Alan Chow could see a way toward the reservoir. He could follow the creek downhill. What he could not see was whether the ground would let him reach it.
In February 2018, Chow entered Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy area for his first overnight backpacking trip. He had taken introductory courses and bought good equipment, but the National Park Service’s later account identified important gaps: no winter clothing, limited navigation experience and only the general map issued at the entrance.
He had intended to spend one night outside. By the time a helicopter found him on February 23, the trip had consumed almost a week.
Alan Chow: The return route disappeared
Chow reached Lake Vernon on his first day after losing the trail and crossing open ground. The following morning, he decided to return toward the dam. Familiar terrain seemed the more cautious choice.
Near the lake’s outlet, he lost the route again on rock slabs. He subsequently slipped down a rock face and sprained an ankle. Chow was later unable to reconstruct exactly how the accident happened.
His phone had no signal. Climbing back up looked impractical. He followed Falls Creek, using the watercourse as both a landmark and a water supply, until he established a camp on Sunday evening.
The frightening part was no longer simply being lost. Every possible exit required a decision with incomplete information. Climbing meant trusting an injured ankle. Crossing unfamiliar ground meant risking another drop. Staying meant hoping someone would search the right drainage.
The helicopter he could not signal
On Wednesday, Chow saw a search helicopter but could not attract its attention. He also tried moving west. Deep snow and uncertainty about the trail turned him back after roughly an hour.
He returned to camp and moved his tent to a more visible position. Heavy snow followed on Thursday night.
On Friday he improvised a parka from his sleeping bag and put trash bags over his socks. He again tried following the creek toward the reservoir. At the top of a waterfall, the route ended. Continuing downhill was not an escape.
He went back to his tent. That return placed him where a helicopter crew could finally see him.
The landscape had offered one apparent way out after another: rock slabs, a creek, a line toward the reservoir. Each had brought Chow to another obstacle. In the end, the place he kept returning to became the place rescuers could find him.
Sources and reporting
Researched reporting: an original narrative based on the published records linked below.
