Missing Skier - Information Needed

[gilder]

Hi,

 

I had conversation with Deputy Mark Jilk @ approx. 12:30 PM today. He advised me that unless there was a better LSP (Last Seen Point), they would not continue the search more than "fly-overs". In a (round-about)way, he indicated that the people that have occupied the LAND for years - are more familiar with the MOUNTAINS than the Department. Understandably so.

 

The question is - LAST SEEN POINT - anything better since the photo?

 

At 5:00 PM today, ANDY REBMANN called me and will do his best to help out with contacts. But he also told me that these are not the few mountains of the east and the OWNERS know them well.

 

Here is to you - my choice tonight is J W Black.

 

gil.

[Kahnmann]

Gil, you must have talked to someone about the two (co-workers?) who saw and talked to Kevin as they were going down on Saturday morning (as Kevin was going up). Is that the LSP?

 

Two of us searched the sides of the road approach to the trailhead this past Saturday just in case he made it back down into the lowlands from a fast return and mis-stepped off the edge.

 

Thanks everyone for your efforts - Kev is truly loved by many.

[gilder]

To those of you who live and breath the fresh air of the CASCADES - it appears that you have more than most.

 

Words do not describe the views from atop of these great mountains that you have shown in your posts. Not many have what it takes to venture there. I do believe that now we understand why Kevin chose to live there. Nothing short of INCREDABLE.

 

Thank you for showing us this part of your / our world.

 

We do appreciate your efforts and only hope that someday we might repay your kindness.

 

For the LAFLEUR FAMILY,

 

gil.

 

If anyone here is ever in our eastcoast area - please stop by, as we can find pleasure in conversation, assisting with directions and even helping with flat tires, restrooms and tired people.

 

Gildersleeve Beaupre

 

343 Thompson Road

Thompson, CT 06277-0510

 

(860) 315-7700

[timmy_t]

Just a quick update for those who are following the search for Kevin...

 

Myself, my brother, and two friends spent all day Sunday and most of Monday looking for more evidence higher on the mountain. On Sunday we talked to 12 skiers (in 2 parties) who had made the summit that day. They were the first parties to reach the top since Kev disappeared last Saturday, and they reported seeing no evidence of any kind. On Monday we searched the avy debris under Colfax, then made it to 9250' before high winds and another whiteout forced us to head back to camp.

 

At this point I don't know what else to do. We had many people searching all around the summer trail again on Sunday, as well as many skiers helping to ferry gear and food to our camp. For now we are waiting until better weather to make another summit bid, but it may be awhile.

 

Just to clear up the rumors, this is what we know: Kev made a phone call to a friend at 10am on Saturday, saying he was "in the snow heading toward Baker." He was spotted by two skiers (who did NOT talk to him) at 10:45am on Saturday, confirming that he was high enough to be in cell phone range at 10am. (They were NOT coworkers.) They estimated he was 1:30 to 2 hours from the 9100' saddle area, and about an hour or more in front of them, putting him at around 7300', just starting to head up the rolling area underneath the Black Buttes, just below the crevasse fields. They had been following his skin track up Grouse Creek, and his was obviously the first track of the day, confirming that he was alone and that nobody was higher on the mountain at that time. They turned around because it was warming up quickly, and they were concerned that the upper Deming might become unstable. That's it.

 

The one piece of information at this point that would be useful is if any of the other parties on Saturday or Sunday made it higher than 7300', and if so, did they see a skin track? And if any other parties did make it higher and didn't see a skin track, did they see or hear an avy off Colfax or the upper Deming? And at what time on Sunday did the weather move in to the extent that it would cover up the previous day's tracks? Etc.

 

Thank you everybody for following the thread, for volunteering info, for searching, and for your words of concern. If anybody has any of the aforementioned info, please feel free to call me. Also, if anybody is planning on making a summit bid (from any route), please feel free to call me as I have an additional request if you make it to the top....

 

Tim Terpstra

(360) 424-5238

[gilder]

Hello Kahnmann,

 

Thank you for your input.

 

You are so right - KEVIN is TRUE BLUE.

