Lost a Jeeper - Long Post

[TroyaCantrell]

We lost a fellow Jeeper this week. Here is California a man and his girlfriend left the Sacramento Area traveling over Hwy 50 to Gardnerville, Nevada. It was a collection of simple decisions that when combined put them in a deadly position. This is not meant to criticize him for what happened but for all of us to learn from.

I am in no way related or in law enforcement so what I know I know from the news reports. The couple left Citrus Heights on Thursday, November 30 but did not arrive at their destination. According to family members they had "packed cloths for snow". A search from the air was called off due to weather. The storm that weekend made conditions worse with heavy snow and rain.

They were driving his, new to him, 1989 Jeep Grand Cherokee. When they got to Hope Valley, at about 8,000ft in the Sierra, they decided to do a little four wheeling in the show. They proceeded down Burnside Road, a dirt road off Highway 88 at highway 89. There he drove around a locked gate and proceeded towards Burnside lake. It was somewhere along that road the Jeep got stuck in a snow drift. At some point the man went for help but did not return, the woman stayed in the Jeep for days eating tomatoes and snow to survive. She was lost for a total of six days, but at some point she also left the Jeep and worked her way back towards the highway. Her boyfriend had only traveled for less than a mile before he succumbed to the cold. She had to pass his body on the way to the highway. Her brother, who refused to give up, was the one that found her huddled in a hollowed out tree trunk near highway 88 and 89. She is in the hospital now recovering after being air lifted to Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

So what i wanted to accomplish with this post is to have us all stop and think before we go charging off into uncertain conditions. I am new to the whole Jeep life, I know very little about how to off road but what I think I do know is where my limits are. You also have to know what the limits of your vehicle are.

In this case no one even knew what route they were going to take over the mountain. No one knew they were going off road. I have been on that road before and have spent a fair amount of time in Hope Valley over the years and there is no cell coverage in that area. They went around a locked forest service gate. They were at 8,000 in inclement weather in an unfamiliar vehicle.

I don't know anything about the rig but I assume that it did not have a winch or other devices to help get him out of the snow drift. It was said they had clothes for snow but what does that mean. Again let me say that I don't mean to criticize him, only to prepare others including myself.

So what gear do you pack? Does anyone carry a Personal Off Road Beacon? Do you carry extra blankets or a sleeping bag? What do you carry for food, MRE's? First aid kit? Weapon? Do you tell someone where you are going and when to be expected? Quality jackets? Gloves? Boots? Water? Blankets?

What I took from this sad event was to know and understand your and your rigs limits. If you are going off road and particularly in extreme heat or cold make sure you have supplies appropriate for the conditions. Make sure you have the tools and equipment to extract yourself and or your rig from any situation you might find yourself in. Talk to your friends or family about your trip, let someone know where you are going and when to be expected back. Be prepared, food water, appropriate clothes, supplies and gear.

Sorry this got kind of long, but I wanted to share, maybe it will help someone some day.

 

[CJ007]

That is sad.

My local (all)Jeep site is pretty big and gets lots of new people to Jeeps and pretty much the outdoors. Someone created a "I'm going wheeling alone" sticky thread that you can check out/in on. Basically give details of what area and when you expect to return....and they will go looking for you if you don't check in. There is a rescue group that people volunteer for. (They want the cool rescue sticker on their Jeep ).

My CJ is always packed like I will be living out of it (or on a Zombie killing spree) whether I am just going to a local trail or way out. I keep a sleeping bag/pad, tent, tarp, water, energy bars/snacks and about 50 other things from flash lights and weapons to matches and fishing stuff and spare parts. And on and on................

It is amazing how much can fit in a small space when its organized and you never even have to take it out. One thing I will carry to the end of the world. Coffee!!!

 

[Torxhead]

Thanks for posting that TroyaCantrell, unfortunatly incidents similiar to that do happen from time to time. Being prepared and knowing your limits before venturing out does help. I once came across a couple of guys on a snow run that had been there for two nights with a stuck CJ, I could not free the rig so I gave them a ride into town.

 

[oldjeeplady]

This is really sad. Thanks for the posts and the information.

Do we have a 'sticky' on this site of things to carry? I know some things seem like common sense, but I'm a check list kind and I sure don't think of everything. I have a lot of things and experience from my younger days in ski patrol, backpacking, and rock climbing. None of my CJ's are road worthy yet, but here in Wisconsin you need to be prepared for anything, even if you stay home....

For example: would you include a water filter like you take backpacking?

 

[CJ]

~~~ Do we have a 'sticky' on this site of things to carry? ~~~

All are free to create a thread...

 

[mtnwhlr]

Thanks for posting this. All I can add to what everyboby as already said is when you plan on going out in bad weather make sure someone knows where you plan on going and if you end up stuck stay with your Jeep. When you don't return and they come looking for you it is a lot easier to find a Jeep stuck in the snow then just you out who knows where.

 

[Kilo19]

I don't have my jeep running yet but I'm gonna use this information to PACK my jeep with compartments of survival nesscessites


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[tinhorn]

Good topic.

Many years ago I found myself in the middle of nowhere, late at night, on back roads instead of highways, in a snowstorm. I learned the next day that the temperature was 30 below. My carburetor iced up and my LUV 4x4 stopped running. No cell phones in those days and I didn't use a CB radio.

Fortunately the engine heat melted the ice and the rig started. But ever since then I've kept blankets, foil survival blankets, extra coats and gloves, and snacks in my rigs year 'round.

It's also why I want a stock air filter housing for my 258 so that I can draw heated air into the carb. (My CJ5 isn't intended for off-road--it's intended for slick-road.)

 

[alpha6]

You would be amazed at how much our mountain rescue gets called out on people who come into the mountains totally unprepared. Guys who freeze to death next to a stuck snowmobile that had a tank full of gas...make good fire starter for those wondering. A proper mind set is just as important as having the right gear.