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In summer, snow still the enemy Two rescued in separate mountain incidents
The Bulletin
By Scott Hammers
July 8, 2011
Even in July, last winter's record snowfall presents a threat to hikers venturing into the forest unprepared.

Tuesday, a 17-year-old Bend boy fell into a 20-foot-deep crevasse shortly after reaching the summit of South Sister. The boy was able to climb out of the crevasse with minor injuries, but Deschutes County Search and Rescue was called in to help him and his climbing party get off the mountain.

Wednesday, a Sisters woman was found distraught on State Highway 242, having just come off the Pacific Crest Trail.

According to Forest Service law enforcement officers, the woman and her dog had been dropped off where the trail crosses Santiam Pass five days earlier, with arrangements to meet her father at Elk Lake on Wednesday. Instead, she encountered heavy snow and made it only a fraction of the way.

Having made it about two days south of State Highway 242, the woman ran out of water and panicked. She abandoned her tent and other equipment and headed back north to the highway, leaving behind a note reading “going to 242, please save us.”

Chris Sabo, trails specialist for the Deschutes National Forest, said while the Pacific Crest Trail hiker was reunited with her family, her trip — as well as the Bend teen's trip up South Sister — could have ended disastrously.

The woman suffered scratches from sinking knee-deep into the snow, but this “postholing” easily could have resulted in a broken leg or other serious leg injury, Sabo said. Although she was carrying a cellphone, she did not have service, Sabo said, and did not encounter any other hikers in her six days on the trail.

“People (are) going to go out no matter what we tell them, and things like this will happen,” he said. “Search and Rescue is probably going to see a higher blip of missions out there until this melts off.”

Late-season snow doesn't seem to be deterring locals and tourists from heading into the forest, said Lt. Scott Shelton of Search & Rescue. Although nobody has been seriously injured, Shelton said many have found themselves ill-prepared.

“People are moving out to higher country and to the more remote areas not realizing we still have a lot of snow and the trails are not in the best condition,” Shelton said.

"Melt-off is running about three to four weeks behind normal around South Sister", Sabo said, "and a bit further behind on the western slopes of the Cascades".

Sabo said he went up to South Sister on July 1 for some backcountry skiing and found conditions difficult. "Melting snow is opening up 'crevasses', and the 'snow cupping' is abundant. The large melted pits make the snow surface resemble a giant golf ball and complicate travel across the uneven footing".

At Moraine Lake, about two miles up the trail from the Cascade Lakes Highway, Sabo observed snow six to eight feet deep and most of the lake frozen over. "Trails in the area are not well marked", he said, "and can be difficult to locate when snow obscures the path".

“I think we're going to get a lot more people that haven't hiked in these summer snow conditions, and whether it's falling into a 'crevasse', a creek, even a lake, some of them are going to get in trouble,” Sabo said.

Shelton said summerlike weather at lower altitudes does not guarantee mild conditions as hikers head into the mountains.

“You've got to be properly equipped. You don't hike on a glacier in tennis shoes. It's common sense.”

Early season hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking can damage trails.

The trail network linking South Sister, Green Lakes and the Green Lakes Trailhead near Devils Lake is the most-used high-altitude trail system in the state, Sabo said, and heavy traffic there makes it vulnerable to damage while snow is melting off.

Hikers who steer around puddles or un-melted snow are likely to trample plant life on either side, inadvertently widening the trail. Additionally, the long snow season has prevented crews from removing blown-down trees on most High Cascades trails, in some cases rendering them impassible for hikers or horseback riders without stepping off into the sensitive vegetation.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110708/NEWS01/107080387

What can be learned from these informative incidents?

We have been unable to talk to either of the two backcountry travelers whose narrow escapes are described above.
Federal HIPPA privacy laws prevent medical personnel, including SAR Units, from providing contact information for patients. If the travelers will contact us, we will correct any inaccuracies in our analysis. This is not a 'could-a, would-a, should-a exercise, but a traditional effort to help folks learn valuable lessons from the experiences of others.

The SAR Press Release for the crevasse incident stated in part:
". . .one of the climbers, a 17-year-old boy, wandered off-trail near the Lewis Glacier and fell 20 feet into a crevasse -- a deep crack in ice", said sheriff's Deputy Rhett Hemphill.

In fact, one must intentionally clamber many meters off the obvious dirt trail on the lateral moraine and intentionally climb out onto what can appear to be an inviting snow field, to "glissade" down the snow. The word "wandering" does not report the true picture of this incident.

The normal scramble trail to the volcanic caldera rim is along the west lateral moraine of rock and pumice pushed up by the slowly sliding ice. It actually melts clear of snow very early in the season and can be seen from Bend. See the photos and description of the glacier in my previous post: http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News_SouthSister_Crevasse.htm

This page describes the exhausting climb to the summit of South Sister: http://traditionalmountaineering.org/Photos_SoSister.htm

As for any lessons out of this: "Stay on the trails," Hemphill said. "Make sure you know proper climbing techniques. When you are up there doing the glacier crossings, just make sure you practice the right safety stuff."

Robert Speik comments: "Perhaps the best lesson is to carry a small day pack with extra clothing insulation, snacks and water and a map, compass and GPS. Carry an ordinary cell phone to call 911 and talk with SAR about your 'dislocated knee' ". SAR is organized to serve the public and you will not be charged for the call. Yes, they can most probably locate you through your ordinary phone, taking the search out of search and rescue."

The SAR Press Release for the exhausted PCT section hiker stated in part:
"Wednesday, a Sisters woman was found distraught on State Highway 242, having just come off the Pacific Crest Trail."

According to Forest Service law enforcement officers, the woman and her dog had been dropped off where the trail crosses Santiam Pass five days earlier, with arrangements to meet her father at Elk Lake on Wednesday. Instead, she encountered heavy snow and made it only a fraction of the way.

Having made it about two days south of State Highway 242, the woman ran out of water and panicked. She abandoned her tent and other equipment and headed back north to the highway, leaving behind a note reading 'going to 242, please save us.”

Robert Speik comments: Note that many who panic and abandon their packs, die from hypothermia in their run for the trail head. (Never abandon your shelter, insulation, food and water.)

“I think we're going to get a lot more people that haven't hiked in these summer snow conditions, and whether it's falling into a crevasse, a creek, even a lake, some of them are going to get in trouble,” Sabo said.
Since a crevasse is by definition only possible in an ancient glacier, falling into one is very unlikely.

"Although she was carrying a cellphone, she did not have service", Sabo said. Unfortunately, Sabo does not say if her provider was Verizon, which is dedicated to rural coverage as well as fancy apps.

Note that the "crevasse" Rescue was initiated by a cell phone call to 911 from near the summit of South Sister. Multiple cell phone providers have leased space, legally permitted and also supplied with electricity, on the top of Mt. Bachelor. The summit of South Sister is a very short straight line distance from the summit of Mt. Bachelor.

The other rescue was initiated after a two day retreat, post-holing in deep soft snow during one of the warmest periods of this spring. By luck the woman found some one to help her along the road.