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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostTue Oct 14, 2014 9:33 pm 
I had heard he was found and it was another blow in a year of bad news. I'm so sorry for the McCoy family. frown.gif Thanks for posting some details. I always wonder, and we hardly every find out what really happened.

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Bedivere
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Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?
PostTue Oct 14, 2014 9:35 pm 
Thanks for the update fishonjoe. I wondered if he'd ever be found. I tried to quote your original post but I see you edited out the info about the trail, but I have to ask... Is the trail being referred to the one that shows on this map?:
USGS and FS maps both show the trail from the ridge down to Found Lake but don't show the trail going along the ridgeline to the Cyclones. I've been in twice via the trail to Found Lake myself but it must have been so horrible that my mind has blocked the memory. I've also been via the ridge route to Cyclone and up from Hamar/Enjar and remember those trips quite well. That sure does look like some steep terrain on the map, or was it somewhere else? If it was along the trail marked on the map, then I hope anyone who reads this takes that information to heart - be careful along that stretch of trail!

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RumiDude
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RumiDude
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 7:55 am 
I was thinking about this a couple weeks ago. Very sad for the family, even though finding the body is probably better than not. Sending out good thoughts to all the family and friends. RIP, Thom! Rumi

"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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fishonjoe
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 1:50 pm 
Sorry Bedivere...I can't speculate on any of that. Yes that does seem to be the trail down to Found Lake (on my map as well) though I have not been there, so not sure if that trail still exists going down to found. I could be wrong, but I think there is a trail that goes down more near the outlet? This is all speculation on my part, but what I saw from the SAR video on their site, he may have been found near the Pass between Snowking and Enjar, as there was a HRT 9 Staging area around there. Looks like there is some fairly steep rock/cliffs when you get closer to nearing the pass there, especially to the south of the pass. you can watch the Vid on the Facebook page "Find Thom Mccoy" Go to 4:08 in vid and they have an arrow of the staging location. Once again, this is all speculation on my part. Maybe when the Family is ready, they will post more info about it or maybe not, which is ok. I think the most important thing is that he was finally found...yes RiP Thom!

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 2:01 pm 
I certainly wouldn't wish to bring anymore hardship to the family, but it would be nice to fully understand where/how this happened so that maybe someone could learn from this tragedy. If he was going out via Enjar was that understood by his family and if not i wonder why he chose that? Ive been in that area. When i went i followed the trail down to found, then rafted the lake and hiked up to snowking lake. i rafter snowking then climbed up to cyclone. im not sure of how many areas that kind of fall could have taken place in the area. That video was interesting. They were exiting the helicopter above found lake on the route to cyclone. Im not sure where the "snowking and Enjar" bit came from?

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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contour5
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 2:14 pm 
My condolences to Thom's family and friends. You made a phenomenal effort to bring Thom home. So sorry that there wasn't a better outcome.

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fishonjoe
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 2:29 pm 
Backpacker Joe wrote:
Im not sure where the "snowking and Enjar" bit came from?
Again, this is speculation on my part, but if you go to the 4:08 mark on the vid you can see that the arrow is or near in the pass area. Cyclone would be off to the left. I could be wrong, but look at the angle of Snowkink Mtn. where the shot was taken from...I looked at it a long time before coming to that conclusion.

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fishonjoe
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 2:35 pm 
contour5 wrote:
My condolences to Thom's family and friends. You made a phenomenal effort to bring Thom home.
up.gif up.gif up.gif

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Yana
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 6:53 pm 
The speculations are incorrect. Many of y'all's assumptions are incorrect. (understandable, since you have very little to go off) HRT9 was stationed where he was because he was with the radio repeater, which was strictly a communication thing, not any indication of our operating area. I understand that people really want to know the location and circumstances, but the family has not chosen to reveal them at this time. I know the weather sucks and most people are stuck inside with nothing better to do than make up scenarios (something I have been guilty of myself more than once), but this may lead to assumptions/"data" being created and spreading thanks to the wonderful internet - something that I believe can hurt Thom McCoy's family. So how about we not do that? Thank you.

PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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Josh Cowart
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Josh Cowart
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 7:15 pm 
That trail does not exist and I doubt it ever did. I went looking for it several years ago and ended up in the most exposure/danger I have ever been in. That is where I told people to look for him on page 2 of this thread. Minda was also looking for that trail when she found his pack.

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Chico
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 7:42 pm 
Yana wrote:
So how about we not do that?
up.gif up.gif up.gif

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Tom
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 8:32 pm 
The 100 Hikes book mentions a "very rough route" from the saddle down to Found Lake. I always assumed that was the route on the Topo but perhaps not? I've only dropped down to the lakes from the Enjar side. Beautiful area. RIP Thom. Edit: Looks like 2 different routes. The 100 Hikes sketch shows the route dropping from the 4800' saddle, instead of heading up like the route drawn on the Topo. Probably a good idea to warn folks not to attempt the latter.

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AlpineRose
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 9:51 pm 
There was indeed a decent footpath down to Found Lake from the 4800 ft saddle to the NE. At least in 1982. That route depicted on the map looks scary.

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fishonjoe
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PostWed Oct 15, 2014 10:16 pm 
here's a map that shows what Tom is talking about (Trail down to Outlet) Found Lake Map

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Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?



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Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?
PostThu Oct 16, 2014 9:00 am 
That shows the same route the map I posted shows...??? Labeled as a 4WD route. My memory is indistinct but I do believe we followed a route down from the 4800' saddle to near the outlet. I certainly don't remember coming down through cliffs and exposed terrain. In any case, to me it's not that important. I'm glad he's been found and his family can have some closure. Kudos to the SAR people who helped with his recovery.

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