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Les
Trad climber
Bahston
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 9, 2012 - 10:34am PT
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For any who've been up there this summer, you know they've been looking for 4 climbers who went missing months ago in a whiteout. Looks like they may have found one of them (no confirmation yet):
Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Body Found On Muir Snowfield
On Monday, August 6th, rapidly melting snow on the lower reaches of the Muir Snowfield revealed a man’s body at the 8,000 foot level about a half mile above Pebble Creek. It appeared that the body had been under the snow for some time. A party descending from Camp Muir spotted the body within sight of the trail and notified rangers, who recovered it the following day. Although his identity has yet to be determined by the county medical examiner, it’s possible that he may be one of the four climbers lost during storms last January. Warm weather is expected to continue rapidly melting snow in the area over the next month or two, which may uncover evidence related to the missing climbers. The search for the four missing climbers is still active and ongoing on a limited basis. Searches are conducted during scheduled flights in the park and as crews are in the area.
[Submitted by Patti Wold, PIO]
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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That sucks. Right above Pebble Creek too.
Condolences to friends and families...
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Port
Trad climber
San Diego
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Its an unforgiving but beautiful mountain. RIP to the climbers.
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PAUL SOUZA
Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
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We summited Rainier Monday morning at 0930 and were caught in a white-out snow storm with 40+ mph winds and around ~30 ft of visibility, despite the weather forecast calling for a slight chance. Luckily we had a well pounded trail to follow with wands all over the place. Rainier is a beast of a mountain.
RIP
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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There have been a number of bodies found near Pebble Crk
over the years if memory serves. So sad they make it that far down to
no avail. RIP
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 12:54am PT
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Two mountaineers, two snow campers, and three snowshoers went missing on Mt. Rainier over the MLK weekend (Jan 14-16). The snowshoers spent three days and two miserable nights in the blizzard in the lower reaches of the mountain. They somehow survived without tents, sleeping bags, or stoves. Two of them walked out on Monday; the other one was extricated from a deep valley (it took nine hours to get him out). The mountaineers and snow campers were never found despite several attempts via air and by foot.
Mark Vucich (one of the snow campers) was found this week at the 8,000 ft level (about half a mile above Pebble Creek) under melting snow. His body was within view of the trail. He was identified yesterday at the Medical Examiners Office. We are hoping his partner, Michelle Trojanowski, will be found close by.
I have climbed between Paradise and Camp Muir several times since January in preparation for a summit attempt on July 4th. Each time I have passed through Pebble Creeke wondering how close Mark and Michelle may have been to finding their way down off Rainier. I am not surprised that Mark was found so close to Pebble Creek -- that is exactly where I thought he would be found. And, why do I think this . . .
Because, I was one of the two snowshoers who walked out on January 16th, leaving Mark, Michelle and two others on the mountain behind me. Each weekend I return to the mountain for training climbs and as I silently climb, I scan the ridges and snowfields for any sign of an abandoned campsite or equipment under melting snow. I have scanned the area above Pebble Creek several times and determined that if I was on the snowfield on January 14th, I most definitely would have tried heading down toward the safety of Sugar Mtn so I could dig a snow cave. A day never goes by when I don't feel grateful for my life and wonder how it is that some of us are just plucked from our lives so quickly and without warning, while others survive.
My regards and condolences to the family and friends of all four adventurers who never found their way home.
Josephine (Jo) Johnson
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:13am PT
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hey there say, jo jo.... oh my... :(
may you feel comforted in these memories of surviving, somehow, in spite of the sad loss of the others that came to the mt... :(
thank you for sharing your story and your continued thoughts on it... may your future trails continually be blessed, that you may help others through their burdens of such, as well...
my condolences, too, to all the families of the lost...
thank you for your very heartfelt and touching post...
god bless...
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:32am PT
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Jo - thanks for the first person account. Sounds like horrific conditions and glad you made it out in one piece. RIP to those who weren't able to make it down.
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cowpoke
climber
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Aug 10, 2012 - 09:07am PT
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Jo, your story is incredibly touching. Wishing you peace.
Eric
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 01:03pm PT
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I was on the search for the snowshoers in January. We knew that one was possibly injured and possibly lost. The first two that walked out were never reported missing. They fortunately had a snowshovel with them and dug a cave for their first night out. They didn't know how to construct one, but managed to stay out of the wind. The entrance was higher, not lower, than the area where they slept, so the cold air settled on them. They were in excellent shape when they walked out.
One of my teammates was the medic for the other gentleman snowshoer that spent a couple of unexpected nights on the mountain. The first contact with the group seemed to be very encouraging that he was expected to walk out the first day, but as time passed, it became clear that he would need assistance.
So much snow fell over those days that travel became very slow - wallowing on snowshoes, wallowing on skis, snowmobiles are generally not allowed, the snowcat was very slow, avalanche danger very high and limiting how you could travel. Wind was an issue as you approached Muir. The days I spent on the search were extremely windy up high, but not bad at Paradise. You need excellent navigation skills walking around in the clouds, with the wind, with 9 feet of new, light snow.