 

(Meaning he is a true friend when made)

 

Shooot, I hope you all know where I coming from here - just a little tired and I'm sure that you are even more so.

 

gil.

[gilder]

As a result of a telephone call, I feel that I must put a face here, as to who I am.

 

I am only trying to give an avenue for help.

 

I am at your service.

 

gil.

Edited May 7, 2008 by gilder

[SkagitQueen]

This is a post from Amy Brown, a friend of Kevin's who has been coordinating search efforts:

 

This is the latest update I have on the search for Kevin LaFleur.

 

Early Sunday morning, approximately 30 volunteers and 8 snowmobiles gathered up the Glacier Creek Road. There were several groups searching down low, a group that formed a base camp at about 7,000 feet, and many volunteers who helped ferry equipment and supplies up to the base camp.

 

A group led by Timothy Terpstra attempted to summit Mount Baker yesterday (Monday) morning but were forced to turn around due to whiteout conditions. However, two groups – a group of 10 and a group of 2, both unconnected from the search effort, did manage to summit successfully on Sunday. They reported nothing unusual at the top. It was found that any avalanches seen (near Colfax Peak and the Coleman Headwall) have since consolidated and are covered with a hard glaze and are thus nearly impossible to search.

 

The base camp group decided to come out yesterday. Everyone made it home safely.

 

At this point, there are no additional coordinated search efforts planned. If anyone goes up and has any news, please post updates here.

 

In honor of Kevin’s love of the wilderness, we ask anyone planning to operate a snowmobile in the wilderness area for further search efforts to please consult with the Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest for clearance. Many, many thanks to the snow machine drivers who contributed their time, skill, gas and machines to the search effort. Your help was invaluable and greatly appreciated. May the snowshoers, boarders and skiers never have to return the favor, but if you call, we will come.

 

We’d like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to the search or offered assistance. This has been an incredibly difficult process and we want Kevin’s family and friends know that we think of them now and will continue to remember them, and Kevin, each and every time we go into the mountains.

[gilder]

Hello Amy,

 

My name is Gildersleeve (Gerry) Beaupre and your name has come into the picture (at the start) as a very good friend of KEVIN.

 

You are so right in your request and I am sure that all that read your post will honour that request.

 

I hope that by now you have met RYAN LAFLEUR, of whom I wish that he were my own brother and not just a relative and it was the same with KEVIN.

 

I feel fortunate for knowing KEVIN, RYAN, AMY BROWN and ALL of his FRIENDS.

 

I am your friend and contrary to what some members here might think, I am only here to help.

 

I cannot tell you exactly what each member of the LAFLEUR family thinks, but I can tell you for sure that every time that you go out to ski & climb - they /we will be with you & yours.

 

Amy, you are good!

 

Thanx,

 

gil.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2008 by gilder

[gilder]

They say that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the best lessons learned in life are from the most heartbreaking situations. Something good may come of this specific situation.

 

My question to you. Is there a member of the Sheriff's Department that is an active climber / skier of these mountains and if not, why not? Can you see where I am going here? 1/2 of knowing = 1/2 of solving.

 

As a result of past contacts in my SAR K9 ESU, I contacted this areas Sheriff's Dept. last week and was given the name of a former Connecticut Trooper that is considered the leading expert / instructor of SAR K9 in the USA and if not the World. Now this is a small World, as he lives in your own back yard of Seattle Washington. At this time I feel that I cannot give his name, but I have met him and have had a recent conversation coupled with an email communicae. He is currently reviewing the facts as one of his expertise is in the use of K9 and avalanches. At the time of this most unfortunate incident I was unable to locate / contact him, as he was giving a seminar in Fairbanks.

 

I would like you to know that EVERYTHING has been / is being done to help / assist you. I have had contact with Governor Gregoire's Office, The US Coast Guard Homeland Security and the RCMP Airwing in your area. No stone is being left unturned. All of this was being done last week, while the majority of you were actively engaged in rescue mode. What I am attempting to do is find the right tools for you to work with to get the task at hand completed with closure and to have all available options known for the future.

 

If you think that I might be out of line here, please advise.

 

I remain, gil.

