Avalanche claims backcountry skier in western Colorado
April 5 2005, 12:25 AM
Jared Wood moved from his hometown of Grand Junction to Boulder a few years ago to pursue a career in architecture, but his love for the Colorado backcountry kept bringing him back to the Western Slope.
That's where he was Friday morning - telemark skiing on the Grand Mesa with a friend - when a slab of snow 50 yards wide and 3 feet thick broke loose and buried him.
Jared, 28, died at the scene, the state's fourth avalanche fatality of the season.
"He had been all over Colorado. He was an accomplished backcountry skier," said his father, Dennis, on Sunday.
LEWISTON, ID — A Clarkston woman is recovering from multiple injuries after she was buried by an avalanche near McCall before being rescued by fellow snowmobilers.
Melvina Ross, a 46-year-old nurse, suffered a fractured spine and damaged lung after being buried Saturday beneath two riderless snowmobiles carried down the slope by a slide near Hidden Lake.
Ross and her husband were standing at the base of the hill 300 to 400 feet away watching other riders "high-marking" -- riding as far up the slope as possible before losing traction -- when the slide started.
LEWISTON — Twelve snowmobilers tripped an avalanche near McCall that caught nine of them and trapped one under 5 feet of snow.
They all survived Saturday's slide, but a 46-year-old Clarkston, Wash., woman was trapped for five minutes.
She was wearing a tracing beacon, so members of her party were able to find her and dig her out. According to the Idaho County Sheriff's Department, she was unconscious when she was found. She was transported by helicopter to a McCall hospital. Her name and condition were not available.
KETCHUM, ID — A Blaine County snowmobiler died Friday, April 1 after he was buried by an avalanche for several hours, the Blaine CountySheriff's Office reports.
The man's name was not available late Friday night.
An avalanche hit about 2:30 p.m. in the Brodie Creek drainage north of Ketchum, the sheriff's office reports. The victim was snowmobiling in the area with another person.
Rescue crews, including a dog team, responded to the scene. The body of the missing snowmobiler was recovered at about 5 p.m., the sheriff's office reports.
Three skiers cited for triggering avalanches near Colorado ski resort
April 10 2005, 11:31 PM
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO - All indications suggested that at least one avalanche had buried someone east of Copper Mountain on Wednesday.
Looking through their spotting scopes, members of the Copper Mountain Ski Patrol saw ski tracks that disappeared into the path of one of two avalanches.
Unprotected Girl Airlifted In Fall at High Cliff State Park in Wisconsin
April 12 2005, 11:03 AM
Wisinfo reports an unsecured Wisconsin climber was airlifted after falling 15 to 20 feet at High Cliff State Park. She was treated and released at the hospital. http://americasroof.com/wp/archives/2005/04/11/230/
Climber With No Gear in 75 Foot Fatal Fall at White Rock Wash in Arizona
April 12 2005, 11:08 AM
According to the NPS Morning Report at about 6:30 p.m. on April 5th, dispatchers received notice that a young man had fallen off rocks while hiking near White Rock Wash. Rangers and Mohave County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded and found that the 17-year-old Las Vegas boy had died in the fall. Jason Kyle and two friends had been hiking when he decided to attempt to scale a wall. He was not using any climbing gear or safety equipment of any kind. Kyle reached a point where he could no longer go up the face of the rock. He was attempting to climb back down when he fell about 75 feet to his death. This area of the park is popular among hikers who visit the Arizona Hot Springs on Lake Mohave. White Rock Wash is located in Arizona and can be accessed at about mile marker 5 on U.S. 93 (south of Hoover Dam). This is the park’s fourth fatality this year. [Submitted by Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Specialist] http://americasroof.com/wp/archives/2005/04/11/climber-with-no-gear-in-75-foot-fatal-fall-at-white-rock-wash-in-arizona/
News24 reports a leech lodged in the nostril of a Hong Kong woman after she washed her face in a stream.
The woman did not realise anything was wrong until two weeks later when she felt there was something in her nose. A first attempt by the family doctor to remove it failed due to profuse nosebleed while a second attempt in hospital was also unsuccessful as the leech retracted into her nose, the journal said in its report on the rare complaint. Doctors finally managed to remove it using a nasal spray to anaesthetise the five-centimetre-long bloodsucker a month after it had invaded her nostril.
“After two minutes, the leech slowly moved out of the antrum (sinus) and was retrieved with forceps,” it said.
“This form of leech infestation has not been previously reported,” it added.
The woman could have suffocated if the leech had attached itself to her larynx, the journal said.
“I did not notice any leeches in the water,” the 55-year-old housewife told the South China Morning Post.
“I am used to seeing all these worms in the water while hiking.”
Canadian Student Survives Wrestling Match With Cougar
April 12 2005, 11:09 AM
Canoe reports a 23-year-old student in Canada’s Kananaskis Country Sheep River Wildlife Sanctuary survived a wrestling match with a cougar by throwing it off of him. Peter Bysterveld said he was walking with his girlfriend when the cougar — about the size of a dog — charged him. He fell and it bit his leg. He then stood up and picked it up by its legs and threw it. The cat then walked away.
The climbing community was taken aback by early reports that two Russian Everest climbers had been injured by a Maoist car bomb in Nepal. Although the Russians were indeed injured they were identified later as just trekkers. They are being looked after by Asian Trekking Organization. The government has banned travel on major roads without an armed escort during the Maoist blockade. http://americasroof.com/wp/archives/2005/04/11/russian-trekkers-injured-by-car-bomb-innepal/
Whitney Climber Fatality While Glissading Off Summit
April 14 2005, 6:10 PM
Backcountry bulletin boards are abuzz over the second death on the Whitney Mountaineers Route in less than a month. In this case Patrick Wang, 27, was killed while attempting to glissade off the summit. He cartwheeled for 300 feet before falling a 1,000 foot cliff.
In the description:
Wang suggested the best way to head down would be to glissade, or use a controlled sliding technique in which the ice ax works as a break.
