Three stranded on Mt Hood

**ptavv** · 12-11-2006, 12:42 AM

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie....17212874.html

Three climbers stranded on Mt. Hood

08:56 PM PST on Sunday, December 10, 2006

By NICK BRADSHAW, kgw.com Staff

Three climbers were reported missing on Mount Hood Sunday afternoon.

KGW

Mount Hood.

Hood River County Sheriff Joe Wampler said three men in their 30's left from the Cooper Spur Ski Area parking lot on Thursday with the intention of taking a climbing route over the mountain down to Timberline Lodge.

The climbers were supposed to meet some friends at Timberline on Friday but never showed up.

Wampler said the friends called Hood River County Dispatch on Sunday after there was no sign of the trio all day Saturday and Sunday.

Apparently the three men left a note in their vehicle parked at Cooper Spur saying they planned to climb an advanced route up the North side of the mountain down to Timberline on the Southside of the mountain.

Wampler said the note also said if the men got in trouble they would come back to Cooper Spur. The three had not returned as of Sunday night.

Wampler said one of the men was reportedly stuck in a snow cave above Elliot Glacier on the NE side of the mountain. The other two men apparently left the man on Saturday in an attempt to get help. There has been no sign of those two men.

On Sunday afternoon Hood River County dispatch received a call from the family of the man in the snow cave. Wampler said the stuck man was able to call his family on a cell phone. Family members said they had a very brief conversation with the man before they lost the cell phone connection.

The Sheriff's department has not been able to make contact with the man on his cell phone.

Steve Rollins with Portland Mountain Rescue was assembling a team to go up the mountain and try and find all three men.

Rollins said conditions on the mountain were too harsh to try and attempt a night rescue. The team planned to camp out at Timberline Sunday night and head up the mountain around 5:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Weather has been bad lately, and it's only looking to get worse, I hope they find them quickly.

**rideit** · 12-11-2006, 12:54 AM

vibeage...serious like, NOW. Yowch.

**Platinum Pete** · 12-11-2006, 09:24 AM

Bad place to be in bad weather, for sure. My fingers are crossed for those dudes. They've been out for long enough to be out of food and fuel, unless they brought way too much for an ambitious north side route. I'm surprised there is not much more of this on cascadeclimbers, I'd bet the climbers are members there or at least checked in there before climbing.

I find it interesting that the news services are putting Steve Rollins' name on the rescue. He's the hero, and Nat Geo Adventure cover boy, from the mega bergshrund death slide and heli crash a few years back. I wonder how he feels about having his name put on the rescue upfront... pressure?

Vibes to the rescuers and the climbers.

**Steven S. Dallas** · 12-11-2006, 09:27 AM

Yikes, good luck to all involved.

**Rontele** · 12-11-2006, 09:34 AM

Lets all hope for a safe recovery

**grskier** · 12-11-2006, 09:40 AM

+vibes

Another case of people splitting up....

**cj001f** · 12-11-2006, 09:45 AM

Best wishes - sounds like things are ugly up there.

Originally Posted by Platinum Pete

I'm surprised there is not much more of this on cascadeclimbers, I'd bet the climbers are members there or at least checked in there before climbing.

cc.com linkage

**ecobrad** · 12-11-2006, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by grskier

Another case of people splitting up....

Let's not be presumptious. With that said, if they did I hope it was for a damn good reason.

vibes to the climbers and rescuers.

**ptavv** · 12-11-2006, 11:26 AM

It sounds like these guys have a lot of experience, appropriate gear, and would be willing/know how to dig in for a few days.

That said, positive vibes are needed.

**The Dad** · 12-11-2006, 11:46 AM

++++++++++ vibes...

**ptavv** · 12-11-2006, 01:15 PM

Yeah, cascade climbers is where I first heard news of this.

Quite a few of the searchers are posting info there as they get it, it also looks like at least one of the climbers has posted there in the past and was asking for beta on the NF of Hood.

Seems that no one is sure what route they planned to take, and that the one contact they've had was with the solitary guy in a snow cave around 11k feet (very close to the summit).

I hope this doesn't turn into another situation where the group split up and some of them are rescued safely and some aren't

With the recent (and impending) weather, today is definitely the best shot at rescue.

**ptavv** · 12-11-2006, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Platinum Pete

I find it interesting that the news services are putting Steve Rollins' name on the rescue. He's the hero, and Nat Geo Adventure cover boy, from the mega bergshrund death slide and heli crash a few years back. I wonder how he feels about having his name put on the rescue upfront... pressure?

