Bergtrage - Seattle Mountain Rescue

SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012
Number 221
Bergtrage
1948
2011
2011 January 2012
MISSIONS IN DECEMBER 2011
SEATTTLE
MOUNTAIN
RESCUE
ENDED 2011 WITH A TOTAL OF 63 MISSIONS WITH A TOTAL OF OVER 1,883 MAN-HOURS
AND 12,235 DRIVING
MILES, WHICH INCLUDED 6 MISSIONS IN DECEMBER
WITH 109 MAN-HOURS
AND 749 DRIVING MILES. . THIST
TOTAL IS DOWN FROM THE PREVIOUS
TWO YEARS.
DECEMBER
3, 2011: CONTINUEDC
SEARCH
FOR BOY
MISSING
IN KIRKLAND
This search was a continuation of the previous three searches for a missing two year old boy. The search area
was a 1 mile radius from the south entrance to Kingsgate Park in Kirkland. Teams searched wooded park areas
and public access streets and roads within the 1-mile radius. Nothing of significance was found. Four SMR
members participated for 33.5 man-hours and 85 driving-miles. Other units included Explorer Search & Rescue
(ESAR), 4x4 SAR, the Incident Support Team (IST) and the Ski Patrol Rescue Team (SPART) for a total of 50-
60 volunteers.
DECEMBER
10, 2011: SEARCHS
FOR WOMAN
MISSING
IN COAL
CREEK
PARK, , BELLEVUEB
The search was for a 48-year old woman that had been missing since Nov 8, 2011. She was last seen in the
Factoria area. The focus of the search was in the wooded area and trails in Coal Creek Park. Teams were
assigned to various areas in the park and searched within 50 feet of the trails. Nothing of significance was
found. There were 3 members of SMR involved with 27 man-hours and 104 driving-miles. Other volunteers
included ESAR, 4x4, IST, NW Horseback Unit, Pierce County SAR, and Snohomish County SAR.
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SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012
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DECEMBER
17, 2011: HIKERH
WITH MEDICAL
CONDITION
ON RATTLESNAKE
LEDGE
TRAIL
A hiker reported having chest pain approximately 1 mile up the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail. Pages were sent out
for SAR to assist Fire with the package and pack-out of the subject. McCall responded to the Rattlesnake
trailhead. Upon arrival, the subject was about 100 yards from being out and no additional resources were
needed. The subject was transported to the hospital via Medic 3. Two SMR members were involved for 4 manhours.
DECEMBER
21, 2011: STRANDEDS
HIKER
AT GRANITE
MOUNTAIN
LOOKOUT
Granite Mtn 5,633 ft (1,717 m)
SMR was called out at 16:19 for a hiker with an injured knee on Granite
Mountain. Initially, the helicopter was going to be dispatched to do a hoist,
but then it was determined that the hiker was, in fact, not injured, only
stranded due to icy conditions. A ground operation ensued with Anschell
and Loewen as Team 1 and Wetzel, Richter, and Carter as Team 2. Team 1
hiked to the subject, who was located in very windy conditions approx. 300’
below the summit. Team 1 gave the subject warm clothes and crampons
and walked him down to Team 2. Teams 1 and 2 then hiked out with the
subject. Eight SMR members participated for a total of 44.5 man-hours and
550 driving-miles. Other units included ESAR, 4x4 and the IST.
DECEMBER
26, 2011: INJUREDI
HIKER
ON THE KAMIKAZE
FALLS
TRAIL
SAR was paged out at 3:15 pm for an injured hiker on Mt Teneriffe
near North Bend. Two 20 year old hikers climbed Mount Tenerife
via the Mt Tenerife service road. When they arrived at the summit
another hiker told them about the “hikers trail” that drops down
the ridge, past Kamikaze Falls, and represents a much shorter
route than back down the service road. The two descended the
trail, however, when the trail makes a sharp right turn dropping off
of the ridge the two missed the turn. They proceeded over a rock
outlook and started making their way down through steep and
rocky terrain. At one point they were in a small gully and one of
them stepped on an engine block sized rock and it started to roll.
He fell and the rock rolled over his thigh, breaking his femur. He
came to rest with his back on the dirt, his legs wrapped downhill
around the top of the rock. It turns out that they were within 100
ft of the new trail and when his partner started yelling for help a party on the trail answered him. They were
about 500 vertical feet below Kamikaze falls. The party on the trail used their phone to call for help.
Fire responded and dispatched two people up the trail. Doug Caley was the first SMR into the field and while
driving up the road past the gate, stopped and picked up the subject’s father who was hiking in to meet with
his son. Doug and the father drove to where the creek crosses the road and proceeded up the old trail that
ascends directly up the creek, avoiding the switchbacks of the new
trail. They passed the Fire department team and were the first
rescuers to reach the patient. The patient was cold and in a lot of
KAMIKAZE FALLS
pain.
When the Fire team arrived at the patient, Doug proceeded down with
the RP to investigate a cross over trail that cuts over to the Tenerife
road, making for a significantly shorter evacuation route. He met up
with Russell, two medics, and a bunch of ESAR folks on the road and
led the group back in to the patient. Bree led the EVAC with an army
of ESAR folks down the rough trail and over the crossover to the road.
