Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Baxter Pass Trail Accident

From Inyo Sheriff:

"On Wednesday evening Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a group of backpackers reporting an injured hiker on the Baxter Pass trail near Independence. Three Inyo County Search and Rescue volunteers responded and hiked to the reported location, arriving at the patient at around 11:30pm. The patient, a solo backpacker in his forties, had slipped at a dangerous creek crossing and severely injured his leg, preventing him from walking or moving. He was found by the backpackers on a log in the middle of the creek, having waited over 36 hours for someone to find him and call for help.
Around midnight, Inyo SAR carefully moved the patient and stabilized his injury. The team and the patient remained there until dawn, when air support arrived from the California Highway Patrol Inland Division Air Operations H-82 helicopter. The helicopter crew expertly navigated within twenty feet of dozens of large trees, and successfully hoisted the patient over 100 feet into the helicopter for transport to the hospital.
Inyo SAR and the Inyo County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the CHP - Inland Division Air Operations crew for their professionalism and skill while aiding in the Baxter Creek mission.
The Inyo SAR team works in cooperation with and under the authority of the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department. Interested in joining SAR or donating? Check out the Inyo SAR website at http://inyosar.com for more information."

This trail isn't heavily travelled, and without cell contact or Spot, he was in dire need of help. The injured hiker was transported to hospital in Bishop. Thanks the hikers who found him, Inyo SAR and Apple Valley CHP. This highlights the danger of many stream crossings just now, especially with the increased thunderstorm activity and heavy evening rain.

In this modern age, not sure why anyone would go hiking solo without a SPOT or InReach.

I encounter a lot of hikers who've never heard or either of those devices. After a little demo, they usually say, "I, or my friends, could really use one of those."

I do most of my hiking solo and mostly off trail but very few others will join me. I am old, fat and slow <G>. I did not have the satellite messengers such as the SPOT or InReach but rather went with a satellite PLB which used the military satellites and don't have a subscription free. It keeps my wife happy to think help may be a push of a button away when I'm in the wilderness. I'll be solo hiking from Cottonwood Pass TH to Mt. Whitney and back via New Army Pass over the next couple of weeks. My wife is making sure I am radio'd up for this trip.

I agree. Any of these emergency satellite systems would have been a great help for that guy who injured himself. Like buying auto insurance, you hope you never need to use it but it is nice to know that you have it "just in case."

I don't want to be "that guy".

I talked to a friend the other day and it turns out he and his group were the ones that found the aforementioned guy stuck on the log in the middle of the creek. He said when they came upon the fellow he was wrapped up in his sleeping bag with a bloody leg and hadnt seen anyone in over 24 hours. My friend hiked down a mile to get cell reception and called 911.

Good guys! Not many are hiking that trail very much. He's lucky you came along.

Rescue details:

http://inyosar.com/baxter-pass-extended-wait-for-rescue/

Here's yet another rescue/recovery by Inyo SAR.

Helicopters: Fresno H-40, National Guard Chinnook considered but not capable due to high angle of the terrain, then YOSAR helicopter 551

From Facebook, Inyo County Sheriff's page:
"At approximately 7:00am on Monday, August 7th, Inyo County Sheriff’s Dispatch was notified by a satellite phone from an unrelated climbing guide of a stranded party on the face of Starlight Peak, on the climber’s right of a route called "The X", in the North Palisade area above Big Pine...." Palisade SAR

Man, Inyo SAR is WORKING this year compared to last. All this snow.

And...another aerial helo search is currently underway in the Palisades area. CHP helo has been flying search patterns for two days. Information here:

https://www.facebook.com/InyoCountySheriffsOffice/

I used to play in the Palisades all the time until I decided to broaden my horizons. I did Thunderbolt to Sill, Sill to Thunderbolt, plus a bunch of lesser 14er combinations in that area. It’s just spectacular climbing, but it’s a bad place to screw up.

Right? They are amazing - between poor decisions and accidents, this year is really taxing them. I should donate, it'd be the least I can do.

Mr. Fennessy's body was recovered yesterday.

http://www.sierrawave.net/climbers-body-recovered-near-palisade-basin/