I sure hope so. At lower elevation, the tree cover would make it harder to find him from the air and the massive wilderness would make searching all the water sources so difficult, in my estimation.
WY WY - Austin King, 22, Yellowstone National Park, Eagle Peak, 17 Sept 2024
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I do think satellite messengers are fantastic, but they are really tricky in many situations. If you are incapacitated, you must have someone watching you from home (with cell or internet connection) to be able to log in and locate you and your device. SAR is currently unable to do this, on all devices I’m familiar with. I do hope this changes soon with improved technology. Plus, in canyons and other areas, it is very hard to locate the device even if your family is logged into your account.I really wish that Austin had had an emergency location device like this person this week:
Missing Canadian hiker found dead on Mount Baker - My Bellingham Now
The outcome wasn't great, but at least family didn't have to wait too long to find out what happened and searchers didn't spend weeks searching.
Of course Austin was young and fit, but, as we see, anything can happen to anyone.
I hope we hear some news soon.His poor family.
If you are conscious, you can send an SOS call from pretty much anywhere and it works for that.
Hike with other people. Technology does not come close to the safety of hiking with a buddy.
The mountaineer who passed away in your link could have roped up to friends and likely not perished in the crevasse if only he weren’t alone. Instead, he may have been emboldened by his Garmin InReach and felt he was safe enough to go solo? I don’t know, I can only speculate. His family must have logged in to give his location, as it seems he did not survive the fall, although the article doesn’t say.
Satellite messengers are a tool, but as you said, they don’t ensure a safe outcome. Hiking with others is so much safer. I am not judging any solo hikers, as the draw of the mountain is strong and it can be hard to find others available to go with you. I’m just hoping others stay safe.
Moo
If he happened to get lost, I would imagine he would see helicopters and know that they were looking for him. At this point I think the best case is he passed away immediately and has not suffered for all these days injured somewhere.. I can't imagine dying a slow death like that and not being able to do anything about it.
I have always kept in my mind if you get lost, stay put. This was drilled into my head when I was a girl scout.. if you keep moving and rescuers are looking for you, then you could be moving back into areas they already searched and miss you. I also recall learning to make yourself known.. get in a location that would be visiable from the air.. I know if he was hurt that might not be possible, but if he was just lost, I sure would think getting to an area with an open view of the sky and staying there could help. I know when panic sets it we don't always do what we know to do though.
It's just sad that he could be out there and just not found.
These are very cool, but are still probably a tool of the future for most areas. There are handheld RECCO detectors around the country, which can be used on the ground by SAT. But I believe there are no more than 5 RECCO helicopter detectors in North America. This came up in the thread on the actor Julian Sands who perished at Mt. Baldy in Southern California. At great expense, they flew a helicopter from the Reno-Tahoe Area that was RECCO-enabled long after that mission had turned to recovery. The helicopter was not successful in finding him. He probably did NOT have a RECCO tag, but the technology can also locate cell phones and other tech.
I am personally a huge proponent of using this technology in the early stages of rescue, but in most cases it’s far too expensive for every rescue. I hope it can be used more in the future.
I’m guessing it was used during this search for AK because Teton County was involved and that RECCO helicopter was so close? But I haven’t seen any reports about it.
Jmo
mlhenn
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11 days and no 'definitive clues' | Search for Minnesota man in Yellowstone now recovery mission
Austin King-Henke went missing in Yellowstone National Park. After 11 days of searching, the rescue mission has changed to a recovery effort.
www.kare11.com
For the past 11 days, more than 100 personnel have been looking for King-Henke, utilizing helicopters, dog teams, and drones. According to the National Park Service, more than 3,225 miles by air and ground at elevations ranging from 11,350 feet to 8,400 feet have been searched.
Officials said "unfortunately, they have not found any definitive clues as to King’s current whereabouts."
Tomgetty
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A few things which are not making sense to me on this case:
1. The NPS Missing Persons flyer states that AK stopped at the Howell Fork Patrol cabin, but says that was not on his planned route. So does NPS consider that AK stopping off trail to see the old Patrol Cabin was not part of his route and he somehow 'deviated'? There is only 1 trail out-into this valley, out of the Thorofare area, and NPS would never support or suggest someone traveling off-trail to get out to Eagle Pass/Peak. So this statement on the flyer "Not on his planned route" I find quite odd, like an early PR statement to indicate that AK "deviated" from his backcountry reservations by simply taking a 700ft side-trail segment to see the Patrol Cabin. Was AK's backcountry campsite reservation for the night of 9/16 suppose to be at 6D7/6D6/6D5? The Backcountry ranger wouldn't have really known who or what nights were booked at the sites, so perhaps the Ranger just thought it was normal. But AK stopping to see the Patrol Cabin while doing the Mountain Creek trail would be a planned stop and see, one of the minor-highlights. As a Yellowstone backpacker myself I always make a point to stop and see the old Patrol Cabins. Add'l: link for more YNP Patrol Cabin photos. Unfortunately since this Patrol cabin is so remote, neither photo collection above has a pic of the Howell Fork/Creek cabin but references indicate it was built in 1974.
