|
dee
Jan 23, 2004, 7:02 PM
Post #1 of 22
(16798 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 24, 2003
Posts: 45
|
Hey old ass climbers, who remembers Jacl Dorn, Yosemite local in the late '70s? What was his fate?
|
|
|
|
|
doones
Jan 23, 2004, 8:40 PM
Post #2 of 22
(16796 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 16, 2003
Posts: 76
|
May 23rd 1977
On May 23, 1977, two climbers, Larry Day (26) and Donald Evans (23), began an attempt to climb the Yosemite Buttress in Yosemite National Park. Although they each had some experience, neither was prepared for bad weather or an overnight bivouac. The two climbers stumbled up the
route, and as rain fell, their problems increased. Ultimately, Evans fell and injured himself, and Day called for help. He was told that rescuers would be coming in the morning. Six rescuers started walking up an established trail up Yosemite Falls trail at 3:30 a.m. the following morning in search of the ill-prepared rock climbers who had cried out in the dark. For an unknown reason,
Yosemite volunteer Jack Dorn walked off a well-worn path and plunged 400-600 feet to his death.
|
|
|
|
|
mother_sheep
Jan 23, 2004, 8:42 PM
Post #3 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 18, 2002
Posts: 3984
|
Trippy. I thought you were looking for Matt Cox.
Where's Waldo? :lol:
|
|
|
|
|
doones
Jan 23, 2004, 8:47 PM
Post #4 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 16, 2003
Posts: 76
|
I believe that was another post...
|
|
|
|
|
dee
Jan 26, 2004, 9:16 PM
Post #5 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 24, 2003
Posts: 45
|
Yes, I remember that news snippet but it was the rumour that he was murdered that someone brought up recently and had me wondering. It had something to do with "the" plane crash, or maybe it was something semi-fictional from a Largo story?
|
|
|
|
|
howlermonkey
Aug 12, 2004, 3:51 AM
Post #6 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 5, 2004
Posts: 25
|
This is not just a Largo story. Back in the winter of 1977, a whole planeload of marijuana crashed into Merced Pass Lake, killing the two smugglers. Law enforcement thought that they could wait until spring - the lake was frozen over. Camp 4 couldn't wait that long, and cleared out within hours - I think every pair of X-C skis in the Valley was rented out.
Somebody even brought a chain saw to cut through the ice, and people pulled out bales of weed, cause it was floating just under the ice. A lot of people made thousands of dollars - a lot of famous and infamous climbers were involved. Within weeks, all these dirtbags had new ropes, racks, vehicles, and the rangers finally put two and two together, but couldn't bust anyone by then. That damn weed was around all summer, and it tasted like plane fuel.
Poor Jack found more than weed though - he found a down vest with an address book in the pocket, and with several $100 bills stuck between the pages. Once this got around, it wasn't too long before Jack 'walked off' the Falls trail coming back from a rescue one night. Word is Jack had help.
|
|
|
|
|
oregonalpine
Aug 12, 2004, 3:54 AM
Post #7 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 7, 2004
Posts: 55
|
This plane crash is the basis for Cliffhanger, is it not?
|
|
|
|
|
howlermonkey
Aug 12, 2004, 4:05 AM
Post #8 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 5, 2004
Posts: 25
|
I don't think so, nobody made much of a big deal about the plane crash, the rangers screwed up so badly they just wanted to forget about it - besides, they might have had to arrest the C4 rescue team. When I recall some of the people, I laugh, they know who they are, and by tomorrow, some of 'em will be laughing too.
|
|
|
|
|
walt511
Aug 12, 2004, 4:29 AM
Post #9 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 14, 2004
Posts: 16
|
There was a novel written based on the event. Angels of Light by Jeff Long.
Actually pretty decent read!
|
|
|
|
|
dee
Aug 25, 2004, 10:47 PM
Post #10 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 24, 2003
Posts: 45
|
"Word is he had help" That was what I was looking for. I will never forget that moldy weed.
|
|
|
|
|
jgill
Aug 26, 2004, 2:53 AM
Post #11 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 18, 2002
Posts: 653
|
Nevada Barr's latest book, High Country, is based loosely on the plane incident. Not a bad read. 8^)
|
|
|
|
|
howlermonkey
Aug 26, 2004, 8:17 AM
Post #12 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 5, 2004
Posts: 25
|
Dee - Memories of "planecrash" still make me hack...not to be confused with "trainwreck." :-)
Members of the Yosemite rescue team do not accidentally walk off the Falls trail, end of story.
|
|
|
|
|
ricknie
Mar 7, 2006, 8:38 AM
Post #13 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 59
|
Not to dig up old threads, but Howlermonkey, I'd really like to hear from you. PM me....ok?
|
|
|
|
|
ricknie
Mar 16, 2006, 9:20 AM
Post #14 of 22
(16794 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 59
|
Just to add something to this old story. Today I talked with the Sheriff's department that has on file the results of Jack Dorn's autopsy. They are searching the archives for me.
