FALL ON SNOW, INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT Colorado, McHenry's

F A L L ON SNOW, IN A D EQ U A TE E Q U IPM E N T C olorado, M cH enry’s Peak T o m Hillm er (19) and brother T im Hillm er had climbed the Stone Man Pass route for the summit o f M cH enry’s Peak on August 21. As they were traversing a snowfield, T om slipped on the snow and slid to the bottom of the snowfield. He sustained fractures to both arms and splintered the patella of one leg. T im made T om com fortable, then descended from the peak for help. At Black Lake, T im met Charles Rense and Bill Carvella. Carvella hiked out to B ear Lake to report the incident while Rense and T im returned to the location of T om to await res­ cue personnel. (Source: Larry Van Slyke, Rocky M ountain National Park) Analysis It is not known if Hillm er had an ice axe in his hands at the time of his fall. D ur­ ing the late sum m er months, many o f the high altitude snowfields becom e “ice” hard. Travel on those snowfields dictates the judicious use of axe, and cram pons at times, to protect against unwanted, high speed rides down the snow slopes. (Source: Larry Van Slyke, Rocky M ountain National Park)