Bergtrage - Seattle Mountain Rescue

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SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012 (Continued from page 1) 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 2 (Continued on page 3)
SEATTLE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BERGTRAGE - JANUARY 2012 (Continued from page 2) 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. 3 (Continued on page 4)
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Bergtrage - Seattle Mountain Rescue

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