Hiromi Posted February 17, 2003 Posted February 17, 2003 Anybody know what happened here? I've been up Eagle Peak a few times and didn't really see any dangerous areas. From King5 News: Rangers rescue fallen climber on Mount Rainier 02/16/2003 Associated Press LONGMIRE, Wash. - Park rangers rescued a fallen climber early Sunday morning after he tumbled about 80 feet while hiking on Eagle Peak near this town southwest of Mount Rainier, the National Park Service said. The injured man, in his early 20s, was taken by ambulance to nearby Ashford, then airlifted to Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, south of Tacoma. He was in stable condition Sunday night after undergoing surgery for an injured right leg, a nursing supervisor said. A National Park Service dispatcher said it was not immediately clear how the man fell. A man who was hiking with him called 911 from his cell phone soon after the man fell Saturday afternoon, the dispatcher said. Dense vegetation and cold, wet weather slowed down rescue efforts overnight, the dispatcher said. Using ropes, rangers lifted the man to safety shortly before 5 a.m. The names and hometowns of the injured man and his fellow hiker were not immediately released. Quote
catbirdseat Posted February 18, 2003 Posted February 18, 2003 Although I haven't been there before, it appears to be cliffy on its east side: Topozone Map Quote
Norman_Clyde Posted February 18, 2003 Posted February 18, 2003 (edited) This is the westernmost peak in the Tattoosh range. There is a trail on the southwestern side that ascends a few miles from Longmire to just below the summit. The trail is not at all exposed, but when you get to the top you have a very nice and somewhat exposed view northeast toward Rainier and Paradise. There is a little 3rd class climbing from the top of the trail if you wanted to summit. The above description is only true in summertime, of course. I would guess in winter that you could snowshoe or ski up the same side the trail is on. It seems most likely that this was not a "climbing" accident, but a ski injury or some similar non-climbing related fall, unless someone had decided to climb the steeper side. Edited February 18, 2003 by Norman_Clyde Quote
remlec Posted February 18, 2003 Posted February 18, 2003 The last scramble from the trail end to the summit follows a ramp that slopes downward back on to the approach route through the brush. I would have thought more like 30-40' than 80. It's on the south side and the sun leaves a bit of water ice if the snow isn't real deep. It's not technical but I've had to leave a hand line for people that didn't want to follow. Above that, It's possible to trip off the east side but I don't think 80' is nearly enough there and in summer it's just talus quite a ways. So, he might have just slipped on the ramp. Quote
Duchess Posted February 18, 2003 Posted February 18, 2003 The accident occured on the north side of eagle peak. the two men were free-climbing and scrambling to the summit on the north side. they had apparently reached the top and one fell on descent, only a few hundred feet above the paradise river. this side of eagle peak has numerous "cliffy" sections, along with steep talus and alder/devil's club slopes. the man was safely evacuated and is fine with only some broken bones. Quote
obsydian Posted February 22, 2003 Posted February 22, 2003 Having looked down that North side, isn't something I'd want to climb without protection. Quote
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