MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

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MountainRescue Aspen
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Re: Missing Climber: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by MountainRescue Aspen »

Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday 9/20/16

If you took pictures in these areas between the parking lot and the summit please review them for people that look like climbers even if its on a trail

email comments and highest quality photo image you have to missions@mountainrescueaspen.org
"We are a Volunteer Organization dedicated to Saving Lives through Backcountry Rescue and Mountain Safety Education"

http://mountainrescueaspen.org/
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Re: Missing Climber: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by MountainRescue Aspen »

Calling ALL Climbers / Mountaineers (And people who know climbers / Mountaineers)

It’s Monday and you are back at your jobs and in your offices chatting about what you did over the weekend and last week, trips, etc

David Cook (our missing climbers) was seen talking to and maybe pointing at landscape with another or other climbers on Tuesday Morning 9/20/2016 at Maroon Lake between 0700 and 0900 heading in the direction of the approach routes, small pack , blue helmet likely attached to pack


David walked with someone and was seen and maybe photographed talking to someone who appeared to be dressed and equipped as a climber

We are hoping to find and speak to that or those persons. Someone knows the people he was talking to and we need to speak to them

If you were or know of someone who had plan to climb any of the three peak on this day please have them contact Mountain Rescue Aspen

missions@mountainrescueaspen.org or call the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office at 970-920-5200

Please include relevant contact information in your email

(If you saw or spoke to David on any other day and have not contacted the Sheriff or Mountain Rescue Aspen, please do so)

The climber(s) seen talking with and walking with David may not be part of this or any Mountaineering forum or may not have logged in or think they have anything to contribute.

You may have asked him a question or he asked you..maybe you began the approach together and separated on the route or you may have just seen a fast walking guy with “stuff” on his back Nothing is too small or insignificant

Thank you again for you continued support in this effort
"We are a Volunteer Organization dedicated to Saving Lives through Backcountry Rescue and Mountain Safety Education"

http://mountainrescueaspen.org/
ralstida27454
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Re: Missing Climber: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by ralstida27454 »

I also just posted this on the other thread.

My husband and I, along with our dog, did the Four Pass Loop last week. We started on Saturday, September 17th at around 3pm from Maroon Lake and finished on Tuesday, September 20th, also at around 3pm. On Tuesday, 9/20, our last day of this trip, we started hiking just before 9 am from the Snowmass Creek crossing. We reached Buckskin Pass at 9:30 am. We lingered at Buckskin Pass until noon and started our descent. We stopped for lunch at around 12:40 pm, on a knoll just passed the Minnehaha Creek crossing. We reached the intersection with West Maroon Creek Trail at 2:09 pm. Our last picture from Maroon Lake was stamped at 3:03 pm.
I am sorry to say that I do no recall anyone matching Mr. Cook’s description. Most of the people reaching the top of Buckskin Pass (from both sides) were backpackers completing the loop, like us, or just starting the loop counter clock-wise. We encounter a few day hikers and backpackers during our descent. Just about all of the people we encountered in the last 2 miles of our hike were your typical tourists on their way to Crater Lake.
None of the pictures from our trip include other people, as we always purposely avoid that. Truly sorry that we cannot be of further help. I can be reached at (970) 819-1866.
Sincerely,
Mariana Ishida
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Re: Missing Climber: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by MountainRescue Aspen »

UPDATE : Looking for Person seen with David Cook at Maroon Lake on the morning of Tuesday 9/20/2016 at approx. 0800


Female: Blonde Braided Hair Past Shoulders : Wearing Helmet while at lake on approach

May have been in the company of up to 6 other climbers

Someone knows this person and we need to speak to her

missions@mountainrescueaspen.com or Pitkin Sheriff's Office at 970-920-5200
"We are a Volunteer Organization dedicated to Saving Lives through Backcountry Rescue and Mountain Safety Education"

http://mountainrescueaspen.org/
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by swampthing »

Bump.

Thank you, SAR
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by scootmanjones »

I wish I knew the details about the latest request to get in touch with the female climber with helmet at Maroon Lake. Are we sure it was a helmet? Not too many people helmet up at Maroon Lake, unless maybe they were posing for a picture. Might it have been a hat? What color was it? Could help with the Instragram search others have suggested.
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by MountainRescue Aspen »

scootmanjones wrote:I wish I knew the details about the latest request to get in touch with the female climber with helmet at Maroon Lake. Are we sure it was a helmet? Not too many people helmet up at Maroon Lake, unless maybe they were posing for a picture. Might it have been a hat? What color was it? Could help with the Instragram search others have suggested.

We thought the details were clear. Thank you for letting us know that that it is not so clear.

On Tuesday 9/20/2016 a campground ranger spoke to David as he was leaving the campsite. Tuesday Morning is a change from the original "last point seen" on Monday afternoon on S. Maroon Approach.

At approx 0800 a photographer ,(who has posted here) was drawn to a group of individuals dresses differently (Climbing Gear) The photographer did not know people climbed the peaks. She noticed David and the person of group he was engaged with at Maroon Lake. Of the group he was engaged with the Blonde described stood out and thus the descriptive terms.

Yes, it is uncommon for people to wear helmets on the approach but the witness seems certain that this was the case. Not sure if they were posing but they were reported to be pointing i the direction of the Bells / Gunsight / Sleeping Sextant / Ridge to Willow Lake

Does that clear it up?
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by Porkrind »

Has anyone tried peakbagger.com or summitpost.com to find other climbers that day?
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by Sabelmom »

@porkrind, I am not sure we have. Can you share how to best search those sites?
Thank you!
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by jrs1965 »

FWIW, just did a fly by of the Bells and snapped a few pics. Will post the pics on flickr.
Last edited by jrs1965 on Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by MountainHiker »

Sabelmom wrote:@porkrind, I am not sure we have. Can you share how to best search those sites?
Thank you!
http://www.summitpost.org/elk-mountains/171580
For summitpost, after navigating to the mountain, there is a climber's log toward the upper left of the page.
Unlike 14ers.com, the climber's log doesn't add up repeats, so there's less incentive to log each climb.
summitpost is stronger for researching outside of Colorado & around the world, whereas people are more likely to come to 14ers.com for Colorado.
Red, Rugged, and Rotten: The Elk Range - Borneman & Lampert
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Re: MISSING CLIMBER: Maroon Bells, Bells traverse, Pyramid

Post by davebobk47 »

SummitPost does not show any recent ascents on the Bells. LoJ shows someone doing the traverse on 9/19 but nothing more recent.
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