Mark, you did everything right. I would be proud to climb with you anytime, anywhere. Sometimes things don't go according to plans, but it isn't your fault.

Dennis

This morning's LA Times had a brief report entitled "Hiker's Body Recovered" in reference to Thomas Bennett. While this imprecise writing is pretty insignificant juxtaposed with the tragedy that just occurred, it is significant in the context of public education about mountains. The title suggests that Mt. Shasta in March is nothing more than a hike by any route and thus could be a dangerous lure for some people. You would think that a large newspaper operation like this one could do better than this.

MoapaPk wrote:However, we still don't know. So I'll leave it there.

Right, I didn't mean to imply that this was known as the cause of death. However, the mere suggestion of this as a possible cause will be forever etched in the back of my mind. It's shocking to think that something as simple as a bruised leg when combined with sleeping in a cramped position could lead to a fatal blood clot. There may be other contributing factors no doubt (dehydration, pre-existing condition, etc), but I will definitely be more careful about maintaining good circulation in the future, particularly at high altitude and in cold temps, even if there is only a 1-in-a-million chance of this happening.

My deepest condolences to friends and family of Tom. I love that mountain but have even more respect for it now.

Keep living life Mark.

it just came to my attention that there is a minor inaccuracy in the SF Gate report - something I didn't quite catch when Justin was going over the final version of his article with me.

"On Friday, they made it to the summit and began to descend the Whitney-Bolam Ridge in the dark."

We summitted twice. First on Friday via the Bolam Glacier, and then Saturday via the Whitney Glacier. We spent Saturday night on the summit when we couldn't descend the Whitney-Bolam Ridge. I'll notify Justin, but could someone please add the correction to the online comments for the article?

I have just sat down to write in-depth my own personal account of the incident. I'm doing this for myself for some catharsis and to help preserve a record before events blur together or get mixed up. I will be keeping most of it private, apart from sharing relevant parts to close friends and family of Tom who want to know more.

also, as far as speculation as to what happened to Tom. I hope the autopsy leaves us all with a straightforward answer, but if it does not, I really want to know what happened for my own peace of mind. Many of the symptoms were those of HACE (he showed just about every symptom I've seen listed, and then some), but there were some inconsistencies and a lot of the circumstantial details that make me suspect it wasn't just HACE acting alone in a typical way.

I would really appreciate it if someone could refer me to or connect me with a knowledgeable doctor or researcher on the subject of high altitude ailments, neural ailments, etc. with whom I can go over in detail all of the symptoms and their rough timelines between the sudden appearance of symptoms in Tom and his death.

I wish to express my heartfelt condolances to all involved - family, friends and rescuers.

Mark, I hope you are able to come to terms with what happenned without too much trouble. Of course you know you did everything humanly possible up there to help your partner. If you have lingering feelings or "loose ends," treat yourself to a session or two with a Doctor experienced in counseling people with PTSD. I had to go down that road once, and it was incredibly helpful in restoring my sense of well being.

Best wishes to all at this sad time.

OK, I said I'd shut up, but one last comment:
http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/A ... .html#HACE
"I have not yet seen a case of HACE in which the patient didn't ascend with AMS symptoms."
(Not my words.)

Personally I saw just one case where the person was supposedly diagnosed with HACE. I always heard that HACE was the endpoint of AMS, and the person usually presents with the familiar symptoms of AMS beforehand. In the case I saw, the person had been vomiting and had a severe headache, and eventually was totally unable to walk; but the other symptoms had been going on for at least 2 hours.

PellucidWombat wrote:
I would really appreciate it if someone could refer me to or connect me with a knowledgeable doctor or researcher on the subject of high altitude ailments, neural ailments, etc. with whom I can go over in detail all of the symptoms and their rough timelines between the sudden appearance of symptoms in Tom and his death.

Pellucid, my heart goes out to you and all those involved in these tragic times.

