The Unit was contacted by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management on Tuesday, Feb. 9^th around 9:00 A.M.. They had received a request from King County for fifteen Mountain Rescue Volunteers. Two snowshoers had gone for a weekend hike and had not returned as planned on Sunday night.

A callout was made and twelve team members responded: Fran McFarland, Ken Capron, Stan Kartes, Mike Mixon, Dave Treber, Bill Weber, Cheryl Wells, Jim Lewis, Rick Wire, Tom Miner, John Kirkman and Chris Berryman. They were told to meet at the Cache at 11:00A.M. or at the search base at the Bandera exit off I-90 at 12:30 P.M. After arriving at the search base and being briefed they were split into two teams. Team One was Stan, Cheryl, and Ken. Team Two was Jim, Mike, Rick and Dave. John, Fran, Tom and Chris stayed at the base. Fran was OL; Bill was driver.

Members of Seattle MRC and SPART had checked the individuals's vehicle and found the tracks of two humans and a dog heading west on the forest service road and followed them to the Mason Lake trailhead. The tracks started up the trail, but at a large, well-marked switchback, the tracks continued west, away from the Mason Lake trail. They followed the tracks west through timber and then across/under a large avalanche debris zone. At this point, the searchers searched the run-out zone and then returned to the search base due to the very high avalanche danger. The Tacoma teams were sent to Exit 38 on the north sideof I-90. They were to head east from the parking area and look for sign/tracks. No tracks were found and the teams returned in late afternoon. Throughout the day, several helos, including a news-copter, searched whenever the clouds would break. They saw tracks heading west also.

A second callout out was done on Tuesday night for more members and ten responded: Jim (Rex) Creamer, Marcus Donaldson, Alan Givotovsky, Terri Lieby, Cliff Lightfoot, Brian McGinty, Scott Nicholson, Rob Penny, Kate Roberts and Jeff Sharp. They were told to meet at the search base at 7:00 A.M. After they arrived on Wednesday morning along with the team members who had stayed over from Tuesday, TMR had twenty-one members on this search.

They were divided up into four teams. Team One was Chris, Rick and Mike They headed up the Mason Lake trail to the lake and searched the shore and surrounding area. Before they left they stomped an arrow into the snow to show the way back to the trailhead. Team Two was Jeff , Dave, Cheryl, Ken and Rex. Team Three was Stan, Kate, Terri and Marcus. Both teams two and three were sent up the middle fork of the Granite Creek road to and headed towards Thompson Lake. Team Four was Alan, Cliff, Rob and Brian along with some members of the ESAR fast team; they were sent to the Olallie Lake trail to the lake.

While our teams were searching their assigned areas the Seattle MRC and SPART teams once again pursued the tracks they had found the previous day. The tracks again lead across another slide run-out. The ground search was called off Wednesday evening after all the teams returned with no new clues. King County continued an air search on Thursday. To the amazement of all, both subjects walked out on Thursday night alive and in good shape.

Jeff Curry , 36, and Brent Coole9 and their Husky dog, Shoba, had planned to hike/snowshoe north into Talapus Lake and come out via Mason Lake on Sunday. In an interview in a Seattle newspaper Curry stated that on the first day in trying to hike to the Talapus lake trailhead in the dark they lost their bearings and wound up father north around Pratt Lake or Rainbow Lake. When they attempted to loop back they were on the wrong side of Bandera Mountain and wound up in the Pratt River drainage. When they reached what they believed was Spider Lake, short on food they finally used their compass to orient themselves and head south to Mason Lake where they found the arrow left in the snow by Chris's team and finally found their way out.

A little on the overall scene: The Cascades had just experienced four to seven days of very high winds and high snowfall rates (up to 12"/day). Several pro-patrollers and avalanche forecasters from ski areas within miles had repeatedly stated the area ( a 35 degree south facing slope with large overhanging cornices) was very dangerous due to the avalanche hazard. The NW Avalanche center was listing the conditions as CONSIDERABLE. The avalanche forecaster had advised the slopes on which the Seattle MRC people were heading be cleared with explosives. A Seattle member, Jim Klasch, said that he felt the snow give as his partner moved out onto the slope. A Spart member had a Rutschblock of 3.