No one has forgotten the four missing climbers. This month, my team is scheduled to go back and continue looking. All the MRA teams in the area are scheduling training and search missions in the area to look for them. This has happened all summer, and will continue until late autumn, when the new snow starts to pile up. It was a cool early summer, so the snowpack stayed thick much longer than normal this year. I was surprised at how high the snowpack was since the snowfall was not extreme, but the melting has been slower this year.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 01:29pm PT
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I would put my knowledge of that area
equal to most anybody's and I got a tad
'cornfused' in that immediate vicinity
BITD. It ain't hard. My best was
coming off Ptarmigan R one winter in a
righteous white-out. Despite intimate
knowledge,a compass,and a map it turned
into a major epic that saw us hoofing it
out the Carbon River instead of our
planned route via Mowich Lk! DOH!
It boggles my mind that people will
nowadays spend a small fortune on their gear
but not go for another $2-300 for a
GPS that weighs 6 ounces.
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 01:47pm PT
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Amazingly enough, people will have these electronic devices and have no idea how to read a map or change the settings. A couple of days of use and very cold conditions kill batteries. Every year we train on navigation, and it surprises me to see how many new people can't read a map.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:19pm PT
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i am an echo of myself.
i have inventory of my body
though i've lost the light that
rewards me a shadow.
im seeking it, the heavy cup;
though in my search i'll
prolly lose the body too.
oh well,
my physical absence will then enjoy
the company of my spiritual absense,
and together,
these two voids
may just make up
my substance.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:21pm PT
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The volume of snow dumped on Rainier in a typical winter storm can be mind boggling. I've done plenty of whiteout navigation on Rainier with both compass and GPS. One particular early spring storm dumped 4' of heavy concrete over 3 days on the Tahoma glacier side. The terrain was completely changed with drifts as high as 15'. Wet slab avalanches everywhere. Even with snowshoes, good luck. Took us 7 hours to get down through what would have taken an hour prior to the dump.
I couldn't believe the waypoints I had set on the GPS but they were accurate.
She's not that tall but don't f' with 'er....
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:41pm PT
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Just tagging onto the comments about GPS, waypoints, maps, navigation, etc. I wasn't a newbie to Rainier -- have climbed on her nearly every month for years. My boyfriend and I had maps and a GPS and knew how to use them. Unfortunately (and you probably aren't going to believe this) but ten minutes after that storm picked up, I had to put ski goggles on. Ten minutes later, I had to take them off because I couldnt' see a thing. The wind had whipped the powder-fine snow through the side vents of my goggles and powder-coated the inside of my lenses. I am a mono-vision contact wearer, so the wind then dried out my soft contact and I couldn't read anything. My boyfriend tried desperately to read the GPS but, with the blinding snow stinging our faces and making us squint, it was impossible. He ended up with frostbitten fingers and toes -- and was not in much of a position to expose his fingers to the small buttons on the GPS. All up, it was the worst (and most disorienting) event I have experienced. It was impossible to know if my next step was going to see me rolling into a 20-ft trough, or off a cliff. I remember seeing a tree in the distance . . . I thought it was a 1/4 mile away (how, I thought this, I'll never know -- as visibility was almost zero). Next thing you know, I walked into the thing -- it was about 3 ft away and I was looking at the very tip of it sticking out of a snow drift. Until you have actually experienced a blizzard that knocks you off your feet, blinds your vision, and chills you to the bone, you will never quite understand why GPS, maps, and other navigation devices sometimes do you absolutely no good. I did end up falling off an ice waterfall and lost a snowshoe . . . I was floundering in hip-deep snow on day three as my boyfriend and I climbed up out of Stevens Canyon. What a relief it was to see the rescuers. We had no idea they were out looking for others . . . our survival was due, in big part, to keeping our calm and waiting out the storm in the best possible ice caves we could build, given the whipping wind and cold conditions. My fondest memories are of seeing those rescuers coming up toward us on Mazama Ridge; the warm gloves they offered my boyfriend; and the hot tea.
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10b4me
Ice climber
dingy room at the Happy boulders hotel
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:51pm PT
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I am constantly amazed how many intellegent people can not even read a map of a city or state while driving.
agreed, but hope they're not trying to read a map while driving
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Aug 10, 2012 - 04:58pm PT
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jo jo your blurb above
is a mind brick;
interject spacial voids between your
thoughts.
then your share is inhaled like nitrous outta a yellow balloon.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 05:27pm PT
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its so easy to get lost in a white out.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Aug 10, 2012 - 05:28pm PT
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In a truly bad storm if you are not prepared to sit it out you are in serious trouble.
If you are prepared to sit it out.. it's a boring annoyance.
Most of the time we do not bring enough stuff to comfortably sit out a major storm when we plan a day trip.
Weather is not always predictable.. thus thing like this happen.
Nice work surviving Jo. Seriously
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 05:43pm PT
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JoJO,
I spoke to you at the visitor center afterwards. I am so glad to hear that you still get out - you are a remarkable and resourceful lady. I was one of the few women on the mission and was stationed at the visitor center with a few of my teammates to rapidly resupply and bring medical resources to a find that required it. My team has a high percentage of paramedics/EMTs.
Finding you and your friend doing very well when conditions were so challenging gave us great hope for the man that was found later that day. None of you expected to be out for a night - let alone two. The missing climbers were much better equipped, expected to be out muoltiple nights, and weren't overdue until that evening. We all knew that those four were out there and might require assistance. It was such a challenging time - the shootings strained the staff, the visiting MRA teams came in for these seraches, and a new search was imminent. We had over 70 people in the field that day and had sustained that level of resources for a couple of days. We would not bring our trainee or support level members into the field as conditions were quite challenging between high avvy danger, bad navigation conditions, and high winds at elevation. I remember the cold not being too bad - provided you were dry and not in a windy location. We were excited to be able to provide that medical support and new supplies when the man was found.
Relying on instruments that are battery powered and hard to view in bad weather - tough. I fully sympathize with the challenge. The snow was tough to move through even with two snowshoes or skis. I tried both methods and found them horribly slow in the bottomless new 9 feet of light snow - not the normal cascade concrete. Even the snowcat was struggling on the road. It took a great deal of perseverance for you to get out. Many would not.
When you were found, we were so hopeful about the others. Then the other man was found, more hope. We knew that the others were facing more brutal conditions high on the mountain, and we hoped they dug in, not just pitched their tents. It was such a difficult time between the shootings, and then search after search. It brought all the rescue teams in the area much closer together. I can't rememebr working so many joint missions in the previous 14 years.
Don't take comments of others too harshly. Most times it comes from trying to understand and not criticism. Many are trying to learn from the experiences of others.
I still remember you telling me about the gift of the snowshovel, and what a great gift that was.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 06:03pm PT
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Seamstress,
Thank you for your kind words. Jay and I are still trying to grapple with putting names to rescuers and faces to those we met at the Visitor Center and down at Longmire afterward. So, thank you for the revealing perspective of your involvement in our rescue. We were pretty much in a daze when we got down off Rainier that day. We are truly thankful to all of you who gave of your time and energies over those long weeks in January to spend so much time on the mountain searchng for the lost and weary. It is overwhelming for me to read your description of the terrain and weather . . . Jay and I were obviously in the thick of all of it but really weren't so much focused on snow depth, temperatures, visibility, as we were simply trying to stay warm so we wouldn't die! To read your account of the mindblowing difficulties the rescuers were having on the mountain, only confirms to me that Jay and I did the right thing in digging in and trying to conserve our energies. I got home that night, cried non-stop at the kitchen faucet when I saw running water; and then again as I sat in a bath full of hot water and bubbles with my beanie and headlamp still on, in the pitch dark . . . I'd come home to an electrical outage in my neighborhood!!! The next day I spent all morning digging out my driveway with a garden shovel (it took me four hours) . . . and cried again in the middle of the street as the true meaning of the outcome of the previous few days hit me like a ton of bricks. I was alive, and despite the blisters on my hands from shoveling snow, I was glad I could feel every single one of them. It sure beats the alternative. And, I cried again this week as I hugged one of Michelle Trojanowki's friends . . . it has been a tough week.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Aug 10, 2012 - 06:17pm PT
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hey there say, jo jo...
oh my, as to that quote... some of us know this feeeling, though from other things...
hugs again... thankfulness, real thankfulness will never cease...
hugs again...
I got home that night, cried non-stop at the kitchen faucet when I saw running water; and then again as I sat in a bath full of hot water and bubbles with my beanie and headlamp still on, in the pitch dark . . . I'd come home to an electrical outage in my neighborhood!!! The next day I spent all morning digging out my driveway with a garden shovel (it took me four hours) . . . and cried again in the middle of the street as the true meaning of the outcome of the previous few days hit me like a ton of bricks. I was alive, and despite the blisters on my hands from shoveling snow, I was glad I could feel every single one of them
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 06:21pm PT
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Riley . . . thanks for your comments and for the link. I will have to read the book. I am sure I will be able to relate to some of it. How very sad. To lose a loved one is difficult, but to lose a child is somehow incomprehensible to me.
Studly . . . yes, you are right about how easy it is to get lost in a white out. Many times my climbing buddy, Mariana, and I have descended from Camp Muir in visibility that limits us from walking together between the wands for fear of getting lost. She'll walk alone toward where she thinks the next wand is located and just as she starts to disappear in the distance, I yell out for her to stop -- I won't go another foot before she says she can see the next wand. That's a navigation technique I've learned on the Muir Snowfield. However, we aren't always that lucky. Inevitably, we defer to GPS.
Climbski2 . . . sticking it out for 30 hours in freezing snowcaves without a sleeping bag or stove was cold and, as you put it, "a boring annoyance," but I knew it was the only choice and it inevitably saved our lives. Thanks for the thumbs up. I can't tell you how good the leather heated seats of my boyfriend's truck felt when we hit the road.
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Psilocyborg
climber
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Aug 10, 2012 - 06:22pm PT
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{edit} telling a completely off topic funny story about navigation in a thread like this is bad form. I apologize.
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 07:49pm PT
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We rarely get to connect with someone that we have helped later. We are always so curious about what happened to them, and what we could have done better. There was a lot of debriefing afterwards, largely because it was such a large operation with people from so many different teams.
