Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Use this forum to stay informed on missing persons alerts, active SAR's and unfortunate hiker accidents we can all hopefully learn from. Any information you may have on a missing person, including first hand weather related information or any other insight (however little) may prove to be critical information to Law Enforcement / SAR in locating the person in question.
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DoyleWDonehoo
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by DoyleWDonehoo »

Emotionally, I want to volunteer for Mavs efforts, but I did not for several reasons: 1)Mainly, It was likely to be more a hindrance than help to the SAR, sorry, 2) and well...there are other reasons, availability being one of them, but mainly it's reason #1. I care about this situation very much, but I would really hate to think I did anything that interfered with the rescue effort. The experts know what they are doing. Best of luck to Mavs task-force.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by DAVELA »

I was interested in going on mavs search but i re-read the requirements and i have no winter sleeping bag,winter tent,winter overnight experience.I have no off trail experience nor know how to read topos.I do snowshoeing in winter but day trips.I dont know if i can be of any use?
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Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by richlong8 »

DoyleWDonehoo wrote:Emotionally, I want to volunteer for Mavs efforts, but I did not for several reasons: 1)Mainly, It was likely to be more a hindrance than help to the SAR, sorry, 2) and well...there are other reasons, availability being one of them, but mainly it's reason #1. I care about this situation very much, but I would really hate to think I did anything that interfered with the rescue effort. The experts know what they are doing. Best of luck to Mavs task-force.
I don't have the winter equipment, or the SAR training necessary. I wish I did...that could just as easily been me as Larry. I spent Saturday and Sunday, 10/21 and 10/22 in the High Sierra also.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by markskor »

While I whole-heartily applaud Mav's gung ho attitude here, trying to rescue a good friend, his obviously frustrated reaction and subsequent quitting of HST because of a lack of mass member response puzzles me.

Having gone through a few years of SAR training in Yosemite, one instantly realized: (1) There is close/complex coordination among all involved in any high-country search, and (2) These are the best prepared searchers alive. They have the gear, they know the area, and they have practiced long and hard for just this contingency. Summer Sierra searches in benevolent weather are hard enough, but winter investigations in adverse conditions such as exist now, the conditions this late in the year present inherent dangers. Right now, 2+ feet of crusty snow covers the search area...post-hole hell. Stamina, gear, coordination, and carefully practiced rescue routines immediately come into play. Training and close communication with (and dependence on) what the other SAR members are constantly doing hopefully lessens the possibility of other collateral casualties.

While some of our HST members are probably capable of getting up that 6000 foot pass in summer conditions, their actual assisting in any winter search up there under present conditions today, without prior group training, seems at best, problematic if not precarious. Sometimes things are better left to the pros even though doing nothing can make one feel helpless.

Additionally, being a solo artist myself, I realize that there will always be inherent dangers in hiking alone. I know and accept these risks as they only involve me. Causing someone else being hurt if/when rescuing me…
I freely choose my routes knowing the dangers; I would not wish peril on anyone else.

Here we have no tracks, no signs, no fires, no tent, and Larry is over a week late on a relatively short, 4-day adventure. Over 35 highly-qualified and highly-trained volunteers spent 200+ wilderness days (and nights) looking for Larry with the assistance of both two helicopters and dogs; day-time weather search conditions all this week have been good. While still optimistic, the fact remains that more inclement weather is soon expected – winter is eminent, current backpacking/travel conditions just getting up to 11,000 feet are treacherous, and crappy Sierra cement makes travel perfidious, hiding everything.

Bottom line: I pray for Larry and I hope Mav reconsiders.

Mark
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by windknot »

Deleted, off-topic.
Last edited by windknot on Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by canukyea »

I feel very conflicted about the whole thing, despite being a new-ish member. It seemed like it would be hard to coordinate an informal members' search party if some members, like myself, could not do the whole 5 days. But then, Maverick's resignation post got my attention and I thought I would make my case and see what happens.

Because of things being busier than usual now, I was only able to offer 2 days (this weekend). Haven't gotten a reply, so I assume Maverick has left the forum entirely? At any rate, the offer still stands. I have microspikes and warmer pants and gloves, no other winter gear, and though I have never camped in snow, I can handle colder temps well. I would guess I can get over the pass in 5 hours in the most ideal conditions with no pack, but in snow and with all the gear... maybe 7 or 8, depending on if the trail is broken in at all. If this is more useful than it is a liability, I will go.

Regardless, I hope everyone out there stays safe and I hope that Larry will come home in good shape. As someone who does solo trips, some of which have some element of stupidity in them, I have an understanding of how scary things are for loved ones when not all goes as planned.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by Grzldvt »

markskor wrote:While I whole-heartily applaud Mav's gung ho attitude here, trying to rescue a good friend, his obviously frustrated reaction and subsequent quitting of HST because of a lack of mass member response puzzles me.

