Missing jackasses found in Alpine Meadows Sidecountry

**The Dad** · 02-05-2008, 09:40 PM

Yeah, you're probably right. Perhaps that's the point, though, innit? I know in-bounds really well, but once I'm beyond the boundaries, not so much. Gotta work on that.

**kidwoo** · 02-05-2008, 09:45 PM

More like gotta get a mountain bike or put those dukes to use.

Granite Chief wilderness btw. Any EXPERT skier who skis estelle bowl with EASE knows this!!

I find it interesting that no one is bringing up the fact that these guys were still asking about outlying areas in the bar earlier that day. Seemed to show up in every article written before they were found.........before all the testaments to their expertnessosity.

**The Dad** · 02-05-2008, 09:48 PM

Oh right -- duh.

**jfost** · 02-05-2008, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by kidwoo

I find it interesting that no one is bringing up the fact that these guys were still asking about outlying areas in the bar earlier that day. Seemed to show up in every article written before they were found.........before all the testaments to their expertnessosity.

exactly, they were out looking for some turns in the BC. No way that little nugget meshes with the "we didin't mean to go OB"... 666 and skikola are on to this too - We'll never get the whole story in the news!

**skier666** · 02-05-2008, 11:00 PM

^^^^look at your post count

**kidwoo** · 02-05-2008, 11:12 PM

Make the next one for jesus.

**gaijin** · 02-06-2008, 06:12 AM

That's so unbelievable, I almost want to say someone created it.

**jonesy** · 02-06-2008, 08:37 AM

"Are you going to give me a ride?" "nope, start walking."

**StormTrooper** · 02-06-2008, 09:08 AM

i was happy to hear the two were found alive on monday, but that was stupidity at its best. what I can't understand is where these fools were trying to go?

hmmmmm, i'm really unfamiliar with this area, lets see where I end up when I ski past this boundry sign. Yeah it's snowing and windy but i'm pretty "Extreme!" I'm kind of a big deal, people know me.

**Ferniefreeheels** · 02-06-2008, 09:23 AM

All the arm chair extremists out there can analyze this one to death for weeks, it really doesn't matter. Sure these guys fucked up, but at least the story has a happy ending (which is kinda refreshing to hear the way this season been unfolding).
These guys had an ugly experience due to their bad decisions. Fortunately their still here to ski another day. I would wanna bet they don't repeat these bad decisions in the future.

**CP1** · 02-06-2008, 09:31 AM

The crappy part about the news glorifying these two is that it will attract more people looking for the so called "adventure", and at some point the story won't have such a happy ending. Thanks SAR for your efforts.

**mmcpheet** · 02-06-2008, 09:43 AM

If they made it to Hell Hole, they were closer to civilization than you might think. The dorm at the far side of the reservoir is actually quite nice and there is an operator stationed there year round.

I've been looking to follow a path very close to the one they took with a short stop over at Diamond Crossing and Miranda Cabin, with an end destination of the Hell Hole dorm and a ride out arranged. Any takers?

**The Dad** · 02-06-2008, 10:10 AM

From this morning's interviews, it sounds like they saw a closed sign and went the other way in response. They thought they were staying in-bounds and following the rules.

**IrieRon** · 02-06-2008, 10:20 AM

What happened to the part about them sitting in the "bar" that morning, asking about skiing "outlying" areas?

EDIT -- kidwoo beat me to it.

**The Dad** · 02-06-2008, 10:45 AM

Asking about it earlier doesn't mean they were trying to do it then. This was their first run.

**Cono Este** · 02-06-2008, 12:30 PM

I wonder what they will charge for speaking fee's?

No really, if this does not fall under the catagory of stupidity, what does? I bet they feel stupid, that would be good enough for me.

**fluffballs** · 02-06-2008, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by alpinedad

From this morning's interviews, it sounds like they saw a closed sign and went the other way in response. They thought they were staying in-bounds and following the rules.

So they hit the High Beaver Closed signs, the left most accompanied with an Area boundary, no lift access or ski patrol past this point sign and decided to go left?

