A.K., 29, is a doctoral candidate from a German university who is conducting research at an OSU lab. G.K. was visiting from Germany. National and regional media interest was high; several German TV and radio stations also called. Steve Klump was incident commander. [Maria Gillett, CI&E, MORA, 6/4]
Rangers responded to a request for assistance from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., the guiding concession within the park, early on the morning of Thursday, June 6th. A rope team of three climbers - one RMI guide and two clients - was ascending the Ingraham Direct route at 11,800 feet when a strong wind gust knocked at least one of them down. M.W., 48, and C.G., 50, both of Manchester, New Hampshire, and RMI guide K.W., 35, then slid 100 to 150 feet down the glacier and over the lip of a large crevasse, falling 60 feet before landing on a ledge of snow and ice. K.W. was able to climb to within ten feet of the top of the crevasse. Other RMI guides following along the Ingraham route spotted him and used ropes to rescue the three climbers. A U.S. Army Reserve Chinook helicopter was utilized to transport climbing rangers at the site and extricate the two injured climbers off the mountain. M.W. is in serious condition with a lower leg and hip injury; C.G. is in satisfactory condition with a shoulder and rib injuries and possible concussion. K.W. descended the mountain under his own power. As the above incident was ending, it was found that a climbing party of two that had been contacted by a climbing ranger the previous evening had not returned to their tent at Ingraham Flats at 11,200 feet. A contract helicopter was requested and a climbing ranger was put on board to conduct an aerial search. The Army Reserve Chinook helicopter returned to the park with the initial search team on board. Plans were made to insert a search team of four climbing rangers on the summit to descend and search the Ingraham Direct route while a team of five - three NPS climbing rangers and two RMI guides - continued ascending the mountain after assisting in the previous rescue effort. Before the summit team could be inserted, the contract helicopter crew identified two climbers who were down at approximately 12,500 feet. The ascending search team was directed to the site and confirmed that the two climbers were dead. The victims were removed from the mountain by helicopter. Identification was confirmed and notifications were made at that time. The rescue and recovery efforts were possible due to interagency relations with RMI, the US Army Reserve Chinook crew, Aero-copters and the park staff. Steve Winslow was the IC, Mike Gauthier was the operations section chief. A critical incident stress debriefing has been held for RMI and park staff. [Jill Hawk, CR, MORA, 6/7]
A Jet Ranger 206B3 helicopter crashed on Mount Rainier on June 25th during the rescue of a 19-year-old climber injured by falling rock on the demanding and difficult Liberty Ridge route. The incident began around 8:30 a.m. when an eighteen-inch boulder that had probably been dislodged by melting ice fell and hit J.W. in the head, smashing his climbing helmet. He then fell about 100 feet, suffering neck lacerations and possible head and/or spinal injuries. His father, the team leader, and the other climber administered EMT-level first aid until climbing rangers were flown in via a Chinook helicopter. Because the accident site was steep and still subject to frequent rockfall and a helicopter could not safely extract J.W., the decision was made to insert another team of climbing rangers to lower J.W. to the Carbon Glacier, where they could more safely be extracted by the Chinook. As the second team of two was being transported to the site, the Jet Ranger crashed, landing nose-down on the glacier at 8,800 feet. Remarkably, neither the pilot nor either of his two passengers - climbing ranger Chris Olson and RMI guide Dave Hahn - was hurt. Olson and Hahn continued with their mission, climbing to J.W. to assist with the rescue. By 9:45 p.m., J.W. and his rescuers had all been safely hoisted off the mountain. Probably due to the five recent climbing deaths in the park and the recent helicopter crash on nearby Mount Hood, regional media interest was high. Rick Kirschner was IC. An investigation into the accident by OAS and the NPS is underway. The investigators were unable to fly to the site of the damaged helicopter as planned on Wednesday, but were hoping to reach the site yesterday. [Maria Gillett, PIO, and Patti Wold, Acting PIO, MORA, 6/26]
A mother and daughter were reported as overdue hikers in the Carbon River area on the evening of Sunday, June 23rd. According to the woman's husband, the pair had gone hiking along the river with their pet dog on Sunday afternoon. Rangers were notified at 10 p.m.; they conducted hasty searches throughout the night, but without luck. A search with a tracking dog was scheduled to get underway the next morning when the mother, daughter and dog walked out of the woods and contacted park staff. All were okay. According to the husband, his wife often visited this area and parked at odd locations (other than trailheads) so that she wouldn't be seen with her dog while in the park. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 6/26]
A couple from Bonney Lake, Washington, left their home on the morning of June 24th and drove to Chinook Pass to find a location to drive over a cliff and commit suicide. The driver left the road at milepost 67.5 and crashed through a snow bank. The car rolled over, crashed into the snow slope below, then slid another 50 feet downslope. Alcohol and sleeping pills were on board. The two were extricated from the vehicle by rangers and local VFD personnel and flown to Providence Hospital in Yakima. Both are in stable condition and undergoing evaluation by mental health professionals. A series of financial setbacks prompted them to make the suicide attempt. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 6/26]
Rescue efforts were set in motion to locate two overdue climbers on the demanding Liberty Ridge Route on Saturday, June 29th. The climbers were supposed to have been out on Wednesday, June 26th. They'd been seen by rangers that day at 13,000 feet, but made it clear that they were not in need of assistance. The weather over the next few days was extremely bad, with winds blowing up to 50 mph and temperatures around 15 degrees at the summit. A storm on Friday night was accompanied by snow and winds well over 150 mph. Climbing and backcountry rangers began a search with assistance from an Army Reserve Chinook helicopter. An ice axe was located near a crevasse that had been used as an anchor for a rope leading down into the crevasse. Tent poles with flagging on top marking the crevasse were spotted on the summit during aerial reconnaissance. Climbing rangers who had been taken to the summit by the Chinook to begin a ground search were able to locate the equipment and the missing party. After summiting Wednesday night, climbers D.Q., 32, and A.M., 40, realized they would not be able to set up their tent. To get out of the weather, they climbed 35 feet into the crevasse and dug a shelf where they spent several epic days and nights waiting out the storm and staving off hypothermia. They melted water by filling their water bottles with snow and placing them in their sleeping bags, and took turns climbing out of the crevasse each day to re-set the tent poles. Climbing rangers assisted the climbers out of the crevasse and they were airlifted off the summit. Due to their weakened condition, it's doubtful that they would have survived without rescue. Mike Gauthier was IC for this incident. [Patti Wold, Interpretive Specialist, MORA, 6/29]
At 8:30 a.m. on June 29th, a three men from Idaho was descending the mountain on the Kautz Glacier Route when Youn Phan slipped on the Turtle Snowfield at 8,900 feet. He self-arrested with his ice axe, during which his crampon dug into the snow, locking his foot in place and probably dislocating and breaking his ankle. One member of the party reported the accident at 10:30 a.m. at Paradise while the other remained with Phan. Two climbing rangers were lowered by hoist to a point 500 vertical feet above the injured party, then climbed down to him. Two backcountry rangers and five members of Tacoma Mountain Rescue began the climb up from Paradise to assist with a carryout, but the weather remained clear and Phan was evacuated by the same Chinook that brought the two climbers off Liberty Ridge (above) at last light. Rick Kirschner was IC for this incident. [Patti Wold, Interpretive Specialist, MORA, 6/29]
A report of six fallen climbers has yielded no evidence of an accident, despite extended searching by ground teams and an Army Reserve Chinook helicopter. The search was begun on Saturday, July 13th, after a 4:30 a.m. 911 call from the top of Disappointment Cleaver (12,300 feet) on the mountain's most popular climbing route. A party of four, climbing up at about 12,500 feet, had observed what appeared to be the headlamps of a party of three above them, falling from about 12,800 feet. The leader appeared to tumble downhill and the other two rope team members fell soon thereafter. They appeared to cartwheel and tumble in what appeared to be a very serious fall. Very soon afterwards, a second party of three also appeared to fall, first slowly and then picking up speed. Both parties then disappeared. The reporting party, believing that the two rope teams may have fallen into a crevasse, or possibly two separate crevasses, descended to 12,300 feet, where they encountered another climbing party with cell phones and made the call. Climbing ranger Glenn Kessler, already on a climbing patrol with a volunteer member of Portland Mountain Rescue, began investigating and interviewing climbers as he ascended the Disappointment Cleaver until he reached the reporting party. Kessler and his rope team, along with three guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., spent a number of hours searching above Disappointment Cleaver but found no evidence of an injured or missing party. Rangers also searched from the Chinook helicopter in two separate flying missions totaling over two hours over the upper reaches of the Ingraham and Emmons glacier, but found no indications of an accident. Rangers and RMI guides conducted two inventories of all of the tents at Camp Muir, Ingraham Flats, Camp Schurmann, and Emmons Flats, and all people associated with those tents were accounted for. Although climbing and protection rangers interviewed the reporting party and found them to be experienced, knowledgeable, mature, and apparently credible, the search was suspended due to lack of any evidence of anyone missing or injured. The investigation continues, and the search will be initiated again should any important clues appear. Steve Winslow was IC. [Maria Gillett, PIO, MORA, 7/15]
Rangers received a report of a lost three-year-old child on the Green Lake Trail near Ranger Falls in the Carbon River area around 8 p.m. on July 17th. The mother and child had been hiking with a friend when the adults lost track of the three-year-old. The friend went for help, contacting rangers at Ipsut Campground. A hasty search was begun and the child was found near the point last seen by ranger Eric Oaks and a friend of the mother around 10:30 p.m. The child was dehydrated but in good condition. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 7/21]
The park received a report that a vehicle had gone off the road on the uphill side of the Route 123 tunnel at 8:45 p.m. on July 19th. Witnesses said that they'd seen the driver stop the vehicle, position it to go off the road, rev the engine, then launch the car off the road side. The vehicle rolled several times and came to rest on a talus slope 250 feet below the road. A 32-year-old woman from Auburn was trapped in the car, but sustained only minor injuries. Rangers and personnel from Greenwater Volunteer Fire Department, Packwood VFD, Pierce County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene. The woman was extricated, stabilized and flown to Providence Hospital in Yakima. An investigation is underway. [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 7/21]
The park had three significant SAR operations in late July and early August. Late on the evening of July 26th, rangers were notified that a member of a backpacking party on its way to Lake James had become separated from the group and was missing. A hasty search for the 44- year-old man was conducted on the trail and the West Fork of the White River the next day. The man was found at 3 p.m. and reunited with his group. He'd lagged behind the party and went up the wrong trail at the junction of the Northern Loop and West Fork trails. On July 28th, a climber fell and fractures his right ankle while climbing at 11,000 feet on the Emmons Glacier. Rangers stabilized his injury and lowered him to Camp Schurman. An Army Chinook arrived to airlift him to a hospital in Fort Lewis, but winds were too strong to conduct a hoist. He was instead carried out through Glacier Basin to a trailhead and taken to a hospital by friends and family. On the afternoon of August 1st, dispatch was notified of an injured hiker in the Spray Park area of the Carbon River drainage. A 43-year-old woman was hiking through that area when she decided to climb a rock face near Spray Falls. Neither she nor her companions had climbing gear. The woman fell 20 feet and broke her right ankle. Rangers and a resource management aquatics crew working nearby at Mowich Lake responded and evacuated her. The operation required two pitches of technical lowering and a two-and-a-half mile carryout to the Mowich Lake trailhead, where she was picked up by an ambulance. [Uwe Nehring, MORA]
The latest in a series of car clouts occurred on the night of August 3rd at the Crystal Lakes trailhead in the Highway 410 corridor. The break-ins were discovered the next morning. There have been 14 car clouts in the Highway 410 corridor since June 23rd, with three more occurring at the Chinook Pass trailhead just east of the park boundary. The investigation continues. [Uwe Nehring, MORA]
A man attacked a park volunteer who was hiking on the Nachez Peak Trail near Tipsoo Lake shortly after 4 p.m. on August 14th. The volunteer defended herself with pepper spray but is unsure if she hit the attacker. The attacker struck her, knocking her down, then fled on foot. When she regained alertness, he was gone. The volunteer immediately radioed the park communication center for assistance. Rangers responded, with additional support from various state, county, and local law enforcement agencies. Road blocks established at several locations were unsuccessful in intercepting the attacker. Searches of the area by helicopter and dog team also failed to locate him. The investigation continues with involvement of the FBI and rangers from Mount Rainier NP, Olympic NP, and North Cascades NP. [Lee Taylor, MORA]
On the afternoon of August 18th, rangers received a report of a body below Glacier Bridge. The 47-year-old victim was from Yelm, Washington. There's a high probability that she committed suicide. Her death occurred at least 24 to 48 hours before the body was discovered. The investigation continues. [Patti Wold, PIO, MORA]
A party of four climbers was ascending Disappointment Cleaver on Mount Rainier early on Monday morning when a falling rock struck and killed the last member of the rope team. The team was led by J.W. of Seattle, an experienced climber who is well-known in the climbing community. The stricken climber, E.H. of Duluth, Minnesota, was a double amputee who had successfully climbed Mount McKinley and was training for a bid on Everest. J.W. notified the park of the fatality by cell phone at 6:16 a.m. A helicopter transported climbing rangers Nick Giguere and Jeremy Shank to the top of Disappointment Cleaver. They climbed down to the accident scene at 11,750 feet to assist with retrieval of the dead climber. The body was flown off of the mountain by helicopter around noon. The surviving members of the climbing party climbed down to Camp Muir, the high camp at 10,200 feet, and were transported off of the mountain by helicopter. [Submitted by Lee Taylor, Public Information Officer, Mount Rainier NP]
The park received a report of two overdue climbers late on Sunday,
February 16. C.M. and Q.T. had planned on
traveling to Camp Muir on Saturday, climbing to the summit of the
mountain early on Sunday, then returning to the trailhead by dark the
same day. Rangers and volunteers from two mountain rescue groups began
searching for them on Tuesday. Two teams of climbers searched the Muir
Snowfield, while others searched the route by helicopter during a brief
period of clear weather. On Tuesday afternoon, two more hikers were
reported overdue. K.A. and B.L. had departed for Camp Muir
on Saturday. Both pairs of climbers had been caught by poor weather late
on Saturday. They joined forces, camping in shallow snow trenches at an
elevation of 9,600 feet, then began their descent on Sunday in whiteout
conditions. They strayed east of the Muir Snowfield onto Paradise
Glacier, where they spent the next two nights in a snow cave at 7,200
feet waiting for weather and avalanche conditions to improve. They were
drying their gear on Tuesday in preparation for a descent the next day
when a backcountry skier came upon them. The skier contacted the park
via cell phone, advising of the climbers' location and condition. The
climbers then followed the skier's tracks back to Paradise, meeting
rescuers while en route. K.A., who was suffering from frostbite, was
taken to a hospital, but the other three climbers were in good
condition.
On Saturday, April 5th, three hikers left Paradise, intending to hike three hours uphill in the direction of Camp Muir and spend two hours on the return hike. That evening, a 911 call was received by the Lewis County Sheriff's Office dispatcher via cell phone. Although the connection was poor, the caller managed to make it clear that he was lost in the Paradise area at Mount Rainier. Lewis County then relayed the information to the park at about 5:00 p.m. An investigation revealed that the hikers - S.K., R.N. and J.S. - might have been headed in the direction of Camp Muir and that they were inadequately provisioned and not prepared to spend a night on the mountain. On Sunday morning, a ground search was launched that included park climbing rangers, members of the Mount Rainier Nordic Patrol, and members of the Tacoma, Seattle, Olympic and Portland mountain rescue teams. Over the previous 24 hours, 14 inches of snow had fallen and the avalanche danger was high. At approximately 11:30 a.m., climbing rangers Stoney Richards and Glenn Kessler received a response to their calls to the three men. They learned that the hikers had been suddenly engulfed in whiteout conditions and had veered off course. They then stopped and dug a snow cave on the moraine of the Nisqually Glacier and shared one space blanket among them through the night. Extreme caution was used in moving the party off the moraine due to unstable snow conditions that had caused high avalanche danger. The three men were able to walk out on their own. The IC on the incident was Chris Trotter. [Patti Wold, Incident IO, MORA]
On the morning of June 5th, C.B., 50, was hit by ice fall
at the 11,500-foot level while attempting to summit via the Ingraham
Direct route with an RMI guided climb. The ice let loose from a spot
about a thousand feet above and knocked C.B. unconscious. When he
came to, he reported memory loss, disorientation and nausea. RMI guides
got him to Camp Muir at 10,000 feet, where they contacted climbing
ranger Patrick Boys Smith. Smith reported the incident and worked with
the RMI climbing team to complete the rescue. C.B. was carried out
by litter to Paradise, then taken by ambulance to Saint Joe's Hospital
in Tacoma. Helicopters had been summoned, but were unable to lift
C.B. off the mountain or medevac him from a lower elevation due to
high temperatures. Mike Gauthier was IC. [Patti Wold, PIO,
MORA]
On the morning of July 14th, park staff reported that a lone hiker
who had been staying at the Mystic Lake backcountry camp had been acting
strange and stealing food and miscellaneous items from other
backpackers. He was also observed talking to the trees and to God.
Protection rangers searched for him the next day and found him in the
White River campground. When contacted, the 27-year-old man, who was
found to have a history of mental illness, ignored commands and
instructions from a ranger and continued hiking. When confronted, he
received counsel from God, tried to walk through/over the ranger, and
tried to flee. He was taken into custody for psychological evaluation.
The recent warm temperatures that brought heavy precipitation and record flooding to some areas in the northwest part of Washington also caused extensive damage within the park. While the park did not receive the record-breaking precipitation recorded elsewhere, the unusually high temperatures, combined with an unstable snow pack and rain at the higher elevations, resulted in rapid melting, sending large volumes of water into the rivers and streams flowing from Mount Rainier. This rapid runoff resulted in serious damage to roads and facilities in many park areas, and the park estimates that repairs will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Areas known to have received damage include:
Damage to trails and bridges in the park's backcountry are unknown at
this time, but visitors should assume that all lowland bridges and
crossings are out. Repairs will not be made to most of these areas until
next season. Park visitors are also advised to use extreme caution if
attempting to cross any fast moving streams. For updated information,
check the park's website at http://www.nps.gov/
mora/current/current.htm; for recorded information about the park,
call 360-569-2211.
Early on the morning of Saturday, May 15th, P.C., 39, of Cape
Elizabeth, Maine, was ascending Liberty Ridge with companion Scott
Richards, 42, when he fell at the 11,800-foot level. Although the rope
and belay arrested his fall and he was wearing a helmet, he suffered a
severe head injury and possible leg and arm injuries. Richards contacted
the park via cell phone just after 6
a.m. and reported the accident. Rescue efforts were immediately begun,
but were hindered for two days by poor weather, steep terrain and the
high elevation. In the interim, Richards carved out a flat platform for
a tent on the 45 degree slope, got P.C. into a sleeping bag, and cared
for him. After nearly three full days of concerted efforts by several
teams of rescuers, rangers were finally able to get to P.C. late on
Monday. The weather that had been the principal problem abated, making
it possible for an Oregon National Guard Chinook helicopter to fly to
the ridge. P.C. was strapped into a rescue litter and was hoisted into
the hovering helicopter. Although still alive when extricated, he did
not survive the flight and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Madigan
Army Hospital. Participants in this major rescue effort included nearly
70 people from the park, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Rainier Mountaineering
and the Oregon National Guard. Mike Gauthier was IC.
A 45-year-old man attempted suicide in the park on May 14th by driving his 1996 Honda Accord off Highway 410 near milepost 63. The man, reportedly despondent over marital problems, began drinking that morning, took $3,000 in cash from his bank, and drove to the park. According to witnesses, he was heading north on the highway when he accelerated, crossed the centerline and crashed through a wood rail. The car traveled about 150 feet down a talus slope, then rolled several times and came to rest on the slope 300 feet below the road. The driver survived with little or no injury and got out of the Honda before it burst into flame. The fire torched several trees and started a ground fire. Rescuers from the park, Greenwater VFD, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Washington State Patrol, and King County rescue extricated the man via a technical raising. He was flown to Harborview Hospital ER for further examination and observation by mental health professionals. [Submitted by Uwe Nehring]
On June 3rd, four rangers climbed to Liberty Ridge on Mount Rainier
in response to a climbing accident involving two municipal firefighters.
The accident occurred at the site of another fatal climbing accident two
weeks ago. One climber was killed; the second sustained injuries to his
hand. Both were airlifted from the mountain with the assistance of an
Aerostar B-3 contract helicopter and a Blackhawk from the Oregon Army
National Guard. Steve Klump was IC.
On Tuesday, June 15th, family members reported that climbers L.C.
and A.V. were overdue from an ascent of the highly
technical Liberty Ridge route on Mount Rainier. The pair had undertaken
the ascent on the previous weekend. A search was begun, and a motionless
person was spotted in the snow west of the ridge at 9,000 feet during a
reconnaissance flight on Thursday. That evening, a team of climbing
rangers was flown to the mountain and inserted onto lower Curtis Ridge.
On Friday morning, the rangers recovered L.C.'s body. Rangers Chris
Olson, Glenn Kessler, Stoney Richards and Matt Hendrickson then
conducted an intensive ground search of the area, using avalanche
transceivers and probes. They recovered two backpacks and a climbing
rope, but found no sign of A.V., who is a seasonal wildland
firefighter at North Cascades NP. Efforts to find him continue. L.C.,
29, of Stevensville, Montana, was a graduate student at the University
of Montana with a master's in applied mathematics and taught alpine and
mountaineering skills. He leaves his parents, wife, and four-and-a-half
year old son. A.V., 29, is a graduate of Evergreen State College,
with a bachelor's degree in botany. He just began his third season of
employment at North Cascades, where he served as a fire effects monitor.
Last year the pair attempted to climb Disappointment Clever on Mount
Rainier with a friend, but turned around due to poor weather conditions
that made the route unsafe. Meanwhile, rangers were also involved in the
rescue of a second, unrelated climbing party from Thumb Rock on the
Liberty Ridge route. Although uninjured, A.H., 44, of Fort
McMurrey Canada, and B.P., 48, of Connecticut, reported that they
were in distress and needed assistance in descending the route. Mike
Gauthier is IC on this incident.
On Tuesday, June 15th, family members reported that climbers L.C.
and A.V. were overdue from an ascent of the highly
technical Liberty Ridge route on Mount Rainier. The pair had undertaken
the ascent on the previous weekend. A search was begun, and a motionless
person was spotted in the snow west of the ridge at 9,000 feet during a
reconnaissance flight on Thursday. That evening, a team of climbing
rangers was flown to the mountain and inserted onto lower Curtis Ridge.
On Friday morning, the rangers recovered L.C.'s body. Rangers Chris
Olson, Glenn Kessler, Stoney Richards and Matt Hendrickson then
conducted an intensive ground search of the area, using avalanche
transceivers and probes. They recovered two backpacks and a climbing
rope, but found no sign of A.V., who is a seasonal wildland
firefighter at North Cascades NP. Efforts to find him continue. L.C.,
29, of Stevensville, Montana, was a graduate student at the University
of Montana with a master's in applied mathematics and taught alpine and
mountaineering skills. He leaves his parents, wife, and four-and-a-half
year old son. A.V., 29, is a graduate of Evergreen State College,
with a bachelor's degree in botany. He just began his third season of
employment at North Cascades, where he served as a fire effects monitor.
Last year the pair attempted to climb Disappointment Clever on Mount
Rainier with a friend, but turned around due to poor weather conditions
that made the route unsafe. Meanwhile, rangers were also involved in the
rescue of a second, unrelated climbing party from Thumb Rock on the
Liberty Ridge route. Although uninjured, A.H., 44, of Fort
McMurrey Canada, and B.P., 48, of Connecticut, reported that they
were in distress and needed assistance in descending the route. Mike
Gauthier is IC on this incident.
Two climbers were rescued from Thumb Rock on Liberty Ridge on June
19th. A.H., 44, and B.P., 43, were hoisted off the mountain
by a Chinook helicopter, assisted by climbing rangers and the Oregon
Army National Guard flight crew. The climbers were uninjured and
did not require medical attention. A.H. and B.P. made a 911 cell
phone call Thursday morning requesting a rescue. The climbers found that
they were not able to either ascend or descend the Liberty Ridge route
from their location at the Thumb Rock high camp. The climbers recognized
that they were not up to completing the challenging route. An
attempt to rescue the climbing team was delayed due to the search and
rescue mission already in progress for two overdue climbers, Luke Casady
and Ansel Viscaya. Casady's body was found when climbing rangers reached
a point below Liberty Wall on Friday morning. Warm conditions on the
mountain make a ground search unsafe at this time for missing climber
Ansel Viscaya, who is presumed dead. The warm conditions increase
rock and ice fall in the steep terrain of Liberty Ridge and Liberty
Wall. Searchers will be sent back to the accident site when conditions
permit. Aerial searching will continue on Tuesday, weather permitting.
Mike Gauthier is IC on this incident.
