China Lake Mountain Rescue Group
The Talus Pile
January 2005, Number 134
TRAINING SCHEDULE
Jan 10 Mon Meeting Burge, Breitenstein, Myers
Jan 10-Feb 4 Mon-Fri Aconcagua, Argentina Rockwell
Jan 14-17 Fri-Mon University Huey
Jan 22-23 Sat-Sun OPEN
Jan-Feb TBD TBD Pear Lake Hut Roseman
Jan 28-30 Fri-Sun Joshua Tree Roseman
Feb 4-6 Fri-Sun Kern County Winter SAR Sheriff's Committee
Feb 11-13 Fri-Sun Winter Peak Myers
Feb 14 Mon Meeting Sakai, D. Burge, M. Franklin
Feb 19-21 Sat-Mon Whitney Huey
Feb 25-27 Fri-Sun Rock Certification practice Training Com
Mar 5-6 Sat-Sun MRA rock test MRA Rep
Mar 11-13 Fri-Sun Telescope from Panamint Valley Rockwell
Mar 14 Mon Meeting S. Rockwell, B. Rockwell, Bishop
Mar 19-20 Sat-Sun Desert peak Finco
Mar 25-27 Fri-Sun OPEN
Apr 2-3 Sat-Sun OPEN
Apr 8-10 Fri-Sun Sill Huey
Apr 11 Mon Meeting Myers, Roseman, DeRuiter
Apr 16-17 Sat-Sun OPEN
Apr 22-24 Fri-Sun Red Rock Canyon, Nevada Roseman
Apr 27 Wed Stretcher Hut Night TC
Apr 30 Sat Stretcher Practice TC
GROUP BUSINESS
The members present at the 13 December 2004 meeting elected
the following officers for 2005:
President Linda Finco
Vice President Bud Gates
Secretary Elaine Riendeau
Treasurer Werner Hueber
MRA Representative Dave Miles
OPERATION REPORTS
2004-07 26 April 2004 Search Tulare County Mike Myers
This operation was identified incorrectly as 2004-06 in The
Talus Pile Number 132.
2004-14 (2004-OES-0531) 18-19 October 2004 Transit Red's
Meadow Tom Roseman
The usual group was enjoying the social time after our monthly
meeting on 18 October when Linda Finco, who had already gone home,
called looking for an operations leader for a missing hiker out
of Red's Meadow. She had received a direct call from Sgt. Plank
(Kern County Sheriff's Office). Mono County wanted us to be at
the Mammoth Fire Station the next morning at 0700 and indicated
that they were expecting snow, cold, and high winds. Janet Westbrook
was in town and agreed to serve as the coordinator. Carol Burge
agreed to help as the telephoner.
Mike Myers, Tom Sakai, Eric Toler, Dan Bishop, and I (Tom Roseman)
met at the hut at 0200 the next morning and left about 0215.
After driving about 25 miles up Highway 395, I received a call
over my cell phone that the subject had been located, so we turned
around and headed back to Ridgecrest. We secured at the hut by
0400 and went home. Al Green, Dave Doerr, and Curtis Davis had
committed to come up on Wednesday if needed.
2004-15 19-21 October 2004 Search Courtright Reservoir Tom
Roseman
- Katie and the Big Snow When my children were
much younger, they loved for me (Tom Roseman) to read them a story
about a big snowstorm and the snowplow (Katie) that made everything
OK. We could have used Katie on this operation!
Tom Sakai, Dan Bishop, Eric Toler, and I responded to a callout
on Tuesday, 19 Oct to search for four overdue hikers who were
caught in the backcountry by an early winter storm. Paul Bargetto,
46; his son Michael, 20; Frank Horath, 45; and his son Dominique,
16, were overdue from a backpacking trip to Rae Lake in the John
Muir Wilderness. (We four had responded to a callout earlier
that day, meeting at the hut at 0200 and returning at 0400 after
the subject was found. Refer to operation report 2004-14) Janet
Westbrook was again the coordinator and Carol Burge again helped
as the telephoner. (Janet really performed well on this operation--we
were in the field out of contact for more than a day.)
