WY WY - Austin King, 22, Yellowstone National Park, Eagle Peak, 17 Sept 2024

[FoxxTraxx]

I'm going to put out a naive, inexpert question here - Are there grizzlies at these elevations? Or are the grizzlies lower down below?
Looking at these photos it just seems difficult to believe that grizzlies would be up in that area.
edit to add last sentence for relevancy

I doubt there are bears anywhere near the peak of this mountain. SAR teams have not reported any evidence. However, just east of Eagle Peak is Shoshone National Forest where grizzly attacks have occurred as recently as 2022 and 2023. The following is an account of two young men attacked just southeast of Yellowstone in 2022. Grizzly bear attacks two college wrestlers 10/17/22 Shoshone

 

[windrower]

What time did he announce that he was at the summit? I read upthread that it was later in the day (??), bad weather and too late to return to his camp, but not impossible to camp overnight?

Esther Dingley vanished hiking the pyrenees peaks with what seemed like an off-route, and she was eventually found near the top of the mountain. She must have been caught in the weather, sought refuge, failed. Birds helped locate the remains.

@RedHaus and @otto, I think you were both posting on Esther’s thread?

Someone on her thread recommended the book Where You’ll Find Me: Risk, Decisions, and the Last Climb of Kate Matrosova by Ty Gagne. I think it was you, @RedHaus?

A great read, and a window into what leads to a high country tragedy, how and why SAR responds, and some background information on all aspects involved.

One part of the book that was fascinating to me was what happens to our decision-making process when our expectations of what we want to achieve and disappointments at previous ventures come into play almost subconsciously.

I think AK was unprepared in many ways for what he encountered on this trip. AK experienced rain and frigid temperatures growing up in Minnesota, but dealing with those factors near civilization is far different than doing it in mountain country.

Kids and young adults come from all over to work for national park concessionaires, and many of those kids have never been out of urban areas prior to their park employment. Which generally translates to little outdoor experience with weather patterns, wild animals, and the vastness of the wilderness.

I think AK was very inexperienced with the kind of trek he undertook, and continuing to summit a mountain that didn’t have clearly marked trails in inclement weather and fading light would have been a problem for experienced people, as well.

The story of Matrosova, who was an avid mountaineer, is one such example.

Even yet, I’m praying for a miracle for AK and his family.

(edited to fix an antecedent problem)

 

[RedHaus]

@RedHaus and @otto, I think you were both posting on Esther’s thread?

Someone on her thread recommended the book Where You’ll Find Me: Risk, Decisions, and the Last Climb of Kate Matrosova by Ty Gagne. I think it was you, @RedHaus?

RSBM
Hi @windrower! Looks like we have an "ED Reunion" going on. There may be others here. Not surprising given the similarities between these tragic cases. I sure hope AK's mystery does not extend for as long as ED's. And I too am still holding out hope for AK's safe return.

It was not me who recommended Ty Gagne's book on Kate Matrosova in NH. But at the time it prompted me to research her case and I finally just ordered the book! Perhaps @RickshawFan suggested that book on the ED thread?

Another awesome book was suggested on this thread that I just ordered as well: Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite, by Ghiglieri and Farabee: "Gripping account of all known mishaps in America's first protected land of scenic wonders."

Like you, I am amazed by how the human brain can play tricks with logic and reason in the face of severe risks to our wellbeing. To have no mountaineering experience and to summit Eagle Peak as the sun set (~7:30pm 9/17) with severe weather conditions (~37°F, fog, wind, sleet), IMO, AK must have been strongly motivated by something compelling.

I continue to pray for the best outcome for AK.

IMO.

 

[Tower]

Have they looked for a body straight down from the summit? Being at the summit too late to safely descend, but perfect time for sunset. Hippy sunset watching gone too far? Are there shelves below the summit that could be used for shelter during a storm?

Is anyone looking for vultures in the area?

I would not characterize this as sunset-watching at all. You cannot clamber up this peak. It’s a technical climb with a 31-mile roundtrip backpack and scheduled boat trip to access. He detailed his plans to friends for weeks and I believe he spent extensive time planning his trip.

The search and rescue has been thorough with 96 volunteers, drones, helicopters, lots of details earlier in these threads. The terrain is very challenging. I would guess based on trip reports I’ve read, he likely slipped into an area where he is very hard to spot, but not for lack of trying. I cannot emphasize how hard it is to find a person in this wilderness.

Trip report of one group’s summit:

Yellowstone Reports

www.yellowstonereports.com

My own experience and opinion

 

[Tomgetty]

I find it extremely eerie that Austin's disappearance is near-exact dates in September compared to Kim Crumbo's disappearance at Shoshone Lake, YNP (9/17 - 9/19, 2021). Mr Crumbo was never located or recovered. A predator attack on Austin would have surely been identified by S&R at this point.

Ref: The boys and the lake: How two backcountry experts met death in Yellowstone - WyoFile

 

[ErinC]

I find it extremely eerie that Austin's disappearance is near-exact dates in September compared to Kim Crumbo's disappearance at Shoshone Lake, YNP (9/17 - 9/19, 2021). Mr Crumbo was never located or recovered. A predator attack on Austin would have surely been identified by S&R at this point.

Ref: The boys and the lake: How two backcountry experts met death in Yellowstone - WyoFile

I wonder if it's something to do with weather phenomena that occur in the area this time of year every year. It hardly seems a practical place for serial killers or other miscreants to lurk, so I wonder if temperatures drop more precipitously, [insert weather phenomenon that I don't remotely grasp here], or something like that is happening.

 

[borndem]

Welcome to Websleuths,
Tomgetty !!​

 

[tarabull]

I find it extremely eerie that Austin's disappearance is near-exact dates in September compared to Kim Crumbo's disappearance at Shoshone Lake, YNP (9/17 - 9/19, 2021). Mr Crumbo was never located or recovered. A predator attack on Austin would have surely been identified by S&R at this point.

