Found Deceased CA - Sreenivas "Sree" Mokkapati, 52, hiker, Mount Baldy, 8 Dec 2019 *SAR member died*

[Cryptic]

Hopefully, he carried the 10 Essenstials as well as extra gear, food and water for at couple of nights, which, if he's experienced, could stretch for a while. I worry about "experienced hikers" who take day hikes for granted.

I am going day hiking in New Mexico during spring break at pretty high elevations. What are the ten essential items that I should have? I usually carry a compass, topographic map and a whistle. Anything else?

 

[zecats]

I am going day hiking in New Mexico during spring break at pretty high elevations. What are the ten essential items that I should have? I usually carry a compass, topographic map and a whistle. Anything else?

I've seen this come up frequently when missing hiker threads are in discussion. Here's the list:

The 10 Essentials of Hiking - American Hiking Society

 

[mesnowmom123]

I am going day hiking in New Mexico during spring break at pretty high elevations. What are the ten essential items that I should have? I usually carry a compass, topographic map and a whistle. Anything else?

Here is an REI link to the classic Ten Essentials (in no way advocating for REI, just a handy list): The Ten Essentials. I don't want to hijack this forum any further, but am happy to communicate with you offline and offer advice. Just send me a msg.

Be safe, you'll have a blast in NM.

 

[whitelilac]

Gosh, I looked at the photos posted in the link. As an avid hiker myself, I sure wouldn't try that in the winter.
Many of the photos state "follow the trail". If the trail is covered in snow, how can you? Even if you're experienced and know the mountain. Those blue blaze marks won't be visible either.
I fear an accident, a fall. Or a misjudgment of the trail direction.
Might he have built a snow cave in which to shelter from the cold?

Thursday night now. I very much hope he will be found alive and safe.

 

[zecats]

Wow the conditions as he walked off look terrible. I would not want to hike in that. But as a hiker I understand the need to push forward and finish the dang hike once you’ve begun it. Alone like that though is just dangerous. He’s been out there too long!

Many missing (sometimes found deceased) hikers that have threads here on WS have often neglected this simple thing about hiking alone, and safety is preempted for some goal or self-sufficient perception. In this case, he didn't start out alone, but whatever encouraged his partners to turn around did not have the same effect on him it seems. I wonder if he was equipped with any type of Garmin or GPS tracking device. I'm hoping he has enough equipment with him to survive until he is found. MOO

 

[mesnowmom123]

The search for an Irvine man who went missing during a hike on Mt. Baldy resumed Wednesday, with seven search and rescue volunteers taking to the mountain, aided by San Bernardino County sheriff’s helicopters.

Search for missing Irvine hiker on Mt. Baldy continues with volunteers and helicopters – Daily Bulletin

San Bernardino County Sheriff on Twitter

UPDATE: The search is continuing on Mount Baldy for a missing/lost hiker; Sreenivas "Sree" ... from SBSD - Headquarters : Nixle

From the Nixle link above, I read this: "He was prepared for a day hike and has limited supplies."

 

[whitelilac]

Speaking of essentials (thanks for the link, need to add a couple items from that), but what about bear spray, and a bell on your backpack.
First time I carried bear repellent spray on a 12 mile hike in the Mammoth Lakes area, I had an unfortunate accident...on myself. Luckily only on my hand and forearm, and I was right beside a lake.

I don't know if there is a danger of bears and mountain lions on Mt Baldy....I hope not.

 

[10ofRods]

I am going day hiking in New Mexico during spring break at pretty high elevations. What are the ten essential items that I should have? I usually carry a compass, topographic map and a whistle. Anything else?

You need a way to make fire. BIC lighters. You need rain gear even if there is no rain forecasted (I carry a long poncho).

There can easily be quite a bit of snow and ice in NM in March/April so check local conditions to see if you need instep crampons. Water treatment tabs, just in case (and a pot to melt snow/ice in, and a small stove - if you really want security).

 

[mesnowmom123]

Speaking of essentials (thanks for the link, need to add a couple items from that), but what about bear spray, and a bell on your backpack.
First time I carried bear repellent spray on a 12 mile hike in the Mammoth Lakes area, I had an unfortunate accident...on myself. Luckily only on my hand and forearm, and I was right beside a lake.

I don't know if there is a danger of bears and mountain lions on Mt Baldy....I hope not.

No worries about bears this time of year up there. My primary concern for Sree is not the wildlife. It's all the other elements.

 

[mesnowmom123]

You need a way to make fire. BIC lighters. You need rain gear even if there is no rain forecasted (I carry a long poncho).

There can easily be quite a bit of snow and ice in NM in March/April so check local conditions to see if you need instep crampons. Water treatment tabs, just in case (and a pot to melt snow/ice in, and a small stove - if you really want security).

I really wanted to LIKE this post 1,000 times. If anyone wants serious/detailed advice, please message me. Always happy to help in the name of safety.

 

[mesnowmom123]

I really wanted to LIKE this post 1,000 times. If anyone wants serious/detailed advice, please message me. Always happy to help in the name of safety.

