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Rockbound Valley Search
July 1999
Mike McAlister had offered to take a family friend from Texas on a "wilderness experience". At 41 years old, Kat (Kathryn) Kristof hadn't spent much time outdoors and this was her big chance. Mike must have spent time in Minnesota because he planned a canoe trip across Desolation from Echo Lake over to Rubicon Lakes.
After a week out, Mike and Kat had their routine down. They paddled when they could and then Mike portaged the canoe ahead to the next boatable stretch, with Kat carrying a light load afterwards.
Thursday morning, Mike left their camp around China Flat, about two miles below Mosquito Pass, and headed down trail around some rapids and falls on the upper Rubicon River that were way too much for a canoe. Mike found the trail washed out and flooded and was forced to meander off line in many places until the trail finally crossed the river with no place to cross. He dropped his distinctive red dry bag and hiked back to camp, even marking the route with "ducks."
Of course, when he got back to camp Kat was gone, as well as the gear left with her. To Mike's credit he searched the area, checked ahead, behind and around; he left notes at camp and trial junctions and even took a GPS reading for the SAR teams he was about to call.
Finally, Mike hiked four hard hours out to Echo to call and report Kat missing at about 8:00 that night.
Deputy Long got the call from Dispatch, met with Mike, then passed it on to Deputy Fleck (aka Ramon) who made the page for a morning response. Deputy Mazzoni started at o'dark thirty to get things running and established Echo Lake Command, with Rich Hayworth dispatching. Placerville somehow heard of the SAR, and Todd Crawford responded to the Loon Lake side to send hikers in that way (five finally showed up about 11:00). When all were in place, we had Foot Team One (Butts, Marino, Whatford and Silvestre) from Echo; Mounted Team One (Froberg and Anderson); and Mounted Two (Wason) from Bayview. Helicopters were requested, with a MAST Blackhawk coming from Sacramento and CHP's fixed-wing Air 20 responding.
With the search up and running, all Mazzoni could do was wait for a helicopter ride. Around noon his wish came true and the military gave him an adventure ride while searching for Kat. The high-speed horses, Mounted Team One, made it to Rockbound, Foot Team One worked up Mosquito Pass, and the Placerville folks were just forming up. Deputy Berg showed up to cover Command just as the television crews showed up, and the Blackhawk found the woman zoning on a rock at Rockbound Lake.
Everyone was happy. Kat got hoisted into the helicopter and flown to the airport, where Mazzoni was able to get out and settle his stomach. Berg and Kat's friend Mike got interviewed by two TV crews, who then raced off to interview Kat at the airport. The Mounted folks retrieved Mike's red dry bag (but left his canoe) and returned home. Only Foot Team One was bummed when Forest Service wouldn't allow them to be helo'd out.
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