2. The 6D8 Campsite: If AK successfully descended the mountain to his campsite late on 9/17, one would assume he was completely exhausted, cold and went right to bed. The following morning if AK wanted to sleep more, could he have just left his tent with his sleeping bag to go find a warm rock in the sunshine? Or was it the opposite- that the mid morning sun was heating up the tent too much for comfort and AK left camp to go snooze somewhere. I really wish we knew more about how SAR found the campsite, how many dinners were eaten vs remaining, along with if AK's bear bag was still hung or if his bear spray was found there in-camp. All that was reported was his survival gear was still in camp but his sleeping bag was gone.
1. The NPS Missing Persons flyer states that AK stopped at the Howell Fork Patrol cabin, but says that was not on his planned route. So does NPS consider that AK stopping off trail to see the old Patrol Cabin was not part of his route and he somehow 'deviated'? There is only 1 trail out-into this valley, out of the Thorofare area, and NPS would never support or suggest someone traveling off-trail to get out to Eagle Pass/Peak. So this statement on the flyer "Not on his planned route" I find quite odd, like an early PR statement to indicate that AK "deviated" from his backcountry reservations by simply taking a 700ft side-trail segment to see the Patrol Cabin. Was AK's backcountry campsite reservation for the night of 9/16 suppose to be at 6D7/6D6/6D5? The Backcountry ranger wouldn't have really known who or what nights were booked at the sites, so perhaps the Ranger just thought it was normal. But AK stopping to see the Patrol Cabin while doing the Mountain Creek trail would be a planned stop and see, one of the minor-highlights. As a Yellowstone backpacker myself I always make a point to stop and see the old Patrol Cabins. Add'l: link for more YNP Patrol Cabin photos. Unfortunately since this Patrol cabin is so remote, neither photo collection above has a pic of the Howell Fork/Creek cabin but references indicate it was built in 1974.
2. The 6D8 Campsite: If AK successfully descended the mountain to his campsite late on 9/17, one would assume he was completely exhausted, cold and went right to bed. The following morning if AK wanted to sleep more, could he have just left his tent with his sleeping bag to go find a warm rock in the sunshine? Or was it the opposite- that the mid morning sun was heating up the tent too much for comfort and AK left camp to go snooze somewhere. I really wish we knew more about how SAR found the campsite, how many dinners were eaten vs remaining, along with if AK's bear bag was still hung or if his bear spray was found there in-camp. All that was reported was his survival gear was still in camp but his sleeping bag was gone.
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RedHaus
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RSBM
I do too. I also wish we knew more about SAR findings from cell phone forensics.
FWIW, below is what I believe to be AK's campsite at 6D8 (see my post #216 for source and description). With my limited techology, I can't make out a tent or bear bag in the trees, nor what the searcher / ranger is kneeling and looking at.
To add to your idea as to why AK's sleeping bag is 'missing' but not other survival supplies as that retired ranger opined ^^, what if after Eagle Peak AK went for a day hike / 'easy' accent somewhere, and took the bag for extra warmth, but never returned? As an OP noticed in the new spaghetti SAR map, they have been searching other peaks.
RSBM
I have found this one of the oddest reported details because, as you say, if AK's goal was to summit Eagle Peak, there was only one way from where he was dropped on the shore of the Lake.
Is this just a fluke reporting error like the early info of 'AK's white truck being unaccounted for'? If not, why did these have any significance at all early on?
ETA: Recall the YT video that @Snoopster posted of the 2 ranchers who summitted Eagle Peak?
They described 2 routes to Eagle Pass. One from the southwest via Yellowstone Lake (as AK did) and one from the northeast. What if AK's original plan had been the latter, but he 'deviated' from his plan when he asked Trekking Adventure (see their post about AK on FB) to drop him off at the lake.
If true, that deviation might also explain why AK's white truck wasn't initially accounted for - because it wasn't parked at the northeast trailhead, if that had been his original plan? But that doesn't make complete sense because, IMO, Trekking Adventure likely reported AK missing on 9/20 and they would likely have known where AK parked his truck.
