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

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I was curious what this ‘keyhole’ or ‘lava tube’ in the route looks like. I hope it’s okay to post these photos from the attached blog and description of the route. Certainly gives me the willies just looking at it.

Thanks for the pics of the keyhole/lava tube pic. Just SMH.
Indeed, it is certainly the willies.
Nope, nope, and nope. Not I.
The folks who do this must really be amazing -- and I'm sure they really enjoy the challenge and the thrill of success.
But the kicker here, and certainly in so many other amazing challenges -- is that getting to the top is only half of it.
This is so worrisome.
Hoping for good news, oh, so much.
 
They did search the north face, but with aircraft instead of on foot. I presume they would have used ground teams if they could, so there must have been no way to do it safely.

Here's a photo from Eagle Pass of the western slope. On to the right (the northern side) you can see how inhospitable the terrain is. In places it's an almost sheer vertical drop. I doubt there's any way down without using climbing equipment.

View attachment 537328
Beautiful mountain, indeed.
Thanks for the pic.
 

As the days continue to pass and King remains missing, his family isn't giving up. His dad, Brian King-Henke, is back in Wyoming organizing searches.

“Anything's possible. That's why I'm sitting here. My kid's strong,” King-Henke said on Sunday. “At this point it's like, we need to either, want to find him or get closure.”

“Just stay in there. Dad's coming for you,” King-Henke said. “The town of Cody itself is coming in my world. I asked for an army and I got an army. And it just keeps building.”
 
RSBM
Lots here, thanks for finding.

1. "Then he [AK] made those phone calls soon after making that entry, or right afterwards," said John Lamb, a volunteer search and rescuer from Bozeman. "It was just, it was distress. He was, he was definitely lost.”"

2. "It was when King was heading back down the mountain that Lamb believes King went the wrong way trying to get back to his tent. “I believe he got disorientated,” Lamb said."

3. "We got some reports of some phone pings that we're following up on. There was another imaging where drones have flown over and we've taken that. And some people have done some AI stuff. Sent us some very important stuff that we were actually at this moment checking this stuff out,” Lamb said"

.... I wonder if this includes any of our YS-NPS submissions from SAR's high resolution areal images.
 
to that last point, I wonder if this includes any of our YS-NPS submissions from SAR's high res. areal shots.
I’m curious- would any of the focus change re: which aerial images to examine closely, now that we know more about his state of mind and mis-direction not only up but also then the attempt he began back down the mountain, toward his campsite? I understand we still don’t know which way he started back down the mountain, but it does seem that he certainly wouldn’t have [intentionally] gone back the way he came up, as his messages indicate he realized it was off course and more treacherous than planned.
 
Since the early days of the search, when people he called said he couldn't feel his fingers, I was alarmed. It sounded like he either didn't have any gloves, he didn't have warm enough gloves, or he didn't have an extra dry pair to put on. It would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to descend without having dexterity in his hands. Add to that difficulty that he could not see because of the brutal weather and fogged glasses. Now we know he wrote about those same problems in the summit register. Sadly, I think it's very likely he did not make it off the mountain that night.

It was dark by the time he was starting his trip down. Any route down would have been wet, slippery, probably snow covered since a storm came through. We have no idea if he had a headlamp. What was he wearing on his feet? Hiking boots, day hikers, microspikes, crampons? I also wonder if he had extra layers of clothes. Some are wondering if he had a sleeping bag with him on his climb. It's possible, but that would be unusual since he set out thinking he would return to his camp by nightfall (was his "missing" sleeping bag for summer, shoulder seasons or winter?). We don't know if he had a bivvy or even a space blanket. Unfortunately, many people don't bring emergency supplies, even though it's standard protocol.

Those of us who hike, mountain climb, and backcountry ski have a piece of wisdom we try to live by (no pun intended): When you summit, you are only half way there. You still have to make it back down the mountain. That's why you often hear/read about people turning around before they summit. Bad weather, exhaustion, feeling sick, getting too cold or hot, having problems finding your route, these are some of the reasons people decide to turn around. It's hard to turn around when you've planned for the trip (and paid for everything to make it happen). That tunnel vision usually gets you into trouble. My husband and some friends were climbing Mt. Whitney when one of them got altitude sickness. They were about 200 feet from the summit, but they all turned around to get him back down safely. They all knew they wouldn't have another chance, but they all love being in the mountains, so the summit wasn't the only goal. The biggest goal was being in the mountains and hiking/climbing in a new place. They have no regrets.

I'm posting this YNP SAR page for people who aren't sure what this hike/climb looks like. Once you reach the mountain, there are no trails, it requires route finding, although there is a standard way people take. SAR used drones, helicopters and ground teams.

YNP SAR PAGE

I hope Austin's family and friends will get answers to where Austin is before the next storm.
over 8000 ft, you can get altitude sickness...I just cannot imagine getting down off this mountain in the dark, wind and precipitation- wind on mountain peaks is flat out life threatening- if AH could barely see and navigate in daylight, I cannot imagine how he could navigate in the dark... compass? With that much weather, you cannot easily take things out of your pack or hold anything securely and the simplest things like drinking water become arduous. IMO.
 
The free soloing caught my eye as well. And scared me. Since I'm not clear on the ratings for sleeping bags, I'm asking of those who are familiar with cold-weather outdoor survival -- Are there sleeping bags made in which he could have tucked into a protected crevice or under a rock overhang and spent a miserable night until daylight but still have survived a cold night at Eagle Peak? Since his sleeping bag was missing from the campsite (as I recall), I'm wondering if it had survived the climb with him and that was an option.

As someone mentioned he was from one of the coldest states in the country, so I've always hoped his sleeping bag would have provided ultimate protection. Is that a possibility?
there are great pieces of equipment but AH has been gone a month- doubt if he had the best gear ever and tucked in for the night that he had a month's worth of food and water. IMO. Also, if he had great equipment he probably would not have been freezing when he wrote his entry in the notebook. just IMO.
 
