Fatality at Muir

I heard on NPR today that they were experienced and got trapped. The husband used his body to protect the other two with his body heat. As Scotsman said, my thoughts to the family and survivors.

I agree that it is hard to be critical without hearing the whole story. However, as I learned from Gary Brill in one of his courses, that these types of tragedies can be used as a case study for decision making in the backcountry.

So, as I read in the paper about what happened it made me immediately think about the decisions that were made. Beginning with the weather forecast, I would agree with Scotsman that I would not have been on Rainier after looking at the forecast that morning. I realize that a lot of that is one's personal comfort level in handling difficult weather conditions and their experience dealing with it. There are obviously people who have experience and know how to handle it - I am not one of those people, so that would keep me off the mountain after seeing the forecast.

I have not climbed to camp Muir before but I have heard the stories of the weather changing very quickly. I am curious to hear from others who have experienced this type of weather while in the backcountry and what are some signs to look for (wind? clouds? snow?) that would cause you to make the decision to either not go or immediately turn around and head down. It is often the hardest decision to turn around after all the time, effort and what looks like good turns ahead but that decision can sometimes save your life.

Thanks for any input.

I wasn't there that day to see what they saw, but I would be wary of high winds, because that can bring storms fast, watching the upper mountain for lenticulars/high winds, and keeping an eye to the SW for incoming systems. Som are very confident in their compass skills from muir to paradise, which is almost like navigating blind in a whiteout, so they will still descend. It's really unfortunate what happened, so close to muir. It's a savage mountain it can be unforgiving. I've got a lot of respect for it, and am sometimes a pansy when it comes to spending time on it.

Here is a good account of the incident and rescue:

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/...un12,0,5906441.story

Very sad. Myself also being in my early thirties with two small children lets me identify pretty closely with this. I frequently wonder if the risks that I take in the mountains are justifiable in terms of my responsibilities to my family. I suppose that we learn what we can and try to remember that none of us are immune. Mistakes included.

This is so sad.  My thoughts are with the families of these folks.

I have hiked to Camp Muir numerous times to get in shape for our summit attempts.  We ALWAYS carry a compass and know the correct heading across the Snowfield.  The weather on the mountain is always unpredictable and changes very quickly at elevation.  When you get on the Muir Snowfield, the wind alone can make it seem like a blizzard from the blowing snow.  It's very easy to become disoriented.  Last year, in one situation, we encountered a blizzard with snow falling hard and blowing hard from 45 mph winds.  I could barely see my hiking companions and I couldn't see the guide wands unless I was right on top of them.  I couldn't see the footsteps of the guy in front of me in our "train" because the blowing snow covered them almost instantly.  We always carry a compass and know the correct heading to get across the Muir Snowfield -- we use this to avoid wandering "over the edge" and down the rocks and to avoid avalanche dangers at the edges.  It might be unusual that the winds were as high as 70 mph, but the conditions themselves (snow, temps, winds) are not unusual at all.  It's seems like it's always blowing around 30-40 mph there making it hard to stand-up even in "clear" conditions.  Personally, if I read a weather forecast that predicted snow down to the 2000 elevation level, up to 12" in the Cascade passes, and 45 mph winds, I wouldn't have gone on the hike.  My Rainier hiking pals said the same thing.

But folks can hike up there in perfect conditions a few times and come to the conclusion that it's always a shirtsleeve hike.  I feel so bad for them -- the fear they felt must have been overwhelming.
 

These you want to avoid. When one of these are on the way, stay in the lodge and drink coffee, and start planning you're next trip.