The CRUX: True Survival Stories

In late December 1969, five accomplished young mountaineers set out to make history on Glacier National Park's highest peak—a 4,000-foot wall of rock and ice that had never been climbed in winter. They were skilled, prepared, and determined. When they failed to return, a desperate search began in brutal conditions, with windchills plunging to minus forty-four degrees. What searchers eventually found would mark the worst mountaineering disaster in Glacier's history—and leave questions that linger to this day. This is the story of the Mount Cleveland Five, and the families, rescuers, and fellow climbers whose lives were forever changed.

00:39 Disaster Strikes Intro

01:21 Body Bags Ominous Cold Open

03:03 Meet The Mount Cleveland Five

07:32 Why Cleveland North Face

09:17 Brother Sits It Out

10:12 Ranger Warning At St Mary

12:25 Crossing Waterton Lake

15:30 Silence Then Missing

17:11 Search Begins Base Camp Found

18:09 Avalanche Evidence And Photos

20:48 Search Called Off

22:37 Spring Thaw Recovery

26:25 Aftermath Burials Memorials

28:51 Did They Summit Mystery

31:20 Jean Kler Funeral Courage

32:53 Legacy Closure And Safety

34:51 Final Thoughts And Resources

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Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/

References:

"In Search of the Mount Cleveland Five" by Terry G. Kennedy (Sweetgrass Books)

"The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in the Avalanche Zones" by McKay Jenkins

"Swallowed By The Mountain" – Mountain Outlaw Magazine, Winter 2026

"And None Came Back" – Outside Magazine

Hungry Horse News archives, 1970–2019

Flathead Beacon

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Helena Independent Record

Montana Standard (Butte)

Whitefish Pilot

Glacier National Park historical records

Daily Inter Lake archives, 1970

Find A Grave memorial records

Dirty Sox Club historical archives

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Professional river guide and Eagle Scout Gabriel Vaughn knows Oregon's Illinois River better than most people ever will. But after a disagreement just above the infamous Green Wall rapid, he makes an unexpected decision that leaves him completely alone in the rugged Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

With winter closing in, no hiking gear, and miles of unforgiving terrain ahead, Vaughn is forced to rely on his wilderness training as rescuers race against time through one of the most challenging search environments in the Pacific Northwest. But one question remains: what happened on that raft that made walking into the wilderness seem like the better choice?

00:00 Intro

00:29 A Split-Second Decision

01:27 Meet Gabriel Vaughn

03:23 Thinking Clearly Under Stress

04:20 One of Oregon's Wildest Rivers

06:04 The Green Wall Rapid

10:14 Why Did He Leave the Raft?

13:34 Trusting Your Gut

16:02 Alone in the Wilderness

17:24 The Cold Starts Winning

19:38 The Breadcrumb Trail

23:49 The Search Begins

25:51 Found Alive

26:50 Fighting Hypothermia

29:10 Is Whitewater Really Dangerous?

32:04 The Lessons

35:11 The Missing Pieces

36:54 Outro

Primary Sources — Official

Josephine County Sheriff's Office — official statements and search updates, February 16–20, 2026

U.S. Coast Guard, Air Station North Bend — press release confirming rescue, MH-65 Dolphin operations, February 22, 2026

Primary Sources — Reporting
3. Outside magazine — "He's Leaving a Trail of Breadcrumbs," Madison Dapcevich, February 2026. (Source for Henry and Jennifer Vaughn quotes, Gabriel's guide background, Eagle Scout background, group disagreement, breadcrumb gear strategy, SAR suspension pending)
4. KDRV NewsWatch 12 (Medford, OR) — local coverage confirming age as 25, weather grounded initial Coast Guard flights, February 21, 2026
5. Fox News — initial rescue report, February 22, 2026
6. Grants Pass Tribune — community search coordination detail, February 21, 2026

River & Terrain
7. American Whitewater — Illinois River description, rapid classifications, safety database
8. GoRafting.com — Illinois River rapid-by-rapid breakdown including Green Wall, Little Green Wall, Submarine Hole
9. Northwest Rafting Company / ARTA — Illinois River seasonal conditions and trip logistics

Medical & Safety
10. Wilderness Medical Society — Clinical Practice Guidelines for Accidental Hypothermia, 2019 Update (Dow, Giesbrecht et al.)
11. American Whitewater — Accident Database and fatality statistics
12. America Outdoors — commercial vs. private rafting fatality rate comparison
13. Paddling Magazine — 2020 American Whitewater Accident Database annual report

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On October 15, 2022, four college wrestlers hiked into Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest to hunt for shed antlers. They never saw the grizzly coming. When the bear attacked, one teammate made a split-second decision that would later earn him North America's highest civilian honor for heroism—and leave both young men fighting for their lives on a remote mountainside. With a broken arm and hundreds of stitches between them, getting off that mountain would take everything they had, and everyone they came with. This is a story about what happens when training, instinct, and brotherhood collide with the raw power of the wild.