[Martin] Kozaczek went first. Being new to climbing, he struggled. He tried sliding feet first, on his stomach. Then on his rear. Then walking slowly, digging in his heels.
He slipped, sliding fast down the snow. He rolled onto his stomach and planted his ice axe. He stopped but had fallen at least 30 feet. Nervous, Kozaczek changed his tune and slid just 5 feet at a time, slow and steady.
Below, a climber on the way up reprimanded Kozaczek. If he slipped, the climber said, Kozaczek could have taken the man out. Kozaczek moved to the side of the chute to let the climber pass.
Just as he did, he heard the man yell: “Oh no! Oh no!”
Kozaczek heard his friend next. Wang was cursing as he slipped on his rear down the chute. He was going too fast. Just then, he flipped and tumbled, passing Kozaczek and the other climber. When Wang slammed into some rocks, his cursing stopped.
His fall didn’t.
Wang cartwheeled down the slope. A piece of his glasses struck the other climber. Kozaczek worried his friend would hit another field of rocks.
Popular Rescue Doctor Fatality in New Zealand After Cliff Blocks Rescue Beacon
April 19 2005, 5:30 AM
Stuff New Zealand reports Andrew James Ogilvy, 41, died when he fell 500m while climbing Mount Berth, near Lake Ohau in the Ahuriri Conservation Park in New Zealand
Ogilvy, a popular doctor in the intensive-care unit at Dunedin Hospital, was an able climber and on occasions manned Otago’s rescue helicopter. and was reported to have been well prepared for the mountain when he slipped. A separate group activated a locator beacon to assist at 3 p.m. but when a satellite passed at 4 p.m. it did not pick it up because it was blocked by a cliff. The report of the accident occurred only when one of the party walked out. Officials said notification would have been faster if the group had specialized mountain radios.
R. J. Secor, well-known climber and author of The High Sierra; Peaks, Passes and Trails, was critically injured in a fall on Mt. Baldy in southern California on April 16.
The San Bernadino County Riverside Press-Enterpriser reported:
A hiker who slid down 1,000 feet in the Mt. Baldy area Saturday was plucked from the location by a helicopter and flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
The hiker's name and condition were not available, said Tom Barnes, dispatch supervisor for the San Bernardino County Fire Department. A report of the injured hiker was received by the Fire Department about 2:40 p.m.
Barnes said the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Air Rescue was called to assist with the rescue because of the remote location, which is near the San Antonio Ski Hut.
Denali Climbing Guide Author R.J. Secor Airlifted to California Hospital
April 20 2005, 11:29 AM
Various backcountry bulletin boards are buzzing about an accident Mount Baldy in California involving R.J. Secor, author of various guidebooks including “Denali Climbing Guide” as well as guides to the Sierras, Aconagua, and the Mexican volcanoes.
Secor slid 1,000 feet down the mountain and had to be airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernadino County, California.
Summitpost Thread on accident
Mount Whitney Info post on accident
Community Webshots Photos of Baldy on the Day of the accident (including distant photos of Secor on summit)
Popular Rescue Doctor Fatality in New Zealand After Rescue Beacon Blocked By Cliff
April 20 2005, 11:20 AM
Stuff New Zealand reports Andrew James Ogilvy, 41, died when he fell 500m while climbing Mount Berth, near Lake Ohau in the Ahuriri Conservation Park in New Zealand
Ogilvy, a popular doctor in the intensive-care unit at Dunedin Hospital, was an able climber and on occasions manned Otago’s rescue helicopter. and was reported to have been well prepared for the mountain when he slipped. A separate group activated a locator beacon to assist at 3 p.m. but when a satellite passed at 4 p.m. it did not pick it up because it was blocked by a cliff. The report of the accident occurred only when one of the party walked out. Officials said notification would have been faster if the group had specialized mountain radios.
Subsequent articles also noted that rescuers were hampered in recovering the body because the Park had been locked.
Elephant Kills Off Trail Hiker at Murchison Falls National Park
April 20 2005, 11:24 AM
Xinhuanet reports that an elephant with a calf attacked off trail hikers at Murchison Falls National Park,some 350 km northwest of Kampala.
The incident is reported to have occurred near Nyamusika cliff during an aborted game drive The group split into two and the one which did not have a ranger guide was the one attacked. The elephant is said said to have used its trunk and lifted the victim who was carrying his son. “It swung him around, hittinghim on the trunk of a thick tree,” an eye witness who was at the scene was quoted as saying. The child, who survived was thrown a short distance away from the scene but the elephant concentrated on the man, stepping him and using its tusks to pierce his stomach.
4 Fatalities in 5 Days in Fierce Himalaya Storms on Mt. Pumori
April 20 2005, 11:27 AM
Webindia reports four climbers in five days have died descending Mt Pumori, which means ‘the Unmarried One’, the 7,161 m peak lying next to Mt Everest.
Sang Kyuon, 50, and Do Young Kim, 31, were part of the seven-member Korea Busan Pumori Expedition. On March 25, Alexander Ivan Chen Arroch, a 35-year-old mountaineer from Panama, and Phurba Tamang, a 25-year-old sherpa hired as a high-altitude porter, were killed when they fell into a crevasse about 100 m below the 7,161-m peak. The later group was led by Daniel Lee Mazur. The groups were caught up in a storm that dropped temperatures to -42C.
More info and links: http://americasroof.com/wp/archives/2005/04/19/4-fatalities-in-5-days-in-fierce-himalaya-storms-on-mt-pumori/
Man Credits Survival Training in Surviving 8 Nights in Colorado Mountains With Broken Leg
April 26 2005, 10:09 AM
The DenverPost and wire services around the world are reporting that Charles Horton, 55, survived eight nights in near Chapman Reservoir in Rio Blanco County in Routt National Forest near Steamboat Springs after breaking his leg in a cross country skiing accident.
