Search on for Roy woman, Oregon man missing in Zion National Park

[accadacca]

KSL.com

VIRGIN, Washington County

[BruteForce]

Jenny aka Evgenia is a co-worker of ours. We've been trying frantically to reach her family (in Russia) to apprise them of her status. Park rangers broke into the car and discovered wallets and cell phones still in the vehicle. No other information on whereabouts is known. Any help/guidance appreciated.

[Scott Card]

I hope they find them soon and safe.

[Brian in SLC]

Yeah, fingers crossed.

[Deathcricket]

I'm sure there have been multiple other groups through there since Sat, so I doubt an accident. I also can't foresee an accident that would disable both of them simultaneously. Maybe they just missed the exit scramble out? But I still don't think that would get them lost for two days. The good news though is it hasn't been very cold down here, so if they are lost the chances are good IMO. Lots of fresh water to drink and in a pinch you could eat the massive amounts of frogs, tadpoles, and even grasshoppers if they got past the subway section. I have also seen lots of berry bushes but they aren't fruiting this time a year I think.. Anyways crappy story, hope they find them alive and well soon.

[Brian in SLC]

There's a couple of different little entrances that would be easy to stumble into. And, if they were way off route, its a big complicated area with plenty of hidey holes.

Best wishes to a happy outcome. Day 4 now? Hmmm.

[oldno7]

I don't think there is anything to add that would aid the SAR, Those guys are good and know the area like no other.

I would guess the water is flowing quite hard in there.

[John Peterson]

I did Subway top-down about this time last year, and was surprised by the water flow. Based on the combined experience level of our group (low), in hindsight I would have probably reconsidered doing it that time of year based on the runoff. Bowling ball area was extremely fast moving and the volume and force of water spilling into it made the wet exit a bit exciting.

Hoping for the best outcome here.

[accadacca]

Any word Brute? Perhaps Bo Beck is in there looking for them.

They have updated the story with more info: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15212891

[Brian in SLC]

Found!

[oldno7]

They found them alive......
Waiting above the raging water is what they said.

[accadacca]

They have been found! They are huddled with 9 other hikers in an area where they couldn't get out...stranded by the high water. The are taking the two to the hospital for checks since they have been out the longest.

Great news!!

[Scott Card]

Excellent news.

But this begs the question...how did this happen. So 11 people total? :crazy: Oh my. And not a single one prepared or who knew what to do? Hmmmm. I will wait for details before drawing any conclusions.

[accadacca]

Stay outta there! Bloody hell man. :nono:

[blueeyes]

So glad to hear they are safe!

[Ryebrye]

My guess is that they are holed up on a ledge just upcanyon from keyhole falls.

Keyhole falls is THE crux in high water and without an intimate knowledge of the drop there it looks impassable.

I find it hard to believe that out of 11 people, there aren't 2 with enough climbing experience to retreat upcanyom and get ahold of search and rescue.

These high water subway epics are very interesting to me because I've been stuck there before (2005) and we completed a dicey upcanyon retreat successfully - but it did have some major exposure.

I've also done it in high water since then (I posted a trip report with details on dealing with high water.)

I'm glad they are all safe. I can't wait to hear the details.

[Ryebrye]

I did Subway top-down about this time last year, and was surprised by the water flow. Based on the combined experience level of our group (low), in hindsight I would have probably reconsidered doing it that time of year based on the runoff. Bowling ball area was extremely fast moving and the volume and force of water spilling into it made the wet exit a bit exciting

For future reference - In high water the bowling ball section can be - and definitely should be - avoided by going up and around. The water in that section can get high enough to basically make it into a tube of death.

[Dr. Nebz]

Glad they found them alive. :clap:

[Win]

Glad everyone is safe.:2thumbs:

Win

[JP]

Good to hear.

[Bo_Beck]

Thats great that all were found alive and in good shape! I was beginning to wonder a bit yesterday when we had covered a lot of ground, and still no hikers! We did a Russell Gulch into the Left Fork and even the water was flowing pretty strong in there! I'd certainly give The Subway some time to mellow out a bit before heading down. Better safe than sorry.

[oval]

That is so great that they found them! I saw a clip on the news last night that showed an interview with a ranger. He was standing in a parking lot with a bunch of cars, and the impression that I got from him was that they were concerned for more than just those 2. Pretty good success story!

[Sombeech]

Wow, I thought for certain they'd just been swept downstream past the exit or something, and I didn't want to post any negative thoughts. This is great news.

[Deathcricket]

Good story ending! I'm still shocked that another party didn't come through and rescue them in 2-3 days since that place is always packed and hard to get permits for. There is 25 reserved and 25 walk ins right? 50 people per day!

And yeah, in high water it's better to bypass the bowling ball section by walking on the south ledge (left going downcanyon) . It's very slippery though, covered with slimy green moss. But who knows what level that boulder is wedged at and it will check you good and maybe pin you. But that is really good advice if the water is high.

[UtahAdventureGuide]

I've been using the North Fork stream flow data since 2005 and it seems to be pretty consistent with the flow in The Subway. Ryan and I have done the Subway the first week in May every year since 2005 when water levels were almost 2000 CFS in the North Fork, today they are about 700 CFS which is a bit more than last year but nothing compared to 2005. Anyone know of a better way to judge the stream flow for The Subway? Any pics taken this week would be extremely helpful.

[Iceaxe]

unfortunately.... whats really going to happen is the NPS will stop handing out Subway permits when water flow is above the rating of garden hose.

My other concern is 9 hikers? and not one started the adventure with a check-in plan in place? :nono:

[UtahAdventureGuide]

My other concern is 9 hikers? and not one started the adventure with a check-in plan in place? :nono:

Hey, Haven't you read Aaron's Book. Real Canyoneers don't tell people where they are going or when they'll be back. It's not an adventure unless you're unprepared.


unfortunately.... whats really going to happen is the NPS will stop handing out Subway permits when water flow is above the rating of garden hose.
I would agree with the NPS denying permits to groups who are not qualified or prepared to safely descend a canyon, especially during these conditions. I have no doubt that Ryan, Myself, and lots of people on this forum wouldn't have a problem navigating The Subway in the current conditions. Keyhole falls is extremely intimidating in these conditions but not really that difficult to pass if you know how. Last year we lowered Ryan through they keyhole out of the path of the flow and pretty much avoided the falls all together.

Here are a couple pics taken last season with the stream flow in North Fork very close to where it is today. I have a pole in my hand because I broke my leg a couple miles up canyon :).

4352343524

[Ryebrye]

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?39224-Subway-May-8-2010-(plus-some-tips-on-Subway-in-the-spring) is our original trip report from last year with some tips on descending in high water situations

[Iceaxe]

I would agree with the NPS denying permits to groups who are not qualified or prepared to safely descend a canyon, especially during these conditions.

And I have a BIG problem with this... exactly who gets to decide if you are properly qualified and prepared?

This reminds me of a funny story... about 15 years ago I was climbing Grand Teton with some friends. High on the mountain we see this noob who is wearing running shoes, shorts and a tee shirt, it was obvious from observation the guy had no business being on the mountain.... So I jumped on my high horse and galloped over to tell this fool he had no business being on the mountain. I was wearing all the latest gear and looking like I just stepped off the pages of Rock and Ice Magazine.... anyhoo.... As I approached the obvious unprepared noob he turned around and said "hi", and it was at that moment I recognized Alex Lowe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lowe).

I'm thinking there is a moral to that story somewhere....

[Bo_Beck]

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?39224-Subway-May-8-2010-(plus-some-tips-on-Subway-in-the-spring) is our original trip report from last year with some tips on descending in high water situations

!0 minutes into the hike you will get your shoes wet (stream crossing). If you are doing the standard Subway route you WILL swim at the bottom of the descent ramp into Russell Gulch. The waterfall coming into the pool at the bottom of the descent ramp is flowing about 10 times the cfs as shown in your picture. I guess I'd just say that The Left Fork currently is SUBSTANTIALLY stronger flow than you experienced last May?

