Dave Cawley

Art had crossed Anderson Pass several times before, and he knew Kings Peak was a hotspot for accidents.

Art had crossed Anderson Pass several times before, and he knew Kings Peak was a hotspot for accidents.

This helicopter passed low enough, Art could see it belonged to an air ambulance company. It bobbed about like a bumblebee drunk on nectar, then moved off to the west, the sound fading as it disappeared over the horizon.

This helicopter passed low enough, Art could see it belonged to an air ambulance company. It bobbed about like a bumblebee drunk on nectar, then moved off to the west, the sound fading as it disappeared over the horizon.

Art and Dan reached Anderson Pass and were treated to a sweeping view of the next drainage to the west, the Yellowstone Basin.

Art and Dan reached Anderson Pass and were treated to a sweeping view of the next drainage to the west, the Yellowstone Basin.

Looking down into the Yellowstone Basin from the pass, you feel like you could step off the edge and fall straight down to the bottom of the bowl, a thousand feet or 300 meters below. If you instead look out into the distance, the ribs of the Uinta Range seem to stack one after another, like waves on the ocean, all the way out to the horizon.

Looking down into the Yellowstone Basin from the pass, you feel like you could step off the edge and fall straight down to the bottom of the bowl, a thousand feet or 300 meters below. If you instead look out into the distance, the ribs of the Uinta Range seem to stack one after another, like waves on the ocean, all the way out to the horizon.

Art took it all in, wondering if Eric might be somewhere within his field of vision.

Art took it all in, wondering if Eric might be somewhere within his field of vision.

Coming off Anderson Pass to the west, the Uinta Highline makes a long traverse on the south face of the Uinta Crest. It's a dramatic stretch of trail cut right into the side of a steep slope way above the floor of the Yellowstone Basin. The trail's just a narrow footpath through talus. That's a geology word describing the piles of shattered rock that form below cliffs.

Coming off Anderson Pass to the west, the Uinta Highline makes a long traverse on the south face of the Uinta Crest. It's a dramatic stretch of trail cut right into the side of a steep slope way above the floor of the Yellowstone Basin. The trail's just a narrow footpath through talus. That's a geology word describing the piles of shattered rock that form below cliffs.

Again, remember, Art's used to this kind of place. If you're afraid of heights, this portion of the trail might feel a bit more spicy, especially considering what happened next. There was a couple fingers of snow, steep snow slopes. High-angle snowdrifts, slashing across the trail.

Again, remember, Art's used to this kind of place. If you're afraid of heights, this portion of the trail might feel a bit more spicy, especially considering what happened next. There was a couple fingers of snow, steep snow slopes. High-angle snowdrifts, slashing across the trail.

Most hikers on the Uinta Highline never encounter these drifts because the snow is usually melted out by the start of July. But as I've said before, 2011 was an abnormal year for snow in the Uintas. These fingers of snow were still there in mid-August. They were only 100, 150 feet wide. About 30 to 45 meters. Art looked to see if anyone had cut or stomped a path across the first drift.

Most hikers on the Uinta Highline never encounter these drifts because the snow is usually melted out by the start of July. But as I've said before, 2011 was an abnormal year for snow in the Uintas. These fingers of snow were still there in mid-August. They were only 100, 150 feet wide. About 30 to 45 meters. Art looked to see if anyone had cut or stomped a path across the first drift.

Mountaineers use ice axes to chop steps or as a handhold when traversing steep sections of snow. But they are also crucial safety equipment. Say you slip on steep snow and start sliding. You keep accelerating, unable to stop yourself. If that snow field ends in a cliff or a rock pile, there's a good chance this slide kills you. That's exactly what happened to Eric's friend Alan Beck.

Mountaineers use ice axes to chop steps or as a handhold when traversing steep sections of snow. But they are also crucial safety equipment. Say you slip on steep snow and start sliding. You keep accelerating, unable to stop yourself. If that snow field ends in a cliff or a rock pile, there's a good chance this slide kills you. That's exactly what happened to Eric's friend Alan Beck.

A trained mountaineer with an ice axe can drive that axe into the snow while sliding, using it like a brake. It's a skill called self-arrest. Art hadn't brought an ice axe or crampons on this hike. He hadn't expected needing them. Neither had his hiking buddy Dan. If either one of them slipped crossing this drift, they wouldn't be able to self-arrest.

A trained mountaineer with an ice axe can drive that axe into the snow while sliding, using it like a brake. It's a skill called self-arrest. Art hadn't brought an ice axe or crampons on this hike. He hadn't expected needing them. Neither had his hiking buddy Dan. If either one of them slipped crossing this drift, they wouldn't be able to self-arrest.