On June 15th, family members reported that climbers L.C. and
A.V. were overdue from an ascent of the highly technical
Liberty Ridge route on Mount Rainier. The pair had undertaken the ascent
on the previous weekend. A search was begun, and L.C.'s body was found
in the snow west of the ridge at 9,000 feet. There was no sign of
A.V., however. On July 13th, a solo climber spotted his body on the
mountain. A team of three climbing rangers reached the accident site two
days later and recovered his remains. A.V., 29, was a graduate of
Evergreen State College, with a bachelor's degree in botany. He had just
begun his third season of employment at North Cascades, where he served
as a fire effects monitor. Mike Gauthier was IC on this
incident.
A group of seven military service members from Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington began a hike up Knapsack Pass in the Mowich Lake area at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd. Two members of the party decided to reach the summit by climbing a rock face south of the pass. While on their way up, one of them fell about 60 feet to the talus slope below him and rolled another 100 feet down the slope. He sustained head, back and neck injuries. His partner became stranded on the rock face. Another member of the group hiked back to Mowich Lake and called dispatch to summon help. Rangers joined him and were lead back to the scene of the incident. They stabilized the injured 19-year-old with the assistance of an Army medic who had been lowered to the scene; the victim was then flown to Harborview Hospital by a MAST helicopter from Fort Lewis. Rangers next turned their attention to the stranded climber, who was perched on a small ledge/overhang, dressed in only a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers on a night when temperatures were forecast to drop into the high 30s or low 40s. Rangers climbed to his location, set up an anchor station, and lowered him to safety in the dark using headlamps. He and the rest of his party were escorted to Mowich Lake trailhead. None of the members of the group was properly equipped for hiking or
climbing — they had no overnight provisions, no first aid kits, and
no climbing gear — and none had any climbing experience.
Friends of fallen firefighter Daniel Holmes gathered at White River on October 6th for a celebration of life. Dan began his National Park Service career at Mount Rainier, first working as a volunteer backcountry ranger, then going on to spend several years as a seasonal ranger in trails and as a firefighter before joining the hotshots in 2004. The gathering was truly a celebration of his life. The event was led by Superintendent Dave Uberuaga and FMO Alison Robb and attended by over fifty of Dan's friends, former co-workers and supervisors. Stories were recounted and pictures were shown that brought to life Dan's vibrant personality, love of the outdoors, and unique style. Cori Conner told the story of the time Dan was in the backcountry, alone on a beautiful fall day, and had the urge to share the spectacular beauty he was seeing but there was no one with him to share in the experience. So Dan proceeded to tell the entire park about the amazing fall colors and gorgeous day he was experiencing at Summerland over the park radio and encouraged all to visit the area on the upcoming weekend. This is just one of the many stories that were shared and made evident that Dan's spirit lives on through all who knew him. The gathering was brought to a close by a hauntingly beautiful
rendition of "Amazing Grace" played on the bagpipes by close friend and
park employee, Barry McMonagle.
M.L., 23, and A.K., 21, both of Monroe, Washington, were exploring a crevasse on the Ingraham Glacier on the afternoon of October 24th when they were caught in a small avalanche as the snow ramp they were on slid. A.K. was completely buried by the slide and M.L. was left with only one arm and his head free. M.L. was able to dig himself out, then unbury his partner, but A.K. did not survive. While en route to the emergency shelter at Camp Muir (10,180 feet), M.L. was able to contact a hunter outside the park via radio. The park received the 911 call from the hunter at 5 p.m. M.L. hiked out to the trailhead that night. On Monday morning, climbing rangers Mike Gauthier, Adrienne Sherred and Bree Loewen were inserted near the accident site by helicopter. They retrieved A.K.'s body from the crevasse, and body and rescuers were flown off the mountain. For additional information, contact IC Steve Klump 360-569-2211 ext. 3304. [Submitted by Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
On Tuesday, May 24th, climbing rangers recovered the remains of two
missing hikers from 8,000 feet on the Muir Snowfield. Climbing rangers
Stefan Lofgren, Bree Loewen and Andy Anderson, assisted by a Long Ranger
helicopter, recovered the remains of T.S., 57, and his nephew
G.S., 27, both of Lakewood, Washington. Climbing ranger Mike
Gauthier saw the hikers at 9,000 feet on his trip up to Camp Muir on
Saturday. The two fell behind Gauthier's party and may have attempted to
head back down the route due to a drastic change in weather that hit
suddenly. The storm brought whiteout conditions and over a foot of snow,
making travel difficult. The backpacks of the two victims contained a
tent and enough gear to spend the night out of the elements. The extreme
weather conditions may have prevented them from putting up their tent.
It appears that they may have become exhausted, sat down and succumbed
to the weather. The incident commander was Mike Gauthier.
A search for Z.W., 22, of Meriden, Connecticut, continued into its fourth day Monday with ground and air operations involving more than 20 park staff. Z.W. was reported overdue from a day hike on Thursday, August 11th. The search area extends from the Nisqually Glacier west to the Kautz Glacier and from the parking area at 3,600 feet to 11,400 feet. Searchers discovered boot tracks ascending a rocky ridge to the east of Kautz Glacier to an elevation of 10,000 feet. The tracks match the type of shoe Z.W. was wearing and provide the best lead so far in the search. Searchers have been unable to find any other clues to Z.W.'s course or whereabouts. Z.W. was not equipped for an overnight stay and his exact hiking plans are unknown. Searchers are working in very challenging, steep terrain with many cliffs, waterfalls, and rivers with high water flows. A Hughes 500 helicopter and a Long Ranger are also assisting in the search. Weather conditions have been favorable, with clear skies and warm temperatures. The search was to resume on Tuesday with further ground and aerial reconnaissance, including a search of the summit crater and steam caves. The IC is John Piastuck. [Submitted by Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
Searchers combed rocky terrain, dense forest, and glaciers for seven days, but were unable to find Z.W., 22, of Meriden, Connecticut. Z.W. was reported missing at midnight on August 11th. Over the course of the following week, more than 20 searchers, on foot and aboard helicopters, looked for evidence of Z.W.'s whereabouts in the rugged Mount Rainier backcountry. The search area extended from the Nisqually Glacier west to Success Cleaver and from 3,600 feet to the 14,410-foot summit. As the search progressed, more and more clues pointed to Wapowety Cleaver above the Kautz Glacier as Z.W.'s route of travel. These included conversations he had had about the route, tracks ascending to 10,000 feet, and a stuff sack containing some of his belongings stashed at 9,000 feet. But no sign of him was found. Incident commander John Piastuck called the search to an end at the close of operations on August 18th. [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
The search for concession employee D.Q., 22, was suspended on Sunday night, but was scheduled to resume again yesterday morning. Crews began scouring the steep, rugged terrain around Longmire in the Nisqually River drainage early on Sunday morning and before day's end had covered 10 square miles (approximately 6,000 acres of terrain) and 20 miles of trails, including the north slope of Eagle Peak, the south slope of Rampart Ridge, the Cougar Rock area, the trails to the Kautz River, and country extending out to the south park boundary. After the ground search was suspended at 6:00 p.m., the Washington State Patrol used infrared to continue the search by air into the early evening hours. The search was to expand on Monday, with ground crews, dog teams and a helicopter continuing to search new areas. Park protection rangers are pursuing all angles of D.Q.'s disappearance, with officers assigned to follow all leads. Search efforts began Saturday after D.Q. was reported missing by her roommate just before noon. She was last seen on Friday between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. at the National Park Inn, where she is employed by Guest Services Incorporated. D.Q. had mentioned that she was going hiking after her shift on Friday evening and is presumed missing in the Longmire area of the park, where her car was found. Approximately 15 teams of rangers and volunteers, six dog teams, a helicopter and an airplane participated in Sunday's search. [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
A three-day search came to a sad end on Monday when a helicopter spotted the body of 22-year-old D.Q. on the rocks below Comet Falls. Searchers on the ground reached the site early in the afternoon and the body was evacuated by helicopter. D.Q. was last seen Friday evening at the National Park Inn in Longmire where she worked for Guest Services Incorporated. She told friends that she was going hiking after work on Friday. Her roommate reported her missing late Saturday morning. More than 40 National Park Service employees participated in the search. They aggressively scoured a 10 square mile area of rugged terrain around Longmire, including approximately 14 miles of trail and 6,000 acres of forested terrain. Northwest Bloodhounds, German Shepherd Search Dogs of Washington State, King County Search Dogs, the Washington State Patrol, and Worldwind Helicopters all participated in the search effort. The evidence for the cause of the accident is inconclusive, but investigators suspect that D.Q. fell on steep, rocky terrain while traversing a slope between the upper and lower waterfalls. [Lee Taylor, Incident Information Officer]
Massive mudslides inundated portions of Route 410 east of Chinook Pass on the afternoon of July 4th. Cloudbursts had caused flash floods on portions of the American River within the Naches Ranger District in the Wenatchee National Forest; those flash floods had in turn caused sections of hillside to collapse. Several motorists were trapped on the highway. Park rangers evacuated campers in the vicinity and assisted the Yakima County Sheriff's Department and Washington State Patrol with closure of portions of Route 410 in the park and national forest. That evening, Lewis County dispatch forwarded a call to the park regarding a hiking accident. Three hikers had fallen into Chenuis Creek Falls. Two of them slid down a portion of the falls and made it to safety, but the third had become stranded on a rock slab in the middle of the torrent in the midst of the series of waterfalls. County deputies, a swiftwater rescue team, firefighters and rangers responded and rescued the stranded hiker, who was suffering from hypothermia but otherwise okay. [Uwe Nehring]
On the afternoon of July 10th, a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle with an operator and passenger on board passed a ranger vehicle in a no passing zone on Highway 410. Rangers tried to stop the motorcycle, but the operator fled westward on the highway - using both lanes, passing vehicles on both the left and right, and running other vehicles off the road. At one point during the 10 mile chase, a ranger clocked the motorcycle on radar at 116 mph. The operator finally stopped near the park's north boundary. Rangers took him and his passenger into custody, but the latter was subsequently released. The operator had outstanding felony arrest warrants against him from Lewis County for firearms violations and failure to appear in court. He was issued seven citations and taken to Lewis County, where he was turned over to the sheriff's office. He may also be facing felony evasion charges under state code. [Uwe Nehring]
On the afternoon of July 9th, a visitor reported that a pickup truck with a 29-foot travel trailer had gone off Highway 410. Rangers responded and extricated the driver and his daughter from the vehicle. They determined that the pickup had swerved, then collided with a car parked at a nearby overlook. The driver of the car was sleeping inside at the time. The pickup knocked the car into the westbound lane, then careened off the road, took out five rock and concrete pylons and a timber rail, and landed in the outlet stream from Upper Tipsoo Lake. The occupants of both vehicles were treated for minor injuries and taken to an emergency room. Rangers noticed an oily sheen developing on Lower Tipsoo Lake and stopped the leakage from the truck. The truck, trailer and car were all totaled. A heavy duty tow truck was called in to hoist the vehicles from the drainage, and EPA responded to the spill on the lake. Contract cleanup crews worked through the next day to remove oil and contaminants from the lake. Terrestrial and aquatic damage assessments are underway. While the response to this incident was underway, rangers were dispatched to a car fire a couple of miles down the highway. A westbound pickup with a cargo trailer caught fire. The driver was returning from a gun show when a fire started in the engine compartment (he'd just installed a new carburetor the week before). The trailer was loaded with thousands of dollars worth of weapons and ammunition. Rangers and a Forest Service officer were able to separate the trailer from the truck and save the contents. The truck was a total loss. A local VFD knocked down the fire. [Uwe Nehring]
Over the course of this past summer, rangers from Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks conducted a successful investigation into a rash of auto burglaries that occurred in May and June at trailheads in the two parks. The investigation culminated with the arrests of two local residents on identity theft and stolen property charges. Rangers identified 27 victims in the spring car clouts - 21 at Olympic and another six at Mount Rainier. A surveillance operation was begun at Olympic, but was unsuccessful. Investigators discovered, however, that credit cards stolen from visitors had been used in several stores in the Aberdeen and Olympia area. They traced a receipt from a Wal-Mart store to a purchase made by M.P. of Aberdeen, who was already a suspect in previous burglary and larceny cases at Olympic. Based on this and other evidence, an arrest and search warrant was issued for M.P. by the Aberdeen Police Department. In early July, Olympic rangers assisted Aberdeen officers with the execution of the warrant at M.P.'s residence. A number of stolen items (backpacks, tents, clothing, men's wallets, etc.) were found in M.P.'s room. Rangers cataloged and removed over 150 items from the home as evidence. During the search, an entrance receipt for Mount Rainier was seized. Mount Rainier rangers then retrieved and reviewed entrance station video footage which placed M.P. and a female companion, identified as A.C., at the park on the date of the larcenies. They were also able to obtain bank surveillance photos showing A.C. attempting to cash stolen checks at two separate banks. Rangers believe that A.C. assisted M.P. and used stolen checks and credit cards after the thefts. During a subsequent search of A.C.'s residence, a stolen phone card was recovered as well as a notebook containing serial numbers for a laptop which had been reported stolen at Mount Rainier. M.P. has been charged with identity theft and possession of stolen property in state court; A.C. has been charged with identity theft. During interviews with M.P., rangers obtained written statements admitting to the crimes. Rangers from the two parks are jointly managing the case. Federal charges against M.P. and A.C. are pending. Click on "More Information" for a related news story. [Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer] HYPERLINK "http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2006/08/09/local_news/06news.txt"
Searchers found a missing backpacker on the afternoon of Friday, October 20th, bringing an intensive two-day search to a successful conclusion. S.H. began her hike on the Northern Loop trail on Saturday, October 14th, and planned on completing the trip this past Tuesday. Snow and fog caused her to become disoriented on the third day of the hike, though, and she ended up off-trail on Winthrop Creek north of the Wonderland trail and below Skyscraper Mountain. Unable to locate the trail despite searching for hours over rough terrain, she set up camp and waited for searchers to find her. Searchers discovered her footprints and followed them along Winthrop Creek, but were forced to turn back after encountering treacherous conditions. The search was continued from the air, and S.H. was found just after 1 p.m. last Friday. She was in good condition. She'd planned to ration her remaining food to last up to 14 days, allowing herself just one meal per day. S.H. had left her itinerary with roommates, including the date she expected to return to school at the University of Puget Sound. She is experienced in outdoor skills and is trained as an EMT. Her preparation for this trip contributed to the success of the search and her survival. Approximately 80 people were assigned to this incident. Assisting park staff were personnel from Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, Olympic Mountain Rescue, German Shepherd Search Dogs, Northwest Helicopters, King County Guardian Helicopter, and Olympic and North Cascades National Parks. [Patti Wold, Incident Information Officer]
According to the Associated Press (Monday evening), heavy rains have virtually closed Mount Rainier National Park. Several roads and campgrounds are threatened by flooding and mudslides. The main park road from the Nisqually entrance to Paradise is closed. Highway 123 is also closed due to rockslides. Park employees at Longmire were told to leave while the road is still passable. The Park Service says the only road into the park that is still open is Highway 410 over Chinook Pass.
Rain continues to pound Mount Rainier National Park, causing flooding along the Nisqually River that has washed away the Sunshine Point Campground and a quarter-mile stretch of the Nisqually Road. "The news is not good. There has been significant damage in several areas," said park spokeswoman Lee Taylor. "The Sunshine Point Campground no longer exists. The Nisqually Road, at Sunshine Point, the road is washed out for about 1/4 of a mile, the full width of the road. There is no way to get from the Nisqually entrance to Longmire. That could remain true for weeks or months to come." The 18-site campground is less than a mile from the southwest entrance to the park. It sits on the bank of the Nisqually River. The road from the Nisqually entrance is the most heavily traveled in the park, leading up to the Paradise area. A long closure would prevent park visitors from using that area for snow activities, such as sledding, snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding. Closure also will likely impact work being done on the Paradise Inn and the new visitor center at Paradise. There also is damage in the Longmire area. The river bank has been eaten away to the corner of a building on the west side of the bank. On the other side, the road from the suspension bridge to Community Building has been washed away. The river is about 17 steps from the building itself. In the southeast corner of the park, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center has about an inch of water in the back offices. Water is three to four feet deep over the roads in the area. The Carbon River Road in the northwest corner of the park has washed out in three areas. Park employees who work in Longmire remain on administrative leave. [Jeffrey Mayor, The Tacoma News Tribune] HYPERLINK "ftp://63.220.43.40/MORA/Nov.%2006%20Flooding/"
The park received more than 17 inches of rain in the 48 hour period ending on Tuesday evening and raging water has damaged park roads and other facilities. A quarter-mile of park road was washed away just inside the park's southwest entrance, and Sunshine Point Campground was obliterated by the pounding water. Highway 410 and the Carbon River, Stevens Canyon and West Side Roads have all sustained damage. The park's power and water systems are also affected. All park roads and facilities are closed to the public, and all non-essential employees have evacuated from Longmire. The park anticipates that it will take weeks to return to normal operations. Assessment of the damage will proceed as soon as conditions permit access. Ed Dunlavey is incident commander. [Submitted by Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
Mount Rainier suffered devastating flooding last week when nearly 18 inches of rain fell in 36 hours. All park visitors and most employees were evacuated from the park on Monday, November 6th. The park remains closed, except for Highway 410. Park staff have been working long hours to repair damage to the Nisqually Road and the main power and sewer lines. Workers are rebuilding a 200-yard section of road just inside the Nisqually Entrance. Two additional locations must be reinforced before the road is safe to travel. This week, workers will take a bulldozer one mile up the bed of Kautz Creek and dig a channel to force the stream back into its normal bed. Kautz Creek changed course during the flood and is now flowing over the park road. Highway 123 and the Stevens Canyon Road both have multiple washouts. Two miles of the Carbon River Road have been lost, including a half-mile stretch that is now river. The flood destroyed Sunshine Point Campground, and Ipsut Creek Campground is still underwater. Flowing water undermined two buildings, wiped out many backcountry bridges, and took out portions of several trails. With the assistance of the Federal Highway Administration, the park is developing an estimate for the cost of repairs and a time line for reopening the park. Ed Dunlavey is incident commander. For photos of the flood and damage to the park, go to HYPERLINK "http://inpmoralo1/Incident%20Photos/Forms/AllItems.aspx" http://inpmoralo1/Incident%20Photos/Forms/AllItems.aspx . [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
Mount Rainier suffered devastating flooding last week when nearly 18 inches of rain fell in 36 hours. It will be closed indefinitely. Here's a summary of the current situation: Trails - There's been extensive damage to backcountry bridges and trails. Sections of the Wonderland Trail will be unusable next summer. The suspension bridge and boardwalk have been damaged at the Grove of the Patriarchs. The grove is covered in a thick layer of silt. Nisqually Road - About 200 yards of the road is washed out and impassable at the former entrance to Sunshine Point campground. Water is crossing the road at the junction with Westside Road. The road is down to one lane at milepost 5 due to slumping. The Kautz Creek diversion is forcing the river to flow over the road and is undermining the road from the helibase turnoff to Kautz Bridge. There's now a sheer road edge off at milepost 9, creating a precipitous drop off. Sunshine Point Campground -- The campground, located directly on the bank of the Nisqually River, and the dike that protected it, is gone with the exception of a few campsites Longmire - The main channel of the Nisqually River is pushing closer to the park's emergency operations center (EOC) building. Parking behind the building is gone. Utilities - The main power line was severed and lost at Sunshine Point. All locations uphill to Paradise are affected by this loss. The Longmire sewage line was damaged. Power lines that crossed the Nisqually River at Longmire were knocked down. There's a great deal of sediment in all system filters. Longmire Back Road - The road between the suspension bridge and the community building is no longer safe for driving. It's eroded down to one lane in two sections. The main campground road is completely removed at the road fork immediately behind the community building. Kautz Helibase - The road is impassable and part of the helipad is sloughing off. Westside Road - A lane has partially collapsed near the Dry Creek gate, and there's significant damage upstream at Texas Culvert. SR 123 - Both lanes are washed out at milepost 11.5 to a depth of 60 to 80 feet. Debris has flowed across the road from milepost 10.5 to 11.2. A portion of the road is washed out just below Cayuse Pass. SR 410 - The state department of transportation has repaired and reopened the road. It was closed at Greenwater due to a logjam diverting two feet of river water onto the road. White River - A small section of the downhill lane sloughed off. Loop A is destroyed and is now a streambed. Stevens Canyon Road - There are slides at mileposts 5.5 and 7. A large slide also fell from just below the road, damaging the road edge in two locations and several sites in the Ohanapecosh campground. Carbon - More than two miles of the road is lost. There are multiple washouts and a half mile of the road is now a river channel. Ipsut Creek campground is underwater; the extent of the damage is unknown. A deep gully eroded under the historic Ipsut Patrol Cabin. Ohanapecosh - There's been some water damage to the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center. Part of campground Loop C damaged by a landslide. In order to truly appreciate the scope of the damage to the park, readers should go to the park's flood web site (click on "More Information" below), then view the album and/or slideshow, play the two videos, and, above all, click on "Slide Tour." The latter provides images, maps, narrative and other details. HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/november-2006-flooding.htm"
Congressman Norm Dicks toured flood-damaged areas at Mount Rainier on November 21st. Dicks traveled the Nisqually Road and saw maintenance employees at work repairing utilities and rebuilding the park road. He also saw the three locations on the road that still need substantial work before the park can reopen. In a meeting with park employees, Dicks voiced his strong commitment to helping the NPS obtain funding for flood repairs. Based on input from the Federal Highways Administration, superintendent Dave Uberuaga estimates the cost of flood repair will be $30 million. It is unlikely that Paradise, the primary winter destination in the park, will reopen in time for the Christmas holiday. Park employees still hope to be able to return to their offices in Longmire before 2007. Regional media interest has been strong. [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
S.Q., 54, of Burien, Washington, died in an avalanche on Saturday, February 24th, in the rugged Mount Rainier backcountry adjacent to the Crystal Mountain ski area. S.Q. and his partner ducked under the boundary ropes near High Campbell Chair for a final run of the day shortly after 2:00 p.m. During the descent, S.Q. was caught in an avalanche. His friend watched him ride along on top of the sliding snow for several seconds before disappearing from view. Both skiers were wearing avalanche beacons, which transmit a signal to help searchers. Ski patrol members from Crystal Mountain and a ranger from Mount Rainier responded and began a search. They located S.Q.'s lifeless body on the surface of the avalanche debris and evacuated the body to Highway 410. S.Q. had 15 years of skiing experience and had skied the area many times. He was at Crystal Mountain with his wife and two teenage children for the weekend. The avalanche forecast for Saturday afternoon was for high avalanche danger above 4,000 feet. Crystal Mountain had received more than 60 inches of snow in the past six days. [Lee Taylor, Public Affairs Officer]
Two backpackers hiking in Mount Rainier National Park were killed Monday after falling off a makeshift log bridge while trying to cross a creek that was rerouted by winter floods. In any other year, a National Park Service bridge would have carried the hikers easily across the waterway, Ipsut Creek, that claimed their lives. But the bridge - like many in the 368-square-mile park - was made useless during the floods that battered the park last fall. The sole survivor of the hiking party contacted park personnel at 10 a.m. Monday, saying that her two hiking partners - a married couple - had been swept away by Ipsut Creek, said Lee Taylor, a park spokeswoman. One of the hikers fell from the log into the creek, Taylor said. The second hiker jumped into the water to attempt a rescue. Searchers in a helicopter spotted both bodies downstream from the Ipsut Creek Campground, a primitive backcountry site where the hiking party spent Sunday night, Taylor said. Twelve members of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department's swift-water rescue team recovered one body from the near-freezing water Monday afternoon, she said. Taylor said the hikers were Washington residents in their 40s. The accident occurred in an area that was devastated by the torrential rains that tore through the park in November, Taylor said. In the flooding that followed, both Ipsut Creek and the nearby Carbon River changed courses. "It's a new stretch of river," Taylor said. "And the area where they were is exactly where the road used to be." The Park Service has estimated that at least $36 million in damage was done to the park. Washed-out roads and downed bridges account for much of that damage. The Carbon River Road, a gravel route in the park's northwest corner, has been consumed by the Carbon River, said Elizabeth Lunney, executive director of the Washington Trails Association. Now, she said, the area where the hikers died Monday is accessible only by a debris-covered footpath. Taylor said stream crossings will be the biggest safety concern as the hiking season approaches. Bridges are out at several popular hiking destinations in the park, including Comet Creek and Grove of the Patriarchs. [Levi Pulkkinen, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
The park reopened its primary road last Saturday following a six month closure due to flood damage sustained last November, when 18 inches of rain fell in 36 hours and seriously damaged roads and other infrastructure. Congressmen Norm Dicks and Dave Reichert attended the opening ceremony along with a number of invited partners, including representatives from the Student Conservation Association, National Parks Conservation Association, park concessions, and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). By the time the gate opened at 9:30 a.m., there more than 100 cars waiting to enter the park. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office provided assistance in managing the event. Road repairs were completed by the park road crew with design assistance and oversight by FHWA. There's still significant work ahead to complete flood repairs to other park roads and trails, but the reopening of the Nisqually Road was a major milestone on the path to recovery. [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
Park staff conducted three search and rescue operations within days after the park reopened following a six-month closure due to flood damage: May 7th - Park staff and member of Pierce County Search and Rescue conducted a search for an overdue skier who failed to return as scheduled from a day trip to Lake Eleanor on May 7th. The skier, who'd been forced to overnight in the backcountry, was found in good condition. The IC for the search was Geoff Walker. May 15th - The Tahoma SAR occurred on Tuesday, May 15th, after a report was received of two overdue climbers on the west side of the park. The pair, who failed to register for their climb, began their trip on Friday, May 11th, and were expected out on Sunday by family members. As the search was mobilizing, the two climbers walked out on their own. Both were okay. The fact that they failed to register and provide critical trip information, combined with miscommunication with family members, caused the unnecessary search. They were issued mandatory appearance citations for not registering for a permit, which resulted in launching of two helicopters, mobilization of field teams and ramping up of the incident command system. Mike Gauthier was IC. May 17th - Search efforts were launched for two hikers who were overdue in the Longmire area on Thursday evening. A hasty search was conducted of trail corridors, as no information was available as to which trails they'd planned to hike. Both hikers were over 65 years old and had medical issues. Field teams searched the Rampart Ridge, Eagle Peak, Van Trump, and Wonderland trails until the early morning hours of Friday, May 18th, but found no signs of the hikers. Searchers resumed their efforts on Friday morning, assisted by six search dog teams. At approximately 9:30 a.m., the hikers arrived on their own at Longmire, having caught a ride at Kautz Creek. They had originally planned to hike Rampart Ridge, but took a wrong turn, forcing them to overnight on the trail. They then hiked out via Kautz Creek. Although unprepared to spend the night on the trail, they were in good health and spirits when greeted by family members and incident staff. Ed Dunlavey was the IC. Winter was hard on the park's trails, resulting in the loss of many trail bridges and in damage to park trails and backcountry campgrounds. The park trail crew, volunteers, and Student Conservation Corp members have started the long process of repairing the damage. For a link to the map of known trail damage and trail conditions, visit the Mount Rainier website at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/trails-and-backcountry-camp-conditions.htm". [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
