Hiker rescued in WA near Spider Gap

[Steven Paris]

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/06/stranded_washington_hiker_in_good_condition_but_may_not_get_down_before_nightfall.html

[Dale Wambaugh]

WENATCHEE, Wash. — The Chelan County sheriff's office is deciding how to rescue a snowshoe hiker stuck on rocks and threatened by avalanches near Stevens Pass in Washington's North Cascades.

Lt. Maria Agnew says if Ezra Thompson can't be hoisted to a helicopter, rescuers will have to rope into his position.

A search helicopter spotted him this morning at about the 6,700-foot elevation in the Spider Gap area about 25 miles west of Leavenworth. Agnew says he waved and appears to be in good condition.

The 21-year-old from Paynesville, Minn., left the Nason Creek trailhead on May 25 and was expected Tuesday at Holden Village, a church camp where he had volunteered to clear trails.

Agnew says Thompson appears to have done everything right — except use good judgment to get there.

— The Associated Press

Ouch!

From what I can gather, that trailhead starts in the Lake Wenatchee area and he was headed East, across the North Cascades to Holden Village, on the West shore of Lake Chelan. That would be a tough hike in August, let alone now, with record snowpack and avalanche conditions.

I'm glad they found him. Sounds like someone knew he was late, so he covered that base.

[Kathleen B]

I don't know if other areas experience something similar, but you can always count on Pacific Northwest "journalists" to toss in an element of entertainment even to potentially tragic events involving missing hikers. Spider Gap is about 40 miles north of Leavenworth and is nowhere near Stevens Pass. the NWhikers.net site always has a field day with the chronically inaccurate reporting about where geographic areas are and what actually happened to the hikers.

At least this situation appears to have a happy ending.

[Author]

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