RIP Nemo

On the 4th of July of 2021 weekend my father went hiking alone. He told me once, he will go no matter what. On that weekend his friends were all busy. So he went on his own. I received new on July 5th from my brother that a police man had told him that my dad has passed away. We called the coroner and was told my dad “FELL FROM MOUNTAIN PEEK OFF BEAR CREEK SPIRE”. That was our worst days ever. We were able to receive his stuff that he had on him. He always had a go pro on him but they couldn’t find it so it’s still out there. The only thing that survived was his drone. It was perfectly fine. My little brother (20) was able to take out footage from his drone. Here it is. I really don’t know what else to say but to spread awareness that even though you are an experienced climber. Never go by your self please. I believe he fell on July 3rd and no one found him until July 5th at 8:33 am. His name was Nemorio Hernandez he was only 52 years old.

Very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing. 

I am so sorry to hear this, Luis. Thank you for sharing your message and the footage. It is very beautiful and sad. 

Sorry for your loss. May he Rest In Peace.

Luis, I am very sorry for your loss and the pain you are suffering.

Very sorry for your loss, Luis. Thank you for sharing this memory of your dad, and for the sobering reminder of what can happen out there and how it impacts the people around us. 

Hey Luis. Major condolences for your loss. I hope you have had some time to grieve and like others I wish your father had returned from his solo scramble to the summit of Bear Creek Spire.

Taking a solo scramble as an experienced climber is something perhaps decided upon intentionally, or in your dad’s case you may have mentioned he was unable to secure a partner for this particular outing. You said he would “always”go anyway regardless. You shared the the video in hopes that people would not go off to climb solo, suggesting that being with a partner(s) may have provided enough of shared decision-making and safety to overt this terrible accident.

These types of solo adventures are examples of just how close to the edge we as climbers place ourselves. In positions of risk or potential disaster in hopes of building character and defining who we are as people… Its’s like you said… Your father did these things to escape the day-to-day mundane pursuits that many of us find ourselves mired into. Spontaneous adventure can release enough endorphins in our little brains that the reward of returning alive more than justifies the risk.

I was very moved by your dad’s video, as I myself stood  (8/23/1998 11:00am)  In just the very spot that your father did, which is only steps away from the summit.

I’m assuming he gained the summit by Hiking up through Little Lakes Valley and climbing the Northeast Ridge of Bear Creek Spire as my partner and I also did (Class 4, FA Norman Clyde 1932) Nothing is mentioned previously about this so only a guess. If So this spot in the video Clyde described as:

(Little Lakes Valley Photo credit Jerry Dodrill 1999.)

“an unusually impressive mountain of the Matterhorn type. On all sides, except the west it drops away in almost vertical walls hundreds of feet in height. The summit itself is a single monolith only a few feet in diameter, from which these jagged aretes radiate”. Clyde’s route is further described as an “enjoyable scramble” to an exhilarating summit”.

Speaking more to your point, I was very happy to have performed this outing with an experienced partner. Much of the info on this route, or many variations of the climb (some easier, some as hard as 5.6 on the arete) seem to suggest that it is not necessarily a life threatening situation. I recall several aspects of the outing where a slip or lack of attention paid in a particular section of the climb could easily be fatal (be it with partner close by or not. ) The descent was not (IMO) as straightforward as many Mt. Project trip report comments suggest.

I remember being concerned about down-climbing the “4th class step” to the west of the summit which is recommended by many as an alternative to rappelling there. Some discussion and concern (mostly mine) resulted in my partner and I using the rope we dragged along in our pack to be used for the very first time that day. A single rappel was performed which brought us to relative safety for the remainder of the descent. I was very glad to have had my partner and that rappel rope in those moments. I can see how a solo climber who perhaps did not have a rope could have concerns there as it is certainly not a simple trail leading off of the summit.

In closing, it’s clear to me that your father was living his best life in the period when shooting the drone footage. It’s got to be one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever found myself. Our sport is full of hubris and stories of bold scrambles, summits and ridge traverses, etc. These make for great experiences until they “don’t”. What was once the domain of the bold and the few has become that of the many. For what it’s worth to other people wanting to go there… Do not underestimate the risks involved in climbing this route, or during the descent.