Skier Who Vanished After Racing Down Mountain May Have Been Chased
The Seattle Mountain Search and Rescue Unit were wrapping up one of their most confusing and thought-provoking investigations to date. All they had to go on was the story from one group of friends, who’d seen something — and lost someone — in a way they'd never fully understand. The scene had started out innocently enough, with what looked like a skier braving Mount Helen's fearsome descent...until they peered a little closer, and the awful reality dawned on them.
"Baffled"
There was only one word for how mountaineer Bob Lee felt the day he investigated the wilderness surrounding Mount St. Helens: “baffled." Coming from a member of the exclusive Alpine Club and the future leader of a Himalayan expedition, that was saying something.
Searching For Jim Carter
They were searching for a man named Jim Carter, who had led his group of 20 mountain climbers up Mount St. Helens, only to disappear before their very eyes. The group's story was a strange one, especially considering Carter’s impressive qualifications.
Experienced Skier
At 32 years old, Jim Carter was an experienced skier, climber, and mountaineer who knew how dangerous the wilderness could be. So when he offered to take a photo of his climbing group as they skied down the mountain from 8,000 feet, no one thought to worry.
The Blink Of An Eye
But what happened next definitely made some of the skiers worry. Carter had skied away from the group in order to take the photo, but in the blink of an eye, he’d suddenly taken off down the mountainside. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Carter wasn’t leisurely skiing down the mountain, either.
