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Teen girls lost overnight returning from Moraine Lake, rescued by SAR
Lost hikers located in Elk Lake area
The Bulletin
From Staff reports
June 1, 2009
Deputies and a Search and Rescue team from the Deschutes County
Sheriff's office found two teenage hikers early Sunday morning, following an
overnight search that began at 7:11 p.m. Saturday, according to a Sheriff's
Office news release.
Searchers found Sara Fischer, 18, of Eugene and Beth Scott, 18, of San Diego,
uninjured, at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday near the Horse Lake trail, about a mile
west of Elk Lake, according to the news release. Fischer and Scott were near the
area above Moraine Lake at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday when they became confused
and started hiking west through deep snow, then in a southerly direction. After
they had walked about eight miles, Scott and Fischer stopped and built a
makeshift shelter for the night.
Meanwhile, search teams went out from several trailheads and Air-Link with a
Search and Rescue member on board, flew over the area south of South Sister
until they ran low on fuel.
Fischer and Scott were not experienced hikers, and did not have the appropriate
safety equipment for the hike, according to the Sheriff's Office. the Sheriff's
Office reminds people who recreate in the Cascades to be prepared for various
weather conditions and take maps and other necessary equipment.
Here is the rest of the story
There have been several individuals who have become lost
while attempting to return to Devils Lake from whence they had come a short
time earlier in the day on their way to the slopes of South Sister and to
Moraine Lake. I have a theory and here it is: The Headwall of the moraine
that creates the Moraine Lake is not easy to see for the uninformed. Most
novices fail to look in the rear view mirror as they top out to a stunning
view. They follow an easier way toward the west and soon lose all track of
direction and distance. The summer trails cut through the thick forest block
views of the highway nearby and folks end up after an all night epic at
cross trails near Elk Lake the next morning. Read about this anomaly here:
Lost climber hikes 6.5 miles from South Sister Trail to Elk Lake
and Read More under Lost and Found below.
--Webmeister Speik
What can be learned from this incident?
1. Practice the Four Basic Responsibilities of the Backcountry Traveler. Basic
2. Carry the new Ten Essential Systems, sized for the forecast weather and the adventure in a light day pack. This includes a map, compass and GPS and the skills to use them. In the winter, this includes enough extra insulation and waterproof clothing to keep you dry and warm if you become stranded. In snow, you must have a shovel and insulating pad and the skills to make a shelter in the snow to avoid hypothermia and frost bite damage. Essentials
3. Carry a fully charged digital cell phone and periodically check where it can communicate with any cell towers to assist authorities to triangulate your position from cell tower pings. (Most cell providers do not use cell phone GPS signals to locate customers under FCC E911 regulations - they use triangulation). Cold disables batteries. If the weather is cold, carry the cell phone in a pants pocket near the femoral artery. Report your UTM NAD27 coordinates, your condition, the conditions where you are and discuss your plans with SAR. Cell Phones If you may be out of cell tower range, carry a SPOT. SPOT Satellite Messenger
4. Always stay found on your map and by being aware of major land features such as Mt. Bachelor. If visibility starts to wane, reconfirm your bearings with your map, compass and GPS and quickly return to a known location (Cascade Lakes Highway, Mt. Bachelor, a Nordic Shelter, etc.) A GPS is the only practical way for a trained individual to navigate in a whiteout or blowing snow. Lost Mt Hood Climbers
A suggested minimum standard news advisory for all backcountry travelers
"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water or Gatorade, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone and inexpensive walkie-talkie radios. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials Systems" in a day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.
Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or move around your marked location to stay warm. Do not try to find your way until you are exhausted, or worse yet - wet. Wait for rescuers.
THE MISSION of TraditionalMountaineering.org
"To provide information and instruction about world-wide basic to advanced alpine mountain climbing safety skills and gear, on and off trail hiking, scrambling and light and fast Leave No Trace backpacking techniques based on the foundation of an appreciation for the Stewardship of the Land, all illustrated through photographs and accounts of actual shared mountaineering adventures."
TraditionalMountaineering is founded on the premise that "He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught", that exploring the hills and summitting peaks have dangers that are hidden to the un-informed and that these inherent risks can be in part, identified and mitigated by mentoring: information, training, wonderful gear, and knowledge gained through the experiences of others.
The value of TraditionalMountaineering to our Friends and Subscribers is the selectivity of the information we provide, and its relevance to introducing folks to informed hiking on the trail, exploring off the trail, mountain travel and Leave-no-Trace light-weight bivy and backpacking, technical travel over steep snow, rock and ice, technical glacier travel and a little technical rock climbing on the way to the summit. Whatever your capabilities and interests, there is a place for everyone in traditional alpine mountaineering.
Read more . . .
Lost and Found
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Longacre Expeditions teen group rescued from the snowdrifts above Todd Lake
Lost climber hikes 6.5 miles from South Sister Trail to Elk Lake
Hiking couple lost three nights in San Jacinto Wilderness find abandoned gear
Expert skier lost five days in North Cascades without Essentials, map and compass
Climber disappears on the steep snow slopes of Mount McLaughlin
Hiker lost five days in freezing weather on Mount Hood
Professor and son elude search and rescue volunteers
Found person becomes lost and eludes rescuers for five days
Teens, lost on South Sister, use cell phone with Search and Rescue
Lost man walks 27 miles to the highway from Elk Lake Oregon
Snowboarder Found After Week in Wilderness
Searchers rescue hiker at Smith Rock, find lost climbers on North Sister
Girl Found In Lane County After Lost On Hiking Trip
Search and rescue finds young girls lost from family group
Portland athlete lost on Mt. Hood
Rescues after the recent snows
Novice couple lost in the woods
Broken Top remains confirmed as missing climber
Ollalie Trail - OSU Trip - Lost, No Map, Inadequate Clothing
Your Essential Light Day Pack
What are the new Ten Essential Systems?
What does experience tell us about Light and Fast climbing?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is Light and Fast alpine climbing?
What do you carry in your day pack?
Photos?
What do you carry in your winter day pack?
Photos?
What should I know about "space blankets"?
Where can I get a personal and a group first aid kit?
Photos?
Carboration and Hydration
Is running the Western States 100 part of "traditional mountaineering"?
What's wrong with GORP?
Answers to the quiz!
Why do I need to count carbohydrate calories?
What should I know about having a big freeze-dried dinner?
What about carbo-ration and fluid replacement during traditional alpine climbing?
4 pages in pdf
What should I eat before a day of alpine climbing?
About Alpine Mountaineering:
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities
Cuatro Responsabiliades Basicas de Quienes Salen al Campo
The Ten Essentials
Los Diez Sistemas Esenciales
Our Leader's Guidelines:
Our Volunteer Leader Guidelines
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus
This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus
Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form
This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form
Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit
Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)
About our World Wide Website:
Information
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Map, Compass and GPS
Map, compass and GPS navigation training Noodle in The Badlands
BLM guidelines for Geocaching on public lands
Geocaching on Federal Forest Lands
OpEd - Geocaching should not be banned in the Badlands
Winter hiking in The Badlands WSA just east of Bend
Searching for the perfect gift
Geocaching: What's the cache?
Geocaching into the Canyon of the Deschutes
Can you catch the geocache?
Z21 covers Geocaching
Tour The Badlands with ONDA
The art of not getting lost
Geocaching: the thrill of the hunt!
GPS in the news
A GPS and other outdoor gadgets make prized gifts
Wanna play? Maps show you the way
Cooking the "navigation noodle"
