One found on Mt. Hood

[laniamore]

They found one climber on Mt. Hood apparently. Let's hope they find the other two... and alive at that...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/17/mis...ers/index.html

(sorry if there is already a thread on this)

[copythat]

Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Oregon rescuers late this afternoon found the body of one of three men who disappeared during a climbing trip on Mount Hood in 10 days ago.
The body hasn't been identified, said Marc Smith, deputy sheriff in the Hood River County Sheriff's office. It was in the second of two snow caves found today, he said. More than 40 people were involved earlier today in an attempt to reach a snow cave, a man-made shelter, where the three men were thought to be.
Only a couple people reached the first cave, at about 10,500 feet, said Pete Hughes, another deputy sheriff in Hood River County. All they found was a sleeping bag, rope and ice axes, he said.
“We were able to get to the cave because the weather was a lot better than it's been for the past week,” Hughes said. “Today, the wind was mild rather than 90 miles an hour with snow. We're hoping it will be that way again tomorrow.”
Dozens of searchers from local, state and federal agencies have been looking for hikers Kelly James, 48; Brian Hall, 37, of Dallas; and Jerry Cooke, 36, of New York. They set off Dec. 7 for a hike on the 11,237-foot (3,425-meter) mountain, Oregon's tallest peak.
They planned to climb the north face of the mountain, known as a difficult route because of its 50- to 60-degree slopes and sheer ice walls, and spend two nights on the mountain. They were reported missing when they failed to meet friends at a mountain lodge by Dec. 9 as planned.
The three are skilled climbers equipped with food, fuel, waterproof clothes and sleeping bags, ropes and shovels, said Air Force Captain Chris Bernard, who is coordinating about a dozen members of the 304th Air Force Squadron in the search.

[ed bell]

Prayers for everyone involved.

[mythicyeti]

HOOD RIVER, Oregon (CNN) -- One of three climbers missing for more than a week on Mount Hood was found dead Sunday, but authorities said they still hoped to find his companions alive.
"We continue to proceed with this as a rescue for the two remaining climbers," Oregon National Guard Capt. Mike Braibish told reporters.
The body was found inside the second of two snow caves rescuers searched Sunday afternoon, and will not be brought down from the mountain for identification until Monday, Braibish said. (Watch the announcement that one climber was found dead )
"I can't even begin to imagine the grief of losing somebody but not knowing who it is," he said. "We're going to find out as soon as possible, and we're going to let those families know. They deserve that."
The caves are in the same area where officials pinpointed a cell phone signal a week ago, when climber Kelly James, 48, of Dallas, Texas, told his family that he was holed up on the mountain.
James also told his family that the other climbers -- Brian Hall, 37, of Dallas; and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, of Brooklyn, New York -- had gone on.
Two ice axes, a sleeping bag and rope were recovered from the first snow cave, on the northwest side of the mountain, Hood River Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry Tiffany said.
Climbers construct snow caves for insulation and protection from wind.
Outside the first cave, dug into the snow, was the letter "Y" -- a code used to indicate a climber's location.
Searchers also discovered a fading trail of two sets of footprints.
One set led toward the summit, where they vanished in the wind; the other led downward in what appeared to be an aimless circle, Tiffany said.
The three men began their climb December 8.
Rescue efforts by climbing teams were suspended late Sunday afternoon. But search coordinator Bill Pattison said crews would pore over what they found for guidance on where to look Monday, when good weather was expected to hold.
The search continues