[jman]

!0 minutes into the hike you will get your shoes wet (stream crossing). If you are doing the standard Subway route you WILL swim at the bottom of the descent ramp into Russell Gulch. The waterfall coming into the pool at the bottom of the descent ramp is flowing about 10 times the cfs as shown in your picture. I guess I'd just say that The Left Fork currently is SUBSTANTIALLY stronger flow than you experienced last May?

Thanks Bo for the information. I really hope some pics can surface of this (or their adventure).

Btw, KSL said that they were flown out by helicopter from inside the canyon. And then on KUTV, said they were able just to hike out when the appropriate gear was lowered to them. I guess once the SAR report is published we'll know for sure which...

[UtahAdventureGuide]

Thanks Bo. Last May I believe the water was about waist deep in that section and in 2005 we had to swim and were floating through most of the canyon. Here's a pic from our 2005 trip. How does that compare?

43549

[Scott Card]

And I have a BIG problem with this... exactly who gets to decide if you are properly qualified and prepared?

This reminds me of a funny story... about 15 years ago I was climbing Grand Teton with some friends. High on the mountain we see this noob who is wearing running shoes, shorts and a tee shirt, it was obvious from observation the guy had no business being on the mountain.... So I jumped on my high horse and galloped over to tell this fool he had no business being on the mountain. I was wearing all the latest gear and looking like I just stepped off the pages of Rock and Ice Magazine.... anyhoo.... As I approached the obvious unprepared noob he turned around and said "hi", and it was at that moment I recognized Alex Lowe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lowe).

I'm thinking there is a moral to that story somewhere.... Is the moral anything like my experience? I bought some Air Jordans and I still can't dunk. Stupid shoes. But I looked real good.

I agree. I don't want the NPS judging me worthy or not to do canyons. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY is where it is at. I was teaching knots to young men last night and the comment was asked "why are we all learning the knots"? My reply -- who is responsible for you. One kid said "You?" I replied. "Ahhh, No. It would be you." I don't want the Park babysitting me.

[jman]

So when they went in, the water depth gauge was about 2 1/2 feet. In one day, it jumped another foot to 3 1/2 feet. And today it's over 4 feet.

And just over 1 week - it's spanned from 500cfs to over a 1000cfs. That's a lot of snow melting!

[Iceaxe]

I bought some Air Jordans and I still can't dunk. Stupid shoes. But I looked real good.

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

I was going more for the "You can't judge a book by it's cover" theme... but maybe I was wrong... because with or without the Air Jordans I just can't picture you above the rim windmilling a hammer dunk home. :haha:

Maybe you should buy yourself a pair of "Jimmers". I can at least picture that. :2thumbs:

[UtahAdventureGuide]

And I have a BIG problem with this... exactly who gets to decide if you are properly qualified and prepared?

You're right, they shouldn't, but like you said it's situations like this that will ultimately lead to the canyon being closed until the NPS determines that it's safe and nobody wants that.

[Brian in SLC]

So...where were they when they were spotted? Out of the canyon on the flats? Had they climbed up and out of the canyon?

Super glad that everyone's ok!

[Ryebrye]

!0 minutes into the hike you will get your shoes wet (stream crossing). If you are doing the standard Subway route you WILL swim at the bottom of the descent ramp into Russell Gulch. The waterfall coming into the pool at the bottom of the descent ramp is flowing about 10 times the cfs as shown in your picture. I guess I'd just say that The Left Fork currently is SUBSTANTIALLY stronger flow than you experienced last May?

So in other words... It's in prime conditions! :)

I really hope they don't close the Subway. They should just use their standard nanny tactics at the backcountry desk to try to scare anyone out of doing it.

[accadacca]

Stranded hikers reach safety with help from Air Force

April 20th, 2011 @ 4:26pm
By ksl.com

15222634

VIRGIN, Washington County — Three stranded hikers in Zion National Park made their way to safety Tuesday with some help from other canyoneering park visitors.

Photo album: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=460&sid=15222634&pid=0

Eleven people hiking down the slot canyon known as The Subway reached the Left Fork trailhead by 11 p.m. Tuesday, officials. They had no injuries and were "just a little tired," Zion spokesman David Eaker said.

Personnel in two Blackhawk helicopters from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada spotted the group not far from the trailhead with the help of night- vision equipment. Two airmen were lowered down with supplies to assist the group in hiking out, Eaker said.

Officials first started a search Sunday for a couple with a permit for a one-day trip whose car was found at a trailhead. A Salt Lake City man who headed out Monday afternoon was also reported missing after he told his wife to alert park officials if she didn't hear from him by 2 a.m.

That man, David Balkcom, 37, had spent Monday night stuck on a ledge in a thunderstorm after trying to rappel down a waterfall, according to BYU student Cliff Chandler, who was part of a group of six hikers that had started the hike Tuesday morning and found Balkcom around noon. Chandler said they reached Balkcom from above, pulled him to safety and brought him with them.

A short time later, the group met the couple, Evgenia Buzulukova, 25, of Roy, and Jonathon Wilson, 28, of Portland, Ore., who Chandler said had built a fire but were stuck in the canyon, out of food and exhausted. With the help of an experienced canyon guide, the group set up rope lines to assist the three less-experienced hikers down the canyon.

"The water was flowing very high," Eaker said. "It was very tough going yesterday."

A backcountry permit is required for the nine-mile hike, which starts at the top of the canyon along the Wildcat Canyon trail. Eaker said park officials informed each group of the poor conditions, but they turned out to be even worse.

"We can't judge people on what experience they have. We told them the conditions were not good and gave them all kinds of information (on how to be safe)," he said. "They have to make the final call."
Chandler said his group was doing the hike just for fun but had been told hikers had gone missing in the area.

"We knew the conditions were going to be kind of extreme, but we were prepared for that," he said. "We were going to keep our eyes out for (the missing hikers). We did not necessarily expect to find them."

Eaker said water levels in The Subway were as high as park officials had ever seen them due to snowmelt. The cold water has been rising steadily in a "continuous high flow," unlike the flash floods often seen in the area after summer thunderstorms, he said.

Park officials have closed The Subway temporarily and are evaluating their rescue efforts of the last few days. They continued to issue permits and several groups completed the entire trip, with difficulty but successfully, while the couple hunkered down on ledges, well above the fast-moving water and out of sight. That led officials to believe the couple was no longer in The Subway.

The search was ramped up Tuesday, with five ground teams, two dog teams and the helicopters. Chandler said his group saw the helicopters several times and waved, but the crews apparently did not see the hikers.

Supervisory ranger Ray O'Neil stressed that without park officials checking on the car, they would not have known the couple was missing. Conditions in slot canyons change rapidly, he said, and many do not have gauges to measure how fast the water is flowing.

"As things stand, it's all a guess," he said. "We just don't know the specifics."

O'Neil urged park visitors to take responsibility for their own safety.

"When you go into wilderness, when you go into backcountry, you are saying that you want to accept nature on its own terms," he said. "You need to be ready for the conditions you're going to encounter."

Story: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15222634

Story written with contributions from Jennifer Stagg and Paul Koepp.

[Iceaxe]

Stranded hikers reach safety with help from Air Force

Not to be-little the help of anyone involved, but it appears that "the hikers" were rescued by a group of competent and well prepared technical canyoneers.

Those guys should get a pat on the back. :2thumbs:

[Deathcricket]

OMG can I start cussing now please? Subway closed for re-evaluation? Park Rangers at fault because they didn't warn the hikers that fast moving water is treacherous?

This is not an amusement park people! This is mother F-ing nature at her finest. Respect her or die! You evaluate the conditions before you step foot into a canyon yourself!

Ok I need to go drink a mtn dew and do some yoga until my rage dies down...... :angryfire::angryfire::angryfire:

[Iceaxe]

Here is the best account I have seen of what happened, where and why....


Hikers walk out of Zion Canyon on their own
By Mark Havnes - The Salt Lake Tribune

Zion National Park • Hikers love the narrow canyons and towering rock walls of the popular hike known as the Subway in Zion National Park. But those same features, complemented by a torrent of icy cold water, are what caused several adventurers to become briefly stranded.

