Dangerous avalanche conditions, worsened by new snow overnight, led Mount Rainier National Park officials on Wednesday to call off the search for the body of Mark Wedeven.
The 29-year-old climber from Olympia has been missing since he was swept away by an avalanche Saturday.
“We haven’t had a chance to do much searching on the mountain because avalanche conditions are so bad,” park spokesman Kevin Bacher said. “Given that, and that it’s a recovery situation and not a rescue, there isn’t any sense putting people at risk.”
Climbing rangers Glenn Kessler and Tom Payne spent about two hours Tuesday searching for Wedeven at 11,200 feet elevation. After digging several test pits to gauge avalanche conditions, the two suspended the search and returned to Camp Muir.
Bacher said Wedeven’s family understood the decision.
“The rangers included them in this,” Bacher said. “They are realistic and understanding about this. They are very savvy about how things are on the mountain.”
Wedeven grew up in Bremerton, but was living in Olympia with his girlfriend and his 5-year-old son, Obi. He earned a degree from The Evergreen State College.
In an interview with The Kitsap Sun, Carol Wedeven, his mother said, “I go on because we both feel in our hearts the peace of the Holy Spirit, that Mark’s in heaven.”
Based on interviews with other climbers, Bacher said they believe Wedeven had reached the 12,000-foot level on the Ingraham Direct route. Because Wedeven did not register at Camp Muir, he did not know rangers were warning climbers about the dangerous conditions.
The avalanche began above Wedeven at 12,700 feet. Up to 2 yards thick and 100 to 200 yards wide, it swept 1,500 feet down the mountain, hitting 10 climbers above Ingraham Flats at 11,800 feet.
Three climbers, buried a foot below the snow’s surface, had to be dug out of the snow. Two had turned blue by the time they were pulled out.
Bacher said climbing rangers believe one of two scenarios is at play concerning Wedeven. It’s possible he is not buried very deeply under the snow like the other climbers were and melting snow will reveal his body.
“Or he is in a crevasse and we will never find him, as has been the case with others,” Bacher said.
“The judgment is it isn’t necessary to put in a tremendous amount of effort and risk on the part of our climbing rangers. Hopefully nature will take its course and we can bring this to a conclusion within the next month.”
Wedeven is presumed to be the 96th known mountaineering death on Mount Rainier.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
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