Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 1969 Plane wreck north of LBS Lake

I've known about the naming of this peak for quite a while, but didn't have any real interest in the area until I saw a topo map showing a track up into the area and realized that it might be an interesting alternate for getting to the Wallace Lake area. (The map with the track has since diappeared.)

The accident reports mention Hogback Creek / Ridge, but it looks to me like the accident site is one canyon south of this. I've seen the photos of the terrain up to the accident site, but was wondering if you know what the route up to the headwaters of Hogback Creek would be like.

I just made this hike last weekend. We took the path up Hogback Creek. There is NO trail at all and it is very steep the entire way.

Photos here: http://woodser.smugmug.com/gallery/6032887_pq2eH#377668152_PcfQR

Also someone mentioned the Helo crash up there a few hundred yards below the crash site? Here are two photos, one of the crash and another of the removal of the helo.

http://www.h43-huskie.info/FIRST-HH43F-photopage.htm

I'll answer any questions I can.

Woods
www.Woodser.com

I visited the site on Saturday 09/27/08. Unfortunately our friend whose parents were aboard was ill (nothing serious) and could not attend. We decided not to postpone because the area may not be snow free for much longer. We may go back with her next year, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the crash.

I took nothing but pictures and left a small memorial that she had made which included a photograph of her and her parents when she was a little girl. I was overcome with emotion as I laid it down. That picture made all of the twisted steel and aluminum very, very personal.

Again, thanks to all who provided us with information. It was very helpful.

On this morning exactly 40 years ago Flight 708, the Gambler's Special, met its fate on the rocky wall of a canyon near Mt. Whitney. The lives of 35 passengers and crew ended in a brief instant.

In their memory, let us live every day to its fullest and never take life for granted. May anyone who visits the site treat it with the respect and dignity it deserves.

A historic milestone marking a tragic event. I will give a personal moment of prayerful silence.

my friends parents were on that plane as well....in the summer of 1969 I was 11 at the time my family was camping in the lone pine area and I remember a helicopter each morning going over are campground my dad said that there was a plane crash months ago and they were looking for it.

well fast forward to mid 70's I met joe paget through a friend and we would mine for gold off of randsburg rd and in time we talked about parents and he told me that his parents were killed in a plane crash in the mountains of the eastern sierra and I told him I remember the helicopters looking at the time...thanks for the reminder... mark

for a story on it go to www.donrjordan.com/gambler.html