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

Post by maverick »

There are not many good spots to camp after the campsites at 9600 ft, maybe the one pond (if it has not dried up) a little further up, or some where at the top. He only had light till maybe 6:45, and he would need to be near some water source.
With the loss of half a day because of the late start he had to cut his itinerary and make a decision to go either north or south at the JMT junction.
We know he like to climb, so did Split or Pinochet entice him more? I think he would do Split, not only because of the climb itself, but because he intended to come through
this area and do Upper Basin Pass to Amp Basin next year with a friend starting from Birch Lake. If it were me I would have gone up into Upper Basin on Sat base camped
somewhere in-between Spit and UBP, go day hike towards UBP to check things out. (There is a nasty boulder field at the start of the ascent, which is a place of interest.
one could slip and get lodged in-between the boulders).
The next day it would have been up Spit with an early start so if I got back early enough I could get to the JMT-Taboose Pass junction for dinner, and be out on Monday.
If he is okay up to this point and wakes up to snow fall from the storm that came a day earlier than expected and conditions that included high winds may have forced him
to stay put, and attempt to wait things out.

Forecast for Tuesday was 40-45 mph winds with windchill of -8, which may have forced him to retreat down the Muro Blanco to lower elevation like SSSDave had mentioned.
Why has he not signaled SAR, he would have at least made a fire to keep warm, would he not? Where is his tent? He has a MSR tent that is pretty sturdy could it be buried
by the snow? From the picture SEKI posted it doesn't look like to much snow, at least not enough to bury his tent, but maybe the weight of accumulated snow colapsed it.
As mentioned before, no tent than he was mobile and in-route and something happened find the tent than he was out climbing or checking some lake out, or had some kind type of medical emergency.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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maverick
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by maverick »

Yes there is a system arriving Wednesday and may continue into Thursday, but it is only 20% and 30% chance, which may mean nothing or much, especially if your using
the NWS/NOAA site which is showing only one day, with a 20% chance 15 miles north of the area. But as of now from Friday on it is clear with a warming trend.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by rlown »

Doesn't really matter.. he didn't burn something. Why would that be?
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by frediver »

After all the discussion here concerning Muro Blanco I find it odd that SAR has not responded at least yes or no to the idea. Heck it seems to me that some of the members here know Larry and his habits much better than SAR ever will and they should be listened to, these members are not the gen public nor are they arm chair backpackers.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by freestone »

What we don't know is how he filled out on his permit, but SEKI does. The accuracy of the permit is up to the applicant. On my permit, I stated I was spending 3 nights at Bench lake, the reality was, I spent only one. Going solo is such a crap shoot!
Short cuts make long delays. JRR Tolkien
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by maverick »

SEKI Public Affairs,

First thank you for giving us such detailed information (as much as you can) and for keeping us updated.

Second it came to my attention that the Roads End is slated for closure next week, is this correct? The reason I am asking is that we would like to have one of our groups ascend the Muro Blanco via Paradise Valley, which would be helpful for the overall search effort, especially since there has been not indication that it has been searched by foot.
Keeping it open an extra week would save time and effort which would be wasted if they had to climb Taboose, descend the Muro Blanco, and then have to ascend it back to the Taboose area. Please give clarification on this issue. Thank You.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by SEKI Public Affairs »

Additional information about the search for Larry Conn has been posted on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ website at http://www.nps.gov/seki/parknews/newsreleases.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; today:

- a news release
- a slide program (with captions)
- the same photos in the slide program (saved individually)
- a map of the search area
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by Mike M. »

Given the fact that Larry entered the wilderness on a Friday and expected to exit three days later on a Monday, it is unlikely he would choose to summit Split Mountain, then reverse direction and explore the area south of Pinchot. There just wouldn't have been enough time. If Split was his primary objective, then, It seems to me, it would be much more likely for him to explore the lakes in the basins around Split, Prater and Cardinal mountains. By Sunday, he would have wanted to be within hailing distance of Taboose Pass, somewhere near where the JMT and Taboose trails intersect, if not even closer to the pass.

If Split was not Larry's primary objective, my judgement is he didn't have time to try for it AND spend time in the Window Peaks area, for instance.

Assuming he is not hurt but was caught in a wicked storm, I think he would head for the forested area next to the river, just above the 10,000 foot level, a little east of the JMT trail. There is ample wood there and it is a logical staging point for him to hunker down, gather his strength, wait for a weather window to open, then bolt over the pass.

Although others have suggested it, it seems to me highly unlikely he would have chosen to descend the Muro Blanco to get below the snowline or find a more sheltered camp. That is an arduous hike in the best of weather, involving multiple stream crossings or major bushwhacking. I've done it; you wouldn't want to in this weather.

The fact he hasn't shown up at the trailhead is very disturbing, as all of you realize, and suggests there is more going on than a weather event. Judging from Larry's posts here, he is a strong and resourceful hiker and mentally equipped to deal with a backcountry injury. If his permit indicated he was headed to Split, then I would focus the search in the high lake basins and feasible cross country routes in that area. As another poster mentioned, the outlet stream to Lake 11,599 (on the old 15 minute maps) is a likely staging area for a summit of Split. The walk up Split is easy and straightforward. Once on top, it might be tempting to fool around in the various gullies that shoot off from the summit. They are airy.

I hope and pray this turns out well. Kudos to the men and women out there now looking for him.

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

Post by caveman »

I'm a friend of Larry's and scanned through his facebook albums. I found this picture from his album "SouthernSierraSnowStorm". May 15, 2011. His comment was "The view from outside my tent this morning". I know its been over a year ago and that he could have used a different tent this time or replaced that one since then. Has the tent with the yellow rainfly on the SEKI post been verified? I have also backpacked with Larry a few times in the past. As DP Hiker mentioned, Larry stuck with us on the main trail between base camps and then typically set off on his own to explore the surrounding area. Sometimes he would show up a little late from his day hike exploration, but I never worried about him because he is such an experienced hiker. I remember him sharing one blog story of a hairy situation he got into on one of his solo hikes, but he got through it. Larry is a survivor. I'm still rooting for him.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by ryboards »

No info-just hoping for a safe return for a fellow hiker.
The mountains are calling and I must go.

~John Muir
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