jmace Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Has this been posted already..ill delete it if it has..I saw it this morning..any one else know more? http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/7800784p-7714534c.html doesnt sound that good.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottgg Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 (edited) Doesn't sound good I know these two women made the first "man-less" ascent of Denali's Cassin Ridge, I wonder what they where attempting on Foraker? Edited June 5, 2006 by scottgg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I spur. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/572673/an/0/page/0/gonew/1#UNREAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 sounds really bad. sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Serl Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 tracks spotted monday 1000 ft beneath summit: http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/7807632p-7721670c.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoran Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 (edited) Thanks Don. I hope in few days we will read outstanding story about survival, where two great climbers escaped troubles unharmed and completed Infinite Spur. Both girls are climbing jewels. Zoran Edited June 7, 2006 by Zoran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Encouraging news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted June 7, 2006 Author Share Posted June 7, 2006 Still looking...hopeful but numerous flights and still no sighting.. http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/7810768p-7724938c.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 So I guess they didn't find them today? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad_A Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Dammitall, girls. C'mon! http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/7817762p-7732233c.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couloir Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 (edited) A little more about them: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Athletes.aspx?id=20 http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Athletes.aspx?id=12 Hope this turns out well. Edited June 9, 2006 by Couloir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Sadly, to dispel some rumor I saw started on supertopo, they have not been rescued or found. After reading this rumor, I called Talkeetna and spoke to a woman involved with the search. I was suprised she gave me the information she did. As of right now, the summit area is in white out conditions. It looks like the weather system will stay that way for another 24-36hrs. They are all very distraught out there (definately sensed it in her voice), but doing what they can. If you want information about the search you can contact the park directly @ 907-733-9103. I will likely keep checking in with them the next few days, as one of Karen's climbing partners is a good friend of mine and is not able to be reached easily or get regular updates at the moment. All my positive energy that they are still with us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielHarro Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Keep them in our prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Very scary. Best wishes and good thoughts their way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Dang, I keep checking this thread and hoping for some good news. I does sound good at this point, I'm afraid we might have lost an amazing couple of women to fate. I hope I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Keep an eye on this site: http://www.nps.gov/dena/home/news/ The weather's still too crappy to fly the summit area apparently. Their missing is hard to believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOC Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 From today's Anchorage Daily News - "Hope fades" http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/7828926p-7735328c.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 supertop This thread is starting to get updates and responses from friends and the rangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 wow; i just read that thread. pretty intense. i had no idea. i'm glad people aren't giving up hope, and are sending good thoughts their way ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Alaska wire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted June 12, 2006 Author Share Posted June 12, 2006 Sounds like they are calling off the search...I was hoping for a good survival story.. heres to holding out for a bit more hope.. http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/7850290p-7744063c.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 One month since they've been seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Yngve Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Mark Westman wrote a lengthy note, which has appeared in threads on Alpinist and Supertopo forums: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Mark Westman > Date: Jun 11, 2006 8:15 PM > > Everyone: > > I just returned from the mountains, and I have been sifting through a number > of phone messages and emails asking me about the situation on Foraker with > Sue and Karen. > > Please pass this along to anyone interested who I have not included in > this email. > > Most of you know I have been actively involved in this search and have > been closely in touch with the events. I only want to revisit this just once, > so here is everything I've seen, and some of my thoughts. Right now, Lisa and > I are trying to come to terms with this, but all I can say is that we've > spent the past couple of weeks expecting our friends to come walking into camp > with a heck of a story and wondering what all the fuss is about. > > I imagine most of you have been keeping close tabs, but for clarity I'll > state these facts: Sue and Karen had left Kahiltna base camp on May 12. > Before leaving, Karen borrowed an FRS frequency Motorola radio from Lisa. > They told Lisa they had about 14 days of food and fuel, and Karen promised > Lisa they would radio her during the 8 PM weather as soon as they were > high enough on the route (the FRS radio is used by many climbers and guide > groups now in lieu of the old CB radios). Will Mayo and Max Turgeon were > retreating from a new route they attempted to the right of the Spur, and met the > girls at the base of the Infinite on May 14 at about 8 AM. Sue and Karen > expressed hope that they would be in basecamp 10 days from this day. > Later, Max and Will noted repeatedly that the girls' packs appeared to be > enormous and heavy, which allowed us initially to not worry so much when > they did not return after 10-12 days. > > On June 1, after several days of consultation, no sign of them on the > summit or descent route through the basecamp telescope,and after a prolonged > windstorm had ended, Daryl Miller declared the situation a SAR. I flew the > route and the avalanche drains on either side of the Infinite from top to > bottom in the LAMA helicopter 6 times over the period June 2 to June 4. > During this time we found Sue's pack in the debris at the base, about 500 > feet right of the start of the route, along with assorted items strewn > about the avy cone, including a sleeping bag, stuff sacks, and a jacket. A > z-rest remained strapped to the pack, and where the strap covered the > pad there was significant fading of the material color, indicating it had > been there for some time. The radio Lisa lent to them was in a zipper > pouch, and was still functional. We also observed old but clear tracks at 10,500, > and then from 13,000 to 14,500, and again from 15,300 to about 15,900. > These appeared to be at least one week old. We also observed faded tracks made > by Will Mayo and Max Turgeon on a new route they had put up on the side of > the French Ridge on May 12-13 (they had retreated from 13,000 feet on the > French Ridge) On June 5, the last day the LAMA was able to fly, faint but > definitive tracks were spotted higher at around 16,400- pretty much at a > point where an avalanche incident into the objective drainage was no > longer realistic, and out of the fall line of where the pack would have traveled. > No tracks or any signs whatsoever were seen on the summit plateau or on > the slopes beneath it to the east or west (areas they may have sought shelter > from the wind), which was flown extensively and close to the surface on > June 4 and 5, nor were any seen on the Sultana ridge, southeast ridge, or upper > Talkeetna Ridge (which Sue climbed in 2005). Tracks confirmed to be from a > guided team on the Sultana ridge were found near peak 12,400, and > continued down to Crosson and the Kahiltna glacier. These tracks were over 1 > week old but clearly visible. There were definitely no tracks on the Sultana beyond > where this group's tracks ended. The weather began to get worse on June 6; > June 8 through this morning has had near blizzard conditions above 12,000 > feet, with very high winds again (reported 60 mph at the 14 camp). There > has been no ability to search during this time, obviously. > > Having climbed the route in 2001, and now having done numerous hovers in > the LAMA at close range, it is my observation that there are only two possible > paths that the pack could have traveled to have ended up in the place that > it did. One possibility is that it came down from the exit gully between > 15,000 and 16,000. This gully, most often snow, was scoured to bare ice > from top to bottom, but showed signs of having recently been blanketed in deep > snow- slab rips vertically on its sides near the bottom, obvious > windloading deposition, etc. Until we spotted the tracks high in this gully, we had > initially thought they had triggered an avalanche in this gully. Their > tracks high in this gully are a 1-2 foot wide raised trail with small > pedestals- indicating that the slope was covered in deep snow when they > climbed it, and that it has since been scoured by very high winds. > However, aerial hovers of the 7000 vertical foot fall line drainage that this gully > spills into, and eventually spills out to where the pack was found, > indicates the pack would have had to clear numerous huge bergschrunds and > crevasses on a mid face hanging glacier, and then, while still a > possibility, would have had to take a rather lucky bounce and trajectory > to cross into a fork of the drainage that empties out to where the pack was > discovered (this lower gully is the one used by Terravechia and Larson to > access their south face route from 1999). While I won't discount it > entirely, I have a hard time believing that a pack dropped or blown away > from that height would have made it to where it did; and while the pack > was torn and beat up, it was in surprisingly good shape for having fallen so > far. And it also appears from the arrangement of gear on the debris > cone that the pack might not have 'yard-saled' its contents until nearly > at the bottom. So the only other possible place the pack could have been > dropped on the route and ended up where it did, is the lower half of the > "ice rib" at about 1/3 height on the route- from about 10,800 to about > 11,500. Here, the 40+ degree snow slopes spill over to the right and > anything dropped here would have fallen right into the objective gully. > > Based on the climbing times of past ascents of the Spur, weather > conditions while Sue and Karen were on route (2-3 feet of new snow above 10K > on their 4th and 5th days on route, another smaller storm on day 7), and reports > from Max and Will that their packs were quite heavy, we estimate that Sue and > Karen reached the final section of the route not earlier than May 22. May > 21 was the first of 8 consecutive days of extremely high winds above 14,000 > feet. From May 25 to 28 winds were reported at over 70 mph at the 14K camp > on Denali, with gusts estimated well over 100 mph at the 17,000 camp. I > was in Talkeetna during this time; the weather was sunny and clear but Denali > and Foraker were engulfed in tremendous lenticulars, and a visible "fuzz" > permeated the air from so much blowing snow in the mountains and blowing > dust in the lowlands. The source of the wind was a strong cold front from > the north/northwest and an enormous high pressure system in the Bering > Sea. This produced a massive pressure drop across the Alaska Range from north > to south. > > Beyond what I have just described we are left to pure speculation. It > seems clear they completed the route and then something bad happened once > they reached the summit area. It's hard to say for sure exactly how or where > the pack became separated from Sue, but we are certain it was not > intentionally jettisoned. It's the belief of everyone that regardless of how or > where it happened, the loss of this pack eventually became a critical incident that > compromised their ability to withstand the conditions they faced on the > upper mountain. If in fact the pack was dropped from the 'ice rib', as I > outlined above, this could very well fit into a scenario where they then > would have endured a series of colder and more uncomfortable bivouacs, > possibly with smaller rations of food and fuel, having evidently arduous > trail breaking above 13,000 feet, and counting on getting favorable > weather to escape the route- only to be overwhelmed by horrible weather at a > time when their physical condition- even if they still had the pack- would have > been quite compromised. There are many questions, many possibilities, and > unfortunately few definitive answers. I do firmly believe that by the time > we were searching, they were already in trouble, and that if they were at > all mobile and in the area we were looking, we would have spotted them, > and/or they would have made some sort of effort to have their location > known, perhaps by staking their orange tent at the mouth of a snowcave or > crevasse- if they even still had their tent. Today would have been their > 29th day since starting the route. We all have been holding out hope for a > miracle; at this point, I think we all understand that is what it will > take. > > > I know most of you know one or both of them personally. I'm so very sorry > I don't have something encouraging to report. This has been a sad and > frustrating couple of weeks for us all. > > Tonight- raise your glass to the girls; and remember to use a straw. > > Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Very commendable efforts by Mark Westman. My condolenscenses to the family and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 more candles to light tonight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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