By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Melting snow on Mount Rainier revealed the body of a male who could be one of the four climbers lost during the January storms.
A party descending from Camp Muir yesterday spotted the individual within sight of the trail, at the 8,000 foot level, according to a public information officer for the Mount Rainier National Park.
It appeared the body had been under snow for some time, according to spokesperson Patti Wold.
He was brought down the mountain by rangers today and his identity will be determined by the Pierce County Medical Examiner, according to Wold.
Searchers encountered white-out conditions, winds 60 mph and higher as well as snow drifts up to 50 feet when they looked for two parties who were overdue in mid-January.
The body was found on the lower reaches of the Muir Snowfield, about a half mile above Pebble Creek, according to Wold.
The missing subjects are Mark Vucich, 37, of San Diego and Michelle Trojanowski, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia who were planning to winter camp on the Muir Snowfield. Also missing during the same storm was a second party, Sork (Erik) Yang, 52, of Springfield, Ore. and Seol Hee Jin, 52, of Korea, who were on a summit attempt via the Disappointment Cleaver route, according to Wold.
Warm weather is expected to continue rapidly melting snow in the area over the next month or two which could uncover evidence related to the missing climbers, Wold said in a news release. The park is interested in hearing from anyone who sees any items that could be associated with the missing individuals, Wold stated.