He built a fire the first night and spent the following nights on pine boughs as he crawled one mile towards the trailhead. Horton had not told anybody of his plans and because of his independent nature of taking off nobody was initially concerned. When his landlord — and close family friend — returned from vacation they noticed his plants had dried up. They called the sheriff’s office suggesting they check Dunkley Pass where they found Horton’s car.
A late season snow blanketed the area on Sunday. As rescuers were trying to dig out their stuck snow mobiles near where he was, Horton blew a whistle to attract their attention.
A longbow hunter, Horton had taken a wilderness seminar from famed survivalist Tom Brown Jr. a couple of years ago, Gigi Walker said, and was proud of his backcountry skills.
Wales Climbing Instructor Fined After Belayers Mistake Let Go of Rope Command
April 28 2005, 4:07 PM
ICWales reports climbing instructor John McDermott was fined £1,500 after a woman was paralyzed from the waist down after belayers let go of a rope after hearing his command which was intended to the climber.
Lisa Brennin was attending a course led by McDermott when he shouted “let go of the rope” as a confidence building exercise to lean back and have confidence in her fellow climbers. Instead her belayers let go of the ropes at Trevor Rocks, near Llangollen and she fell 30 feet.
Arizona Central reports hypothermia is suspected as reason two Brigham Young University students attempt to swim Choprock Canyon and wound up drown at the Egypt Trailhead in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
John Anderson, 25, of St. David, Ariz., and Brad Underwood, 24, of Tucson, Ariz., were found in 10 to 15 feet of water and had been subject to a massive manhunt involving three helicopters and 15 groud crew. in the Choprock Canyon area about two to four miles from the Egypt Trailhead, where their car was found last weekend, said Garfield County sheriff’s officer Terry Cooper. Helicopter airlifted the bodies.
Canadian Seeking to Be Oldest Everest Climber Has Fatal Heart Attack at Camp One
April 30 2005, 7:32 PM
The Herald reports Sean Egan of Ottawa had a heart attack while leading an Everest expedition in hopes of becoming the oldest Canadian to climb the mountain.
He taught human kinetics at the University of Ottawa since 1977.
They had reached Camp 1 at 5,900 metres when he developed a respiratory illness and had started back down to seek medical assistance. A helicopter was called but did not arrive in time.
Hiker Airlifted After Being Stranded in Tree in Los Angeles County Landslide
April 30 2005, 7:38 PM
The Pasadena Star News reports a hiker stranded in a tree during a landslide in Easton Canyon was airlifted out after calling 911 with his cell phone.
The hiker was airlifted to another location in the canyon, where he then walked out on his own, she said.
Urban Search and Rescue vehicles from the Arcadia, Pasadena and the L.A. County Fire Departments responded to the scene, as well as helicopters from the L.A. County Sheriff’s and Pasadena Police Departments.
Bear Coming Out of Hibernation Swats Illegal Camper at Hickory Run State Park in PA
May 3 2005, 4:43 PM
The Morning Call a 21 year old woman was scratched by a black bear coming out of hibernation at Hickory Run State Park in northeast Pennsylvania.
“We’re not considering it an attack, but an encounter with a bear,” said Assistant Park Manager Rachel Warrick. “The bear was apparently after food.”
The three Philadelphia residents were camping in a no camping area by Mud River. When she saw the bear Kathleen Feeney ran and the bear chased her tearing her poncho and sweatshirt.
Park officials stress that persons encountering bears should not run, but stand still.
Newswatch50 reports an Oswego, NY, man on a charity climb Everest for his mother fell into a crevasse.
Mike O’Brien and his brother Chris were on their way to Base Camp through the ice fall. This is the second fatality on Everest in three days and the second fatal accident for Summit Climb this season.
Late March this year, the outfitter lost two climbers while acclimatizing on neighboring Pumori, when two climbers died while descending from the summit. The Pumori climbers slipped down from 100 meters and fell in a crevasse. According to Mounteverest.net several expeditions are now voicing concerns over unsafe climbing practices – including climbers not clipping in on the safety lines in the Everest ice fall.
The brothers - whose mother and sister died from complications from Huntington’s disease - were climbing Mount Everest to try to raise $100,000 for the Hereditary Disease Foundation.
It was a big reason he lived his life so fully, forsaking a traditional career path so he could spend his time and money traveling, his family says.
O'Brien, a 39-year-old river guide and bartender who moved to Seattle 3½ years ago, died from a fall Sunday on Mount Everest during a climb with his younger brother. The climb was meant to raise money and awareness for the deadly hereditary disease.
"He lived adventure to adventure," his girlfriend, Rebecca Stodola, said yesterday from her parents' house in Chicago.
O'Brien, who earned a master's degree in political science from Syracuse University, bartended at Safeco Field and Qwest Field "so he could make a lot of money fast and go on vacation," often on two-month trips to Asia, Africa or Europe, Stodola said. O'Brien spent his summers as a white-water rafting guide on the Wenatchee and other Washington rivers.
Jim Ratz (1953-2005), Jackson Hole Guide Co-Owner, NOLS Leader
May 9 2005, 12:11 AM
The Casper Times reports Jim Ratz, 52, former executive director of the National Outdoor Leadership School and co-owner of the Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, was died while rapelling Sinks Canyon across from the Sawmill Campground on Highway 131 near his home in Lander, Wyoming.
Ratz was executive director of NOLS from 1984 to 1995, and was the founding chairman of the Leave No Trace program, which developed strategies for minimum impact in the backcountry.
Jackson Hole is the definitive guide service for Gannett and Granite.
Fatal Fall in Chugach Mountains After Night of Drinking
May 9 2005, 12:12 AM
The Anchorage Daily News reports a man was fell to his death near Thunderbird Falls following a night of drinking in the Chugach Mountains northeast of Anchorage.
Signs warn of the steep drop and advise visitors to stay on the trail.
