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Photo: Julien Lecorps

On Tuesday, May 1, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Mono County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call regarding a black Honda Civic that had been parked near Poole Plant Road off Hwy 120 West since April 19.

Mono County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the area and found a note left under the windshield wiper of the vehicle stating that a solo backcountry skier was heading up Mount Dana Couloir for the day to ski down Cocaine Chute. With the warmer temperatures, even in the higher elevations, snow conditions have been affected and several avalanches have been seen in this area over the past several weeks.

Boris Avdeev, age 31, of Ann Arbor, Mich., an experienced backcountry skier, has not been heard from since setting out on his solo backcountry ski trip on April 19. On Wednesday, May 2, Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) ground teams were dispatched to the Cocaine Chute area to start performing a lower chute search to see if they could locate Avdeev. The ground teams were unable to locate him. On Thursday, May 3, additional resources were requested including a helicopter from Fallon Air Station, two rescue dog teams, and a mutual aid request for Inyo County Sheriff’s and Yosemite Search and Rescue teams to help aid in the search efforts.

This is currently an ongoing Search and Rescue operation and more details will be given as they become available. If anyone has any information regarding this current operation that may aid the search teams, please contact Mono County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at 760.932.7549. -Press Release

Two hikers intending to circumnavigate Shadow Lake on July 3 had to be evacuated by the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team because of high waters and steep, snowy terrain in the area. When Olesya Oleynik, 25, and Sergey Belostotskiy, 28, both of Sunnyvale, Calif. were unable to complete their first route and climbed uphill into the Glady’s Lake area instead. They hiked cross-country along the outlet stream with the intention of reaching the San Joaquin River but were unable to continue due to cliffs and snow, and their jeans becoming soaked to the waist. They called for assistance via cell phone at approximately 8:30 p.m. Three field teams hiked in from Agnew Meadows and located the subjects at 4 a.m. The teams bivouacked until daylight then climbed back up to Glady’s Lake with Oleynik and Belostotskiy and then south toward Devils Postpile during which time Oleynik sprained her ankle twice. The party encountered a difficult stream crossing at Minaret Creek above Minaret Falls where the bridge had washed out. Relief teams with swift water equipment, inflatable raft, and a wheeled litter for Oleynik were dispatched to assist.

The Mono County Search and Rescue Team is about to hang up its homeless hat and settle down into some permanent digs; that is if the color of the roof of its new home can be worked out.

On Wednesday, SAR, along with their architect Craig Tapley, came before the Mammoth Lakes Planning Commission to garner approval on their Use Permit application for a permanent facility for SAR. The building would be placed on Mammoth Community Water District property, near the wastewater treatment plant. The structure would have a building footprint of 3,850 square feet and would include a garage/parking area, office space and meeting area.

Currently, SAR is using a temporary facility on the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department’s property.

“In the 43 years of SAR’s existence, this is the closest we’ve come to a permanent facility,” SAR Project Coordinator Dave Michalski explained to the Commission.

Tapley, who presented the project specifics on behalf of the large, red-shirted contingency that attended the meeting, explained that SAR had been seriously looking for a permanent location since 2004. He described the proposed building as “fitting perfectly and simply into the location at the water district.”

The building itself would be very industrial to blend with surrounding water district structures.  It would also have to include a heating and cooling system; heating to keep the building somewhat warm in the winter so that SAR’s equipment batteries would stay charged, and cooling so that in the summer there could be some type of circulation management to keep the odors from the wastewater treatment plant from becoming overwhelming.

The three Commissioners that were present at Wednesday’s meeting (Tony Barrett and Rhonda Duggan had excused absences) were supportive of SAR in general and of the project. Commissioner Elizabeth Tenney, however, took issue with the color of the building’s roof.

Tapley originally wanted to use a light, even white roof in order to be energy efficient, as a white roof would automatically cool the building in the summer. He also pointed out that most of the water district’s buildings had whites roofs, so this color would again blend in. Tenney, however, feared that a white roof would make the building stand out in a garish manner to people on Mammoth Mountain, as well as people driving by on Hwy 203.

“It’s not just about the color,” Tenney said during deliberation. “It’s about keeping Mammoth competitive; I’m trying to keep the special experience of a Village in the trees for our visitors. We need to make an industrial building, inconspicuous. We don’t want to have the manmade dominate the natural landscape.”

Tenney suggested more landscape screening. Currently, the plans call for the removal of 11 trees that serve as a screen to the water district buildings and vehicles that are on the property now. The applicant had already planned to replace the trees it has to remove, plus more.

“It would be counterproductive to try to save the trees that are there,” Tapley explained. Tapley needs to raise the grade on the property in order to allow the building to sit high enough for water to drain away from it. During the grading and moving of earth, Tapley believes the trees would die. But the plans call for 19 new trees to be planted. Since the number of new trees exceeds the number of trees being removed, the project conforms to Town codes.