More to follow
|
|
|
|
|
ricknie
Jul 29, 2007, 4:31 AM
Post #15 of 22
(13613 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 59
|
Well a year later and the story behind Jack Dorn gets even better.
I have now interviewed both the Park Ranger that was in charge of the rescue that Jack Dorn was on. I have also located and interviewed the guy that was the team leader on the rescue that Dorn died on.
I have also located Jack Dorn's brother. The story that the Park department gave the Dorn family is one that raises eyebrows. It left the family wondering for 30 years what was really going on. They knew nothing of the plane crash and the cargo.
|
|
|
|
|
rasoy
Jul 29, 2007, 4:42 AM
Post #16 of 22
(13606 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 28, 2007
Posts: 242
|
Who was the team leader?
Pettigrew?
"The family knew nothing of the plane crash and the cargo."
Why would this even be relevant to Jack Dorn's case pertaining to a Sar accident?
(This post was edited by rasoy on Jul 29, 2007, 4:46 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
ricknie
Jul 29, 2007, 7:47 AM
Post #17 of 22
(13585 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 59
|
Who was the team leader?
Pettigrew?
No, the team leader was Craig Patterson
"The family knew nothing of the plane crash and the cargo."
Why would this even be relevant to Jack Dorn's case pertaining to a Sar accident?
If you read all of the novels that have been published using this event as the basis for the stories, you'll see a common angle. That is the dark side of any illegal venture. Jack Dorn figured into this side of the plane crash. For the past 30 years his family had no idea that he was involved in the plane crash and its cargo. They never heard about the rumor that he might have been pushed to his death by some mysterious cloak and daggar guy waiting in the shadows. So this story has been a rude awakening for the entire Dorn family.
|
|
|
|
|
randisi
Aug 4, 2007, 2:22 PM
Post #18 of 22
(13391 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 9, 2004
Posts: 15
|
Are you seriously suggesting that some drug mafia hitman was hanging out in the valley, learned of the rescue attempt and that Dorn was going to be on it, knew that they were going to hike up in the dark, ran up the trail at night and knew just where to hide to easily push someone over the edge, and was able to recognize in the dark just which of the hikers passing by was Dorn?
And how was this going to help him recover the drug dealer's notebook?
Or are you suggesting that one of the members of the SAR team did it, either for personal reasons or was bought off by the drug mafia?
I'm sure the Dorn family appreciated this bit of wild speculation.
|
|
|
|
|
ricknie
Aug 4, 2007, 5:34 PM
Post #19 of 22
(13348 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 59
|
Randisi....not sure how you made that jump. If you read what I posted you see that I am saying that one of the many, and I say that loudly, rumors that have floated around for years is that Jack Dorn was done in during the rescue he was on.
Since I have decided to dedicate an entire chapter in the book about him I have been doing research into his background. I have spoken to family members, best friends, Rangers that knew him, and researched the reports regarding his death.
|
|
|
|
|
jaybro
Aug 6, 2007, 8:57 PM
Post #20 of 22
(13270 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 2, 2005
Posts: 441
|
jgill wrote: Nevada Barr's latest book, High Country, is based loosely on the plane incident. Not a bad read. 8^)
What Mr Gill said. about three weeks ago my brother handed it to me and with a straight face, said, "You might like this."
By the time they visited camp 4 I suspected where it was going. A fun ride.
(This post was edited by jaybro on Aug 6, 2007, 8:59 PM)
|
|
|
|
|
ricknie
Aug 6, 2007, 9:01 PM
Post #21 of 22
(13260 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 59
|
Try to find a book called "Vortex" by David Harris. Again, based on this event, but a better story line and a few very good twists and turns not to mention the ending.
|
|
|
|
|
jaybro
Sep 16, 2007, 7:40 PM
Post #22 of 22
(12989 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 2, 2005
Posts: 441
|
Yeah, read Vortex quite a while back, had almost forgotten about it. I liked it a bunch.
There is a great part where a woman describes what climbers are like that stuck with me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
