I think so. That's what confused me initially - Highline Trailhead seems to be at Logan's Pass.
Found Deceased MT - Jennifer Coleman, 34, on vacation from VA, hiking @ Glacier Natl Park, 30 Aug 2021
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I think so. That's what confused me initially - Highline Trailhead seems to be at Logan's Pass.
Glacier Lily
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Your picture partially shows the area but to avoid confusion this is called Grinnell overlook; the trail to the Glacier itself is in another area of the park. If you take the overlook trail you are looking down at the Glacier from above.
Glacier Lily
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It's the same.
Glacier Lily
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I read in one article that she camped at the West Glacier KOA, outside of the park.
Perhaps she set up camp and then hiked the mile-long detour near the chalet to the Glacier Overlook?
"Find the trailhead at Logan Pass, just across Going-to-the-Sun Road from the park visitor center, Highline Trail shoots north along a cliff on the western side of the Continental Divide. The trail is carved into a sheer rock face known as the Garden Wall. Below the trail is a vertical drop to Going-to-the-Sun Road, which progresses down the mountain from Logan Pass to Lake McDonald.
The trail is wide enough for hikers to pass in both directions, and there is a chain to hold on to through a precarious stretch near the start of the hike.
...
The Highline Trail gives hikers several options. One popular choice is a 7-mile out and back trek to a scenic rest known as the Haystack. It is 7.6-miles one way from Logan Pass to the Granite Park Chalet, a backcountry retreat that is another good destination for hikers. The long gradual trail only climbs about 500 feet above Logan Pass. A steep mile-long detour near the chalet brings hikers up to Glacier Overlook, an incredible viewpoint at the top of the divide. "
https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/highline-trail-glacier/
"Find the trailhead at Logan Pass, just across Going-to-the-Sun Road from the park visitor center, Highline Trail shoots north along a cliff on the western side of the Continental Divide. The trail is carved into a sheer rock face known as the Garden Wall. Below the trail is a vertical drop to Going-to-the-Sun Road, which progresses down the mountain from Logan Pass to Lake McDonald.
The trail is wide enough for hikers to pass in both directions, and there is a chain to hold on to through a precarious stretch near the start of the hike.
...
The Highline Trail gives hikers several options. One popular choice is a 7-mile out and back trek to a scenic rest known as the Haystack. It is 7.6-miles one way from Logan Pass to the Granite Park Chalet, a backcountry retreat that is another good destination for hikers. The long gradual trail only climbs about 500 feet above Logan Pass. A steep mile-long detour near the chalet brings hikers up to Glacier Overlook, an incredible viewpoint at the top of the divide. "
It's roughly 12 hour hike from the trailhead to West Glacier KOA. If she was hiking in on Aug 30 and hiking out on Aug 31, and mentioned Granite Park Chalet in her last text, I would guess that she was att Granite Park Campground.
Google Maps
Glacier Lily
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The article I read said she was camped at West Glacier KOA and that she didn't check out at the allotted time; later the sheriff did a welfare check and found her belongings there. Reading that I assumed she drove up to Logan Pass and parked there for a day hike. If she stayed at Granite Park campground she would have had to get a backcountry permit. The rangers would have record of that. I haven't seen any mention of her backpacking.
IMO, could be wrong though
mickey2942
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They have paperwork "Day Trip Plan" for people who are backcountry hiking, literally all over GNP. You are supposed to leave it where you are staying, so if you don't come back, there is an idea where you went. Or at least put it on your car windshield.
I wonder why JC didn't do this?
Hiking the Trails - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
I wonder why JC didn't do this?
Hiking the Trails - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
I too wonder whether she had the right shoes for that type of hike.
Garden Wall Trail to Glacier Overlook in Glacier National Park
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Garden Wall Trail to Glacier Overlook in Glacier National Park
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Thanks! So she camped at the West Glacier KOA, drove to Logan's Pass, planned a day hike, and didn't return to her car. That makes sense.
Her reason for being there would be to see a glacier, so one of the routes to the nearest glacier is likely where she will be found.
Glacier Lily
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That's my guess. This one gets me for some reason. Hoping for a miracle.
It sounds like she was in a good frame of mind prior to the hike, so the most likely explanation is that she lost her footing somewhere along the Highline Trail.
Having followed the Esther Dingley search closely, most accidents are a result of incorrect footwear, twisted ankles and survivable falls. Highest risk is after completing a technically difficult section of the trail. After completing the technically difficult section, where there is still a risk of a steep fall, that is where some deadly falls occur. That's just an opinion from researching SAR data in the Pyrenees.
Hopefully someone can access her wifi searches to understand exactly which trail she planned to hike. The Grinnell Lookout sounds like a good hike for people who are not afraid of heights and have intermediate hiking experience, there are chains at risky sections.
