Header Images

I just came across this.  Your mention about the tragedy this year at Iceberg Lake reminded me of something that happened a couple of years ago.  We were planning along with another family to do the loop counterclockwise from Ediza-Iceberg-Cecile-Minaret.  I'd read about it but had never done it.  When we got to Iceberg Lake, there were still long snow fields running all of way down into the lake on the south side (north facing slope).  We had full packs, boots, microspikes and hiking poles.  I thought we might give it a go, but some in our party were not up for it. Then, we heard shouting from far away. 

Someone had come down from the summit above Iceberg and was trying to get across the snow fields, but they were stuck on the rocks and pleading for someone to come help them.  I dropped my pack, put on the spikes, grabbed an extra pair of hiking poles, and began making my way across the snow.  When I got closer, I saw that there were two of them, a young couple.  They were on the talus slope on the far side of the snow fields.  They were not physically injured, but were completely freaked out. 

I have never experienced the contagious nature of panic in my life, but I got a real jolt of it.  While I was still on the snow, I took a moment to get inside my head and collect myself. Everything was fine and would be fine.  I took some deep breaths and went to them and sat down for a while.  They had backpacks and were in what looked like running shoes. They had no poles.  While the crossing wasn't particularly dangerous with microspikes, boots and poles, and would have been dicey but doable with just boots and poles, they were in trouble.  There was a lot of snow, and the slope was steep enough that it may or may not have been possible to self-arrest.  A fall was pretty likely with their footwear.  The slope ended in Iceberg Lake, which was probably a degree over freezing, with no shoreline nearby to crawl out on, assuming you could shed your pack and not succumb to the cold.  Dave has a great write-up on this crossing.  I remember the snow slope being steeper when I was there than it appears in the pictures. Different year, I guess.

I deeply regretted not bringing two extras sets of poles with me.  The woman was in the worst shape, and her husband asked me to take her across first.  I looked  him in the eye and told him many, many times that he must wait where he was. I would come back with poles for him. With that settled, I set up the extra poles for her and began kicking steps into the snow for her to follow.  It was slow going.  About 3/4 of the way across, I heard my party and it sounded like they were freaking out about something.  When we got within hailing distance, they told me to turn around. The husband had followed in our steps in his running shoes, pack on, with no poles.  Once we made dry ground, my wife told me that he had slipped a couple of times and at one point fell and began sliding down towards the lake. 

With everyone safely on dry ground, we rested and talked for a while.  The couple had been with a larger group on the JMT and decided to do the loop as a lark and catch up with their party later.  My own party was definitely turning around.  While we rested a couple of single hikers came down and crossed the slopes without incident.  They each had at least one pole and decent footwear, although no spikes that I can recall.  The most seasoned of them was nonchalant. She'd done it for years, beginning with her Dad. She thanked me for the steps and continued on her way.  Others were not so relaxed about it, and said it had been frightening even with boots and poles.

I'm not trained in SAR or as a first-responder, so encountering full-on panic in a potentially dangerous situation was a new experience for me.  Oh, and I really do love this picture.