Having gone through a few years of SAR training in Yosemite, one instantly realized: (1) There is close/complex coordination among all involved in any high-country search, and (2) These are the best prepared searchers alive. They have the gear, they know the area, and they have practiced long and hard for just this contingency. Summer Sierra searches in benevolent weather are hard enough, but winter investigations in adverse conditions such as exist now, the conditions this late in the year present inherent dangers. Right now, 2+ feet of crusty snow covers the search area...post-hole hell. Stamina, gear, coordination, and carefully practiced rescue routines immediately come into play. Training and close communication with (and dependence on) what the other SAR members are constantly doing hopefully lessens the possibility of other collateral casualties.

While some of our HST members are probably capable of getting up that 6000 foot pass in summer conditions, their actual assisting in any winter search up there under present conditions today, without prior group training, seems at best, problematic if not precarious. Sometimes things are better left to the pros even though doing nothing can make one feel helpless.

Additionally, being a solo artist myself, I realize that there will always be inherent dangers in hiking alone. I know and accept these risks as they only involve me. Causing someone else being hurt if/when rescuing me…
I freely choose my routes knowing the dangers; I would not wish peril on anyone else.

Here we have no tracks, no signs, no fires, no tent, and Larry is over a week late on a relatively short, 4-day adventure. Over 35 highly-qualified and highly-trained volunteers spent wilderness days (and nights) looking for Larry with the assistance of both two helicopters and dogs; day-time weather search conditions all this week have been good. While still optimistic, the fact remains that more inclement weather is soon expected – winter is eminent, current backpacking/travel conditions just getting up to 11,000 feet are treacherous, and crappy Sierra cement makes travel perfidious, hiding everything.

Bottom line: I pray for Larry and I hope Mav reconsiders.

Mark
This!!!! and AlmostThere's post I have watched this unfold from the beginning. I had nothing to really contribute other than well wishes for Larry's safe return. I did not want to muddy up the incoming information with noise.
We had a very close family friend work Yosemite SAR and the one thing I learned DO NOT interfere and let them do their jobs.
The chances of the untrained, in these conditions of becoming a victim, are HUGE.
All of those that have worked SAR have the same obvious theme, and it is for good reason.
Our friend left because he got tired of dealing with all the death. One of those was from a situation almost identical to this. The civilian search party ended up in serious trouble and one died, the others were in very serious condition, as they insisted on searching over one more ridge, a surprise storm hit, and even though they were somewhat prepared it was simply overwhelming.
No one could get to them due to the intensity, and the rest is history.
While Mav is upset and disgusted with the lack of volunteers, how would he feel if the team ended up with the same fate as above.

Enough said from me on the subject. Here is hoping it all turns out OK for Larry and there is a safe return.
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Alternate (maverick's) search thread.

Post by gary c. »

It's probably too late to do much good but I didn't want to see the other thread continue to get hijacked and drift away from it's intended purpose of contributing information to help with the search for Larry.

Like many of you have said I don't meet the requirments posted by Mavrick and more importantly I don't qualify by even my own standards. As some of you have expressed SAR does not want us there and for good reason. I will say that now that they are discontinuing the SAR ground search I would find it much more understandable for people that wish to perform thier own search to do so.

In any case I wanted to start this thread for anything someone wants to post about concerning the search but not directly related to contributing to the search. I would even ask those that have already posted to the other thread to resubmit them here and perhaps delete there other threads. The last few pages have very little to do with finding Larry.

I'm still trying to stay positive hoping for Larry's safe return and I'm still praying for Larry as well as his friends and family.
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Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

canukyea- your heart is in the right place, but do not go. You really do not have the equipment or exprience. We all are emotionally torn on this, but the risk is high even for those with winter experience. I will miss Mavrick as a moderator and have great respect for him, but I do not agree with him on this one. Yet, I wholeheartedly wish his group the best of luck- stay safe.
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Re: Alternate search thread.

Post by kpeter »

Thank you Gary for starting this alternative.

As we all carry our hopes for Larry forward, we also should keep compassion for Maverick, whose own emotions have been stirred by the very best of motives. People react to danger, grief, and frustration in different ways, and we should respect him during this time.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote a famous letter where he tried to summarize an internal conflict as a "Dialogue between my Head and my Heart." I think many of us have had that internal dialogue. His letter is so famous because the conflict can be so great. My heart makes me fantasize about grabbing my gear and setting up the trail to save a life. My head tells me that I've never climbed 6000 feet, I have done relatively little cross country, I've never hiked in winter, I've gotten out of shape since my last hiking trip, I don't have good gear, and the odds are I would slide off the trail and become a casualty miles before reaching the top of Taboose Pass. And then my head reminds me that I would need to tell my own children why it was I was taking a high risk with their father's life to add my feeble efforts to a job that was already being attempted by far more competent professionals who could do it safely.

My head wins the argument, but it still leaves me heartsick.
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