On February 18 at 11:30 a.m., dispatch informed me (Celeste Fowler) of an overdue climber, J. Scherer (31), on Mt. Shasta. The reporting party was B. Thompson.

Thompson gave the following account. On February 17, he and Scherer began to climb Mt. Shasta. As they were descending by glissade, Scherer slid out of control for about 600 feet. He injured his ribs. Scherer was a medical student and knew he was not injured seriously. He did, however, complain of pain and wanted to descend rapidly to the vehicle at Bunny Flat. Thompson and Scherer separated near Hidden Valley around 5:30 p.m. Scherer headed toward the vehicle, and Thompson went to pack up their camp from the night before and then head to Bunny Flat. Scherer was not at their car when he arrived. Thompson waited and then called a cab and went to the Alpine Motel for the night. He knew Scherer had enough supplies for the night. When he had not heard from Scherer the next morning, Thompson called 911.

The weather forecast showed a storm headed toward Mt. Shasta. A SAR team was deployed, and a request was made to California Highway Patrol Air Ops to respond. At 1:30 p.m. they had a visual on Scherer in the lower Cascade Gulch area. They set down and made contact with Scherer, loaded him, and transported him to Bunny Flat. Scherer had visible injuries to his face (abrasions) and still complained of rib pain, but declined medical attention. He said he became lost after he and Thompson separated. He described himself as a beginner climber. (Source: Nick Meyers, USFS Lead Climbing Ranger and Avalanche Specialist.)