We all wish that the outcome was the same for the missing four on the snowfield. We headed home very late that night after the three snowshoers - including JoJo - came out. The bags stayed packed for the inevitable call to return to look for the others came. The planning was well underway for that.
JoJo, you absolutely did the right thing, to dig in by night. By now, I'm sure you have read up on all the info available about emergency snow shelters. You put on a very brave face publicly. I certainly didn't see any foreshadowing of the tears that came to you later. You were focused on what you needed to do to get out. I gave you some charcoal handwarmers, and we offered you whatever we had. I've brought a lot of people off mountains that were out for a few hours that were in far worse shape than you were. That release after you get home - that's perfectly normal. Your compulsion to always take a few extra layers - that was very smart and fortuitous as well. You have good survival instincts.
Lots of people will offer criticism as they are sitting on the couch, engaged in all sort of life shortening activities, feeling quite self-righteous about their wisdom. Don't let them make you feel like a fool. You were far from foolish.
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 10, 2012 - 07:53pm PT
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sitting on the couch, engaged in all sort of life shortening activities,
The couch and the remote is the reservoir of all material pleasures .......
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 08:14pm PT
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JoJo,since my best years are long
behind me I doubt that I will have
the pleasure of trying to read a GPS
in a blizzard. They can be frustrating
enough in bright sunshine! Maybe somebody
needs to develop a bag to put it in which
you could put your head and hands in
with a drawstring to 'weatherproof' it?
You do seem to have made enough good
decisions so the only question that I
would respectfully put to you is:
"Do you believe you should have dug in
earlier?"
Being a passed master of bad decisions
I have studied the subject quite extensively
from a seafarer's, mountaineer's,and pilot's
perspective. When to say when is the age-old
question, isn't it?
Glad you're still with us!
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 09:32pm PT
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Seamstress,
Again, thank you so much for the further insight into the rescue from a rescuers perspective. There was a lot of criticism of Jay and I after we returned to "the lowlands." I took it all in good heart. Those who were criticizing merely didn't understand what it was all about. Many hadn't read the story correctly and didn't realize that Jay and I had walked out on our own. Many also didn't realize that we had overpacked for a three-hour hike and if it wasn't for that preparation, we would most certainly have died. We didn't incur any rescue dollars and, even if we had, I look at it as a benefit to those of us who make tracks on mountains instead of roads. It was the ignorant that criticized and I didn't pay it much mind. What gave me great inspiration and conviction that I had done the right thing, was the thumbs up from the NPS and the rescue teams. If I had been scorned by the elite group of adventurers I so admire on that mountain, that would probably have destroyed me. My absolute support goes out to all of you as you continue with your search and rescue attempts. I only wish I could have been of more support myself.
I hope I can catch up with you one day personally -- it would really do me a lot of good to fill in some of the holes . . . actually, there are many of them . . . including how the Korean group managed to find their way off the mountain that day. Oh well, perhaps our paths will cross some day -- I'm up on Rainier often.
If I can inspire any readers right now about my ordeal, it would be to simply stay calm, believe in yourself, conserve your energy, and think positive thoughts. Oh, and don't forget to practice fasting every now and again -- it was really helpful to know that I don't physically fall apart if I miss a daily meal. Jay and I often skip meals . . . we know we can endure long periods of time without eating . . . so that never really was a fear factor for us. And, we both know that fear can kill.
Thanks!
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 09:38pm PT
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Reilly, I'm happy to answer your question about the possibility of digging in earlier. If you want to hear/read the whole story about Jay and I up on the mountain last MLK weekend, simply type our names: Josephine Johnson and Jim Dickman . . . the many sites will pop up. But, in a nutshell . . . we climbed just over an hour from Paradise up onto the Mazama Ridge. It was snowing but not a blizzard. When we reached the ridge and wandered up onto it another five minutes, we knew we were going to be in serious trouble if we didn't turn around as the winds had picked up to around 70mph in just seconds; visibility dropped to almost zero; and the temperature dropped suddenly. I could hardly open my pack to get out extra clothing and goggles. We tried for about 2 hours to get down off the ridge but couldn't find our way. It was 2:00pm when Jay started to dig the snow cave. It took about 2 hours. We were able to crawl into it at 4:00pm and that's where we stayed until 7:20am the next day. So, we pretty much thought we'd be able to find our way off the ridge but realized quickly enough that if we didn't dig in straight away, we'd be digging in the dark, so that's why we started digging at 2pm -- it was getting dark around 5pm at that time of the year. I think we did the right thing . . . I hope we did . . . I guess we did . . . I'm alive to tell you about it :)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 11:00pm PT
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JoJo, I'd say you absolutely made the right call.
So I guess you got frostbit fumbling around with the GPS?
This is how bright I was - standing on Liberty Cap
in late January watching the sun go down.
Temp - +/- 0
Wind speed 30, gusting higher, much higher
Minimal bivy gear. What's the way down?