We left the hut at 1800 and drove six hours to Shaver Lake, where
we checked into a motel at 0130 Wednesday morning. We woke at
0600 and, after a hearty breakfast, drove to Courtright Reservoir.
We arrived just after 0800 to a command post being buried by
heavy snow. At about 1000, we were transported by 4-wheel drive
about one mile up the trail to snowshoe to our search assignment.
The temperature was in the mid-20s, and heavy snow continued
to fall. Nearly four feet of new snow was on the ground.
At 1400, we arrived at a trail junction that was the start of
our assignment. Sakai, worn out from building too many houses
for Habitat for Humanity, remained at the junction to set up the
team tent and wait for the other three members of our team to
complete the assignment. We spent the next 10 hours doing a 5-mile
loop in deep snow. We returned to the junction and Sakai's cozy
tent a little past midnight. We woke to a 10-degree temperature
and clear skies. We broke camp and started the hike out at about
0800.
We arrived at the original drop-off point about 1000 and were
able to contact the command post for the first time since the
previous afternoon. That was just in time to avert a search for
us. We left for home about 1130 and while en route learned
that the four overdue hikers had been located by helicopter and
rescued. We secured at the hut about 1830 that evening. During
our time away, Janet had organized a follow-on team of Mike Myers
(Leader), Bob Huey, Bob Rockwell, and Linda Finco.
2004-16 (2004-OES-566) 6-7 November 2004 Search Mt. Baldy Tom
Sakai
On Saturday, 6 November at 1600, Paul Walters of OES called
our pager requesting help in searching for Evgeniy "Eugene"
Lushevskiy, age 19. Eugene was visiting some family friends
in Claremont and had left on his own sometime the previous Sunday
without telling anyone where he was going. His family reported
him missing earlier in the week, but it was not established until
late Thursday that he was probably hiking up Mt. Baldy. Carol
Burge coordinated the callout with Karen Botham helping and got
Tom Roseman, Mike Myers, Bud Gates, Bob Huey, Dan Bishop, Dave
Miles, and me (Tom Sakai) to commit. I agreed to be the leader.
Sgt. Mike Kirkland, Kern County Sheriff's Office (KCSO), unaware
of the previous call, also called our pager about 1620 to relay
the request for assistance.
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office (SBCSO) wanted us at the
command post (CP) in the Mt. Baldy Village Fire Station by 0630
the next day. We left the hut at 0400 and arrived at 0600.
After a hot breakfast provided by SBCSO, we got ready for insertion
by helicopter to the summit of Mt. Baldy. Searchers had found
Eugene's backpack late Saturday morning just below the summit
on the north-northeast side, and our assignment was to search
down the chutes on the northeast side.
The summit was covered by a cloud when the helicopter approached,
so the pilot landed near Mt. Harwood just to the east. When our
second team arrived, we hiked to the summit. Since radio communications
to the CP would be difficult at best from the north slopes, we
left one of our group on top to act as a radio relay. The rest
of us hiked down to the point where the pack was found the previous
day. There, we organized into three teams of two and started
down the northeast slopes.
About 5 minutes after we started, Gates, who was with me, lost
his footing when some crusted snow he was standing on broke away.
Before he could arrest with his axe, his crampon caught a nearby
stump and wrenched his leg. After realizing he could not bear
much weight on that leg, we aborted our assignment and started
on a plan to get him out. Because we were in a cloud with little
or no chance of it clearing, an air evacuation from that location
was not a possibility. Gates did, however, have a good leg and
could hobble along with help.
We decided to go back up about 100 vertical feet to the ridge
and down the south side about 1200 feet to the Sierra Club hut,
where Gates could be sheltered if the weather didn't clear enough
for an air evacuation. It was only 1030 then, so we figured we
could get him down to the hut before dark. He was able to hobble
along with one person on each side and one person holding him
on belay. Others went ahead to find a route with good footing.
We were able to get him down the south slopes about 800 feet
and put him in a stretcher brought up from the hut by two other
SAR members. We then lowered him an additional 300 feet to the
last possible air evacuation location above the hut.