“I am more concerned about efficiency and conservation than what people see from the mountain,” said Commissioner Sharon Clark, who pointed out that she lives in one of the highest single family homes in town and when she looked from her property to try to find the water district property, she was at a loss.

“I saw Vons and the blue roofs,” she explained, referring to a condo complex in town.

MCWD General Manager Greg Norby told The Sheet that in the grand scheme of things, the public wouldn’t be able to spot the SAR building among the other, larger MCWD buildings.

“If you are up on the mountain the biggest thing you are going to notice are our new solar panels,” Norby said, referring to the solar power plant that they recently installed to help run the water district efficiently.

Overall, Commission Vice Chair Jay Deinken was happy with the project and pointed out that the staff report already contained a condition for dealing with the roof. The condition states that staff and the applicant will continue to work on the roof color until a compromise is reached that satisfies both parties.

Deinken also dubbed SAR’s services as “Priceless” in reference to the MasterCard commercials. He felt that the Commission should add a recommendation into its motion to have the Town Council waive any fees it can for the project going forward. This was something the applicant planned to request of Council, but was not technically an item for discussion at the Commission level.

The applicant will be requesting the waiver of Development Impact Fees ($7,000), as well as permit and building fees ($8,000) according to Tapley. Since the project is being built entirely with in-kind donations as well as monetary donations, the waiver of fees could be looked at as the Town’s contribution.

The Commission approved the application 3-0.

On the afternoon of April 24, the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was called out to search for a lost snowboarder. Tiffany Pridanonda, age 21, of Walnut, Calif., was snowboarding on June Mountain with a group of friends when she became separated and went out of bounds from the top of Chair 6. She went downhill to the east but could not climb back up. She sent cell phone text messages to her friends and attempted to navigate to U.S. 395. She went as far as the Hartley Springs campground, called 911, and was advised to stay where she was until the SAR team arrived. SAR field teams on snowmobiles located and transported her to U.S. 395 to join her friends. -MCSD

Another Search and Rescue operation, however, did not end on such a happy note. Powder Magazine reported that the bodies of Kip Garre and Allison Kreutzen were discovered on April 28 during a search-and-rescue operation. The Tahoe couple had taken a ski mountaineering outing to Split Mountain, south of Bishop, Calif. on Tuesday, April 26.

According to Robb Gaffney, one of Garre and Kreutzen’s friends from Squaw who was involved in the SAR operation, “Three days ago Kip and Allison went down to ski the Split Couloir on Split Mountain. They slept and then went out early the next morning [Tuesday]. Usually at the end of a big day, they’ll call and share the details and let people know it went OK. But nobody had heard from them, so yesterday Dan Molnar drove up to trailhead and found their car with Allison’s dog still in it. That was pretty alarming, because it’s a day trip and they didn’t bring gear with them for over-nighting.”

For the full story, visit http://www.powdermag.com/mantle/kip-garre-1973-2011/.

Join Mono County Search and Rescue, Sierra Mountain Guides and the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center for “Avy Savvy” this Friday, March 4. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. and run until approximately 8:30 p.m. at the Forest Service Building off of Hwy 203. Various speakers will present topics focused on safe backcountry travel. Search and Rescue will talk about previous rescues, Sierra Mt. Guides will talk about the dynamics of why good skiers/boarders/snowmobilers get caught in avalanches, and ESAC will also be making a presentation.

Mono County Search and Rescue had a busy 2010, and 2011 has so far been the same.

On the night of Feb. 11, 2011, the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was called out to assist Betsy Rieke, 67, of Carson City, Nev., who became lost and stranded above a cliff while on a solo hike in the Mono Craters. Rieke had be able to make cell phone contact with the persons with whom she had discussed the hike with, who in turn, reported the situation to the Sheriff’s Department before they began to hike to Rieke’s location. The Sheriff’s Department dispatched personnel to the area where it was determined that SAR should also respond. As SAR arrived, Rieke was located by her acquaintances that helped her up a scree slope to the trail on top of the crater. They reported via cell phone that Rieke was uninjured but cold. SAR members with additional supplies hiked in and met Rieke’s group as they were hiking down the road from the crater. SAR members used the Sheriff’s Department ATV to shorten the final portion of the hike for the group.

The Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team is an all-volunteer organization that, in 2010, responded to 45 calls from the Sheriff in aid of 60 subjects, 49 of whom were non-residents.

Twenty-six of the missions were searches, 32 were rescues, and 13 were both a search and a rescue.  Seventeen calls were snow related. Twenty missions involved injuries, with 5 fatalities.

