health + wellness - Explore Big Sky
health + wellness - Explore Big Sky
health + wellness - Explore Big Sky
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loCal news<br />
lone Mountain<br />
search continues,<br />
bradley gardner<br />
still missing<br />
photo by eMily stiFler<br />
Sgt. Matt Daugherty pulls up a topo<br />
map of Lone Mountain on his computer,<br />
and it’s covered in a thick maze<br />
of red lines from Lone Lake Cirque to<br />
Chippewa Ridge.<br />
“This is the area the search teams<br />
covered this weekend,” Daugherty<br />
said, pointing at the red lines. “We’ve<br />
covered a lot of ground, but on other<br />
parts of the mountain, conditions still<br />
need to get better before we can do any<br />
further search.” Some areas still have a<br />
lot of deep snow.<br />
The search for Brad Gardner continued<br />
July 5, 9 and 10, using a total of 10 dog<br />
teams from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho<br />
and Utah, over 40 volunteers of the<br />
Gallatin and Madison County Sheriff<br />
Offices Search and Rescue, and a fixed<br />
wing plane.<br />
24-year-old Gardner was last seen<br />
Wednesday, March 9 when he told<br />
friends he planned to ski alone in<br />
the Chippewa Ridge area of Lone<br />
Mountain. An intense search<br />
involving air and ground resources<br />
from Gallatin and Madison County’s<br />
Search and Rescue teams combed<br />
the area in and around the ski area,<br />
but failed to turn up any evidence of<br />
Gardner’s whereabouts.<br />
The search was suspended on March<br />
28 due to weather conditions. Snow<br />
had continued to accumulate, and<br />
many areas could not be searched and<br />
still allow for the safety of the search<br />
teams. Since that time, limited air and<br />
ground searches were conducted, but<br />
late spring storms and a deep snowpack<br />
made it difficult work. The backcountry<br />
terrain surrounding Lone Mountain<br />
is a network of thick forests and<br />
complex drainages.<br />
“The search this weekend was designed<br />
to add the expertise of the dog<br />
teams to enhance search capabilities.<br />
Unfortunately, the search teams were<br />
not able to uncover additional information<br />
on Mr. Gardner,” stated Incident<br />
Commander Deputy Ian Parker.<br />
The search has covered and cleared<br />
large areas near Lone Mountain, but<br />
more remains to be checked. The<br />
search will continue, but no specific<br />
search date is scheduled.<br />
“We intend to continue the search<br />
until Brad is found. We will not give<br />
up, in order to bring closure to the<br />
family,” stated Gallatin County Sheriff<br />
Jim Cashell.<br />
Sgt. Daugherty remembers a search<br />
in <strong>Big</strong> <strong>Sky</strong> in 1995 where a woman<br />
went missing during a winter snowstorm<br />
and wasn’t found until several<br />
months later.<br />
The sheriff’s office tries to “keep tabs<br />
on any missing person, or get info<br />
from the public [and] work any leads…<br />
Everything we have thus far is showing<br />
us that he’s up in that area of Lone<br />
Mountain,” Daugherty said.<br />
The search has been a pretty significant<br />
effort, Daugherty said. “A lot of man<br />
hours and resources, and a lot of volunteer<br />
time, as well.”<br />
It’s also been a significant cost, Daugherty<br />
said, though the exact amount<br />
isn’t known. A mill levy through each<br />
county pays into search and rescue<br />
funds, but without the “hundreds of<br />
hours of volunteer time, the search<br />
wouldn’t be possible.<br />
“We have a fantastic search and rescue<br />
team.” Daugherty said. “We’re very<br />
fortunate to have such a large, experienced<br />
group of individuals in many<br />
different disciplines.”<br />
Brad’s father, Ed, has been in <strong>Big</strong> <strong>Sky</strong><br />
since his son disappeared. He has<br />
recently spent time searching in Lone<br />
Lake Cirque and near the top of the<br />
Dakota Lift.<br />
“There was still a lot of deep snow at<br />
the top of the Dakota Lift,” he said.<br />
“It was clear why [the search teams]<br />
couldn’t have done anything until<br />
now.”<br />
“We may need to get support from private<br />
parties so we can go up into certain<br />
areas regularly,” Ed said.<br />
e.s.<br />
rest in peace, bean<br />
Edwin “Bean” Bowers was famous for surviving<br />
an 100-foot climbing fall in Patagonia,<br />
for having a quick temper and a huge<br />
heart. He was built like a tree trunk, and<br />
was the guy you wanted on the other end<br />
of the rope. He was an inspirational climber<br />
and skier who touched the hearts of many<br />
people.<br />
A Colorado native, Bowers lived in Bozeman<br />
for many years, and left his mark on<br />
the outdoor community in Montana. He<br />
was also a climbing guide in the Tetons, and<br />
spent winters in El Chalten, Argentina. A<br />
few years ago, he and his wife Helen moved<br />
to Southwest Colorado and built a home.<br />
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“Bean always seemed to have more than<br />
nine lives, has climbed scores of big routes around the world, and guided others<br />
on the adventures of their lifetimes,” according to beanfever.com, a fundraising<br />
website set up by Bowers’ friends. “But, damn it, nobody is invincible. Around<br />
Christmas he severely broke his femur backcountry skiing. In early January he<br />
woke in the middle of the night vomiting, and with crippling headaches. Hours<br />
later he was in brain surgery. Tumors racked his body. Out of nowhere, no symptoms,<br />
Bean had stage 4 cancer.”<br />
In a bio he wrote about himself, Bean wrote that climbing and alpinism “brought<br />
me up against my mortality and expanded my humility. Alpine rock and steep,<br />
deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there.<br />
Bean passed away July 11, 2011. He was 38. Friends have described him as<br />
“vibrant, burly, funny, strong, sharp, genuine. A true hardman, a tough bastard<br />
with a kind heart, loyal, never fake, a tell-it-like-it-is person. The real deal.”<br />
e.s.<br />
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July 15, 2011 9