Fatal Fall on Santa Ynel Trail in Santa Monica Mountains
May 11 2005, 10:37 AM
The Daily News reports 19-year-old Dallas Mussell died in 200 foot fall down an emankment in the Palisade Highlands in the Santa Monica Mountains. He had gotten separated from his companions as they tried to get to the waterfall on the Santa Ynel Trail.
The Anchorage Daily News reports that twin 55-year-old brothers Jerry and Terry Humphrey of Negley, Ohio, fell to their deaths after summiting McKinley.
The twins were not troped together and it is believed one may have fallen into the other. Jerry’s son was also on the mountain soloing and had spoken to his father who said they had summited.
Their bodies were just below Denali Pass. A rescue team from the Air National Guard’s 212th Rescue Squadron, who were also camped at 17,200 feet, traversed to the bodies and prepared them to be taken off the mountain. A high-altitude helicopter brought the bodies to base camp.
Since 1980, six people have fallen and died an icy traverse from Denali Pass to a small basin at 17,200 feet where most climbers make high camp.
Before he left for Alaska, Terry told his wife not to worry, Fair said. He told her, “If something happens to me, just remember that I’m doing what I want to do.”
Mountain Lion Stalking Incidents at Lava Beds National Monument in California
May 12 2005, 10:47 AM
The NPS Morning Report says they are investigating mountain lion stalking incidents at Lava Beds National Monument in California.
According to he report:
At 9 a.m. on May 10th, staff at the visitor center front desk received a cell phone call from Laura Goforth, who reported that she was being stalked by a mountain lion along the Three Sisters trail. The report was forwarded to chief ranger Terry Harris, who responded down the trail to Goforth’s location along with SCA intern Bill Davis. En route, Harris and Davis discovered lion tracks overlying recent hiker tracks. They then heard screaming from inside the wilderness area, came upon Goforth minutes later, and escorted her out of the area. Neither ranger saw the mountain lion, but tracks in the area supported Goforth’s account of what had happened. Goforth, an interpreter from Yellowstone National Park, had taken a day hike into the Lava Beds wilderness. Approximately two miles into the wilderness, she heard something hit the ground behind her. Turning around, she discovered a mountain lion six to ten feet behind her. Following her training, she slowly backed away from the lion down the trail, while using her jacket and day pack to look larger. She kept backing down the trail until the lion stopped following and moved under a large juniper tree. Keeping the lion in sight, she used her cell phone to call for help. Just before the arrival of the ranger staff, the lion moved into the brush out of sight. She kept yelling for the rangers and heard them calling out to her. Goforth then heard a noise behind her and turned to find the lion approximately ten feet behind her. At this point, she began screaming. She was uncertain whether that or the yelling of the rangers caused the lion to turn and run into the brush and lava field. The park has activated its mountain lion management plan and rangers are following up on the incident, attempting to determine if the lion has a den in the area or is possibly sick, which might explain the abnormal behavior. This is the first verified lion stalking incident in several years.
[Submitted by Terry Harris, Chief Ranger]
Student Survives 100 Foot Smugglers Notch Fall on Mount Mansfield
May 14 2005, 10:58 PM
WCAX reports Andrew Haile survived a 100 foot fall down a ravine on Smuggler’s Notch on Mount Mansfield. Haile was helped to walk off the mountain and was taken to the hospital.
Qwest executive killed during hunting trip in western Colorado
May 17 2005, 6:55 PM
NEW CASTLE, CO - Garfield County authorities said today they are investigating the death of a Qwest executive during a hunting trip as a homicide but had not ruled out an accident.
Jeff Garrett of Aurora, an assistant vice president for Denver-based Communications International, died of a gunshot wound in his chest Saturday while turkey hunting in the western Colorado county.
Sherpa Pulmonary Edema Fatality on Poor Luck Makalu West BC Team
May 19 2005, 11:38 AM
Everest News reports Sumbu Sherpa, working for the Spanish “Al Filo” team, died in Makalu West’s BC (5400m) apparently from high altitude pulmonary edema.
The ‘Al Filo’ team is experiencing tragedy for the second time on Makalu’s West Pillar. During a previous expedition in 2002, six Sherpas died when the helicopter they were in crashed on the return flight from the mountain. Both the helicoper crew members died as well.
8485 meters high, Makalu is the fifth highest mountain on Earth. Its name means ‘The Great Black’. It is a four-faced pyramid, with a secondary peak - Chomo Lonzo or Makalu II (25,650 ft/7818 m) - separated from the main summit by a narrow saddle, known as Makalu La.
It was first climbed by a French team led by Jean Franco on May 15, 1955.
Soldiers who made it out of a blizzard alive said they had to leave behind comrades who had collapsed from exhaustion and cold.
By Saturday morning, 14 bodies had been recovered and brought to this city, leaving 31 still missing and the possibilities of finding them alive are considered slim, army chief Gen. Emilio Cheyre said. Only 10 bodies had been identified...
"The march should not have been started, never, under those weather conditions. It was the worst snowstorm in 30 years. And if it was started, it should have been suspended," he said. "Those were officers specialized in mountaineering, and they should have known better."
...As Millar trudged through the knee-high snow, he watched comrades � exhausted and disoriented � tumble into drifts. More experienced corporals pulled some of them onto sleeping bags, which they used as sleds to pull them down the slopes...
ASHFORD, WA — A helicopter searching for two climbers overdue on Mount Rainier spotted two motionless bodies on the peak last evening, a Mount Rainier National Park ranger said.
No more could be done in the darkness, supervisory ranger Mike Gauthier said, but search crews planned to set out at daybreak to try to reach the climbers.
Tim Stark, 57, and his nephew Greg Stark, 27, both of Lakewood, Pierce County, had failed to return from a weekend trip to Camp Muir, at the 10,000-foot level of the 14,411-foot peak, Gauthier said. Relatives reported them missing yesterday.
The News Tribune report 2 Lakewood climbers died on the Muir Snowfield in whiteout conditions on Rainier.
