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re: Eerie case of two renowned climbers missing on the Juneau Icefield. (pronounced dead)
Posted on 3/10/18 at 12:02 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Posted on 3/10/18 at 12:02 pm to RogerTheShrubber
This wasn’t a difficult trek or climb for guys of that caliber. My guess is they thought it was no big deal and left their beacons sat phone and some other gear at home thinking it’d just be an out and back in what’s practically their back yard. Then a nasty storm blew through and a chain of related mistakes in the adverse weather did them in.
I’ve read a lot of similar stories. I kind of have a weird obsession with them. The #1 take-home from what I have seen is that the biggest killer in outdoor adventures is overconfidence and correlated under-preparedness.
Sort of like skiing... the people who die skiing are almost all advanced intermediate skiiers and almost all skiing fatalities are from hitting trees. Beginners are too scared to take risks. But with people who know what they’re doing - whether it’s Kennedy skiing backwards downslope to catch a football pass, or Sonny Bono skiing off piste - it’s risk-taking borne of overconfidence that kills them.
I’ve read a lot of similar stories. I kind of have a weird obsession with them. The #1 take-home from what I have seen is that the biggest killer in outdoor adventures is overconfidence and correlated under-preparedness.
Sort of like skiing... the people who die skiing are almost all advanced intermediate skiiers and almost all skiing fatalities are from hitting trees. Beginners are too scared to take risks. But with people who know what they’re doing - whether it’s Kennedy skiing backwards downslope to catch a football pass, or Sonny Bono skiing off piste - it’s risk-taking borne of overconfidence that kills them.
1
Posted on 3/10/18 at 12:42 pm to RogerTheShrubber
You shouldn't endanger rescue workers in a case like this.
Posted on 3/10/18 at 1:12 pm to Cooter Davenport
quote:
This wasn’t a difficult trek or climb for guys of that caliber. My guess is they thought it was no big deal and left their beacons sat phone and some other gear at home thinking it’d just be an out and back in what’s practically their back yard. Then a nasty storm blew through and a chain of related mistakes in the adverse weather did them in.
Winter climbs on the icefield are pretty damn risky.
The Towers are right on the edge of cell service, so they probably thought if something happened they could call out. They even posted a pic on Instagram on Monday.
It's snowing here at sea level and no visibility on the icefield. I doubt there's a rescue or recovery attempt today.
Posted on 3/10/18 at 1:15 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
The Towers are right on the edge of cell service, so they probably thought if something happened they could call out. They even posted a pic on Instagram on Monday.
This makes me think something happened quick. I don't know the area at all, but something like an Avalanche, crevasse, rock fall, fall through the ice into water, etc.
I mean even with a storm, those guys I would think could hunker up and survive for 24-48 hours. Then once it passed or even during the storm potentially make it to having cell service.
Then again, phone batteries die. So you never know.
Posted on 3/10/18 at 1:23 pm to baldona
quote:
This makes me think something happened quick.
Kind of what I'm thinking. If they made it down there's no reason their gear would still be there. Getting out this time of year would be virtually impossible without skiing.
Posted on 3/10/18 at 1:30 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
Winter climbs on the icefield are pretty damn risky.
For sure, I’ll never do anything of that caliber, but for hardcore mountaineers it’s not that crazy.
And one of them lived in Juneau.
To me, it’s the classic case of something that’s generally pretty damn risky, but to the person doing it not that big of a deal, and so a kind of nonchalance creeps in, like not bringing a beacon, and probably some other gear.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 12:52 am to RogerTheShrubber
I apologize for bumping this, I was just wondering if there was any news.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 6:02 am to Cobrasize
quote:
I was just wondering if there was any news.
mobile LINK
quote:
According to a social media post from the father of one of the two climbers gone missing on the Mendenhall Towers, the two men were declared dead Tuesday.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 6:53 am to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
There are a lot of icefalls and crevasses but their stuff was at the base, obviously they didn't make it down
If they were going to ski out, they would likely have gone directly from the summit to their ski gear - even if they were going to rest. Occam's Razor says search in a more or less straight line between the summit and their gear.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 7:12 am to Ace Midnight
Will it thaw enough in the summer to give them a better chance to find the bodies?
Posted on 3/14/18 at 10:38 am to Cobrasize
quote:
apologize for bumping this, I was just wondering if there was any news.
They've been declared dead as of this morning but haven't been found. I guess it will remain a mystery
The Mountains Win Again
Posted on 3/14/18 at 10:41 am to Ace Midnight
quote:
If they were going to ski out, they would likely have gone directly from the summit to their ski gear - even if they were going to rest. Occam's Razor says search in a more or less straight line between the summit and their gear.
Yeah there really isn't much to search.
Ryan Johnson pioneered several routes on the mountain.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 10:42 am to jorconalx
quote:
Will it thaw enough in the summer to give them a better chance to find the bodies?
Possibly. They could be buried under rock though.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 10:56 am to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
Ryan Johnson pioneered several routes on the mountain.
From what I'm seeing, if he wasn't one of the missing, he would be leading the search, right?
Nobody living or dead knows as much about that mountain than he does, right?
Posted on 3/14/18 at 11:17 am to Ace Midnight
quote:
From what I'm seeing, if he wasn't one of the missing, he would be leading the search, right?
Nobody living or dead knows as much about that mountain than he does, right?
That specific area, it's safe to say. The icefield is 1500 sq miles, but he knew the area around the Towers very well, better than anyone.
If it were to their people I could see someone getting lost up there in a storm, but not him.
He's got a young child and was coowner of a fitness business in town.
This post was edited on 3/14/18 at 11:19 am
Posted on 3/14/18 at 6:08 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Just another note. Ropes were found in a crevasse. Im guessing the assumption is the be at the bottom.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 6:29 pm to RogerTheShrubber
Damn. You never know when good is not good enough.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 6:29 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
Just another note. Ropes were found in a crevasse. Im guessing the assumption is the be at the bottom.
Thanks for the update. Prayers to the families.
Posted on 3/14/18 at 7:33 pm to Cobrasize
Hoping it was a fall and it ended quickly. I can't imagine the horror of being wedged in a crevasse for days.
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