High Sierra Topix

I don't know how to say this, but I know how I'm feeling. Having gone through my own experience this summer and knowing what my own loved ones went through; the continual worry, sleeplessness, fear for the worst, trying to keep the faith as each moment passes. The nightmare. My heart truly aches for all of Larry's loved ones and what they are going through. And Larry; keep up the faith and will to get through this, wherever you are. You have a lot of caring, experienced people trying to get to your aid. God be with you.

And to the wonderful folks in this community. Most of us are merely pixels on a screen to each other. Here and there, we get glimpses of the individual being behind the writing. Some were friends before this community developed, many have become friends since. We all come together to share of ourselves within a common passion. I believe it is this passion for our Sierra Nevada and all of it's wonders and all of the intense, sublime emotion that it stirs in each of us, that we share, that has created a compassion for each other that is rarely seen and sorely missing in much of today's societies.

I have been awe stricken watching all of the information regarding Larry's desires, plans, possible intentions, etc. that has poured out of this board. There has been an immense collection of data to help SAR team commanders et. al. to build their psychological and physical probability profiles to aid in mapping out search hierarchies. I am in awe of the personal sense of family and the sheer concern and fortitude to help on any level possible.

I am deeply proud to be a part of such a compassionate community.

rlown wrote:Please thank your SAR crews for all the hard work they're doing to find Larry. I know we all here appreciate the effort and response.

I just want to second that.

Like so many others, I've watched this event progress from the beginning, but have not had anything constructive to offer as help, nor words to convey my feelings about it all. So much hope, concern, warmth, compassion and suggestive advice has been expressed in support of finding Larry safe and sound, and we all still do, God willing. Jimr seems to have summed up all of it so perfectly from my corner that I'm compelled to add my sentiments here also. Thanks, jimr.

And thank you to each and all who have offered their hands and hearts to aid in this endeavor - to the SAR team, their supporters and those who assist in any way, and to everyone in this remarkable community called HST. I pray to see Larry come home safe and to rejoin us here, as we all do. God bless and keep you, brother of the mountains

Here is a story about a guy who got caught in the storm this week in tennis shoes and was stuck for 7 days before being rescued:

http://yubanet.com/regional/Lost-Camper ... Iz2XGfVZkg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

October 27, 2012 - The 29 year old man (Nathan Sperring) who had been overdue since Tuesday from his hiking/camping trip into the Desolation Wilderness, was found Thursday afternoon by Search and Rescue (SAR) Personnel, at his campsite near Dick's Lake in the Desolation Wilderness.

Nathan had done a lot of things right but overlooked the possibility of rapidly changing mountain weather. Nathan told people where he was going, including the route he would be taking and when he would be back . He was well prepared for the weather conditions when he left on his camping trip on Friday but he did not check the weather forecast.

Nathan had not dressed for windy, snowing conditions. He had brought a light coat and wore tennis shoes Nathan was caught off guard when he woke up Sunday morning to find 6 inches of snow on the ground. The weather had cleared some, so Nathan packed up his camp and began to walk out. His tennis shoes and light coat proved to be insufficient for the conditions. The fresh blanket of snow had changed the look of the terrain and he could not find the trail. He was not sure he could find his way out so he made a wise decision to return to his protected campsite and again set up camp. As the weather became more severe Nathan followed his tracks in the snow back to his protected campsite and set up camp again, to wait out the foul weather and the arrival of help, protected from the elements. This may very well have saved Nathans life. On Thursday, with a break in the weather, multiple Search and Rescue Teams were flown into the Desolation Wilderness and dropped off in strategic locations consistent with Nathan's advised hiking route. Just after a Helicopter dropped off one of the teams and left the area, SAR personnel heard a whistle off in the distance. Nathan had seen the Helicopter and was blowing his rescue whistle. He was located by the SAR Team and was transported to safety in good condition.

Nathan had spent 6 nights and 7 days in the wilderness. He spent 2 days and 2 nights longer than he had planned, in freezing, foul weather. The last three days of his trip he spent in the protection of his small tent, waiting out the storm.

Thanks to the many volunteers that responded to this event and Nathan's patience and wise decision to take refuge from the storm, this story has a happy ending.

a nice story dave.. Why don't people just burn stuff? we all have stoves.. Heck, much to Markskor's pleasure If I was stranded and late and I heard helicopters flying, I'd gladly burn the kellty.. she would smoke quite alot.

No tracks.. no sign.. it's just worrisome.

Thanks for that inspirational post. I hope Larry can be found and rescued. My thoughts have been with him, those who care about him and SAR since this story broke on Wednesday night.
Hopeful Herm

I spoke with the Rangers twice yesterday afternoon and evening. They sent me a stock picture of a pair of Patagonia trail shoes, taken previously, and I identified those as the shoes he was wearing. This picture was not recent, and was staged in a personal setting. They were also very interested in knowing if he was using trekking poles. I verified that he was. I remembered that he had a blue Nalgene bottle in his side pocket. I shared with them the fact that through his posts on this forum, he was interested in off trail exploration of lake basins, cross county passes and class 2-3 peaks and ridges. These guys are completely professional and COMMITTED to finding Larry. If there is anything you can share with the Rangers about Larry PLEASE please do so. They need information. Anything....like How many miles a day does he do? What kind of camera? what kind of pictures does he like to shoot? Nothing is too trivial now, they need to know what was in his head as well, and we can share that because of his posts and PMs to individuals. They don't need advise or long diatribes, they need good information about Larry, short and to the point!

I've been following this for several days and am amazed at the contributions of the HST family in the search for Larry. I'm proud to be a part of this forum and have been praying that the next time I log in there will be good news.

Ladd

Added news release link to Kern River Valley Hiking Club's and Central Valley Hiking Club's meetup discussion pages.

ok, i'll take a stab at it...

Great map Lost Coyote. SEKI is monitoring this site, so I am sure they see it.