8 Disturbing Park Ranger Encounters in Olympic National Park You've Never Heard

📕 Stay Found, my field guide for anyone who heads outdoors: what to carry, what to leave on the kitchen table, and what to do in the first hour if somebody doesn't come back → https://stayfoundbook.com Eight real encounters from Olympic National Park: a river ford, a wild coast with no road, a January crossing, a helicopter in the clouds, a truck at a trailhead, six days lost with a dog, a skier in a snow cave, and a mountain goat on a ridge above Port Angeles. I'm Cliff Hollis. Thirty-two seasons as a backcountry ranger in the mountain West, the last fifteen running search and rescue. Every case here comes from park reports, news coverage of the time and court records. WHO WENT IN AFTER THEM 8. The ford below Enchanted Valley, 2001. Who went in: several rangers who hiked 16 miles, because the road to that trailhead had washed out. About six inches of rain in two days changed a knee-deep crossing. 7. The coast near the Norwegian Memorial, 2017. Who went in: a recovery team that spent the night on the beach. Nobody had reported him missing. His permit was the only paper. 6. Sol Duc to the Hoh in January, 1992. Who went in: ground teams, dogs, helicopter observers, and six rangers and rescuers camped in the snow. Four to five feet of snowpack. 5. Mount Baldy, 1997. Who went in: eight people on a helicopter that rose into the cloud. Three of them died. The man they were looking for was never found. 4. The Ozette loop, 2013. Who went in: a helicopter, boat teams, dog teams, and searchers who walked more than 25 miles of coast. His jacket was still on the truck seat. 3. Obstruction Point, 2017. Who went in: a helicopter crew, a ground crew and the Coast Guard. She lasted six days on stream water, currants and ants, with her dog beside her. 2. Hurricane Hill, 2007. Who went in: four rangers on skis through three to four feet of new powder. They later received the Valor Award. 1. The lunch stop above Port Angeles, 2010. Who went in: hikers, an off-duty park employee, a doctor and a Coast Guard helicopter that was over the ridge 28 minutes after rangers called it. Behind every one of these eight is somebody who walked, skied or flew in after a stranger. CHAPTERS 00:00 A goat on the ridge above Port Angeles 00:53 8. The ford below Enchanted Valley 03:06 7. Near the Norwegian Memorial 04:37 6. Twenty-four miles in January 06:21 5. A helicopter on Mount Baldy 08:33 4. A jacket left on the seat 10:35 3. Six days with Yoda 12:19 2. One or two words at a time 14:31 1. The lunch stop Stay found, folks. #ParkRanger #OlympicNationalPark #NationalParks