A search is currently underway for J.G., 47, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who was last seen hiking on the Eagle Peak trail at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 16th. J.G. is the son of R.G., now in her third summer as a volunteer interpreter at Mount Rainier. Forty people assisted in the effort on Sunday, including three teams from German Shepherd Search Dogs of Washington State, and 52 on Monday, including 15 ground teams and two teams from Northwest Bloodhounds Search and Rescue. A helicopter joined the search as weather improved late Monday morning. At the time of the report (Monday evening), teams had found few clues to help narrow the search. The Eagle Peak Trail is a strenuous day hike that climbs 3,000 feet over three-and-a-half miles, beginning at Longmire in the southwest corner of the park. The trail is currently snow-covered above 5,100 feet. The search area includes rugged, heavily forested wilderness with many cliffs and ravines. Saturday and Sunday nights were cool, with rain, fog, and low temperatures in the mid 30s. J.G. was wearing fleece and Gortex and carrying a daypack. Media interest has been high, both locally and in Minneapolis. [Kevin Bacher, Public Information Officer]
A three-day search for a missing hiker concluded Tuesday when aerial searchers found his body on Eagle Peak in the southwest corner of the park. J.G., 47, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was reported missing on Saturday evening when he failed to return from a day hike. J.G. is the son of R.G., now in her third summer as a volunteer interpreter at Mount Rainier. At its peak on Tuesday, the search involved 60 people, including 20 ground teams and a helicopter. Dog teams assisted with the search on Sunday and Monday. The helicopter was grounded by poor visibility until late Monday morning. Based on interviews from searchers, it appears that J.G. left the trail on his descent from Eagle Peak in a steep, heavily forested area, then lost his footing and fell about 200 feet. He came to rest at the base of a 75 degree slope, hidden by the trees, about an eighth of a mile from the trail at an elevation of 4,000 feet. The weather at the time was cool, wet, and foggy. The Eagle Peak trail is a strenuous day hike that climbs 3,000 feet over three-and-a-half miles. The area around the trail is rugged, heavily forested, and intersected by numerous cliffs and ravines. Media interest in the search has been high, both locally and in Minneapolis. [Kevin Bacher, Public Information Officer]
On November 6-7, 2006, Mount Rainier National Park received 18 inches of rainfall in a 36 hour period. Flood waters devastated infrastructure throughout the park, resulting in an unprecedented six-month closure. The damage was extensive and extraordinary: Landslides and major washouts severed access to each major park road. Old growth trees were uprooted. Much of Sunshine Point campground washed away. Rivers and creeks changed channels, cutting new paths and leaving old ones dry. Trail damage occurred throughout the park, as raging water wiped out bridges, thousands of felled trees blocked access, and in some places trails were stripped to bedrock. A year later, the park has made tremendous progress in the recovery process. Throughout the winter and spring of 2007, park crews worked tirelessly to repair roads and restore all utilities in the park, and the park reopened its gates to visitors again on May 5th. Throughout the summer and fall, park staff continued to work diligently to restore dozens of damaged sites. The Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile trail circling the park, reopened in August, and, by mid-November, the major road repair projects in the park will be complete. Recovery efforts at Mount Rainier have made tremendous headway thanks in large part to the support of Congress and the help of over 1,700 volunteers, a park record. Individuals, businesses and organizations united through the Northwest Storm Recovery Coalition and the Student Conservation Association to contribute 84,000 hours of volunteer labor to the park this year at a value of nearly $1.6 million. Much work is still to be done. Superintendent Dave Uberuaga estimates that the majority of park recovery projects will be complete within the next year. Attention is now focused on shoring up flood protection for the rainy season to protect park infrastructure and the historic assets of the park. The trails system, however, may take years to fully rehabilitate. Decisions are still on the horizon as the park is developing alternatives for how to provide public access to the Carbon River Road area and to undertake major trail rerouting projects on the Carbon River and Glacier Basin Trails. Additional images and details of the flood can be found at the Mount Rainier National Park website at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/november-2006-flooding.htm". [Alison Bullock, PIO]
The storm that struck the Pacific Northwest early this week caused some problems in parks throughout the region, with the most serious occurring at Olympic. Here's a roundup: Mount Rainier - The park received 3.7 inches of rain in a 24-hour period on December 3rd. Despite continuous heavy rainfall throughout the park during the day and throughout the night, no significant damage was reported. Some flooding, mudslides, and runoff overtopping roadways occurred in local areas outside the park, causing hazardous driving conditions getting to and from Mount Rainier. An interdivisional planning team put contingency plans into effect in the event that the heavy rainfall began to affect the safety of visitors or employees. Non-essential employees were provided several hours of administrative leave in the afternoon to assist them in getting home to their families safely during daylight hours. The Nisqually River reached flood stage around 10 a.m. and continued to rise until it crested at 11.37 feet later that evening. As a comparison, the devastating flooding that occurred in the park a year earlier (November 6, 2006) crested at 12.8 ft. Roadway repairs, culvert improvements, and stream reinforcements constructed following the 2006 flood all survived this most recent event and performed as designed. The park returned to normal operations on the morning of December 4th. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger, MORA; Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer, OLYM; Dave Brennan, Chief Ranger, CRLA; Dennis Stanchfield, Maintenance, NOCA; Karen Newton, PWRO]
An Arlington, Washington, man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in an elk poaching case that took place in the park in 2004. D.H., 48, who pled guilty to federal charges of acquiring and transporting illegally taken wildlife, was sentenced to a year's probation and required to pay a fine of $500 and restitution in the amount of $2,500. He's also been banned from the park for a year and has had his Washington state hunting privileges revoked for a year. On November 6, 2004, a park volunteer discovered a fresh elk kill site on Carlton Ridge, which is located in the park's southeast corner. Rangers verified that the kill site was well within the park and began an investigation. Three days later, they contacted six hunters camped just south of the park in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. They had with them a four-point elk that they'd killed and tagged two days before. D.H., who was a member of the party, told the rangers that he'd shot the elk in the White Pass area on the opening day of elk season. Rangers asked for tissue samples from the tagged elk to determine whether or not it was the same elk that had been taken in the park, but D.H. refused their request. The rangers gathered DNA evidence from blood spatters in the camp where the elk was stored and blood drippings from sacks of meat hanging in the trees and from the carcass at the kill site. The evidence was sent to the Fish and Wildlife's forensics lab in Ashland, Oregon, for analysis. The lab confirmed that the DNA from the two locations matched. The case was investigated by rangers, with significant assistance from Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service officers. [Uwe Nehring, Park Ranger]
The body of a missing snowshoer was recovered lat Friday evening, bringing to a close a search that lasted more than three days. K.R., 22, disappeared in a snow avalanche on the afternoon of December 18th as he and Troy Metcalf, 23, were returning from a day hike above Paradise. Metcalf searched for his friend until dusk, but was unable to find him. Rangers, mountain rescue volunteers, and employees of the Crystal Mountain Ski Area, who provided avalanche search dogs, began a full-scale search for K.R. on Wednesday. With Metcalf's help, they were able to pinpoint the location of the accident, but heavy snowfall, poor visibility, and high avalanche danger prevented a thorough search either Wednesday or Thursday. Avalanche control measures were used to stabilize the slope during a break in the weather Friday afternoon and K.R.'s body was located under the snow shortly thereafter. At the peak of the search on Friday, 40 people were committed in the field, including 32 volunteers from mountain rescue units throughout the state. Local media interest has been high because both men are from the Seattle area and because avalanches have already been blamed for five previous deaths in the Washington Cascades this winter. [Kevin Bacher, Public Information Officer]
Searchers spent much of Saturday, February 16th, scouring the backcountry in the vicinity of West Side Road and Tahoma Glacier in search of a distraught climber who reportedly planned to commit suicide on the mountain. Her car was located on West Side Road and the search was launched just before 11 a.m. The woman, an experienced Mount Rainier climber, was spotted from a helicopter around 4:30 p.m. at Glacier Island, which is just south of the glacier. Rangers Mike Gauthier and Stephen Lofgren found that she was in good condition. All three were then flown out of the backcountry. The ground search was conducted on skis and snowshoes in heavy, wet snow. Twenty people from the park were assigned to the incident, including three two-person ground search teams and an aerial search team in an MD500 helicopter. The incident commander was Steve Klump. [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
A three-day search for a missing hiker culminated on Wednesday morning with the discovery of his body about a mile from the Kautz Creek trailhead. D.O., 45, of Mukilteo, Washington, evidently arrived in the park on Monday morning for a day hike. He was not planning to be out overnight and was dressed lightly in blue jeans, a flannel shirt and a jacket. Conditions were wet, with temperatures in the 30s and several feet of snow on the ground. Ranger Dan Camiccia found D.O.'s car parked at Kautz Creek late on Monday. When he investigated further, he found that his wife had reported him missing that afternoon. With daylight dwindling, there was time for only a cursory check of the area. A search was mounted the next day and by Wednesday morning had expanded to include more than 20 park staff and volunteers, with two dog teams assisting from German Shepherd Search Dogs of Washington. Rangers found and followed a single set of tracks to an elevation of 4,200 feet. The tracks then descended east of the trail to about 3,000 feet, where D.O.'s body was found. [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
During the early part of last week, climbing rangers made two upper mountain rescues. On the morning of Sunday, May 4th, three climbers left Camp Muir, following a gentle downhill traverse to reach the base of the Wilson Headwall, About ten minutes out from the camp, they stopped to scout and evaluate the need for roping up prior to entering a known crevasse area. While stopped, one of the climbers fell through the snow into a crevasse to a depth of approximately 120 feet. The climbers were able to put out a distress radio call via the park frequency. Climbing ranger Arlington Ashby responded within 15 minutes of the call from Camp Muir and assessed the situation. Climbing rangers Thomas Payne and Joe Franklin soon arrived from Camp Muir to assist in the rescue, with Payne assuming the role as team lead. The stranded climber was wedged headfirst deep in the crevasse, giving responders only two feet of vertical space in which to maneuver. After removing his pack by cutting the straps, they were able to haul him out of the crevasse. "The position of the climber, stranded headfirst at a very narrow point in the crevasse, combined with his hypothermic condition, made time a critical issue and a quick crevasse rescue imperative," said incident commander David Gottlieb. Due to these factors, the climber was removed from the crevasse, placed on a backboard, then taken to Camp Muir. A Bell Jet Ranger helicopter was placed on standby to fly him out once the weather cleared. During this time, rangers worked with the Northwest Helicopters pilot to reconfigure the Jet Ranger to carry a litter. Although the climber fell 120 feet, he suffered only superficial wounds. That same day, two climbers left Paradise at 9:00 p.m. with the intention of doing a single push summit climb and skiing back down the mountain via Fuhrers Thumb. On Monday afternoon, the park received a 911 call from one of the climbers, reporting that he'd become separated from his partner and lost in a whiteout somewhere on the summit. That evening, his partner skied down to Paradise. On Tuesday morning, the park brought in a Hughes 500 helicopter operated by Whirlwind Helicopters and organized a two-person observation team. A break in the weather permitted the observation flight around mid-day, during which the observers located the climber on the summit. The helicopter was found to be too heavy to take on another passenger at 14,000+ feet, so the pilot returned to the Kautz Helibase to drop off one of the rangers. During the observation flight, the pilot exceeded the aircrafts' capabilities, causing it to overheat. The climber eventually tired of waiting for the helicopter to return and skied down to Paradise. There were no injuries or accidents due to the overheating of the aircraft. Said Gottlieb, who was also IC for the second incident: "It is our responsibility to respond to requests for assistance proactively; a delayed response costs lives here." He went on to say that he was pleased with the outcome of both SARs, as there were no employee injuries, the damaged helicopter ascended safely before anyone was hurt or anything bad happened, and neither of the climbers was seriously injured. [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
During the early part of last week, climbing rangers conducted two upper mountain SARs. On the morning of Sunday, May 4th, three climbers left Camp Muir, following a gentle downhill traverse to reach the base of the Wilson Headwall, About ten minutes out from the camp, they stopped to scout and evaluate the need for roping up prior to entering a known crevasse area. While stopped, one of the climbers fell through the snow into a crevasse to a depth of approximately 120 feet. The climbers were able to put out a distress radio call via the park frequency. Climbing ranger Arlington Ashby responded within 15 minutes of the call from Camp Muir and assessed the situation. Climbing rangers Thomas Payne and Joe Franklin soon arrived from Camp Muir to assist in the rescue, with Payne assuming the role as team lead. The stranded climber was wedged headfirst deep in the crevasse, giving responders only two feet of vertical space in which to maneuver. After removing his pack by cutting the straps, they were able to haul him out of the crevasse. "The position of the climber, stranded headfirst at a very narrow point in the crevasse, combined with his hypothermic condition, made time a critical issue and a quick crevasse rescue imperative," said incident commander David Gottlieb. Due to these factors, the climber was removed from the crevasse, placed on a backboard, then taken to Camp Muir. A Bell Jet Ranger helicopter was placed on standby to fly him out once the weather cleared. During this time, rangers worked with the Northwest Helicopters pilot to reconfigure the Jet Ranger to carry a litter. Although the climber fell 120 feet, he suffered only superficial wounds. That same day, two climbers left Paradise at 9:00 p.m. with the intention of doing a single push summit climb and skiing back down the mountain via Fuhrers Thumb. On Monday afternoon, the park received a 911 call from one of the climbers, reporting that he'd become separated from his partner and lost in a whiteout somewhere on the summit. That evening, his partner skied down to Paradise. On Tuesday morning, the park brought in a Hughes 500 helicopter operated by Whirlwind Helicopters and organized a two-person observation team. A break in the weather permitted the observation flight around mid-day, during which the observers located the climber on the summit. The helicopter was found to be too heavy to take on another passenger at 14,000+ feet, so the pilot returned to the Kautz Helibase to drop off one of the rangers. During the observation flight, the pilot exceeded the aircrafts' capabilities, causing it to overheat. The climber eventually tired of waiting for the helicopter to return and skied down to Paradise. There were no injuries or accidents due to the overheating of the aircraft. Said Gottlieb, who was also IC for the second incident: "It is our responsibility to respond to requests for assistance proactively; a delayed response costs lives here." He went on to say that he was pleased with the outcome of both SARs, as there were no employee injuries, the damaged helicopter ascended safely before anyone was hurt or anything bad happened, and neither of the climbers was seriously injured. [Submitted by Patti Wold, Incident Information Officer]
On the afternoon of Monday, June 9th, three hikers became trapped in a sudden blizzard while descending from a day hike to Camp Muir and took shelter on the Muir Snowfield. At 3:30 a.m. the following morning, they managed to get through to park rangers with a 911 emergency call. Because of heavy snow and near zero visibility, however, rangers were unable to immediately begin a search for them. At about 7:15 a.m., one member of the party found his way to Camp Muir and was able to direct a search team, made up of climbing guides and park rangers stationed at Camp Muir, to the party's location near Anvil Rock. All three of the stranded hikers were under shelter at Camp Muir by 8:30 a.m., though all suffered from hypothermia and frostbite. One man subsequently died, but his wife and a male friend survived. All are in their early 30s and are experienced mountaineers who had visited Camp Muir in the past and enjoy hiking on Mount Rainier. Two had reached the summit. Due to the nature of the hikers' injuries, the preferred means of rescuing them will be by helicopter rather than across the snowfield. A Chinook helicopter and crew from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Lewis was on standby all day Tuesday to retrieve the injured hikers, but the weather never cleared enough. The survivors' were stable at the time of the report (late Tuesday evening) and were under the care of two doctors, clients of one of the park's guide services, who happened to be at Camp Muir. The shelter at Camp Muir is warm, dry, and well-stocked with hot foods and liquids. Efforts to retrieve the hikers by helicopter were to resume yesterday morning. [Submitted by Alison Robb, Information Officer]
On the afternoon of Monday, June 9th, three hikers became trapped in a sudden blizzard while descending from a day hike to Camp Muir and took shelter on the Muir Snowfield. At 3:30 a.m. the following morning, they managed to get through to park rangers with a 911 emergency call. Because of heavy snow and near zero visibility, however, rangers were unable to immediately begin a search for them. At about 7:15 a.m., one member of the party found his way to Camp Muir and was able to direct a search team, made up of climbing guides and park rangers stationed at Camp Muir, to the party's location near Anvil Rock. All three of the stranded hikers were under shelter at Camp Muir by 8:30 a.m., though all suffered from hypothermia and frostbite. One man subsequently died, but his wife and a male friend survived. All are in their early 30s and are experienced mountaineers who had visited Camp Muir in the past and enjoy hiking on Mount Rainier. Two had reached the summit. Due to the nature of the hikers' injuries, the preferred means of rescuing them will be by helicopter rather than across the snowfield. A Chinook helicopter and crew from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Lewis was on standby all day Tuesday to retrieve the injured hikers, but the weather never cleared enough. The survivors' were stable at the time of the report (late Tuesday evening) and were under the care of two doctors, clients of one of the park's guide services, who happened to be at Camp Muir. The shelter at Camp Muir is warm, dry, and well-stocked with hot foods and liquids. Efforts to retrieve the hikers by helicopter were to resume yesterday morning. [Alison Robb, Information Officer]
A climber fell approximately 25 feet into a crevasse at around 11,300 feet on the Kautz Glacier while descending Mount Rainier on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1st. The injured climber, M.B., was rescued from the crevasse by his four teammates. M.B. had injured ribs and visible lacerations to his head and face but was conscious and in stable condition. A doctor who was a member of the team quickly determined that M.B. could not continue the descent without assistance due to his known and potential injuries. Two members of the party climbed down in search of help, leaving the doctor, another teammate, and M.B. at the scene. They found guides from Alpine Ascents International (AAI), a concessioner guide service, camped about a thousand feet below the location of the incident. Several AAI guides responded to the request for assistance and contacted the park. A plan was put in place for two AAI guides to travel to the accident scene that evening to assess the injured climber's condition and bring with them materials for an overnight stay on the mountain. Based on their assessment, David Gottlieb, the IC for the operation, determined that an airlift would be the desired method for evacuation the following morning. Within an hour of takeoff early on Wednesday morning, the crew of a Chinook helicopter from Fort Lewis, Washington, had successfully extracted the injured climber from the glacier. M.B. was transported to Madigan Hospital for further medical evaluation. He was released just a few hours later. [Monica Magari, Project Supervisor, Climbing Division]
A 44-year-old Washington man appeared at the Steven's Canyon entrance station with a capped section of PVC pipe, showed it to the employee there, shook it, and asked if it looked like a pipe bomb. He said that he'd found it in a portable toilet located at a roadside construction zone. The employee suspected that it might be a bomb and had it placed on a traffic island away from the station. Rangers responded, evacuated the area, and closed Steven's Canyon Road at its junction with Highway 123. Assistance was requested from the Pierce County bomb squad. In consultation with the bomb squad, it was decided to pierce the object with rifle rounds to detonate/expose its contents. The object turned out to be a container which held the registration for the trailer license plates on which the portable toilet was mounted in the construction zone. The reporting party was held at the Grove of the Patriarchs trailhead for questioning, as alcohol had been smelled on his breath. He said that he wanted to protect people and property, so he picked up the object, placed it in the vehicle he was traveling in, and drove several miles to the Steven's Canyon entrance to report the suspected bomb. A records check on the man revealed that he had a suspended license, that he had previous felony convictions for reporting false bomb threats in Seattle, and that there were numerous other felony counts against him (found on 15 pages of criminal history). He was cited for interfering with agency functions. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
Heavy rain on November 12th and 13th caused rivers to swell and resulted in damage to roads inside and outside the park. Kautz Creek diverted course and flowed over the Nisqually Road, resulting in closure of the park's primary entrance. Overnight guests at National Park Inn were escorted from the park via an administrative access route on November 12th as soon as river conditions allowed. Crews are at work this week redirecting the water into the stream bed and away from the park road. The work should be completed in time to reopen for the weekend. Although damage was not nearly as extensive as in the major flood two years ago, other access routes to Mount Rainier were also impacted. State Routes 123 and 410 were closed by debris and landslides, and a 200-foot section of the Carbon River Road washed away outside the park entrance. Steve Klump was the incident commander for the flood response. Media interest was regional and moderate. For further information, contact information officer Lee Taylor at 360-569-2211 ext. 3303. [Lee Taylor]
The search for an overdue solo camper in the Reflection Lakes area ended successfully on the morning of Thursday, February 26th, when searchers found her safe and sound at Mazama Ridge. The 46-year-old Federal Way woman had snowshoed in from the Narada Falls parking lot the previous Sunday, intending to winter camp for two nights and return on Tuesday. When her vehicle was seen in the parking lot on Tuesday and Wednesday, park staff began an investigation to determine if she was, indeed, overdue. This was confirmed by co-workers on Wednesday. In the three days since she began the trip on Sunday, the weather had changed from unseasonably mild to whiteout conditions with heavy snow. Over two feet of snow fell during this period. On Thursday morning, seven search parties, comprised of ranger staff and park staff from other divisions, skied and snowshoed out into the search area under the direction of IC Steve Klump. The woman was found within three hours, spotted as was getting out of her tent. She advised searchers that she had lost track of her location when the storm hit and decided the safest thing to do was to wait out the storm, a wait that would last two additional nights. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
Rangers rescued a climber and a skier in separate rescue operations on Sunday, May 24th. On Sunday morning, a climbing guide near the summit of the mountain slid into a steam vent and fell 15 to 20 feet. Climbers with her reported that she had injured ribs on her left side, was experiencing difficulty breathing, and had a reduced level of consciousness. Ranger Chris Olson and two employees from one of the park's guide concessioners headed out from Camp Muir with a litter and gear for a technical lowering; rangers David Gottlieb and Jeremy Shank departed Camp Schurman with an oxygen kit. Rangers Philippe Wheelock and Rachel Mueller, having just climbed Fuhrer's Finger, were also directed to the scene. The climber was extricated from the vent by her climbing partners, who were part of a commercially guided climb. Her injuries turned out to be less severe than first reported. Northwest Helicopters, from Olympia, Washington, provided an MD-530 helicopter, which picked up ranger Phil Edmonds at the park's helibase with a medical kit and took him to the summit, where they were able to land on the crater rim. The climber was then flown off the mountain and transferred to an ambulance for transport to the hospital. Acting climbing program manager Stefan Lofgren was IC on this rescue. Then, at 6:30 p.m., park dispatch received a 911 cell phone call from a skier who reported that he'd fallen and injured himself below the Nisqually Chute. After a more detailed interview, rangers determined that he was actually on the Wilson Glacier at 8,150-foot level. The man, who'd been skiing down the glacier, had suffered a broken ankle with visible deformity. Rangers Tom Payne and Phil Edmonds responded on skis from Paradise with a litter. Rangers Philippe Wheelock and Rachel Mueller skied to the scene from where they were camped above them on Wapowety Cleaver. This team skied the litter down the glacier to lower Pebble Creek. They were met by rangers Dan Camiccia, Caitlan Schauer, Sarah Pigeon, and Paul Marrinan, who helped raise the injured skier and litter up to Glacier Vista, where the carryout was continued back to Paradise. All arrived back at Paradise shortly after midnight. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On Wednesday, July 22nd, rangers were notified that a young woman was stranded on a boulder in the Ohanapecosh River in the southeast corner of the park. Her location on the river was just upstream of a series of rapids and Silver Falls, which has a 40-foot drop. Rivers in the park have been flowing fast and high due to seasonal snowmelt and unusually warm temperatures. Rangers responded and found 21-year-old J.C. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, stranded on a boulder in the river, unable to get to shore safely. Her 23-year-old sister, S.C., also of Chattanooga, was on the shore but was unable to climb out of the area due to vertical rock cliffs on either side of her. The sisters had decided that they would go swimming in a pool on the river well above the falls. While swimming, the current began sweeping them downstream closer to the rapids and falls. They both were able to climb onto a boulder in the river. The older sister eventually jumped to shore across the current, but her sister was unable to do so. Rangers set up a high-angle rope system to safely rescue the sister who was on the shore and to gain closer access to the sister who was stuck on the boulder. In the meantime, the Lewis County swiftwater rescue team was called in to assist with a technical rescue from the river. They were able to successfully extract the sister on the boulder. No injuries to either woman or their rescuers occurred during this incident, which took six hours to complete and involved over 20 people. Ranger Geoff Walker was IC. Click on the link below to see a fine Centralia Daily Chronicle video on the rescue, including interviews with Walker and the sisters. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/07/23/news/doc4a689aa0d6f07350841774.txt"
On the afternoon of Thursday, July 23rd, a 17-year-old boy from New York disappeared while hiking with his family on a southwest section of the Wonderland Trail. The family hiked west from Longmire on the Wonderland as far as Pyramid Creek that morning, then began their return hike to Longmire, retracing their earlier route. The boy was last seen by his family at the Kautz Creek crossing, where he moved ahead of the group. A ground search was conducted on Thursday evening and resumed on Friday morning. When ground searchers were unable to locate the boy, a helicopter was called in to assist. He was spotted by the helicopter team in the Kautz Creek drainage near the point last seen just after 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon. He was air lifted to the Kautz helibase and was reunited with family members at Longmire. He reportedly attempted to shortcut on a social trial which took him north, further up the drainage and above the initial search area. A total of 29 park staff and a helicopter and crew from Northwest Helicopters were assigned to the incident. Laura Bellasalma was incident commander. [Patti Wold, PIO]