Park officials began searching Sunday for Evgenia Buzulukova, 25, of Roy, and her friend Jonathan Wilson, 28, of Portland, Ore., after they failed to return from the hike they had planned to complete on Saturday.

Andrew Fitzgerald, a Zion ranger who coordinated the investigation, said Wednesday that the pair stalled at an area of the hike known as the Keyhole, along with seven other hikers.

Fitzgerald said Buzulukova and Wilson initially planned to enter the canyon by hiking and rappeling into the Subway from an area known as Russell Gulch. He described the route as “technical” and said it involved at least three rappels of up to 95 feet.

Fitzgerald said the pair changed course when their original plan appeared too difficult and took the traditional route down Wildcat Canyon. But they lost valuable time as the Left Fork of North Creek, which runs through the Subway, kept rising due to melting snowpack in surrounding mountains.

The couple built a fire for the night, even though park rules forbid backcountry fires, and hoped to finish their adventure on Sunday.

Fitzgerald said they had little food but were well equipped, including wetsuits. “They did have plenty of water and iodine pills to purify it,” he said.

On Sunday, the two reached the Keyhole, a narrow part of the canyon that forces the water higher up the walls and required a rappel in the middle of the stream, which was rushing so fast it blocked their way.

“They wisely decided that they could not go through safely,” said Fitzgerald. “They figured it would have been suicidal to go on, so they stopped to wait for the water to go down.”

Fitzgerald said that once hikers begin their descent, which requires a series of rappels, there is no going back.

While waiting, the two hikers trekked up the side of the canyon about 100 feet, unsuccessfully looking for a way out.

“There’s no getting out at that spot but down the canyon,” Fitzgerald said.

Attempts to reach the pair on Wednesday were not immediately successful.

Buzulukova and Wilson spent another unplanned night in the park and on Monday were joined by about seven other hikers whose progress was also halted by high, swift water.

Fitzgerald said one of the hikers was an experienced guide and was able to set up a “high wire” rope that the hikers used to cross the fast moving water and continue hiking.

“It [high wire] allowed them to get through the most treacherous portions,” he said.

Two of the hikers went out ahead of the others and contacted authorities at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Fitzgerald said a military helicopter from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada had just begun looking for the hikers using infrared technology and spotted them less than a mile from the trailhead.

Two paramedics were lowered from the helicopter to examine the hikers, but none required medical help and all were able to hike the rest of the way out on their own.

Park spokesman David Eaker said Wednesday that the search involved 25 park rangers, workers and volunteers. Dog teams were also used.

Searches are generally uncommon in the park because of limitations on where people can go, according to Eaker. He said rescues are more frequent when people have accidents. He said the couple did the right thing by getting the necessary backcountry permits for the Subway hike, so popular they are distributed through a lottery.

He said Buzulukova and Wilson also demonstrated good judgment. “They made the right choice when they realized they were in a situation beyond their capabilities,” said Eaker. “It’s always good when they turn out like this.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51666768-78/hikers-fitzgerald-park-buzulukova.html.csp?page=1

[UtahAdventureGuide]

So rather than ask a few basic questions to determine the competency and preparedness of the group before issuing a permit they have closed the Subway for everyone indefinitely.

From the Backcountry Reservation System:
04/19/11. Multiple rescues have occurred over the last several days due to high water in the Keyhole Falls areas. The top down Left Fork trip is temporarily closed.

[Scott Card]

From the Backcountry Reservation System:
04/19/11. Multiple rescues have occurred over the last several days due to high water in the Keyhole Falls areas. The top down Left Fork trip is temporarily closed. :facepalm1:

[peakbaggers]

Here in Coolorado, every time a person dies on a 14er or some other peak, there's always talk (TV news & editorials) about requiring a license to climb or the National Farce Service issuing a permit to climb and/or "evaluating" people's ability. Fortunately, nothing like that has happened yet, but a quota system will soon be coming at least on the 14ers and a few other popular trails, much like in California already. The 14ers are being "loved" to death. We will regret to see that day, but at least for now, we're still free to roam on the abundant National Forest Lands and climb 13ers to our hearts content.
Around 30 years ago now, went on a trip to the Grand Canyon with two other strong guys. We all had numurous Colorado peaks under our belt and were in good shape and had some previous Grand Canyon experience. We wanted to hike/backpack in an area with a non-maintained, primitive trail. Our permit was denied by the issuing ranger. When I argued with him and demanded a reason for the denial, I was only told, "In the Colorado mountains, you go up first, then come down. In the Grand Canyon, you go down first, then up." DuH!!:angryfire: Had to choose another hike to this one rangers liking.

[oval]

I'm just wondering about the Park's policy on when to send a rescue? After thinking about this a little bit, it got me to wondering: exactly how long after a permit is overdue does the park service call in a S&R?

It's sort of wierd to me that a couple could be over-due by 4 days, and still no one from the Park service or the S&R would have gone down the route that they had on the permit?

It also sort of strikes me as odd that the helicopters that were looking for them were not searching their permitted course initially. The initial report I heard said they were looking outside of the Park. And why even send in helicopters before sending someone down the route on foot?

This just strikes me as a really odd S&R situation, maybe someone could shed some light.

That being said, kudos to those canyoneers that took them through. Seriously good on them! Representing competent canyoning to the NPS by having prepared canyon skills and actually rescuing the other group should send a strong message to the NPS (I hope).

[Iceaxe]

DuH!!:angryfire: Had to choose another hike to this one rangers liking.

I've run into this before.... so I just picked up a permit to the nearest possible place to where I actually want to go and than make a "navigational error" to go where I wanted and not exactly where the permit says.... I've noticed they give tickets for no permit but they don't give tickets for being stupid and getting "lost"... so I've used that to my advantage before....

Come to think of it.... playing dumb has got me out of a lot of trouble before. :haha:

[Ryebrye]

Here is the best account I have seen of what happened, where and why....
Fitzgerald said that once hikers begin their descent, which requires a series of rappels, there is no going back.


False. I've done it. I've even done it in chest-high water - which is higher than what they were facing down there.



“There’s no getting out at that spot but down the canyon,” Fitzgerald said.


Again... false... but I already made that point.



“It [high wire] allowed them to get through the most treacherous portions,” he said.


Yeah, a high wire is a one way to get past that section. Going up and over the keyhole and down through the hole is easier if you are not fat.

It's quite sad that they are closing this area off right now because, in my opinion, the only time the Subway is worth doing is when it is flowing in high water. In low water the slogfest exit of the Subway outweighs the benefit of the Subway (and yes, I know other exits such as the MIA exit are worse exits - but I'd say Boundary Canyon is such a good canyon that it balances out the slogfest at the end - but the Subway is just kind of a "so so" pretty nature hike unless it's got flowing water in there)

Looks like the "bottom up" is still available. So... you could use Shane's trick and say "Oh. My map was upside down. Woops."

And as far as the Subway not being navigable upcanyon.. that's complete and total BS. Although if you have the skills it requires to make the upcanyon retreat, you probably also have the skills to keep going on downcanyon... But it CAN be done if you absolutely have to do it.

[Ryebrye]

That being said, kudos to those canyoneers that took them through. Seriously good on them! Representing competent canyoning to the NPS by having prepared canyon skills and actually rescuing the other group should send a strong message to the NPS (I hope).

The message it should send, perhaps, is that people who know their stuff should be able to get permits and go through canyons because it increases the safety of all those involved.

Bo has rightfully earned the right to go into canyons and not be part of the quota for that reason - perhaps they should consider expanding that privilege out to some others...

But... more realistically... they will just shut the Subway down in the Spring now. Good thing there isn't a good flow guage they can use to measure the water in it - because otherwise they'd probably shut it off for good when there is any flow in it similar to how they do the Narrows.

