Mike_Gauthier

I found this to be a rather accurate account of yesterdays incident. Climbers rescued after fall on Rainier JEFFREY P. MAYOR; The News Tribune Published: July 8th, 2005 12:01 AM LONGMIRE – The “heroic” efforts of guide Jon Lucia and a mix of good fortune are being credited with saving the lives of two climbers who fell Thursday morning into a crevasse on Mount Rainier. A slip sent the Rainier Mountaineering Inc. guide and three clients careening 120 feet down the mountain before two of the men fell into a crevasse at 12,750 feet. A Black Hawk helicopter from the Oregon National Guard in Salem flew Patrick Clemens of Bethlehem, Pa., to Madigan Army Medical Center. He had a serious head injury, a broken leg and possible broken ribs, according to the climbing rangers. Mount Rainier National Park officials did not have his age. Matthew Fisher, 42, of Vernon, N.J., was flown by a second helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He was admitted to the intensive care unit with broken ribs and a liver injury. Peter Bridgewater, 54, of Singapore, suffered a dislocated shoulder. Lucia, 31, of Ashford, suffered a head injury and a likely broken nose, according to rangers. He and Bridgewater were taken to Tacoma General Hospital. They were in satisfactory condition. Lucia, a 10-year veteran with RMI, was roped to the other three as they climbed Ingraham Glacier above Disappointment Cleaver. One of the clients fell about 7:20 a.m., but Lucia was able to stop the client’s fall down the icy, 45-degree slope. David Gottlieb, the rescue team leader, said the client regained his footing and began walking toward Lucia. But before the two could meet up, the client fell again. Because of the slack in the rope, the client built momentum. The jerk of the line when it went taut pulled down Lucia and the other two climbers. Gottlieb said as the group slid down the glacier, someone tried to slow the fall with an ice ax, gouging a line in the ice. “The mountain was unforgiving this morning. There was a glaze of ice on the slope,” Gottlieb said. The fall came to a sudden halt after Lucia and Bridgewater slid over an 8-foot-wide crevasse, leaving Lucia bloodied and unconscious. Fisher and Patrick fell 20 feet into the crevasse, landing on a false snow floor but perhaps preventing the four from sliding farther down the mountain. Moments later, Lucia regained consciousness, radioed RMI headquarters in Ashford for help and began tending to his fellow climbers. RMI guides from other climbing groups quickly reached the scene and began treating the victims. Gottlieb and his team, plus climbing rangers from elsewhere on the mountain, were flown by helicopters to the scene. “RMI had really good control of the situation. They definitely did what they could to stabilize the victims,” climbing ranger Matt Hendrickson said of the situation when he arrived. Still, it took several hours to bring the two injured climbers out of the crevasse. “We were on a false floor of snow, which sometime this summer will melt and collapse. But you knew this crevasse goes another 100 feet down,” Gottlieb said. “Plus, there were giant chandelier icicles hanging over the scene down there.” There was enough room in the crevasse that four rangers could enter it to treat Clemens and Fisher. Gottlieb said the right combination of events unfolded to get the two severely injured climbers to hospitals quickly. “When it is icy like it was this morning, it’s a death fall situation. The potential for the fall to worsen if they had gone beyond the crevasse is pretty high,” he said. SOME GOOD fortune Rescuers also were aided by the availability of several helicopters. A contract aircraft already at the mountain and an Army Reserve Chinook helicopter from Fort Lewis were able to transport rangers and gear to the scene. The quick response by other guides also speeded the rescue. “If they didn’t have a guide, or other guides nearby, they might have died,” Gottlieb said. As for Lucia, who has summited the 14,411-foot mountain more than 120 times, Gottlieb said he deserves much credit. “Heroic, definitely. To be knocked unconscious, have a broken nose, be covered in blood, then to stand up and give 100 percent of his attention to the other climbers is just heroic,” Gottlieb said. “He was beaten all over the head, but he totally concentrated on the others. At one point, I had to tap him on the shoulder and tell him he needs to go to the hospital.” That is just the type of person Lucia is, said Brenda Walsh, a fellow RMI guide. She was headed up the mountain Thursday afternoon on a personal climb. “He’s easygoing, pretty relaxed. He doesn’t get stressed out,” Walsh said. “He’s tall and lanky, but he’s strong as an ox.” Conditions on the Disappointment Cleaver route, one of the most popular on the mountain, were good, said Lou Whittaker, co-founder and president of RMI. “It was perfect, good weather, light wind, sunny. It was just really good,” Whittaker said. “We’ve got climbs that go up that route every day. “But the glacier moves a foot and a half a day. The route always changes. You have to pick your way across it,” he said. Seven accidents in seven days Thursday’s accident was the seventh on the mountain in seven days, according to Mike Gauthier, leading climbing ranger at the park. The other accidents involved: • A climber suffering a broken leg from falling rock. • A team of four climbers who were stranded and needed to be taken off the mountain. • A climber who had a heart attack while on the Tahoma Glacier. • A climber who dislocated his knee coming down from Camp Muir. • A climber who suffered a back injury at Camp Muir. • And a climber who was airlifted off the Kautz route after being hurt by falling ice. “Climbing conditions have been really good this year,” Gauthier said. “But it’s been nonstop for us this week.”

