STRANDED, BAD WEATHER California, Yosemite Valley

STRANDED, BAD WEATHER California, Yosemite Valley O n F e b ru a ry 8, 1981, D a n A b e n d stop p ed S A R R a n g e r B ru ce M c K e e m a n about 8 :3 0 a.m . in L o w e r Pines C a m p g r o u n d and r e p o rte d that tw o o f his friends w e r e clim bin g the S outh F a ce o f W a sh in g to n C o lu m n . A b e n d w an ted to k n o w w h at the w e a th e r forecast w as and w h at to d o about his frien d s since h e did not think they w e r e p re p a re d fo r sn ow . M c K e e m a n told A b e n d that the forecast w as fo r fo u r days o f rain a n d /s n o w w ith the sn ow line at 6 ,0 0 0 feet and that if his friends w e r e not p re p a re d fo r sn ow , h e sh ould y ell u p to them and tell them to r a p p e l o ff the route. A b e n d said that h e w o u ld do that. A t a p p rox im a tely 4:1 5 p .m ., A b e n d ca m e into the V a lle y R a n g e r O ffice and r e p o rte d that his friends w e r e not d o w n from the clim b. R a n g e rs J im M a rtin and M c K e e m a n in terview ed A b e n d and learn ed the fo llo w ­ ing: O n F e b ru a ry 7, A b e n d had hiked u p the S n o w C r e e k T ra il but cou ld not get to the top o f W a sh in g to n C o lu m n becau se o f d e e p sn ow . O n F e b ru a ry 8 at 10 :30 a.m ., A b e n d saw his partn ers T u c k e r T e c h (2 2 ) and D a v id H irsch (2 1 ) th ree pitches from the top o f the clim b and y e lle d u p to them that they sh ou ld ra p p e l o ff the clim b becau se o f the w ea th er and that they co u ld not get d o w n by the S n o w C r e e k T ra il becau se o f the d e e p sn ow . T e c h and H irsch y e lle d back that they w e r e goin g to finish the clim b. A b e n d told the rangers that T e c h and H irsch had d o w n ja ck ets, w o o l sw eaters, o n e rain coat, th ree ham m ocks, o n e rain fly, canvas pants, tennis shoes, clim bin g shoes, d o w n sleep in g bags, an d o n e head lam p. A b e n d said that they did not have a stove o r m atches. A b e n d also stated that they did not discuss their p lans fo r a descent route. M a r tin and M c K e e m a n told A b e n d to give the clim bers som e tim e to get d o w n and to let them k n o w if they retu rn ed. T h e rangers also told A b e n d to contact them on F e b ru a ry 9 at n oon . It w as d ecid ed to give T e c h and H irsch all day on F eb ru a ry 9 to retu rn fro m the clim b, unless reports w e r e receiv ed o f cries for h elp . O n the 9th, M c K e e m a n ch eck ed the clim bin g rou te an d N o rth D o m e g u lly w ith bin ocu lars with negative results. In the ev en in g, the rangers d ecid ed to start a search effort at first light on

th e 10th. A t 7:1 5 a.m . on the 10th, a g ro u n d team started u p Indian C a n y on . A t 8 :5 0 a.m ., a secon d team started an air search w ith a L e m o o r e N A S h elicop ter. T h e air team spotted T e c h and H irsch ab ou t

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w est o f In d ian C a n y o n and ev acu a ted them about 10:15 a.m .

T h e g ro u n d team w a s flo w n out ab ou t 10 :45 a.m . (S o u rce : B ru ce M c K e e m a n , S A R R a n g e r, Y osem ite N ation a l P ark)