I do wonder why Austin decided to go farther than the approach to Eagle Pass (easiest part of the climb). He said he couldn't see the mountain for much of the day. He was supposed to return for his boat ride on the 20th. He had a few more days to summit, so he could have turned around and tried on another day.

I suppose he may have told family the 17th was the day and he'd call from the summit, likely the only place he had cell service. Perhaps he didn't want them to worry if he didn’t call on THAT day. Of course, in hindsight, Austin could have checked in with the backcountry ranger and asked to get a message to his family, or if they had worried, it would have been easy for the ranger to check on his campsite and relay Austin's change in plans to summit due to weather.

This is just so sad on so many levels. I don’t use Facebook, have there been any updates on yesterday's planned search?
 
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What is the purpose of the Howell creek Ranger cabin? How is it staffed and what are the duties of a ranger there? Is the ranger in touch with the outside world? Do they regulate the backcountry permit/campsite reservation scenario?

What was the specific interaction between King and the ranger?
I'm wondering if King could have been better served by the staff he interacted with at the ranger cabin the day before his ordeal. Wasn't his campsite an easy hike from the ranger cabin?

There is some information about the ranger cabins on the following site: Backcountry Ranger Cabins in Yellowstone . The cabins are located in remote areas. Here is a portion of their description.
The U.S. Army constructed backcountry cabins and snowshoe cabins to provide facilities for troops patrolling for poachers. Typically these were about 16 miles apart-a day’s travel.... Cabins are one or two rooms incorporating sleeping, cooking and work areas. Interiors are simple. Cabins have both wood heat and cooking stoves. Interior furnishings are typically sparse and include bunk beds, bookcases, table, and may have desks.
 
Only bit of new info I found today is this:

"Snow is forecasted to fall from Thursday to Saturday but King’s father remains optimistic in the search for his son— who was carrying just a water bottle and sleeping bag — telling The Independenthe had to take matters into his own hands” with search efforts for his son."

Oh my. :(
 
Only bit of new info I found today is this:

"Snow is forecasted to fall from Thursday to Saturday but King’s father remains optimistic in the search for his son— who was carrying just a water bottle and sleeping bag — telling The Independenthe had to take matters into his own hands” with search efforts for his son."

Oh my. :(
Yeah.

A single water bottle. No snacks.

After all the calories he must have burned climbing up his own strenuous path.

Dehydration. Electrolyte imbalance. Low blood sugar. Hypothermia.

And, of course, a whole mountain of sheer cliffs to fall off the side of.

MOO
 
Only bit of new info I found today is this:

"Snow is forecasted to fall from Thursday to Saturday but King’s father remains optimistic in the search for his son— who was carrying just a water bottle and sleeping bag — telling The Independenthe had to take matters into his own hands” with search efforts for his son."

Oh my. :(
I think it’s possible he meant no survival gear, for example, no tent or stove. I’m sure he would have snacks, a backpack, a jacket, and other things in a daypack, intending to return to camp that night. I’m just guessing, but sometimes these quotes are answering a specific question like, “Did he have a tent, bivy sack or other survival gear?” So, he could have had a first aid kit and other dayhike gear not mentioned here. Just my opinion.
 
Yeah.

A single water bottle. No snacks.

After all the calories he must have burned climbing up his own strenuous path.

Dehydration. Electrolyte imbalance. Low blood sugar. Hypothermia.

And, of course, a whole mountain of sheer cliffs to fall off the side of.

MOO

Tragic. So much like my sons when they were younger. Just full of life and sure nothing could go wrong. The difference here, is that my kids grew up in Montana.

Austin lived in Minnesota, the highest elevation mountain there is 2,500 feet. Basically a day hike for healthy young men. Completely different from a hike up Eagles Peak, at over 11,000 feet.

I wonder if Austin had ever hiked at that high of an elevation? It seems like he had basically nothing with him.
 
Only bit of new info I found today is this:

"Snow is forecasted to fall from Thursday to Saturday but King’s father remains optimistic in the search for his son— who was carrying just a water bottle and sleeping bag — telling The Independenthe had to take matters into his own hands” with search efforts for his son."

Oh my. :(
I do wonder if they know for certain that he had his sleeping bag, or if they are assuming that based on his sleeping bag "missing" from his campsite.

Another thing that has always bugged me (confounded me?) is they've never said what he was likely wearing on his hike/climb. They've shown a picture of what he was wearing on the boat ride across the lake. A black sweatshirt and gray pants. But is that what he wore to summit a remote mountain? He must have had more appropriate clothing for high elevation climbing...a rain jacket, a shell for layering/wind protection, a soft shell jacket, puffy, something?? Surely his dad or friends in Yellowstone would know what he had for being in the backcountry. He had a permit for 6 or 7 days. Even at lower elevation in the main part of the park, he'd need something for when it's raining.

His campsite is actually at high elevation, somewhere between 7,000-8,000 feet, if I understand correctly. That means cold nights even if the days are warm. It was fall weather already. What did he bring with him for the typical weather ups and downs this time of year? I know a lot of young mountain enthusiasts who spend all their money on the best gear possible, and others that "pack light" and figure it's a quick up and back, and even others who are comfortable hiking in "every day clothes." Where does Austin fall on this continuum?
 
@LookingForClues I didn't mention this, but my sons take frame backpacks when they go climbing. They set up a base camp, and leave most of their stuff there, and hike with day packs. So, they do have plenty of stuff at their "base". That way, if the weather looks "iffy", they go back to their base camp, and set up for night.

Did Austin have a "base" camp area? Or was he carrying everything to the Summit?
 

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