Rangers received several reports of an overdue party of two who went skiing and snowshoeing in the park on Sunday, December 13th. They did not return home Sunday night and were reportedly not prepared to spend the night out. Rangers began a hasty search on Monday morning, called in park and mountain rescue resources, and made arrangements for a helicopter to assist with the search effort. Avalanche conditions, an approaching storm, possible medical complications for one of the individuals, and limited daylight were considerations in stepping up the search. Before search resources arrived on scene, the pair - a man from Kirkland, Washington, and a woman from Wenatchee, Washington - walked out to their car, having spent a cold night in a snow cave. Both were okay. Stefan Lofgren was the IC for this search. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On Sunday, January 31st, ranger Dan Van Der Elst responded to a visitor report of a woman who had fallen into a "hole" in the snow while skiing. Van Der Elst followed the reporting party to a moat beneath a short waterfall in a avalanche-prone snow gulley about three-quarters of a mile from Paradise. After an initial size up, he called for resources and assistance. Ranger Stefan Lofgren responded on skis with a hasty lower and raise kit. Due to the unknown condition of the woman and the avalanche danger, Lofgren quickly rappelled down the 20 feet into the moat through the waterfall she had fallen through. He made a quick medical assessment and rigged her up for a raise. Within 10 minutes, she was hauled back to the surface through the waterfall. A team of six other rangers arrived on scene as she was being pulled to the surface; they helped pull Lofgren out, walked the woman to Paradise, and packed out the rest of the gear. She suffered no traumatic physical injuries. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A suicide victim was found in a parked car near the Carbon River Ranger Station on the morning of Friday, April 2nd. A ranger found an unresponsive man inside the vehicle, with blood on his forehead and a gun inside the car. Park LEO Geoff Walker led the ensuing investigation, assisted by park LEO Dan van der Elst, Forest Service LEO Ian Canaan, and a deputy and medical examiner from Pierce County. Their investigation confirmed that the death was a suicide. The man's identity is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin. [Patti Wold, PIO]
On the evening of April 17th, rangers were notified of two overdue hikers, one with a possible injury, somewhere on the Muir Snowfield. The pair were part of a larger day hiking group that had split up as weather deteriorated during their return from Camp Muir. None were prepared to spend the night out. What started out as a relatively mild day had turned into whiteout conditions. Rangers determined, however, that the weather was forecast to improve during the late evening. Climbing rangers Philippe Wheelock and Kevin Hammonds were mobilized at approximately 11 p.m. and directed to begin a hasty search. After failing to locate the two hikers, they regrouped at Camp Muir at 4 a.m. and with increasing daylight renewed the search. They located the hikers at approximately 8,800 feet on the western edge of Paradise Glacier at 6 a.m. The two women were conscious and in good spirits despite a forced open bivouac, though one had suffered a lower leg injury. Hammonds and Wheelock re-warmed them, packaged the injured woman, then evacuated both with the assistance of rangers Stefan Lofgren, who served as incident commander, and Sarah Pigeon. The group reached Paradise around 11 a.m. Two years earlier, in a similar situation during the month of June, a day hiker succumbed to hypothermia as his party attempted to return from Camp Muir to Paradise in blizzard conditions. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On Tuesday, April 27th, park climbing rangers, assisted by guides from International Mountain Guides and Alpine Ascents International, successfully rescued two climbers who had fallen into a crevasse during whiteout conditions on Mount Rainier. The two fell a distance of approximately 75 feet just below Camp Muir (elevation 9,700 feet). The initial report of the accident was received by a 911 operator when one of the climbers called out by cell phone from the bottom of the crevasse on Monday afternoon. They were unable to provide a location and early indications were that one of the two climbers was badly injured. Rangers began making their way to Camp Muir to stage for early morning search operations. Weather conditions on the mountain were adverse, with sustained 70 mph winds gusting up to 90 mph and temperatures down to 23 degrees (the wind chill was a degree below zero). A helicopter was placed on standby for morning operations. Early on Tuesday morning, one of the climbers made contact with the park on her cell phone. Questioning by park officials provided critical information that lead to identifying their location in the area just below Camp Muir. The rangers were directed to this area, where they were able to locate and extract the two climbers using high angle rescue gear. Both climbers, who were from the province of Quebec, Canada, suffered from relatively minor injuries and hypothermia. As they had fallen into the crevasse with their packs on, the two were able to set their tent up, get into their sleeping bags, and even heat up soup. However, the intensity of the storm required them to continually shovel snow off their tent throughout the night to prevent the tent from collapsing. An MD 530 helicopter was used to fly the climbers down from the mountain, where they were transported to the local hospital and subsequently released. Ranger Glenn Kessler was IC on this operation. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A group of climbers guided by one of the park's permitted concession guiding companies encountered sudden extreme weather conditions while descending from the summit of Mount Rainier on May 20th. Blizzard conditions with winds gusting to 110 mph made navigation and communications nearly impossible among all rope teams on the mountain. One client became moderately hypothermic and two guides suffered from frostbite on their hands. Guides from other companies who were in the area were summoned for assistance and all parties continued the descent. By midnight, all had been accounted for and had made it safely to shelter at the Camp Muir high camp. Rangers there assisted in warming and treating the individuals. By the next morning, the weather had improved, as had the condition of the individuals, and all parties descended back down to Paradise without incident. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
Eleven climbers were caught in an avalanche on the upper Ingraham Glacier at 4:45 a.m. on June 5th during a summit attempt. Climbers in the area and several involved in the avalanche extricated ten of the eleven people. Two victims were airlifted in a US Army Reserve Chinook helicopter to a local hospital. The missing climber was solo climbing and did not register to climb. After an overdue party report was filed with the park, officials have a possibly identity for the missing climber. The slab avalanche began at 12,500 feet and continued down to 11,200 feet. It was one two meters deep and from 100 to 200 yards wide. After the initial rescue efforts were completed, the ground search was suspended due to high avalanche danger. The park then conducted an air search without locating the missing climber. Weather and avalanche conditions over the next 48 hours are expected to stall search operations. Resources and staff are staged at Camp Muir to continue the search when conditions improve. Invaluable assistance during the incident was provided by the 214th Unit of the US Army Reserve from Fort Lewis, International Mountain Guides, and Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated. A Hughes 530 from Northwest Helicopters assisted in the air search. [Patti Wold, PIO and Stefan Lofgren Mountaineering District Ranger]
On June 5th, an SUV driven by park visitor G.G. of Seattle went off the Nisqually-Paradise road south of Longmire and down a 40-foot embankment, landing upside down in the Nisqually River. G.G. was uninjured but was trapped by his seat belt as water rushed into the partially submerged vehicle. The water temperature of the glacially fed river is in the high 40's and low 50's and G.G. was becoming hypothermic. Six to eight motorists who had stopped and entered the river tried unsuccessfully to help get him out of his SUV. Rangers Peter Maggio and Paul Harrington arrived on scene approximately three minutes after the car entered the river. Arriving moments later were several television crews who were in the park to cover an upper mountain SAR that was in progress. Maggio donned rescue gear, including a dry suit and safety line, and entered the water to assist the motorists who were attempting to free G.G.. From the back of the vehicle, Maggio was able to see G.G. struggling to keep his head above water. With the assistance of rangers on shore, Maggio secured a line to the back of the upside down vehicle in order to stabilize it. Water flow into the vehicle increased, though, creating an imminent threat to G.G. of drowning. Maggio decided he needed to take immediate action and climbed through the broken back window of the vehicle and up to where G.G. was trapped. After several attempts, he was able to reach and cut G.G.'s seat belt, thus freeing him. Maggio, with the assistance of the other motorists in the water, were able to remove G.G. from the vehicle and get him to shore. While G.G. was being treated for hypothermia, rangers coordinated the landing of a helicopter that was in the area for another in-park SAR. G.G. was flown to the park's helibase, where he was transferred to a waiting ambulance. He made a full recovery and was released from the hospital that night. Stefan Lofgren served as IC on this rescue. Footage of the rescue can be seen at the link below. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-051010-nisquallyriverrescue,0,5477694.story"
On the evening of June 18th, a park visitor contacted a volunteer roadside assistance ranger in the Paradise parking lot to report that someone had fallen into a "sinkhole" in the snow across the road and south from the Jackson Visitor Center. Climbing rangers responded within minutes and discovered that heat from an electrical transformer buried under 20 feet of snow had melted a large cavern in the snow. A 57-year-old California woman walking on the surface had broken through the ceiling of this cavern and fallen at least ten feet onto the hard surface of the transformer and from there onto the ground, sustaining multiple traumatic injuries. Climbing rangers at Paradise lowered a rope into the hole and stabilized the woman. Rangers and EMTs responded to the incident from all parts of the park, including a climbing ranger who skied down from Camp Muir to direct the technical rope rescue. The woman was raised to the surface in a litter with use of technical rescue gear. Meanwhile, Pierce County District 23 Station 1 advanced life support responded by ground and Airlift Northwest by air from Olympia. The injured woman was flown to Harborview Medical Center, where she is currently in the intensive care unit. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
The search for E.L., 57, of Duvall, Washington, continued on Saturday as helicopters and ground searchers scoured the upper slopes of Mount Rainier. A team of climbers searched the Nisqually Ice Fall and Gibraltar Chute areas, and a military Chinook helicopter flew climbing areas where E.L. could have ended up. They were unable to locate E.L. or uncover any further clues to his whereabouts, though, so the search effort was suspended. Rangers will continue to look for him in regular patrols of the upper mountain. E.L. has been missing since last Thursday, when his climbing companions discovered that he had unclipped from the climbing rope at 14,000 feet and disappeared. At its peak, the search involved more than 40 personnel. Ground searchers included National Park Service climbing rangers, climbing guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc, Alpine Ascents International, and International Mountain Guides, and volunteers from Olympic Mountain Rescue. A Chinook helicopter from Fort E.L. and a commercial helicopter from Northwest Helicopters searched from the air. The incident commander is Glenn Kessler. [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
A climber died Tuesday on Mount Rainier high on the Emmons Glacier. L.F.A., 52, of Seattle was descending from the summit as part of a four-man team when the last person on the rope caught his crampon on the snow, tripped and fell. The four climbers were swept off their feet and, despite attempts to arrest the fall by digging their ice axes into the snow, they fell 100 feet and plummeted into a 35-foot-deep crevasse. L.F.A., the last person into the crevasse, died in the fall. The three surviving climbers scrambled out of the crevasse and made their way back to Camp Schurman, the high camp at 9,450 feet, arriving at 3:00 p.m. They spent the night there in the company of a climbing ranger. On Wednesday, climbing rangers were dropped off by helicopter on the summit of Mount Rainier and climbed down to the accident site at 13,000 feet. They retrieved L.F.A.'s body from the crevasse and it was airlifted off of the mountain by helicopter. Two of the surviving climbers were able to hike out on their own (accompanied by a climbing ranger) and the third was flown off of the mountain. The incident commander was Nick Hall. [Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
An 11-year-old boy and a 51-year-old man lost their footing in the White River yesterday morning and were swept downriver. The incident occurred just inside the north boundary of the park near the US Forest Service Silver Springs guard station. The two had been camping in the area with the boy's uncle and friends. They had crossed the White River. but were unable to find a suitable log to get back across the river. They were attempting to ford the river to cross back, with each holding onto opposite ends of a walking stick, when the boy lost his footing. The man grabbed the boy's sweatshirt, but they were both swept downstream and under several logs. The man held onto the boy for approximately a quarter mile before he lost his grip. He was able to get to shore and begin a search, but the boy continued to be swept downriver, where search crews later found his body. NPS rangers worked with Pierce County Sheriff's deputies, Greenwater Fire Department volunteers, and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest rangers on this incident. Uwe Nehring was incident commander. [Patti Wold, PIO]
A 51-year-old man fell while skiing in the Tatoosh Range and broke a tibia on the afternoon of November 21st. Friends stabilized the injury, the skied out and notified rangers. Park rangers Ken Worstell, Stefan Lofgren, Paul Weltzer and Emily Frost responded along with four non-NPS skiers. The man was packaged and skied out in a toboggan to the Steven's Canyon Road, where he was transferred to an NPS ambulance. He was then transferred to a county fire district ambulance and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. Margaret Anderson was incident commander. [Uwe Nehring, Supervisory Park Ranger]
On the morning of December 14th, park dispatch received a report from a distraught woman in Kenmore, Washington, reporting that she'd found a five-page, handwritten suicide note from her 39-year-old husband saying that he was going to Mount Rainier to commit suicide and that he was going to make it look like an accident by driving off a bridge on one of the park roads. Dispatch broadcast a 'be on the lookout' message to rangers, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the Washington State Patrol, and the U.S. Forest Service. The man's vehicle was spotted at the Nisqually entrance around 3 p.m. The ranger at the entrance notified dispatch and reported that the man had asked about road access and conditions on the Glacier Bridge. Rangers closed the road above Longmire and contacted the man behind the National Park Inn in Longmire. He was taken into protective custody without incident and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was placed in the care of mental health professionals. [Uwe Nehring]
Late on the afternoon of March 7th, two snowshoers called park dispatch and reported themselves as lost. After listening to them descibe their immediate location, a hasty team of two park rangers made an educated guess on where they were located. The rangers skied for three hours in the dark and found the two lost snowshoers on Stevens Ridge, which is several miles from Paradise. The snowshoers were descending the Muir Snowfield when they became disoriented and lost their tracks due to snow and heavy fog. Both were adequately dressed for winter conditions, but had minimal food and no overnight gear. Rangers made contact with the party at 10 p.m., determined that they were both in good condition, and immediately began to hike out. All personnel returned to Paradise at midnight and were given housing in Longmire that night. A winter storm hit Paradise at 4 a.m. the next morning. [Stefan Lofgren, Park Ranger]
Climbing rangers working with guides from Alpine Ascents International conducted a search and recovery effort yesterday for T.T., 33, an experienced skier, who skied into a crevasse on the upper Nisqually Glacier. T.T. was with an independent climbing party of four when the accident occurred. The guides were already on the upper mountain and responded to the incident; they rappelled into the crevasse and reported that T.T. had not survived. A team of four climbing rangers was inserted at the 14,410-foot summit by a helicopter and descended to the scene. They removed T.T. from the crevasse and prepared his remains for airlift off the mountain. A ground team of four climbing rangers was stationed at Camp Muir to assist as needed. The park recognizes the major efforts of the Alpine Ascents International guides throughout this incident. Approximately 20 park personnel were involved in the operation. A Bell 210 from Whirlwind Helicopters was assigned to the incident. Northwest Helicopters retained an aircraft and a pilot on standby for this operation and Army Reserve unit at Fort Lewis was diverted from another mission to assist but was later cancelled. [Patti Wold, Interpretive Media Specialist]
On the afternoon of May 16th, the Greenwater Volunteer Fire Department, which serves an area north of the park, was dispatched to a report of a man down and suffering seizures just off Highway 410 about two miles outside the park's east entrance. Rangers Geoff Walker and Gavin Wilson responded to a mutual aid call and arrived first on scene. According to friends who were with him, the 19-year-old, who had a preexisting heart condition, had stopped on the side of the highway to view an elk and was following it into the forest when he fell face first to the ground and began seizing. One of the friends began CPR while the other went to a nearby resort to call 911. Upon arrival, Wilson and Walker took over CPR. Within minutes Greenwater firefighters, including ranger Jen Rudnick, arrived on scene and an AED was used to restore his pulse. He was then carried to the Greenwater ambulance and transported to nearby Ranger Creek airstrip, where an American Medical Response ALS unit had just arrived. Soon thereafter an Airlift Northwest air ambulance landed. For over two hours, the flight nurses and a Buckley paramedic, assisted by rangers, firefighters, and EMTs, attempted to stabilize the man for the 25-minute flight to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. He required multiple successive shocks, continual CPR, and a high volume of cardiac medications before he was stable enough to fly. The nurses and paramedic remarked that they had never used so many medications before in such a situation, nearly exhausting everything they had with them. Two days later, the man's parents reported that he was breathing on his own and responding to yes or no questions. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A party of three climbers departed White River on June 10th for a summit attempt via the challenging Liberty Ridge route. During the climb, one member of the party, R.P., 50, of Olympia, Washington, became severely hypothermic and possibly frostbitten. On June 13th, his partners were unable to get him walking from their camp at 13,600 feet, so left him to seek assistance. They contacted a ranger on Emmons Glacier at 5 p.m. that evening. Two teams of climbing rangers headed to his location, one team from Camp Schurman and the other from Camp Muir. One of the teams had to turn back at 12,100 feet due to winds blowing at 55 mph. Members of the second team spent the night in a snow cave and resumed their efforts to reach R.P. at 5 a.m. the next morning. They found some of his gear at the point where his partners left him, but were unable to find R.P. Air searchers found a 2,000-foot-long slide track leading down a 50 degree ice- and snow-covered slope over some of the steepest and most inhospitable terrain on the mountain. The track indicated intermittent airborne periods and ended at an icefall below Liberty Wall. No signs of R.P. were found during a thorough visual search of the slide area. A Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and an MD 530 from Northwest Helicopters assisted in the search, which was called off at 4 p.m. due to high winds. Limited visual searching from the ground will continue. The operation is now considered a body recovery, as the risk-to-benefit ratio is not conducive to extensive searching. Liberty Ridge is one of the most technical climbs on Mount Rainier. Members of the climbing party are experienced climbers and were well equipped for the climb. IC on this incident was Brian Hasebe. [Patti Wold, Park Information Officer]
A commercial guide service team just above the top of Disappointment Cleaver contacted the park just before 6 a.m. last Saturday and reported coming upon a climber with a boot top fracture. The climber, who was part of a group of five, was stabilized by guides while rangers on a summit patrol headed to the scene. The injured person was then lowered to the top of the cleaver, where a small landing zone was constructed in the snow. A McDonnell Douglas MD-530 helicopter from Northwest Helicopters in Olympia with a ranger on board flew to the scene and medevaced the injured person, who was then transferred to an ambulance at the park's helibase and taken to a hospital. Supervisory climbing ranger Brian Hasebe served as incident commander for the operation. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On Sunday, June 26th, rangers responded to the Glacier Dorm at Paradise to a report of a concession employee who'd been found unresponsive in his dorm room. Concession and park emergency medical responders determined that he was not breathing and did not have a pulse and immediately began CPR. An AED was also attached to him, but no shock was prescribed by the AED. Although an ALS air ambulance was called in to respond, it was turned back before arriving when the park's medical control determined that the man had died. The man, who worked as a supervisory cook at the Paradise Inn for Guest Services, Inc., was 47 years old. He had cardiac medications prescribed for him. There were no obvious signs that anyone else was involved in this death or that it was a suicide, although it remains under investigation by park rangers. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 24th, park dispatch received an emergency PLB (personal locator beacon) signal from a party climbing high on the Kautz Glacier route on Mt. Rainier. After determining the location of the signal, climbing rangers from Camp Muir responded on foot to find a visitor with a probable fractured tibia/fibula. The climber was injured after hitting a rock while glissading down a steep snow slope. A team of ten rescuers worked throughout the night to evacuate the injured climber across three miles of steep and glaciated terrain. The rescue required complex rigging techniques to complete nearly 2000 feet of roped lowering. After reaching the lower Nisqually Glacier, the team was met by seven additional rangers from Paradise who assisted with a technical hauling system and the remainder of the evacuation to the trailhead. The rescue effort lasted 19 hours from the time the initial call was received. Technical evacuations of this length and complexity are infrequent but provide a valuable opportunity for rangers from several districts to work together. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A party of three day hikers left Pinnacle Peak Trailhead at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 31st. Two hours into the hike, they split up on their way to the west ridgeline of Castle Peak, with two of the hikers turning back to the trailhead and one deciding to continue on. The two returning hikers waited at the parking lot for two hours. When their companion did not show up, they went to get help. They notified a maintenance worker in Paradise, who in turn informed rangers. Two rangers were sent as a hasty team to search the point last seen and surrounding area. The overdue hiker was inexperienced and was not prepared for an overnight stay in the park's backcountry. After searching most of the night, the hasty team returned from the field without success. As a morning briefing for the search incident was underway and additional search teams were being deployed, the missing hiker walked out to the trailhead. He reported that clouds came in during the evening, obscuring his view, and he lost his way during his descent and strayed off the trail. He said that he found shelter by some large rocks and slept until the morning. At first light the sky had cleared and he reoriented himself and hiked out. He was uninjured. Thomas Payne served as incident commander for this operation. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
Due to a rash of auto burglaries that occurred in the park over the past few weeks, rangers began a major law enforcement operation on the weekend of August 19th designed to apprehend and arrest those responsible for these crimes. Utilizing "bait" cars containing items that have commonly been stolen, a number of locations throughout the park were placed under surveillance during periods when thefts were commonly occurring. Two people - J.S., 39, and D.G., 44, both from the Enumclaw, Washington, area - were arrested early on Sunday morning when they were seen breaking into one of the vehicles and removing valuables. Search warrants were served on their residences, which netted a significant number of stolen items, both from thefts in the park and from thefts that occurred in other jurisdictions. The investigation, which involves multiple agencies, is continuing. Virtually all of the park's protection staff was involved in this successful operation, which involved many hours. Also assisting with the investigation was an NPS special agent from the Investigative Services Branch, and US Forest Service special agents. Ranger Peter Maggio served as the overall lead in planning and organizing this operation. For more information, see the US Attorney's Office press release: HYPERLINK "http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/press/2011/aug/spain.html". [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On the evening of September 12th, a 59-year-old Florida man died in a 40-foot fall from the cliffs above Christine Falls while hiking with his adult son. The incident happened at dusk and by the time park rangers and members of Pierce County Fire District 23 arrived on scene it was too dark to safely conduct a recovery from the swift, glacier-fed waters of Van Trump Creek. During the night, the man's body was swept over the 69-foot-high double falls, coming to rest a hundred yards downstream. The recovery involved high angle technical climbers and was assisted by members of Tacoma Mountain Rescue, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, and the Tacoma Police Department. In all, over 30 responders were involved in the incident, which was led by Kraig Snure (IC). [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A search of the Paradise area for an overdue New York visitor was begun on Monday morning following notification that he'd gone out on a day hike but failed to return. The search that day focused on the highest probability areas, including Nisqually and Steven's Creek drainages, Mazama Ridge, and the Nisqually Glacier valley north of Glacier Bridge. The man was spotted in the late afternoon by air in a remote area of upper Stevens Creek drainage, but the helicopter was unable to land or insert rescuers. He was lying on the ground and did not respond to the helicopter's presence. An attempt to reach him that evening was cancelled when it was determined that it was not safe for search teams due to difficult terrain, travel conditions and approaching darkness. On Tuesday morning, a ground team was transported to the Stevens Creek Bridge by a Pisten Bully snow machine. The ground team then moved up the drainage and reached the man's location. Through a radio patch with medical control, rescuers were directed to transport him to a medical treatment facility. He was airlifted to Madigan Army Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. He is believed to have been dead for at least 24 hours prior to arrival at the hospital. A follow-up investigation is underway. The ground search was conducted by six teams of two to three rangers each. Park rangers joined Bravo Company 1/214 out of Joint Base Lewis McChord in the aerial search by Chinook helicopter. Dan Camiccia was IC. [Patti Wold, Interpretive Media Specialist]
Ranger Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot and killed on the road to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park on Sunday morning. As of this time (early on Monday), the assailant is still at large and a manhunt is underway. The incident began when a car failed to stop at a required tire chain checkpoint. A ranger tried to pull the car over, and, when it failed to stop, Anderson established a road block with her vehicle. The assailant jumped from his car and opened fire with a shotgun, fatally wounding her. He then fled on foot into the woods. Rangers and law enforcement officers from various agencies responded. The Pierce County SWAT team arrived on scene and they, too, were fired upon while rendering aid to Anderson. Law enforcement officers closed the park road, evacuated park visitors from Longmire, and locked down Paradise, with all visitors in the area taking refuge in the Jackson Visitor Center. There were 125 park visitors and 17 park staff in the visitor center as of late on Sunday. The visitor center has a restaurant to provide food, restrooms and water, and law enforcement officers are on hand to provide protection. The search for the murderer continued into the night, with fixed wing aircraft using forward looking infrared to scan the ground. There are a more than 100 officers from a variety of agencies assisting with the manhunt for the shooter, including National Park Service, Pierce County Sheriff, FBI, Washington State Patrol, US Forest Service, City of Enumclaw, and Lewis County Sheriff. Mount Rainier National Park will remain closed today. Anderson served at Mount Rainier for four years. She is survived by her husband, also a park ranger at Mount Rainier, and by two young children. Director Jarvis issued this statement early today: "Yesterday morning, Park Ranger Margaret Anderson was shot and killed while making a traffic stop at Mount Rainier National Park. As I write this late Sunday night, the murderer is still at large in the park, which has been closed. We are working closely with the FBI and local law enforcement to protect visitors and staff and to track down Margaret's killer and bring him to justice. "This is a heartbreaking, senseless tragedy. Margaret was just 34 years old. She and her husband E.A., who is also a park ranger at Mount Rainier, have two young children. Margaret was killed while doing her job - protecting the visiting public on one of the park's busiest days of the year. "Last week, we mourned the death of U.S. Park Police Officer Mike Boehm, who suffered a heart attack while responding to a serious incident in Washington, DC. Mike left behind a wife and a son. "Our hearts go out to both families, and I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers in the hard days ahead. "As updates from Rainier are available we will share them with all employees through InsideNPS. These losses are painful reminders of the risks faced by National Park Service employees every day. Please be careful out there and watch out for each other."
