Trip report of Lightning Creek Trail snow survey accident: Skagit River, February 3, 1947

Two snow surveryors attemted to do a snow survey in the upper Skagit River basin, and found bad conditions and had trouble getting to the survey cabins over a 6-day period. They completed the snow course at Freezeout Meadows and returned to the cabin that had a malfunctioning stove and little dry wood. They measured the Lightning Creek stream gage site on the third day, and finished another snow course on day 5. On the return trip, one of them lost footing on an icy slope and slid over a rock cliff and broke an arm and hurt his hips. The other continued on the return trip to get help, and the injured surveyor waited for hours until he got so cold he had to start crawling along the trail to stay warm. Well after dark, the rescue team returned and carried him out on a strecher. He spent a week in the hospital, but recovered.