Man dies, son survives Glacier Park fall

A hiker died after a fall Tuesday on Mount Jackson, the fourth-tallest peak in Glacier National Park. His 27-year-old son also fell, but was able to self-arrest and survived with minor injuries.

The names of the hikers have not been released.

The pair was descending the east face of the 10,052-foot-tall mountain, which straddles the Continental Divide. Glacier Park spokesman Tim Rains said the father fell about 80 to 100 feet.

His son was able to stop his slide on a snowfield, according to a Thursday press release from the park. He suffered minor injuries but could not locate his father.

According to Rains, he then hiked back to Gunsight Campground, where another group of campers provided a satellite phone to call in the emergency at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday.

A helicopter search by Two Bear Air Rescue was unable to locate the hiker’s body until Wednesday. Minuteman Aviation, which operates helicopter tours in the park, worked with a technical rescue team and recovered the body Thursday afternoon.

The son was transported via helicopter to West Glacier and then taken by Three Rivers Ambulance to North Valley Hospital. Hospital spokeswoman Catherine Todd said she did not know the extent of the man’s injuries, but said he was discharged Thursday.

Jim Bob Pierce, a pilot with Two Bear Air Rescue, said the helicopter was dispatched at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning to assist with the search effort.

“We went up and searched that night for about six to eight hours after it happened,” Pierce said. “They couldn’t find any heat signatures around the perimeter, but they had a really poor location.”

He said the survivor was unable to identify exactly where the fall had taken place. His father’s body was found by Minuteman Aviation after daybreak.

The climbing route on Jackson, one of six peaks over 10,000 feet in Glacier, varies from a Class 3 to Class 4 depending on the route and the amount of snow and ice.

The climbing routes are considered arduous with an approximate elevation gain of 4,800 vertical feet, high amounts of loose scree and a significant amount of exposure on narrow ledges with steep drop-offs.

Falls are one of the leading causes of death in Glacier Park.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.