Ranger Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot and killed on the road to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park on New Year's Day morning. The body of her assailant, B.B., who fled into the backcountry, was found by searchers yesterday afternoon. The intensive manhunt for B.B. came to an end when searchers in an aircraft spotted a body lying face down, partially submerged in the Paradise River in the vicinity of Narada Falls. Searchers on the ground traversed challenging terrain to reach the spot and confirmed that it was B.B. and that he was dead. An investigation into the incident is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with park rangers and Pierce County Sheriff's Department officers assisting. The Western Incident Management Team (Denny Ziemann, IC) is en route to the park to assist with planning a memorial service for Anderson and with ongoing park needs. Information on the service will be posted on InsideNPS once it becomes available. The park will remain closed to the public through today to let staff begin to work through their grief. On the morning of January 1st, Anderson set up a traffic block to intercept a vehicle that had failed to stop at a chain-up checkpoint. The driver, Benjamin B.B., opened fire on Anderson, killing her, and then fled on foot into the woods. Anderson had worked at Mount Rainier for three years. She is survived by her husband, E.A., also a ranger in the park, and by two young children. Mount Rainier National Park closed during the hunt for the gunman, with the park evacuating park visitors to get them out of potential danger. There were 125 visitors in lockdown at the Paradise Visitor Center from Sunday noon until 3:30 a.m. on Monday. They were escorted out of the park in small groups of five vehicles, accompanied by law enforcement officers. There were also 25 visitors at the National Park Inn at Longmire who were evacuated out of the park. Visitors had been held at these locations for their own safety. Approximately 200 personnel were involved in search operations on Monday, January 2nd. Agencies participating in the search effort included the National Park Service, Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tacoma Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Customs & Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Forest Service, Pierce County Fire Districts, Lewis County Sheriff's Department, Enumclaw PD, Portland PD, Seattle PD, Snohomish PD, and law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions as well. Resources included K-9 units, armored vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Director Jarvis issued this statement early on Monday morning: "Yesterday morning, Park Ranger Margaret Anderson was shot and killed while making a traffic stop at Mount Rainier National Park. As I write this late Sunday night, the murderer is still at large in the park, which has been closed. We are working closely with the FBI and local law enforcement to protect visitors and staff and to track down Margaret's killer and bring him to justice. "This is a heartbreaking, senseless tragedy. Margaret was just 34 years old. She and her husband Eric, who is also a park ranger at Mount Rainier, have two young children. Margaret was killed while doing her job - protecting the visiting public on one of the park's busiest days of the year. "Last week, we mourned the death of U.S. Park Police Officer Mike Boehm, who suffered a heart attack while responding to a serious incident in Washington, DC. Mike left behind a wife and a son. "Our hearts go out to both families, and I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers in the hard days ahead. "As updates from Rainier are available we will share them with all employees through InsideNPS. These losses are painful reminders of the risks faced by National Park Service employees every day. Please be careful out there and watch out for each other." [Lee Taylor, Mount Rainier, and Patti Wold, Western Incident Management Team]
Family and park staff are receiving an overwhelming outpouring of support in the aftermath of the horrific events surrounding the fatal shooting of Ranger Margaret Anderson. The support of park employees and Margaret's family is now the primary focus of park management. Several teams have been brought in to provide assistance and relief to park staff - a CISM team of six lead by Dirk Wiley, SETT Team 3, and the Western IMT lead by Denny Ziemann and Kevin Killian. Additional staff and resources from several national parks and agencies continue to provide assistance. The park continues to work with the FBI and Pierce County Sheriff's Department on the investigation into the incident. The park is reopening to the public on Saturday, January 7th, after remaining closed since the day of the shooting. The park family is using the time during the closure to begin the recovery. Plans for a memorial service next week are underway with the date to be determined. The family is requesting donations to the Margaret Anderson Fund. KeyBank in lieu of flowers. Additional details will be provided on specifics of making donations as soon as it is available. [Patti Wold, PIO, Western Incident Management Team]
A memorial service will be held this coming Tuesday to celebrate the life of Ranger Margaret Anderson, who was fatally shot by an assailant on January 1st. The service will be at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10th, at Pacific Lutheran University (12180 Park Avenue S, Tacoma, Washington). Arrangements are in progress and will be shared as they become available. The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers. They should be sent to KeyBank, P.O. Box 159, Eatonville, WA 98328. Checks should be made out to the Margaret Anderson Donation Account. All correspondence, including requests for information, resource offers, and condolences, should be sent to HYPERLINK "mailto:MountRainierInfo@gmail.com" MountRainierInfo@gmail.com. Please send any photos of Margaret for inclusion a multimedia presentation at the memorial to the above address. For guidance on lowering flags to half staff and the wearing of mourning bands, see the related story in today's edition or click on the "More Information" link. [Patti Wold, PIO, Western Incident Management Team] HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=11455"
Additional details have been released on next Tuesday's service celebrating the life of Ranger Margaret Anderson, who was fatally shot by an assailant on January 1st. The service will be at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10th, at Pacific Lutheran University (12180 Park Avenue S, Tacoma, Washington). The uniform of the day will be the winter service dress uniform and felt hat, including dress coat and tie if available. Understanding that not all employees who may wish to attend in uniform have such attire, it is permissible for individuals to wear their nicest winter uniforms. If a uniform is being worn, do not wear any non-uniform items, i.e. blue jeans with park shirt, non uniform hat, belts, shoes, etc. Also, volunteers may wear the standard VIP uniform. Travel and attendance authorization guidance is being developed in the Washington Office and will be distributed as soon as it becomes available. Information on area lodging and airport transportation is available on the HYPERLINK "http://www.plu.edu/admission/first-year/visit-plu/lodging-and-airport. php" Pacific Lutheran University website. Further information will be shared as it becomes available. The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers. They will be used to help E.A. raise their two girls. Donations should be sent to KeyBank, P.O. Box 159, Eatonville, WA 98328. Checks should be made out to the Margaret Anderson Donation Account. All correspondence, including requests for information, resource offers, and condolences, should be sent to HYPERLINK "mailto:MountRainierInfo@gmail.com" MountRainierInfo@gmail.com. Please send any photos of Margaret for inclusion a multimedia presentation at the memorial to the above address. For guidance on lowering flags to half staff and the wearing of mourning bands, click on the "More Information" link. [Patti Wold, PIO, Western Incident Management Team] HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=11455"
Preparations are nearing completion for tomorrow's memorial service celebrating the life of Ranger Margaret Anderson, who was fatally shot by an assailant on January 1st. The particulars follow: Viewing - A viewing open to all NPS employees and first responders will be held today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mountain View Funeral Home, 4100 Steilacoom Boulevard SW, Lakewood, Washington. A uniform or official ID is required to attend the viewing. Procession - A first responders' procession will follow the family motorcade from Mountain View Funeral home to Pacific Lutheran University, where the service will be held. Those responders wishing to participate in the procession must be prepared to depart at 9:30 a.m. from the staging area. The procession should arrive at the university by 10 a.m. Service - The service will be at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10th, at Pacific Lutheran University (12180 Park Avenue S, Tacoma, Washington). A map of the campus can be found at HYPERLINK "http://basil.plu.edu/about/maps/" this link. Service Broadcast - It will be announced widely if a live broadcast via TelNet will occur. The IMT is working to make this happen. Northwest Cable News (NWCN) HYPERLINK "http://www.nwcn.com/" and KING 5 HYPERLINK "http://www.king5.com/" will be streaming the service live online. NWCN will be broadcasting live to areas of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. A block of seating is reserved for NPS employees and families in the auditorium. The reserved seating will be opened up to other federal agencies if it doesn't fill. Plan to arrive by noon to ensure seating in this area. Cordon of Honor - Uniformed employees may participate in a Cordon of Honor that will line the walkways to the auditorium, prior to the service. Participation is open to those not committed to other duties related to the service or procession the day of the service. It is required that participants attend the practice at 7:30 a.m., Tuesday, at Olson Auditorium. Additionally, it is preferred that participants attend practice on Monday at 5:00 p.m., at the Olson Auditorium. Cordon organizers will be wearing IMT staff badges. Reception - All NPS employees and their families are invited to a reception in the Norwegian Heritage Center on the university campus following the service. Lodging - Information on area lodging and airport transportation is available on the HYPERLINK "http://www.plu.edu/admission/first-year/visit-plu/lodging-and-airport.php" Pacific Lutheran University website. Further information will be shared as it becomes available. Appearance - The uniform of the day is the winter service dress uniform ("Class A") and felt hat, including dress coat (Ike jacket) and tie if available. Please clean and polish all leather duty gear. Employees who do not have a complete Class A uniform may wear their best winter uniform. If a uniform is being worn, do not wear any non-uniform items, i.e. blue jeans with park shirt, non uniform hat, belts, shoes, etc. Non-uniformed employees should wear formal clothing, just as you would for any similar event. If you own a nametag, please wear it. Volunteers may wear their normal standard VIP uniforms with nametags, if available. Seasonal employees not currently working should wear complete winter uniforms, including nametag and felt hat, even if they do not have badges. Those who don't have winter uniforms should wear complete summer uniforms, including nametag and straw hat. Ceremony Protocol and Demeanor - Please review the ceremonial guidance from the HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=175&id=4370" NPS Line of Duty Death Handbook prior to attending, particularly Section VI, "Funeral Protocol" (page 11) and Appendix L, "Demeanor of Employees" (page 50). Donations - The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers. They will be used to help E.A. raise their two girls. Donations should be sent to KeyBank, P.O. Box 159, Eatonville, WA 98328. Checks should be made out to the Margaret Anderson Donation Account. The National Park Foundation, the official charity of the National Park Service, has also established a memorial fund to benefit the children of Margaret and E.A. Contributions can be made at HYPERLINK "https://myaccount.nationalparks.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=567&srctid=1&erid=10104961&trid=26fd6d7c-8acb-46b7-85ea-6cbd55646cf8" this webpage. Director's Memorandum - For the text of the director's memorandum with guidance on lowering flags to half staff and the wearing of mourning bands, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=11455" this link. More Information - All correspondence, including requests for information, resource offers, and condolences, should be sent to HYPERLINK "mailto:MountRainierInfo@gmail.com". Please send any photos of Margaret for inclusion a multimedia presentation at the memorial to the above address. [Patti Wold, PIO, Western Incident Management Team]
A memorial service celebrating the life of Ranger Margaret Anderson will be held this afternoon. It will be broadcast online to all employees. Flags are to be lowered to half staff today in her honor. Flags - Secretary Salazar has authorized U.S. flags to be flown at half-mast today in her honor and memory. Service - The service will be at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time at Pacific Lutheran University (12180 Park Avenue S, Tacoma, Washington). A map of the campus can be found at HYPERLINK "http://basil.plu.edu/about/maps/" this link. Online Broadcast - Employees with access to one of the 220 TEL stations across the Service can view the program by just turning on the DVD player and the TV set - the program will be there. If you don't have audio, make sure the satellite audio button is lit on the Harvard Elite. Well before the service, check to see you can see and hear CNN. The helpdesk number is 866-488-6655 Local Broadcast - Northwest Cable News (NWCN) HYPERLINK "http://www.nwcn.com/" and KING 5 HYPERLINK "http://www.king5.com/" will be streaming the service live online. NWCN will be broadcasting live to areas of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. A block of seating is reserved for NPS employees and families in the auditorium. The reserved seating will be opened up to other federal agencies if it doesn't fill. Plan to arrive by noon to ensure seating in this area. Cordon of Honor - Uniformed employees may participate in a Cordon of Honor that will line the walkways to the auditorium, prior to the service. Participation is open to those not committed to other duties related to the service or procession the day of the service. It is required that participants attend the practice at 7:30 a.m., Tuesday, at Olson Auditorium. Reception - All NPS employees and their families are invited to a reception in the Norwegian Heritage Center on the university campus following the service. Lodging - Information on area lodging and airport transportation is available on the HYPERLINK "http://www.plu.edu/admission/first-year/visit-plu/lodging-and-airport.php" Pacific Lutheran University website. Further information will be shared as it becomes available. Appearance - The uniform of the day is the winter service dress uniform ("Class A") and felt hat, including dress coat (Ike jacket) and tie if available. Please clean and polish all leather duty gear. Employees who do not have a complete Class A uniform may wear their best winter uniform. If a uniform is being worn, do not wear any non-uniform items, i.e. blue jeans with park shirt, non uniform hat, belts, shoes, etc. Non-uniformed employees should wear formal clothing, just as you would for any similar event. If you own a nametag, please wear it. Volunteers may wear their normal standard VIP uniforms with nametags, if available. Seasonal employees not currently working should wear complete winter uniforms, including nametag and felt hat, even if they do not have badges. Those who don't have winter uniforms should wear complete summer uniforms, including nametag and straw hat. Ceremony Protocol and Demeanor - Please review the ceremonial guidance from the HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=175&id=4370" NPS Line of Duty Death Handbook prior to attending, particularly Section VI, "Funeral Protocol" (page 11) and Appendix L, "Demeanor of Employees" (page 50). Donations - The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers. They will be used to help E.A. raise their two girls. Donations should be sent to KeyBank, P.O. Box 159, Eatonville, WA 98328. Checks should be made out to the Margaret Anderson Donation Account. The National Park Foundation, the official charity of the National Park Service, has also established a memorial fund to benefit the children of Margaret and E.A. Contributions can be made at HYPERLINK "https://myaccount.nationalparks.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=567&srctid=1&erid=10104961&trid=26fd6d7c-8acb-46b7-85ea-6cbd55646cf8" this webpage. Director's Memorandum - For the text of the director's memorandum with guidance on lowering flags to half staff and the wearing of mourning bands, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=11455" this link. More Information - All correspondence, including requests for information, resource offers, and condolences, should be sent to HYPERLINK "mailto:MountRainierInfo@gmail.com". Please send any photos of Margaret for inclusion a multimedia presentation at the memorial to the above address. [Patti Wold, PIO, Western Incident Management Team]
The memorial service celebrating the life of Ranger Margaret Anderson held yesterday was extremely well attended, with the 3,000 seat auditorium filled to capacity and scores of law enforcement agencies represented. Rangers, officers and other first responders came from neighboring communities and from throughout the state of Washington, as well as Idaho and Oregon. A large contingent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police also attended. The memorial procession was six miles long and included an interagency pipe and drum corps and the Washington State Patrol rifle team. Yosemite National Park personnel led a single riderless horse, followed by a mounted team of Washington State Patrol officers. People watching the live TV coverage noted that the clouds parted and Mount Rainier came into view just as the service began. By the service's end, the sun was shining. Secretary Salazar, Director Jarvis and Superintendent Randy King spoke, as well as Robert Danno of National Capital Region and Steve Mazur of Voyageurs, both family friends of E. and Margaret Anderson. Pastor P.K., Margaret's father, and Pastor G.G. of the Anderson's family church shared remembrances. A series of short videos from the service and related activities can be found at the HYPERLINK "http://www.nwcn.com/" NWCN.com web page, or you can go directly to the HYPERLINK "http://www.nwcn.com/video?id=137057223&sec=551977" "Featured Video" page. A video of the bagpipers leading the procession to the service can be found at the HYPERLINK "http://www.king5.com/video/featured-videos/Ranger-memorial-Bagpipes-lead-as-procession-arrives-at-memorial-137036508.html" KING 5.com news web page. The site also has a web page with a HYPERLINK "http://www.king5.com/news/cities/tacoma/Memorial-to-honor-life-and-service-of-slain-park-ranger-137010873.html" news story, another video, and a 27-image photo gallery. The Western IMT worked with the HYPERLINK "http://www.behindthebadgefoundation.org/" Behind the Badge Foundation and numerous agencies to plan and carry out the day's events. The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers. They will be used to help E.A. raise their two girls. Donations should be sent to KeyBank, P.O. Box 159, Eatonville, WA 98328. Checks should be made out to the Margaret Anderson Donation Account. The National Park Foundation, the official charity of the National Park Service, has also established a memorial fund to benefit the children of Margaret and E.A Anderson. Contributions can be made at HYPERLINK "https://myaccount.nationalparks.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=567&srctid=1&erid=10104961&trid=26fd6d7c-8acb-46b7-85ea-6cbd55646cf8" this webpage. Mourning bands are authorized for uniformed employees to honor the life and service of Ranger Anderson until sunset on January 31st. All correspondence, including requests for information and condolences, should be sent to HYPERLINK "mailto:MountRainierInfo@gmail.com". [Patti Wold and Barb Maynes, Public Information Officers, Western Incident Management Team]
A massive search for a snowshoer missing in the park since last Saturday culminated in a successful rescue on Monday night. A team of three searchers led by ranger Jordan Mammel located missing snowshoer Y.C.K. at approximately 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon in the Stevens Creek drainage just east of the Paradise area. It took until 11 p.m. to safely evacuate Y.C.K. by sled and Snowcat. Despite his ordeal, he was in relatively good health and was able to return home with his family. Y.C.K., 66, was leading a snowshoe walk for a hiking group from Tacoma on Saturday afternoon when he slipped down a steep slope. He was unable to ascend back to the group and told them he would go around and meet them. His hiking companions returned to Paradise; when Y.C.K. failed to return by mid-afternoon, the National Park Service began a search that continued through Sunday and into Monday, ultimately involving more than 100 people. Y.C.K. is an experienced snowshoer who has done many day trips at Mount Rainier. He was well equipped for day travel but did not have overnight gear or experience. The search took place in mountainous terrain at elevations of from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The weather was wintry, with fresh snow each day, low temperatures in the teens, and high winds. Organizations that participated in the search include National Park Service staff from Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks; Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol; German Shepherd Search Dogs; Volcanoes Rescue Team; and Mountain Rescue Units from Tacoma, Everett, Seattle, Olympic, Portland, and Central Washington. The IC was Stefan Lofgren. [Lee Taylor, Chief of Interpretation and Education]
Search efforts are underway for two parties overdue from a weekend trips on Mount Rainier. A party of two planning to winter camp on the Muir Snowfield over the weekend was due out on Sunday, January 15th; a second party of two climbers on a summit attempt via the Disappointment Cleaver route was due back on Monday, January 16th. Western Washington was hit by a storm over the weekend, followed by a severe winter storm through mid-week, forcing a delay in the field search. Both parties were outfitted for winter weather with the exception of snowshoes or skis. Due to the weather conditions, it is expected that they are waiting out the storms before attempting to descend to Paradise. Visitors to the upper mountain are advised to stop moving, dig in and wait for better weather during severe weather and whiteout conditions. On Tuesday, a search team of two skied the route above Paradise to Panorama Point to assess conditions in the area and to look for signs of the two overdue parties. Travel was extremely difficult, with team members sinking two to three feet into the snow. Visibility was limited, winds were gusting up to 100 mph, and their tracks filled in behind them as they negotiated the deep snow. Yesterday, a team of ten searched from Paradise up the Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir without locating either of the parties. Eight of the team members skied back down to Paradise, searching along the way. There may be a short weather window this morning for the two searchers remaining at Camp Muir to search under better conditions before the next storm arrives midday. A helicopter is on standby at Joint Base Lewis-McChord awaiting favorable flight conditions, although freezing rain precluded flight operations on Thursday. The weather is the greatest challenge to search efforts at this time. Both a winter storm watch and a moderate level avalanche warning were issued for the area. The search team is made up of highly skilled mountaineers who are familiar with the route and in mitigating associated avalanche exposure. The team is composed of Mount Rainier climbing rangers and park staff and members of Everett Mountain Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, International Mountain Guides and Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated. Kelly Bush from North Cascades NP is IC. Although both parties are equipped for winter camping, concern for their wellbeing grows each day. The Western Incident Management Team is en route to assist with the incident. For information on weather conditions visit the park Weather webpage HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/weather.htm" http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/weather.htm. For a look at current conditions at Paradise visit the webcam webpage HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/mora/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm" http://www.nps.gov/mora/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm (note that the Camp Muir webcam is not maintained in winter). [Patti Wold, PIO]
The search for four people in two parties continues on Mount Rainier. On Sunday, a small improvement in the week's severe weather allowed ground teams to conduct visual searches of terrain previously obscured by weather. A US Army Reserve Chinook attempted to join the effort but had to turn back due to limited visibility. The helicopter remains on standby at Joint Base Lewis McChord. No sign of the missing parties has been detected to date. Over the last week, ground teams have encountered 30 to 60+ mph winds, whiteout conditions, ice crusted snow, and snow depths from 10 to 15 feet with drifts up to 50 feet. The two teams were due back on January 15th and 16th. The search effort will continue today, depending on weather and avalanche conditions. In the event a weather window materializes, the Chinook and a Washington State Patrol airplane are prepared to respond. The weather forecast calls for snow, 5 to 10 degree temperatures, and winds up to 65 mph through today. The Western Incident Management Team (Denny Ziemann IC) is managing to the incident. Mount Rainier and Denali climbing rangers, personnel from Pacific West, Intermountain and Alaska Regions, guides from Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated and International Mountain Guides, and Olympic, Tacoma, Everett and Seattle Mountain Rescue are contributing to search operations. [Patti Wold, PIO, Western IMT]