Yet another rescue today... People keep asking if things are "bad up there?" Fact is, things are GREAT up there. I think we're just in a bad string of incidents and I hope they stop soon b/c 1. it stinks to see people get hurt and 2. the climbing is excellent on the mountain. Really, it is, the routes look good. I've posted a number of new aerial images. I don't recommend all the routes photographed (like the Nisqually Icefall or Icecliff) but I thought I'd post the images for enjoyment. Quick link here to WA State Gallery: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=682 Climb safely everyone! PS, I got 16 more summits!

Nothing on Lib... 2 SARs on the Tahoma 2 SARs on Kautz/Fuhrer 2 SARs on Muirsnowfield

We had 6 rescues over the past 5 days. I'll try to post some text today/tomorrow... It was a busy weekend, thankfully no one was killed.

There were a number of rescues this weekend. Along the way, we were able to shoot some aerial pixs of a few routes. In one, you can see the party we're rescuing on the Kautz. There are also Furher Finger images, Kautz Icefall, Kautz Cleaver, Tahoma Glacier and a somewhat reflective picture of Sunset Amphitheater. I'll post the images to the photo gallery, as they are too big for this forum. If anyone can down size them and post them here, please do so. They are in the WA State Gallery. BTW, I summitted another 27 times via the helicopter... Doesn't that count? I've got 43,294 summits now. BTW since someone actually seems completely fascinated with my summits; Let me be clear: I'm JOKING!

BC I was flying by, so I didn't get a sense of the snow conditions. I hear that there is a crust with soft snow underneath high on the Tahoma Glacier. I also saw a lot of evidence of major slides... LOTS and they were MAJOR. Though I suspect things are settling out by now as it's been a few days. Also, a few parties have summited on the Tahoma. Ptar Ridge, Mowich and Lib looked VERY FAB and the weather report is quite reasonable for the next week.

It's a grade III. Got a great view of the amphitheater routes yesterday... If you intend to go, go soon as they are melting out quickly. The Tahoma Glacier looks wonderful!

Hummmm???? Sobo has the story much better... No one that I know of at the NPS opposed either ADA climber. As I recall, we wished them both the best!!! AND constructed the ADA toilet when one "asked" why there wasn't one... What is great is that many non ADA climbers enjoy the ADA toilet due to the extra space. Wow, sounds like it worked out well for everyone! Hope folks comment on the Camp Muir Plan. BTW, has anyone seen the new climbing information center at Paradise? Any thoughts!!?? Are folks able to find it? Mike

It's been A LOT of fun promoting the Mountain. I'm very thankful for the interest and support!

A number of interesting comments here… Matt is right, some people wear cotton in the mountains. I saw people (“climbers”) on the Muir Snowfield wearing cotton last Saturday. And I admit, sometimes even I wear cotton… But not last Saturday. I’m a fan of synthetic clothing and had it on all day. Part of this is that some climbers "push on" instead of putting on more (or changing) clothing. How many times have you done that saying to yourself, "I’ll change when I get to Camp Muir" (or another destination?) Hypothermia can set in very FAST. I've seen people who are doing "ok to reasonable" literally shutdown and crash very quickly b/c of hypothermia. I can't help but wonder. They weren't "climbing," but many people consider going to Camp Muir "climbing." Having worked closely with the media, I see how hard they work to get things correct. Remember, their audience isn’t climbers, its “America.” The search effort was not "scare." We found Tim and Greg almost immediately after we begin looking for them on Monday evening. We don't launch a helicopter search every time someone turns up late. If we did, we'd have a helicopter flying around almost every day. We always consider the unique qualities of each situation, but we often wait 24 hours after they are officially due out. We have a few more things to figure out about what might have happened. This one is puzzling, but more than anything, very sad.