Though it is possible the first cave searched was built by someone else, "you have to assume it was Kelly James' snow cave," Tiffany said.
Rescue teams started up the mountain on the north and south sides at about 6 a.m. (9 a.m. ET), and the climbers on the south side reached the summit by 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET). (Watch rescuers talk about what they saw )
Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 cargo plane from Nevada will continue searching around the clock in 12-hour shifts, Sgt. Sean Collinson of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.
The C-130 has infrared imaging equipment that can sense body heat.
The U.S. Forest Service closed Mount Hood above the Timberline Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail to everyone except search-and-rescue teams.
All but rescue aircraft are banned within a three-mile radius of the mountain.
Dwight Hall, whose son Brian Hall is among the missing climbers, told reporters that family members were on "a roller coaster of emotions."
"Keep in mind that today is only the second day of conditions favorable for a full-scale search-and-rescue effort," he said, adding the time had been well spent even when weather conditions were difficult.
"It's all been progress," he said. "At times it's been frustrating. The dedication of the people out there tackling this effort in these conditions is unparalleled."
Hall added that the families were confident in the abilities of the lost climbers.
"These men are fully capable both mentally and physically to cope with the situation that they find themselves in, and to continue to cope with it and adjust as the situation evolves.
"We have full confidence in them. ... That's what's been able to sustain us."
Favorable weather is predicted for Monday.
"Weather is going to be a factor," Tiffany told CNN Sunday afternoon. "If it starts getting really windy again, it's going to be a problem."
"Yesterday was a positive day," said Capt. Chris Bernard of the 304th Rescue Squadron. "We brought some significant data that we analyzed and has narrowed the scope of our search area."



I'm still holding out hope...

[Sly]

Hope is fine but instincts tell me the other two are also frozen. Yesterday the weather was clear and the mountain was covered with rescuers. The leftover gear is troublesome. If anyone was alive, I would think they'd also be out trying to signal the helicopters and rescuers. Still, I hope, I'm wrong.

[Sly]

Fox just had an interview with a guy that survived 13 days on Mt Hood. I didn't catch if it was in December though...

[Amigi'sLastStand]

. .

[woodsy]

A tragic and sad turn of events indeed. There seems to be a question of the reliability of the weather forecast these guys were relying on. The storm came in sooner than had been forecasted.
Mountains have a way of making there own weather and as many experienced hikers and climbers know, the weather in mountains can change quickly from good to horrid. Likely the case here and in many other climbing/hiking tradgedies. There have been as many deaths on Mt Washington as on Mt Hood with the former being half the elevation+- of the later.
Weather forecasts are just that, forecasts, and should not be relied on as though it were fact. Eyes to the sky are often more reliable in the mountains.
My sympathy to those affected by this tradgedy.

[Sly]

The ole . . I wonder what that means?

[Desert Lobster]

Seems like a waste of resources to me. Could they be playing hide and go seek with the rescue teams?

Typical newscaster:

After finding empty snow cave with a sleeping pad or bag, " this is good news". Yeah right.

Everything spun to not offend the family. The family knows deep down so why spin it?

[copythat]

Seems like a waste of resources to me. Could they be playing hide and go seek with the rescue teams?

Typical newscaster:

After finding empty snow cave with a sleeping pad or bag, " this is good news". Yeah right.

Everything spun to not offend the family. The family knows deep down so why spin it?

try this on for size:

"... the two remaining hikers are believed to have plunged into a crevice in the Gullies during a period of heavy snow and wind and probably died either in excruciating pain with multiple broken bones and ruptured internal organs or, if they were really lucky, suffocated relatively quickly: perhaps in only 15 minutes."

spun not to annoy desert lobster.

[Ramble~On]

One climber got hurt in some way and couldn't continue so he was left by his two climbing friends...they went to get help for him....yet the hurt climber is able to make a cellphone call to his son ?
Seems like the cellphone call could have been made for help and the other two could have spent their energies on getting their friend to a lower elevation, less exposed position, better situation.... ?
I wasn't there and don't know the circumstances...I keep hearing that these were "experienced" climbers and given that they were trying to climb a hard route in December says a great deal about their confidence in themselves and their gear.
I too am hopeful for the missing two but if they left to head down the mountain over a week ago and in that time have yet to make contact with anyone.......