About halfway down the patient had warmed up, and apparently the
traction and pain meds were working because he had relaxed and was
talking as he moved down the very rough trail. Warming him had a
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SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012
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big influence on his comfort as well, as when he was shivering violently his leg was cramping causing huge
pain.
Mom and Dad were very, very, grateful when their son arrived at the trailhead, and overwhelmed with the
support to get their son out and wanted to make sure that everyone who helped was thanked. Everyone was
out by 9:00 pm.
Seven SMR members participated for 42 man-hours and 230 driving-miles. ESAR, 4x4 and Eastside Fire and
Rescue were also involved.
HEARD AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
Vera and Jon Wellner arrived in Garmisch just before
Christmas in time to take in their Weihnachtsmarkt. Vera thinks
that makes nine for her them so far: Heidelberg, Deidesheim,
Neustadt, Kaiserslautern, Speyer, Mannheim, Garmisch,
Strasbourg FR, and Prague CZ. Vera says she doesn’t care if
she never goes to another German/French/Czech Christmas
market! Too much!! Jon and Vera were skiing at St. Anton,
Austria Monday after Christmas and zoomed around the
Garmisch Classic. Snow has been good, weather sunny, food yummy
and the Bier is superb! (Vera)
Gary
Kecia still reports visits from the “Apple Fairy” who we found out is
not really a “fairy” at all. Wonder if her horses are starting to think the
elk look pretty good after binging on all those apples! Kecia says she
needs to get a job. Dyed her hair really red, just cuz. It looks awesome.
But she would not have had the time or motivation if she was employed.
I LOVE IT. Feels like a different person. Gonna sass your ass off. Guess
that explains a red haired lady riding a big horse around the Uplands!
Our future Chairman Gary Yngve may be just what SMR needs – someone who is not afraid to
break rules! Congratulations to our newest board members - elected to three-year terms starting January
2012 and running through the end of 2014: Russell Anschell, Doug McCall, and Todd Stone
1948 - 2012 SIXTY-FO
FOUR YEARS OF SAVING LIVES
SEARCH
FOR MISSING
SKIER
AT ALPENTAL: It was 39 years ago in 1973 when Phillip Hawes, 32, was last seen skiing
by his girl at 2:00 pm on January 7th when he said he would take a run or two and meet her at the car.
Hawes was an expert skier and was know to ski off the beaten track and to frequent closed areas. When an
initial check of the bars, restaurants and lodges turned up nothing the Alpental Pro Patrol was called out and
tried to establish a perimeter by night skiing the area with lights. King County called MRC and asked for 25
experienced skiers at first light. Over the next three days the area was extensively combed by 120 searchers
from eight ski patrols and five Mountain Rescue units but to no avail. Tracks leading to The Tooth were checked
out and found to be from a party that signed the summit book on the 6th. The search was called off when
all leads were exhausted and a heavy snowfall came in. King County re-activated the search in June with over
100 searchers but no further leads were found after two days. Then on August 9th, Hawes’s body was found
by an Alpental employee in the middle of the search area. His skis were still attached to his boots and both
legs were broken. He had apparently been covered by snowfall or a small sluff on the initial night of the
search. Four MRC members completed the short carryout.
Both of these stories are from earlier issues of the Bergtrage and since January is typically a “quiet” month for
Mountain Rescue, maybe reading about these old missions will be of interest to our readers. The Bergtrage
has been published since 1955 and this marks the 221st issue. The next story is a little more recent and as
you see, Bill Davis has vivid memories of the incident which follows.
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SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012
Avalanche Recovery 1880. In the Alpine
countries during the 18 th century before
there were helicopters, toboggans,
transcievers and modern medical treatment
avalanche rescues were the most difficult
and dangerous rescue operations as shown
MT SI SEARCH
IN JANUARY
1981: It was 31 years ago on the evening of
January 26 th when King County requested help in the search for a
missing hiker on Mt. Si. The next morning, Seattle MRC had four
teams in the field searching the west side gullies, the summit area
and around Little Si with Errington and Don Goodman flying as spotters
with Army helicopters. The next day Errington made another
flyover with the Boeing helicopter but no signs were found and in the
days following Errington and Davis made two more ground searches
with no results. On February 21 st , the body of Brett Hall was found in
a creek feeding the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
Brett was a kid who was stubbornly gonna’ go up the front of Si but
his friends didn’t want to go any further, so they let him continue on
while they came back down. Brett went from the gully on the left
above Moon Valley, and apparently went up a small face. Then next
year some kids hiking in Black Canyon found a shoe with a foot still
in it partially buried in gravel. Davis went with a team of 3 or 4 and
ascended Black Canyon to get the remains. His Dad put a plaque up
at base of the Hay Stack which is still there today.
Some thoughts were that he died up on the face and was snowtransported
to fall into Black Canyon. And the “creek feeding middle
Fork” was the water channel down Black Canyon, but they did not
want publicity for Black Canyon so made it an obscure place in the
press. There is a legend of a gold mine somewhere up on Si, and
many have tried looking for it in the Black Canyon. The teens that
found the bones in the shoe were most likely looking for the gold
mine in Black Canyon.
