sorry, didn't mean to go pissing on the thread. I guess I get a little emotional with these sorts of stories and the Texas hating just tipped me in the wrong direction.Quote:
Originally Posted by P_McPoser
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sorry, didn't mean to go pissing on the thread. I guess I get a little emotional with these sorts of stories and the Texas hating just tipped me in the wrong direction.Quote:
Originally Posted by P_McPoser
From CC.com is sounded like they were headed up the North Face routes, not the spur.Quote:
Originally Posted by spook
The spur is the big snowfield lookers left (below), up through the rocks and along the lookers left edge of the summit snowfield.
The NF route would likely have gone up that tiny sliver of snow in between the two big rock butresses in the middle of the image.
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...oopersspur.jpg
More images of the area and pitch of the slope from my TR of skiing the spur with Squirrel this past July
http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56942
I sure hope they can get to at least the guy in the cave. Serious exposure up there for the others if they were on the move. Squirell can vouch for that.
i was more put off by and responding to the texas comments. admitedly they didn't have a big window, but they were planning to be off by friday, and the forcasts i recall last week didn't show the main system to be moving in until monday. 2 days on the back end...judgement call.Quote:
Originally Posted by spook
hoping for a positive outcome.
From oregonlive.com
T-Mobile spokesman Peter Dobrow is guessing that James hasn't been able to get a strong enough signal to make a call again, although he still has battery life left.
"He's on the extreme edge of coverage, and it's actually quite remarkable and encouraging that we're able to secure any information," Dobrow said of the pings.
Why couldn't they bring in a mobile unit like the one used to help searchers in the Kim case? They might be able to call all three of these guys if they all have phones, or at least 'ping' them again.
I can't get my cc.com account to work, could someone post the above suggestion over there where it might get attention from the locals?
Never underestimate a New Yorker with a cell phone
James is the only one who has a cell phone. Or so I heard from a patroller at Meadows today, and a news report awhile back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Platinum Pete
That said, I was at Mt Hood today (skiing Meadows) and the wind was absolutely vicious (gusting to the 70s at 6600'). Visibility was nearly nothing for long stretches, but there was a break late in the day... probably too late for searchers to head up unless they're willing to try and get James down in the dark (unlikely).
Searchers are relatively confident of James' location because they've frequently been able to "ping" his phone and home in on his location to within 500 meters. Searchers believe James is huddling in a snow cave at about 10,300 feet.
Searchers today had reached 8,500 feet and were marching forward.
Meanwhile, Wampler said searchers also had located a signal from a cell phone apparently carried by Hall and Cooke on Sunday. But he didn't provide more details about the ping.
Also, searchers on the Southwest side of the mountain, in the ZigZag Canyon area, had found some snowshoe tracks and were following them Saturday afternoon. Searchers aren't sure if the tracks belong to Hall and Cooke, but they believe there's a chance.
.....
but...
Besides wind and visibility, another big challenge searchers from Clackamas County, Corvallis, Salem, Hood River County, Portland and elsewhere are facing is a lack of skilled mountaineers who are trained in search and rescue. About 40 people searched Monday and about the same number are searching today, Wampler said.
"We're running out. We can't just have anybody out there," Wampler said. ".¤.¤.After a day's climb, they're done. They need a few days' rest."
Wampler said the search would go on as long as he had people to search.
more: http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/o...s/2006_12.html
and cascade climbers thread:
http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum...page/0/fpart/1
The flip-side to the "We're running out of searchers" coin is that liability wise, the Sherrif cannot and will not send out uncertified climbers to help search, regardless of experience/knowledge/etc.
should he? that doesn't really sound like the flip side. might be more reasonable to argue that they shouldn't be sending anybody at all under these conditions and circumstances.
Oh, of course they shouldn't be sending out uncertified people. The #1 rule of mountain rescue is that you must be willing to turn back if there's any danger to the rescuers.
Having seen the snow pack up there today (and spoken to multiple patrollers about it), it's not the most unsafe snowpack in the world. Mt Hood had a warm clear spell last week which allowed a lot of consolidation. They they had a moderate amount of snowfall, and then it rained on top of it.
The major worry right now are wind slabs, of which there are quite a few. Shit, there were 4" slabs on lee slopes in the trees at around 5500'. With all the wind transport it's a major issue, but the upside down cake snowpack isn't the danger right now (from what I saw and was told by others).