Liberty Ridge, of course! It's the most
direct plus it is actually quite sheltered
from the prevailing wind. ;-)
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 11:12am PT
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Reilly. Jay got frostbite on his fingers from getting his gloves wet while digging, not one but TWO snow caves. He didn't tell me, so I wasn't able to share my extra gloves with him (I ended up needing them anyway . . . so I guess Jay just didn't want to impact my comfort -- being a great boyfriend :) and climbing buddy). Anyway, I didn't realize how bad the situation was until he asked for extra gloves when we bumped into the rescue team on the third day. I felt bad. As for his toes, they got frostbite because he didn't remove his boots at night. Boots are only warm when you are actually moving -- generating warmth that is then captured inside. When you are sitting for 15 hours in a snow cave and leave your boots on, they get colder and colder and colder . . . they don't do much good. I pulled mine off and put on an extra layer of socks and then pulled my feet into a stuff sack (like a potato sack race). The stuff sack was one of those pillow stuff sacks that, when turned inside out, has a fleece layer so you can use it as a pillow. I didn't turn it inside out, but stuffed my feet into it with the fleece layer on the inside -- it kept my feet from freezing. I had to sit on Jay's feet (after he finally removed his boots) to warm up his toes. I hate to think what might have happened if I hadn't done that. Fortunately, he hasn't lost any digits . . . but the recovery was slow. His fingers and toes are now more susceptible to cold and we have to watch this carefully when we are hiking.
As for your experience on Liberty Ridge . . . that's a pretty scary situation. My friend, Rob Planker, died on Liberty Ridge a couple of seasons ago. He was with a couple of friends and for some unknown reason became hypothermic about 1,000 feet below the summit. His friends ended up summiting, continuing over to the other side of the mountain to get a rescue party together, but when they returned, it appeared that Rob had left his tent and slid 2,000 feet off the mountain. His body has not been recovered. The mountain does not discriminate -- she takes whoever she wants, be they inexperienced or not.
You were lucky. I was lucky . . .
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 11:55am PT
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I disagree about taking boots off.
They are going to provide some degre
of insulation no matter what. They
just need to be loosened. If you take
them off then you run the risk of the
boots freezing up-then you're worse off.
For the record I almost always kept mine
in the bag with me. I realize that wasn't
an option for you but it always served
me well. Sleeping was awkward but I always
had toasty boots to put on in the morning.
ps
Gotta go-my nurse is here with a big-azzed needle!
Don't get old-it blows! ;-)
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Michelle Mair
Social climber
valencia california
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Aug 11, 2012 - 12:27pm PT
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This goes out to JO JO. The missing body found was my brother Mark Vucich. I thank you for trying to look for him and Michelle. I can't believe my brother is gone. It's hard to understand what happened and why but I appreciate you never giving up looking for them. I heard how bad the conditions were but just never really understood. How could a storm take someones life....
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wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
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Aug 11, 2012 - 12:46pm PT
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Knowing how to use the GPS would be important. But it would not be in the least helpful if a person does not have the mental strength to stay calm in a situation where making a few basic decisions, such as building a snow shelter, would truly be life saving. I know folks that spend their weekends practicing the gadgets, but would panic in a situation such as the one in this thread. Much respect to Jo Jo and her friend for having the strength to make calm, life saving decisions.
Condolences to all involved, and to the friends and families. Sounds like one horrendous storm.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 01:06pm PT
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joJo, thanks so much for all this detail. It's such valuable information.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 01:19pm PT
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Michelle,
I never gave up searching on my many climbs up to Muir since January. I am so sorry you have lost a brother. From all that I have read, he was a wonderful person. I have five brothers and could never imagine what it would be like to lose any one of them. I still don't understand how Jay and I survived that wretched storm. It indiscriminately took Mark's life, yet I was overlooked. I don't know why as I am sure Mark and Michelle were well-prepared and had good decision-making experience. I was absolutely heart-broken as each and every attempt for the rescuers to get up there on the Muir Snowfield the week after MLK were thwarted by the ongoing weather.
If it gives you any consolation, Michelle . . . although the mountain can be a terrible monster at times, it has a beautiful calm to it that somehow brings peace even in the worst conditions. I did not suffer too terribly while trapped for three days . . . it was the waiting that took its toll on us. Not knowing when the conditions would subside so we could get out of the snow cave and make an attempt to find our way down. All I wanted to do was keep moving to keep warm . . . I am sure Mark and Michelle felt the same way.
Have you visited Mt. Rainier? It is beautiful. Pebble Creek is the first major stop after leaving Paradise . . . it provides water for those who wish to filter as well as beautiful views. Your brother's resting place the last six months has been filled with beauty and awe. I hope you visit some time.
My warmest regards to you and your family. I hope they find Michelle close by.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 01:27pm PT
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Phylp. Thanks. I've been searching for an outlet for how I've been feeling the past six months. I can't talk to non-climbers about this stuff -- they just don't understand and I don't expect them to. I have felt that there has been a reason for my survival . . . perhaps this is it? Sharing the experience so others can learn. Inspiration is part of it . . . but education is what I have strived to share. It has been so difficult to put into words but climbers and mountaineers know how to ask the right questions. This has been a great forum for sharing, so my thanks to all of the readers who have supplied input.
