​It’s the unofficial nickname for the Yuba County Five case. It earned that title because, like the famous Russian Dyatlov Pass incident, it involves a group of young people who were found dead in a remote, snowy wilderness under circumstances that defy all logic.

                                                                           The Yuba County Five

In the late hours of February 24, 1978, five men from Yuba City, California, drove into the heart of a winter storm in the Plumas National Forest. They weren't dressed for the cold, their car wasn't equipped for the snow, and their destination was in the opposite direction. What followed is the American "Dyatlov Pass"—a mystery of inexplicable choices and a silent trailer in the woods. 

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The story begins at a basketball game in Chico. Ted Weiher, Gary Mathias, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, and Jack Huett—affectionately known by their families as "the boys"—stopped at a local market for snacks before beginning the 50-mile drive home. They never arrived.

 

Days later, Madruga’s Mercury Montego was found abandoned on a high-elevation mountain road. It wasn't stuck. It wasn't out of gas. The keys were gone, and the doors were unlocked. The men had simply walked away from the safety of the vehicle into a freezing wilderness.

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The Challenge:

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The Brew:

Wake the Dead is a tribute to the search for truth in the coldest corners of the map. As you drink this roast, remember: some questions are better left unasked, and some trails are better left unfollowed.

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