He carried remarkably little: a sled, snowshoes, not much food, and wands to mark his route. No tent, no sleeping bag. He told a fellow climber he believed he could manage with minimal gear.
He was last seen somewhere around 11,000 feet - cutting a straight line through a labyrinth of crevasses and snow chutes.
Then…. He vanished.
Listen as we dive into Alaska, the case of Johnny Waterman, and how to stay alive on vacation.
Do you have a story to share? Send your email to lasttrippodcast@gmail.com
We're on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast
Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/
And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast
Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter
Sources:
https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198233700/John-M-Waterman-1952-1981
https://youtu.be/zyIB180NitE?si=9I0i-IcWpFMI_Mx8
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/shining-brightly-briefly-johnny-waterman-165023821.html
https://explorersweb.com/shining-brightly-briefly-johnny-waterman-and-his-1978-solo-traverse-of-mount-hunter/
https://murder-in-the-last-frontier.blubrry.net/2025/06/04/the-strange-and-tragic-lives-and-deaths-of-guy-and-johnny-waterman/
https://sites.lafayette.edu/raicha/files/2010/08/Waterman.pdf
https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13198201900/Climbing-Alone-Alaska-Mount-KcKinley
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2193010/The-Legendary-incredible-JOHNNY-WATERMAN
https://uncovered.com/cases/john-waterman
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/natural-death/
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com