The tracks of two humans and a dog were last seen approx. four miles west of where the individuals stated in the newspaper that they were. The have repeatedly stated that they did not go in the area where the tracks were. One of the tracks found was ID'd as coming from a Scarpa Inverno, and one of the individuals was wearing Scarpa Invernos Also I-90 is south of the area they were in and is very hard to miss. It is audibly and visibly evident from numerous spots along the ridge.

Where the subjects actually were, we may never know, but the ending is the one we want to all searches with the individuals returning safe.

The following article was e-mailed by Rick Wire; it was written by Loren Foss, Education/Advocacy Manager for the Mountaineers. It is reprinted it here for your information. It is used with the author's permission. Editor.

As the winter of '98-'99 passes the halfway point and approaches 2/3's term, a relentless pattern of weather gives an ominous warning for the days and months to come. My longtime relationship to Washington winters as a mountain guide and avalanche instructor has my antennas humming. Since I've lived here, beginning in 1959, I've never seen a long term avalanche hazard to equal the current situation in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.

We want to report what makes this year so unusual and dangerous and offer a warning to travelers in Northwest backcountry away from highways and commercial ski areas.

Here are some important weather facts, noteworthy by themselves, alarming when combined:

1. LOTS of snow has fallen, early in the season and often. Mt.Baker reports 660" has fallen as of February 14.
   
   
2. There have been few periods of stabilization. I doubt that since November we've seen more than three days in a row without snowfall at the higher elevations. A record has been set for precipitation in the three month period November - January.
   
   
3. There has been little warming or mountain rainfall to bring down the frequent, normal winter slides that tend to stabilize the snowpack. Washington far exceeds the Rockies in the average total number of slides per year, but it is those very slides, over time, that tend to decrease the long-term danger.
   
   
4. There is a lack of major sun or rain crusts in the snowpack, which tend to limit avalanching snow to the unstable layer/s on top of those lubricated crusts.
   
   
5. At Mt. Baker (and elsewhere) roughly 20 FEET of snow has fallen in the last two weeks alone. That's about 17 inches per day at Baker.
   
   
6. Powerful and frequent winds, stronger than normal, have accompanied these storms, forming thick and dense hard-slab snow conditions. These strongly bonded slabs of snow, typically formed on the lee slopes of the ranges (North & East facing) are brittle and do not easily stabilize like softer snows that creep slowly downslope. A catalyst in these locations will cause the huge slab avalanches that are unsurvivable.
   
   
7. No end in sight. Long-range forecasts predict more of the same.
   
   
8. As spring approaches, the sun is getting higher in the sky, days are longer, and the threat of rapid warming to both local snowpacks and the general landscape is greatly increased.
   
   
9. For unknown reasons, most likely a lack of knowledge, much of the media has failed to recognize the unique conditions this year and adequately warn mountain recreationists about the consequences.

This is just a quick summation. What does it portend? A worst case scenario would be the continuation of this pattern, without warm-up, for the next few weeks. If that is followed by rapid warming and either heavy rainfall or hot sunlight, we could see huge, massively destructive climax avalanches the like of which we haven't seen in a half century or more. The effects may be devastating. A climax avalanche is one which takes the entire snowpack down to bare ground.

An entire winter's accumulation can come roaring down a mountainside, cross the intervening valley, and race up the opposite slope for hundreds of yards.

This scenario implies the good possibility of destruction to timber and other natural and human structures that have never before been hit by avalanches. Three-foot-diameter firs would be snapped off like matchsticks at the point of impact. Backcountry skiers and snowshoers could be knocked down by the windblast hundreds of yards from the slide itself.

Avalanche transceivers could actually prove a liability. Parties so equipped might venture forth with a false sense of security, believing that self-rescue was a possibility in places where the reality, this year, warns that bodies might not be recovered until June or July.

Even if it stops snowing or raining immediately, the hazard is far above normal. Slides will be bigger, faster, more destructive and will exceed normal slide paths. On any length of slope over 20 degrees gradient you may be "in harm's way" until midsummer. This prediction is based upon in-depth study and long personal experience.

What things can you do without having to cloister yourself in your home or workplace?

1. If leading a trip to the mountains, examine your destination and EVERY STEP OF THE ROUTE to see whether or not the terrain and conditions pose a threat. Be especially vigilant if the temperature rises significantly/suddenly by 4-10 degrees, if steady rain falls on the snowpack, or if bright sunlight shines directly on exposed slopes.
   
   Avoid climbing or traversing suspect slopes or traveling along valley bottoms beneath such slopes. Ridge-tops are much safer; but watch out for huge cornices overhanging leeward sides.
   