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Bargainhunter
climber
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Aug 11, 2012 - 01:30pm PT
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This is a sobering thread and I appreciate very much the posts of those who were personally involved and affected.
Whiteouts up there are a serious matter. My beginner anecdotes are trivial in comparison to what has been described above, but I felt compelled to post.
My first trip up Rainier about 20 years ago, I hiked up the Kautz route and descended a variant near the DC / Furhrer Finger. My partner had less than 24 hours off, so we did it in about 15 hours RT or so with a long nap somewhere on the way up. Between us we decided to be safe and take a light single wall tent and a single sleeping bag. On the descent, hammered by fatigued and altitude, we got stuck in a whiteout…there was no obvious trough nor climber’s trail to follow down, and we had to pause a while to get our bearings. I was SO glad we had shelter and a sleeping bag. I would have panicked if we hadn’t had that bivy gear as it really gave me peace of mind; I can’t imagine what it would have been like for us to descend blindly through unknown territory.
I had run into similar whiteouts descending Mt. Baker from the Coleman headwall, skiing the Shuksan Arm, and alone on a day hike of Glacier Peak; they all gave me serious pause. Later, a forced bivy on a glacier on Mt Formidable without gear sobered me enough to realize how thin the margin of survival could get.
Later that season, I spent a cold July 4th alone above Camp Sherman in a windy storm. To clarify, I was cold in my sleeping bag (this was the same sleeping bag that I took on Denali in June 2000 by the way!), in a tent, during the day, in a summertime storm, at a low elevation on Rainier. I can’t imagine being in a snow cave on Rainer in winter for 3 days with no bivy gear (much less Denali or K2). Must have been terrifying. I doubt my skinny ass would have made it.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 01:31pm PT
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Reilly,
I can understand you hesitancy to want to take boots off in this kind of a situation. I usually would do the same thing but I was only on a three-hour snowshoe, ascending less than 1,000 feet above Paradise, and wasn't wearing my Spantik mountaineering boots with the liners and sub-zero temperature guarantee. I had a pair of Asolo day-boots that, even with the untightening of the laces, still got colder and colder. They were wet -- so provided not such great insulation. When I took them off and put on extra socks and put my feet in the stuff bag, my feet immediately got warmer. If I had been wearing Spantik mountaineering boots, I would certainly have left them on -- they keep my feet toasty-warm whether I am moving or not.
PS: Hope the needle didn't hurt too much????
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 11, 2012 - 01:48pm PT
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Bargainhunter . . . it WAS terrifying but, more than that, it was just UNBELIEVABLE . . . that I was within sight of home plate but couldn't get home. Having fallen off that icefall the second day and losing my snowshoe had me convinced that I would need to summon every bit of energy I had to get out of the situation on Monday. I still don't know how I did it . . . the climb out without water (it had frozen late afternoon on Saturday and we couldn't thaw it under our layers of clothing) and snow up to my hips, and on one snow shoe was a real push. I am only 110 lb and 5' nothing . . . without much sleep on the floors of ice caves for over 30 hours, I had to keep thinking positively. If it is any consolation -- moving was what kept me going. Leaving that wretched snow cave on Monday morning and moving was the best therapy. I was so glad to be doing that, even though I felt terrible. When we finally crested the Mazama Ridge later that morning, I was too scared to look back down in case I lost my balance and fell. Jay and I don't hike without a bivvy and stove now . . . even if it is on a small day hike. We've learned our lesson . . . but what I really learned was that if you truly have the desire to keep going and mother nature gives you that opportunity, if only for a little while, then go for it . . . and don't look back.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 12, 2012 - 10:54am PT
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Earlier, someone had asked why I didn't turn around sooner. I apologize, but I can't seem to find that post any longer. However, here is my response if the reader is still a part of this forum: My boyfriend and I were initially going to climb to Camp Muir but scaled back to a Pebble Creek climb; and then scaled back again to a Mazama Ridge snowshoe, given the impending weather and advice of the rangers. We followed a group of about 18 snowshoers up through the Edith
Creek Basin and up near the Golden Gate trail. We were thinking at the time that the conditions and weather weren't that great for novice snowshoers (which this group appeared to be) so followed them up to the ridge to see where they were going and to keep an eye on them. It was pretty windy when we got to the top and we expected them to turn around (they were about 20 feet ahead of us) but they continued out over toward the Paradise Glacier side of the ridge and so we followed them, trying to pass along the way to get to their leader. We wanted to warn them that everyone should turn around because of the deteriorating conditions. It was then we realized that their command of the English language was limited and we had difficulty convincing them to turn. I told Jay I wanted to get the heck out of Dodge but when the snowshoers turned and started going up the ridge toward Pan Point instead of turning back, we once again tried to convince them to turn and go back with us. It was during this time that their leader (Mr Kim) stepped off a cornice and tumbled down into nothingness. They had contact with him via hand radio but no one could see him. There was chaos at this point with women snowshoers frantically trying to get stuff out of packs to get warm and people not knowing what to do. Jay and I made the decision that we needed to get off the ridge immediately as our tracks were quickly disappearing. We turned but even though the spot where we had ascended the ridge was probably only about 10 minutes away, we couldn't find it. I struggled to get into three extra layers of clothing, balaclava, ski goggles, heavier gloves, before we wandered up and down that ridge for two hours trying to find our way down. It was 2pm by this point and that's when Jay decided we'd have to build a snow cave ad hunker down for the night. We didn't see the snowshoers at all and, to this day, have no idea how they got off the mountain and alert the park rangers that Mr. Kim was missing. Perhaps there was safety in numbers; perhaps their hand radios helped. Who knows? Even the park rangers don't know. Apparently, they told the rescuers that they had seen us up there but the rescuers had no idea we hadn't returned to the car park at Paradise and left the mountain.
