February 28, 1987. Miller Cave, Iowa.

Five college students, their geology professor Kathy McCluskey, and staff member Mike Price descended 112 feet into a vertical shaft in an Iowa farm field. What should have been a routine winter caving trip became a fight for survival when a storm shifted direction and water began pouring into the cave.

Student leader Chad Blietz (now Chad Darby) shares his firsthand account of climbing through freezing spray in complete darkness while battling severe hypothermia—making impossible decisions when conditions turned deadly.

Seven people entered Miller Cave that day. Only five would make it out alive.

This episode explores the technology limitations of 1987, the split-second decisions that determined who lived and who died, and the survival lessons that matter today: trust your gut, avoid sunk cost fallacy, and respect how quickly conditions can change in the wild.

We honor the memory of those lost that day.

Hosted by Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen

️ Contains descriptions of hypothermia, drowning, and death.

Share your survival story: thecruxsurvival@gmail.com

0:00 Welcome to The Crux: True Survival Stories

2:12 Miller Cave, Iowa, 1987: The Sinkhole That Became a Death Trap

4:04 Meet Chad Blietz (now Chad Darby) and the Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program

7:06 The Haunting Breakfast: Plans and Futures

7:51 Inside Miller Cave: 112 Feet Down, 42°F, and Vertical

11:00 Prepared But Vulnerable: 1987 Gear and Technology Limits

17:22 Water on the Rope: The First Sign of Trouble

18:36 Chad's Climb: Total Darkness, Freezing Spray, and Hypothermia

22:05 Four Still Trapped Below: The Crisis Escalates

24:00 Mike Price's Climb and Chad's Impossible Choice

28:37 Survival in a Chimney: Bart and Stone Wait in Rising Water

30:20 No Cell Phones: Racing for Help in a Snowstorm

32:09 The Rescue: 75 Responders, Bodies Recovered

34:52 Aftermath: Guilt, Media Scrutiny, and Panic Attacks

40:03 The Thin Margin: Leadership, Intuition, and Split-Second Decisions

41:22 Chad's Second Chance and Final Lessons

43:48 Closing: Trust Your Gut, Honor the Lost

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On February 10, 2008, Fred Frederickson and James Osborne started what should have been a routine winter day hike on New Hampshire's Franconia Ridge. Within hours, conditions changed catastrophically—temperatures plummeted to single digits, winds reached seventy miles per hour, and both men were fighting for their lives on an exposed mountain ridge. As night fell and the storm intensified, rescue teams mobilized for a desperate search in some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable. This episode explores the cascade of small decisions that turned a beautiful Sunday hike into a tragedy, and the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers who risked everything to bring them home. A story about friendship, survival, and the unforgiving nature of winter in the White Mountains.

00:46 Welcome to The Crux + Listener Shoutout
01:25 Eyelids Frozen Shut on Little Haystack
02:17 Meet Fred & James + The Franconia Ridge Loop Plan
04:47 Overdressed, Sweating, and Wet Layers
05:46 The Forecast They Missed: 70–100 MPH Winds Incoming
06:40 Above Treeline: The Storm ‘Switch’ Flips
08:48 No Shelter, No Fire: Hypothermia Signs and the Fight Back to Haystack
11:12 Night in a Rock Cave: Deep Hypothermia and Rewarming Basics
15:24 Missing from Work: Search Teams Mobilize in Brutal Conditions
17:37 Found on the Ridge: Black Hawk Night Landing Rescue
19:07 Hospital Battle: ‘Warm and Dead,’ Rewarming, and Frostbite Losses
20:58 Aftermath & Lessons: Hike Safe Tips
27:14 Final Takeaways + Book Rec

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/

1. Boston Globe, September 15, 2008 - "Hiker recounts horrific struggle for survival on icy N.H. ridge"
2. Boston Herald, February 18, 2008 - "Hub hiker escapes death"
3. New Hampshire Public Radio - "Author Ty Gagne on The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites," December 31, 2020
4. Union Leader, November 29, 2020 - "A tale of life and death on Franconia Ridge"
5. Conway Daily Sun, January 17, 2021 - "The Last Traverse chronicles wintry search-and-rescue mission"
6. SkinnyMoose.com, February 12, 2008 - "Missing Hikers Found In Franconia Notch – One Dead"
7. WhiteBlaze.net forum discussion, February 2008
8. VFTT (Views From The Top) forum, September 14, 2008 - "James Osborne & Fred Fredrickson Follow-up Story"
9. Boston Globe, December 23, 2024 - "White Mountains, New Hampshire search and rescue data"
10. Mount Washington Observatory weather archives
11. NH Fish and Game Department rescue reports
12. Nashua Telegraph, September 14, 2008

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On a snowy Black Friday in November 2024, a 22-year-old experienced hiker from Quebec set out alone to climb one of the most remote peaks in New York's Adirondack Mountains—a challenging 18-mile journey he expected to complete in a single day. When he didn't return as planned, what followed was one of the most extensive search operations in Adirondack history, involving dozens of elite forest rangers battling brutal winter conditions for over a week. This is the story of Leo Dufour, a university student studying to become a teacher who had already conquered 32 of the legendary 46 High Peaks, and the extraordinary efforts to find him in a wilderness that doesn't always give up its secrets. It's a reminder that even the most prepared among us are never more than one wrong turn away from the unforgiving power of the mountains.
00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes
00:42 Leo Dufour's Quest in the Adirondacks
03:00 The Challenge of Allen Mountain
07:09 The Search and Rescue Efforts
12:47 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned
24:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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:

• "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Statement on Recovery of Missing Canadian Hiker Leo DuFour." DEC Press Release, May 10, 2025.
• "Update: State Police seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing hiker in the town of Newcomb." NYS Police Press Release, December 2024.
• Lynch, Mike. "Remains of missing Canadian hiker found." Adirondack Explorer, May 2025.
• Lynch, Mike. "Missing hiker: What we know so far, as search enters 5th day." Adirondack Explorer, January 22, 2025.
• Lynch, Mike. "Search for Canadian hiker shifts to recovery." Adirondack Explorer, March 28, 2025.
• "DEC: Body of missing hiker Leo DuFour found May 10 off Mt. Allen Mountain trail." The Adirondack Almanack, May 12, 2025.
• "Due to treacherous conditions, search for Leo DuFour transitioned to recovery mission." The Adirondack Almanack, December 10, 2024.
• "Extensive search underway in the Adirondacks for missing Canadian hiker." NCPR News, December 4, 2024.
• "Rangers had to divert resources during Allen Mt. search to rescue solo searcher." NCPR News, December 10, 2024.
• "DEC: No signs of missing hiker Thursday." Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 5, 2024.
• "Hikers find body of missing person on Allen Mountain." My NBC5, May 2025.
• "Body of Missing Hiker Is Found 5 Months After He Vanished in the Adirondacks." The New York Times, May 29, 2025.
• The Globe and Mail (Canada): "U.S. authorities find body of missing Quebec hiker in New York state's Adirondacks." May 11, 2025.
• Advnture: Clarke, Julia. "Body of 22-year-old Canadian hiker found 5 months after vanishing on snowy Adirondacks mountain." May 2025.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.