   Special dangers:
   1. steep north, east or lee faces;
   2. south slopes at midday;
   3. warmer than usual weather.
   
   
2. If in any doubt, cancel the trip or reschedule your route or destination to a safer location with gentle, forested slopes and little snowpack. Still use good avalanche practice of never traveling alone, and spacing party members some distance apart in questionable spots.
   
   
3. Don't rely on avalanche transceivers to keep you from disaster. This isn't to imply you shouldn't carry and know how to use them.
   
   
4. If you are a member of a party led by someone you don't know or about whose judgment you are unfamiliar, remember that it is better to feel foolish than to be dead.
   
   
5. This isn't a complete list of options, nor is it given as a substitute for high quality avalanche/snow mechanics instruction.

In the days to come, we will be hearing in the media about huge, destructive avalanches all across the northern hemisphere. We at The Mountaineers are hoping that you are around to shudder and exclaim in wonder at the amazing power of fast-moving snow.

Many of you are already aware of the important services provided by the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. The phone number is 206-526-6677. By posting accurate and up-to-date information on winter weather and avalanche conditions in the North Cascades and Olympic ranges, the Center has helped to keep tens of thousands of mountain travelers safe from the threat of avalanches. It is, therefore, hard to believe that government budget cuts may soon cause the center to close.

Please join the Friends of the NW Weather and Avalanche Center in an effort to keep the Center up and running. You can make a great difference with only a couple of hours time on projects ranging from organizational development to computer data entry. Travel safely this winter and spring. We hope to see you in the mountains!!

Convened 19:40

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Fran McFarland, Chris Berryman, Alan Givotovsky, Bill Weber, Gus Bush, Larry Crum, Jim Andrues, Phil Pletcher, Jeff Sharp, Stan Kartes and Connie Crum.

OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT: Kate Roberts, Lee Tegner, Jim Lewis and Rob Lutz.

The December minutes were read and approved with the following addition: November minutes were approved as read.

TRASURER'S REPORT: Larry Crum

• No report. He will have a full report in February.
• State taxes are due the end of January.
• Larry reported he needs a new copy of Quicken to be Y2K compliant. Larry asked if TMRU had any other Y2K compliance deficiencies. None were reported.
• 43 members (including supporting members) have paid their dues, 33 have not paid. The call- out committee will begin calling members who have not paid.
• 6 pager bills are outstanding.
• Other topics discussed during the treasurer's report:
  • The question was asked if the old minutes are archived somewhere and Fran stated that Jim Howe is archiving all of the stuff. Chris reported that he has the last 6 years of minutes on hard copy. Alan will be checking with Jim regarding archiving.
  • The need for a fire safe was discussed and it was felt that only 1 or 2 should have access.

OPERATIONS REPORT: Gus Bush

• None. Alan stated the whole west coast has been quiet.

TRAINNING REPORT: Russ Brinton, Absent

• Alan reported that December '99 training is open. If you have any ideas get in touch with Russ.
• Alan suggested that it would be a good idea to always do training with two instructors; one with more experience paired up with a less experienced member.
• It was recommended that the mentoring program be resumed.
• Thanks to Tom Miner for doing the 2 day SAR management training for the Jan. session.

EQUIPMENT REPORT: Ken Capron, Absent

• No Report.

COMMUNICATIONS REPORT: Stan Kartes

• A battery pack on a radio needs replacing.
• The board approved paying for the call-out committee's pagers. Stan provided a list of the 13 most active members in 1998 and according to policy these members get their pagers paid for by the Unit. The following will have theirs paid for: Fran McFarland, Dave Treber, Stan Kartes, Ken Capron, Chris Berryman, Jeff Sharp, Mike Mixon, Jim Andrues, Phil Pletcher, John Kirkman, Bill Weber, Larry Crum, Duane Perham and Lee Tegner.
• Regarding extra services on the pagers that the Unit is paying for, it was decided that if it is a large amount of money then the treasurer will bill for it.
• The 6 new Icom Radios are in the truck and ready for a mission.