Tim Stark, 57, and his nephew Greg Stark, 27, began their trip on Saturday to Camp Muir at 10,000 feet and were reported missing on Monday. They were found on the snowfield just west of Paradise Glacier at 8,300 feet, about 1,500 feet above where the trail from the Paradise area ends. They were about 150 feet from each other and their headlamps were still on.
ASHFORD, WA — The bodies of two climbers were brought down Mount Rainier on Tuesday afternoon, a day after being spotted by rangers.
The two men were the first deaths on the mountain this year, Mount Rainier National Park officials said.
The two were spotted Monday but rangers had to turn back because of nightfall. A helicopter returned Tuesday morning to drop three climbing rangers near the bodies, at about 8,200 feet elevation on the Muir snow field, just off the east flank of Paradise Glacier, said Patti Wold, a park spokeswoman.
Italian in Fatal Annapurna Fall in Attempt to Become 13th to Complete 7 Summits
May 24 2005, 11:43 PM
Reuters reports Italian climber Christian Kunters, 42, died in an avalanche on Annapurna.
3 other climbers were injured and all were airlifted to Kathmandu after being hit by 10 foot long ice blocks that carried them 655 feet down the mountain.
Kuntner would have been the the 13th person in the world to have climbed all 14 of the world’s tallest peaks since Italian climber Reinhold Messner first achieved that feat in 1986.
56 have died on the mountain Avalanches make the scenic Annapurna a dangerous mountain for climbers. Fifty-six people have died on its slopes so far and 133 have successfully summited since 1950.
Cleveland Closes Park and Kills Coyote Mother After Attack on Dog and Bicyclist
May 24 2005, 11:46 PM
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports on the closure of North Chagrin Reservation after a pair of aggressive female coyotes bit a bicyclist and a pet dog over the weekend. Officials have killed one of the coyotes which is believed to be protected its young.
The incidents occured at the A.B. Williams Memorial Woods area of the Chagrin Reservation, a 50-acre wedge off Ohio 91 in the southwest corner of the park known as the gUpper 40. Park officials told the newspaper the area will remain closed for several weeks until the cubs are able to leave the den and the remaining younger female becomes less protective.
2 Airlifted After Avalanche on Oregon’s North Sister
May 24 2005, 11:47 PM
The Oregonian reports the Oregon National Guard airlifted two climbers after an avalanche injured them on the North Sister.
Nancy Miller, 40, was critically injured in the fall. She and James Ellers, 36, were taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
Two Black Hawk helicopters took off about 3:30 p.m. from the Oregon Army Aviation Support Facility in Salem.
Each had a flight medic aboard, who was lowered onto the mountain and placed an injured hiker in a litter to be hoisted up. Fristad said they were flown to nearby Sisters, Miller arriving about 6:30 p.m. and Ellers 30 to 45 minutes later. Miller was taken by helicopter to the Bend hospital. Ellers was transported in an ambulance.
Fatality on Jinxed 7Summits Expedition After Summiting Everest
May 24 2005, 11:50 PM
Webindia reports Slovenian Marko Lihteneker apparently died while descending from Everest.
Lihteneker was part of a jinxed 7summits expedition which earlier this season was attacked by Maoist rebels in Nepal. Lihteneker, 45, and countryman Viktor Mlinar, 38, summited Everest and Lihteneker started down an hour after Mlinar but never returned to any of the camps.
Climber Breaks Both Legs in Fall on Mount Yamnuska in Alberta
May 24 2005, 11:52 PM
Canada.Com reports a climber broke both legs when a ledge gave way while he was climbing Mount Yamnuska in Alberta.
He fell 15 metres. He was airlifted. It was the second helicopter rescue of the long weekend. The first was on Saturday when a woman broke her leg in a hiking accident on Grotto Mountain. Since 1978, conservation officers have been performing an average of 24 helicopter rescues a year.
6 Rescues at South Mountain Park in Phoenix This Year
May 24 2005, 11:56 PM
Arizona Central reports authorities have had a rash of rescues at South Mountain Park near Phoenix including rescuing a naked man.
Authorities are unsure why Thomas Vandeveer, 55, died near Pima Canyon entrance. There had been speculation it was heat related although the incident occurred at 8:30 a.m. before temperatures had climbed into the 90s.
Grizzly Attacks Off Trail Woman at Savage River in Denali
May 26 2005, 10:03 AM
The Anchorage Daily News reports Joanne Saunders, 52, suffered a broken nose and ripped leg after being attacked by a grizzly in Savage River area of Denali
Saunders said she was sitting on a rock when the bear ran at her. She adopted a fetal position until the bear left.
The confrontation with the Saunders took place in the early afternoon on the west side of the Savage River not far from where a footbridge crosses the water about a mile and a half from the park road. They were off trail at the time.
The Louisville Courier Journal reports Drew Wilson died while attempting a first subfreezing ascent of a rock in Baffin Island in Canada.
The article said the incident occurred 150 miles north of Baffin Island’s Clyde River community, the nearest populated place. Wilson’s body has not been brought out either. No further details were available for the accident.
Climber Falls 1,000 While Attempting to Rescue Crampon on Middle Teton
May 26 2005, 9:55 PM
Planet Jackson Hole report Justin Sobol, 22, of Oakland Park, Florida, was airlifted after falling 1,000 feet while attempting a glissade to retrieve his crampons near Icefloe Lake, below the southwest face of the Middle Teton
Park officials said Sobol’s crampon bindings released twice; the second time he lost them and they slid down hill. He attempted to glissade to retrieve them, but he lost control. He attempted to self-arrest with his ice axe, but the leash attaching the axe to his wrist either broke or came loose. He tumbled about 1,000 deet over steep snow, ice and rock and came to rest several hundred feet about the lake. Sobbol was not wearing a helmet.
His climbing partner, Nick Carter, 23, from Gainesville, Fla.,contacted Exum Guide Mark Newcomb who placed a cell phone call to arrange the rescue.