[Brrrb Oregon]

There probably isn't much point in posting this until more is known, but it has been speculated that they missed the southern route off of the summit that they intended to take--the easiest route--and that by the time they back-tracked, rested, and tried again the storm had started to come in. By the time that particular storm was over, literally hundreds of thousands were without power in the valleys below, so that gives an indication of the conditions above. Not only could they not possibly get down, but for day after day nobody could get up to help them.

There aren't many places on that mountain that one would want to be with the wind blowing like that. It is very possible that the remaining two took a bad fall. This is why there are quite a few locals who simply won't climb during this time of year, at least not without a very big window, care of the National Weather Service. The chances of dying are that much higher.

OTOH, there have been some amazing survival stories, particularly among the young and well-insulated. That it is two of them together and with sound legs speaks better for their chances. That they weren't seen out and about in the beautiful weather that Oregon got yesterday does not.

[Waterbuffalo]

not to seem like a real pain in the butt Who's paying for this rescue?

[Sly]

not to seem like a real pain in the butt Who's paying for this rescue?

I guess the local taxpayers...

This is an example of why I'd never carry a cellphone for rescue. I go at my own risk and don't expect nor wish anyone to risk their lives on my account...

[ed bell]

I go at my own risk and don't expect nor wish anyone to risk their lives on my account...

Good point and attitude, Sly. I watched footage today of choppers hovering just above the summit of Mt. Hood, while many SAR people were all over the summit area. Not exactly the type of SAR that can be done cautiously. This reality should be on the minds of anyone who tries to go up against the elements in winter.

[copythat]

from "the oregonian"


... Authorities say that Kelly James -- the missing Texas climber whose body was found in a snow cave on Mount Hood -- had an "obvious arm injury" that may have hindered him from descending the mountain.

Recovery specialists brought Kelly's body down from the mountain this afternoon.

...

"He had an obvious arm injury," said Hood River County Sheriff Joe Wampler.

One of the searchers said James was found in a "fetal position" inside the cave. He was fully clothed when he was found.

[Brrrb Oregon]

not to seem like a real pain in the butt Who's paying for this rescue?

I know that the Hood River Crag Rats do mountain rescue on a volunteer basis and I'm practically certain that Portland Mountain Rescue does the same. The 304th doesn't charge, either, as they look at this as training for military operations and rescue. As far as I know, the National Guard units look at it the same way. If a victim were to get life flight from a rescue drop-off to a hospital, I believe there is some sort of ambulance bill for that, but if the 304th or another military unit were to take a person straight to Oregon Health Science University or one of the other trauma hospitals in Portland, I don't think there is a charge.

The various county sheriff's offices do not charge, either, so the taxpayers pick that up, just as they would have in the Kim search and rescue down in Southern Oregon. I think the family did pay for extra private helicopters to help in that case, though.....something that is not likely in high elevation searches, as it is tricky and demanding to do. (There was a Black Hawk helicopter crash on Mt. Hood during a rescue several years back. Miraculously, everyone was OK.)

The people who do search and rescue are climbers, themselves. While they all try to be smart so as to become old, they recognize that accidents happen to climbers. They see mountain rescue as their way of giving back to what they love, just as hikers do when they help each other out.

[Brrrb Oregon]

The weather forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday) looks OK, but it is expected that there will be a return to blizzard conditions on Wednesday and Thursday.

It is also feared that the two remaining climbers may have fallen while trying to descend the mountain by the route that the existing clues indicate. Neverthelless, they may be dug into a snow cave and still alive. We can hope.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie....10a00d9b.html

[Brrrb Oregon]

More on mountain rescue....

Both the Hood River Crag Rats and Portland Mountain Rescue are professional volunteer mountain search and rescue organizations. That is, although trained to professional standards, the members are not paid for their search and rescue activities. The Hood River Crag Rats are the oldest professional search and rescue organization in the United States. To the interest of those on this forum, these search and rescue operations are not confined to areas above the timberline.

These groups belong to a national organization of search and rescue units, mostly volunteer. These units can always use your support. Let us hope not, but someday you or someone you know may need their help. Check it out at http://www.mra.org/.