Climber Falls into St. Helens Crater

The Seattle Times article on this death said that this was his 69th climb on St Helens. 

I wonder if he his familiarity with the area created a heuristic trap that contributed to this unfortunate tragedy.

Yep, quite a possibility. Be safe out there folks and lets learn something from Joseph's death.

My condolences to his friends and family.

It seems quite shocking that someone who had apparently climbed Mt St Helens 68 times would make such a careless mistake on the unstable cornices of the crater rim.  It's so sad, and an important lesson for all of us to not let our guard down in the mountains, especially so in winter conditions.

Condolences to his family and friends. It's so beautiful up there.

It's very tempting to get on top of the cornice - the view's so much better there. If you traverse a little as you get near the rim, you can often discern places where the cornice appears to be better supported.

Cracks in the cornice can sometimes be a _long_ way back from the edge. Spooky, especially when considered in light of the seismic activity in the mountain.