Massachusetts Woman Fatality in Fall from 28 Foot Inflatable Climbing Wall
May 28 2005, 8:57 PM
The Boston Globe reports Stacy Sarrette died on her 24th birthday after falling from a 28-foot inflatabld rock climbing wall at the WKLB Country Music Festival at the Tweeter Center.
State officials are investigating Just For Fun Rentals of Danvers on whether they had proper permits and records.
She was wearing a harness but was not wearing a helmet.
Canada.com reports 3 climbers were short lined by 3 helicopters off of Mount Logan after 140 kph winds shredded their tents in -30C weather.
The climbers had been stranded for 3 days at 5,500 metres about 500 metres from the summit.
In shortlining a line hangs down off the helicopter and they were in a harness attached to the line.
and they were taken off the mountain to a staging area,” said Markel.
Denali National Park assisted in the rescue.
The climbers are Erik Bjarnason, Alex Snigurowicz and another climber.
The Daily Camera reports an accident in Boulder Canyon where a climber properly equipped died and an accident on Mount Sanitas where an unproperly hiker fell 30 feet to the trailhead.
Austin Barker, 24, fell 25 to 40 feet from a rock in the Elephant Buttress climbing area. Officials say he was wearing a helmet and that all his climbing gear appeared to be working properly.
Emergency services supervisor Dave Booton said the sheriff’s office is reminding outdoor enthusiasts to be safe. He said climbers should wear helmets, bring appropriate equipment and technical gear. Climbers should also tie a knot in the end of the rope if they are repelling or belaying, Booton said.
More info and links: http://americasroof.com/wp/archives/2005/05/31/2-climbing-accidents-in-boulder-area/
2nd Snakebite in 2 Weeks for Roped Climber in Shawangunks
May 31 2005, 3:24 PM
The Daily Freeman reports a roped climber was was bitten by a snake in the Trapps Cliff area of the Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunks.
The snake was not poisonous although the 61-year-old climber was taken to a hospital. A 60-year-old woman was bitten by a copperhead 2 weeks ago in the same area.
3rd Dog Rescue in 4 Years in Hood’s Zig Zag Canyon
May 31 2005, 3:28 PM
KOIN reports the 3rd incident in for years where a dog had to be rescued in Zig Zag Canyon on Mount Hood.
Derrek Olson’s dog, Madison, ran off the trail and slid down the cliff and then Olson slid 100 feet below it while trying to rescue it. Rescuers from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Mountain Rescue responded, rappelling into the canyon, and retrieving the pair who had minor injuries.
“Walking pets without a leash on wilderness trails is not advised, as the animals do not always recognize dangerous areas of trails. In fact, similar incidents have occurred in Zig Zag Canyon at least three times over the past four years,” PMR reminds hikers.
When I was descending Hood last year I saw a guy coming up with his dog. I watched as he struggled to restrain the dog from trying to chase a chunk of rock/ice down into the fumarole on the far side of the Hogsback, where the helicopter went down. Maybe I'm just not a dog guy, but I really don't get bringing your dog on a peak like that.
The Aspen Times Kip White who was roped with his son on Maroon Bells had a fatal fall.
White and his son had turned back because of poor weather and fell on the Bell Cord Couloir which is on the saddle between the bells at about 13,800 feet.
Jordan, 19, lost consciouness in the fall. He recovered and descended another 30 to 40 feet to reach his father, whom he determined was dead. He then continued his descent, spent the night in the shelter of trees and hiked out this morning to notify authorities.
Kip White had six acoustic guitars available on his website.
Mountain Bicyclist Airlifted from Ralph Stover Park in Pennsylvania
June 1 2005, 9:48 AM
KYW reports Matthew Powell, a mountain bicyclist had to be airlifted from Ralph Stover State Park in Pennsylvania after fracturing his skull and hip and spending 24 hours in the park.
He was discovered by rock climbers on High Rocks after his parents at come to the trailhead and asked hikers and climbers to look for his son.
FFTimes reports Lyle Simpson survived a grizzly attack when used a martial arts kick to the bear’s face near the Whispering Pines Bible camp in Alberta.
Simpson said a cub was nearby and the mother charged him. He started running and fell. As the bear bit his arm he kicked it in the face. He had six stitches to his arm.
The NPS morning report says William Autry was found the foot of an 80 foot cliff in the Bromide Hill area of Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma.
The morning report says:
A hiker was killed in an accident during the evening of May 25th. Just before midnight on the 25th, the park received notice that William Autry, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, was overdue from a hike in the Bromide Hill area. Three male friends had been hiking on the Bromide trail system and became separated at approximately 9:30 p.m. A search was begun and Autry’s body was found at the base of an 80-foot cliff along Rock Creek, about an eighth of a mile from the point where he’d last been seen by his friends. An investigation is being conducted. Supervisory ranger Albert Faria was the incident commander and ranger Luis Krug is the lead investigator.
[Submitted by Dennis Weiland, Chief Ranger]
In our research of national parks, we've found a few that have become extinct. Platt National Park in OK is one of them. Platt NP was demoted and the acreage was turned over to Chicasaw NRA.
Glacier Male Black Bear Destroyed After Swiping Car
June 3 2005, 3:55 PM
The NPS Morning Report says a male black bear in Glacier National Park was killed after it shredded shirts thrown at it and then swiped the car of a fleeing family.
The report says:
An aggressive male black bear was killed by park rangers on the morning of Sunday, May 29th, after it had exhibited predatory behavior towards a family on the previous evening.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, John Hayden and his three young sons traveled about a 100 yards into the woods at the pullout a half mile south of Avalanche and encountered a black bear. As the family tried to slowly back out of the area, the bear pursued them. The father tried to distract the bear by throwing a shirt towards it, but the bear shredded this shirt. Although Hayden then struck the bear repeatedly with another shirt, the bear continued its pursuit. After the young children hid under a vehicle, the bear began swiping under the car. Another visitor witnessed the bear’s aggressive behavior and used pepper spray to drive the bear back into the woods.