A break between storms provided a weather window for significant ground and air operations in the search for two missing parties yesterday. Three aircraft conducted a major air search of the upper mountain including Ingraham, Cowlitz, and Paradise glaciers, the Muir Snowfield, and the summit. Air resources include an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter, a contract Bell 206 helicopter with HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RECCO" RECCO from Northwest Helicopters, and a Washington State Patrol Cessna fixed wing with HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_looking_infrared" forward looking infrared. Seven ground teams searched the Sluiskin Falls area, Lower Paradise Glacier, Upper Stevens Canyon above Lake Louise, and Mazama Ridge. No sign of the two parties has been found over the seven day search period. The park is beginning to scale back the operation into an extended limited continuous search. Searches of remote areas of the park will be conducted when weather conditions permit in hopes that the parties were able to walk out. Search operations will not be conducted today due to expected winter storm conditions on the mountain. Forty-six NPS, VIP and AD personnel are currently assigned to the incident. The Western Incident Management Team (Denny Ziemann IC) is managing the incident. Operations will transition back to the park tomorrow. [Patti Wold, IO]
On Monday, the seventh day of the search for four people in two missing parties on Mountain Rainier, the mountain came out of the clouds for the first time, providing perfect weather for extensive air and ground operations. In spite of a major search effort, the parties were not located. With the return of winter weather and the odds of a favorable outcome declining daily, operations are being scaled back and will transition back to the park today. Investigators will continue to work on an in-depth investigation, and operations are shifting to an extended limited continuous search. Family liaisons worked with four separate families throughout the week. The consulate provided translators to assist in overcoming language barriers with family from Korea. Ninety-one people were assigned to the search over the course of the incident, which was managed by the Western Incident Management Team (Denny Ziemann IC). The team took over management of the search on January 21st, providing assistance to a park staff depleted by the impacts of the tragic shooting of Ranger Margaret Anderson. [Patti Wold, Incident Information Officer]
On April 23rd, P.N.W., a resident of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced to 24 months and one day in federal prison for her role in a series of vehicle break-ins in Mount Rainier during the summer of 2010. She was also required to pay restitution of over $7,000 to victims of these break-ins, ordered to serve and additional three years' probation, and banned from coming into the park during this probationary period. Last December, P.N.W. pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized use of a credit card and one felony count of aggravated identity theft. This case resulted from a wide-ranging investigation by Mount Rainier rangers and NPS Investigative Services Branch special agents following a series of vehicle break-ins that occurred at numerous trailheads and parking areas in the park. Evidence was meticulously documented at the scene of each break-in, leads were followed up based on receipts and other identifying information based on the use of stolen credit cards and identification, and evidence based on the use of stolen cards was documented by investigators to help make the case. As part of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at P.N.W.' residence. Rangers and agents recovered items that were stolen in the park and seized illegal narcotics that she had in her possession. State drug charges were filed based on this search. P.N.W.'s partner, M.M., who was also implicated in the break-ins, is scheduled for a June trial on related charges. During the sentencing hearing for P.N.W., the judge observed that P.N.W. had committed a serious offense and said that "unless you have been the victim of this type of offense, you don't have an appreciation of how disruptive these crimes are on the lives of victims." For more information on this case, HYPERLINK "http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/press/2012/April/williams.html" click here. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On June 4th, M.M. pled guilty to charges filed for his role in a series of vehicle break-ins in Mount Rainier National Park during the summer of 2010. M.M. pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized use of a credit card. This case resulted from an extensive investigation by rangers and NPS Investigative Services Branch special agents following a series of vehicle break-ins that occurred at numerous trailheads and parking areas in the park. Evidence was meticulously documented at the scene of each break-in, leads were followed up based on receipts and other identifying information based on the use of stolen credit cards and identification, and evidence based on the use of stolen cards was documented by investigators to help make the case. As part of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at the residence of M.M.'s co-conspirator, P.W.. Rangers and agents were able recover both items that were stolen in the park and illegal narcotics from P.W.'s residence. P.W. is currently serving a sentence of 24 months and one day in federal prison for her role in the break-ins. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
Ranger Nick Hall, 33, fell approximately 2,500 feet down the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier on Thursday, June 21st, during a rescue attempt in which four climbers fell into a crevasse on the glacier. Hall did not respond to attempts to contact him and was not moving after the fall. Climbing rangers assisting in the rescue of the four climbers were able to reach Hall, several hours after he fell, and upon arrival found that he was deceased. Rescue efforts for the four climbers continued throughout daylight hours on Thursday and into the next day. All four climbers were successfully rescued and transported to a hospital. Injuries sustained by some members of the climbing party remain serious. The park has experienced several days of inclement weather that has slowed efforts to recover Hall's remains. Heavy cloud cover and several feet of new snow have made attempts to reach Hall's location extremely difficult. Additional amounts of snow were forecast for Sunday as well; however, the park was expecting a small weather window that could possibly be utilized to reach Hall's body. Access to Sunrise Road continues to be restricted, as it provides the safest access for an aerial recovery of Hall's remains. On Saturday, the park transitioned management of the incident to the National Park Service Intermountain Region's incident management team. The team arrived midday on Saturday and continued implementation of ICS. A critical incident stress management team is providing support to park employees in the wake of this tragic loss of a coworker and friend. Mount Rainier rangers, local search and rescue team members, a Chinook helicopter with crew from Joint Base Lewis McChord, and an MD500 helicopter from Northwest Helicopters out of Olympia, Washington, continue to assist in the attempted recovery of Hall's remains and to assure the safety of other climbers on Mt. Rainer. Nick Hall was a four-year veteran of Mount Rainier's climbing program and a native of Patten, Maine. He was unmarried and has no children. "Last night we lost Mount Rainier climbing ranger Nick Hall, who died on the mountain while he carried out a climbing ranger's greatest responsibility - saving lives," said Director Jarvis in an all-employee message on Friday. "That fact will give us comfort in the future, but not now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nick's family and our National Park Service family at Mount Rainier National Park. They bear too great a burden today. We will do everything in our power to support them as they have been thrown into the depths of loss yet again. "Climbing rangers like Nick hold a special place in my heart. I went up the mountain with them during my years at Mount Rainier. They are athletic, amazing, heroic figures. They stand on mountaintops in a state of pure joy and are ready to help others discover that same experience. "Nick, who was 34 years old, grew up in Maine and loved the outdoors. He had been with the climbing program at Mount Rainier for four years. He knew the joy of the mountain and the satisfaction of selfless service. Please keep Nick and his family, friends and co-workers in your thoughts today and in the days ahead. "I have ordered flags at National Park Service facilities to be flown at half staff and authorized mourning bands to be worn on NPS badges until further notice." Secretary Salazar also issued a statement. "It was with a heavy heart that I learned of the tragic loss of Mount Rainier Park Ranger Nick Hall, who heroically gave his life to save others during a dangerous rescue on the mountain," he said. "Nick embodied the brave and selfless nature of the men and women of the National Park Service who dedicate their lives to protecting and helping the millions of visitors to our cherished national parks across America. On behalf of the entire Interior family, I offer our heartfelt support and prayers to Nick's family, friends and coworkers." The family has asked that donations in honor of Nick Hall, in lieu of flowers, be made through the following accounts: Nick Hall Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 431, Patten, ME 04765. Please make checks payable to Nick Hall Memorial Fund. Donations to this fund will support search and rescue in Maine and assist the Hall Family with travel expenses. MORA Search and Rescue Fund, 55210 238th Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304. Please make checks payable to DOI-NPS and note that the donation is in honor of Nick Hall. Cards and condolences may also be sent to the above addresses. Inquiries regarding memorial services should be sent to Jacqueline Ashwell ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Jacqueline_Ashwell@nps.gov" Jacqueline_Ashwell@nps.gov ). She is keeping a list for distribution of that information once arrangements have actually been made. [Rick Jones, Information Officer]
Efforts are continuing to recover climbing ranger Nick Hall. Hall died in a rescue accident on the mountain on Thursday, June 21st after he fell approximately 2,500 feet down the Emmons Glacier. Recovery efforts have been impeded by deteriorating weather conditions and increased avalanche danger due to accumulation of new snow at the higher elevations. Deteriorating weather conditions will continue to affect the area over the beginning of the week. An improving weather forecast is expected for Wednesday and Thursday, with less chance of precipitation and increased visibility. The park will utilize the clear weather window to continue helicopter operations and complete the recovery efforts on the mountain. The park is being assisted throughout this incident by a Chinook helicopter with crew from Joint Base Lewis McChord, an MD500 helicopter from Northwest Helicopters out of Olympia, Washington, Mountain Rescue Units from Tacoma and Everett, Washington, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, The Soup Ladies, and dozens of personnel from other National Park Service units. Gracious support has also been received from businesses and other partners in many of the gateway communities. The family has asked that donations in honor of Nick Hall, in lieu of flowers, be made through the following accounts: Nick Hall Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 431, Patten, ME 04765. Please make checks payable to Nick Hall Memorial Fund. Donations to this fund will support search and rescue in Maine and assist the Hall Family with travel expenses. MORA Search and Rescue Fund, 55210 238th Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304. Please make checks payable to DOI-NPS and note that the donation is in honor of Nick Hall. Cards and condolences may also be sent to the above addresses. Inquiries regarding memorial services should be sent to Jacqueline Ashwell ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Jacqueline_Ashwell@nps.gov" Jacqueline_Ashwell@nps.gov ). She is keeping a list for distribution of that information once arrangements have actually been made. [Rick Jones, Information Officer]
A memorial service will be held for Ranger Nick Hall at the Paradise Visitor Center in Mount Rainier National Park on Friday June 29th. Nick's friends, colleagues and co-workers will be attending. The visitor center will be closed to accommodate the service. The incident management team is currently working to offer alternative methods of viewing the service. Inquiries regarding memorial services should be sent to Jacqueline Ashwell ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Jacqueline_Ashwell@nps.gov" Jacqueline_Ashwell@nps.gov ). The family has requested that donations in honor of Nick Hall be made through the following accounts: Nick Hall Memorial Fund, P.O Box 431, Patten, ME 04765. Please make checks payable to the Nick Hall Memorial Fund. Donations to this fund will support search and rescue in Maine and assist the Hall Family with expenses related to the tragedy. MORA Search and Rescue Fund, 55210 238th Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304. Please make checks payable to DOI-NPS and note that the donation is in honor of Nick Hall. Cards and condolences may also be sent to the above address. [Rick Jones, Information Officer]
Recovery efforts for Ranger Nick Hall await improved safety conditions. After a number of days of poor weather conditions and several feet of new snow on the upper elevations of Mount Rainier, the park yesterday received its first day of a forecasted 36-hour window of good weather for a recovery effort. But high avalanche danger on the mountain on Wednesday resulted in unsafe conditions that precluded efforts to recover his body. 'We want to recover Nick as soon as it is safe to do so," said Superintendent Randy King. "Conditions must be stable before it is safe to put recovery teams on the mountain." Efforts yesterday focused on overflights to assess conditions from the air, evaluation of mountain conditions and snowpack at Camp Schurman (elevation 9,510 feet), and completion of a plan for a recovery attempt on Thursday providing that conditions are favorable and safe. Nick Hall died on Mount Rainier on Thursday, June 21st, after he fell approximately 2,500 feet down the Emmons Glacier while assisting on an upper mountain rescue. The memorial service for Nick Hall will be held on Friday at the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. Nick's family, friends, colleagues and co-workers will be attending. The Visitor Center will be closed to accommodate the service. The park is currently working to offer alternative methods to view the service. Inquiries regarding memorial services should be sent to Barb Maynes ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Barb_Maynes@nps.gov" Barb_Maynes@nps.gov). The Hall family has asked that donations in honor of Nick Hall be made in lieu of flowers. Donations that support search and rescue in Maine and assist the Hall family with expenses related to the tragedy may be made through the following accounts, either the National Park Foundation at HYPERLINK "http://www.nationalparks.org/nickhall" www.nationalparks.org/nickhall, or Nick Hall Memorial Fund, P.O Box 431, Patten, ME 04765. Donations to the fund that supports Mount Rainier National Park's search and rescue program in honor of Nick Hall may be made to MORA Search and Rescue Fund (with checks payable to DOI-NPS), 55210 238th Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304. Cards and condolences may also be sent to the above addresses. The park is being assisted throughout this incident by mountain rescue units from Tacoma and Everett, a Chinook helicopter with crew from Joint Base Lewis McChord, a MD500 helicopter from Northwest Helicopters out of Olympia, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pierce County Sheriff's Office, and The Soup Ladies. Additionally, gracious support has also been received by businesses and other partners in many of the gateway communities. [Kathy Steichen]
Ranger Nick Hall died on Mount Rainier on Thursday, June 21st, after he fell approximately 2,500 feet down the Emmons Glacier while assisting on an upper mountain rescue. Efforts to recover his body yesterday were suspended due to high winds. The highest priority for the recovery effort is the safety of all personnel involved. The memorial service for Nick Hall will be held today at the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. Nick's family, friends, colleagues and co-workers will be attending. The visitor center will be closed to accommodate the service. The service will be carried live via streaming webcast and can be watched at this link: HYPERLINK "http://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/2477" http://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/2477. The service will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT and is expected to last 60 to 90 minutes. The webcast is being provided by the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) on their website, which is available on both government and personal computers. The Hall family has asked that donations in honor of Nick Hall be made in lieu of flowers. Donations that support search and rescue in Maine and assist the Hall family with expenses related to the tragedy may be made through the following accounts, either the National Park Foundation at HYPERLINK "http://www.nationalparks.org/nickhall" www.nationalparks.org/nickhall, or Nick Hall Memorial Fund, P.O Box 431, Patten, ME 04765. Donations to the fund that supports Mount Rainier National Park's search and rescue program in honor of Nick Hall may be made to MORA Search and Rescue Fund (with checks payable to DOI-NPS), 55210 238th Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304. Cards and condolences may also be sent to the above addresses. American flags, which have been lowered to half staff this week in tribute to Nick Hall, are to be returned to full staff after sunset today. The wearing of mourning bands and ribbons will also conclude at sunset. Nick Hall had a passion for wilderness and possessed strength and courage that inspired those who knew him. Born and raised in Maine, Nick worked for four seasons as a climbing ranger at Mount Rainier National Park. He was a quiet youth who drew his energy from nature. Inspired and motivated by the outdoors, he lived his life embracing his passion for skiing and climbing mountains. "Nick possessed all the attributes desired in a mountaineering ranger at Mount Rainier," recounted Randy King, the park's superintendent. "He had technical skills, experience, judgment, endurance, an ability to connect with people, a commitment to service, and ultimately, courage. Nick radiated an inner strength and was at home on the mountain." Mountain terrain was home to Nick. As a boy in Maine, he discovered he was a strong skier and loved being on the slopes. After graduating from Katahdin High School, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and spent the next six years working in technical fields, including maintenance and repair of aircraft communications, navigation, and weapons systems. Following his military service, Nick enrolled at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, entering their recreation and outdoor education environmental studies program. "Nick was an excellent student... quiet in class, passionate about the outdoors, with a sly smile when amused," recounted Matthew Ebbott, one of Nick's professors. After completing his program at Western State College of Colorado, he worked many jobs that offered him outdoor experiences. He began working as a river ranger for the Bureau of Land Management in Utah and spent a season aboard the Priest Point, a fishing vessel from Petersburg, Alaska. "Working on the Priest Point, spending a season in the open waters of the West Coast seine fishery, you're always on the outside waters, rolling around," said Jeff Erickson, captain of the Priest Point. "You have to be strong to handle that. Nick was always a pleasure to have on the boat: he learned things quickly and dealt well with the late hours the job required. There wasn't much money in it... it was all for the glory, and he loved it." "Being a marine and a park ranger show character beyond the normal person," Erickson continued. "This is reflective of the way he was raised. He was disciplined and could handle the stresses of dangerous work and had a good time along the way." Nick was also an accomplished skier and spent several seasons on ski patrol for Stevens Pass Ski Area in Skykomish, Washington, and Northstar Ski Area in Lake Tahoe, California. Before he became a climbing ranger for Mount Rainier, he was also a climbing ranger at Mount Baker for the U.S. Forest Service. "In August 2009, Nick was among three rangers who guided my party safely to the top of Mount Rainier. He helped me - as he and all climbing rangers at Mount Rainier do for thousands of climbers each year - to experience the power, challenge and beauty of this majestic and fearsome mountain," recalled King. "The climb with Nick is among my most vivid and cherished personal memories; I feel his loss acutely." "Mountains, like Mount Rainier, are inherently wild places. Risk and risk management are a component in the climbing experience. Rangers like Nick work hard every day to help climbers make good decisions on the mountain, to stay safe, to go home again," continued King. "Nick died doing what he loved - saving lives during a highly technical rescue under difficult and unforgiving conditions." [Kathy Steichen and Barb Maynes, PIOs]
A memorial service for Ranger Nick Hall last Friday was attended by an estimated 450 people, filling both floors of the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise. Many others watched the service via live streaming video at the Paradise Inn and at other locations across the park and country. The service began at 10 a.m. and lasted approximately 90 minutes. Hall was remembered in presentations by both his father Carter and brother Aaron, and by several friends and coworkers. Video coverage of the service can be viewed and downloaded at the DVIDS, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, website HYPERLINK "http://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/2477" http://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/2477. Park staff and volunteers extend their gratitude to friends and donors, including Washington's National Park Fund, the Soup Ladies and members of the park staff who contributed support in preparation for the memorial service and reception that followed. Meanwhile, park staff await a favorable weather window to allow another attempt to remove Hall from the mountain. Current forecasts indicate Monday may provide a short window of opportunity for a safe recovery. Staff will continue to monitor weather and mountain conditions. Safety of park staff remains the priority for both the Hall family and the park. Rangers attempted to retrieve Hall from Mount Rainier on Thursday, but were forced to call off the mission due to high winds and deteriorating weather. Nick Hall died on June 21st while responding to a rescue of four injured climbers on Mount Rainier. All four climbers were safely evacuated from the mountain. [Barb Maynes, PIO]
A mission to recover Ranger Nick Hall from the Winthrop Glacier on Mount Rainier yesterday morning was successful. He died on June 21st while responding to a rescue of four injured climbers on Mount Rainier. A team of five Mount Rainier climbing rangers and a search dog team were flown up to his location at about 11,000 feet on the north side of Mount Rainier. The operation, including a preliminary reconnaissance flight, went smoothly and was completed in approximately two hours. Air operations were supported by a Chinook and crew from the 214th Aviation Unit out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a Hughes 530 from Northwest Helicopters. An estimated 450 people attended Nick's memorial service last Friday at the Jackson Visitor Center. Many others watched the service via live streaming video at the Paradise Inn and at other locations across the park and country. Video coverage of the service can be viewed and download at the HYPERLINK "http://www.dvidshub.net/video/148209/memorial-ranger-nick-hall" Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System. A family memorial service is planned for today in Patten, Maine. Climbing rangers Stefan Lofgren, Tom Payne and Brian Hasabe, the National Park Service honor guard, and rangers from Acadia National Park will be in attendance. "Nick's family is relieved to know that he has been safely recovered from the mountain," said Randy King, the park's superintendent in a message to park staff. "Moreover, they are deeply appreciative of the support and assistance they have received from the park and NPS and especially valued the time spent in the park last week with the coworkers and friends who knew and loved Nick best. "You have responded to the most difficult work-life scenario imaginable - the line of duty death of a co-worker and friend - with extraordinary grace, compassion and professionalism. Each of you has been called upon to help in some way, whether working with the teams brought in to help us, preparing for the memorial events, providing food and logistical support, communicating information, assisting the family and each other, or supporting operations. I am profoundly grateful for all that you have done, and continue to do, to honor Nick, support each other and serve Mount Rainier National Park."