[ratagonia]

I've been using the North Fork stream flow data since 2005 and it seems to be pretty consistent with the flow in The Subway. Ryan and I have done the Subway the first week in May every year since 2005 when water levels were almost 2000 CFS in the North Fork, today they are about 700 CFS which is a bit more than last year but nothing compared to 2005. Anyone know of a better way to judge the stream flow for The Subway? Any pics taken this week would be extremely helpful.

There may be an incidental correlation between the North Fork gage and flow in the Left Fork of North Creek, but the basins involved have very, VERY different melt-out dynamics. So yes, I think it is fair to say that they both melt out sometime in the spring. The North Fork has been in flood for a month, but I bet the Subway has not. The North Fork will be in flood for another month or two, but I don't think the Subway will last another 2 weeks at most.

Tom :moses:

[ratagonia]

The message it should send, perhaps, is that people who know their stuff should be able to get permits and go through canyons because it increases the safety of all those involved.

And how, exactly, is the Park Service supposed to determine such stuff?

Perhaps people who have taken an ACA course are thus qualified, right? (that's a troll, but the point is, that is the way the Park Service thinks, at times).

Tom

[ratagonia]

[quote="NPS Zion Press Release"]
Upper Portion of The Subway Route in Zion National Park Temporarily Closed

Date: April 21, 2011
Contact: Ray O'Neil, 435-772-7823
Contact: David Eaker, 435-772-7811

The upper portion of the Left Fork of North Creek (The Subway) route is currently closed until further notice due to a public safety stand down. This route is commonly referred as the 'top down' route that begins from the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead and enters the Left Fork (The Subway) through the lower section of Russell Gulch. The popular canyoneering route will be reopened when park rangers have evaluated the cause of recent incidents involving overdue hikers in the canyon and determine what additional information can be passed on to park visitors to increase their safety and awareness. Trips upstream from the Left Fork Trailhead along the Kolob Terrace Road are unaffected by the closure.

Over the last four days, nine groups have received wilderness permits to hike The Subway route from the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead through the Left Fork of North Creek. Only two of the groups completed the one day trip before dark. Due to high, cold water from recent snowmelt, four groups were unable to bypass an obstacle known as Keyhole Falls without assistance. Two of those groups spent at least one unintended overnight in the backcountry.

The route has been closed while the National Park Service evaluates information provided to park visitors. During spring snowmelt, conditions change daily if not hourly in the park's narrow canyons. It is very important that park visitors understand that their safety is their responsibility. If conditions are more challenging than expected, hikers must be prepared to re-evaluate their planned trip.

The Subway is a narrow canyon in the Kolob Terrace section of the park. It is a strenuous 9

[ratagonia]

http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/left-fork-the-subway.htm

Where is this picture from? Anyone recognize it?

Tom :moses:

[Iceaxe]

And how, exactly, is the Park Service supposed to determine such stuff?

I've been trying to think of a reasonable gumbie filter but I keep coming back to a couple of basics.... It's not the NPS duty to be my mother (I already have one)... and in the end the NPS will probably just default to the lowest common denominator (which again means we are talking about my mother, or someone like her).... either way it sucks....

Think I'll just go do the Black Hole when its flowing so I don't have to put up with this crap.

[Iceaxe]

Where is this picture from? Anyone recognize it?

Looks like Das Boot when its in Das Hike conditions....


Das Boot filled with water
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/Files/boot1.jpg

[ilipichicuma]

I was one of the people in the group that came in and pulled them out. Thanks for the pats on the back, and I'm glad it looks like the story's been gotten straight overall, because I didn't want it to look like we were stranded, too. Because we weren't.

[Brian in SLC]

Kudo's to you guys!

Any chance we could get a little info nourishment on the what's, where's and how's of it all?

[Iceaxe]

Kudo's to you guys!

Any chance we could get a little info nourishment on the what's, where's and how's of it all?

x2

And who's video footage was used on the news? I'd like to see a little more of that.

[ratagonia]

Kudo's to you guys!

Any chance we could get a little info nourishment on the what's, where's and how's of it all?

My correspondent Gavin Hawkley was in the Subway on April 19th, to good effect.
Here is his report:

Subway April 19, 2011

I and 4 friends decided that we were going to head down to Zion and run Das
Boot through the Subway. We were pumped to be getting into a new season of
canyoneering. We did keyhole the day before we were planning on the Subway and
ran into some other canyoneers. They had recently done the Subway and told us
that there was a lot of water and hydraulics that could potentially pull you
back into dangerous water if you weren't a strong swimmer. We thought that
sounded pretty cool so we were pretty excited to do the Subway the next day.
However, when we went to get our permits we were told that a few hikers were
missing and that they may have tried to do Das Boot or Russel Gulch. We
reevaluated and decided we would definitely take a good look at Das Boot before
we committed to that route.

The next day we left early, excited and ready for some adventure. We got a
little more than we had bargained for. When we arrived at the wildcat trailhead
it was crawling with rangers. They told us that some rangers had been down to
Das Boot looking for the couple and that the water looked very dangerous. These
rangers looked fairly on top of things so we believed them and told them we
would just do the regular Subway route. They also told us that another
Canyoneer, David, who had headed out the day before at 3 pm, had not yet
returned either. We told them we would keep an eye out for any of these people
and head down.

When we arrived at the entrance to the subway there was a lot of water coming
down from Russel Gulch. This section of the subway was usually dry with a few
pools but now it was flowing with water from edge to edge. It was a river. We
got into our 7mm wet suits, climbed into our neoprene booties and strapped on
our helmets and harnesses. We were ready for some interesting stuff. As we
were about to go down canyon a couple came down the trail who were going to do
it too. We got them to take a picture of us together and then we started down
canyon. As we began I looked back at the couple and wondered if they could
possibly have enough gear to safely get down the route; they only had one
backpack that the guy was wearing and it didn't seem full enough to have enough
protection from the very cold water. "But this is just the subway we're doing"
I thought, "they'll probably get a little cold and realize next time they should
bring a little better gear. Some natural consequences might get people to
prepare a little better. It's just the Subway, they'll be fine."

We started down the canyon which was a very different beast from what I'd seen
the previous times I'd done the subway. The water was flowing very rapidly and
anywhere the walls came together tightly it created hydraulic effects that would
pull you back into the whitewater falls. We used various methods to get past
these including handlines after the strongest person was across. We had been
going about 1.5-2 hours when we heard a whistle as we approached a particularly
narrow section. As I moved closer to the point where it narrowed up and the
water became very strong I could see around the corner a man stuck in a nook on
the side of the canyon. He yelled to us, "don't come down here, I've been here
since yesterday". I started thinking hard then.

-Hypothermic guy down canyon who could be next to useless or even dangerous to
himself or us, gotta get him out of there, got to keep my team safe, have to
assume that if he is stuck there then the water could be really bad here and I
don't want us getting stuck too- Luckily there was a ledge system above us that
was more than large enough to walk on. One guy from my team, Dustin, Was able
to get up on the ledge and anchor himself down. I had him toss me a rope from
above and I was able to stem/chimney/swing over to where David was stuck. He
was in bad shape but wasn't spouting nonsense. Mild Hypothermia I decided. He
repeated himself and worried about his sling and rope that didn't matter at all
but he did what I told him to and seemed to understand he wasn't quite on top of
things. I had my other friend Anthony come across too and we made sure he ate
some food and drank some water which he hadn't done in awhile.

Meanwhile Cliff and Mckell had been able to get on the ledge up by Dustin. I
hooked back on rope and climbed/got pulled up out of the section of canyon onto
the ledge system above. We then pulled out David followed by Anthony. After
doing a more thorough assessment of David I decided that he was in good enough
shape to move down canyon with us. As we moved he became more and more aware
and competent as his hypothermic symptoms disappeared. We went down the ledge a
little way and found an easy descent back into the main section of the canyon,
thus avoiding the spot where David had gotten stuck.

