Mt. San Jacinto Outdoor Recreation

KathyW · Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 820

I received an email from Ellen's family. She did not come home last night and her car is still in the tram parking lot.

Search and rescue has been notified and are looking for her. If you have any information that would help find her, please notify her family and search and rescue.

Email contacts for her family:

edit to delete email addresses now that Ellen is safe.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to help find her??? I will try to reach search and rescue to see if there's anything we can do to help and post the info.

Kathy

KathyW · Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 820

If anyone has information that will help the search and rescue teams on the mountain find Ellen, please give them a call:

Contact info:

http://www.rmru.org/contact.htm

Cy Kaicener

This is very distressing. I think Scott is already helping out. I get a feeling from RMRU they dont want us on the ground but would appreciate any other help that they can get. Jim Bakos of RMRU who lives in Nuevo did not leave any contact info.
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My favorite trail is the Skyline/Cactus to clouds trail which I like to do on many Saturdays in season. Please visit my website at www.hiking4health.com for more information especially the Links.

Perry · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject:

Here is a quote from Ellen's family:

Perry · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject:

If that source is the tram video cameras, then likely nobody is searching on the mountain.

In my car I have a pair of 9x30 redfeather snowshoes with deep stainless steel teeth. Also a pair of poles with powder baskets. I can cover a lot of ground in one night. Ideally, a helicopter and infrared night vision equipment would be the best, but we have had high winds today in Palm Springs.

Perry · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject:

Okay, there's a lot of cloud cover, so a GPS would be necessary. I would do it. It wouldn't surprise me if she's in the peak shelter.

KathyW · Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 820

Her family said they think she's still up on the mountain. They are pretty sure that was someone else with the bearded man.

Search and rescue is on the mountain looking for her. I talked to Corporal Garvin (not sure if I'm spelling it correct). They have a number of teams on the mountain searching and told me it's pretty bad up there. His number is (edit to delete phone number now that the search is over) if anyone has any info that will help.

I wish there was something I could do to help, but rmru has coverage on the mountain and doesn't want others to end up in trouble up there if they head out in these conditions.

Cy Kaicener

Kathy - Thanks for the contact info at RMRU
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My favorite trail is the Skyline/Cactus to clouds trail which I like to do on many Saturdays in season. Please visit my website at www.hiking4health.com for more information especially the Links.

lee · Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 91 Location: San Diego

I was with 9 other hikers doing the tram to San Jacinto Peak via Miller Peak yesterday, Saturday:
http://hiking.meetup.com/217/calendar/6888746/
Ed, the organizer, and 3 others made the Summit. I and the rest topped out at 10.2K just below Miller peak. I am trying to reach Ed to ask him if he saw a blond lady at the peak. Ed got to the top around 1:30pm.
I remember seeing about 4 people in 2 separate groups passing us.
I and a few others took the 8am tram up. The rest of our group took the 2nd tram and we left the tram mountain station at 8:35am.
Let me know if I can provide further info.

KathyW · Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 820

Here's a picture of Ellen for those who have not met her and were out on the mountain yesterday:

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KathyW · Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 820

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080203/NEWS08/302030021

guest · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Posts: 289

Hi,
I've spoke with a supervisor at the tram, and I've made contact with a ranger at Long Valley.
The conditions are horrendous, as far as wind, 80+ mph! Today, I heard it wasn't super cold, considering the chill factor, but having already spent one night, it's got to be cold enough.
Rescuers tracks were gone within 10 mins after walking on the snow. The drifts are big enough now, as to make the terrain look very unfamiliar.
Even if it's not snowing, the wind can "make it snow" off the ground.

I gave the ranger as much info re. Ellen that I could, which she will pass on to RMRU.

The rescues are complete on Skyline, 1 party was found under tram tower 4!!

The tram shut down this afternoon, so Perry & I were not able to go up, although it may have been to dangerous.

I may ride up in the morning. The tram lost power, which means the ranger Sta. is out too.

Hopefully the aircraft can fly tomorrow.

ss

Hikin_Jim · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 1523 Location: Los Angeles

HOLY COW, not Ellen. Oh, wow. So not good.

At the very least, let's be on our knees (a lot) for Ellen.

HJ
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I ♥ DWA

HikeUp · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 159 Location: Pasadena, CA

God speed to Ellen and the SAR teams.

Jim Bakos · Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Posts: 63 Location: SoCal...

Hi Gang:

I just realized that it's our Ellen that we're searching for!

We start again tomorrow at daybreak. We have some of out of town teams already on-site from the Marines (and others) we just pulled off the Skyline. As well as a state OES command post set-up.

Conditions are BAD up there. Winds in excess of 80 mph, it blew out car windows at our command post at the lower tram parking lot, and rolled one of the old tram cars as you pass the upper gate. Bad stuff indeed.

I can't encourage any of you to go up on your own. But we also can't stop private citizens from enjoying the wilderness. If you choose to go, be VERY, VERY safe! We don't want to have to rescue you too...

Ellen is in our prayers. I'll be out searching, with the rest of my team and others, at first light.

--Jim