It's a little misleading, the Black Hawk helicopters are not more powerful than the Chinooks, and they even have a little less rotor clearance. You may recall seeing a Black Hawk crash on Mount Hood due to performance issues. Similar accidents have occurred on Mount Shasta and in Gila Canyon AZ. The Oregon Black Hawks are a newer model (Lima) than the MAST ships here. They are more powerful and lighter (so I’m told) and did do a couple of pickoffs around 12K last summer. We were glad they could help! The Hueys referenced in the article really do not have the performance margins above 10K. At least, the Huey's that I've seen around the state. Many would question a loaded Huey (hoist and medical equipment, etc) working even that high. As it stands now, there is no "easy" air aviation evacuation above 12K +/-, unless it's really cold. And yes, on some warm days, it’s hard to get a small contract ship to Camp Muir, especially when all the helicopter vendors are off fighting wild fires. Hopefully we’ll have one of those "calm" summer this year until things sort out.

Hwy 410 and 123 are now scheduled to open on April 15.

All bets are off on the Mowich Road. I just heard that they closed the Westside Road, down at the main entrance to Paradise road.

The force is strong on this page.

Actually, I wouldn't leave at 3-4 am to reach Thumb Rock. Unless it were really warm. Which seems unlikely in April. You could also camp on the Carbon Glacier to save some time.

Hi Jane Leaving early will help for sure, especially if the temps drop below freezing, but leaving early may not be necessary. I'm not sure what your team's comfort level is with mountaineering, but moving quickly (while being safe) is by far the best defense against rockfall. Two weeks ago before all this recent snowfall landed, I was concerned about the lower ridges on Sunset, Liberty and Success. Now I am less concerned, as we have received quite a bit of new snow (the Paradise snowpack doubled in less than a week.) I'm much more optimistic about spring and summer climbing conditions, and would say that what probably matters most is what is happening during the preceding 2 weeks. Keep your eyes peeled on the weather as your trip approaches, and train hard. Carry as light as you can, but be prepared for an extended storm. Four is a large team, but doable. You might consider two teams of two. Mike

Update Well, seems like winter has finally decided to arrive, and with it goes the projected road openings. WSDOT has postponed opening Chinook and Cayuse Pass. That has also postponed the Steven Canyon Road opening. When I get more information, I'll post an update. In one regard, we really need more snow. In another, it would be nice to see the roads open early.

Just a reminder that the reservation start date is this Friday, April 1st.

Hi Robert I'm sure you'll greatly enjoy either route, as I've never heard a complaint about either one. I will add that Curtis Ridge is rarely, rarely climbed. Not that Ptarmigan sees much action either. If you climb Curtis, I'd like to discuss the route with you. Best of luck. Mike