I realized things were a little more serious now and went into – get down
canyon mode – as opposed to just having a fun time. But David was doing well,
we would be okay I thought. Around a few more bend though we came across our
next surprise. There in the curve of the canyon was a bunch of clothes, some
food, and a pair of nice shoes just sitting there. I thought, "Oh crap. I've
read about this stuff before. Somebody got stuck here, went crazy hypothermic
and is running around in the nude singing chants to the canyon gods and kissing
rocks." We started yelling and searched the surrounding slopes for anyone who
might be there. I still do not know where those clothes came from or why they
were there but I'm grateful that we stopped and yelled because from way down
canyon my friend Cliff heard a faint reply.

We moved down canyon and continued to call out. Replies came and eventually I
was able to spot a girl up on a ledge about 100 feet up above the canyon floor.
I climbed up as close as I could safely and she said her name was Jen and she
had been there since Saturday!

It was now Tuesday and I realized that this was not going to be anything close
to a normal day in a canyon. She told me they hadn't had food for a day and
half but that they did have water. The slope was too dangerous for me to climb
up I decided, about 30 feet of exposed climbing so I grabbed the dry bag out of
my pack and told them to get a rope and we would tie the bag to it so they could
get some food. I had Dustin stay there to tie it on the rope and then I moved
down canyon a bit with Anthony to try and find a safer way up to them. We found
a way up a little further down canyon and got up to there ledge. It was a
little out of the way and not terribly visible which is why I think they weren't
spotted by other groups that had come down Sunday. They had a fire going and
had Iodine drops so they were not in terrible shape. They were tired,
exhausted, and Jon seemed kind of shaky but doing remarkably well all things
considered. Honestly I had figured they were dead when I heard from search and
rescue that they had been missing for 4 days. But now I had a real situation on
my hands. There was no way they were going to be able to recover quickly and to
the level that David had. They were going to be moving slow, have bad reflexes,
probably impaired decision making abilities, and who knew what else. The
reason they had stopped was that the next section looked even worse than what we
had already done and they didn't think they could do it. I decided that the
best option we had was to split my team up and leave two of them with the now 3
people who needed rescuing and take myself and two of the most competent from my
team and head down canyon as quickly as I could and get search and rescue the
specific location of the group. It crossed my mind what had happened to that
first couple we had seen as we entered the canyon and who had seemed so ill
prepared for this ever more dangerous canyon. I didn't wonder long though.

Just as I had finished deciding what we would do this guy popped up from the
other side of the ledge and said "is everything okay here?" I looked at him and
thought "what the heck is going on?" The guy looked tough with a full beard and
long hair, sinewy muscles and a capable look about him. I'm pretty sure the
first thing I said was "did you just climb up that cliff over there?" and he
simply replied "yes." We talked a bit and he told me he'd picked up the couple
we'd left at the beginning of the canyon. They had been trying to do the canyon
in only dry pants with no upper body protection. Awesome. I should note now
that this guy does not want to be known or mentioned by name so I will refer to
him as simply Canyonman. He is a trained guide and has been doing canyons for
about 13 years I think he said. I thought… this is good.

He had medical training and did another evaluation of Jen and Jon and decided
that they were doing okay. I then talked with Canyonman about my plan and he
said it would be better to get these people out of the canyon if we could and
that he didn't have a lot of confidence in park search and rescue. I decided I
would trust him and so we got the group together and told them our options.
Either divide up and send a team ahead to get help, or go as one big group (11
people now) and get through the rest of the way. We took a vote and it was
decided to go together. We got to the next obstacle and Canyonman set up at the
anchor. I then dropped down through a natural arch there and swam as hard as I
could through the hydraulic section and tied my end of a rope to a fallen tree
in the watercourse. We rigged up a zipline type of thing with Canyonman
belaying them from the top as they passed over and past the dangerous water
section to me. Anthony and Cliff also helped at strategic points to make sure
people were always clipped in and always on belay.

Everyone made it safely down but it became apparent the person with the most
issues then was Jon. He was very unsure of his feet and would fall down
constantly in the water. As we moved down canyon we had to keep one person with
him always to keep him from falling and hurting himself. We made sure each of
the people we were concerned about had someone watching them and next to them
the whole time. We had to get past another waterfall and down another rappel
but those went without too much incident, just very slowly because we had to
make sure that these people were on belay at all times even for minor stuff,
otherwise a slip could get them pulled into some dangerous stuff.

We were past the technical section! But it was about 6:30 pm already and I
knew there as no way we were making our way out of this before nightfall.
Helicopters had passed over a few times but hadn't seen us and we hadn't run
into anyone as we came out and I didn't hold out much hope of seeing anyone
helpful. We were on our own. We started moving very slowly, 1-2 mph is where I
would put our pace at. Jen was tired but moving well. David was fully
recovered. The couple, named Brooke and another Jon (I'll call him Jon 2),
Canyonman had picked up were doing fine. Brooke had her nerves hit a bit (I
don't think this was quite the adventure they'd envisioned) but didn't let that
stop her from moving on. After about a half hour and as the canyon became
easier Brooke and Jon 2 decided that they would go on ahead and try and send
back help to us since it was obvious were moving too slowly to get to the cars
anytime soon. Jon 1 was moving very slowly and was very unsure of his feet. We
kept moving.

As darkness approached we were still a few hours away from the cars. I worried
about sprained ankles and other falls that would come as it became very dark.
Helicopters continued to pass over from time to time but we didn't count on any
help. It got dark. We kept our headlamps off for as long as we could and I
kicked myself for not remembering mine. Luckily we had about 4 or 5 headlamps
that worked and we made due. We had to do a few more river crossings (and it
really was a river) so I went first and we set up a handline for the others as
they came along as I anchored my side and Cliff on his side. Here Canyonman
made a big difference again. I had only done subway a few times and knew more
or less where the exit was but it was dark and I was worried. He knew exactly
where it was though. After we crossed the river a few times with more handlines
and even over a tree once, we were able to find the exit trail.

We hiked up it with breaks fairly often for Jon who was very tired at this
point. But we kept on moving and got up onto the top of the reef there.
Helicopters were now passing over more frequently, they could see our headlamps,
but we didn't really care because we were almost to the parking lot. But about
5 minutes out this copter came screaming over really close to us, shot dust into
our eyes, and pass over a little ways. We kind of looked at each other
confused, couldn't figure out what that was about and so we just kept on hiking.
About two minutes later we hear shouts from behind us and see headlamps shining.
At this point Canyonman said "rangers…see ya" and took off up the trail because
he didn't want to be known or talked to when the reports were put together. The
men coming out of the woods weren't actually rangers but were air force and had
rappelled out of their Blackhawk helicopter. They came up asking where Jon was
and wanted to give medical attention.

Apparently Brooke and Jon 2 had gotten out earlier and phoned in that we were
still down there. But the message that Jon 1 was having difficulty walking got
turned into, "we heard Jon can't walk and you guys were carrying him". We told
them this was not the case and that we would just like to walk the rest of the
way to the cars. They looked at each other and said "okay… why don't you lead
the way." So now we had two air force guys join the back of our party and we
continued hiking to the parking lot. We got to the parking lot, gave some hugs,
handshakes and high fives. About 10 minutes after arriving at the parking lot a
ranger showed up who asked us if we needed water. We had Gatorade and water in
our cars. The ranger asked me for an explanation of what had happened and I
gave a brief explanation while he recorded audio of it. He got our names and
numbers and that was it. My group went and picked up our car from the wildcat
trailhead and headed back to Mosquito Cove for a much needed warm sleeping bag.

[ilipichicuma]

x2

And who's video footage was used on the news? I'd like to see a little more of that.

That footage came from our friend Anthony Dunster. The guy is always taking pictures and shooting videos when we're in canyons. Once he gets all of the pictures to me I'll put some up here with Gavin's trip report.