[Bug]

 

My question to you. Is there a member of the Sheriff's Department that is an active climber / skier of these mountains and if not, why not? Can you see where I am going here? 1/2 of knowing = 1/2 of solving.

 

Yes. Each SAR unit has a 4x4 team, a snowmobile team, and a Mountain team. I do not know the name of the Whatcom County Sheriffs Office SAR person. But as a member of Seattle Mountain Rescue, I know there is one.

"Bellingham Mountain Rescue volunteers and the group Snowmobile Volunteers plan to search the area in the lower Coleman Glacier. Skagit Mountain Rescue will also search the east side of the mountain in case Lafleur went into the Baker Lake area."

 

It is a VERY well organized SAR group and we freely call each other for help. We are volunteers but we spend a lot of time training. After climbing for 35+ years and then going through their training, I was VERY impressed with everyone I worked with and would be very comforted knowing they were looking for me or a loved one.

[Kahnmann]

SkagitQueen, could you please ask Amy to let you know of any further communication with kev's family in the weeks to come?

 

Considering the number of views (over 5000) this thread has hit, it appears a lot of people are using this forum as a primary means of current information, I know I am. The follow up from the Bham Herald is nonexistent.

 

Thank you.

[gilder]

Thank you Bug for your insight and we appreciate that. Much like we would never have understood the awesomeness or humbling feeling of your mountains if not for the photos on this site. Far out of our league.

 

Kahnmann, please keep in touch and as soon as we hear anything on this end, we will post it here.

 

Again, Thank You for what you have done and continue to do.

 

A very tight & good Family you all are.

 

A smile here,

 

gil.

[gilder]

In all of the involved participants efforts to bring this to closure, we appreciate this and would truely like to do more than what we have done.

 

Is there anything that is needed in the way of supplies, monies or support that we might provide? Given the rocketing cost of fuel / food, (not to mention your own time & expense) I know that many here would like to contibute in some way.

 

I am still waiting for another telephone call re SAR K9 and I want you to know that Sgt Robert Brennan of the Connecticut State Police K9 Training Staff, has offered his technical assistance. He also recommends the SAR K9 expert in your area.

I would post a copy of this email, but names are listed on it and I feel that I do not have their permission to give this out.

 

For now, this is all that I have.

 

Thanx,

 

gil.

Edited May 8, 2008 by gilder

[woodchips]

Hi Gil,

You could consider Bellingham Mountain Rescue:

 

BMRC Website

 

They're a great bunch of folks. They'd appreciate hearing from you.

 

Their mailing address is:

P.O. Box 292

Bellingham, WA 98227

[snoboy]

Gilder, I would suggest that if you want to make a donation or something like that, it would be appropriate to consider the local SAR group, like woodchips suggested.

 

This would benefit the climbing community, because they are there to save our butts if it's our turn, and it would be a token of appreciation of the work they've already done.

 

If you choose to go that route, you may want to contact them and see what they would like, whether it's money, or an item of equiment. Most SAR groups have a long list of gear that they would like to get one day...

[sobo]

Not trying to stir up the pot here, but Gilder, if you decide to donate to the mountain rescue folks that looked for Kevin, be very specific that you want your donation to go to the mountain rescue folks, not to SAR in general. Let me explain...

 

If you contact the BMRC (and/or Skagit MR) folks directly, or use the link woodchips provided and click on the PayPal toggle, rest assured that they will get your donation. However, if you contact the Whatcom (and/or Skagit) County SAR directly, which operates out of the county sheriff's office, the likelihood of your donation reaching BMRC (and/or SMR) is considerably reduced. Your donation will likely go into a "general fund" of donations. If that's OK with you, so be it. But I sense by your post that you would like to donate directly to the folks who were on the mountain looking for Kevin. That would (primarily) be the BMRC (SMR) folks. The Whatcom (and/or Skagit) County general SAR types, probably not so much.

 

As Bug tried to explain, us Mountain Rescue folks are all volunteers. We have a skill, and we lend it when it is requested of us. We get that request through the reporting party calling 911. The 911 call/request for help is then routed to the county sheriff for the county where the assistance is needed. The Sheriff's Office for that county then makes a decision that SAR (in general) is needed. Once it is determined which specialty group (i.e., mountain rescue in this case) within the larger, general, SAR organization is needed, that group is contacted. It is primarily those folks that go up the mountain to search and rescue.