Rangers responded and closed the immediate vicinity for investigation. After consultation with a wildlife biologist and bear management specialists, the bear was targeted for removal. Rangers had previously attempted to move the bear from the roadside by use of rubber bullets and bean bags, but without success. On Sunday, rangers returned to the area and shot and killed the 185-pound male bear. The area was then reopened.
Although there is no evidence that the bear was conditioned to human food, the carcass will be sent to a state laboratory for a full forensic autopsy (necropsy). The park’s bear management guideline states that a black bear will be removed and/or destroyed if it receives human food or garbage, displays conditioned and/or habituated behavior towards people, causes property damage, and/or acts overly familiar with humans. The goal of Glacier’s bear management policy is to ensure a natural and free-ranging population of both grizzly and black bears. “Given this bear’s conditioned, aggressive, and predatory behavior, especially exhibited by swiping under the car, the bear had to be destroyed,” said chief ranger Steve Frye.
[Submitted by Public Affairs Office]
Beer-loving bear brings ‘bruination' to brothers' fishing trip in West Virginia
June 15 2005, 9:54 AM
RICHWOOD, WV - Two brothers on a fishing trip to Richwood found themselves sharing food and beer with an unwelcome guest -- a bear.
Larry Gaynor, 67, of Dunbar, and his brother Billy Bob Gaynor, 53, of Athens, Ohio, were looking forward to a weekend of trout fishing at Summit Lake.
The brothers retired to their 10-foot by 10-foot tent Friday about 9 p.m. after an evening of fishing on the lake.
Larry said he was playing his Santana tape, as he always does on fishing trips.
The Gaynors were in the tent for 20 minutes when they heard what sounded like someone looting their campsite.
"It was a heck of a noise," Larry Gaynor said.
The brothers got a flashlight and peeked out the tent and discovered a 300-pound bear standing 10 yards away with its teeth sunk deep into their blue Coleman cooler.
The bear dragged the cooler 30 yards into the woods and flung it against a tree, scattering the Gaynors' case of Coors Light across the ground.
"He only drank three cans," Larry Gaynor said. "He would've drank all of them if it would've been Budweiser."
Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker missing in San Jacinto Mountains of southern California
May 10 2006, 8:25 PM
On May 4, 2005, John Donovan, a retired social worker from Virginia, became lost in the San Jacinto Wilderness near Palm Springs, California while on an attempted through-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. As of May 11, 2006, he is still missing, according to the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit. You can read the report from the Rescue Unit here:
Zion Says 9 1/2 Hour Pine Creek Rescue Was Most Difficult in Memory
June 3 2005, 3:53 PM
Newspapers said Zion National Park Rangers said the 9 1/2 hour rescue in Pine Creek Canyon was one of the most difficult in the park’s history.
Below is the official NPS Morning Report on the incident.
On the evening of Wednesday, June 1st, the park was notified that a person canyoneering in Pine Creek was experiencing severe abdominal pain and unable to move. Two rangers, one of them a park medic, were dispatched to locate him and assess his condition. The injured hiker – Michael Hargrove of Houston, Texas – was found in a large boulder field down canyon from the last rappel in the Pine Creek slot canyon. In consultation with the Dixie Regional Medical Center, the rangers determined that the injury was most likely an abdominal hernia. The park search and rescue team was dispatched to complete the rescue. Hargrove was carried on a litter through the boulder field, which took several hours. He was then lifted to the top of the last rappel, a distance of about 150 feet, and carried to the base of a cliff, where he was then lifted another 150 to 200 feet to the second window of the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel. He was transferred to a waiting ambulance at 5 a.m., then transported to the Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah. The rescue took about nine-and-a-half hours to complete and involved 24 members of the park’s staff and local volunteers. It was one of the most difficult and involved rescues ever conducted in the park.
Pine Creek is a great slot but the hike from the bottom of the last repel to the road is a slogfest. A litter carryout would be miserable; hot, sandy, thorny, uphill.
Blogger Robert Milne Collapsed 1,300 Feet from Completing 7 Summits
June 7 2005, 4:00 PM
The Daily Record and other sources report Robert Milne collapsed on Everest 1,300 feet from completing the 7 summits.
Milne, 49, a reknown Scotish artificial intelligence engineer, was testing IM-PAC, designed to provide more effective computer support to mountaineering expeditions. He had done both Kosciuszko and Carstenz Pyramid. He was managing director of Sermatech Intelligent Applications in Livingston, Scotland.
CTV reports a grizzly killed a woman in a tree on Bench Trail in Canmore, Alberta.
Isabelle Dube had climbed the tree to escape the bear while her two friends ran to SilverTip Golf Course to get help.
Officials said the area had earlier been “voluntarily closed” to visitors because of bear issues.
Fish and wildlife officers later shot and killed the bear which had been relocated to Carrot Creek area ear Banff National Park following an earlier incident and had a GPS tracking collar. Bears are typically relocated within their home range because of fears they will die if moved to a different range.
The Berkshire Eagle reports Joanne Preen had to be carried after stumbling when getting lost on Mount Greylock.
Preen had hiked to a waterfall from the North Adams trailhead and got on the wrong trail on the return when she fell lacerating her liver. Her companion then went down the Hopper Trail and called for help. Eight rescuers and a dog named Blue returned on the Blue Mountain Trail and carried her out on a gurney.
Williamstown Police Sgt. Scott McGowan said a rescue team consisting of members from the Williamstown Police and Fire departments, Williamstown forest wardens, Village Ambulance Service, the Adams forest wardens and the Hancock Fire Department set up a command post at the base of the park. “We usually deal with one or two of these types of rescues each year,” McGowan said.
Mount Logan’s Youngest Summiter Jessica Aulik in Fatal Avalanche
June 8 2005, 3:36 PM
CBC reports Jessica Aulik who at 17 was the youngest to climb Canada’s Mount Logan was killed in an avalanche on the east ridge during a climb on May 31.