Weird world. I'm going to reply to myself on the advice of another member and state that I'm not looking to sell any services, not looking for leads, just honestly happy to provide free advice to anyone considering a hike/snowshoe and are unfamiliar with safety measures. I'm volunteer Search-and-Rescue, certified in a bunch of stuff, and would rather help out in advance of your adventure than look for you on a call-out. ;-)

 

[JerseyGirl]

Search for missing hiker at Mt. Baldy continues

 

[happyday]

Search for missing hiker at Mt. Baldy continues

I so hope they find him today! There’s still hope.

 

[Cryptic]

You need a way to make fire. BIC lighters. You need rain gear even if there is no rain forecasted (I carry a long poncho).

There can easily be quite a bit of snow and ice in NM in March/April so check local conditions to see if you need instep crampons. Water treatment tabs, just in case (and a pot to melt snow/ice in, and a small stove - if you really want security).

Thanks for the advise about the poncho and the lighter. Make a lot of sense. Cold can be bearable if you really need to. Cold and wet is an entirely different matter with hypothermia.

In regards to crampons, the trail I intend to use is non climbing, "snow shoe only" due to it being a cross country ski trail as well. Evidently boots put divots in the trail and make in unusable for skis?

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

I used to work as a Public Safety Park Ranger. It's okay to carry a BIC lighter, but in addition you should have a fire starter stick in your bag as well (BIC lighters are relatively easy to break): https://tinyurl.com/wsypawm Also, before setting out on a hike, file a plan with the park rangers (ideally, stop in the ranger station and ask for advice on the trail conditions, etc before heading out as well - rangers monitor absolutely everything in order to keep you safe; from short and long-range weather forecasts that we developed ourselves, to wildlife concerns/sightings (so, if you're a birder etc we'd log the location of sightings of rare/unusual birds), areas with sketchy cell service or without it completely, potential hazards, i.e., fires, loose rocks, flooded lakes/streams, ice thickness (yes, we'd measure it daily at a minimum - more often if the weather was changing), hunting activity during the season, etc. I'd advise bringing a handheld GPS with an extra battery or two that are fully-charged; in this respect, you should learn how to use a compass and a map so that it's 2nd-nature to you: Many rangers offer classes in this regard. Being able to navigate by using only primitive methods is useful too - as is the skill to track, and being able to effectively ID edible/medicinal plants (I spend all my holidays with my former ranger dispatcher and her family - her husband is a retired ranger, and her mother is an expert in plants and teaches said classes; so we always have dishes like wild mushroom, various plant-based drinks, fiddle-heads, wild asparagus, various roasted nuts collected in the woods, wild berry pies, paw paw, etc). Since I worked mainly nights, I was required to carry at least 2 sources of light: One was a Streamlight (full-size), and the other was a small (pocket-sized) LED light. In addition, I had a very, very bright LED headlamp that attached to my cap. Hope that helps! Hike safely, guys - and remember, the main job of park rangers is to keep you safe - so talk to them, get advice, etc!

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

Thanks for the advise about the poncho and the lighter. Make a lot of sense. Cold can be bearable if you really need to. Cold and wet is an entirely different matter with hypothermia.

In regards to crampons, the trail I intend to use is non climbing, "snow shoe only" due to it being a cross country ski trail as well. Evidently boots put divots in the trail and make in unusable for skis?

Yeah, boots will quickly destroy the very carefully crafted cross country ski track - ideally, you should stay off of it unless you're cross-country skiing. It takes the trail maintenance a long time and a lot of work to create those ski tracks. When I was a ranger if we saw someone hiking on the ski track we'd instruct them to leave it immediately - just a few people can obliterate the entire thing.

 

[10ofRods]

Many missing (sometimes found deceased) hikers that have threads here on WS have often neglected this simple thing about hiking alone, and safety is preempted for some goal or self-sufficient perception. In this case, he didn't start out alone, but whatever encouraged his partners to turn around did not have the same effect on him it seems. I wonder if he was equipped with any type of Garmin or GPS tracking device. I'm hoping he has enough equipment with him to survive until he is found. MOO

This story is local to me and my understanding is that he had no beacon. Weather was really iffy on Dec 8 (it was snowing at high elevations and generally wet/damp). My thought is that he continued up, until he couldn't, and then may have gone off trail to try and find a faster way down to warmth and safety (always a problem on Baldy, but the gullies are more rugged than they may look from above). People think they can shortcut and those are the ones that SAR has to struggle with (4 more people had to be rescued up there since Dec 8).

They've now closed the mountain (and the roads up) so that no more people can go up and get lost and so that the remaining SAR personnel can keep looking.