Map from video
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Tomgetty
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Most likely the cooking area and bear pole are under the tree canopy. YNP takes a log and then uses two chains and bolts to secure it to the vertical trees.
One thing I also noted in this photo was no tent. YNP Backcountry regulations and bear safety state you should place your tent 50-100 yards away from the cooking and bear pole area, ideally up-wind. I've attached a pic from one of my YNP backcountry campsites this summer, to give example of the bear pole setup. This is Firehole Springs, OA3 looking south.
If AK's backcountry Permit indicated his route would be from outside the park (like in the video), that would explain the confusion on his Truck along with the NPS statement "Not on his planned route." Backcountry permits include your entry and exit trailheads, how you are traveling (foot, horse, boat), your vehicle details+plate, each night and the assigned backcountry site, along with how many people and their full names.
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truthfinder2019
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Missing Yellowstone Hiker’s Dad: “Just Keep Praying For Him”
The 22-year-old's father asks people to "just keep praying for him" even as officials scale back search efforts for him.There have been a few recent leads in the search, the father said.
He was talking to one of Austin’s close friends and realized she’d received a voicemail from King the day he summited.
The voicemail was along the same lines as the phone call McGroarty has described..
The voicemail’s discovery was significant because it meant one more possible cellphone data lead, said King-Henke. But he hasn’t heard yet whether authorities were able to mine any data from it.
Other leads, said King-Henke, were footprints searchers found
Searchers also will scale back their efforts.
The park does not expect to provide further updates unless a notable change occurs.
Missing Yellowstone Hiker’s Dad: “Just Keep Praying For Him”
Austin King hasn't been heard of since to summited the tallest peak in Yellowstone National Park on Sept. 17. The 22-year-old's father asks people to…
cowboystatedaily.com
RedHaus
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Please share Next Trekking Adventure's plea on behalf of the NPS in red below. It could be a possible key to finding Austin.
"... Austin approached me about giving him a boat ride out to where he wanted to start his hike. We dropped Austin off last Saturday 9/14, in the SE arm of Yellowstone Lake. Austin was determined to hike Eagle Peak and had been planning this hike since his arrival in Yellowstone. Austin was passionate and excited about this trip. He had been planning this hike and was going to do whatever it took to accomplish his goal of reaching the top. Austin did not show up on our meet date on 9/20. We have spent the last days searching the shoreline for Austin. On 9/20, we did attempt to communicate with a hiker on the shore line wearing a rust color coat and orange on his pack. The hiker signaled he couldn’t hear what we were yelling due to strong winds. We were unable to go closer to shore because of the wind and waves. If anyone knows of someone that was hiking around the SE Arm of Yellowstone Lake on 9/20 at approximately 1:00pm. Please have them call Park Rangers about any information they have..."
* Note, I left off 'Next' when I named them in my last post.
"... Austin approached me about giving him a boat ride out to where he wanted to start his hike. We dropped Austin off last Saturday 9/14, in the SE arm of Yellowstone Lake. Austin was determined to hike Eagle Peak and had been planning this hike since his arrival in Yellowstone. Austin was passionate and excited about this trip. He had been planning this hike and was going to do whatever it took to accomplish his goal of reaching the top. Austin did not show up on our meet date on 9/20. We have spent the last days searching the shoreline for Austin. On 9/20, we did attempt to communicate with a hiker on the shore line wearing a rust color coat and orange on his pack. The hiker signaled he couldn’t hear what we were yelling due to strong winds. We were unable to go closer to shore because of the wind and waves. If anyone knows of someone that was hiking around the SE Arm of Yellowstone Lake on 9/20 at approximately 1:00pm. Please have them call Park Rangers about any information they have..."
* Note, I left off 'Next' when I named them in my last post.
I would guess the off-permit fires were not AK, but other people violating the no-fire rule. But I do find it to be a very interesting detail. I wish we knew if he had fire-starting supplies and/or his stove and fuel. I’m guessing they were left at camp. Starting a signal fire, while dangerous, would probably lead to your discovery by SAR.Missing Yellowstone Hiker’s Dad: “Just Keep Praying For Him”
The 22-year-old's father asks people to "just keep praying for him" even as officials scale back search efforts for him.
There have been a few recent leads in the search, the father said.
He was talking to one of Austin’s close friends and realized she’d received a voicemail from King the day he summited.
The voicemail was along the same lines as the phone call McGroarty has described..
The voicemail’s discovery was significant because it meant one more possible cellphone data lead, said King-Henke. But he hasn’t heard yet whether authorities were able to mine any data from it.
