Weather halts search for snowmachiner near Talkeetna

**klkak** · 04-13-2010, 11:55 AM

By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
[email protected]
Published: April 12th, 2010 08:58 PM
Last Modified: April 12th, 2010 10:59 PM

Alaska State Troopers and search-and-rescue teams facing bad weather temporarily suspended their search Monday for a Wasilla snowmachiner missing in the hills near Talkeetna's Bald Mountain.

The Talkeetna area is getting socked by heavy and wet snow that was predicted to continue overnight. The weather deteriorated so much Monday afternoon that both ground and aerial search teams pulled out, according to trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.

Charles Palmer, 30, was last seen at 7 p.m. Saturday by his traveling companions -- four snowmachiners who stayed overnight at a cabin roughly five miles in from Mastadon Road, in the hills east of Talkeetna. They later told troopers that they saw Palmer on his snowmachine but headed the wrong direction, as they traveled back to the cabin.

Palmer is reportedly dressed for the weather but he is not carrying survival gear, a global-positioning system, food or water, Ipsen said.

Palmer's companions reported him missing at 7:15 a.m. Sunday. His machine was found Sunday stuck in deep snow near Sheep River, in an area that is about 12 miles past the cabin on the east side of Bald Mountain. Due to new snow, searchers could not find any signs of Palmer on Sunday, Ipsen said.
An aerial search could not be launched Sunday due to the low-cloud ceiling, and the search has been further hampered by the wet snow and impassible ravines in some areas, troopers said.

Agencies involved in the search are the Willow and Talkeetna fire departments, troopers and search-and-rescue volunteers.

The search Monday began at about 10 a.m. A helicopter and fixed-wing plane joined the search but had to leave the area by about 1:30 p.m. because of weather moving in. The ground searchers began pulling out late in the afternoon, Ipsen said.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/04/12/122265...#ixzz0kzn7t9J8

I want to ask "what was going through this guys head" when he took off in to the bush on his snowmachine? Some folks just don't get it.

**Pict** · 04-13-2010, 04:05 PM

That is the danger of motorized transport in the bush of any type, it compresses the time factor in peoples minds. "It'll only be an hour up the trail, we'll be back by lunch." OK at 15 - 20 miles an hour you are too far to walk out.

I experienced the same mentality with the guys I hunted with up there and traveling by ATV. They were old hands at hunting in Alaska and I think that familiarity bred contempt. "It's a short trip, just seven miles down the riverbed... why are you taking the axe?" I never left camp without my pack.

**Justin Case** · 04-13-2010, 04:25 PM

They do the same thing here in the desert also,, Take off for what they think is going to be a short ride,,, then something happens and they wonder why they are dying in the desert with no water,, I hope they find him before its too late,,,

**Sourdough** · 04-13-2010, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by klkak

I want to ask "what was going through this guys head" when he took off in to the bush on his snowmachine? Some folks just don't get it.

I have to question his so-called A$$HOLE Friends..........? The men I ride with, we would never, ever, never leave someone. We might go to the cabin, start a fire, eat, even have a drink. But then, no-matter what the weather, we would load up the guns, fan-out, and start firing shots, and yelling. We would find the machine, and then the man. What we would never do, is wait till 7:AM to enroll help.

I am guessing that there is more to the story then is being told, it seems there always is.

**hunter63** · 04-13-2010, 05:02 PM

I hope they find him as well, only take a second for a machine to turn on you, and sometimes it ain't pretty.

**Justin Case** · 04-13-2010, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Sourdough

I have to question his so-called A$$HOLE Friends..........? The men I ride with, we would never, ever, never leave someone. We might go to the cabin, start a fire, eat, even have a drink. But then, no-matter what the weather, we would load up the guns, fan-out, and start firing shots, and yelling. We would find the machine, and then the man. What we would never do, is wait till 7:AM to enroll help.

I am guessing that there is more to the story then is being told, it seems there always is.

No Kidding,,, some friends

**tipacanoe** · 04-13-2010, 07:40 PM

We lost a young man here in Maine in late December, the lake had open water the day before he tried to cross it, he was an avid snowmobiler, but why on earth would he even think it would have been safe. I agree that the friends of the man who went missing Sunday aren't much.

**klkak** · 04-14-2010, 03:14 PM

Strike one: He had no gear with him at all.

Strike two: When he got separated, instead of stopping or turning back he continued on.

Strike three: When he got stuck, instead of staying with the snowmachine he took off walking.

To add insult to injury his friends were as inept as he was.

As a side note. His younger brother went missing several years ago and was never found.

Sourdough, I'm with you in thinking there may be more to it.

**klkak** · 04-15-2010, 02:35 AM

My daughter told me today that she went to high school with the guy and that one of his brothers went missing several years ago and was never found. Sounds like someone is trying to put a little chlorine in that families Gene pool.

**Alaskan Survivalist** · 04-15-2010, 03:10 AM

It's hard to say till they find him but my guess is laziness got him. Riding a snow machine he should have been dressed warm enough and he had a packed trail to follow back to wherever he came from. He thought it would be easier to go somewhere else or take a shortcut and got lost. That's my guess.

**klkak** · 04-17-2010, 11:30 PM

The State Troopers called off the search yesterday. They reported that Alcohol may have played a role in the disappearance.

As I eluded to earlier, His family Gene pool is a little cleaner now.