The search for the body of the missing climber on Mount Rainier will hopefully resume later this week, a park spokesperson said this morning.
Mark Wedeven, 27, of Olympia, went missing after an avalanche early Saturday morning on the Ingraham Glacier. He was one of 11 people overtaken by the snow. The others survived, but Wedeven is presumed dead, according to Mount Rainier National Park spokesperson Kevin Bacher.
Ironically, the worst ever climbing accident in U.S. history was on Mount Rainier, on the same glacier and on the same route, Bacher said.
It happened almost 29 years ago, on June 21, 1981. It was also a “slab” avalanche, according to Bacher.
“In that case, 11 people were killed by the avalanche, so the similarities in this case were spooky,” he said.
This particular route is an off-shoot of one of the two most popular climbs on Mount Rainier. Climbers depart from Paradise for the hike, Bacher said.
A limited search took place yesterday for Wedeven, Bacher said.
Park rangers stationed at Camp Muir continue to be hampered in their ability to search due to dangerous avalanche conditions on the upper mountain, Bacher said.
The search will resume as soon as it is safe, Bacher said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter