a true yosemite legend

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THE STORY

In December 1976, a plane carrying tonnes of Mexican marijuana crashed into a frozen lake deep inside Yosemite National Park, killing both pilots.

When the wreck was discovered weeks later, rangers assumed the winter conditions would keep the cargo secure until spring. They underestimated Yosemite’s climbers.

Young, broke and hungry for adventure, climbers from Camp 4 made the punishing journey to the lake, hacked through the ice and began hauling out bales of fuel-soaked marijuana.

Fifty years later, High Ground brings together the climbers, rangers, investigators and families who lived through it, separating fact from legend in a story of freedom, obsession, loss and one of Yosemite’s wildest myths.

“This is the first time that I've recorded my story. And this is the first time that I'm using my name.”

— Ken Yager, Camp 4 Climber

Dean "Bullwinkle" Fidelman, Camp 4 Climber

“It was such a crazy adventure. And what climbers were into back then is adventure.”

— Kevin Worrall, Camp 4 Climber

A male helicopter pilot inside the cockpit, wearing sunglasses and a helmet with a red cross symbol, looking out through the helicopter window.

A young man with dark hair talking on a corded phone outdoors, with a blurred background of a field, wind turbines, and a trailer or mobile home.

A man with long, curly hair and a beard, wearing a festive sweater, holds a guitar and singing outdoors during daytime, with a group of people in the background near trees.

Four people helping a person who has fallen off a snowmobile on a snow-covered landscape with a forest in the background.

Person in winter clothing kneeling on snowy ground, looking distressed, with another person standing nearby. The scene appears to be outdoors in a cold environment.

Two people in winter clothing on a snow-covered lake, leaning over and holding a brown bag, with a forest and blue sky with clouds in the background.

Close-up of a person wearing glasses and a patterned bandana, with another person blurred in the background.

Person with glasses and curly hair in a dark outdoor environment, possibly in a wooded area at night.

A side profile of a man with long hair, glasses, and a beard, wearing a black jacket with white stripes on the sleeves, sitting in a dark environment.

“It was the ’70s. There was a lot of social change. There's hippies, there's free love. War in Vietnam…”

— Dean "Bullwinkle" Fidelman, Camp 4 Climber

A snowy outdoor scene with three people, several tents, and evergreen trees in the background. Two people are standing, dressed in winter clothing, and one person is sitting near a tent.

A group of young people enjoying a snowy outdoor day, some holding rocks, wearing casual and winter clothing, with a forest background.

A person in outdoor gear holding a trekking pole, standing on snow-covered ground surrounded by tall trees, with a fallen log and a large metal structure in the background.

A group of young adults resting on rocks outdoors, surrounded by mountain scenery, some shirtless, wearing bandanas, and engaging in conversation or preparing climbing gear.

A group of seven people outdoors in a wooded area during evening. Two people are standing in the front, hugging and singing, with others sitting or standing behind them, some smiling and others looking contemplative.

People in winter clothing gathered around a partially frozen snow-covered pond, some using shovels to clear ice, with snow and trees in the background.