banos Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017251664_apusmissingsnowshoer1stldwritethru.html ASHFORD, Wash. — National park rangers and volunteers plan to resume the search at daylight for a snowshoer who's been missing since Saturday on Washington state's Mount Rainier. Sixty-six-year-old Yong Chun Kim, of Tacoma, became separated from a hiking club when he slid down a slope and said he would meet them farther down the trail. He was reported missing when he failed to meet the group back at Paradise. A park spokeswoman says 45 people and three dog teams took part in Sunday's search. Rangers heard from a backcountry camper who reported seeing snowshoe tracks on Saturday. Kim is described as an experienced snowshoer, but he was not equipped to stay out overnight in the blizzard conditions on the mountain. ------- Prayers... Quote
sobo Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Heard about this last night. Hope he does a lot better than the guy who killed the ranger two weeks ago. Here's hoping for a positive outcome. FYI, the Idiots on Parade have already weighed in... Very first comment, from Ruth98382: "If he was an "experienced snowshoer" why would he have not been equipped to stay outside overnight?" Yeah, like I'm going to pack a sleeping bag and pad, tent, stove, fuel, cookware, extra food, PLB, MLU, SPOT, etc. every time I go out on a freak'n day trip. I'm sure Ruth piles all of that shit into her Expedition when she heads out on a day-long shopping spree at Nordstrom's. Fuq'n armchair recreationalists should just stay on the couch, watch Oprah, eat their Bon Bons, and STFU! Quote
DPS Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Shoot, just about the worst weather of the season too. Quote
CascadeClimber Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Agree with sobo: Carrying winter survival gear on a day trip isn't practical. However...not getting separated from the group you are LEADING is a basic thing. It's winter. Ending up alone and/or disoriented for even an hour can have severe consequences. I hope the guy is found alive, and after two nights it would be a miracle. Quote
Drederek Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 I don't know about anyone else but I like to think I could hunker down for a coupla days if I had to on a day trip. I sure hope they find him soon . Quote
CascadeClimber Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Apparently he's been found alive in the Steven's Creek drainage. Quote
sobo Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Hurray! Good to hear. Now, cue the retards with the "I'm sick of paying for rescues" laments in 3... 2... 1... Quote
DPS Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 I hope he doesn't have serious cold related injuries, just a good story to tell. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Agree with sobo: Carrying winter survival gear on a day trip isn't practical. However...not getting separated from the group you are LEADING is a basic thing. It's winter. Ending up alone and/or disoriented for even an hour can have severe consequences. I hope the guy is found alive, and after two nights it would be a miracle. This was the mistake: "Sixty-six-year-old Yong Chun Kim, of Tacoma, became separated from a hiking club when he slid down a slope and said he would meet them farther down the trail." Good to hear he got out safe and sound! Quote
Alasdair Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Be careful when you second guess others decisions in the mountains. I was out there on Saturday and saw this group. The weather went from marginal to really really bad very quick. The visibility was as low as I have seen it at one point, and it would be possible to loose your group by walking 10 feet away. One second it was ok the next the wind was picking up so much snow that it was hard to keep my group close enough to maintain visual contact. Glad to hear this guy is ok. I had the feeling someone would get into trouble that day as I was leaving the parking lot. Quote
JayB Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 Heard about this last night. Hope he does a lot better than the guy who killed the ranger two weeks ago. Here's hoping for a positive outcome. FYI, the Idiots on Parade have already weighed in... Very first comment, from Ruth98382: "If he was an "experienced snowshoer" why would he have not been equipped to stay outside overnight?" Yeah, like I'm going to pack a sleeping bag and pad, tent, stove, fuel, cookware, extra food, PLB, MLU, SPOT, etc. every time I go out on a freak'n day trip. I'm sure Ruth piles all of that shit into her Expedition when she heads out on a day-long shopping spree at Nordstrom's. Fuq'n armchair recreationalists should just stay on the couch, watch Oprah, eat their Bon Bons, and STFU! Totally agree that you have to limit what you take on day trips for practical and aesthetic reasons (no fun to lug around tons of extra gear on your day trip). Having said that, I do try to take enough to survive at least one night out. Or at least delude myself into thinking that I'll be able to survive the night with what I've got. It might just be me, but sometimes the line between casual daytrip and full-bore epic seems to be way finer in the winter-time, particularly when the days are short. In addition to some extra food and the other usual stuff like a lighter/matches that includes a super-compressed FF Vireo half bag, a superlight bivy sack, a trimmed-down piece of blue pad that I line my pack with, a pocket rocket, a small can of fuel, and a 1L aluminum pot. I also always carry a shovel, but since I'm normally on skis or rigged up for travel in avy-land I don't really consider that an extra. Not sure what it all weighs but it doesn't seem prohibitively heavy. At least in my head I can picture being able to dig in, brew-up, get insulated, and stay alive (but not necessarily warm) for at least one night in most conditions. I'm sure it's overkill compared to what most folks bring along for the day, but I'd be curious to hear what, if anything, folks toss in their packs for daytrips in the winter. Quote