As for someone who might know about HAPE, there is a guy listed as "kinch" on the general thread here looking for research subjects:

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewto ... e23fbb3664

I'm in NO way saying you should volunteer to be a research subject, but he might know someone with the information you're seeking.

Wishing you and everyone involved the best,

Gusto

PellucidWombat wrote:I would really appreciate it if someone could refer me to or connect me with a knowledgeable doctor or researcher on the subject of high altitude ailments, neural ailments, etc. with whom I can go over in detail all of the symptoms and their rough timelines between the sudden appearance of symptoms in Tom and his death.

When I was learning to be a mountaineer, my climbing partner and I hired Pete Schoene, a great guide and person. His father is a well known expert on the effects of high altitude. If you would like me to contact Pete, and ask if his father would be willing to talk to you, I would be more than happy to try. Send me a PM -- I'll do my best to get back to you, although I may be out this weekend.

MoapaPk wrote:OK, I said I'd shut up, but one last comment:
http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/A ... .html#HACE
"I have not yet seen a case of HACE in which the patient didn't ascend with AMS symptoms."
(Not my words.)

Personally I saw just one case where the person was supposedly diagnosed with HACE. I always heard that HACE was the endpoint of AMS, and the person usually presents with the familiar symptoms of AMS beforehand. In the case I saw, the person had been vomiting and had a severe headache, and eventually was totally unable to walk; but the other symptoms had been going on for at least 2 hours.

I will throw my hat into the ring on this one. I personally experienced HACE while descending from the summit of Denali. Until my sudden display of ataxia I was not experiencing or displaying any AMS symptoms. My appetite was fine, no headache, no dizziness, no nausea, no fatigue, etc... It is possible I may have been experiencing Cheyne-Stokes breathing at night while sleeping but since I had a tent to myself I was not aware of it if it was occurring. We were carrying dexamethasone, and its administration did significantly improve my ataxia enough to allow us to successfully return to camp at 17K together. The rangers did a field assessment, noting my resting heart rate of 128 and pulse ox level of 68 which combined with my ataxia were consistent with HACE. Following continued dexamethasone accompanied by descent to 14K and re-evaluation by the medical staff I was given a clear pass to descend with my ropemates with no follow-up assessment needed. Just an example, though likely atypical.

Mark, I wish you all the strength as you recover from this experience. I know I personally thank my partners for their efforts helping me deal with my situation. I am sure Tom was incredibly grateful as well. Stay strong man, I applaud your efforts!

PellucidWombat wrote:I would really appreciate it if someone could refer me to or connect me with a knowledgeable doctor or researcher on the subject of high altitude ailments, neural ailments, etc. with whom I can go over in detail all of the symptoms and their rough timelines between the sudden appearance of symptoms in Tom and his death.

Hi Mark - I posted this over at SuperTopo, they also have been pulling for you.

There are a couple of responses under my note halfway down this page, a few people who could speak with you:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/threa ... 949&tn=100

Best luck - Joe

MoapaPk wrote:OK, I said I'd shut up, but one last comment:
http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/A ... .html#HACE
"I have not yet seen a case of HACE in which the patient didn't ascend with AMS symptoms."
(Not my words.)

Personally I saw just one case where the person was supposedly diagnosed with HACE. I always heard that HACE was the endpoint of AMS, and the person usually presents with the familiar symptoms of AMS beforehand. In the case I saw, the person had been vomiting and had a severe headache, and eventually was totally unable to walk; but the other symptoms had been going on for at least 2 hours.

One thing that frustrates me and has me wondering what happened is thinking about AMS symptoms. Not only had Tom been at or above 10-14,000 ft several times this winter with no problems, but on Shasta he was showing signs of good acclimatization all the way to the summit. He and I were both stronger and felt better ascending the Whitney Glacier Saturday than we had Friday when we climbed the Bolam Glacier to ca. 14,000 ft. Tom was urinating clear and frequently over Friday and Saturday, and when climbing technical ice in the icefall, he had plenty of energy and coordination.

As I think back, I can only recall symptoms of improving acclimatization, rather than any signs of AMS.