A sad "ending" for this SAR... searched called off for Sierra hiker

I felt saddened reading this.  I'm not even sure to call it an "end", though apparently the SAR has been called off, because the guy hasn't been found yet.  I don't know him personally, but have read in a local forum (where he's a well known regular) that he's a very experienced  off-trail backpacker and mountaineer.

As I've read the various updates over the past couple weeks, they struck "close to home", as I hiked right thru the areas mentioned while on my JMT trip this summer.  I could just picture myself being there, but with the addition of some snow & colder weather.  Plus, around the same time he left for his trip, I was thinking of doing one of my own to finish off the season ... but didn't, in part because of the weather forecast.  I'm not experienced enough in those conditions for winter backpacking in the Sierra.

I guess there's still a chance he could be found alive, eh?

http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/Search-Ends-for-Hiker-Lost-in-the-Sierras.html

I saw a few more posts about him on another site. Apparently he's experienced, but with the weather, who knows what happened.

Yeah.  I keep thinking of that area (having been there not long ago, except I was on-trail, and it was summer), and what it must be like now with cold & snow ...  especially if he's stuck & hurt somewhere, or worse.  Yikes...

Hopefully he is just hunkered down somewhere and waiting for a break. Are there areas of great exposure along the route he took where a slip or disorientation can result in a fatal fall?

From what I read it sounded like he would be bagging a peak, as well as going over major passes... So, yes, lots of exposure & drop offs...

Two weeks is a long time missing.

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