Of the 60 subjects, there were 37 hikers and backpackers, 8 snowmobilers, 3 climbers, 3 stranded motorists, 3 snowboarders, 3 fliers, 1 snowshoer, and 1 skier.

The team volunteers were in the field for 388 hours, contributing a total of 2,642 man hours.

As with all first responders, the team spends a lot of personal time just being ready, through training, practice, equipment care, and personal fitness.  In 2010, formal training sessions alone totaled 3,534 man hours.

The team was first organized in 1966 and has no employees or payroll but does have significant expenses that are largely met through donations.

The major project now is to acquire a building to house the team’s vehicles and equipment, that for so many years has been out in the weather as well as provide space for meetings and trainings. The team currently has the use of a temporary structure, thanks to the Sheriff’s Department, which must be vacated soon. Plans are currently in the permitting process and the team hopes to be housed in a new steel building by the time the snow flies in the fall of 2011. -MCSD/LAK

On Sept. 27, the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team responded to the report of a downed paraglider. Frederick Bourgeault, 37, crashed his paraglider approximately two miles west of the White Mountain Research Station’s Barcroft Laboratory near Barcroft Peak. Bourgeault’s paraglider was spotted from the air by a passing aircraft. The SAR Team, along with Careflight, was dispatched to the area. Careflight was unable to attempt extrication due to darkness, altitude, and steep terrain so a night vision helicopter was requested from Fallon Naval Air Station.

The SAR Team hiked to the crash site while the Fallon helicopter located Bourgeault and landed nearby. SAR members along with helicopter medics loaded Bourgeault onto the helicopter where he was flown to Bishop Airport. Symons ambulance transported him to Northern Inyo Hospital, but due to the extent of his injuries, he was transported to Stanford Medical Center. -Mono County Sheriff’s Dept.

On Aug. 5, the Mono County Search and Rescue Team was called out to assist Miguel Lizaragga, 49, of Imperial, Calif. who had injured his knee while backpacking in Convict Canyon, about two and a half miles above Convict Lake. SAR hiked in with a litter and wheel and transported him across the creek and down to Convict Lake where marina personnel helped ferry him across the lake.

At the same time, Elizabeth Brown, 63, of Berkeley, Calif. became ill while backpacking near Gem Lake. Some SAR members were diverted to June Lake where they began hiking in to assist her. However, a CHP helicopter was able to land near the dam and transport her to Mammoth Hospital. The SAR members were therefore able to return to Convict Lake and assist with Lizaragga’s carry-out. LAK/MCSD

Summer is a busy time for the Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team and this year is no exception. Most recently, SAR responded to an ill climber and an injured hiker.

On July 25, a call for an ill climber at Mt. Morrison came in. SAR responded to Horace Gates, 50, of Ridgecrest, Calif. who had camped with friends at the 8,971 foot base of Morrison, near a tarn on the east slope. The group had planned to climb the peak the following morning. However, Gates awoke feeling ill with vertigo, according to a press release from the Mono County Sheriff’s Department, and the group requested help. The SAR grounds team met with Gates as he was being walked back to his vehicle by his friends. He declined medical aid.

On July 31 and Aug. 1, SAR responded to the call of a hiker unable to walk at Shadow Lake. Derrick Carbiener, 21, of McKinleyville, Calif. had injured his ankle and knee while hiking with his father. The team was called out to assist Carbiener on July 31 and was able to reach him the following morning. Carbiener was taken to Agnew Meadows Trailhead using a wheeled litter, and was then taken to Mammoth Hospital for treatment. –LAK/Mono County Press Releases

The Mammoth Unified School District’s Board of Education announced earlier this week that its members have concluded an important step in the process of searching for the next educational leader for the District’s 1,137 students, teachers, staff and parents. On April 24 the Board held a closed session with its consultants, Rich Thome and Jim Brown of Leadership Associates, to review the files of all the applicants including those recruited by Leadership Associates to see which ones were the best matches to the candidate profile developed with assistance from staff and community.

Of the 17 candidates who applied, with Thome’s assistance the Board narrowed that list to seven “high-quality” applicants for interviews. The candidates are from all over California, and outside the state as well. The first round of interviews will take place in closed session on Friday, May 21, and continue through Saturday, May 22, when a finalist will be identified. There will be a visit to the finalist’s community before a contract is offered.

Previous to the selection of the seven candidates, Thome and Brown spent an entire day gathering input from all of the District’s various stakeholder groups, as well as parents, citizens and civic leaders, and prepared a summary of what the Mammoth community wants in its next superintendent.

The Board said it has every confidence that such a leader will emerge from the strong pool of candidates who have applied. “By July 1, and perhaps before, the District will have its new leadership,” said the District via a press statement. “Our appreciation goes out to all those who offered their thoughts and suggestions for the profile. They were a huge help to us.”