 

Why do I say this? We in Central Washington Mountain Rescue (CWMR) have had several missions whereupon the conclusion thereof, the parties (or their next of kin) have wanted to make a dontation to CWMR. These people send in their donation to the Yakima County Sheriff/SAR (who we operate under, as previously described), who cashes their check and deposits the money into the general county SAR operating fund. We (CWMR) never see the money. Sometimes, we run into these people again somewhere, and they ask about their donation. What have we to say? "We never got it. It went to SAR."

 

So the lesson: Be very specific to whom you want your donation to go, if in fact you want it to go to BMRC (and/or SMR), and not the general SAR organization.

 

Thanks,

Paul Soboleski

Immediate Past President, CWMR

 

[Bug]

BMRC was the primary responder on this search.

 

[sobo]

Thanks Keith. I only included SMR (via edit) because of this statement, from your post above:

 

"Bellingham Mountain Rescue volunteers and the group Snowmobile Volunteers plan to search the area in the lower Coleman Glacier. Skagit Mountain Rescue will also search the east side of the mountain in case Lafleur went into the Baker Lake area."

 

I don't know how wide Gilder and friends want to cast their net, so I was being inclusive of both MR units in my last post.

[mazegirl]

I asked 2 of our hiking partners who were waiting for rest of us at parking area for a couple hours that evening. They said they didn't see this red car. I'm wondering where/when did you find Kevin's car at snowline.

 

 

 

[Bug]

My mistake. I belong to Seattle Mountain Rescue. We were not called.

Skagit Mountain Rescue may have been equally involved.

[sobo]

No apology required.

 

BTW, we weren't called either.

[Hank]

"Considering the number of views (over 5000) this thread has hit, it appears a lot of people are using this forum as a primary means of current information, I know I am."

 

First post here, new member to cascadeclimbers.com

 

I've been reading this over the past week and a half as I grieve for my friend Kevin and his family. Kevin and I had a long friendship. We went to undergrad together, lived on the same floor in the dorms, took many classes together, travelled to Ecuador together... I lived in Seattle and he in Lynden. We would visit eachother often during my 5 years in Seattle. Kevin, Tim Terpstra, and I were up on Mt Rainier 5 or 6 years ago but had to turn back due to weather and my aching hip. Kevin came all the way out to Idaho a year and a half ago to celebrate Thanksgiving with me and my family.

 

Tim et al, I want to thank you for your efforts in locating Kevin. This has been a very difficult time for me as well. The loss of a friend like Kevin hurts more than I imagined.

 

I'm thankful, however, and I take solace in the facts that he was doing what he loved most in the place he loved most, over the years he has been surrounded by friends who love him, and he can now rest safe in the arms of Jesus. Kevin was a Christian brother in the truest sense and I look forward to fellowshipping with him again one day.

 

To Kevin's family: There are people all over the country (and the world) who have been praying for you all.

 

Warm regards,

Hank

[gilder]

Hello Hank,

 

Your words are well chosen and descibe the exact person that KEVIN is.

 

I keep in mind that his closest family members read of this site and I have to choose my words very carefully. (I know that I don't use spell-checker and I need bi-focals)

 

For myself, I will continue to find a way to locate him for the Family.

 

But I try to keep a reasonable & prudent mind in now having been informed of the conditions of the area.

 

To sobo & Bug,

 

I think that at this time, I should not venture into why your units were not called out.

 

I understand how to send contributions to the right source and I really appreciate this.

 

BTW, What music do you listen to when not the wind?

 

Always,

 

gil.

Edited May 8, 2008 by gilder

[sobo]

BTW, What music do you listen to when not the wind?

 

Predominantly classical, although the somewhat more obscure classical.

Usually written in a minor key, and with a strong violin section.

But my musical tastes are highly varied. To say I only listen to classical music would really be misleading someone.

[gilder]

Hi sobo,

 

Music is good for the soul and if it was good enough for Solomon, it is good enough for me.

 

I just might have some to share - and in many areas.

 

gil.