Firefighter Falls 1000 Feet Down Gibralter Chute on Rainier
June 11 2005, 1:04 AM
The Seattle Times reports Mike Berry fell 1,000 feet at Gibralter Chute on Rainier.
His companion Ryan Tillman spent several hours performing CPR on the 29-year-old Port Angeles firefighter before rangers arrived at the 11,350 foot location. He called 911 at 6:15 a.m. His body was airlifted off by helicopter.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Two students out for a day hike got lost last weekend in the wilds of Haywood County, living on beef jerky and water for three days before they emerged from the wilderness.
Cliff McKenzie and Kyle Messier, both students at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, headed into the Middle Prong Wilderness Area near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday for a rugged experience. They got it _ huddling together one night at 5,000 feet altitude to keep warm.
They limped out Monday afternoon bruised and scratched.
"The trail kind of went into a valley and turned into a field of grass and rhododendron," said McKenzie, who also blamed a broken compass for the disorientation.
More than 70 emergency services employees and volunteers turned out to search until the hikers found their own way out about 1:30 p.m. Monday.
"We have about 50 or 60 searches a year, primarily in the wilderness areas," said Greg Shuping, director of Haywood County Emergency Services. "A lot of times we have people who underestimate the terrain and the weather."
I don't know specifics but the story in the Asheville paper makes no mention of a map. The Middle Prong is 7900 acres abutted on the south by the Blue Ridge Parkway and the east by NC 215. A cell phone is great but has limited value if one is lost. Luckily a good outcome was reached. Use of a map and compass are critical in the woods, and the woods in the south can be THICK!
11 visitors were injured in a lightning strike at Old Faithful in Yellowstone.
The official NPS Morning Report:
Several visitors were injured when a lightning strike hit the ground in front of Old Faithful Geyser on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 21st. Visitors were on the boardwalk in front of Old Faithful Geyser, waiting for an eruption, when the incident occurred. The lightning strike did not hit anyone directly, but did hit about 15 yards in front of the geyser’s boardwalk, located a short distance from the Old Faithful Visitor Center. A 12-year-old park visitor was seriously injured. Two physicians and a nurse practitioner, who were visiting the park and also waiting for the eruption, were able to immediately provide CPR and resuscitate the young boy. Park staff immediately responded to the area and were able to provide additional care. The boy was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for additional care. Ten other visitors received immediate care and evaluation. Some of them went to Old Faithful Clinic for additional care. At the time of the incident, a very intense storm cell was moving through the area, producing rain and hail as well as additional lightning strikes in and out of the area. The incident is still under investigation, and there are no further details available at this time
Josh Hughes, 12, is from Maryville Tennessee. The lightning burned his right shoulder blade and singed hair. There also is a hole burned in Josh’s shorts where the lightning apparently exited.
Fall on Eighth Pitch of East Buttress on El Capitan
June 24 2005, 7:02 AM
on El Capitan in Yosemite.
According to the NPS Morning Report:
The park’s emergency communications center received a call on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 1st, reporting a climber fall and injury about 800 feet up on the East Buttress Route on El Capitan. The injured climber, Tiquran Avakian, a Russian national, had taken a 15-foot fall while lead climbing on the eighth pitch. The route at the accident site was wet from mist blowing over from Horse Tail Falls. Avakian’s fall was arrested by his climbing rope, but he hit a ledge and injured his back and pelvis. This caused him some difficulty breathing. He also hit his head, but luckily was wearing a helmet. Avakian’s climbing partners lowered him a short distance to a large ledge. Rangers Leslie Reynolds and Jack Hoeflich were shorthauled to the accident site under Yosemite’s contract helicopter. The rangers secured Avakian in a vacuum body splint and Stokes litter and he was extricated from the cliff face by shorthaul.
[Submitted by Keith Lober, Yosemite SAR Manager]
Missing Boy Scout found after missing for four days in Uinta Mountains of Utah
April 15 2006, 4:11 AM
BOUNTIFUL, UT — Brennan Hawkins woke up this morning in a warm bed, a TV remote at his fingertips, and all the food and water he could ever want.
That's quite a change from four nights alone in the forest.
Endless nights of worry and doubt finally ended shortly before noon Tuesday when a volunteer searcher found the lost 11-year-old on a remote trail in the High Uintas.
Law enforcement officials had worried that Brennan somehow drowned in the swollen Bear River after days without any clues. Rumors of a possible kidnapping even circulated.
But from day one, the Bountiful family never gave up hope.
ASHFORD, Wash. — Four climbers slipped down an icy Mount Rainier slope Thursday morning, catapulting two men across a crevasse and dropping two others inside it. Helicopters rescued the injured men.
Rescuers reported that one man slipped, dragging two other climbers and a mountain guide about 40 yards to the 20-foot-deep crevasse, Mount Rainier National Park (search) spokeswoman Lee Taylor said.
The most seriously injured were the climbers who plunged into the crevasse.
Patrick Clemens of Bethlehem, Pa., suffered serious head trauma, along with a broken leg and possibly broken ribs, officials said. Matthew Fisher, 42, of Vernon, N.J., suffered broken ribs and a liver injury.
Both were flown from the peak by Oregon National Guard (search) helicopters.
A hospital official declined to release the condition of Clemens, whose age was not available. Officials said Fisher was in serious condition.
Also injured were Peter Bridgewater, 54, of Singapore, with a dislocated shoulder, and John Lucia, 31, a mountain guide who suffered a head injury, Taylor said. Both were hospitalized in satisfactory condition.
All four were evacuated by early afternoon from Ingraham Glacier (search) at the 12,600-foot level of the 14,411-foot peak.
Other climbing parties were nearby and assisted with first aid and rescue efforts, and Park Service rangers were dropped to the scene by helicopter, Taylor said.
It was the seventh climbing accident requiring a rescue in the past week on Rainier, which has seen one fatality this year, Taylor said.
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