Ref: The boys and the lake: How two backcountry experts met death in Yellowstone - WyoFile

Hello & thanks for pointing that out...i c we have a thread for KC fwiw.

R

WY Thread 'WY - Kim Crumbo, 74, Shoshone Lake, 19 Sep 2021'

Oct 14, 2021

Half brother Mark O'Neill found deceased. Kim still missing. Both men are very experienced outdoorsmen.

Yellowstone National Park search crews look for ex-Navy SEAL after he went missing on canoe trip | Daily Mail Online

• RDW
• Replies: 10
• Forum: 2020's Missing

• 

 

[RedHaus]

Several of us have spent time scouring SAR areal images of the jagged slopes near the summit of Eagle Peak.

But I suppose it's possible AK got lost and/or fell while 'free' traversing towards Eagle Pass or while on the top of the Mountain Creek Trail that starts at Eagle Pass and goes down to his Campsite 6D8. Below I have a topo image.

Further, from the SAR album of 32 images, I think these 4 images offer some opportunity for us to search for AK there.

Counting from the first image of the 32:

#5: Campsite 6D8... (search in upper right far corner, under Eagle Pass)
#7: Ground Crews Glassing... (search down the slope in front of the searcher)
#12: Yellowstone ship Areal Searching (2)... (search slope to right towards trees. Note deep crevasse in foreground!)
#19: View South from Eagle Pass towards Howell Creek... (search whole view down towards valley)

All IMO.

 

[outsidecreativ]

When I zoom in on the area circled in this SAR image - I see something that is a shade of yellow(?) that doesn't match repeat anywhere else. I am guessing it is just the way the light is hitting and reflecting on snow but wasn't sure.

Several of us have spent time scouring SAR areal images of the jagged slopes near the summit of Eagle Peak.

But I suppose it's possible AK got lost and/or fell while 'free' traversing towards Eagle Pass or while on the top of the Mountain Creek Trail that starts at Eagle Pass and goes down to his Campsite 6D8. Below I have a topo image.

Further, from the SAR album of 32 images, I think these 4 images offer some opportunity for us to search for AK there.

Counting from the first image of the 32:

#5: Campsite 6D8... (search in upper right far corner, under Eagle Pass)
#7: Ground Crews Glassing... (search down the slope in front of the searcher)
#12: Yellowstone ship Areal Searching (2)... (search slope to right towards trees. Note deep crevasse in foreground!)
#19: View South from Eagle Pass towards Howell Creek... (search whole view down towards valley)

All IMO.
View attachment 534388

 

[outsidecreativ]

When I zoom in on the area circled in this SAR image - I see something that is a shade of yellow(?) that doesn't match or repeat anywhere else. I am guessing it is just the way the light is hitting and reflecting on snow but wasn't sure.

 

[Tomgetty]

Picture: "Eagle Peak Search & Rescue: north face of Eagle Peak (3)"

I found something at the bottom of this relief on the north slope, circled in red. You can see some rocks to the bottom-left of the circled area which look like they are recent with snow-trails. It almost looks like a person on their back, legs spread and arms across the chest.

 

[Happypetitvieux01]

He was on the peak around 7:30 PM in bad weather. For how long would he still be in daylight while going back on that day?

 

[Tower]

He was on the peak around 7:30 PM in bad weather. For how long would he still be in daylight while going back on that day?

Sunset was almost exactly that time. It would be dark by 8:00 pm, if not long before due to bad weather and his position relative to the mountain. In my opinion.

 

[RedHaus]

He was on the peak around 7:30 PM in bad weather. For how long would he still be in daylight while going back on that day?

Civilian sunset was 7:56pm MDT on 9/17, IRRC. But keep in mind it was foggy and precipitating, so cloud cover, etc. Oops, sorry, just saw @Tower already responded with same info!

 

[RedHaus]

Picture: "Eagle Peak Search & Rescue: north face of Eagle Peak (3)"

I found something at the bottom of this relief on the north slope, circled in red. You can see some rocks to the bottom-left of the circled area which look like they are recent with snow-trails. It almost looks like a person on their back, legs spread and arms across the chest.

Nice work @Tomgetty. I think I see what you see. The tracks could be searchers, as early on SAR spoke of 6' snow drifts they contended with... That sure looks like an area with very deep snow drifts.

For AK to have left prints like that, my guess is he'd been there the next day, since he only reported sleet when at the summit at 7:30pm. So, the snow likely fell overnight. But if AK bivouacked at summit he may have decended at daylight.

Oh, how I wish AK's 3rd call that evening was to 911 to ask for rescue at daybreak, and then he found dry shelter at the summit to hunker with his sleeping bag.

All that said, I encourage you and anyone else who thinks you see something in these SAR images to send them to the NPS. They appear very receptive to help.

yell_public_affairs@nps.gov
All IMO.

 

[tarabull]

So why didn't he make a 3rd call for assistance???

Did he not think he was in trouble???!!! (I know our brain plays tricks on us...sheesh...it would all seem surreal)

 

[Pseudonymph]

Another awesome book was suggested on this thread that I just ordered as well: Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite, by Ghiglieri and Farabee: "Gripping account of all known mishaps in America's first protected land of scenic wonders."

Its companion "Over the Edge" about the Grand Canyon is also excellent.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

So why didn't he make a 3rd call for assistance???

Did he not think he was in trouble???!!! (I know our brain plays tricks on us...sheesh...it would all seem surreal)

Possibly he slipped, could have lost his phone, had no reception, or become too injured?
It is really sad that he still hasn't been located. I can think of four similar cases off the top of my head, though. There are so many...