Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

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: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by maverick »

Greg Muck is my brother in law. I'm trying to figure out what route he may have
taken to Gardiner Pass from Bubbs Creek. Has anyone ever taken the route
highlighted in red? Bubbs Creek to Glacier Monument to Gardiner Pass
After looking at his brother-in-laws post, I am wondering if he may have been
attempting to following this guys route: http://www.scaruffi.com/travel/gardiner.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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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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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by maverick »

Meanstay,

- Do you have any more information on the intended route Greg was doing besides
the post one.

- What was he planning to do in Gardiner, any specific lakes of interest?

- Fishing was mentioned, is fishing a high priority to him?

- Does he like peak bagging?

- How many miles per day is he comfortable with, on trail and off?

- What level of difficulty is Greg comfortable with, class 2, 3, does he climb?

- Does you check all his maps, paper and on-line (Google Earth)?

- Did he mark or underline any pages in the High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails
book that may have been useful on this trip? Have any sites or trip reports
bookmarked on the computer about Gardiner Basin.

- Does he carry rope?

- Does he have extra food?

- Any specific information like tent make, sleeping make & color, boot make,
backpack make & color? Did he carry a bear canister, which make, any decals?
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: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by schmalz »

http://abc30.com/news/teacher-on-hiking ... rk/273424/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by oleander »

Hi,

The flyer about his itinerary contains the words, "After several days..." And that suggests to me that he planned spending a few days exploring Gardiner Basin, before he headed down Gardiner Creek to Mist Falls. Gardiner Basin is the kind of place where you explore nooks and crannies - it's not the kind of place people want to just rush/march through.

...And where exactly in that big basin he would have been drawn, depends A LOT on what his skills and interests are. That is where his family, friends and hiking partners could help drawing up a profile. From that profile, some of us who've been in the area could venture guesses about where he might have tried to go, the places that most closely meet his interests and his skill level.

Piling onto Mav's questions:

How fast he likes to move - particularly, cross country - could tell us a lot about how many corners of Gardiner Basin he would have had time to explore. A slow or unacclimatized hiker, or someone who just likes to stop and smell the roses, might have only 1 layover day in Gardiner Basin if attempting that route in 7 days. A very fast and skilled hiker could make it into the basin in less than 1.5 days, layover up to 3-4 days and still make it out in his 7-day window. With 3-4 days at his disposal, he could have gotten pretty far up to the top of Gardiner Basin or plausibly even could have left the basin for a time (Sixty Lakes Col; Mt. Clarence King; etc.).

If he is into peak-bagging,

a) Is he only comfortable to Class 3? (and/or, he has climbed Class 4/5 but isn't carrying a rope, and wouldn't dare do any Class 4/5 without a rope?). There is a route from Gardiner Pass to Charlotte Dome, that is characterized as a Class 3. As someone who myself am attracted to fun Class 3 climbs, especially if I can leave my big pack somewhere and just take a daypack, I'd be personally really drawn to climbing such a famous dome. Particularly if I was already planning to go over Gardiner Pass anyway and I was "right there." Based on Cameron's comments about the weather, if Greg was drawn to Charlotte Dome, maybe he hunkered down in his tent for the Tuesday storm, and then tried for Charlotte Dome on Wednesday?

The other draw for a strictly Classes 1-3 peak bagger, is Mount Cotter, which is quite lovely from the middle/upper parts of Gardiner Basin. Class 2/3.

b) Is he into Class 4-5 stuff, and had rope and safety equipment with him? Maybe he tried to climb Mount Gardiner. Or even Mount Clarence King. (King Col is already worth looking into anyway, as Maverick pointed out in an earlier thread. It's the alternative way to get back down to Woods Creek.)

Is he into exploring different corners of lake basins? Is there evidence he knew about the lesser known passes in the basin? Gardiner Pass East - which is located on the northwest shoulder of Mt. Gardiner - would have been a logical route to get him from Gardiner Pass proper directly up to the uppermost basin, where Lake 3477 is. If I had 2+ days available to me in the basin, and was planning the loop he was (eventually descending out Gardiner Creek or even King Col), that is EXACTLY what I would have done. It just creates a logical "loop". However, if he had limited time to do his research, it's possible he may not have even learned about Gardiner Pass East.

He also could have tried to go over a col just to the NE of Gardiner Pass proper, which would have dropped him into one of the side basins, the one where Lake 3223 is. That latter col: I don't even know if it's passable, but Cameron here was just standing on it recently, so maybe he can comment. On the topo map the top of that col looks pretty steep, maybe impassable.

I was just in (upper) Gardiner Basin two weeks ago, August 3-5. My timing didn't overlap with Greg's so I'm sorry I can't be of any direct help. But my impressions of that landscape are still very fresh, so wanted to share my thoughts about what features in this landscape could be the biggest draw for an explorer or peak-bagger.

- Elizabeth
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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by oleander »

Oh no, I just saw the news. So so sorry.
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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by cgundersen »

All I can say is tragic. RIP.
cg
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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by maverick »

My condolences to the family and friends. Great work by SAR.
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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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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by giantbrookie »

This is so sad. I echo maverick's sentiments. Great work as always by the SAR folks and condolences to Greg's family and friends.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by sekihiker »

Does anyone know where the body was located?
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Re: Missing Hiker - SEKI - Gardiner Basin

Post by maverick »

Nope, but maybe SEKI PA will chime in with an approximate location, but doubt it.
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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