Other leads, said King-Henke, were footprints searchers found–and signs of an “off-permit” fire, or a fire outside of designated camping spaces in violation of the area’s current no-burn policy……..stray fires and footprints carry more meaning than they would in other, high-traffic parts of Yellowstone.
Searchers also will scale back their efforts.
The park does not expect to provide further updates unless a notable change occurs.
Missing Yellowstone Hiker’s Dad: “Just Keep Praying For Him”
Austin King hasn't been heard of since to summited the tallest peak in Yellowstone National Park on Sept. 17. The 22-year-old's father asks people to…
An excerpt from a 2015 trip report. Even in daylight, this is a daunting trek. I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to descend in darkness.
www.yellowstonereports.com
Yellowstone’s highest, Eagle Peak at 11, 367’, has good access via the trail to Eagle Pass. From the pass, the route is anything but straight-forward. After traversing some steep outcrops along the southeast ridge, we scrambled up some loose chutes to ascend the terraced ridgeline. This lasted until midway where a massive red wall of the Trout Peak Andesite stood firmly in our way. The fabled trick to Eagle Peak lies in side-hilling below this layer for quite a distance to the west before veering back upward through a steep ravine. At its start is a narrow chimney choked with rock fall. One slithers upward through this chimney so narrow that we took our packs off and pulled them up the adjacent wall with a rope. This is the crux move; however, the loose slab above requires patient and careful scrambling to regain the summit ridge. The descent reverses this route, but is even slower going. The summit register at the top contained my entry from 1996 when I first climbed Eagle. My companion on the ‘96 trip, Travis Wyman, was also on the present trip, 16 years later. Our 2 companions Dan Stahler and Dan MacNulty, were astonished that we were willing to repeat this climb. Indeed, the rigor of Eagle Peak requires prolonged concentration for moving on steep and loose rock, at some spots exposed to long falls, which suggested our youthfulness dealt with this better years ago, and our present age contributed to forgetting its challenge! I thought the chimney had further filled in with rock since ‘96, making it even more difficult to squeeze up, and suggesting the route is slowly closing. I personally don’t recommend Eagle Peak because its challenge precluded the relaxation and enjoyment that I so much seek in a climb.
Yellowstone Reports
www.yellowstonereports.com
Yellowstone’s highest, Eagle Peak at 11, 367’, has good access via the trail to Eagle Pass. From the pass, the route is anything but straight-forward. After traversing some steep outcrops along the southeast ridge, we scrambled up some loose chutes to ascend the terraced ridgeline. This lasted until midway where a massive red wall of the Trout Peak Andesite stood firmly in our way. The fabled trick to Eagle Peak lies in side-hilling below this layer for quite a distance to the west before veering back upward through a steep ravine. At its start is a narrow chimney choked with rock fall. One slithers upward through this chimney so narrow that we took our packs off and pulled them up the adjacent wall with a rope. This is the crux move; however, the loose slab above requires patient and careful scrambling to regain the summit ridge. The descent reverses this route, but is even slower going. The summit register at the top contained my entry from 1996 when I first climbed Eagle. My companion on the ‘96 trip, Travis Wyman, was also on the present trip, 16 years later. Our 2 companions Dan Stahler and Dan MacNulty, were astonished that we were willing to repeat this climb. Indeed, the rigor of Eagle Peak requires prolonged concentration for moving on steep and loose rock, at some spots exposed to long falls, which suggested our youthfulness dealt with this better years ago, and our present age contributed to forgetting its challenge! I thought the chimney had further filled in with rock since ‘96, making it even more difficult to squeeze up, and suggesting the route is slowly closing. I personally don’t recommend Eagle Peak because its challenge precluded the relaxation and enjoyment that I so much seek in a climb.
Tomgetty
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YNP Backcountry status page also shows updates since SAR started out there, including a Bear Warning for Mountain Creek....
Eridachtlin
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I finished a backpacking trip in Yellowstone a couple of days before Austin was dropped off. The weather was turning with thunderstorms expected for a few days.
I find his summit time inexplicable. It is only two miles from his camp to Eagle Pass. That is an hour. Being in good shape and as light as he was for his height, it might be more like forty-five minutes even taking into account the ascent to the pass. From there going up through the gullies, traversing under the cliff band, and cutting back to get to the ridge for the final stretch to the top, it is roughly another two miles. I am struggling to understand how he topped out at seven.
For peaks in the Rockies, you aim to summit by late afternoon. You want to be on the way down by three or four because it is common to have a daily rain storm around then. These sometimes come with lightning.