I used to work as a Public Safety Park Ranger. It's okay to carry a BIC lighter, but in addition you should have a fire starter stick in your bag as well (BIC lighters are relatively easy to break): https://tinyurl.com/wsypawm Also, before setting out on a hike, file a plan with the park rangers (ideally, stop in the ranger station and ask for advice on the trail conditions, etc before heading out as well - rangers monitor absolutely everything in order to keep you safe; from short and long-range weather forecasts that we developed ourselves, to wildlife concerns/sightings (so, if you're a birder etc we'd log the location of sightings of rare/unusual birds), areas with sketchy cell service or without it completely, potential hazards, i.e., fires, loose rocks, flooded lakes/streams, ice thickness (yes, we'd measure it daily at a minimum - more often if the weather was changing), hunting activity during the season, etc. I'd advise bringing a handheld GPS with an extra battery or two that are fully-charged; in this respect, you should learn how to use a compass and a map so that it's 2nd-nature to you: Many rangers offer classes in this regard. Being able to navigate by using only primitive methods is useful too - as is the skill to track, and being able to effectively ID edible/medicinal plants (I spend all my holidays with my former ranger dispatcher and her family - her husband is a retired ranger, and her mother is an expert in plants and teaches said classes; so we always have dishes like wild mushroom, various plant-based drinks, fiddle-heads, wild asparagus, various roasted nuts collected in the woods, wild berry pies, paw paw, etc). Since I worked mainly nights, I was required to carry at least 2 sources of light: One was a Streamlight (full-size), and the other was a small (pocket-sized) LED light. In addition, I had a very, very bright LED headlamp that attached to my cap. Hope that helps! Hike safely, guys - and remember, the main job of park rangers is to keep you safe - so talk to them, get advice, etc!

I take a couple of BIC lighters as well as a fire starter bag (which has never worked in wet, snowy conditions for us and we're pretty good at starting fires). It takes some practice at home, I think (when fire conditions prevail and the air is dry, we can do it fairly easily). I forgot to mention a survival blanket as well. We have also started packing a bivvy sack (just in case one person can't move).

An LED headlamp is a must! And the kind that blinks is great, especially if a search is conducted at night. We carry 3 of them between the 2 of us - just for the reason you describe.

Mt Baldy has very few rangers and *so* many people going up daily. Mr Mokkapati was the 5th to be reported missing over a period of just a few days.

Snow is 6-7 feet deep in places, technical SAR personnel are coming from 4 counties (they are volunteers), and the number of people who can continue to search up there is getting limited. More snow predicted this weekend. Mr. Mokkapati was wearing clothing suitable for day hiking.

 

[Cryptic]

Yeah, boots will quickly destroy the very carefully crafted cross country ski track - ideally, you should stay off of it unless you're cross-country skiing. It takes the trail maintenance a long time and a lot of work to create those ski tracks.

I am glad that I turned around when I saw the "Skis and Snow Shoes only" sign. This year, I"ll be going back with snow shoes. Even then, I am going to be careful not to walk directly on the trial / ski tracks.

 

[mesnowmom123]

This story is local to me and my understanding is that he had no beacon. Weather was really iffy on Dec 8 (it was snowing at high elevations and generally wet/damp). My thought is that he continued up, until he couldn't, and then may have gone off trail to try and find a faster way down to warmth and safety (always a problem on Baldy, but the gullies are more rugged than they may look from above). People think they can shortcut and those are the ones that SAR has to struggle with (4 more people had to be rescued up there since Dec 8).

They've now closed the mountain (and the roads up) so that no more people can go up and get lost and so that the remaining SAR personnel can keep looking.

Respectfully snipped by me.

I hear you, 10ofRods, you're thinking if he made it to the summit, he may have chosen Baldy Bowl Trail or Devil's backbone, as both would get you back to civilization in a much shorter distance. Unfortunately the Bowl would be filled with snow (and possibly wet slabs) and Devil's backbone, well, is not wise without an ice axe and crampons (at least) this time of year. I think it was last winter (or the prior one, don't remember right now) that a number of people made some very poor decisions around the Bowl and Devil's backbone.

 

[10ofRods]

Thanks for the advise about the poncho and the lighter. Make a lot of sense. Cold can be bearable if you really need to. Cold and wet is an entirely different matter with hypothermia.

In regards to crampons, the trail I intend to use is non climbing, "snow shoe only" due to it being a cross country ski trail as well. Evidently boots put divots in the trail and make in unusable for skis?

Are you renting snow shoes? Sounds like a lot of fun, if so. I lived in NM for a few years and one thing I'll say is that while it does snow and obviously, there's ice, the snow is drier than what I've experienced in California mountains. Makes for much easier going, IMO.

Respectfully snipped by me.

I hear you, 10ofRods, you're thinking if he made it to the summit, he may have chosen Baldy Bowl Trail or Devil's backbone, as both would get you back to civilization in a much shorter distance. Unfortunately the Bowl would be filled with snow (and possibly wet slabs) and Devil's backbone, well, is not wise without an ice axe and crampons (at least) this time of year. I think it was last winter (or the prior one, don't remember right now) that a number of people made some very poor decisions around the Bowl and Devil's backbone.

What I'm not getting is why 3 people in his group turned back without him (and AFAIK, they did not discuss this as a group). Did he get way out ahead in his quest to reach the summit? That's so common in missing hiker cases. People keep telling me that they think he probably slid or plummeted off either the Bowl area or Devil's Backbone (and yes, it does happen every year - people step off onto what they think is "solid snow" and end up 10-15 lower than the trail with no way back (or worse).

Californians in general are not very snow savvy. I feel lucky that I survived my youth.