"The trail is wide enough for hikers to pass in both directions, and there is a chain to hold on to through a precarious stretch near the start of the hike. Highline Trail is not recommended for small children and those with a fear of heights.
This is the first marked junction on the hike, a steep spur that tackles a thousand-foot climb in one mile to reach Glacier Overlook. The rocky track is strenuous without apology, but it rewards the effort with a view unlike anything on Highline Trail, an eastward vantage over Grinnell Glacier, which spills into Grinnell Lake and a string of turquoise lakes in the Many Glacier region of Glacier National Park.
Highline Trail offers stunning access to the great outdoors. While strenuous, the addition of Glacier Overlook is highly recommended. Visitors to Glacier National Park who attempt Highline Trail will likely find it to be the highlight of their trip. When attempting the through-hike from Logan Pass to The Loop, start early in the day so that you are sure to complete the hike before dusk and while the shuttle is operating. No permit is required to day hike along these trails."
https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/highline-trail-glacier/This is the first marked junction on the hike, a steep spur that tackles a thousand-foot climb in one mile to reach Glacier Overlook. The rocky track is strenuous without apology, but it rewards the effort with a view unlike anything on Highline Trail, an eastward vantage over Grinnell Glacier, which spills into Grinnell Lake and a string of turquoise lakes in the Many Glacier region of Glacier National Park.
Highline Trail offers stunning access to the great outdoors. While strenuous, the addition of Glacier Overlook is highly recommended. Visitors to Glacier National Park who attempt Highline Trail will likely find it to be the highlight of their trip. When attempting the through-hike from Logan Pass to The Loop, start early in the day so that you are sure to complete the hike before dusk and while the shuttle is operating. No permit is required to day hike along these trails."
If she hiked to the Grinnell Overlook, this is the trail towards the view. I suspect that a tumble in this area, on either side of the ridge, could be fatal.
Did she fill out a voluntary hiker registration form? Although her campsite has been found, is it known whether she was prepared to overnight in the area in case of emergency?
Jun 3, 2015
https://www.greatfallstribune.com/s...03/the-lessons-of-glacier-tragedies/28432637/
Did she fill out a voluntary hiker registration form? Although her campsite has been found, is it known whether she was prepared to overnight in the area in case of emergency?
"If you bore down in the statistics you find out many of those victims were alone and got themselves in trouble," says Eric Gabriel, branch chief for ranger activities in Glacier.
Most of the climbing accidents in Glacier don't involve technical climbing using ropes and other equipment. Rather, they involve visitors who hike up a mountain peak without the aid of equipment, in exposed terrain, a method known as "scrambling," Gabriel said.
This year, two 21-year-old employees of the park's concessionaire died in separate scrambling accidents, one on Apikuni Mountain and the other on Grinnell Mountain. Both men were hiking with others but they were not experienced climbers, Gabriel said.
...
Another 23 people have died from "falls while hiking" in the park.
One occurred this year, when a 64-year-old man from Washington hiking alone on the Highline Trail, closed due to snow danger at the time, slipped on snow and fell to his death.
...
In 2012, 43 percent of the search and rescue calls in all national parks involved people who were day hiking, according to the National Park's Service annual SAR report. In those day-hiking cases, 665 were injured and 26 people died. The day hiking category represented the highest percentage of SAR calls.
...
He says visitors should be ready to spend the unexpected night out by carrying extra water and food. Tools to make a fire and shelter, and the ability to use them, also should be in the backpack, he adds. And the worst place to learn how to use basic survival essentials is when a life depends on it. Technology, he says, should not be relied upon because batteries die and cell service often isn't available.
Gabriel says it's often seemingly benign oversights that contribute to trouble, such as forgetting a life vest, not checking the forecast, being unprepared for the difficulty of a hike or setting off into the wilds alone.
"It's not typically one mistake that ends in a catastrophic event," Gabriel says. "It's typically a cascade of events."
...
In the spring of 2012, a volunteer hiker registration program was launched in the Glacier in which visitors are encouraged to fill out a form listing their destination
Most of the climbing accidents in Glacier don't involve technical climbing using ropes and other equipment. Rather, they involve visitors who hike up a mountain peak without the aid of equipment, in exposed terrain, a method known as "scrambling," Gabriel said.
This year, two 21-year-old employees of the park's concessionaire died in separate scrambling accidents, one on Apikuni Mountain and the other on Grinnell Mountain. Both men were hiking with others but they were not experienced climbers, Gabriel said.
...
Another 23 people have died from "falls while hiking" in the park.
One occurred this year, when a 64-year-old man from Washington hiking alone on the Highline Trail, closed due to snow danger at the time, slipped on snow and fell to his death.
...