Helicopter Air 5 from Los Angeles County made several attempts
to get to our location during brief clearings, but each time the
clouds reformed before an extrication could be made. Finally,
about 1615, there was a significant clearing, and Air 5 came in
and extricated Gates via a long line and hoist. Everyone was
relieved to see him get in the helicopter.
We all retreated to the hut. After a short break and cups of
hot cocoa offered by the hut attendant, we proceeded down the
trail for transport back to the CP. We left about 1900 and stopped
by the hospital to pick up Gates from the emergency room and were
back in Ridgecrest by 2230. The diagnosis was no broken bones
and a probable muscle tear of the calf.
The search for Eugene was unfruitful that day but would be continued
the next weekend.
Note: Gates is back at work. He is able to walk moderate distances
and ride a bicycle. His recovery is progressing well.
2004-17 (2004-OES-566) 14 November 2004 Search Mt. Baldy
Mike Myers
We received a pager call from Sgt. Kirkland on Thursday, 11
November requesting assistance for the continued search on Mt.
Baldy for 19-year-old Evgeniy "Eugene" Lushevskiy.
Participating members were Mike Myers (Leader), Linda Finco, Al
Green, Bob Rockwell, Bob Huey, Dan Bishop, Dave Miles, and Carol
Burge (Coordinator).
We met at the Hut at 1800 on Saturday, 13 November, packed our
gear, and departed at 1830. We arrived at Mt. Baldy at 2130.
West Valley MRU had made arrangements for us to stay at a local
church, where we threw our bags on the floor and spent a cozy
night in the loft. We checked in with the command post (CP) at
0600 on Sunday, 14 November, attended a briefing at 0700, and
deployed to the helicopter landing zone (LZ) at about 0800.
We were assigned to search the steep gullies on the north side
of Mt. Baldy. The support helicopter made several attempts to
drop off a division leader and a first aid team, but the winds
were too strong to land, so we were returned to the CP for a new
assignment. With high winds, ice, and the mountain shrouded in
clouds, the sheriff deemed the north side of the mountain too
dangerous to commit any resources, especially since air evacuation
was impossible.
For transportation back to the CP, Rockwell, Green, and I climbed
into a sheriff's patrol car for what was to be the ride of our
lifetimes. Just as we left the LZ, the deputy received a call
about a motorcycle accident down the road a few miles. We were
locked inside the patrol car for a frightening ride down a very
narrow mountain road. Calling it a white-knuckle ride would be
an understatement.
For our second assignment, we rode to the top of Chairlift 4 by
vehicle and hiked up the Devil's Backbone Trail to the 9000-foot
level. We cleared two ridges southward from the Backbone back
to the access road with no sign of anything but animals (bighorn
sheep, deer, and mountain lions).
At the access road, we were picked up and transported back to
the CP, where we were debriefed and released to return home.
2004-18 (2004-OES-566) 15 November 2004 Search Mt. Baldy
Tom Sakai
On Monday, 15 November at 0720, Sgt Mike Kirkland called our
pager to relay a request from West Valley for searchers for a
missing couple on Mt. Baldy. After the search for Evgeniy Lushevskiy
had wound down the previous evening, the San Bernardino sheriff
had received a cell phone call from a couple on Mt. Baldy who
had become lost on their day hike. They were requesting help
in getting off the mountain. Before San Bernardino officials
could establish their location, cell phone reception was lost
and could not be re-established.
Carol Burge coordinated the call-out. Despite calling the roster
and leaving messages for everyone she could not talk to, she could
get no volunteers by 0900. Because I (Tom Sakai) was a leader
with no team, I opted to stay home also. This was the first time
in my memory that CLMRG could not field a team when requested.
I called Sgt Kirkland and told him we could not get a team together
and he agreed to relay the information to San Bernardino.
Fortunately, a search helicopter could fly that morning and located
the missing couple within a short time. They were picked up by
the helicopter about 1150 and transported to base.