One of the major problems is going to be when the freezing levels jump up to about 8000' (although this should be moderated by the hellacious easterly flow) and it rains on top of all these slabs. Then the freezing level plummets again and...
It's a terrible time to be stuck up there, I'm sending out lots of positive vibes.
Update: Climbers not found; searchers turning back
The window of relatively calm weather today is closing as night falls, and searchers desperately scouring Mount Hood for three missing climbers are turning back.
A search helicopter briefly got off the ground this afternoon but couldn't rise above 6,000 feet because of powerful winds. An airplane also couldn't get close to the mountain because of wind.
One of the missing climbers is believed to be in a snow cave at 10,300 feet.
The mood is one of disappointment, said Gerry Tiffany, a detective sergeant with the Hood River County Sheriff's Office.
"The weather isn't predicted to get any better," Tiffany said.
Sheriff Joe Wampler had said that this afternoon's helicopter attempt represented the best chance of locating the climbers, who split into two groups after one was too weak or injured to carry on.
Kelly James, Brian Hall and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke set out to climb the mountain Thursday and descend it Friday. Hall and Cooke built a snow cave for James before leaving to find help.
Tiffany said searchers will regroup tonight and discuss a strategy for Wednesday's search.
....
from this it sounds like they have no idea or leads on the two guys who tried to come down: http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/o...12.html#214835
back to the front page. these guys are tough and experienced, they could very well still be fighting for their lives. any spare vibes are needed. Anyone read the book -148 farenheit? Those dudes survived long time in a snow cave with minimal supplies and gear. Lots of survival stories bigger then this one, let's hope these guys come down soon and get to tell their story.
maybe they stuck to plan to go down on the other side keep the phone ping location on all times help the search if you can if you fly me in i will put a day on the mountain in if I am in a group and they think i am fit let them know by megaphone if they shall turn phone on for ping location follow ping lead of two and try south variety try helis again as much as possible i think would make sense
I don't think you'd be able to hear a megaphone across the Atlantic, but I'll give it a try.
doo megaphone in helicopter don´t you know these build in speaker systems in police helicopters used to shout surrender and such stuff or during demonstrations ???????? not from here from mt hood based helicopters - can you try from there ???? thanks then.Quote:
Originally Posted by ptavv
----
James, is it the time for the absolute zero jacket ? - Absolutely, Mrs. , perfect time for it indeed.
0Bernhard, your schtick during this time is really inappropriate - please troll another thread
++++Positive vibes++++++
That's a very bony route this time of year. All the snow in the PNW must have made is better than normal, but still, a hard route. Guess the problem is it never stopped snowing...
Looks like the best window for SAR finding these guys will come sometime this weekend. That's a long time for them to have been hanging on in a cave, but as you said all three have experience and greater tales of survival have been told. Hoping for the best for all of them, that thy're hunkered down in caves and will pop out at the sound of rotors or voices.Quote:
Originally Posted by Platinum Pete
Someone on cc.com noted that it's not a guarantee that the two who "went to get help" didn't return to the cave after the phone call. It may be an overly optimistic long shot, but if all three of them are holed up together in that cave it would make the situation far less dismal.
Every time this thread gets bumped I get optimistic that there's been some good news. +++++++++++++vibes+++++++++++++
hang in there, guys!
same here. ++++++++++++++++++++Quote:
Originally Posted by Pope Benedict XVI
++++++vibes++++++
I am hoping for the best, it looks grim but you have to have faith that they will make it. There needs to be some good news as it is the holidays for goodness sake. I want the Christmas miracle
damn. Christmas for their families is either going to be so great or so sad. Makes my heart sink.Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicboy
It's completely ridiculous of me to feel this way, but I so want to get up there and help. I'm not trained SAR, I'm way out of shape, what would I do if I got to them... but I've got more ballast than those bony climber rescuers, I know the mountain so well, I love shitty weather. Stupid and irrational impulse.
On so many levels I don't want this to be a fatality story. Selfishly, I don't want to be scared of what the mountain can do to such experienced climbers, I don't want my friends and family worrying any more about me when I go up, I don't want the spooky feelings when I go past where these guys are. Less selfishly, I would hate to think of their suffering, their families questions and heartbreak, or God forbid a rescuer gets hurt or injured in the process.... I know everybody involved accepts the risks and it's part of the sport and who these folks are and why their families love them. just sucks.
