Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Lost camera

I have completed JMT September 1, 2010. It took us 3 hours from Guitar Lake to the summit of Mount Whitney. A great experience. Then at Whitney Portal we took a last picture at the wooden exhibit construction. In Lone Pine we realized, that our camera was missing. Its a small Canon Photo Shot. We don't care about the camera itself. It's the fotos we took during the trail that we miss. The pictures of me and my daughter mean a lot to me and we appreciate any help in finding the chip or cam. So if you have heard anything about someone who's found a cam there or if you know the single hiker from the Bend, OR area who generously gave us a ride from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine around 3:45 p.m. on September 1st, please contact me. The cam might have fallen out of my daughters backpack during the ride in the back of your truck. I hate to give up hope. Thank you all.

Your chances of recovery are pretty good. Steve C found a memory card from a camera dropped off the top of Half Dome and returned it and I just got word that a camera my hike partner lost was found (no where near a trail in a canyon that gets 2-3 visitors per year). I think if those two can be located and returned ANYTHING near the MT will be found........................................DUG

Condorito, it looks like you are already back home in Switzerland. So sorry you lost the pictures!

You might try calling the Inyo National Forest numbers to see if the camera might have been turned-in.

Here are two phone numbers:
  Mt. Whitney Ranger Station in Lone Pine: 1-760-876-6200
  Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center, Lone Pine: 1-760-876-6222

Thank you Steve.
I called both numbers. The 6200 is just a recorded facility information. However, on the 6222 I could at least deposit my information. I was a bit puzzled that they have no direct email so I had to spell out virtually all information including words like Canon, foto and Switzerland. I hope the friendly and helpful lady got it right. She also gave me an additional number 1-760 937 2257 which she said was at Whitney Portal. There was no answer though. I'll keep trying. Mountain Radio at Bend, OR was kind enough to air the request trying to locate the guys who wheeled us down to Lone Pine. No reaction as by now unfortunatly.

Condorito,

I will be at the Portal on Friday and Saturday morning of this week and again next Tuesday. I'll look for your camera and spread the word that you lost a camera. I'll be in Lone Pine too. I sure hope you get it back, you came along way to visit the USA and we want our guests to be happy when they go home, so we'll do our best to help you find your memories in that camera, and hopefully the camera too. Thank you for coming to America. Lynn

I appreciate all the help and encouragements we get. Thank you. We had a great time on the trail and are proud of how we did it. It was one of the "once in a lifetime" hikes! Doing the trail was like a dream to come true as I had it in my mind for almost 20 years. Maybe another dream will come true.

Condorito, what were your favorite places on the JMT?

It's hard for me to pick favorite places along the JMT. It might be easier to indicate the places I was not so keen of, Bear Ridge for example and some of the places where weekend- or dayhike trails touch the JMT.
I'd rather talk about moments then places. Moments like the happiness in my daughters face on top of Mount Whitney, the arrival on Glen Pass, the sunset at the camp site in the meadow after Donohue Pass, the first glimps over Virginia Lake, the moment we had dinner in Le Conte Canyon and were joined by a curious but unimpressed deer family grazing just a few yards from our tent, the meeting with hikers offering to help us out with Ibuprofen. The feeling we got on the passes looking north to the horizon knowing that's where we came from, looking south to the horizon knowning that's where we are headded to. So many times I felt that the world was made just for the two of us.
Apart from misplacing the camera at the end of the trip we made one mistake: Our schedule was too tight. We should have taken more time for the hike. This would have given us even more time to enjoy. After all, it was not "just a hike". It gave us far more then we've expected.
Let me add this: We are very touched by how everybody is trying to help us find pictures. It hurts to think that whoever is in posession of the camera now might not know how to contact the owner.
Anyway, thank you all for trying to help. Good to see how many good folks are still around!

I was the one whose chip (but never the camera itself) Steve C ended up finding at the bottom of the south face of Half Dome six weeks after I had dropped the camera off the top of Half Dome. Like you, it was at the end of a two-week vacation that had a couple of first-time summits (Whitney, Cloud's Rest) on it, after having dreamed of summitting Whitney for many years. One suggestion that was mentioned to me in the aftermath of that loss prior to Steve locating the chip was the idea of attaching your contact info into your camera pouch (assuming you have one). So you may want to consider this for next time. I hope you are able to find your chip/camera.

CaT

Condorito, I emailed the Inyo National Forest office. Cindy replied:

"Lost and found goes to the County Sheriff, Lone Pine (area office is 760-876-5606)"

I called the number and the lady there said no camera had been turned in lately.

My son and I were at trail crest on Wednesday Sept 15th at about noon and saw a handwritten note about a camera that someone had found with a phone number to call to claim it. It was tacked to the JM trail sign or trail crest sign post. Good luck.

Thank's for that info. I wish I could find out the phone number that was (or still) is on that note. Any hint how to address the writer?

I say send Steve C to retreive it . He has a history with finding lost camera discs in obscur areas.
Seriously I would post here amd on the other board. There is a link to it on the front page of this board and ask if anyone is climbing MW or at least up to Trail Crest to retreive the note and then PM you with the phone number.Worth a try.

Dear Condorito,

I and my friends walked all around the Portal and didn't see your camera. As we drove to and from Lone Pine, I looked on the side of the road for your camera, but didn't see it. I just saw the post about someone leaving a note at the junction about a lost camera...too bad I didn't see this post before I summited or I would have taken a moment to read any notes left there. At the time I passed this area, I was tired and just wanted to get down. Have you ever heard of Craigs List? It's a free website that many Americans search. Craigs List may have a Lost and Found area where you can post your lost camera. I can't wait to hear that you found it. Take care, Lynn

Thank you for your efforts, Lynn. I hope you had a successful day on the summit. I did search the craigslist for hours but did not post the loss there. I couldn't figure out in which area I should post it and did not find a specific lost and found section.
I am about to give up the search. Too bad, just sad. It captured unique moments I had with my daughter. For her they captured some of the best moments she had with me in her yet still young life.

If someone reads this and is up there again soon and the note (and phone number) is still there, they could take a close-up picture of the note and phone number and post that picture here.

CaT

Don't give up yet. Lost things in the Sierras have a way of finding their way home. Someone will find it and it will get back to its owner. Trust me it will happen.

Condorito,

If you do decide to post on Craigslist, don't give out your phone number or address, just give an email address.

I and my friends summited on Monday 9/20/10. Check out the Trip Report called, "Three Angels and One Angel in Training" to see our photos. I'm the Angel holding the book in the Portal Store and the Angel with the day-glo yellow top on at the summit. If I travel to Switzerland, what mountain would a senior, out of condition girl like me be suited to climb?

Choice is endless. Depends on hiking skills, time, season and how tecnical the hike may be. Via ferrata ascents have become very popular for people who don't climb but want more then just hike.
Check out http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home/sum...witzerland.html
Nothing in Switzerland compares with the JMT though.
If you want to know more I suggest you open a new thread because this might be off topic.

Condorito,

Thank you for the link and you're correct, I'm off topic once again. We're focused on finding your camera in this thread. I can't wait for you to announce your camera or the card has been found. I know your daughter would love to have the photos as much as you would.

Lynn