Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

[Steve_C]

For message boards, what about Yosemitenews.info? Bit out of their coverage area but you never know where people will have gone

I posted the original flyer as well as tonight's update on the Whitney Zone forum here: Search for Missing Hiker Continues

Also on WPSMB (Whitney Portal Store) here.

It is on Yosemitenews.info here.

Sure hoping for a happy ending to this...

[ERIC]

For message boards, what about Yosemitenews.info? Bit out of their coverage area but you never know where people will have gone

Anything and anywhere. Get the word out.

[mshields]

I may be stating the obvious, but in times like this it never hurts to do so just in case?

I noticed Larry made the following statement in his Trail Report from the beginning of September:

"Day 2 was on the JMT. Here was the first detour. I had been considering taking CG's suggested route of Upper Basin Crossing (UBC), to get into Amphitheater Lakes basin, but the weather looked very iffy. I also had hoped to climb Split Mountain, but also passed on that because of the weather. Exploring later in my trip, I found out this is what I missed out on, on the west side of UBC. [image] Uh...maybe next time (maybe not!)"

Is there a possibility he may have headed towards the Amphitheater Lakes Basin?

At any rate my prayers are also going out for Larry.

[thegib]

Couple things on reading previous posts: was he due to exit on Mon or Tues? It matters because what it means for where he would've camped Sunday night. It was Sunday pm/Mon am that the weather hit here in the bay area, when exactly did the weather go gnarly up there? Two, if he mentioned to someone on the trail, as he was heading up, that he was going to go S on the JMT towards Pinchot that's what I'd take as truth. You can't search the whole area. If he was really thinking Split he would've said so to the guy he passed. Three, I don't believe you'd ditch Taboose as an exit for some x-country route down - when the **** hits you really want to follow some semblance of trail and Taboose isn't that high or rough, it's a good way out. If it was really really ugly and I could still travel I know I could go down the muro blanco. Tough and slow, but it leads down. It'd have it's own dangers (water and thus hypothermia). But it'd be psychologically comforting. Has the weather allowed anyone to check the summit registers of Pinchot/Wynne etc? Best wishes to loved ones and SAR.

[austex]

I just posted it on the Rock Creek Board

[TehipiteTom]

This is scary stuff, and I can only imagine what Larry's family is going through. Here's hoping for his safe return.

[lostcoyote]

"Day 2 was on the JMT. Here was the first detour. I had been considering taking CG's suggested route of Upper Basin Crossing (UBC), to get into Amphitheater Lakes basin, but the weather looked very iffy. I also had hoped to climb Split Mountain, but also passed on that because of the weather. Exploring later in my trip, I found out this is what I missed out on, on the west side of UBC. [image] Uh...maybe next time (maybe not!)"

Is there a possibility he may have headed towards the Amphitheater Lakes Basin?

this should be forwarded to the SEKI search & rescue effors - just in case he decided to explore the entry into amphitheater basin on one of his days before the storm came in.

***** maverick, what would be the most likely "pass" to get over that ridgeline east of frozen lake pass into upper amphitheater? i sort of remember you talking about the route way way back.

aznother thing - i got caught in the october 2009 storm. it rained/snowed 8 inches where i hunkered down at big arroyo cabin. when the storm broke, i headed out over kawaeh gap. there was 1.5 feet of new snow and it was very slow going as near the pass, i was punching through almost every step. i camped on the south side above precipice lake and next morning, the soft snow from the previous day had frozen to become very icy. i had to be very careful down to precipice kicking in each heel of my steps as not to slip. having said that....

if i was larry, i would have hunkered down in thne woods in lower upperbasin or even head to bench lake and ride things out. possibly wait for the snow to melt back if possible.... but the daytime temps are only 30 so maybe the meltback is not happening. i'm sure SEKI has searched that out by now.

or he could have made the effort to get out over taboose (most logical way out) but if he did encounter these icy conditions, there is one section on the east side of the pass that's on a good slope and he could slip snd end up downhill from the trail if injured. that upper section should have also been checked out.

another long shot option would be to head south if he did explore pinchot as stated.... and he'd be getting out by going down the JMT to lower elevations and getting out to cedar grove.

hope he's OK and on his way out... or if injured, can do what he can to get noticed.
wishing for the best.

[cmon4day]

This is starting to get worrisome. Hi truly hope Larry is OK. The SAR guys/gals will not give up so I am confident he will be found. Thoughts and prayers to Larry and his family. Will keep watching this thread for details.

Be safe out there.

[maverick]

Officer in charge called last night for more info, still no signs, like the update indicates.
What is weird that there has been no sighting of the tent which could mean a couple of things.

1. He was moving from one location to another when some thing happened. This could be anywhere from after the meeting with Freestone (2 miles in from the trailhead) or along the JMT while going to Split, Pinchot or other destination. He would not attempt any summit with a full pack which includes his tent. We all would base camp and then attempt to summit, unless he stashed his pack and food, seeing a pack is more difficult than a tent.

2. Could he have gone down the Muro Blanco? It would have added a lot of miles going down, but with a lot of snow/water mix which would have its own dangers. Larry being experienced knew the basic's of survival, and staying put till found is one of them.
Weather was to turn bad Tuesday so Larry had to be aware of the incoming storm and so his plan to exit Monday. Which then brings into question any of the bail attempts
because the bad weather had not arrived yet, so why change the exit route?

Keep adding in your thoughts people SAR is reading, we all think like backpackers/hikers here, no scenario is out of the question!

Lost Coyote - Here is that pass: HST Map Upper Basin Crossing
More info on the pass here: http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... =31&t=8326" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wandering Daisy]

Well, a few more thoughts - just ideas.

It is true that you cannot search everywhere but you should not limit search to only those places where one would likely be IF one were logical. As chronicled in "Deep Survival", people who get lost or hypothermic often do illogical things.

If trying to get back to a trailhead in white-out conditions, it is really easy to go in the wrong direction once up on Taboose pass - could even go over the pass and then get turned around and return to the west side. The immediate area of Taboose Pass may be a good place for an intensive search.

I pretty much did that route a few years back - in Taboose, check out Cardinal Lake, climb Split Mtn, hike off-trail to see all the little cirques and lakes west of the trail, then to Bench Lake, and out -- all in 4 days. You can cover a lot of miles quickly off-trail in that area. However, given that snow was already on the ground and possibly icy conditions, it does not seem to me that going over a high steep pass and getting out of the Upper Basin via an off-trail route would be something easy to do -more likely you would turn back due to poor conditions.