If I could have done this all over, I would have turned around the minute we hit that ridge on Saturday morning and let the snowshoers do their own thing but, being who I am, I wanted to help, and this nearly cost me my life. If Jay and I had turned at that point, we most certainly would have been done the mountain and in the safety of the visitors center within 45 minutes.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Aug 12, 2012 - 11:13am PT
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I've had some rather sobering experiences on Rainier in July. It can be an unforgiving mountain even in the summer.
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 23, 2012 - 01:42pm PT
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Still hoping that more will be found at this time of year. Please keep your eyes open if you are traveling on Rainier.
Yes, merely carrying a GPS does not mean that you will be able to navigate. Practice does. I practice even if I know an area to keep or build more skill. Still looking for the GPS manuafacturers to improve their products' display in bright sun/ driving precipitation, etc. My old eyes can struggle in bad light with that tiny print....
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janeclimber
Ice climber
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Aug 23, 2012 - 02:04pm PT
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JoJo,
Thank you so much for sharing the details of how you survived the whiteout/blizzard/high wind/snow storm. Indeed, people who have never been through a whiteout has no idea how crazy it could be. I experienced a baby version in April 2005 on Rainier, which taught me to be respectful to Nature and be prepared all the time.
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Michael Fleder
Mountain climber
Torrance, CA
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Aug 23, 2012 - 11:41pm PT
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Jojo,
Thanks for writing some much detail about your story, it is great that you are sharing this with all of us.
I can relate to your feelings, since I have been in 2 boat sinkings. I am always amazed at how people question choices or actions when they never lived thru a similar experience.
On both of my sinkings everyone was saved, but the memories of the ordeals are always present and it is hard for me to talk about them. Your strength to talk and write about your ordeal is very inspiring to me.
30 years ago I was 19 years old when I visited Mt. Rainier. As I stood in the parking lot. I told myself I was going to climb Mt. Rainier. It seems like 30 years went by in a blink of the eye. Now I am training to climb Mt. Rainier as my 50th birthday present. I am planning to go with RMI and my sons will also come with me. Now your story is part of my preparation.
P.S. your story brought tears to my heart.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Aug 28, 2012 - 02:05am PT
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Jane and Michael . . . thank you for your kind words. You are right, Jane . . . anyone who climbs and has never been in a whiteout, has absolutely no idea how the experience can totally turn you upside down. I've been in plenty of whiteouts on Rainier, having climbed up to Camp Muir dozens of times over the years. If it weren't for the fact that they were merely whiteouts and NOT blizzards, I probably would have found myself in the same predicament as I did this past January. Whiteouts at least allow you to sit down right where you are and wait for things to clear up, or offer less chance of maps blowing out of your gloved hands, or your contact lenses blown off your eyeball so you can't read; or freeze your fingers off trying to manipulate the buttons on a GPS. That's how bad this blizzard was. Despite maps and GPS and goggles (which just froze over with ice), we had no idea where we were and too scared to take the next step in case it was our last.
Michael, I am glad the detail has been helpful to you. That is why I shared it. I have a feeling you know what it's all about, having come close to dying yourself a couple of times???
I got off a plane at SeaTac airport 20 years ago, having just flown several hours from my homeland of New Zealand with my two daughters, to make the Pacific Northwest my home. When I took my first look at Mt. Rainier, I was awe-struck. From that day until now, there is never a day that passes that I don't look for her. She is a beautiful monument for this gorgeous state and I am so glad she has allowed me to live another day to go back. I summited in 2010 with RMI; but was not successful this past July 4th -- we attempted a little too early in the season and avalanches were threatening on the upper mountain. I was 52 when I summited Rainier in 2010, so you have two years on me. Have a wonderful climb!!!
I am returning to the Mountain for the long weekend and plan to camp up above Pebble Creek with Jay for a couple of nights. I will be thinking of Mark and Michelle while I am there. Although memories of that terrible weekend are still vivid, the Mountain still feels like an old friend. I feel lucky :)
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Port
Trad climber
San Diego
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Sep 11, 2012 - 01:14am PT
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Looks as though two more have come home to rest.
The remains of a man and woman have been recovered from a glacier on Mount Rainier on Friday, according to the Associated Press. Rangers believe they may be two of four people who went missing earlier this year.
The two parties vanished during a merciless blizzard on Paradise Glacier in January. According to Mynorthwest.com, the storm originally hindered rescue efforts with 15 feet of snow (some drifts topped 50 feet) and winds of more than 60 mph.
