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Eerie case of two renowned climbers missing on the Juneau Icefield. (pronounced dead)
Posted on 3/9/18 at 3:57 pm
Posted on 3/9/18 at 3:57 pm
Two climbers set out Sunday to climb the Mendenhall Towers on the Icefield near Juneau. Towers are the jagged peaks center right
They posted this picture during the climb from the mountains looking West
Since then they have just disappeared. Their skis and other gear were found at the base but no trace of the men. There have been several search attempts but no sign of the two. No satellite phone on them, might have cell service near it as they posted a picture.
LINK
It's been 4 days since their summit.
They posted this picture during the climb from the mountains looking West
Since then they have just disappeared. Their skis and other gear were found at the base but no trace of the men. There have been several search attempts but no sign of the two. No satellite phone on them, might have cell service near it as they posted a picture.
LINK
quote:
George "Ryan" Johnson, a 34-year-old Juneau man, and Marc-Andre Leclerc of British Columbia were dropped off near the Mendenhall Towers on Juneau's Mendenhall Ice Field on Sunday, Alaska State Troopers said in a written statement.
The two men last communicated with family and friends Monday after climbing to the top of the towers. They had planned to return to Juneau via the West Mendenhall Glacier Trail by Wednesday evening.
quote:
Troopers say they found gear that the men were supposed to use to ski out. "We know they climbed to the top … it appears they didn't make it back down to the gear they didn't need for climbing," troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters wrote in an email.
Leclerc — a renowned climber profiled in Climbing Magazine in September — posted a photo of their climb to Instagram on Monday.
quote:
On Wednesday, a "significant snow storm" swept through the Juneau area, troopers said.
It's been 4 days since their summit.
This post was edited on 3/15/18 at 1:53 pm
9
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:02 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Some bear got a main course and dessert.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:02 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Sounds squatchy.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:10 pm to CFDoc
No bears. It a mile thick icecap
Nothing but rock, ice and snow
Nothing but rock, ice and snow
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:11 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Wonder if they dug a snow cave? 4 days though?
I hate hearing about the experts going missing. Wish these guys had a SPOT or an avalanche beacon.
Hope they are alive.
I hate hearing about the experts going missing. Wish these guys had a SPOT or an avalanche beacon.
Hope they are alive.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:12 pm to CFDoc
quote:
bear
Nah
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:32 pm to LSUintheNW
quote:
Wonder if they dug a snow cave? 4 days though?
I don't think it's going to end well.
The trail they were to come out on is a Near a widely used rec area. The towers really aren't too far back. They could cover that in less than a day.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 4:38 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Yeah, they wouldn't hang around if they could leave. Weird.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 5:01 pm to RogerTheShrubber
So what is your guess for the disappearance?
Posted on 3/9/18 at 5:28 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Hope they find them. Why wouldn't these guys carry a SPOT or something similar?
Posted on 3/9/18 at 5:53 pm to sloopy
I feel like some of these guys know they're good and it's just another climb and don't take proper precautions.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 5:57 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Mtn giants
This post was edited on 3/9/18 at 6:01 pm
Posted on 3/9/18 at 6:27 pm to RogerTheShrubber
I wonder if they went looking around and fell down a crevasse.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 6:28 pm to Cobrasize
quote:
wonder if they went looking around and fell down a crevasse.
Doubtful but a possibility. These guys are good.
Roger...are there any crevasse field around there?
Another thing is most crevasses are full of snow right now and just get walked over. As it warms up they open up.
This post was edited on 3/9/18 at 6:30 pm
Posted on 3/9/18 at 7:10 pm to LSUintheNW
quote:
Roger...are there any crevasse field around there?
Yes. However I can't imagine these guys not taking safeguards. They didn't bring a beacon though so who knows.
Posted on 3/9/18 at 7:18 pm to Jack Daniel
quote:
So what is your guess for the disappearance?
Yesterday there was hope they hunkered down somewhere but by now they would be ok. I'm not sure. Could have been a slide and they got buried?
There are a lot of icefalls and crevasses but their stuff was at the base, obviously they didn't make it down
Posted on 3/9/18 at 7:21 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
However I can't imagine these guys not taking safeguards
Guaranteed they had ropes etc. I'm sure they were roped up if going over any fields.
quote:
They didn't bring a beacon though so who knows.
these guys have the means and access. That is frustrating. Posted on 3/9/18 at 7:24 pm to LSUintheNW
quote:
these guys have the means and access. That is frustrating.
Yeah, gotta say that wasn't the brightest
Got a coworker on the mountain rescue team, he wasn't at work. I'm trying to find out what he knows.
Posted on 3/10/18 at 8:03 am to RogerTheShrubber
Roger. Not to high jack this thread but I have seen your cool pics of ice caves. Thinking of taking family to Chena Hot Springs early March 2019 to see northern lights. Also thinking of staying a couple days in Juneau. How hard is it to get to the ice caves that time of year. Can that be a self guided thing or need to hire a guide? Thanks
Posted on 3/10/18 at 10:08 am to Hankg
quote:
Roger. Not to high jack this thread but I have seen your cool pics of ice caves. Thinking of taking family to Chena Hot Springs early March 2019 to see northern lights. Also thinking of staying a couple days in Juneau. How hard is it to get to the ice caves that time of year. Can that be a self guided thing or need to hire a guide? Thanks
March is kind of iffy for the easy route, which is walking across the frozen lake. Some years the ice is breaking up by mid month, or it could be solid and safe. You can still reach via West Glacier Trail (where these guys were supposed to exit the icefield) or helicopter.
I'd recommend joining the Juneau Hidden History group or Juneau Photo Group on Facebook a month or so before you go and get conditions of the caves and the lake. Also might contact Alaska Above and Beyond or Liquid Alaska as they do guided trips to the caves, but not sure if they have winter permits, and if they do what route it specifies. Or just let me know a week or so before you leave and I'll update you on conditions. I'm out there once a week or so in winter.
Matanuskaglacieradventures.com offers winter tours of the Matanuska Glacier, which has ice caves, north of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. I'm not sure if they do the caves or not, might check with them and see if they do. There's caves on the Matanuska, Portage, Spencer glaciers as well.
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