On July 4th, a man was intentionally sliding down a slope in a controlled manner with his son in the Edith Creek area of the Paradise meadows when he broke through a snow crust over the creek and fell below the surface of the snow. He was the swept about 30 feet down the creek, still underneath the snow. His son immediately went for assistance at Paradise. A Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated group training in the area responded and was first on scene. They found the man in the water with his face submerged. A complex rescue operation ensued involving RMI guides and National Park Service rangers after risk assessments were conducted. They were able to extract the man and start CPR. An ALS air ambulance was called in to fly him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mount Rainier staff and RMI guides successfully and safely executed a highly complex rescue that was both time critical and hazardous with specific attention to managing risks to all rescuers throughout the entire operation. [Patti Wold, Incident PIO]
Several protracted rescues and other incidents on the afternoon of Saturday, July 21st, challenged park staff. All of the missions were approached incorporating the principles of operational leadership and no injuries to staff were reported: A 42-year old man who had taken a short fall near the Disappointment Cleaver walked into the Camp Muir high camp in mid-afternoon to seek help from the climbing rangers. They immediately provided care and organized a litter evacuation of the climber down the Muir Snowfield. Fifteen minutes later, park dispatch received a 911 call from a concerned parent who reported that her 16-year-old son was climbing with a church group on the Muir Snowfield when he fell and hit his head. A second 911 call came in shortly thereafter from a descending climber who reported that he had found the boy on the ground with no one around. The boy was confused but complaining of vision problems, a head injury, and rib pain. This call became the priority for the Camp Muir staff. With two incidents within the Camp Muir response area, it became clear that local rescue resources would be exceeded. The incidents were combined into to one Type III incident and managed under ICS out of Longmire. The boy was transported by sled and skis about 2,000 feet down the Muir Snowfield to the nearest landing zone. From there he was airlifted by northwest medical helicopters to Harborview Trauma Center in Seattle. Meanwhile, the 42-year-old man was litter evacuated down the 4,000 vertical feet from Camp Muir to Paradise. More than 30 SAR personnel were involved and the missions took over eight hours to complete. Meanwhile, around 4:30 p.m., park dispatch received a 911 call from a hiker near Tatoosh Lakes outside the park boundary reporting that her companion had injured his arm and head and was bleeding from his leg after falling on steep snow. She also said that he was cold and stuck. The call was transferred to the Lewis County Sheriff's Department, but park resources were offered due the remote location and the severity of reported injuries. A ground and air rescue was launched with Mount Rainier staff and a Coast Guard helicopter. In waning daylight, the man was extricated by the Coast Guard helicopter. Park staff returned to the trailhead and were off duty by midnight. Finally, just after 8 p.m., ten to twelve rapid fire gunshots were heard in the area just below Paradise. Four law enforcement rangers responded and searched several facilities, but no suspects were found. Visitors and NPS staff from different locations in the Paradise area heard the shots but the persons responsible were not found. [Eric Gabriel]
S.A., 60, of Lakewood, Washington, succumbed to injuries he incurred when he was involved in a single bicycle crash while riding in a large organized ride on Stevens Canyon Road last Thursday. S.A. was participating in RAMROD (Ride around Mount Rainier in One Day), a non-competitive bicycle tour that has been held in part within the park for 29 years under the terms of a special use permit. The 152-mile tour route starts and ends in Enumclaw, Washington. The route covers portions of park roads and two Washington state highways, climbing and descending two mountain passes. The event is limited to 800 riders and on this tour as many as 765 participants finished the park portion of the ride. The accident occurred during the early afternoon hours in the Stevens Canyon section of the tour route. S.A., who had participated in RAMROD several times before, was riding down a steep downhill section of the canyon road when he crashed onto the road surface, sustaining severe head trauma. Rangers and the RAMROD event ambulance, operated by American Medical Response (AMR), were on scene within minutes of the accident. S.A. was flown by Airlift Northwest EMS helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. He died of his injuries there the following day. The cause of the accident is under investigation. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On Monday, August 6th, rapidly melting snow on the lower reaches of the Muir Snowfield revealed a man's body at the 8,000 foot level about a half mile above Pebble Creek. It appeared that the body had been under the snow for some time. A party descending from Camp Muir spotted the body within sight of the trail and notified rangers, who recovered it the following day. Although his identity has yet to be determined by the county medical examiner, it's possible that he may be one of the four climbers lost during storms last January. Warm weather is expected to continue rapidly melting snow in the area over the next month or two, which may uncover evidence related to the missing climbers. The search for the four missing climbers is still active and ongoing on a limited basis. Searches are conducted during scheduled flights in the park and as crews are in the area. [Patti Wold, PIO]
On the afternoon of August 8th, a 13-year-old boy fell 40 feet into the narrow box canyon chasm below the popular viewpoint at Christine Falls. Miraculously, he suffered only a broken arm in the far. Rangers treated him at the scene, set up a technical high-angle raising system, lifted him out, and transported him to Morton General Hospital. Eighteen people were involved in the operation. The incident commander of this rescue was Stefan Lofgren. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
An Alpine Ascents International concessions guide came upon a 48-year-old climber exhibiting symptoms of a myocardial infarction at about 8,000 feet on the Muir Snowfield on the afternoon of August 8th. Climbing rangers responded from Camp Muir, while a litter team was organized and ascended from Paradise. He was packaged and moved via a ski patrol litter to a point where they were met by the litter team from Paradise. The man was carried out to Paradise, where he was transferred to the care of the crew of an Airlift Northwest helicopter that had landed at a helispot just below Paradise. Eleven people were involved in the rescue operation. Climbing supervisor Brian Hasebe served as IC for this operation. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
During a routine resupply flight to Camp Muir last Thursday, a body was spotted on the edge of a large crevasse at the 8,200 feet elevation near the top of the Paradise Glacier. The body, which was recovered the next day, has been identified by the county medical examiner as that of M.T., a hiker who disappeared during a series of storms in mid-January. The body of her hiking partner, Mark Vucich, was recovered on the Muir Snowfield less than a mile away on August 6th. On Friday, a third body was found just a few feet from M.T. It was determined to be that of S."E."Y., one member of a two-person climbing team that disappeared at the same time in January. Sill missing is S.Y.'s partner, S.H.J. of South Korea. On Saturday, under ideal weather conditions, searchers scoured the mountainside for further evidence, using snow probes, shovels, a helicopter, a search dog, metal detectors and a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RECCO" RECCO transceiver, but found nothing. Efforts have been scaled back to a continuous limited search, with hopes that additional clues will melt out before the end of summer. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A body was recovered from the base of a cliff on Monday by patrol rangers investigating a vehicle parked for several days at Ricksecker Point. When a check of its license plate did not turn up anything unusual, rangers entered the vehicle on Sunday evening, found identification, and linked it to a missing persons report. A search was begun on Monday morning using ground crews of interdisciplinary park staff and a helicopter. The crew of the helicopter eventually located a body at the base of the cliff below the point. The injuries to the body are consistent with a fall from great height. The body was removed by helicopter and delivered to the Lewis County coroner, where identification will be made. An investigation into this incident is ongoing. Dan Cammicia was incident commander. [Patti Wold and Kevin Bacher, Incident Information Officers]
Late on the afternoon of Sunday, November 11th, two snowboarders who were descending from Camp Muir became lost at the 7,300-foot elevation near McClure Rock, approximately two miles up the mountain from Paradise. They contacted 911 via cell phone, and rangers began organizing for a search the next morning. The two men, ages 20 and 21, had planned to be out only for the day, so had no overnight gear. They dug out a snow cave, where they spent their first night. A winter storm dropped over 20 inches of new snow that night. With a rapidly dying cell battery, they were able to contact park dispatch the following morning to report that they'd made it through the night and were marking their cave with their brightly colored snowboards. That day, 21 ground searchers made their way slowly through deep fresh snow and whiteout conditions to the snowboarders last known point near McClure Rock. Near the end of the day on Monday, one search group was able to make visual contact with them from about a half mile away. Due to darkness, avalanche conditions, poor visibility and exhaustion, though, the searchers were unable to locate them again and were called back to base. On the morning of November 13th, searchers reached the pair, who were near the location of the old Paradise ice caves. Neither suffered significant injuries. They were rewarmed and escorted back to Paradise. In all, 80 people were employed in the search in both support and operations. The IC on this incident was Stefan Lofgren. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Saturday, May 18th, a party of three climbers was ascending Liberty Ridge near the Mount Rainier summit when a small avalanche swept away the lead climber and emplaced fall protection failed. Self-arrest efforts by the group's third member halted the descent of the entire group. Despite the lead climber's sustaining an angulated left lower leg fracture, the three climbers were able to reach the top of Liberty Cap. On the morning of May 19th, they contacted a climbing guide-led party on the summit. Members of that group reported the incident to park dispatch via radio, assisted two of the injured climbers down to Camp Muir, and remained on-site at Liberty Cap with the climber suffering the leg fracture. He was extricated via an aviation-based rescue involving park mountaineering rangers and a Chinook helicopter from the USAR 214th General Services Aviation Battalion and then air transported to Madigan Military Hospital at Joint Base Lewis McChord. A simultaneous ground-based rescue of the two other members of the party was also necessary. This portion of the operation involved four Mount Rainier rangers sledding one of the patients with significant frostbite injuries down from Camp Muir to the Paradise parking area in an Ajkia litter. This patient was then transported by NPS ambulance from Paradise, transferred outside the park to a mutual aid Pierce County ambulance, and ultimately taken to Harbor View Hospital in Seattle. The third member of the party, who had only minor exposure-related complaints, was ambulatory and successfully walked out with the ground litter team and ultimately was released against medical advice. The incident was managed under a Type 4 ICS structure. [Patti Wold, Public Information Officer]
On Sunday, June 23rd, a seven-year-old boy drowned in the White River after falling off a foot log near the White River Campground. The boy's brother, who is in his 20s, jumped into the river in an attempt to save him, but was unsuccessful. Rangers in the area began a search within minutes of being notified. The child was pulled from the river within an hour after the search began, but attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene. No signs of life were detected at any time by rescuers. The boy and his family were visiting from Saudi Arabia. Assistance was provided by Greenwater Fire Department Swiftwater Rescue, Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue, Pierce County deputies and Airlift Northwest. A park contract helicopter was utilized in the search. Ken Worstell was incident commander. [Patti Wold, PIO]
Visitors reported seeing a body lying near the Wonderland Trail north of Longmire near Rampart Ridge Trail on the afternoon of June 27th. Rangers responded and determined that the victim, a 58-year-old man, had died, and that he was a probable suicide victim. Several empty prescription pill bottles and an empty bottle of alcohol were found near the body. The victim was subsequently identified as a Kent, Washington, man who'd been missing since the previous day. His body was turned over to the county medical examiner. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A Canadian climber sustained multiple traumatic injuries in a fall at the top of the Emmons Glacier on Sunday, July 7th. The incident was reported at Camp Schurman at approximately 4:00 p.m. by four members of the climber's nine-person climbing party. Rescue operations were immediately set in motion. An Army Reserve Chinook helicopter inserted two climbing rangers at Liberty Saddle, approximately 300 feet above the scene. They assessed the injured climber and packaged him for flight; he was then extracted by the Chinook at 9:10 p.m. and taken to Madigan Army Medical Center. Approximately 33 people were assigned to the incident. Partners involved in the mission include Army Reserve's 214th Air Division out of Joint Base Lewis McChord and Northwest Helicopters out of Olympia, Washington. [Patti Wold, PIO]
The rescue of an injured skier in the Panoramic Point area above Paradise on the night of November 21st was made more complex when word came to rangers that a snowboarder was reported lost in the same area. At 3 p.m., word was received that a 36-year-old skier had fallen down a 200 foot ice field and had severely broken his knee. By the time rangers were able to reach and assess him, waning daylight precluded the safe use of a helicopter as a means of extrication, so rangers began setting up a technical raising. As they were doing so, it became apparent that to conduct this operation safely, additional outside resources would be needed. Six members of Tacoma Mountain Rescue and six members of Olympic Mountain Rescue, all trained volunteers, responded from various areas around Puget Sound to help conduct the rescue. In the meantime, a tent and sleeping bags were sent up to the site to protect the skier from the elements. Although skies were clear and calm overnight, temperatures were in the 20's throughout the ordeal. The laborious task of carefully raising the injured man and sledding him down to Paradise in darkness took most of the night. Around 9 p.m., while this rescue was underway, the park received a report that a 36-year-old solo snowboarder was lost in the Pebble Creek area above Paradise. The man had texted his girlfriend and reported that he was trying to get back to the parking lot, but that he was unable to do so because of the darkness. This area is on a ridge with steep ice fields and gullies along the way. Freezing weather had created a hard, slippery ice crust throughout the area, and a slip or fall could have proven deadly. Ranger Kevin Ross, the incident commander for the rescue that was already underway, directed several of the rescue volunteers to begin a hasty search in the area of Pebble Creek. As they searched for the man, they called out his name. Around 12:20 a.m., they got a response. The snowboarder was found near Pebble Creek. He was cold but otherwise in good condition and was able to walk out to Paradise. All parties were safely taken off the mountain between 4:30 and 5:00 in the morning. The skier was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Puyallup. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
A search for an overdue hiker ended on a positive note on Wednesday when he hiked out after spending an unplanned night in the backcountry. The hiker, a 68-year-old man from Everett, Washington, set out on a day hike in the Kautz area on Tuesday. He was reported overdue by his wife late Tuesday when he failed to return home as planned. Pierce County Sheriff's Department deputies attempting to locate him late Tuesday evening confirmed that his vehicle was at the Kautz Creek trailhead, but were unable to find him. A search by a park hasty team the following morning was also unsuccessful. The park's incident overhead team was calling in more resources to ramp up the search when the hiker returned to the trailhead on his own accord. While hiking off-trail, he was overtaken by darkness, so he stopped hiking and bundled up in extra clothes and garbage bags to stay warm through the night. He was able to relocate the trail on Wednesday morning and returned to the trailhead. [Patti Wold, PIO]
On December 9th, former NPS employee J.B. was found guilty at trial on a felony violation of the Clean Water Act. While working as the Paradise wastewater treatment plant operator on August 27, 2011, J.B. intentionally bypassed part of the treatment process. He then left the plant for his three days off and failed to notify anyone of the bypass. As a result, approximately 180,000 gallons of minimally treated sewage were discharged, much of it eventually reaching the Nisqually River. The cleanup and monitoring involved several park divisions, an NPS Public Health Service officer, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The investigation was led by EPA's Criminal Investigations Division and the NPS Investigative Services Branch and included park staff. In 2012, J.B. pleaded guilty to a lesser charge but withdrew that plea before sentencing and exercised his constitutional right to a trial. Additional details are available in the HYPERLINK "http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/press/2012/September/barber.html" text of a press release issued in September by the U.S. Attorney's Office. [Investigative Services Branch]
On the afternoon of Sunday, December 8th, park dispatch received a report that a man had fallen down a steep slope in the area between Panorama Point and Glacier Vista along the Skyline Trail. The 51-year-old man from Tumwater, Washington, had been hiking with crampons when one snagged on his pants leg, causing him to trip and fall about 60 feet down the slope. Several reporting parties said that the man was conscious, but had a head laceration and back pain. Rangers Erik Wiita and Joe Spillane hiked to the scene to assess the man and prepare for an evacuation. Teams from Tacoma and Olympic Mountain Rescue were called to assist as a backup to park teams. With the aid of several bystanders also on scene, the rangers were able to package the patient, construct a landing zone on the hard-packed snow, and move the man about 600 yards to the landing zone. He was evacuated at dusk by an Airlift Northwest helicopter and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Ranger Kevin Ross was IC for the incident. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On January 26th, a 40-year-old visitor from Yakima suffered a serious leg injury while descending on ice and snow on the Panorama Point trail. Although an air evacuation was originally considered, an interagency ground rescue was instead conducted due to her location and the non-critical nature of her injuries. Rangers requested assistance from the Tacoma and Olympic Mountain Rescue volunteer agencies to complete the low angle technical rescue. An air ambulance from Airlift Northwest was called in, but was sent back when it became apparent that nightfall would preclude a safe helicopter evacuation from the site. The incident was managed under a Type 4 incident command structure with Mary King serving as IC. All aspects of the rescue operation were successfully executed without incident. [Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
On March 18th, former Mount Rainier employee J.B. was sentenced to 30 days home confinement, a $15,000 fine and a year's probation after being found guilty of a felony violation of the Clean Water Act for allowing hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage to run into the Nisqually River in 2011. J.B. worked as an operator at the water treatment plant at Paradise. The plant provides advanced secondary treatment to wastewater from the Paradise Visitor Center and Paradise Inn before it is discharged into a drainage ditch that flows into a waterfall. The waterfall in turn flows into the Nisqually River. In a plea agreement, J.B. admitted that he failed to stop the buildup of solid waste in the treatment plant in the spring and summer of 2011. The filters became clogged and the advanced treatment portion of the plant would not operate properly. Instead of fixing the problem, he used a bypass around the advanced treatment and surge storage tank. As a result, minimally treated sewage was dumped directly into the drainage ditch and flowed into the waterfall and Nisqually River. When J.B. left work for a few days on August 27, 2011, he failed to log the bypass into the log book and did not inform his co-workers of the bypass or the problem. As a result, some 200,000 gallons of minimally treated sewage flowed into the Nisqually River. [Investigative Services Branch]
Early on the afternoon of Sunday, May 11th, a skier was hit by a large chunk of falling ice and snow in a tight gully on Lane Peak near Reflection Lake. The skier took a tumble down the steep and narrow gully and sustained some face and neck injuries. Rangers and two off-duty climbing guides with friends who were nearby responded and performed a patient assessment and began medical care. The park's short-haul helicopter was called and extricated the skier just before sunset. He was then taken by ambulance to the hospital. Seventeen mountain rescue volunteers also responded and were prepared to evacuate the injured man by ground if the short-haul operation became impractical. Ranger Esteban Monreal served as IC. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]
The search for a party of six overdue climbers on Liberty Ridge came to a tragic conclusion on May 31st when an air search identified personal items and detected avalanche beacon signals at a location 3,300 feet below the ridge in a debris field on the Carbon Glacier. This area correlates with the fall line in the area of the climbers' last known location. With all physical evidence at the scene suggesting that the party was buried in the debris field for nearly three days along with the 3,300 feet fall, it was determined that there was no chance of survival. Evidence suggests that the party was swept off the mountain in an avalanche-like event. The final fall location is extremely hazardous due to continuous rock and ice fall from the ridge above. Recovery efforts would require ground and aviation resources and would put recovery personnel in the direct path of these hazards. Incident command made the decision to not conduct those efforts in light of the unacceptable risks to recovery personnel and the operation transitioned to a limited, continuous search at that time. Recovery efforts will be evaluated on an ongoing basis as conditions change. The party consisted of two A.A.I. climbing guides and four clients. They last contacted their office on May 28th at approximately 6:00 pm by satellite phone from about 12,800 feet on the Liberty Ridge route. They reported that all was well at the time. The climbers were planning to make their push to the summit the following day. Alpine Ascents reported the overdue party at 4:30 pm on May 30th. Approximately 50 people were assigned to the operation, including park staff, commercial climbing guides and military personnel. A team of three climbing rangers conducted a ground search along the Liberty Ridge climbing route. The US Army Reserve 214th Air Division out of Joint Base Lewis McChord and Northwest Helicopters provided the helicopter assets vital to locating the climbing victims. The combined efforts of the ground search and aerial search teams ensured that the suspected accident area was methodically searched for any evidence associated with the climbing victims. [Lorant Veress and Patti Wold]
A three-day search for 70-year-old missing day hiker K.S. came to a tragic conclusion on June 21st when her body was found near the east branch of Boundary Creek in rough, steep terrain. K.S. was hiking the Owyhigh Trail with a partner when they parted with the intention of meeting back at that location in an hour. She went ahead when the party of two encountered snow at approximately 4500 to 5000 feet. Her partner stayed at the location last seen, as arranged, to wait for her return. When she failed to return to the point last seen and eventually to the trailhead, her partner called in an overdue hiker report. At this time, K.S.'s route of travel after leaving the point last seen is undetermined. K.S. was a locally well-known outdoor journalist and marathon runner and was considered a knowledgeable, experienced hiker. She was prepared for a day hike of the area and had previous hiking experience on the Owyhigh Trail. Examination revealed that she died of hypothermia. A total of 110 people were assigned to the search over the course of the incident, including personnel from North Cascades, Olympic, and Mount Rainier national parks, German Shepherd Search and Rescue of Washington State, Kittatas County dog teams, King County Explorers, and Everett, Olympic, Central, and Seattle Mountain Rescues. An MD-530 helicopter from Northwest Helicopters in Olympia, Washington, provided air support. Click on the link below for a related Seattle Times news story. [Patti Wold, PIO] HYPERLINK "http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/06/mount-rainier-hiker-karen-sykes-died-from-hypothermia/"
On Saturday, July 12th, E.B., 64, of Tacoma, Washington, set out with his son to hike a 19-mile stretch of the Wonderland Trail. E.B. dropped his son off at White River and then drove to the Box Canyon trailhead. The plan was for the son to hike south to Box Canyon, with E.B. hiking north to White River, crossing paths on the trail midway. Around 3:30 p.m., father and son intersected on the trail at an elevation of approximately 6,600 feet near Indian Bar, then continued on their respective ways. After arriving at the Box Canyon trailhead around midnight, the son retrieved the car and drove to pick up his father at White River. When his father did not appear, he notified park rangers at the White River Campground at 1:30 a.m. Formal search operations were begun on Sunday morning and continued for six days. Ground operations included 106 searchers - NPS rangers, volunteers from Bellingham, Central Washington, Everett, Inland, Olympic, Portland, Seattle, Skagit, and Tacoma Mountain Rescue, and rescue dog teams from Everett, Kittitas, and Lewis Mountain Rescue. Participating in air operations were Northwest Helicopters, CH-47 Chinook aircraft from the 214th US Air Reserve out of Joint Base Lewis McChord, and a FLIR/NVG equipped Blackhawk from CBP's Marine Division in Bellingham. The search was concentrated in the drainages surrounding the point last seen and the intended travel route. No signs or clues of E.B.'s whereabouts were discovered. On July 19th, the search operation transitioned to a continuous limited search. All searchers are out of the field. The park will continue to look for E.B., with rangers checking the area and interviewing hikers as part of their normal patrol duties. [Geoff Walker, IC]
Search teams successfully located two missing day hikers in the Summerland area of the park on August 14th. On Tuesday, August 12th, the two experienced hikers left the Summerland trailhead on the park's east side with the intention of hiking through Summerland and Panhandle Gap, where they planned to traverse through Cowlitz Chimneys to Owyhigh. A severe storm caught them in the Chimneys, where they sheltered in place. The next morning, following an overdue party report, a hasty search was conducted by park staff pulled from the Shadow Lake Fire. The hikers made contact with the park midday by cell phone through a family member, providing brief information before the call was lost. They moved on after reporting their location, missing park crews by four hours. The pair backtracked to Panhandle Gap the next morning. Mountain rescue crews located them below the Gap. They were uninjured and completed the hike out to the trailhead. Thirty people were assigned to the incident from Seattle, Tacoma, Olympic, and Everett mountain rescue teams, Central Pierce County, and park staff. Quincy Maret was incident commander. [Patti Wold, PIO]
On August 19th, recovery operations were successfully conducted for three bodies located by air operations on August 7th. They are believed to be members of the party of six climbers that went missing from Liberty Ridge in late May ( HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=6986" click on this link for the original report). Due to the risks associated with inserting personnel into an area frequented by rock and ice fall, the crew of a Northwest Helicopters MD-530 employed a remotely controlled Heli-Tech grabber device mounted on a 100-foot-long line to retrieve the bodies. Eight rangers assisted in the planning and execution of the mission. The bodies were turned over to the Pierce County medical examiner's office, which will work on identification. No evidence of additional bodies was encountered during the operation. [Patti Wold, Information Officer]
Park rangers responded to a motorcycle accident on the east end of Stevens Canyon Road on Thursday, September 11th. There were no witnesses to the accident, although the victim was riding with friends when he went off the road at a hairpin turn. Park climbing rangers conducted the technical recovery of the man's body. Washington State Patrol officers are assisting with the investigation. Quincy Maret was the incident commander. [Patti Wold, PIO]
On November 25th. heavy rain falling onto significant new snowpack filled park creeks and rivers, creating dangerous conditions throughout the park. During this rain-on-snow event, a logjam formed just above the Kautz Creek culverts on Nisqually Road, causing the creek to divert over the road. At 11 a.m. the road was closed to the public and all visitors in the Longmire area and nonessential park staff were evacuated from the park via an alternate route. The park road crew worked throughout the afternoon to remove the logjam and return the creek to its channel. Measures were also taken to protect park infrastructure from Nisqually Entrance to Paradise - pumping water out of basements and keeping culverts free of debris. The Nisqually Road reopened to the public at 8:00 am on November 26th. Photos of the event are available on the park Flickr site, found at the link below. HYPERLINK "https://www.flickr.com/photos/mountrainiernps/sets/72157649461747061/". [Patti Wold, Park Information Officer]
Late on the afternoon of December 2nd, a 911 call was patched through to Mount Rainier dispatch from an injured 61-year-old hiker who had broken his lower leg in a fall. He slipped on a steep icy slope and fell 50 feet just above Panorama Point, coming to rest after hitting a rock hard enough to result in a compound fracture of both lower leg bones of one leg. A group of skiers descending from Camp Muir fortuitously came upon the accident site and the injured hiker. The group was better prepared than the great majority of backcountry travelers and was able to radio park rangers with the GPS coordinates and other pertinent information. They then went to great lengths to protect, rewarm and care for the man for several hours of cold and windy conditions while rescuers were summoned to the park to perform a carryout. Teams from Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue and Olympic Mountain Rescue were battered by high winds as they performed the late night evacuation by rescue litter. The operation included several steep-angle technical roped lowerings down the icy slopes of Panorama Point. Rescue efforts continued into the wee hours of the morning. The injured hiker was then transported by ambulance to the hospital. [Glenn Kessler, IC]
The search for a 37-year-old local man who was overdue from a snowshoeing trip in the park came to a tragic conclusion on December 29th when ground crews located his body next to Edith Creek in the Paradise area, not far from the point last seen. The man went missing on the evening of December 27th during a winter storm that dropped 20 inches of snow in 48 hours. He intended to overnight at Camp Muir, but only made it as far as Panorama Point due to formidable winter storm conditions. A party of two waiting out the storm at Panorama Point took him into their shelter, but when the shelter was destroyed by the extreme conditions they attempted to complete their descent to Paradise together. During the descent, the man became separated from his companions in the vicinity of Edith Creek. A hasty search was conducted on December 28th, with members of the Nordic Patrol scouring main routes in the area. Operations expanded on December 29th to include air and ground searches from Edith Creek to the upper Stevens Canyon drainage. Members of Tacoma, Everett, Seattle, and Olympic Mountain Rescues participated in the ground search. A Chinook from the US Army Reserve's 214th Air Division, Joint Base Lewis McChord, with park climbing rangers aboard searched by air. Approximately 30 NPS and partner personnel were assigned to the incident. David Keltner was incident commander. [Patti Wold, PIO]
The search for a missing Liberty Ridge climber came to an end on day two of the effort to find him with the discovery of his body just below the crater rim. A joint air operation by personnel from the U.S. Army Reserve 214th Air Division and the park led to the location of what was suspected to be the body on day one. A photo of the target was analyzed that evening and determined to be worth further investigation. Plans were made for a ground team to investigate the location the following day. The target was indeed the body of a man fitting the description of the missing climber. It was carried by the ground team to the crater rim, then airlifted off the mountain. The climber left his camp in extreme winds and low visibility to retrieve a stove left a short distance away. He and his two climbing partners had stopped at the confluence of the Winthrop and Emmons Glaciers at 14,200 feet during their descent from Liberty Cap. Extreme weather forced them to stop and seek shelter in a crevasse. Thirty-nine park personnel were assigned over the course of the incident. Stefan Lofgren and Kraig Snure were the incident commanders. Incident photos are available at the link below. HYPERLINK "https://www.flickr.com/photos/mountrainiernps/sets/72157654119624978" [Patti Wold, Public Information Officer]
On Sunday, May 28th, rangers rescued a climber who fell into a crevasse while descending from the summit of Mount Rainier. The climber was retrieved from 12,300 feet elevation on the Emmons Glacier, located on the mountain's east side, by the park's exclusive-use A-Star B3 helicopter. The park received word of the accident on Saturday afternoon via a 911 cell phone call. A party of three had climbed the mountain that morning and were descending by skis and snowboard when one member of the party, a 24-year-old woman, fell into a crevasse. Six rescuers arrived by helicopter and employed rope rescue techniques to raise the injured but responsive climber 100 feet to the surface of the glacier by nightfall. Two rangers spent the night with her on the mountain while the others descended with her companions. On Sunday morning, the A-Star helicopter returned to retrieve the injured climber, who was lifted from a 35-degree slope using short haul techniques and delivered to a waiting medical unit at White River Ranger Station around 11:00 a.m. The woman, who had unspecified pelvic and back injuries and head lacerations, was brought to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. Source: Press Release, Kevin Bacher, Mount Rainier NP.
Searchers have so far been unable to locate a skier who is believed to have fallen through a snow bridge into Pebble Creek on July 3rd. While skiing from Camp Muir to Paradise, the 30-year old man fell into a hole that spanned the rushing waters of Pebble Creek. Using an avalanche probe, his partner searched for two hours before completing his descent to Paradise to report the incident. A ground search was conducted that evening, followed by an aerial search the next morning, but no sign of the man was found. Late season snow is creating unsafe search conditions; search personnel will accordingly monitor the area until conditions improve. Approximately 20 people have been involved in these operations, including park staff, a guide from Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated, and the park's exclusive-use helicopter crew. Source: News release, Mount Rainier NP.
The park's search and rescue crews responded to a report Sunday that a skier had fallen into a crevasse on the Emmons Glacier near the 12,800 foot elevation. Upon descending into the crevasse, rangers found the skier, who showed no signs of life. Earlier that day, a party of three summited Mount Rainier and were descending when one of the member of the group skied into the crevasse. The park was notified through a 911 call; its exclusive-use Astar B3 helicopter picked up six climbing rangers and inserted them at the summit due to erratic winds and steep terrain at the accident site. From the summit, they climbed down to the location of the accident. Using rope rescue techniques, rangers descended approximately 150 feet into the crevasse, where they found that the skier had suffered traumatic injuries and was unresponsive. Six rescuers raised him to the surface of the glacier, where he was then transported by helicopter from that site and released to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office. Rangers descended with the remaining two members of the group to Camp Schurman, where they spent the night. Park search and rescue crews, aviation personnel, and Mount Rescue Association volunteers participated in the response. Source: News release, Mount Rainier NP.
The search for a missing snowshoer was suspended late on the morning of March 13th when his body was found in the Nisqually drainage below Paradise. He had been missing since becoming separated from his partner while descending from the Muir Snowfield the previous day. Efforts to find him began at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 12th, with a hasty search of the main routes between Paradise (5,400') and Panorama Point (7,000'). No definitive clues were found prior to the teams' return from the field at 9:30 p.m. Mountain Rescue Association teams from Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympic joined Mount Rainier National Park teams in search efforts. The Washington State SAR Planning Unit worked with park command staff on incident planning. Northwest Helicopters and the military provided aviation resources. Thirty-two people were assigned to the incident. Source: Mount Rainier NP news release.