[accadacca]

Fantastic read! Brilliant job helping them get outta there. :2thumbs:

[Bo_Beck]

OK, I can see the argument for not closing our public lands because of conditions unforseen!? I can grasp the seriousness of the public being able to evaluate their own abilities and make their own decisions on a course of intent!? I see the contradictions of policy and abilities!? I've spent enough time listening to and sometimes responding to posts on this forum and others. Yes...it is and should be the responsibility of each of us when we choose to do a "hike". Time and time again it's stated that we should have an overdue plan? We should or shouldn't expect proffessional rescue? What should we do if we might be in over our heads? On and on the critisizm spews; "it's the parks fault, it's the hikers fault, it's the equipments fault, it's the trainers fault." So far in this thread I've seen very little praise for the individuals involved. It seems that the right decisions were made under the circumstances. Jon and Jen went for a hike, found themselves in trouble and overcame (with help from others) and made it home safely?

Where I get a bit miffed is the somewhat seeming "hipocracy" displayed periodically!?
"I've been through The Subway in similar circumstances"! "It's easy to bypass the major obstacles!"
Obviously it wasn't easy for Jon and Jen? Is it the Parks fault because they didn't know Jon and Jens tolerance and abilities?

We've all seen "127 Hours" (I haven't), but so much critisizm continues about Aaron not stating his intentions?
"If I can't get a permit for where I want to go' I get one for the nearest possible area and make a navigational error".
I really have no problem personally with straying off course occasionally, but to intentionally suggest getting permits for one area and then deviating to another? I wonder how wise this advise really is?

One comment in the thread questions why the helicopter went outside the area of The Subway? Well.......here's your answer. How 'bout' last summer's "Fat Mans Misery via Parunuweap below Labyrinth Falls" incident? Anyone remember a few years back the "Not Behunin" incident? or a few years even further back the "Subway via Wildcat" incident? or even further back the "Kolob Creek, but rather drink beer and eat steaks at Chamberlain Ranch" incident? or further back the "Orderville via Englestead (still convinced I was on track)" incident? I would only say....It's probably a good thing that helicopters are part of the equation. It's also probably a good thing that route plans, permits or some other means of plan intent are known?

I don't dissagree with how individuals percieve and react to any or all of the decisions that were made, but would suggest that you evaluate the consequences of your own decisions. What you decide may one day come back and bite you. Sometimes the conservative decision may make the most sense.

[bowjunkie]

very well put Bo !!!

[Bo_Beck]

Perhaps people who have taken an ACA course are thus qualified, right? (that's a troll, but the point is, that is the way the Park Service thinks, at times).
Tom

Enlighten me Tom? I suppose I don't see what you mean by "that is the way the Park Service thinks, at times"? Are you referring to the statement that if an individual has taken an ACA course the Park Service considers them qualified? Curious?
Bo

[ratagonia]

Enlighten me Tom? I suppose I don't see what you mean by "that is the way the Park Service thinks, at times"? Are you referring to the statement that if an individual has taken an ACA course the Park Service considers them qualified? Curious?
Bo

It was a troll, and incorrect. Thankfully, the Park Service does NOT think this way. The Park Service is very clear it does not qualify individuals in any way. Even guides, it does not use outside certifications to qualify (except WFR). To be permitted to guide (non-technical) in Zion, you must pass a Zion Knowledge test and pay your insurance. Period.

Tom

[Deathcricket]

Oh wow what a good read hearing the "whole" story now. In fact I think it was a good move for the hikers to not try something over their heads and die. I also like how some random canyoneers self rescued them with the help of "Canyonman". That was a nice twist. The only minor mistake I see is they (the stranded) were probably not watching the river as well and got passed by a couple other groups. Might have been able to get out of the canyon earlier if they had seen one of the other parties..

:2thumbs::2thumbs: Two thumbs up!

[oval]

Hey Bo-

I wasnt meaning to belittle the S&R, I actually just was wondering what the procedure IS for S&R stuff in the park. I suppose the question in my mind that still remains is: Why would the Park wait 4 days, already have had a S&R underway, but NOT have sent someone down the route that was on these people's permits?

Really I just want to understand how the S&R stuff is set up. If this is standard for S&R, the take-home message for me is: Self rescue, because S&R doesn't start off of the permit and waits quite a few days to follow up on it. Now obviously I don't know what the protocol is for S&R, which is why I'm trying to get some facts about it. The S&R effort of this situation doesnt strike me as what I normally hear about with S&R cases. Thanks for any info about this.

[Sombeech]

That Canyonman was an interesting part of the story.

[ratagonia]

Hey Bo-

I wasnt meaning to belittle the S&R, I actually just was wondering what the procedure IS for S&R stuff in the park. I suppose the question in my mind that still remains is: Why would the Park wait 4 days, already have had a S&R underway, but NOT have sent someone down the route that was on these people's permits?

Really I just want to understand how the S&R stuff is set up. If this is standard for S&R, the take-home message for me is: Self rescue, because S&R doesn't start off of the permit and waits quite a few days to follow up on it. Now obviously I don't know what the protocol is for S&R, which is why I'm trying to get some facts about it. The S&R effort of this situation doesnt strike me as what I normally hear about with S&R cases. Thanks for any info about this.

SAR is an excercise in educated guesses given a set of information that is incomplete and often has incorrect information.

SAR is somewhat thwarted when people hide from potential rescue. The couple climbed up on a ledge out of sight of the canyon floor, was probably sleeping most of the time, and there was a lot of noise in the canyon from the water, therefore they missed people that went by. SAR would assume that they would put themselves in a place where anyone going through the canyon would notice them. The report was people had been through the canyon, and not seen the people. Therefore, the next place to look is in other places where they might be, such as Russell Gulch, Das Boot and past the exit - all places people have wandered into in the past.

So, while I agree it was a bad decision not to send Bo through the Subway with a loud whistle every fifty feet, that was not the IC's choice. That the Subway was in flood and hazardous to SAR personnel to travel probably played into the decision.

Tom

[ratagonia]

That Canyonman was an interesting part of the story.

I think Canyonman also thought they needed to just send someone through the canyon who could get the people out.

Tom

[Scott Card]

VERY interesting stuff. So did was this "Canyonman" part of SAR (unofficial) or just a willing and skilled guy who went in on his own? Is he just really humble or afraid he will get cited for not having a permit that he won't let us give him well deserved kudos? Results good but going alone???? Not my style for sure. Kudos to him and all who went looking and who helped.

Bo, so glad you are out there. I remember the stories you mentioned above. I still get a kick out of the "not Behunin" story, not the getting lost or the rescue part, its mostly just the name of it that still cracks me up. Thanks for all you do.

[ghawk]

I gave permission to Tom to post this story because I thought it would be useful to the canyoneering community as a warning and lesson in how we approach "easy" canyons. Mentioning Canyonman was a necessary part of that story because he was what made the rescue possible as I did not feel confident in my rescue abilities to get them out safely. I would have run the rest of the canyon and called S&R to go through for the others.
Undoubtedly people will be trying to figure out who Canyonman is and maybe I provided too good of a description in my write up. He wants to remain anonymous. He did an excellent job in that canyon and I think we can all recognize he is the main hero in all of this.
That said, Let's please keep ALL conjecture and speculation about his identity off of this site. Let it stand that he was there and helped out. He wants to remain anonymous and I think we should all respect those wishes.
thanks, Gavin

[erial]

Where can I get the "Who is Canyonman?" tee shirt?

[ilipichicuma]

I gave permission to Tom to post this story because I thought it would be useful to the canyoneering community as a warning and lesson in how we approach "easy" canyons. Mentioning Canyonman was a necessary part of that story because he was what made the rescue possible as I did not feel confident in my rescue abilities to get them out safely. I would have run the rest of the canyon and called S&R to go through for the others.
Undoubtedly people will be trying to figure out who Canyonman is and maybe I provided too good of a description in my write up. He wants to remain anonymous. He did an excellent job in that canyon and I think we can all recognize he is the main hero in all of this.
That said, Let's please keep ALL conjecture and speculation about his identity off of this site. Let it stand that he was there and helped out. He wants to remain anonymous and I think we should all respect those wishes.
thanks, Gavin

Much better than I would have said it. Good work, ghawk. That guy was the man.

