Mt. San Jacinto Outdoor Recreation

Website · by **ajwoodzy** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:22 pm

Am I missing something? the report saws that there was nothing wrong with the climbers, soooo..... why didn't they climb out?!? Sure it was bad conditions, but they probably could have gone somewhere.

Check out a picture of San J N Face (Snow Creek) that I took last Saturday. http://www.summitpost.org/image/493863/ ... -Peak.html

Website · by **Perry** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:56 pm

Have you ever tried to climb a steep slope with powder snow? It's hard enough with snowshoes and poles. Imagine doing it without them. You see how steep that slope is, right? Even if you veer to the left and end up at Miller Peak you're still climbing a 45-degree angle.

Website · by **ajwoodzy** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:32 pm

Perry wrote:Have you ever tried to climb a steep slope with powder snow? It's hard enough with snowshoes and poles. Imagine doing it without them. You see how steep that slope is, right? Even if you veer to the left and end up at Miller Peak you're still climbing a 45-degree angle.

Yeah I have, its no fun. I was climbing around Saturday up there and we hit some pretty steep stuff. I takes awhile, buts its doable... And on north face slopes, it was easier going (at least when I was up there)... the snow was actually consolidated...on every other slope, it wasn't. I guess this all comes back to them being ill prepared....

by **scottmac** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:50 am

Not so sure they wanted/expected to be rescued ...

... from the TV news reports, it seems the girlfriend called authorities when one of the guys did not return Monday as expected. Although they had spent an extra day on SJ, perhaps they would have climbed out. Hopefully the full story will emerge.

by **Cy Kaicener** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:14 pm

The identities of the rescued climbers have now been revealed. They are not from this message board.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29496790

by **FIGHT ON** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:53 pm

scottmac wrote:Not so sure they wanted/expected to be rescued ...

... from the TV news reports, it seems the girlfriend called authorities when one of the guys did not return Monday as expected. Although they had spent an extra day on SJ, perhaps they would have climbed out. Hopefully the full story will emerge.

Wow!? Do you have to be rescued?
What if they said "No, we were just hungry, can you guys just drop a few sandwiches and go away please?" :lol:

by **Jim Bakos** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:50 am

Actually (and I'm being serious here), they wanted to go to Sizzler!

Yes, they probably could have finished the climb, even a day overdue,
but then there was the call of SIZZLER!!

All I can say is: SIGH!

Hike Safe!

--Jim

P.S. Sometimes I want to go to Sizzler too, but I don't get a helicopter
ride down to do so (the team eats at Carrow's, we can't afford Sizzler!)…

by **FIGHT ON** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:24 am

Jim Bakos wrote:Actually (and I'm being serious here), they wanted to go to Sizzler!

Yes, they probably could have finished the climb, even a day overdue,
but then there was the call of SIZZLER!!

All I can say is: SIGH!

Hike Safe!

--Jim

P.S. Sometimes I want to go to Sizzler too, but I don't get a helicopter
ride down to do so (the team eats at Carrow's, we can't afford Sizzler!)…

Rescues seem so often and seem to occur so regularly that I bet pretty soon restaurants are going to start offering free food for rescued guys if they mention their name to get free advertising!
And you sar guys could end up being like a dominoes pizza delivery service!
I can hear em on the side of the cliff yelling back up to the helicopter now, "HEY, I ORDERED PEPPERONI AND MUSHROOMS, NOT ANCHOVIES, TAKE IT BACK!"

Website · by **Perry** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:37 pm

That is funny. Your rescue effort may not have been for nothing. The last 2,000 feet of that climb is a bad place to have low blood sugar, low sodium, or just burnt-out quads, triceps, and loss of finger strength. Skyline is something I'll do in okay-but-not-terrible shape if conditions are cool and dry, but snow creek requires a high level of fitness and upper/lower body strength just for safety reasons. I wouldn't even think about doing it without having done Skyline recently and some practice on the steepest part of the east face. Pull-ups, dips, and calf and quad exercises are also beneficial.

Sounds like they at least had crampons and ice axe? Poles too?

by **Cy Kaicener** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:08 am

Soon after the rescue (Mar 4) some experienced climbers made it up - See Jon Meek's trip report
http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43825

Mt. San Jacinto Outdoor Recreation

Missing Climber on North Face

Missing climber on Noth Face

Missing climber on the North face

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