"CLIMB TO GLORY"10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION (LIGHT INFANTRY)
It is well known that the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) was established in 1959 at Timberline
Lodge at Mount Hood, Oregon making us the oldest Search and Rescue association in the
United States. What is not so well known anymore is that the Army’s 10th Mountain Division is
considered one of the founding units of the MRA. How could this happen when the 10th Mountain
was disbanded in 1945 after WW II? In 114 days of combat, the 10th Division suffered casualties
of 992 killed in action and 4,154 wounded. This deserves an explanation.
Veterans of the 10th Mountain Division were in a large part responsible for the development of skiing into a big
name sport and popular vacation industry after World War II. Ex-soldiers from the 10th laid out ski hills, built
ski lodges, designed ski lifts and improved ski equipment. They started ski magazines and opened ski schools.
Vail, Aspen, Sugarbush, Crystal Mountain, and Whiteface Mountain were but a few of the ski resorts built by
10th Mountain veterans. Many of them became active ski patrollers and rescuers and eventually founding
members of the MRA.
Ome Daiber, himself never a soldier, was named an honorary member of the National Association of the 10th
Mountain Division for his contributions developing cold weather and mountain survival gear for the Army. Dee
Molenaar, another MRA founder and author of the book “MOUNTAINS DON'T CARE, BUT WE DO: An Early History
of Mountain Rescue in the Pacific Northwest and the Founding of the Mountain Rescue Association” is also
an honorary member of the association due to his service to the Army as a civilian instructor with the Mountain
and Cold Weather Training Command at Camp Hale, Colorado where two members of the Seattle MRC, Lou
and Jim Whittaker, were also enlisted Army instructors and Honorary Members of the 10th Mountain Division
Association. As you see, the Seattle MRC/SMR has also had a long history of being associated with the 10th
Mountain Division. As a gesture of this historical association, at the January 17th Winter Party there will be a
donation can for the Wounded Warriors of the present day 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) which, even
though is is not trained as a mountain warfare and only wears the “Mountain” tab as an honorific has been engaged
in continuous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and has had more deployments than any other Army
division. Please make a donation at the party, no matter how small, and help these Wounded Warriors.
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SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012
SMR’
SMR’S WINTER
PARTY
ARTY 2012!!!
Tuesday, January 17 th , 6PM in Preston (the small town just East of Issaquah)
Highlights include: Free!!!! Yummy food will be there! Beer provided! Dazzling
assortment of door prizes.
Wimpy Award and Vulture Award winners announced. Come meet your fellow Mtn
Rescuer and get to know them before you find your life in their hands somewhere.
Bring the family or significant other – This year’s party is once again at our own Garth
Bruce’s Kidz Bounce, and Garth has promised to leave some of the bouncy toys up
somewhere for the kids and anyone who drinks too much. Plus, the more people you
bring, the more likely it is that you will win something.
Here’s the address: 8178 304th Avenue Southeast. Issaquah, WA 98027-8889
Note that maybe it is technically in Issaquah, but you need to go to Preston to
find it. Call Bree Loewen (206) 919 6240 or email her breeloewen@gmail.com by
January 10th if at all possible so she can get a head-count for food planning.
MISSIONS IN DECEMBER 2011 (CONTINUED)
It just had to happen, we had one final mission in 2011 on New Years Eve when there was a callout Saturday
night for two young women hiking on the Little Si Trail who we stranded in the dark, the typical inexperienced
and unequipped hikers we get called out for all the time. There is no mission report yet but they we
apparently located on the flat area below the climbing area and we quickly walked out.
P.O. BOX 67
SEATTLE, WA 98111-0067
SMR INFORMATION LINE: (206) 270-7272
WEBSITE: HTTP://SEATTLEMOUNTAINRESCUE.ORG
NEWSLETTER: BERGTRAGE@GMAIL.COM
SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE IS A FULLY-ACCREDITED MEMBER OF THE MOUNTAIN RESCUE ASSOCIATION AND THE
KING COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE ASSOCIATION. SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE IS A NON-PROFIT 501C(3)
ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SAVING LIVES THROUGH RESCUE AND EDUCATION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A TAX
DEDUCTABLE DONATION TO OUR ORGANIZATION, PLEASE SEND A CHECK MADE OUT TO
"SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE”
THE BERGTRAGE IS SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE’S MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN
ONE FORM OR THE OTHER SINCE THE FIRST MOUNTAIN RESCUE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER WAS PUBLISHED IN 1955. IT
IS SENT ELECTRONICALLY TO ALL SMR MEMBERS AND TO A LARGE NUMBER OF DONORS, FRIENDS, OTHER RESCUE UNITS
AND PUBLIC AGENCIES INVOLVED IN SEARCH AND RESCUE AND IS ALSO SENT TO A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL
MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS. THE EDITOR WELCOMES ANY AND ALL COMMENTS, STORIES AND
PHOTOS AND CAN BE CONTACTED AT BERGTRAGE@GMAIL.COM.
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