In 2012, 43 percent of the search and rescue calls in all national parks involved people who were day hiking, according to the National Park's Service annual SAR report. In those day-hiking cases, 665 were injured and 26 people died. The day hiking category represented the highest percentage of SAR calls.
...
He says visitors should be ready to spend the unexpected night out by carrying extra water and food. Tools to make a fire and shelter, and the ability to use them, also should be in the backpack, he adds. And the worst place to learn how to use basic survival essentials is when a life depends on it. Technology, he says, should not be relied upon because batteries die and cell service often isn't available.
Gabriel says it's often seemingly benign oversights that contribute to trouble, such as forgetting a life vest, not checking the forecast, being unprepared for the difficulty of a hike or setting off into the wilds alone.
"It's not typically one mistake that ends in a catastrophic event," Gabriel says. "It's typically a cascade of events."
...
In the spring of 2012, a volunteer hiker registration program was launched in the Glacier in which visitors are encouraged to fill out a form listing their destination
Jun 3, 2015
https://www.greatfallstribune.com/s...03/the-lessons-of-glacier-tragedies/28432637/
Was Jennifer experienced with "scrambling" glacial peaks and shale mountains?
"Most of the climbing accidents in Glacier involve ... visitors who hike up a mountain peak without the aid of equipment, in exposed terrain, a method known as "scrambling," Gabriel said.
This year, two 21-year-old employees of the park's concessionaire died in separate scrambling accidents, one on Apikuni Mountain and the other on Grinnell Mountain. Both men were hiking with others but they were not experienced climbers, Gabriel said."
https://www.greatfallstribune.com/s...03/the-lessons-of-glacier-tragedies/28432637/
"Most of the climbing accidents in Glacier involve ... visitors who hike up a mountain peak without the aid of equipment, in exposed terrain, a method known as "scrambling," Gabriel said.
This year, two 21-year-old employees of the park's concessionaire died in separate scrambling accidents, one on Apikuni Mountain and the other on Grinnell Mountain. Both men were hiking with others but they were not experienced climbers, Gabriel said."
LogicBasedTheory
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What a terrible time for her family. I hope she is recovered soon.
I thought "fall" when I first read the title to this thread, and still do. Especially more so after reading a few others input.
Imo.
I thought "fall" when I first read the title to this thread, and still do. Especially more so after reading a few others input.
Imo.
RickshawFan
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She drove and was parked at the relevant trailhead. LE found her car there.
RickshawFan
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Thanks, @otto for your always great maps. And, as always, I’m about to pass out imagining myself even so much as standing on one of those dizzying trails.
That looks like a really long hike, too.
RickshawFan
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This hike would involve substantial elevation gain. That would concern me, too, not only because it makes the mind-bending hike more strenuous, but because some people cannot tolerate elevation. Maybe if they have several days to acclimate, but otherwise they might get into trouble.
A few years ago, I camped and then I drove through Rocky Mountain National Park and up that extreme pass. Maybe Iceberg? I was by myself. I got to the top and jumped out to go to the Visitor Center. One step, and I almost passed out. Absolutely splitting headache. I thought I would throw up. I was shockingly dizzy. I had the wherewithal to realize that it was altitude, and LE would almost certainly not let me drive if I passed out in the parking lot. I immediately jumped back in the car, and headed down the mountain. My head began to clear in a mile or so. About 2,000 feet lower and no more headache, but I was super freaked out.
So, yes, I do wonder if a hiker out of Logan Pass could get suddenly incapacitated by altitude.
PS Nothing would possess me to ever go back to RMNP. Every moment was misery for me, including the camping. I’d love to explore Glacier, though. At the foot of the mountains lol.
A few years ago, I camped and then I drove through Rocky Mountain National Park and up that extreme pass. Maybe Iceberg? I was by myself. I got to the top and jumped out to go to the Visitor Center. One step, and I almost passed out. Absolutely splitting headache. I thought I would throw up. I was shockingly dizzy. I had the wherewithal to realize that it was altitude, and LE would almost certainly not let me drive if I passed out in the parking lot. I immediately jumped back in the car, and headed down the mountain. My head began to clear in a mile or so. About 2,000 feet lower and no more headache, but I was super freaked out.
So, yes, I do wonder if a hiker out of Logan Pass could get suddenly incapacitated by altitude.
PS Nothing would possess me to ever go back to RMNP. Every moment was misery for me, including the camping. I’d love to explore Glacier, though. At the foot of the mountains lol.
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Spider92
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Is there a device that can be used as a long range metal detector? I'm sure she has some metal with her - cell phone, GPS watch, etc. I'm guessing that the old metal detector that folks would use on the beach could detect metal 3-4 feet away. Fast forward 40 years and I'm wondering if modern technology could expand that range to hundreds of feet?