Where did you see the interviews?

**truckeelocal** · 02-06-2008, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by fluffballs

So they hit the High Beaver Closed signs, the left most accompanied with an Area boundary, no lift access or ski patrol past this point sign and decided to go left?

Let's remember that it took the combined intelligence of both of them to make that decision. And the decision to leave their emergency gear in the car. And to hang out in the bar to get some info. And to go to the top of a mountain they didn't know that well during white-out conditions.

We can observe that they did manage to navigate from San Francisco to Alpine Meadows although that actually only involves two turns, both rights, i.e. I-80 to 89 to Alpine Meadows road. It is sign posted and they had help.

**jahroy** · 02-06-2008, 02:49 PM

at least the SAR bill is getting sent to the bay...

Bay to pay for buffoons rescue

i'm glad no one got hurt, but this kind of stupidity is dangerous and scary...

**The Dad** · 02-06-2008, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by fluffballs

Where did you see the interviews?

They came up on my daily Google News search.

And it sounds more like they went over the back by the horses, heading over towards Sherwood. But maybe I'm projecting.

In an interview with the Mercury News, Frost said he and Gerwig began skiing at noon Saturday when the whiteout hit almost immediately and they became lost on their first ski run.

They skied to the left, saw a closed sign and traversed back to the right. "We still thought we were in bounds and we skied down the shoots. We couldn't find anything and we realized that we weren't in the right area," Frost said.

http://origin.mercurynews.com/ci_8172142

**truckeelocal** · 02-06-2008, 03:31 PM

began skiing at noon Saturday

Now who, besides me, find that little nugget instructive ?
Starting three hours after opening on a weekend powder day

**Schralps McGnar** · 02-06-2008, 07:44 PM

Word on the street around here is that they were actually found near Five Lakes and not Hell Hole. Rumor, perhaps, but that would be even more redonculous.

**truckeelocal** · 02-06-2008, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Schralps McGnar

Word on the street around here is that they were actually found near Five Lakes and not Hell Hole. Rumor, perhaps, but that would be even more redonculous.

Hell Hole is actually more likely given that 5-Lakes is uphill and these 'expert skiers' appear to only be interested in downhill. And the reported distances make more sense along with the pilot's report confirming. That Hell Hole is South West would suggest these guys were trying to ski back to The Bay.

**mmcpheet** · 02-07-2008, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Schralps McGnar

Word on the street around here is that they were actually found near Five Lakes and not Hell Hole. Rumor, perhaps, but that would be even more redonculous.

I was up there yesterday and could see their tracks. They came down five lakes, spun in circles near Diamond Crossing snow course (and even cut right through it), probably stayed one night there, and then when visibility got better they skied down five lakes until it met with Rubicon at the upper section of Hell Hole, where the tracks suddenly stopped. The tracks became much more directed and less wandering near Diamond.

There was a fair amount of this type of erratic tracks above Diamond Crossing:

A shot of the exit drainage from near Hell Hole. Ward is in the clouds and the drainage is from the upper center to the middle right. Upper Hell Hole is the clearing:

Diamond Crossing with ward in the right center. The tracks came from the lower right through the edge of the clearing:

Tracks followed Five Lakes drainage:

And continued out the exit to Upper Hell Hole where it meets the Rubicon:

And for those looking for a repeat performance, you'd have to get to the far side of Hell Hole before you'd find anyone (and good luck then).

On a more positive note, the Diamond Crossing snow course is sitting at 155% of average water content.

**LightRanger** · 02-07-2008, 12:59 PM

Thought this was interesting, especially since I heard mutterings maybe here, maybe on TTips, and maybe on the Chronicle comments, about why they happened to have a lighter and a plastic baggy...

Edited to: I heard from a reliable source that Frost and Gerwig had: "...two Cliff bars and a Power bar, plus a bag of pot and a lighter. So they smoked the pot and used the emtpy bag to fill with snow to melt for water. That's the story you won't hear on the Today Show."