Fun story about Mount Rainier in the News Tribune this weekend. Some of you may have heard about Dave Johnston (super nice guy) from the book Minus 148. This climber’s in a club all his own CRAIG HILL; The News Tribune Last updated: March 19th, 2005 02:35 AM He survived minus-148-degree temperatures, three broken ribs and Delaware traffic on his way to making history Monday morning when he reached the top of Mount Rainier. By reaching the 14,411-foot summit, Dave Johnston, a 62-year-old climber from Talkeetna, Alaska, became the first man to climb to the highest point in all 50 states in the winter. He’s also reached the summits in the summer. Rainier is the fourth-highest of these points, and an even more substantial challenge for climbers in the winter than it is in the summer. Only a handful of the 10,000 people who try for Rainier’s summit each year dare to climb in the winter. “It’s a completely different mountain in the winter,” said Seattle-based climbing guide Jim Litch, who accompanied Johnston to the summit. “It’s cold throughout the day, not just at night. There is no established route like in the summer. It’s more intense.” So intense, in fact, that it took Johnston three times to make his first winter ascent. And Litch, who has summited Mount Everest, had never climbed Rainier in the winter despite nearly 100 trips to the summit. Reaching Rainier’s summit cements Johnston and his family as high-pointing icons. In 2003, Johnston, his wife, Cari Sayre, and son Galen became the first family to reach the high points. That same year, Galen became the youngest person to check off the list at age 12. Though 135 people have completed the 50 high points – according to the Colorado-based Highpointers Club, which has 2,500 members – the winter club likely will have only one member for a many years. Reading Art Davidson’s 1969 book “Minus 148” is enough to scare most people away from a winter ascent of Alaska’s Mount McKinley. The book details the first winter trek to the 20,320-foot high point of North America. Johnston was a member of that eight-man 1967 party and one of the three to reach the summit after seven weeks of climbing. Along the way, one of the climbers died after falling into a crevasse. And during the descent, Johnston and the party spent six days wedged into a tiny ice cave waiting out a windstorm that they estimated dropped the temperature to minus-148 degrees. Climbing the 50 high points has become a popular goal for adventurers even though few of the high points are as challenging as McKinley and Rainier. In fact, 30 of the high points can be reached either by car or a short hike. However, Johnston says even the shortest points have their challenges. For example, Florida’s 345-foot Britton Hill – the lowest high point – was one of the hardest to find. “It was at the top of this imperceptible rise,” Johnston said of the only high point comprised mostly of sand. “If I didn’t have a guide book, I would have been hard pressed to find it.” At Delaware‘s 448-foot Tower Hill – the second-lowest high point – Johnston had to pick just the right moment to pose for a picture, because the high point is on Elbright Road. Johnston waited for the cars to pass, then ran out in the road waving his ice axe in the air. Reaching Rainier’s summit in the winter had more substantial challenges. During his 2003 attempt, Johnston bunked with Rainier’s lead climbing ranger, Mike Gauthier. One morning, Gauthier woke Johnston up at 6 a.m. so he could help with a rescue attempt. As Johnston skied below Camp Muir in whiteout conditions looking for the missing climbers, he accidentally skied off a cliff and broke three ribs. This year’s attempt also looked like it might come up short, too. He and Litch, 45, made a half-hearted attempt at the summit on March 6, but low clouds and high winds turned them back at 13,400 feet. The previous day they saw high winds blow over skiers below Camp Muir. “We were just getting exercise,” said Litch, who knew conditions weren’t ideal for a push to the summit. “We probably could have made it, but we would have had to spend the night on the summit.” But as time approached for Johnston to return home, the weather cleared. While Johnston, a lean 6-foot-6 climber, typically would have needed about four hours for a summer push from Camp Muir at 10,188 feet to the summit, on March 14 he needed more than six hours. “It was a good day, but the real work was at the top of the mountain,” Johnston said. “I thought I remembered Rainier being easier. Get in a groove and just walk up.”

Jarred Of course it's difficult to predict; the Mowich Face routes will probably fair well compared to routes like Liberty Ridge and Success Cleaver when it comes to early season melt. Of course, a lot of spring snow fall can change everything (it's snowing in Longmire today.) The Mowich Face routes, tend to set up nicely in Sept/Oct, that is if you like hard glacier ice. If you want frozen snow, then I would suggest a spring trip. Wish I had more specific info for you, I'll post if anything comes up.

If you're interested in getting up Rainier in 2005, consider planning an early season attempt. The weather pattern we have been experiencing may significantly change this spring, but as it stands now, the mountain looks "summer-like." For example, many of the trails at Paradise are already melting out and rangers are digging out the summer path up Panorama Point. Summer camping restrictions are in affect for the park. I've spoken to a number of summit bound teams and many say that they are already crossing sketchy crevasses on the Ingraham Glacier Direct. Some didn’t make the summit because of it. At this time, I don't have "specific" route information. Those interested in climbing routes other than the Disappointment Cleaver (DC) and the Emmons/Wintrhop Glaciers should definitely consider an early season attempt. I traversed the entire south side of the mountain last week (between 8K and 10K); though the glacier travel went smoothly, it was apparent that the snowpack will quickly melt exposing more crevasses and ice. Routes like Liberty Ridge may be difficult to access in May and June if this weather pattern persists. Already, the lower elevations on many ridges such as Success, Kautz and Liberty are melting out. It's my gut feeling that we will receive more snow this spring, but spring snowfall doesn't seem to "stick" as long as winter deposited snow. Routes such as the Disappointment Cleaver and Emmons Glacier are more difficult to predict. The guide service works hard to ensure the DC is climbable throughout the summer. 1992 was also a very low snowfall year, and I recall the DC and Emmons Glacier routes having climbable lines well into September. In 1992, those routes became icy earlier in the season. This makes random crevasse falls through snow bridges less likely, but does increase the falling hazard on glacier ice. My sense is that the mountain will be climbable by the DC and Emmons in August and September, but may be more circuitous and icy. I’ll post more information when it comes in.