Jim Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 ..... but I'd be curious to hear what, if anything, folks toss in their packs for daytrips in the winter. Similar discussion here: http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=22068.0 Quote
sobo Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 ...I'd be curious to hear what, if anything, folks toss in their packs for daytrips in the winter.A little extra food that doesn't require cooking, lighter/matches and fire starter, a lightweight space blanket, a half body length of closed-cell foam pad, and a treated nylon bivy sack that stuffs up really tiny. I skip the stove and fuel, relying upon the fire starter to build a fire/create warmth. The extra food I take does not require cooking, so no stove/pot/fuel required. You can almost always find liquid water somewhere even in winter, so again, no stove/pot/fuel required. So I can find a sheltered place (large rocks/boulders, frozen tree well, etc.); wrap myself in the space blanket; crawl into the bivy sack; and sit/curl up on my pad and pack; munch on some nuts, raisins, jerkey, and cheese; and tough it out for a night at least, maybe even two. Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) ..... but I'd be curious to hear what, if anything, folks toss in their packs for daytrips in the winter. 3/5 of a Z-Rest pad which folded in thirds forms the back panel of my backpack Bivi sack Extra socks Pocket Rocket, 1 liter pot, tiny lighter, 8 oz fuel cannister Edited January 17, 2012 by DPS Quote
montypiton Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 the skills to maintain stable body temperature and obtain water are all one need carry. I was very fortunate during my teenage years to have mentors who could teach those skills. Food becomes a life/death issue only after a week or more. I generally carry very little, but almost always at least a small folding shovel when moving in snow country, and a heat-source (usually the smallest stove I can find) if away from timber. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 ..... but I'd be curious to hear what, if anything, folks toss in their packs for daytrips in the winter. 3/5 of a Z-Rest pad which folded in thirds forms the back panel of my backpack Bivi sack Extra socks Pocket Rocket, 1 liter pot, tiny lighter, 8 oz fuel cannister Bivy sack, and at least 3/4 length of pad (my 40l pack has a pad that comes right out, my 20l pack does not). Down coat, balaclava, extra gloves (mits actually). Quote
obwan Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 It will be interesting to hear the survivor's story, and what emergency gear he had along. Having a decade of winter hiking/snowshoeing and leading a group of sixteen people, I'm sure he was equipped as noted in the above posts. If not then he was very lucky and very hardcore. A snowcave is 2-3 times warmer than the reported night time temps of 14 degress. And even those emergency bivvy bags will save your ass. Quote
sobo Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 After seeing JayB's, DPS's, and montypiton's lists and reading some reviews on the MSR Pocket Rocket, I may be convinced to add this stove to my winter day-trip kit. It sure seems light, compact, and nearly idiot-proof (I know, I know, I'm a better idiot). Stash it in a 1 liter pot, toss in a small fuel canister and a ramen noodle pack or some cup-o-soups, and I could start to really enjoy getting lost... Quote
DPS Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I like carrying a stove because curling up with a nice hot water bottle along with having a hot drink makes those long, cold bivis more bearable. Quote
bcollins Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 As someone who's spent an unplanned night out on the slopes above Paradise, I'll weigh in. A winter AT trip on the Muir snowfield. Weather deteriorates quickly below Pan Point, me and a 17 yr old newbie get disorientated and veer east, down the fall line, despite trying to follow a due south compass bearing. By 10 pm my headlight fails, so we radio into buddies at Paradise and dig in. Next day we skied out to Paradise through 14 inches of powder and single digits. I learned this: *Bring exta dry glove liners, my wetted out gloves froze into bricks. *Waterproof matches. Even in the dead of winter, below treeline we could have built a fire. *Emergency bivi sack. Light weight and would have been oh so nice. That's about it. We had extra layers, we kept a cool head, dug into a small clump of trees and stayed warm by doing squats, step ups all night. We were in communication via radio, ate the last of our food and water, and counted the minutes until first light. Of course it's not practical to bring everything on a day hike/ski, but it's possible to survive in good spirits and not endanger others with a little forethought and basic survival skills. Barry BTW so glad to hear that Mr. Kim is ok Quote
mattp Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I used to carry a pair of pile pants (capri length with separable zippers on the legs). Along with a down jacket, and a shovel and, if the weather was inclement, shell gear, I always figured I could make it through a night and the warm clothing would be handy if somebody got hurt, even if an overnight was not necessary. Never tested it though, and eventually stopped carrying the pile. Quote
Water Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I always have some basic of extra gloves, sit pad, shovel, plenty of food. this winter just decided to bite the bullet and bring along enough for a more comfortable night out, even during a basic day snowshoe in the woods with wife or friends. Reactor stove, first ascent peak vx jacket, some monster mittens. I consider it training weight. Quote
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