Bend Weekly Community Forums

TheRooster · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Prineville

[quote]GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. � Search teams headed up the flanks of Mount Hood early Monday in an attempt to find three climbers reported missing in snowy weather during the weekend, the Hood River County sheriff's office said.[/quote]

Here we go again. Its kind of crazy that climbers attempt this assent this time of year, and doesn't anyone remember the tragedy of the blackhawk helicopter attempting a rescue a few years ago?

xyz123 · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

i hate to say it, but these guys are probably dead.

even with top notch gear and years of experience they don't stand a chance with these current weather conditions on the mountain.

also sounds like these guys may be bunkered down in a snow cave, making search efforts by air that more difficult.

weather forcasters expect up to 3 feet of new snow for mt. hood over the next 48 hours.

Bend_hacker · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 30

It is absolutley loco to go climbing a mountain in winter! i'm watching the news, and these guys lost were so called "expert climbers".

if they were so prepared, and such expert climbers, then they should have been home by now? instead, there are 3 bodies that are not going to be found until spring, by a set of hikers.

jim-nash · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Portland, Oregon

Someone told me that nobody's ever made it up the North Face. Is that true?

ned · Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

Didn't the weather service predict a storm coming that would last a week? Of course they did. To say this could have happened to any of us is incorrect. Most mountaineers wouldn't have set themselves a rigid timetable to climb Hood.

mikemoore · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

About 60 hand-picked rescue mountaineers went up the mountain this morning. Half going up the south side and the other half going up the north side to the summit. In all, over 80 climbers will take part on today's rescue attempt including an A C-130 military cargo plane with heat-detecting devices .

Should they find them today, I think all three may have a chance to survive this ordeal and have one hell of a story to tell the world.

Should they not find them, this may turn to a recovery mission postponed to a later date.

mikemoore · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

Rescue teams were dropped today at the top of the mountain and then scaled the almost vertical northeastern face of the mountain to reach the snow cave. The team radioed back that they only found a two ice axes, some rope and a sleeping bag in the cave. The team also said that they saw what they believe to be footprints leading up toward the summit.

Anyone interested in live coverage should turn to KOIN news or CNN right now.

Bend_hacker · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 30

fox news is reporting one climber confirmed dead. i'm sure the other two are dead as well.

diens · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 2 Location: eugene

I think Kelly James, 48, of Dallas was the climber who was found dead today. Crying or Very sad

hpak223 · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

The identity of the climber is expected to be released at 9 am today.

mikemoore · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

News Relevant to Traditional Alpine Mountaineering
http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News.htm

Haimovitz · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

With another snowstorm barreling in, search teams gave up any hope of finding two missing climbers alive on Mount Hood and abandoned the rescue effort today.

tex · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Dallas, Texas

So, are all search efforts over? Are they going to leave them up there?

mikemoore · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

Tex-

On 20th of December, the men's families made the decision to end the search.

Mt. Hood Rescuers End Search For Missing Climbers
http://cbs5.com/topstories/
local_story_354174058.html