Pete, I've run through the same gamut of emotions. I know a handful of patrollers on Mt Hood and PMR volunteers and knowing the work they've been doing makes me feel useless and makes me want to help. Then the rational part of me kicks in and knows that these people are more experienced, qualified, and trained than I am -- I'd only be a burden to them.
When PMR opens up their applications again in the spring I'm going to think long and hard about applying.
+++++vibes to all++++
while we are on the subject, please to everyone, do not be afraid to join your local SAR team, if you think that you arent trained enough, it will happen, personal experience is the best way to gain the experience you need to help others. I have known steve rollins and the other PMR memebers who are out there looking for these poor soles. while we all hope for the best, please look into joining up for your local team! If you ahve questions, drop me a line.
Doug
dfs80@hotmail.com
A buddy was volunteering a bit for PMR a few years back and took me to a meeting. I was 24 and an a-hole, so I thought, "why hang around these old guys with heavy packs. I'll go read Twight and get into trouble instead." Now that I have a few more years and a few more experiences under my belt I'll likely look into it again.Quote:
Originally Posted by ptavv
doo ain´t a tool of the military industrial complex but an arms dealer and i started a global peace b this and thop op that may someday reduce sales so doo fuck off and i star osi investigation for extortion of aquisition personell right now - i will not support purchase of more bombers as you need soem shrink to look after youQuote:
Originally Posted by telebobski
Fresh round of +++++++++++++++vibes++++++++++++++ for these guys
if they don't find them soon it may be spring before they do.
nothing i'm reading now in pdx is remotely optimistic.
I was hoping they would find the guy in the snow cave yesterday, but now, with the rain, snow, and wind…
This storm is only going to pick up in intensity through the weekend. :(
Still hope that they are alive....
COOPER SPUR, Oregon (AP) -- One of three climbers stranded amid ice, billowing snow and gale-force winds on Oregon's Mount Hood has been turning his cell phone on and off, authorities said Thursday, raising hopes for his rescue.
T-Mobile received a signal from Kelly James' cell phone late Tuesday night, indicating it was back on, when it had been off.
The sequence of signals suggested James, 48, of Dallas, Texas, may have been turning his cell phone off to conserve battery power, a possibility that brought hope to family members who have gathered near the mountain.
"My heart was in my throat when I heard that, because if it's true it means Kelly is alive, and he has his wits about him," his brother, Frank James of Orlando, Florida, said at a news conference.
T-Mobile also reported that the cell phone initiated a call Monday morning.
The Hood River County Sheriff's Office said T-Mobile continued to signal, or "ping," the cell phone Wednesday, but the last signal received was Tuesday night.
The story about cell phone signal is definitely good news, especially if the signal is showing up at regular intervals.
Super good news about the phone...looking forward to a happy ending
that cell ping was tuesday. it stopped pinging from what i've heard. the interviews with various rescuers yesterday afternoon was far less optimistic than tuesday. one said they don't even know which side of the mountain the other two guys are on, assuming they're not with the cell.
and now this:
Mt. Hood officials say Tuesday phone activation a 'nonevent'
The Hood River County sheriff’s office is backtracking from an earlier announcement that one of the climbers missing on Mount Hood may have turned on his cell phone as recently as Tuesday night.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/o...12.html#215597
Anybody have an update. Down in socal there is not much current info. I heard they found some note or something at a ranger station or pack station saying they had all there gear, food, bags, and jackets. Sounds encouraging.
It looks like they have a weather window tomorrow. But they've been up there over a week. Mad +++ vibes, but a happy ending is starting to become a pretty long shot.
Searchers may have found two climbers
A team of searchers is planning to mount a rescue of two as yet unidentified people spotted about 11 a.m. on Mount Hood's north side.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/o...12.html#216349
Searchers turning back from summit; weather is too severe
All searchers on Mount Hood have been called down the mountain due to severe weather.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/o...12.html#216349
Tie In Rock is pretty low- most likely some other hikers/climbers who didn't know of the situation/ban.Quote:
Originally Posted by spook