A National Park Service helicopter crew conducted three rescue missions in a single day over the weekend before last — one rescue in each of Washington state's three large national parks. The final rescue of the day was inside Mount Rainier National Park after rangers received an emergency beacon activation from two injured climbers on Mount Rainier's Liberty Ridge. The helicopter flew in and plucked the two injured women from a steep ridge at the 9,500-foot elevation of the mountain. Just before 9 p.m., the chopper landed back at its home base with the injured climbers. The helicopter team was formed in 2015 at Mount Rainier National Park to assist climbing rangers with rescues. Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks now share a dedicated short-haul rescue helicopter on contract for the summer season. The three parks train together and have worked to hone their communication to allow for the interoperability that proved so valuable on Sunday. Source: KOMO News.
Rangers have recovered the body of a 22-year-old woman who apparently drowned while trying to cross the West Fork of the White River on July 25th. A group of hikers reported seeing the hiker get swept downstream as she tried to cross the river on the Northern Loop Trail. They tried to locate the woman, who was a university student from China, but were unsuccessful. Ground searchers found her body tangled in trees about 150 yards below where the trail crosses the river. Source: KOMO News.
As of this writing (late Tuesday), the partial federal government shutdown, now 19 days old, remains in effect and is within three days of eclipsing the previous record length for such a closure (see the note at the end of the story for more info). Its impacts on National Park Service operations to date have been extensive, various and often substantial. Below are a few of the many, many articles that have appeared in the media on the effects that the shutdown has had on the parks. Since several report on more than one park, they're listed by source rather than by area, with park names highlighted. Efforts have been made to avoid duplication insofar as is possible; a second reference to an area usually indicates more information about the park. Several fatalities have also occurred in the parks since the closure began. Although many articles are linking these to understaffing, there's no evident direct correlation. They are therefore being treated separately following this summary:
A closing note: It may interest you to know that this is the sixth significant government shutdown since 1990, with "significant" defined as a shutdown that leads to actual employee furloughs. Here a list of them in chronological order:
The shutdown continues and the National Park Service continues to be its poster child. Some of the myriad reports on the agency and its employees that have come out over the past week follow. The Shutdown — Articles pertaining to the shutdown as it has affected employees, federal agencies, and the NPS in particular: Mount Rainier NP — The park "partially reopened" its Nisqually entrance on the weekend before last. It was able "to open itself back up" after being given permission to use retained recreation fees to fund park operations. Access remains limited, though. Visitors can enter the park and get to Longmire, but Paradise (and the road to it) remains closed. Basic guest services at Longmire and Kautz Creek — the restrooms, the National Park Inn, the restaurant, and the gift shop — are now open again. Source: Zosha Millman, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, cited by KOMO News.
On the night of May 29th, six climbers who were camped at the mountain's 10,400-foot level were caught in a rockfall that swept through their campsite. One climber — A.D., 45, of Juneau, Alaska — was killed instantly and two others were injured. The climbers — three pairs of climbing partners — were on their way to the summit on the Liberty Ridge route. Around 8 p.m. that evening, a local 911 dispatcher received a call reporting the rockfall. Search and rescue volunteers were unable to reach the climbers on Wednesday, but were able to fly to the site the next day. They airlifted the most seriously injured climber, a 37-year-old man who was A.D.'s climbing partner, to Harborview Medical Center. Later in the day, they flew out the other injured climber and A.D.'s body, then the remaining three climbers. Park spokesman Kevin Bacher said that all six climbers were experienced, had registered with the park, and had the proper equipment to make the ascent. Even though this is the best time of the year to climb the mountain, constant freezing and thawing creates rockfall conditions all over the mountain. "Rockfall is very common on Mount Rainier. There's rocks falling on this volcano all the time," said Bacher. "So the challenge for people climbing the mountain is to simply to be aware of those risks and mitigate them as much as they can." Twenty-four people were involved in the rescue and recovery operation. Sources: KOMO News (first report) and KOMO News (follow-up report).
Four climbers stranded on Mount Rainier for four days were successfully rescued last Thursday morning in a "daring" helicopter mission by rangers during a short break in the weather. All four were suffering from their long exposure to the unrelenting cold at the mountain's 13,500-foot elevation. They were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after their rescue. All four were listed in satisfactory condition. The climbers — Y.K. of Portland, R.K. from New Jersey, and V.A. and K."C."T. from New York — started their ascent from White River Campground on Friday, May 31st, taking the Liberty Ridge route. They had to halt their ascent because of high winds blowing away or destroying their tent and other climbing gear. Efforts to rescued them by helicopter were blocked for some time by high winds. On Thursday morning, a brief window of good weather opened up, during which the helicopter's crew spotted the men in the saddle between Liberty Cap and Columbia Crest. The pilot was able to land and fly them off the mountain in two flights. The location where the climbers were found was about a half mile from the site where they had last been seen two days ago and in a place much less affected by wind and more accessible to rescue. The route between the two sites requires expert technical climbing skills; according to the park, the climbers contributed greatly to their own rescue. Y.K., an experienced climber who's familiar with the mountain, later spoke to a reporter and described what happened. Two of his observations are worth highlighting. First: "Every time I go up a mountain, it teaches me a lesson." Second: "Don't mess with Rainier." Sources: KOMO News; Associated Press, via Peninsula Daily News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Mount Rainier NP — The military newspaper Stars and Stripes has a remembrance of the climber killed by the rockfall on Mount Rainier earlier this month. A."B."D. retired from the Army as a Special Forces lieutenant colonel in August 2017 after a career spent leading overseas special operations that many Americans may never know the details about, including "instrumental contributions to the fight against terrorism, particularly ISIS in Iraq and Syria." Source: Chad Garland, Stars and Stripes.
The body of a 69-year-old man who died while hiking in the park was recovered last Friday near the base of the Nisqually chute. The man had been missing since Wednesday, when family members reported him overdue from a solo hike above Paradise. Rangers launched a search on Thursday and located his body from the air that afternoon. It was recovered when weather conditions improved on Friday. The man had undertaken several hikes recently to condition himself for a summit attempt of the 14,410-foot-high mountain. His family believes that he set out on Wednesday for a day hike to Pebble Creek, located above Panorama Point. Weather conditions on Wednesday included rain, sleet, hail, and lightning. Source: Craig Sailor, Tacoma News-Tribune.
Around midday on Friday, July 19th, rangers were advised that a hiker had fallen about 100 feet off Barrier Peak near Owyhigh Lake. The rescue team dispatched to the 6,521-foot peak found that R.M., 41, had succumbed to injuries sustained in the fall. A helicopter airlifted his body to the White River area, where he was turned over to medical examiners. It was not immediately clear what caused R.M. to fall. The Barrier Peak climb is often combined with nearby Governors Ridge. The two are connected by a saddle. R.M. was a journalist, an editor and author of two books, The Art of Dying and What Your Body Knows About God. His op-eds were published in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and Huffington Post, among other papers. Source: Stacia Glenn, Tacoma News-Tribune.
On the evening of August 5th, a glacial outburst from the mountain's South Tahoma Glacier sent debris and boulders as big as pickup trucks down the mountainside. The debris flow registered on seismic monitors and ran for more than eight miles. The event, which consisted of four separate surges, lasted for about an hour. The park's geologist believes that recent warm and sunny weather filled the glacier with melt, causing water to blast a new channel through it. No one was hurt during the event. The park closed its Westside Road, which saw minor damage after glacial floodwater overtopped it. The nearby Tahoma Creek trail suffered significant damage and is not currently passable. As the world warms and Mount Rainier's glaciers thin and retreat, these massive debris flows have become a common occurrence on the mountain's south side. Over the years, the park has recorded some 32 debris flows along Tahoma Creek. The South Tahoma Glacier that feeds the creek began to retreat in the 1960s. Sources: Evan Bush, Seattle Times; KIRO News.
Strong storms blowing in from the Pacific Ocean have caused closures and damaged facilities in at least two parks: Mount Rainier NP — Heavy rains have caused flooding and landslides in the park. All park roads have been closed and will remain closed indefinitely. At the time of the initial report on Sunday, there was no access to Paradise or to the Longmire Historic Landmark District. Park staff had to clear an emergency access route to evacuate National Park Inn guests and remaining park staff at Longmire. The park has since been running an escort convoy each day over a Forest Service back road for residents dealing with the landslide so they can get supplies. Historic structures, including the National Park Inn and other buildings within Longmire have also been damaged by floodwaters. It's expected that additional and extensive damage will be revealed as floodwaters recede and snow melts. Drier weather is expected this week, which should help bring down rivers and restore access to isolated areas. Source: The News Tribune; KOMO News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Mount Rainier NP — After more than two weeks of repairs following massive mudslides, both lanes of SR 706 are again open to drivers. That means visitors to the park can once again use the main Nisqually entrance. The road is open to Longmire, with normal winter access to Paradise, depending on conditions. The Washington State Department of Transportation closed the highway on February 6th after it was covered by two 400-foot-long mudslides following a period of heavy rain. Hundreds of tons of mud, rocks, trees and water crashed onto the highway, stranding park employees and 200 people in Nisqually Park who live near the park entrance. Good weather allowed the contractor to repair and reopen SR 706 ahead of schedule. It was estimated that the highway wouldn't be open until mid-March. Source: KIRO News.
Searchers have found a 34-year-old woman who failed to return from a solo hike on the mountain last Sunday. The woman was reported missing by her husband when she did not return from her hike and he could see her car still parked at Paradise on the web cam. At about the same time, another hiker reported seeing a woman matching her description at about 9,000 feet in the Muir snowfield late in the afternoon, which seemed a little late for someone to be headed down. A pair of two-person crews went looking for her at about 10 p.m. Sunday but did not find any sign of her. On Monday morning, full search-and-rescue teams began hunting for the missing woman amid snowy conditions. While they were searching, she called around 9:30 a.m. and gave them her coordinates. Searchers found her shortly afterward just below the 8,000-foot level. Source: KOMO News.
M.W.P., 41, who has been convicted of breaking into at least four dozen cars at more than seven trailheads and parking lots at Mount Rainier, Olympic and elsewhere, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two years in federal prison following a 25 month state prison term. On March 28, 2019, M.W.P. and his girlfriend smashed windows and stole thousands of dollars of equipment from vehicles parked at the Graves Creek Trailhead and Fletcher Canyon Trailhead in Olympic National Park — the beginning of a month-long theft spree. M.W.P. and his girlfriend used credit and debit cards stolen from the vehicles to make purchases at various stores — the overall financial damage was more than $50,000. Their crime streak came to an end when M.W.P. was caught shortly after walking out of a store where he used victims' bank cards. He was found to have a tool used to break car windows and three credit cards in a victim's name in his possession. When officers searched his residence, they found that he had been stockpiling much of the gear he stole or selling it online and used the stolen debit and credit cards to buy items such a flat screen TVs, gaming systems, a drone, and clothes. M.W.P. reportedly has a 15-year history of property crimes in and around Olympic National Park, such as burglary, identity theft, and trespassing. Source: KXRO News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP — A man who broke into dozens of vehicles at Mount Rainier and Olympic has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after he serves a more than two-year state prison term. M.P., 41, broke into at least four dozen cars at more than a half dozen different trailheads and parking lots in the two parks. Over a month-long period starting in late March 2019, M.P. smashed windows and stole from parked vehicles. He then used stolen credit and debit cards to make over $50,000 in purchases at various stores. M.P. was arrested after walking out of a store where he used victims' bank cards. Source: KOMO News.
Parks are slowly and carefully reopening following what appears to the pandemic's peak. The summary that follows focuses briefly on articles of note on a few large parks and how they're dealing with the reopening. Click on the related URL's for details: Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP/North Cascades NP — The parks are planning for phased reopenings of certain day-use facilities this month. Sarah Creachbaum, superintendent of Olympic, summarized the situation for Washington parks: "The opening of each of the parks is necessarily predicated on being able to outfit our employees with adequate PPE (personal protective equipment), with adequate cleaning supplies to keep the restrooms clean, and with adequate enforcement to keep people from crowding around restroom areas." Source: Rob Ollikainen, Peninsula Daily News. For information on the status of other parks in the system, go to the Service's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and use the search engine to find information on a particular site.
On Monday, rangers found the body of one of three hikers who disappeared in separate incidents over the past 10 days. The body of M.B., 28, of Seattle, who vanished on Friday, was found on Monday along the base of Liberty Ridge, where he had been hiking with friends. He had been skiing behind a partner at about 10,400 feet above sea level when, on their way back down, something caused M.B. to fall in steep and treacherous terrain — an area prone to rockfalls and avalanches, including one that killed six climbers in 2014. The search for M.B. and the other hikers was hampered by inclement weather. But on Monday, clear skies allowed for another helicopter search. The Park Service said the searches for the two other hikers — V.D., 25, who disappeared on June 19th, and T.S., 17, who disappeared on June 22nd — are continuing. According to the park, missing hikers are not uncommon on Mount Rainier at this time of year because many climbers are surprised by the changing conditions as they ascend the mountain. V.D., a student from Indonesia who is living in Seattle, and T.S., who is from Seattle, were both last seen in the area of the park known as Paradise. It is on the southern part of the mountain and where most visitors go to drive up the trail. V.D. was hiking the Van Trump Trail, at least 5,000 feet above sea level, toward Mildred Point at Longmire. His car was found at the park. The park is working closely with the Indonesian Consulate in San Francisco and with V.D.'s relatives. T.S.'s car was found parked at a lot in Paradise. He hasn't been seen since June 21st. Source: Sandra Garcia, New York Times.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Mount Rainier NP — The body of climber M.B., who was reported missing last week on Liberty Ridge, was located on June 29th. M.B. went skiing ahead of his partner near Thumb Rock, at a 10,400 feet elevation, and it's believed he fell in steep terrain while they were descending. M.B.'s body was found in a crevasse at the base of a cliff, an area of continuous rock and ice fall that poses too high of a risk for rescue crews to access the location and recover his body. Meanwhile, the separate searches for two missing hikers — V.D., 25, who disappeared on June 19th, and T.S., 17, who disappeared on June 22nd — are continuing. Source: KIRO News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Mount Rainier NP — A body found on August 3rd is believed to be that of hiker T.S., 27, who's been missing since June. The man's body was found in an off-trail drainage near Paradise. T.S. had planned to hike around Paradise on June 21st, but never returned. Rangers are continuing the search for a second missing hiker, V.D., 25, who vanished around June 19th while hiking the Van Trump Trail toward Mildred Point near Longmire. Source: KOMO News.
The body of a missing 74-year-old hiker has been recovered from the park. C.G. of Black Diamond was reported missing last Tuesday when he failed to return from an overnight hike. Searchers found his car at the Paul Peak trailhead the next day and scoured the area, focusing on Golden Lakes, Sunset Park and the South Mowich River trail crossing. On Wednesday evening, searchers in a helicopter spotted C.G.'s body on a gravel bank downstream of the trail crossing. A ground team was able to recover his body. A coroner will determine the cause of death, but it appears that it stemmed from an attempt to make a stream crossing. "River crossings can be extremely hazardous this time of the year," said Tracy Swartout, the park's deputy superintendent. "The park's cold, swift-flowing waters require a high level of caution, even for hikers with extensive experience, knowledge and skills." Source: The Olympian.
The body of A.F., 27, of Seattle, was recovered last Thursday after he perished in whiteout snow conditions while trekking in the park. A.F. and his hiking partner, a woman who was visiting from Virginia, experienced high winds, heavy rain and whiteout conditions while they were at a 9,300-feet elevation after spending the night in a tent at Camp Muir. Rangers received a 911 cell phone call from the woman at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Rangers monitored their descent, while a quick-response team was dispatched to assist them. The woman, who was not immediately identified, was found by the rescue team shortly before 4 p.m. at the top of the Skyline Trail, about 7,200 feet elevation, being assisted by two other hikers. She told the arriving rangers that A.F. had become disoriented and then unresponsive. She told the rangers that she left to get help after she was unable to move him or to get a cell phone signal. His body was found about 4:45 p.m. at about 7,700 feet on the Muir Snowfield. Rangers returned to the scene Thursday and recovered A.F.'s body with help from Olympic, Tacoma, Central Washington, Seattle, and Everett Mountain Rescue volunteers. His body was brought back to the trailhead and turned over to the Pierce County medical examiner. The route to Camp Muir follows a trail from Paradise (elevation 5,400 feet) to Pebble Creek, and then across the Muir Snowfield the rest of the way to the high camp at 10,180 feet, according to park officials. Source: Alfred Charles, KOMO News.
A major search is underway for S.D., 34, who has not been seen since heading out on a hike of the Mother Mountain Loop on October 9th. He was to return the following day. Ground crews, canine teams, drones and helicopters have been employed in the search, which has been hindered by several recent winter storms that have blanketed much of the area in snow and temperatures that have been in the high 20s to low 30s. S.D. is in an associated professor in the University of Washington's anthropology department. His family members describe him as 5 feet 9 inches tall weighing about 160 pounds. The National Park Service asks that anyone who may have information that could help investigators to contact the NPS Investigative Service Branch at (888) 653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov. Source: KOMO News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Mount Rainier NP — The search for University of Washington anthropology professor S.D., who has been missing since October 9th, when he embarked on a 17-mile overnight hike on Mount Rainier, has ended after a 15-day intensive search. S.D. began his hike in the Mowich Lake area, which includes rugged, remote wilderness. He was supposed to return from the 17-mile loop trail the following day, but did not. The park launched a search, which was suspended on October 23rd; at the family's request, though, they resumed it two days later. They found no sign of him. Click here for full article. Source: Sunita Sohrabji, India-West.
Rangers at Mount Rainier have recovered the bodies of two men from Tolmie Peak in the northwest corner of the park. The bodies were discovered by hikers on October 31st. Investigators believe that the two men died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds and that the shootings had occurred recently. The men are ages 29 and 34, and neither are from western Washington. Source: KOMO News.
A snowshoer who became separated from a friend spent a cold night in the backcountry of Mount Rainier before being spotted by searchers in a helicopter who guided his rescue. The unidentified man and his partner had been on the Muir Snowfield at an elevation of 9,500 feet last Saturday. The two separated shortly before 2 p.m., with the snowshoer intending to head down to Paradise while his friend, who was on skis, headed for Camp Muir. When the snowshoer failed to reach Paradise, rangers were contacted. Three National Park Service teams conducted an initial search for the missing snowshoer until early Sunday morning in winter conditions that minimized visibility. The overnight low at Paradise dropped to 16 degrees Fahrenheit with 5 inches of new snow. NPS search managers and Mount Rescue Association ground teams began searching again on Sunday morning. Clouds prevented launching air operations until afternoon, when a contract helicopter from Hi Line Helicopters with park rangers aboard joined the search. The helicopter team located the snowshoer in the Nisqually River drainage on the west side of the river a mile upstream from Glacier Bridge. Ground teams reached the snowshoer an hour later. Searchers worked to warm him while a helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island responded. The military Seahawk helicopter hoisted and transported him directly to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Source: National Parks Traveler.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Mount Rainier NP — The snowshoer who was rescued from the mountain on November 8th died in the emergency room at Harborview Medical Center — but was revived through an extraordinary all-night effort by medical personnel. M.K., 45, had a pulse when he arrived in the ER but his heart soon stopped beating. The medical team repeatedly performed CPR and hooked him up to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which pumped blood out of his body into a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide, and then back into the body. His heart remained stopped for 45 minutes. After the doctors restarted it, the medical team spent the night beside him to make sure he continued to stabilize. Two days later, M.K. woke up. Trauma nurse Whitney Holen was there and said the first thing he wanted was to call his family. "He was crying and they were crying and I'm fairly sure I cried a little bit," Holen said. "It was just really special to see someone that we had worked so hard on from start to finish to then wake up that dramatically and that impressively. It reminded me of this is why we do this. This is why we are doing the long hours, this is why we're away from our families, this is why we're here." Source: KOMO News.
The body of a 65-year-old woman was recovered from a steep slope near Ricksecker Point in the southwest corner of the park this past Sunday. She'd died in an accidental fall. Searchers were able to locate her body on Saturday and confirmed that she was dead. A ground team returned to the area on Sunday and recovered her body using a helicopter. Twenty-two National Park Service employees, with assistance from 13 Mountain Rescue Association personnel and one person from Pierce County Fire District 23, worked to recover the body from the steep, hazardous terrain. Source: KOMO News.
On November 17, the park closed the Grove of the Patriarchs due to flooding that caused significant damage to the suspension bridge that provides access to the area. A repair deadline is unknown at this time. Source: Mount Rainier National Park
On November 15, the park issued an emergency regulation to close the Carbon River Trail and all attached trailheads due to erosion along the Carbon River Road. The road has been partially washed out since last winter, but the remainder of the road washed away on November 12. There is no timetable for when the area will be reopened. The Washington Department of Transportation is planning to repair the washed-out roadway in summer 2022. Source: Mount Rainier National Park, The News Tribune
Sometime between the evening of November 28 and the morning of November 29, individuals broke through a closed gate on Washington state Route 410 at the intersection of Crystal Mountain Boulevard, then drove to the White River area. Upon arrival, they destroyed and stole government property from multiple facilities. Park officials have not announced what was damaged or stolen. The park is looking for any information the public may have and the investigation is ongoing. Source: The Chronicle
Mount Rainier National Park — The park reopened access to the Carbon River area. It has been closed since November 15, 2021 due to washouts on roads and trails in a heavy rainfall event. Hazards still exist and some areas are still closed. The public is advised to remain cautious in the area. The park is working on long-term stabilization of the road and trails. Source: Mount Rainier National Park September 7, 2022 On August 22, a 52-year-old climber was observed taking a "substantial fall" while descending the Disappointment Cleaver route on Mount Rainier. The individual was on a private, unguided trip with friends. Guides from International Mountain Guides and Rainier Mountaineering, Inc, and NPS rangers made several attempts to find the individual that day, but could not locate them. The follow day, a team of NPS staff located the individual, who was deceased. An NPS-contracted helicopter was utilized to access and retrieve the victim's body. Source: Mount Rainier National Park September 18, 2022 On September 7, people in the greater Seattle area observed and filmed what looked like venting on Mount Rainier, which quickly spread around social media. After looking at data from the U.S. Geological Survey seismic network, as well as in-person observation and videos from other angles, the park announced that the video showed lenticular clouds, not volcanic activity. Source: Mount Rainier National Park
On September 26, the Federal Highway Administration reported structural damage to one of the bridges on Stevens Canyon Road, deeming it unsafe for two-lane travel. Stevens Canyon Road between Stevens Creek and Box Canyon is now closed to all vehicle, foot, and bicycle traffic for the remainder of the season. Source: Mount Rainier National Park
On May 31, a 41-year-old was climbing with a guided group, Alpine Ascents International, when they collapsed near the summit. Attempts at CPR were unsuccessful. The following day, guides with AAI and Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., worked with NPS staff to extract the individual's body from the summit. Later that day, the individual was taken off the mountain by the park's A-STAR helicopter. The Pierce County (WA) Medical Examiner will determine a cause of death. Source: Mount Rainier National Park
On the night of June 5, two guides spotted an unresponsive climber 30-50 feet down in a crevasse at about 11,500 feet near the Ingraham Direct route. They reported it to authorities and a helicopter was sent to investigate the following morning. A five-member crew was able to remove the individual's body. The Pierce County (WA) Medical Examiner will work to identify the individual, who is believed to be an 80-year-old known to be on the route May 30-31 and reported missing on June 1. A five-day search ensued, including responders from the park's A-STAR helicopter, the Army National Guard 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion Blackhawk helicopter, and ground teams. The individual was an experienced climber who once held the record for the oldest person to climb Mt. Everest and this was their 50th ascent of Mt. Rainier. Source: The Spokesman-Review, Mount Rainier National Park
During the Perseid meteor shower, thousands of visitors flocked to the park for stargazing, resulting in multiple reports of damage to wildflowers in subalpine meadows at Sunrise. The park is currently assessing the damage. Source: KATU
On August 25, a lightning strike started the Twin Firs Fire just north of the Nisqually Road between Kautz Creek and the Twin Firs Trail. The fire was successfully contained at about half an acre on August 29. No park structures were affected. The Twin Firs Trail was closed temporarily and has now reopened. Source: Mount Rainier National Park (8/27, 8/29)
On May 18, a skier set out to ski tour above Paradise and never returned. On May 19, they were reported overdue and rangers initiated a ground and air search. The park's contract helicopter located an unresponsive person who appeared to have fallen about 200 feet to the base of Pebble Creek's Moraine Falls, in an area with "a large, unstable snow moat that was subject to rock and ice fall." The risk to rescuers was too high to recover the individual until a future period of more favorable conditions. On June 8, a group of park staff utilizing "traditional crevasse rescue methods" was able to recover the individual. The park's contract helicopter transported the individual's body to Kautz Creek Helibase for evaluation by the Pierce County Medical Examiner. Source: Mount Rainier National Park
A recent inspection on the Nisqually Suspension Bridge in Longmire, Washington, revealed that it is aging and can no longer accommodate heavy vehicles. Vehicles over 3 tons are no longer permitted to cross. Source: KIRO7
On September 16, a 22-year-old went for a hike on "one of the trails in the Sunrise area of the park." On September 23, a welfare check was requested by their employer after they missed a few days of work. On September 26, the individual was found deceased from a fall, having died of "multiple blunt force injuries." The incident was deemed an accident. Source: The News Tribune | |