We received this touching email to our office from Mountain Rescue Aspen team regarding a fallen climber from the North Face of North Maroon Peak on 7/24. Summit registers, which can be seen as a controversial topic regarding Leave No Trace rules, can do more than offer a sense of accomplishment-it can comfort a family. The Colorado Mountain Club has been the keepers of Colorado summit registers since 1912.
"I think this is an incredible testament to the power of
"the web" and social media. I will try to make it as short as I can but
I believe each "Portal" through which the information flowed need to be
acknowledged.
The story, as the register is concerned, began on Monday
7/23 late in the afternoon. When at my request, one of our team
members "posted" a "Missing Climber" report on the site a website. The subject's had
posted via mobile transmission his having reached the summit of South
Maroon "Now for part 2!"
His post had been interpreted by some as a reference to
the tough descent of S. Maroon but to many as "He's going for
the traverse".
While our team was in the field attempting to eliminate
the eastern aspects of the two bells as search areas, the internet
was at work.
Terry M., a regular on the website had remembered
a "Trip Report" from N. Maroon that had been posted on 7/21, two days after the last communications from the climber.
Not a normal trip report as this one contained video content and a
photo of the summit registry log; presumably as a keepsake of the
group having been there. Terry, went back and looked at the photo, noticed
that the name of the missing climber was on this register! He sent it
to some of the
subjects co-workers who are also using social media to get
the word out. The co-workers not only confirmed the handwriting
but noticed his FDNY (fire dept New York) badge number in the photo and
confirmed it to Terry. By this time the climber had been found.
It had been determined that the subject had taken a fatal fall while
descending N. Maroon, his family had been notified and his body
recovered. There was more on the ledger that could not be seen in the photo
and family and friends wanted (I guess needed) to know what he last ones
were.
So Terry got the ball rolling. Posted a "Request
from the FDNY in memory of Lenny Joyner" http://14ers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=36527&p=435020
While the 14ers community was throwing around ideas and
figuring out "Who" was going to N. Maroon next to get a high
quality photo of the register, the request for a "High Quality
Photo" was coming through official channels.
I cannot take credit for originating the idea to take
the original page, but do take responsibility for executing it.
So off to the summit I went with another member of the
team. After removing the page I had planned to take a photo, but felt
compelled to make the short video, offering our condolences and to
inform the FDNY and his family that the summit ledger was in our
custody and we were getting it back to them."
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Main StreetGallery in Carbondale Colorado worked overnight in the middle of an art show
to frame the piece for us and refused to accept any money for the frame job.
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Attached you will find a scanned copy for your summit
record keeping. Your registry made it possible for a family to feel
the joy of the climber's accomplishment of reach the summit before
his fatal fall on the north face."
