On June 23, climber Patrick Moore (52) dialed 911 from his satellite phone around 5 p.m. Patrick and his partner, Peter Roach (mid-40s), had climbed Liberty Ridge in deteriorating weather. The ascent took them longer than planned, and incoming weather reduced visibility. Patrick and Peter felt uncomfortable navigating the descent of the Emmons/Winthrop Glaciers route. Dispatch transferred the call to Ranger Payne at Camp Muir, who advised the party to ascend to the crater rim and set up camp for the night, then descend the Disappointment Cleaver route when conditions improved in the morning. He advised against navigating at night in poor visibility. The climbers descended in the morning, passing Camp Muir by afternoon. Ranger Hutchins provided transportation from Paradise back to their vehicle at White River Campground.

Analysis

The party of two did not have sufficient skills to navigate their intended route in the weather that occurred and did not have an appropriate backup plan if weather changed for the worse. (Source: T. Payne, Ranger.)