Family of Former Mendocino Resident Lost on Oregon Volcano Says ‘There Is No More Appropriate Tombstone for Steve than Mt. Jefferson’

Steve Van Pelt and his wife Katelyn in Yosemite a little over two weeks ago [Picture provided by Katelyn Van Pelt]

With the possibility that Van Pelt cannot be recovered from high on the mountain, the statement written on behalf of Van Pelt’s family said, “There is no more appropriate tombstone for Steve than Mt. Jefferson.”

Katelyn told us knowing her husband has come to rest on the flanks of Mt. Jefferson has been a “huge comfort” knowing “he would have been thrilled to call a mountain his headstone.”

The social media post explains that Van Pelt and his climbing partner “had an incredible day together, and Steve was on cloud nine” after they summited the 10,495 foot Mt. Jefferson. As they descended the mountain, Steven’s climbing partner watched him “slip and fall hundreds of feet.” From what Steven’s climbing partner saw “we knew his end was immediate.”

Katelyn told us Steven grew up in Mendocino County and came to Salem for college and work. He labored “managing our rental property and fixing whatever broken car, vacuum, paint sprayer, etc. he could get his hands on.”

Katelyn told us her husband “loved growing up in northern California. He enjoyed swimming, cliff jumping, skateboarding, and wakeboarding. He just loved to be outside, and Mendocino County was a great place for a guy who loved the outdoors.”

Linn County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Brandon Fountain said at this point the search for Van Pelt has not been completely called off, but the terrain is becoming a “hazard to all of the searchers.”

Lieutenant Fountain said there is specific drainage on Mt. Jefferson where searchers suspect Van Pelt came to rest last Friday when he fell descending after successfully summiting the mountain. Yesterday, first responders conducted a significant search of the drainage while mud and rock from above was falling on the rope-bound rescuers

At this point, Lieutenant Fountain said his agency is committed to working with the family of Steven Van Pelt while also weighing the inherent risks of high altitude, technical rescue.

Reflecting on the mountainside where Steven came to rest, the social media post written by Van Pelt’s sister wrote “My brother is, and has always been, a part of this mountain. He is and has always been, a part of this rugged landscape. He is and has always been, a part of this wilderness. Manicured grounds could never hold him.”

Earlier:

• Man Raised in Mendocino County Goes Missing on Oregon Mountainside
• The Search for a Climber with Mendocino County Roots Lost on Oregon’s Mt. Jefferson Continues into the 4th Day