2004-19 (2004-OES-566) 19 November 2004 Search Mt. Baldy
Mike Myers
We received a pager call from Sgt. Kirkland on 17 November
requesting assistance for the continued search on Mt. Baldy for
19-year-old Eugene Lushevskiy. Tom Sakai, Bob Huey, Walter Runkle,
Mike Franklin, Dave Miles, and I (Mike Myers) committed for the
operation. Carol Burge was the coordinator.
We were to meet at the Hut at 1800 on 19 Nov. When I contacted
the San Bernardino Sheriff on the 19th to finalize our response
numbers and to ensure that we had a place to spend the night,
I was told that they had decided to suspend the search for the
entire weekend because of the forecast extreme winds and bad weather.
The sheriff deemed the weather too bad to put search teams at
risk. I notified Sgt. Kirkland and Carol of the cancelled operation.
2004-21 4-5 December 2004 Search Mt. Pinos Linda Finco
Sgt. Kirkland requested CLMRG's assistance in continuing the
search for Mr. Robert Komenda, age 64, on the weekend of 4-5 December.
Sheila Rockwell coordinated the callout and got me (Linda Finco),
Tom Sakai, Al Green, and Bob Rockwell to commit for the search
on Saturday and Debbie Breitensten, Tom Roseman, and Mike Renta
to commit for the search on Sunday.
On Friday, 3 December, CLMRG received a pager call from Sgt. Kirkland,
who stated that the search for the weekend was cancelled. Calling
Sgt. Kirkland back, we learned that Mr. Komenda was found dead
at 1030 that day. Later news releases stated that Mr. Komenda
had died from natural causes. Mr. Komenda was found about one-half
mile southwest of the previous week's search area.
SUMMARY OF PAST TRIPS
Date Location Participants Notes
Oct 24 Telescope Myers, Rockwell, Green, Bishop Drove to Mahogany
Flat, hiked up road to Rogers Peak, then dropped to Arcane Meadow,
followed the trail to the base of Telescope. Moderate snow to
there. Went up north ridge, deeper snow. All snow was good consistency,
and we didn't need crampons or ice axe, but we had to be careful
on the part of the trail from the north peak to the main peak
because of hard sloping snow. Reversed trail and came home.
Oct 31 Zinc Hill Finco, Rockwell, Green, Breitenstein, Sakai,
C. Burge, Waters Drove through Darwin to west of Zinc Hil. Climbed
it via a trail almost to the summit. Drove home through Panamint
Springs.
Nov 19-21 Black, Diamond, Mary Austin Rockwell, Bishop, guest
Jan Lorenzen Two nights out; stormy; snowshoed to 11,200' but
did not summit anything.
Dec 3 Whitney Trail Rockwell, Runkle Snowshoed to Mirror Lake.
Nice day.
Dec 4 Lamont C. Burge
Dec 5 Searles Peak Rockwell, guests Tom Brown and Rachel Woodard
Also traversed over Slate Benchmark. Cold and overcast, snow
spitting.
Owens Ridge Green, guest Bill Stronge Climbed Banana Jam
Dec 11-12 Desert peak Sacatar Trail Finco, Rockwell, Green,
C. Burge, D. Burge We crashed a Sierra Club trip
DONATIONS Terry Mitchell
CLMRG gratefully acknowledges recent gifts from the following
friends:
United Way Funds Received:
Second Quarter Kern Mono Inyo Disbursement
Second Quarter Mojave Disbursement
Edison Anonymous Donor
Third Quarter 2004 (3 of 4)
W. Ross & Lois H. Adamsen "So happy you continue your
good work. This is in memory of
my brother, Carl Heller."
Outside, the hawk wheels;
Inside, the caged bird watches
Sadly, longingly.
--Lura Osgood
Pleasant Hill, California
SCREE
Check our web page at https://www.clmrg.org.
Check the California Region's web page at https://www.crmra.org.
Newsletters from other MRA groups, catalogues, etc. are available
in the hut.
All telephone numbers in The Talus Pile are area code 760
unless noted otherwise.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence
cometh my help.
-Psalm 121.1