SAFETY AND EDUCATION REPORT: Phil Pletcher

• TMRU will have a booth at the Seattle RV show on Feb. 20^th and 21^st . Five members have signed up on Saturday morning and four members have signed up for Sunday morning. We need more turnout in the afternoons and from senior members. We will be taking the truck . The workers get in free and should wear their TMRU T-shirt or sweatshirt.
• Sign-up sheets will be passed around at the February general meeting for the Puyallup Home Show.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT: Chris Berryman

• Two new members were voted in at field support: Ryan Wyatt and Tim Lafayette.
• Chris has the latest roster if you need a copy.
• It was discussed that new members should be reminded that they need to have a DEM number.
• before they can go out on a rescue.

FINANCE REPORT: Bill Weber

• The cans have arrived and are in Bill's basement.
• The notepad in the truck has been re-stocked.
• This year's allotment of money for the truck fund will be equally divided between the present three mutual funds.

AIR OPERATIONS REPORT: Jeff Sharp (Rob Lutz reported for Jeff)

• The below ground storage tanks at Clover Park Technical College are being removed and we may need a work party to get the helicopter out of the way.

SAR COUNCIL MEETING REPORT: Jeff Sharp (Absent for report)

• No report (The Mason Lake search intervened.)

MAST MEETING REPORT: Bill Weber

• No report. The meetings are quarterly with the next one March 9 in Yakima.

OLD BUSINESS:

• The Cache remodeling/renovation committee consists of the following members: Fran McFarland, Jeff Sharp, Stan Kartes, Chris Berryman, Phil Pletcher, Bill Weber, Ken Capron and Jim Andrues.
• They presented four options:
  1. Do nothing .
  2. Remodel the storage and work area.
  3. Add a second floor onto the existing building to be used as a class room.
  4. Move to a new location and sell the existing building or possibly build a new building.
• Gus Bush recommended the following members for Operation Leaders: Fran McFarland, Stan Kartes, and John Miner.
• Jim Andrues talked to Tom Miner about the possibility of using the Gig Harbor Fire Center for rescue truck driver training.
• The SAR Standards meeting is this weekend.

NEW BUSINESS:

• Chris Berryman reported the drain field for the septic tank is blocked and needs an auger run through it to clean out roots or to find if a tile has collapsed.
• Jim Lewis suggested that TMRU needs to have an appointed PIO (Public Information Officer) on rescue missions.
• Chris Berryman reported the survival brochure supply is low. Angela Kartes is working on a new brochure and she will forward this to Chris.
• Alan Givotovsky reported that MRA is putting together a slide show and video show for public education. They need slides from different regions. If you have any give them to Alan and he will forward them to MRA. The MRA summer meeting is June 18-20 in Tucson, Arizona. The activity will be caving. Portland Mountain Rescue is thinking about patenting a skid for lowering over the edge when doing a litter raise.
• Gus Bush is going to the WMRA meeting in February. He will inquire what other Units are doing about meeting and working space. He will also initiate a discussion on accreditation.
• Gus reported that a repairman needs to look at the copy machine.

GOOD OF THE ORDER:

• None

Adjourned at 22:17

Respectfully submitted,
Connie Crum,
Secretary

The following members attended the Kit party on Feb 3, 1999:

• Shorty Williams
  
• John Simac
  
• Chris & Tracy Berryman.
  
• Jeff Sharp
  
• Stan Kartes
  
• Jim Andrues
  
• Fran McFarland
  
• Ken Capron
  
• Bill Weber

They made 410 kits.

A Kit Component/Pizza party was held at the Cache on Jan. 26. They made over 1000 Storm Shelters and the following people laughed, worked and ate:

• Stan Kartes,
• Jeff Sharp,
• Fran McFarland,
• Chris & Tracy Berryman,
• Jim Andrues,
• Terri Lieby,
• Kate Roberts,
• Lee & Dolores Tegner,
• Alan Givotovsky,
• Ken & Ian Davies,
• Mike Mixon,
• Larry Lorentson.

Remember the kit party is 7:30 P.M. the first Wednesday of the month at 2905 Parkway Dr. W. If you need directions call Shorty Williams at 564-0581.

The next Kit Component & Pizza Party will be at the Cache, March 24, 6-8:30 p.m. We need your help.

Jim Andrues asked to put the following in the Rucksack:

Have you got a climb or hike planned and would like to see if members of the Unit would like to join you? Use the Unit Hotline!! Call Tracy Berryman at 581-6614 and she will add it to the Unit hotline.

If you want to check on a planned hike or climb or on the next Unit training, call the Unit Hotline at 253-531-2120 and press 3.

©Copyright 1999 Tacoma Mountain Rescue