Projected road openings are: Hwy 123 and Hwy 410: April 1 White River Road (Hwy 410 to White River Campground): May 1 Carbon River Road (which washed out): March 14 Westside Road to the 3 mile permanent road closure: NOW Longmire gate and Paradise Road, an attempt to open this road permanently will be on: April 1. This is subject to snowfall (if we ever get anymore this spring...) Mowich Lake Road: May 22 Stevens Canyon Road: May 1 All dates are subject to change. I'll post more info as it comes in.

RESERVATIONS, NEW FOR 2005: Beginning MARCH 15TH, advanced reservation requests for wilderness camping and climbing trips for the 2005 season will be accepted BY MAIL OR FAX. Reservations will NOT be processed until April 1st. PHONE RESERVATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. This early mail in period is provided as a convenience and eases the rush of reservation requests that normally occurs midnight on April 1st. All requests received during this period will be processed in random order beginning April 1st. Requests received on April 1st and later will be processed in the order they are received. Mailed requests must be postmarked NO EARLIER THAN MARCH 15TH. Please limit faxed requests to one fax per reservation request. Duplicate faxes for the same itinerary lead to multiple reservation fee charges. The Wilderness Reservations Office will not be staffed until April 1st. Rely on your fax transmission receipt for verification OR send your request through the US mail with a Return Receipt service. Due to the high volume of initial reservation requests, it may take up to THREE WEEKS to receive your confirmation in the month of April. Past experience has shown that most reservation requests are accommodated during this opening time period. The FAX number is (360) 569-3131 Mail can be sent to: Longmire Wilderness Information Center Mount Rainier National Park Tahoma Woods, Star Route Ashford, WA 98304 Reservations can also be made in person at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center beginning Memorial Day weekend. Reservations cannot be confirmed until payment is received. The park accepts VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and DISCOVER credit cards. Reservations are available for May 1 through September 30. Reservations are OPTIONAL and may not be needed. Reservations are recommended for those wanting to camp or climb on popular weekends from Memorial Day weekend through mid-September. Approximately 60% of all wilderness campsites and zones are reservable. The remaining 40% are issued on a first come-first served basis on the day a trip begins. These first come-first served sites go quickly, DO NOT COUNT ON THEM BEING AVAILABLE when you want to start a trip. As an example, climbers arriving on Wednesday may register for a 4-5 day trip, thus taking permit allotments for Friday and Saturday nights. If your trip dates are really important, we suggest getting a reservation. FEES, CHANGES & REFUND POLICY Reservations cost $20 per party (1-12 people) per trip (up to 14 consecutive nights). Reservation fees are non-refundable. One change may be made to a reservation after it is confirmed at no additional fee, provided the change can be accommodated. Each subsequent change requires an additional charge of $20. All climbers pay a $30 flat fee whether they climb one time or numerous times. This fee must be paid at the time of the reservation (or when registering for your first climb of the year). This climbing fee is valid for an entire calendar year--i.e. fees paid in 2005 will expire 12/31/2005. Climbing Pass fees are non-refundable. Climbing parties with one or more members who have already purchased a Mount Rainier Climbing Pass for the current year must also complete and submit a Climbing Party Supplemental Form. This ensures that your party is not charged climbing fees for those already possessing a valid climbing pass when requesting reservations. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: HTTP://WWW.NPS.GOV/MORA/RECREATION/RSVPFORM.HTM

From all the rescues I've seen, Liberty Ridge hazards might be best summed up as: 1. Moving too slow which leads to: 2. Higher likelihood of being hit by rock 3. More time "in the fall zone." 4. More exposure to weather which leads back to #1. The lower ridge up to Thumb Rock can be a rock fall nightmare. But if you're moving fast, your chances of getting hit are less. BTW (I'll post more about routes, road openings, registration and reservations soon) the mountain looks like late June/early July conditions. Go early this year, Go early, Go early...