It was originally reported that Mark Vucich, 37, and Michelle Trojanowski, 30, were intending to camp on the Muir Snowfield.
A second party consisted of two climbers, Sork “Erik” Yang, 52, of Springfield, Oregon, and Seol Hee Jin, 52, of South Korea.
The body of Mark Vucich, 37, was exposed in August due to the summer snowmelt. Trojanowski, Yang and Jin remain unidentified or missing.
Rangers returned this past Saturday in search of what they believe to be the last missing person and to investigate a campsite discovered buried under the snow. The campsite was located about a quarter mile east of the standard climbing route on the Muir snowfield and on the other side of the ridge, according to The Seattle Times.
The recovered bodies were transported to the Pierce County Medical Examiner to be identified, and for causes of death to be determined.
http://www.rockandice.com/news/2219-two-bodies-found-on-mount-rainier
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crankenstein
Trad climber
Louisville, CO
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Sep 13, 2012 - 01:11am PT
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Thread of the year nomination. The details of such an experience and eveyone else's input in such a constructive and respectful way... Amazing thread. Thanks to all for sharing.
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Anastasia
climber
InLOVEwithAris.
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Sep 13, 2012 - 01:28am PT
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Bump. Wow, what a powerful and eye opening thread. My sincere "Thank You."
-Anastasia-
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Sep 14, 2012 - 03:19pm PT
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I snow camped on the Muir Snowfield with Jay over the Labor Weekend. We pitched our tent around 8,600 feet; watched the sun go down and then got up early to enjoy coffee and the sunrise, which cast a beautiful light over the summit and Nisqually Glacier. Gibraltar stuck out against the cobalt blue morning sky like a big chunk of chocolate cake! I climbed up onto the ridge behind our campsite (Little Africa) and wandered among the smooth slabs of rock and protected undergrowth. It was a beautiful morning. I sat and looked out across Paradise Glacier as the light began to spread her warm fingers up onto the icy slope. A contrail streamed in a huge arc across the sky -- it looked like it was reaching upward from off the top of Anvil Rock. It arched clear across to Mt. Adams. I looked down into the far valleys of the Stevens Canyon, barely able to see Stevens Creek . . . the melting waters of the nose of the Paradise Glacier.
This was the very spot I had always maintained the lost climbers would be found. I had stopped during every climb to Muir since January and looked across at this very ridge, remembering that relenting blizzard in January and knew in my heart that this was where they would be. I sat and shed a tear for Michelle Trojanowski. I so much wanted closure for her family and friends. I so wanted Rainier to give her back . . . she had been too long a sleeping beauty on this great expanse of rock and snow.
Four days later a helicopter spotted Michelle's body in a crevasse no less than 300 feet from where I sat . . .
My healing has begun . . .
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Sep 14, 2012 - 04:00pm PT
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We have a good 6 weeks to keep looking.
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Sep 14, 2012 - 04:43pm PT
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Seamstress . . . I am going to the Mountain Festival in Ashford this weekend with Jay; camping overnight tomorrow night. We were thinking of climbing up to the Paradise Glacier and photographing one last time before the summer weather bails on us. I'm glad there is still six weeks of "good weather" left to try and find the last climber; although my personal feeling is that she [Seol Hee Jin] is in the crevasse Michelle was found in. From what I gather, there was a false floor about 40-50 feet down the crevasse with fresh blocks of ice wedged in the narrow part of the gap. There is a big possibility that she slid into the crevasse before the ice dislodged and formed that false floor. I know that an intensive search of the area was done last week and they couldn't find her. I find it hard to believe that she would have been anywhere but close to the others . . . in that kind of weather, that's where I would have felt safe. Will you be at the Festival? If you are, please come and tell me who you are -- I would love to give you a big hug :)
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Jo Jo
Mountain climber
Lacey, WA
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Sep 17, 2012 - 04:52am PT
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I photographed a huge crevasse on Paradise Glacier, Mt. Rainier, this morning. It was at 8,169 feet, so I am assuming it is the same one where Michelle Trojanowski and Eric Yang were found 9 days ago. It was a beautiful day but, despite the sunshine, blue skies, and awesome vistas, my mood was reflective and somber. I stepped down onto the glacier off the edge of the ridge and looked right down into the crevasse. I could hear the dripping water and my close-up photos of the walls of the crevasse revealed beautiful blue ice shards, layered on top of each other like feathers on a bird's wing. We stayed up there for sometime photographing and videoing the area for the family of Michelle Trojanowski. I have yet to make contact with them as they have been in Atlanta this weekend, so will not be sharing any of the images until they have had the opportunity to see them first. My journey is now nearly over. I am relieved that this day arrived but glad for the new months ahead. It is truly time for healing . . .
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Sep 17, 2012 - 06:32am PT
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hey there say, jo jo...
what a sweet thing to do for the family...
sad feelings, i can sure understand...
you know--when the doors are open for us to help folks that have lost
loved ones, god gives us the grace to find ways to do these deeds...
thank you for sharing with us...
i can picture the beauty of the area, and can yet, still feel
the sadness... prayers, still, for the family...
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