Skier missing in Commonwealth/Kendall area

www.komonews.com/news/local/Rescuers-sea...-Pass-363074581.html

As of this afternoon: Search suspended for skier missing near Snoqualmie Pass

Search-and-rescue teams have suspended the search for a 43-year-old Maple Valley man who didn’t return home Saturday night after backcountry skiing near Snoqualmie Pass.

The search for Monty Busbee is expected to resume Monday, according to a tweet by the King County Sheriff’s Office. The search was suspended Sunday because avalanche danger in the area remains high and it was getting dark, the sheriff’s office said.

Source: Seattle Times.

Authorities are asking for anyone who thinks they might have seen the skier on Saturday to call 911. Anybody know him? Was he skiing alone?

Hoping for the best.

Any update on this?

Suspended until Tuesday.

Saw the SAR folks in the lot and didn't ask them what they were doing. Wish we had, since we were skiing in the Kendall zone.

That KOMO 4 link is dead now... Just a reminder that people here should be using archive.is for important links:

The King 5 Report: archive.is/XL7Zk

Hope Monty makes it back to safety soon.

Hi folks,

We are gearing up to do another search on the morning of 12/26. If anyone has been in the area searching and has GPS tracks please send me a PM. Any beta is helpful.

Thanks,

-Erik Olson
Ski Patrol Rescue Team

Toni explicitly does NOT want this thread to be about anything but finding Monty. I've quoted the relevant information below and deleted the brief derail at her request.

Erik, we'll see you tomorrow morning.

The King County SAR coordinator, who has been doing this for around 20 years, said that if Monty had been carrying his cell phone, there is a good chance they could locate him using his cellular data. Apparently signals are sent to and from towers just by having your phone on, and those towers can be used to locate a cellular phone. King County has to work a bit to access the data, but according to the detective, SAR has had a lot of success finding people using cell data. He said that if Monty had been carrying his phone, there is a good chance they could have located him closely. Monty wouldn't have seen a need to carry a phone on such a short, easy, popular ski, but it might have made a big difference.

Could you give us a description of the clothes he was wearing and equipment he was using? I know most of us don't see faces of fellow skiers but would recognize descriptions of their jackets, packs, pants, etc.

Thoughts and prayers to everybody involved.

Remains located, recovered.

kingcounty.gov/depts/sheriff/news-media/...Snoqualmie-Pass.aspx

A huge thank you to everyone involved in the search and recovery. The number of people, days, people-days, and resources involved was tremendous.

Remains located, recovered.

Very glad to hear this news. I know how important this must be to the victim's loved ones.

Though I wouldn't want anything disclosed that would upset the victim's friends and family, I think it might be of benefit to the outdoor community if those who made the recovery can provide insight into what may have happened. I'm thinking it may be reasonable to determine whether the tragedy was caused by a tree well burial or some other apparent cause.

Of course, there may be no way to tell. But if anything can be learned, it would answer some of the questions we've wondered about and, perhaps, make us wiser.

Welcome home, Monty.

Monty can still help me--and newbies like me--better understand the true risks. AFAIK Monty was very experienced and knew the area completely. He had the proper equipment and told his contact more or less exactly where he would be and when he would be overdue. What happened?

Not knowing any details, but one thing stands out:  he went out ALONE.  That was completely preventable. The consequences of an injury or fall that leave you immobile (or buried) can be fatal. I hope his family can find some peace....