Three stranded on Mt Hood

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Originally Posted by BanditXXX

They may have researched the climb, but probably failed to research the weather. Three back to back storms were predicted. With 100 mph winds at high elevation, I would say the lack of good judgement killed them.

Crystal Mt had 85 mph winds @ 7,000'. I could just imagine what it was like on Hood.

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welcome to last week :nonono2:

please, next time do bother to read the thread.

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Originally Posted by BanditXXX

They may have researched the climb, but probably failed to research the weather. Three back to back storms were predicted. With 100 mph winds at high elevation, I would say the lack of good judgement killed them.

Crystal Mt had 85 mph winds @ 7,000'. I could just imagine what it was like on Hood.

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While they may have made a dubious decision about the incoming weather I don't think the winds picked up to quite that level until well after any reasonable climber could expect to be off the mountain.

http://www.nwac.us/products/archive/osocmt_archive.htm

I hate to Monday morning quarterback this tradgedy. But anyone who travels in the PNW Cascades in the winter better carry a tent , unless you have at least one week of high pressure and sunny skys.

The only thing that saved my ass on Rainier in March, was a tent that luckily didn't blow away in 50 mph winds, freezing rain, rime ice and just plain brutal weather. Without that tent, I wouldn't be writing this today.

Going fast and light in perfect weather is fun. In a predicted storm is foolish.

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Originally Posted by BanditXXX

I hate to Monday morning quarterback this tradgedy. But anyone who.......... is foolish.

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I bet they didn't have studded tires either :rolleyes2

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Originally Posted by PNWbrit

While they may have made a dubious decision about the incoming weather I don't think the winds picked up to quite that level until well after any reasonable climber could expect to be off the mountain.

http://www.nwac.us/products/archive/osocmt_archive.htm

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The storm hit Oregon first before heading north. They climbed into an oncoming storm.

Most out of state climbers schedule vacation time to climb on certain dates. They climb , come hell or high water. That can be a fatal flaw.

On Hood, with an oncoming storm, why not go to Timberline Lodge, lollygag around, see if the storm lets up. If it doesn't let up, climb something more mellow or come back to climb another day.

Any one who lives in The PNW, knows mountain conditions in the winter are brutal. When they close the upper mountain at a ski resort, you know that the backcountry has to be insane.

Just stay safe and don't try to be a hero.

None of these guys had any experience on Hood. They choose the wrong route during the wrong time of the year, and reading a book does not equate to experience.

Its a really sad deal, especially since it could have been avoided. The weather system that move in was predicted at least five days in advance. My sympathies go out the their families, and the families of all my buddies working SAR the past week.

I don’t know their résumés, but news reports indicate one of them had 14 accents of Rainer, had weathered a four day blizzard on Denali, and summated Aconcagua. Quit possible he knew how to read a weather report and what to expect from the PNW weather wise

A lot of second guessing going on here. As far as I can tell they took the weather window that was there. It is possible that they accepted the level of risk that IF something happened (such as an injury), then weather would be an issue, but if the climb went smooth, then weather would not be an issue. As it has been said, it's hard to find a long window in the PNW during the winter. Unfortunately, there was an injury, which evaporated the weather window. A calculated risk that they lost on.

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Originally Posted by tenB

None of these guys had any experience on Hood. They choose the wrong route during the wrong time of the year, and reading a book does not equate to experience.

Its a really sad deal, especially since it could have been avoided. The weather system that move in was predicted at least five days in advance. My sympathies go out the their families, and the families of all my buddies working SAR the past week.

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These view points from this community seem surprising. Just because they did not have experience on Hood did not mean that they did not have experience.

Wrong route? Wrong time of year? Yes, it could have been avoided had they just stayed at home or climbed an easier route in July or August, but that is not the point.

Alembical

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Originally Posted by PNWbrit

While they may have made a dubious decision about the incoming weather I don't think the winds picked up to quite that level until well after any reasonable climber could expect to be off the mountain.

http://www.nwac.us/products/archive/osocmt_archive.htm

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We can second guess all day long.

I profess to Ed Viesturs philosophy.

'The summit doesn't count if you don't get back down"!

Nuff said!

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Originally Posted by BanditXXX

I profess to Ed Viesturs philosophy.

'The summit doesn't count if you don't get back down"!

Nuff said!

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Amen, trio of DUMBASS's
Wanting to climbing a mountain on their time, not the mountains time.

i've been answereing media inquiries the last week about this, and although it wasn't in my "talking points", these guys just were not prepared for dealing with the nasty bitch who runs the show in the PNW.

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Originally Posted by PNWbrit

I bet they didn't have studded tires either :rolleyes2

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I'm quite sure they had studded tires. It's too bad they didn't have the proper gear to survive.

http://i-world.net/oma/news/accident...1-13-hood.html

This story should be posted at the sign in and at all trail heads leading to a climb of Mt. Hood.

Let this be a warning to all would be climbers in The PNW.