Three missing hikers found dead on Baldy Mountain
Recovery work is underway.
Fox – LA
Tragedies have struck two popular trails in Washington state, leaving four people dead in separate accidents, including one in Mount Rainier National Park.
Two longtime friends in their 70s were killed by a tree that fell on the trail they were hiking with a third friend just outside Olympic National Park, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
“I heard a loud crack that I’ll never forget,” surviving hiker Kathy Todd told USA TODAY Network’s Kitsap Sun. “I ran as fast as I could. I’m sure they ran too.”
The accident occurred on January 15th near Lena Lake in the Olympia National Forest. Two days later, two climbers were reported to have missed their scheduled arrival time in Mount Rainier National Park, about 160 miles to the southeast. Their bodies were discovered on January 20th.
Here’s what you need to know about each tragedy, new fatalities in California’s mountains in recent months, and how to stay safe when exploring the outdoors.
Women killed at the Olympics ‘always had a good time’
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Cathy Todd was hiking the Lena Lake Trail with her adventure partners Christine Mutchler, 70, and Kathryn Pickard, 76, when a “large, dead evergreen tree snapped near the ground and fell onto the trail.”
The tree hits Picard and throws her off the road, killing her instantly. Mutchler initially survived and was rescued after a helicopter hoist rescue, but he did not survive, the sheriff’s office said.
Mutchler, Pickard and Todd were part of a small group of friends who were into weekly trivia games and frequently skied at Crystal Mountain, just outside Mount Rainier, longtime friend Sheryl Griffin told the Kitsap Sun.
Griffin said it had been decades since anyone in the group wore skates, but Mutchler recently led the group on an ice skating trip.
“She was one of those people who was willing to do anything that someone else wanted her to do,” Griffin said. “She never turned down an opportunity to do something… She had so much fun. It’s heartbreaking.”
Sarah Rogers, who became friends with the women after meeting them on a ski bus to Crystal Mountain, told the Sun that Mutchler and Picard were immediately welcoming and regularly invited them out for dinner and trips.
“They were a crowd in the back of the bus,” Rogers said. “It’s really upbeat. Happy, active, energetic, fun. Always having fun in the best possible way.”
Climbers found dead on Mount Rainier’s Wilson Glacier
The National Park Service announced on January 22, two days after Mutchler and Pickard were killed, that park rangers had begun searching for the two overdue climbers after learning they had not been able to contact their loved ones since January 17.
Rangers found the climber’s car in the park’s main parking lot leading to the summit trailhead. Shortly after, they discovered two lifeless objects near Mount Rainier’s Wilson Glacier.
Weather conditions prevented the crew from approaching the climber until he was found dead on January 20th. Their bodies were recovered and taken to the coroner’s office.
The park service did not release other details about the climber, including who he was or the cause of his death.
Wilson Glacier requires mountaineering experience and equipment, as it requires traversing 11 miles of ice, snow, and rock over a technical, sheer route at over 4,000 feet of elevation. Climbing a glacier also comes with the risk of falling rocks.
Other recent mountain fatalities in the West
The four deaths in Washington state follow recent tragic ends for climbers in California and Colorado.
California’s Mount Whitney, the highest peak in 48 states and just over 14,500 feet above sea level, is the third climber to die in as many months after falling over the weekend.
Inyo County Search and Rescue announced on Jan. 21 that the climber and his hiking partner were 16 hours into the grueling journey to the summit on Jan. 17 when, at about 12,500 feet, the hiking partner decided it was safest to turn around and descend.
The climber continued climbing while his climbing partner descended. Unable to return to the trailhead by the next morning, rescue teams were dispatched and shortly after discovered the body from a helicopter on the north face of Mount Whitney, just below the so-called “Last 400.”
The final 400 is the final 400 feet to the top of the mountain, often requiring steep rock climbing in snow and ice conditions.
The all-volunteer rescue agency did not say whether the climbers had the appropriate equipment for the conditions, but said the incident was “a reminder that winter mountaineering is not a hike, but a serious mountaineering activity.”
“In winter conditions there is little margin for error and the consequences can be serious,” the agency added.
Meanwhile, three hikers recently died after falling on an icy trail on Southern California’s Baldy Mountain in one day. The area was closed to the public for several days to prevent further tragedy.
Tips for staying safe in the mountains
Although mountain accidents such as fallen trees and rockslides occur accidentally and are sometimes impossible to avoid, there are general safety guidelines that climbers and hikers should follow.
- We recommend that you go with at least one experienced climber when climbing.
- If you started with a partner or group, don’t leave. Groups must move at the same speed as the slowest hiker
- Be careful of fatigue after long periods of exercise. Inyo County Search and Rescue says it can affect decision-making and even increase the chance of a fall, and “knowing when to turn back can save lives.”
- Always have the right equipment for a particular adventure and know how to use it. Consider taking classes to help you learn how to use tools like crampons and ice axes. General wilderness safety and first aid courses can also save lives.
- Make sure you have a paper map and a downloaded cell phone map with a backup battery. Many accidents occur in the mountains simply because people get lost.
- Strengthen slowly and train properly for big efforts.
- Be aware of weather conditions and surroundings. Thunderstorms, high winds, and winter weather can all develop quickly and what seems like a simple hike can turn into a fight for your life.
- Always remember a common saying among experienced hikers: “Reaching the summit is optional, but getting back safely is mandatory.”
Contributor: David Nelson, Kitsap Sun
