Overview

• Authorities concluded Harris Levinson died in a 100-foot fall from a climber’s path near Mount Whitney and have closed the search after locating his body at about 9,400 feet.
• Ground teams and CHP helicopters used data from his Garmin GPS device to pinpoint his location in the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek.
• Permit restrictions prevented him from taking a lower-elevation segment of the John Muir Trail, directing him onto a less-traveled, hazardous route.
• Levinson spent two decades teaching Spanish, American studies and theater at Vashon High School and co-founded the youth music mentorship nonprofit Sharing the Stage.
• Vashon Island residents and former students have shared tributes remembering his passion for education, mentorship and outdoor adventure.