00:00 Welcome to The Crux

00:38 Grizzly Charge Cold Open

01:35 Meet the Wrestlers

03:49 Split Up on the Trail

04:33 Brady Gets Mauled

06:35 Kendall Runs In

10:25 Second Attack and Silence

11:28 911 Call and Rescue Push

16:15 Hospital and Injury Breakdown

19:37 Bear Spray Lessons

20:47 Recovery and Hero Medal

22:30 Documentary and Facing Bears Again

24:12 Bear Spray vs Firearms Data

27:18 Practical Bear Country Tips

29:17 Bonus Bear in the House

30:56 Final Takeaway and Wrap Up

32:40 Outro and Listener Support

Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast

Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/

Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/

REFERENCES

CNN — "College wrestlers mauled in gruesome grizzly bear attack" (October 20, 2022)

ESPN — "Northwest College wrestlers hospitalized after bear attack" (October 19, 2022)

ABC News — "Wyoming college wrestlers recount near-death fight with grizzly bear" (October 19, 2022)

NBC News — "Two college wrestlers injured in grizzly bear attack while hunting in Wyoming" (October 18, 2022)

CBS Sports — "Wyoming college wrestler saves teammate from being mauled by grizzly bear" (October 19, 2022)

Deseret News — "Grizzly bear attacks two college wrestlers in Wyoming" (October 17, 2022)

FloWrestling — "Northwest College Wrestlers Recovering After 'Horrifying' Bear Attack" (October 19, 2022)

Cowboy State Daily — "Highest Heroism Award For Wyoming Wrestler Who Saved Teammate From Grizzly" (March 25, 2024)

Cowboy State Daily — "There's More To Kendell Cummings Than Being The Guy Who Wrestled A Grizzly" (March 26, 2024)

KTVQ — "Northwest College wrestlers 'in face of adversity, made it through' months after grizzly bear attack" (February 27, 2024)

Powell Tribune — "Northwest College wrestler honored for extraordinary heroism" (March 28, 2024)

Carnegie Hero Fund Commission — "17 recognized by Carnegie Hero Fund for saving others from peril" (March 2024)

East Idaho News — "Young man who saved friend during grizzly bear attack among 17 receiving prestigious national honor" (April 7, 2024)

KSL — "Man who saved friend during grizzly attack receives prestigious national honor" (2024)

Wyoming Game and Fish Department Statement (October 2022)

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On November 22, 1971, RAF rescuers spot a young woman crawling across the Cairngorm Plateau after two nights in a relentless blizzard. With only a few words, she points them toward a group still missing somewhere in the white.

What they were about to uncover would become one of the deadliest mountaineering disasters in British history.

In this episode, we break down the deceptive terrain of the Cairngorms, the controversial shelter that changed decision-making on the mountain, and how a school trip of inexperienced teenagers and young leaders found themselves fighting for survival in a featureless whiteout.

A story of small decisions, worsening conditions—and how close help really was.

00:00 Blizzard Rescue Begins

02:00 Meet the Cairngorms

03:16 Plateau Hazards Explained

05:13 Shelters and Controversy

09:04 The School Expedition Plan

12:01 Groups Split in Worsening Weather

13:45 Beatty Reaches the Shelter

14:10 Davidson's Navigation Gamble

17:02 Bivouac Turns Deadly

19:45 Flares in the Storm

21:21 Catherine Crawls for Help

22:59 Search Mobilizes and Helicopter Finds Her

28:33 Digging Them O=

31:18 Aftermath and Inquiry

35:12 Legacy and Final Reflection

Reference List

Buried: The Cairngorm Plateau Disaster — The Crux Podcast

Primary Sources & Official Records

Fatal Accident Inquiry into the Cairngorm Plateau Disaster. Banff Sheriff Court, February 1972.

Books & Articles

Watson, Adam. The Cairngorms. Scottish Mountaineering Club, 1975. (or relevant edition — Watson is cited as chief expert witness and as having written warnings about the Curran shelter prior to the disaster)

Duff, John. Statement on winter bivouac on the Cairngorm Plateau. Braemar Mountain Rescue Team records. (quoted in inquiry materials)

Interviews & Personal Testimony

Dudgeon, Bill. Interview, c. 2011. (cited as "forty years later")

Sunderland, [first name unknown]. Interview, c. 1986. (cited as "fifteen years after the disaster")

Anonymous former Ainslie Park student. Written account, 2015.

Institutional Sources

Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. Correspondence with the Nature Conservancy regarding the Curran shelter. 1960s. (exact date unspecified in script)

RAF Leuchars. Incident records, November 22, 1971. (relating to Whirlwind helicopter deployment)

Cairngorm Summit Weather Station. Wind speed record, March 20, 1986.

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