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

[iamshadow21]

“I free soloed too many cliffs to get here and walked up to the peak from the connecting peak – AKA not the right path.

Well that seems to answer one question that we've all had: Why did it take him until the evening to summit?

Looks like he got lost, climbed another mountain and then tried to make his way to Eagle Peak over a saddle. Since he didn't go up the standard route I doubt he had any idea how to descend. Many of the trip reports have mentioned how important it was to mark your path for the return.

The conditions he describes are nasty: sleet, wind, fog, hail and dusk was falling. I think an older, more experienced hiker would know to turn around long before this, but youth and impetuousness were likely fatal.

I am 22 years old and I will never forget today (for) the rest of my life.”

Kids can think they're bullet proof. I'm sure that it felt like overcoming to summit. Exhilarating. But he sounds exhausted and hypothermic. I wonder if he was already dying.

MOO

 

[ch_13]

Kids can think they're bullet proof. I'm sure that it felt like overcoming to summit. Exhilarating. But he sounds exhausted and hypothermic. I wonder if he was already dying.

MOO

One thing that experienced hikers/climbers know is that most accidents happen on the descent. That's when you're tired, not always thinking straight and the weather is often deteriorating.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I don't know, it is getting pretty late in the season to start this kind of search.

I think most parents in their position would feel they must continue coordinating some additional searches, because the official ones only just ended. I hope people continue to help them -- and stay safe. And that they do find him. His family must be so very exhausted. I am so sorry for them.

 

[mickey2942]

I think most parents in their position would feel they must continue coordinating some additional searches, because the official ones only just ended. I hope people continue to help them -- and stay safe. And that they do find him. His family must be so very exhausted. I am so sorry for them.

I wonder if they will even get a back country permit now.

 

[mickey2942]

Looks like they can, until 10/31. But they better wear bells, bears are out eating now.

Backcountry Conditions - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[ErinC]

I am wondering if my theory for finding missing children in the woods would apply here as well: Search at least one mile, preferably two, past the furthest point out that you think they could have possibly, possibly, at all gotten to. Sometimes humans can get a lot farther out than we'd expect. Of course, time and weather aren't on our side here.

 

[azure]

I am wondering if my theory for finding missing children in the woods would apply here as well: Search at least one mile, preferably two, past the furthest point out that you think they could have possibly, possibly, at all gotten to. Sometimes humans can get a lot farther out than we'd expect. Of course, time and weather aren't on our side here.

Sadly I think he's more likely to be in the search area in a crevasse or under a rock slide.

 

[katydid23]

I wish he hadn't gone alone. Sometimes we need another person to be the voice of reason, and convince us to stay in the tent and wait for the storm to pass...