California, Death Valley National Monument, Telescope Peak. On 21 December, Richard Slates (34), a member of a search party for the body of Grant Trigg arrived by one-passenger helicopter on a ridge of Telescope Peak and elected to deviate from the established search pattern by proceeding alone up the ridge toward the summit. He did not wait for a second man, who arrived about one-and-a-half hours later in the same helicopter. Analyses of tracks showed a slip and a fall on steep, crusted snow. There was no evidence of attempted ice axe arrest. A slide of fifty feet carried Slates over a 200-foot icy waterfall to his death.

Source: Dr. Carl A. Heller

Analysis: It is possible that a sudden helicopter lift to 9,500 feet may have affected Slates’ judgment, since solo climbing is against the group rules. He was not in good shape and was probably tired.