I think the summit time is the key. The only thing I can think of is he was off the standard route. If he was struggling with finding the route, going up through scree filled couloirs, getting cliffed out, and then backtracking to find another option then it might account for the time. It would also mean he would be descending a much sketchier route and doing it in the dark.
I find his summit time inexplicable. It is only two miles from his camp to Eagle Pass. That is an hour. Being in good shape and as light as he was for his height, it might be more like forty-five minutes even taking into account the ascent to the pass. From there going up through the gullies, traversing under the cliff band, and cutting back to get to the ridge for the final stretch to the top, it is roughly another two miles. I am struggling to understand how he topped out at seven.
For peaks in the Rockies, you aim to summit by late afternoon. You want to be on the way down by three or four because it is common to have a daily rain storm around then. These sometimes come with lightning.
I think the summit time is the key. The only thing I can think of is he was off the standard route. If he was struggling with finding the route, going up through scree filled couloirs, getting cliffed out, and then backtracking to find another option then it might account for the time. It would also mean he would be descending a much sketchier route and doing it in the dark.
Do we actually know if he spent the night at his campsite? Is it possible he only got there the same day, dumped his gear and continued onwards to Eagle Peak?
I wonder if he somehow got behind schedule and decided to bag the peak that day, rather than fall behind or turn around.
Tomgetty
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We know this from the timeline:
9/14: Dropped off by-boat at Terrace Point, Lake Yellowstone, by Trekking Adventure (3rd party, not the standard NPS Backcountry Boat shuttle)
9/16: Encountered a Ranger at the Howell Fork Patrol cabin, and the statement was made by NPS that this was "Not on his planned route"
9/17: 19:00+ at Eagle Peak Summit: Makes some cell phone calls, one to his Mom, and leaves one person a VM. Reports bad weather at Summit.
9/20: Fails to show-up for boat pick-up (again via Trekking Adventures, is reported missing)
Based on some of the details it's very likely that AK's backcountry permit either changed or was not updated from his initial plan: to start from outside the park via the Eagle Creek Trailhead (Eagle Creek campground). There was confusion around his Truck not being at the Trailhead, so this really points to the Backcountry Permit not being correct vs his actual route. Since AK was able to secure the boat shuttle through Trekking Adventure, he started on 9/14 at Terrace Point shuttle drop-off on south Yellowstone Lake. We do not know the specifics of the backcountry permit nor reservations for other backcountry sites on the entry/exit.
I totally agree. I aim to get down off the summit by noon anywhere in the west due to lightning, changing snow conditions (crevasse opening as the day warms), and other factors. That often means starting the ascent (alpine start) at midnight, 1 or 2 a.m., depending on how far you are going, but it’s safer and you have all day to find your way back to camp if lost.
Eridachtlin
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It would be nice to know his itinerary. The casual pace would be:
9/14: Dropped off and stay at Terrace Point.
9/15: Hike to a campsite between Terrace Point and Upper Howell.
9/16: Hike to Upper Howell. Checkout the patrol cabin on the way
9/17: Summit Eagle Peak. Stay the night at Upper Howell again
9/18: Hike to a campsite between Upper Howell and Terrace Point
9/19: Hike to Terrace Point.
9/20: Pick up from Terrace Point
That lines up with his summit day and ranger encounter. It does not leave much room for waiting out bad weather.
That "Not on his planned route" comment is confusing. The patrol cabin is on the way to the Upper Howell campsite. It is a mile and a half from the site. So I don't see how he could not be on his planned route unless they are referring to time. Maybe he planned to hit Upper Howell on the 15th, giving himself some leeway for weather, and took an unplanned extra day to do the whole eighteen miles.
This is actually really good news @Tomgetty. Now that the SAR operations efforts have scaled back, the trail will reopen to public this Sunday October 6th. That means even more people who will increase the chances of inadvertently (or advertently) finding him or finding clues.
I am hoping that some ordinary hikers or other amateur searchers will randomly find Austin, as you often see happens in these cases like Julian Sands.
mickey2942
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My kids worked at both Glacier and YNP for a few seasons in college. Every year, Xanterra gives a lecture to the employees to never go hiking alone. And they tell people to look around, that more than likely one person in the room, usually the large Employee Dining Room, will be missing by the end of the season.
Happens every year. Sadly.
I read today in the local news that they have stopped searching. Now, it is a recovery project.
billingsgazette.com
Happens every year. Sadly.
I read today in the local news that they have stopped searching. Now, it is a recovery project.
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