Show peak sealer scaler dies in zion park plunge tho the career of a daring mountain climber came to a tragic end saturday when don orcutt 24 of south hope street los loa angeles fell ell 1000 feet to ills hla death from cathedral mountain orcutt la Is tho the only white man ever to climb the great white throne chrono the monolith situated in zion park lie ho accomplished tills this feat on juno 30 orcutt has conquered many perilous mountain slopes without serious mishap but this time luck was against him cathedral mountain got him and pitched him mercilessly down its jagged slopes ills ilia body was mangled almost beyond recognition when found cathedral mountain Is not considered particularly dangerous to a seasoned beason ed fl limber imber and orcutt was ascending it ft by easy stages to warm up for a climb of 0 west temple mountain whose summit has nover never felt the tread of human foot ho he left I 1 zion park saturday at 11 a in and when he tailed failed to return in the afternoon government ran gets started out to search for him they returned to zion park at aa 7 a in ill I 1 sunday with orcutts body on an improvised Pro stretcher they said they found ill the body a mile and a half from the ilia west ihm him trail and estimated he had fallen 1000 feet the body was waa taken to to cedar city and an investigation was started by sheriff william brooks oe at washington county in hla his ascent 0 of the great throne orcutt left the base at 6 it a m on juno june 30 and shortly after 1030 10 30 i a m hla his smoke signal was seen tie ris ing torn t orn the summit 2600 2500 feet above the floor ot of the valley I 1 I 1 orcutt had bad climbed many moun I 1 t bains a I 1 n s amon among g them ML whitney the highest in tho the gilted milted d states mt hood mt canler and oat ill t the high peaks of the searra when he completed tila lits climb of the great white throne ho Is IB reported to havo have said the great white throne la Is the hardest climb I 1 ever made bont climb that mountain for a pleasure trip in 1927 1 I B 13 evans ot at pasadena california fall ell a thou thousand sana feet down the slopes of the huge monolith and lay helpless tor for 36 hours before park rangers picked him up lie he was unsuccessful in ills his attern attempt bt to reach the top orcutt who climbed bare 1 fant onoe once and slid 40 iv or BO 50 on 1 fant onoe once foot food slipped feet feet toward certain death he star stopped just beford be foreIt it wit was 5 too late hugging a r acir he finally made his way I 1 out of danger orcutt is survived by one sister slater I 1 who lives in los angeles engele tribune |