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Posted

Yesterday a sheriff's helicopter landed at the Colchuck/Stuart Lk. TH. There's a whole story behind it, I don't have half the details. It wasn't even an SAR mission. Anyway, that was kinda crazy. I'll post what I know about it later, don't have time at the moment.

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Posted

Okay, sorry for the teaser. Here's what I know. 2 guys went up to do Stuart in a day, I didn't hear what route they intended to do. Left Sat. AM. Didn't come back in the evening, family called sheriff, then family went out to search. Sheriff hadn't iniated SAR operation. Now here's where I get sketchy on it, apparently some of the family members started having some problems while they were up there looking. The helicopter actually brought the mom down (I'm not sure if the 2 guys were brothers or not). Not a few minutes after the chopper landed I saw 2 guys w/ big packs and lots of gear coming up the road from downhill of the TH. I wondered if that was the guys. A few seconds later the mom spots them and takes off like a bolt of lightning for a happy reunion. I have no idea where they came from but somebody gave them a ride back up to Colchuck TH. We were extremely curious but figured quizzing them about what happened probably wasn't appropriate under the circumstances. So we spent a good chunk of the drive back across Stevens Pass speculating about what happened.

Posted

Story somewhat like this in Wenatchee World recently? Speaking of helicopters, one flew by right underneath us on the W. Ridge of Prusik a couple weeks ago. Cool.

Posted

Seems like an irresponsible call for emergency officials. I think every other person I've talked to who has done Stuart has ended up bivying unplanned. To do it in a day, everything has to go just right, its not like failing to return from Mt Si after a day.

I saw the Sheriff in the Stuart Lake TH on Sunday and he asked us if we had seen those climbers. Seems like the wrong parking lot to be looking for them but who knows?

 

If you go out on stuff like that, I think it is wise to mention to your family that you are going to TRY and do it in a day. The family members don't know the difference between Stuart and Si and probably just panicked.

Posted

Yeah I don't think the climbers ever called for help, I don't think they ever had contact w/ the outside world until they showed up at the TH. That's part of why the sheriff hadn't started a SAR op. yet--no idea where they were. They didn't really look like they were suffering so they probably didn't suffer thru anything too bad as far as epics go.

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