I met Steve while I was climbing Hood awhile back. He seems like the kind of person who would go handle his business efficiently and professionally with or without the accolades. I doubt he's even aware that the news story uses his name.

**xkyzero** · 12-11-2006, 01:39 PM

Sounds like they may have found the guy in the cave.

spook · 12-11-2006, 01:40 PM

For: Mt Hood . 9620 feet
Created: December 11, 2006 11:26:47 PST

: Snow Advisory in effect 6 pm PST Monday to 10 am PST Tuesday

Today: Snow. Snow accumulation 8 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 100 percent. High 26.

Tonight: Snow then snow showers. Snow accumulation 11 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 100 percent. Southwest wind 15 mph. Low 17.

Tuesday: Snow showers. Snow accumulation 2 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 90 percent. West wind 40 mph. High 19.

Tuesday Night: Snow. Snow accumulation 16 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 90 percent. West wind 29 mph. Low 13.

Wednesday: Snow. Snow accumulation 13 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 100 percent. Southwest wind 21 mph. High 24.

Wednesday Night: Snow. Probability of measurable precipitation 70 percent. Low 22.

Thursday: Snow. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. High 29.

Thursday Night: Snow. Probability of measurable precipitation 70 percent. Low 17.

Friday: Snow. Probability of measurable precipitation 70 percent. High 24.

Friday Night: Snow. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. Low -4.

Saturday: Snow showers. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. High 11.

Saturday Night: Snow showers. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. Low -6.

Sunday: Snow showers. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. High 11.

Sunday Night: Snow showers. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. Low -5.

Monday: Snow showers. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. High 17.

**Platinum Pete** · 12-11-2006, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by xkyzero

Sounds like they may have found the guy in the cave.

Where did you hear this? I hope you're right.

This storm is going to be really rough on the rescuers. I would not be surprised if they postponed for their own safety. There is a big crew going up the North side and another big crew headed up the south side, a lot of guys in the danger zone.

**TBS** · 12-11-2006, 02:40 PM

These guys are all experienced climbers and unlikely to do anything foolish - that gives me a lot of hope.

I hope the rescuers can find some break in the weather soon - it's fuckin ugly out there.

**xkyzero** · 12-11-2006, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Platinum Pete

Where did you hear this? I hope you're right.

This storm is going to be really rough on the rescuers. I would not be surprised if they postponed for their own safety. There is a big crew going up the North side and another big crew headed up the south side, a lot of guys in the danger zone.

On CascadeClimbers but sounds like it may have been bad info.

spook · 12-11-2006, 04:40 PM

http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/o...12.html#214163

**bossass** · 12-11-2006, 08:32 PM

I was up there today. It was nasty at 5,000ft. Shit.

**Platinum Pete** · 12-12-2006, 01:28 AM

bump back to the front page.
These are experienced climbers, equipped to stay overnight and smart enough to dig a snowcave in a harsh spot. If they have enough fuel to keep hydrated and the two on the move aren't exposed or injured, they could get rescued in the windows of clear weather Tuesday. Here's hoping.

**P_McPoser** · 12-12-2006, 09:23 AM

Hope they can get these guys today. Locals please keep us posted!
++++Vibes

**powstash** · 12-12-2006, 11:19 AM

This is a bit spooky reading this now and knowing what is going on (sort of). This from one of the guys stranded - he was posting in a thread on CC.com about his trip and looking for some extra beta.

Thanks for the info guys. My problem is that we havent been able to get a decent map of where all these huts/cabins/trailheads are. I tried to buy an out of print guidebook but nobody had it in stock. It must have sounded a bit dumb asking about a cabin 500 yards from the parking lot. We'll shoot for it in a day, if conditions are slow then a short bivy somewhere along the way and over to the South side and down the next.

I will definetely post pics and a TR with approach conditions. Also will be trying out a half sleeping bag/DAS parka bivy system, will let you all know exactly how much that sucks if I have to use it-yes I know, "if you bring bivy gear you will bivy".

Link to Thread on CC.com

**The Dad** · 12-12-2006, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by powstash

This is a bit spooky reading this now and knowing what is going on (sort of). This from one of the guys stranded - he was posting in a thread on CC.com about his trip and looking for some extra beta.

Spooky isn't the half of it.

I guess the good news is that he was geared to bivvy.

**ccwaskier** · 12-12-2006, 02:15 PM

Quote from king5.com

"The three were described as experienced climbers who had bought gear from an REI outdoor store."

Is that how we measure experience these days?

From other sources they sound experienced, but they have been up there a while and the weather is really bad. I'll keep hopeful, but its not a good situtation.