[Scott Card]

I gave permission to Tom to post this story because I thought it would be useful to the canyoneering community as a warning and lesson in how we approach "easy" canyons. Mentioning Canyonman was a necessary part of that story because he was what made the rescue possible as I did not feel confident in my rescue abilities to get them out safely. I would have run the rest of the canyon and called S&R to go through for the others.
Undoubtedly people will be trying to figure out who Canyonman is and maybe I provided too good of a description in my write up. He wants to remain anonymous. He did an excellent job in that canyon and I think we can all recognize he is the main hero in all of this.
That said, Let's please keep ALL conjecture and speculation about his identity off of this site. Let it stand that he was there and helped out. He wants to remain anonymous and I think we should all respect those wishes.
thanks, Gavin
Well what good is the internet if you can't speculate, conjecture and guess??? :lol8:

OK, I won't ask anymore. He will just have to be imortalized in this forum having vanished in the distance.

[ratagonia]

Well what good is the internet if you can't speculate, conjecture and guess??? :lol8:

OK, I won't ask anymore. He will just have to be imortalized in this forum having vanished in the distance.

All he left was this silver carabiner...

T

[ratagonia]

I gave permission to Tom to post this story because I thought it would be useful to the canyoneering community as a warning and lesson in how we approach "easy" canyons. Mentioning Canyonman was a necessary part of that story because he was what made the rescue possible as I did not feel confident in my rescue abilities to get them out safely. I would have run the rest of the canyon and called S&R to go through for the others.
Undoubtedly people will be trying to figure out who Canyonman is and maybe I provided too good of a description in my write up. He wants to remain anonymous. He did an excellent job in that canyon and I think we can all recognize he is the main hero in all of this.
That said, Let's please keep ALL conjecture and speculation about his identity off of this site. Let it stand that he was there and helped out. He wants to remain anonymous and I think we should all respect those wishes.
thanks, Gavin

I changed the description of Canyonman a little bit, in this posting, to obscure his (or her) identity.

Tom

[oval]

So, while I agree it was a bad decision not to send Bo through the Subway with a loud whistle every fifty feet, that was not the IC's choice. That the Subway was in flood and hazardous to SAR personnel to travel probably played into the decision.

Tom

Thanks for the explanation of the first part about how they started searching other places than the actual route. It does make sense, even if it may have been more logical in my mind to pursue as much of the standard subway route as possible first.

As far as the last snipet goes, I think that's where the question really goes. To what extent should the Park be expected to rescue? It is a big risk. One thing that I think I learned from this is that if I am ever in a "need to be rescued" situation, being noticed is important. There are 2 groups as examples in this story. The ones in the watercourse were pretty easily spotted, the others on the top ledge were not. The importance of leaving a rope or something where you exited could very well be the difference between being found or not, a good lesson to think about if you are holing up until found.

[accadacca]

Undoubtedly people will be trying to figure out who Canyonman is and maybe I provided too good of a description in my write up. He wants to remain anonymous. He did an excellent job in that canyon and I think we can all recognize he is the main hero in all of this.
That said, Let's please keep ALL conjecture and speculation about his identity off of this site. Let it stand that he was there and helped out. He wants to remain anonymous and I think we should all respect those wishes.
thanks, Gavin

This story seems familiar. Was there a telephone booth nearby? :haha: His identity is safe in the Bogley world. Well done Canyonman! :stud:

CANYONMAN!
43569

[Ryebrye]

This story seems familiar. Was there a telephone booth nearby? :haha: His identity is safe in the Bogley world. Well done Canyonman! :stud:

CANYONMAN!
43569

easily the best post of the century.

+1 for Canyonman.

[Deathcricket]

SAR is an excercise in educated guesses given a set of information that is incomplete and often has incorrect information.

SAR is somewhat thwarted when people hide from potential rescue. The couple climbed up on a ledge out of sight of the canyon floor, was probably sleeping most of the time, and there was a lot of noise in the canyon from the water, therefore they missed people that went by. SAR would assume that they would put themselves in a place where anyone going through the canyon would notice them. The report was people had been through the canyon, and not seen the people. Therefore, the next place to look is in other places where they might be, such as Russell Gulch, Das Boot and past the exit - all places people have wandered into in the past.

So, while I agree it was a bad decision not to send Bo through the Subway with a loud whistle every fifty feet, that was not the IC's choice. That the Subway was in flood and hazardous to SAR personnel to travel probably played into the decision.

Tom


I agree! The problem with hindsight hehe. It seems perfectly logical to assume another party that completed Subway would have run into them. So there is no fault with SAR IMO. But then again I agree with the stranded party finding high ground and trying to stay warm and avoid hypothermia. Maybe taking pebbles and spelling "help" in the canyon with an arrow pointing to their cave?

What a great story though, and with a happy ending to boot. Thanks to all for sharing the information, it could even save a life in the future, we all learn from it. :2thumbs:

[Sandyfeet]

Am I the only one to realize that he really is Hayduke? He stil lives you know....

[Bo_Beck]

Hey Bo-

I wasnt meaning to belittle the S&R, I actually just was wondering what the procedure IS for S&R stuff in the park. I suppose the question in my mind that still remains is: Why would the Park wait 4 days, already have had a S&R underway, but NOT have sent someone down the route that was on these people's permits?

Really I just want to understand how the S&R stuff is set up. If this is standard for S&R, the take-home message for me is: Self rescue, because S&R doesn't start off of the permit and waits quite a few days to follow up on it. Now obviously I don't know what the protocol is for S&R, which is why I'm trying to get some facts about it. The S&R effort of this situation doesnt strike me as what I normally hear about with S&R cases. Thanks for any info about this.

I know you meant no malice. Yeah it's a bit confusing how these things work, but as Tom put it "a lot of probabilities, risk assessment and investigation" come into play on any search. If you have some time on your hands you might take a look at these template "window's" for WINCASIE. It might make some sense to you? If you are truly intrigued, you can google wincasie and download the windows program wincasie3 for free and play with it a bit and it will give you some idea how searches are done.
http://math.arizona.edu/~dsl/casie/wc3/WinCASIE3.htm

[Ryebrye]

It's abundantly clear to me both where the two people were holed up and how the group got past the keyhole falls (I was originally wondering how they set up a highline / zipline without going through the arch part - but now it's clear that one guy went through and set it up and the rest of the group used it - makes perfect sense...)

What isn't clear to me is where the first guy who was stuck in the water was. Was he in the narrow bowling ball section? was he in the area that drops off suddenly (and I think it has bolts there) but there is a nice big flat ledge that's immediately to the right (looking downcanyon) that you can walk on and avoid that dropoff section?

If anyone has any pics of the section that guy was stuck in that would help me understand where he was.

[Angel]

My new tat.

43588

[Sombeech]

Undoubtedly people will be trying to figure out who Canyonman is and maybe I provided too good of a description in my write up.


Where can I get the "Who is Canyonman?" tee shirt?


He will just have to be imortalized in this forum having vanished in the distance.


All he left was this silver carabiner...

T


Am I the only one to realize that he really is Hayduke? He stil lives you know....


:roflol: The guy needs his own thread

[pfinjt]

I can't believe no one has posted this yet, but clearly, Canyonman is one of the Three Nephites. (Ask your Mormon friends if you don't know the Three Nephite story.)

[mattandersao]

I can't believe no one has posted this yet, but clearly, Canyonman is one of the Three Nephites. (Ask your Mormon friends if you don't know the Three Nephite story.)

:roflol::roflol::roflol:Now that is funny and I am Mormon!!!

[hike2kolob]

The Canyonman story has to be the best story since, "A $#!++^ Day in Heaps," with the chihuahua (or whatever the dog was).

I must get back to the canyons and away from my stupid desk!

[Iceaxe]

The Canyonman story has to be the best story since, "A $#!++^ Day in Heaps,"

That story is a classic.... here is the link for those that have never heard it before:

A Sh***y Trip in Heaps (http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?23494)

Its also fun to read again if its been a while...

:popcorn:

[Brian in SLC]

All hail Canyonman!!

[Bo_Beck]

That story is a classic.... here is the link for those that have never heard it before:

A Sh***y Trip in Heaps (http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?23494)

Its also fun to read again if its been a while...

:popcorn:

Still one of my favorite reads!:haha:

[ghawk]

Here are some pics of the trip. It starts at the top where the couple took our picture and then jumps to the spot where we found David. then it skips to Jon and Jen on their perch above the canyon floor and our set up for the descent down keyhole falls. It shows us getting past the last few obstacles and then the last one shows how dark it was for the last two hours of our exit as we worked back and forth across the "river."

[Sombeech]

Nice pics, it really gives some great perspective.

[Sombeech]

On another note about Canyonman... here are some pictures from a few years back before he grew that gnarly beard. He even used to frequent bogley as @rockgremlin (http://www.bogley.com/forum/member.php?u=5)

http://www.bogley.com/forum/files/wtf100.jpg

[accadacca]

Thanks for posting the pictures. Awesome!

[ratagonia]

On another note about Canyonman... here are some pictures from a few years back before he grew that gnarly beard. He even used to frequent bogley as rockgremlin


And, NOT thanks for posting THESE pictures, Sombeech!!! :angryfire:

T :moses:

[Brian in SLC]

Hey, its Canyonman...sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad...

Canyonman!

[ratagonia]

Hey, its Canyonman...sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad...

Canyonman!

THAT ain't no canyonman.

T

[Iceaxe]

I love the Canyonman edit. :lol8:

WINNING!


http://www.bogley.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43620&stc=1&d=1303611795

[Don]

Wait, is Heyduke one of the three nephites?

[tanya]

Good Job on the rescue guys!~ :2thumbs:

[ilipichicuma]

I love the Canyonman edit. :lol8:

I'm going to have to agree with Iceaxe on this one. That Canyonman edit is awesome!

[Felicia]

On another note about Canyonman... here are some pictures from a few years back before he grew that gnarly beard. He even used to frequent bogley as rockgremlin




I am REALLY tired of seeing these pictures in every thread! :angryfire:

Enough is enough. If you feel compelled to post them everything YOU THINK they need to be seen yet again - please post a link to the pictures so the rest of us can skip them. :nono:

:roll::roll::roll:

[Sombeech]

I am REALLY tired of seeing these pictures in every thread! :angryfire:

Enough is enough. If you feel compelled to post them everything YOU THINK they need to be seen yet again - please post a link to the pictures so the rest of us can skip them. :nono:

:roll::roll::roll:

Dually noted. My post was edited.

[Felicia]

Dually noted. My post was edited.

Thank you. :2thumbs:

[Scott Card]

I gotta say, the crazy Freezefest-er in me really wants to now do the Subway under these conditions.... really. Next year???

[ilipichicuma]

I gotta say, the crazy Freezefest-er in me really wants to now do the Subway under these conditions.... really. Next year???

It was actually awesome. You had to be careful about getting sucked back in to waterfalls and drowning, but otherwise it was amazing! If the whole rescue situation hadn't shown up my group probably would have made it out by about 4:00 or so.

[Jaxx]

Best thread on Bogley for a long time. A++ would read again...

I love the story. I think we need shirts. Mabey a "I want to have canyonman's babies." I would wear that shirt!:2thumbs:

I also think ghawk and his team are bad a$$ as well. Sweet job ghawk(and team) and canyonman. I want to be like you guys when I grow up.

[UtahAdventureGuide]

I gotta say, the crazy Freezefest-er in me really wants to now do the Subway under these conditions.... really. Next year???

Good Luck, The NPS will probably be closing the Subway every time there's little more than a tickle of water flowing.

[Ryebrye]

I gotta say, the crazy Freezefest-er in me really wants to now do the Subway under these conditions.... really. Next year???

Next year might not be good enough since the high water conditions are hit-or-miss. Except for this year (because it's now closed... arghh) I've done it in spring runoff every year since 2005. Last year was the first year that we saw a decent amount of flow since 2005. There is always flowing water and it's always cold, but it's not always at waterslide levels. It's gotten busier every year also, so you have to plan ahead now - which kind of sucks because it's hard to tell in advance when the peak conditions will be. In 2005 the water at keyhole falls was up high enough that it would have most likely prevented canyonman / Charlie Sheen from being able to stand there to rig a zipline without being sucked down the waterfall - but if your group is all strong enough you can all go up and drop through the arch.

The snowmelt also hits at different times of the year too... Combining that with the fact that its so busy now it's hard to know when to reserve your permit for so you might have to opt to go for a walk on when the conditions are prime. The only downside with that is that the rangers tend to give you an extra-helping of nannying when the conditions are good because in so-so years the water is high enough to freak people out but not high enough to prevent them from walking back out once they start so I when they say "People have tried this but had to turn back around and come out" my response is "That's too bad, I was expecting and am prepared to deal with enough water to make walking back impossible."

Some years the first weekend of May there is still snow floating in the water and plenty of snow up on the high places you can see - other years it's prime. This year it seems that the runoff hit earlier.

I highly recommend it - although like was said you have to be careful to avoid the hydraulics. It is a blast. If the NPS starts to restrict it in the spring it would be highly unfortunate.

[Iceaxe]

For those interested in this type of stuff here is the NPS morning report on the incident.

Zion National Park (UT)
Nine Hikers Rescued From Backcountry

On Sunday, April 17th, rangers received several calls regarding overdue parties who were on the Subway Route. All were located by 2 a.m. the following morning. While investigating the reports, though, ranger Ray O'Neil noted that one vehicle was still parked at the Left Fork trailhead with a day permit for April 16th. Backcountry permit checks revealed that a party of two had planned to hike the Subway Route via the Russell Gulch technical entrance and that they had not been reported overdue. Initial investigations revealed they were not due to return to work until Tuesday. The Subway Route and all technical access routes had extremely high water flows over the weekend due to the high country snow melt, and several parties travelling top down were experiencing difficulties. A hasty search was accordingly begun that afternoon. The search continued into Monday, with air support and additional SAR personnel joining in. By Tuesday, a full ICS operation had been established that included 25 NPS ground searchers, air support and two dog teams. During this time, the Subway Route remained open to visitors under the required permit system. Every exiting party was interviewed, but none reported seeing the two missing hikers. A separate report of a single overdue hiker was also received during this time. A request was put into the military for an infrared flight over the Russell Gulch and Subway area on Tuesday evening, and two helicopters were dispatched from Nellis AFB. Before they could arrive, a party exiting the Subway Route received a 911 call, with the caller reporting that a group of nine hikers remained in the canyon due to difficulties in getting through the technical section of the route. The group included all three of the missing hikers. The helicopters were redirected to the Subway Route, where they employed infrared and night vision equipment to locate the group. Two parajumpers descended to them to determine their condition and traveled with them to the trailhead. All missing persons were accounted for, and none required medical attention. They said they'd had serious trouble getting through the water and the narrowest sections of the canyon. The Subway Route has been temporarily closed for safety reasons until further notice. [Submitted by Cindy J. Purcell, Chief Ranger]

[Audilard]

This is funny. The whole Canyonman thing has me reminiscing about one of my favorite cartoons ever....

Captain Caveman!!!!!!

43640

[Audilard]

And a video of Captain Caveman!!!!! This really is Canyonman!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JmBlj0ihx4&feature=related

[mjday]

Stan Ridgway could write a follow-up (sequel) to Camouflage. That would be awesome!

[Sandyfeet]

Heyduke is the one from the Monkey Wrench Gang nor sure if he was one of the three or not.....

[accadacca]

BUMP!

Remember this? Good ole 2011... :popcorn:

15212891

[accadacca]

Remember this? Bumping it up for Throwback Thursday. :popcorn:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/564755_10151537768404311_143862601_n.jpg

[spinesnaper]

:roflol:Thanks for the bump.

[Iceaxe]

:roflol:Thanks for the bump.

X2

Throwback Thursday is now my second favorite day, right behind fine ass Friday.... or at least it would be if Bogley actually had a fine ass Friday.

:-)

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3