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There has been much speculation about the wisdom of climbing Mt. Hood in the winter. This group of teachers and friends carried extra clothing, sleeping bags, camping gear and two of the Mt. Hood personal "Mountain Locator Units" up the snow slopes of Mt. Hood. They were accompanied by a large dog. They were not climbing "light and fast" for the summit. They called for rescue about 40 minutes from the parking lot. Were they reckless? Or were they simply, untrained, naive and inexperienced?
What can mountaineers and others learn from this event that filled the
news for three days in February 2007?
The primary purpose of these TraditionalMountaineering
experience reports (and of the American Alpine Club's fifty eight Annual Reports of
Accidents in North American Mountaineering)
is to aid in the prevention of accidents.
What happened on Mt Hood?
What happened on Mt Hood?
A group of eight young men and women, some of them school teachers, and a black
lab-mix dog,
headed up from Timberline Lodge parking lot across the snowfields toward Illumination
Saddle,
above Illumination Rock, a landmark off the South Side Route on Mt. Hood, in sunny
weather on Saturday, February 17, 2007.
They say they were mindful of a forecast storm. They planned to snow camp Saturday night at perhaps 9,200', about 2,000' below the summit. They told reporters that they planned to decide in the early morning of Sunday, dependent on the weather, whether or not to climb toward the summit of Mt. Hood. They would have had to climb the very technical winter route up and across the Hogback snow formation, around the snow filled Bergschrund and steeply up thorough the winter conditions of the Pearly Gates to the summit plateau of Mt. Hood and then return. The technical requirements of this winter summit attempt were well beyond them.
Early Sunday morning, the forecast storm was coming in. They were truly not prepared to climb Mt. Hood in the winter. They decided to pack up their snow camp and descend to the Lodge parking lot below the snow fields of the Timberline lift-served ski venue.
As the morning past, the visibility predictably deteriorated to a whiteout and the wind increased.
Matty Bryant, 34 and a special education teacher in the Portland suburb of Milwaukie, was one of the leaders. He was walking ahead, "compass in hand", short roped at 20 feet to two others to keep the group together. Mattie was the owner of the dog, a four-year-old black lab-mix named Velvet. Matty states he did not trust a GPS.
The owner of the GPS was behind focused on an eastern waypoint at the ski lift. For some reason, the GPS operator failed to report that they were one third of a mile past the ski lift and headed toward the White River Canyon drainage.
On the way down, walking toward the ski lift line, they overshot by a third of a mile and Matty Bryant stepped over a wind formed edge of snow (called a "ledge" in the media), stumbled and pulled the next two people onto a steep slope. The three slid out of control down into the White River Canyon drainage which extends on climber's right from the parking lot almost to Crater Rock and the hogback. Velvet slid down tied to Mattie. They soon slowed to a stop on easier snow slopes and found that in the blowing snow, they were out of sight of the remaining group of five. One of his companions was unconscious and bleeding from gashes in her head. (The young woman who had cuts and a possible concussion from a crampon kick was later checked at the hospital and released).
Matty looked for the second roped group. Visibility was low. They could not be seen. Matty elected to not re-climb their obvious slide path to re-join their companions.
The three who slid away were wearing crampons. According to their comments during a televised interview, they had been told by their friends to keep their crampon points in the air so that they did not catch a foot and break a leg during the fast slide. This is a common danger with sliding on steep snow while wearing crampons.
No mention has been made of Ice axes. No mention has been made of any efforts to self arrest their long slide down the hard snow slope. The print media reports and television interviews that we have heard are silent on this rather basic steep snow travel imperative. Matty Bryant states they were using ski poles in his recollection of the slide.
Trevor Liston, the other leader and a self described "experienced Mt. Hood" climber, was reportedly "holding onto the end of the first rope". He let go the rope (and lost a glove) as he was held back by his rope team following in line behind him.
The remaining party of five including Liston, used their rope to belayed a "scout" climbing down the slide path to see how far their companions had slid. No one could be seen and he climbed back up to the main group. Estimates of the slide path length vary up to 500 linear feet.
They
decided to remain as two separate groups. It is assumed the two groups contacted each other by cell phone.Trevor Liston then called 911 and was transferred to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit. The Rescue Coordinator asked both groups to stop and to stay in place and "dig-in" until they could be reached by Rescue Volunteers. Liston's top group of five "camped" in place for the second afternoon. They dug snow caves and settled in for the afternoon and evening.
The Liston group of five relayed their GPS position to SAR over the telephone. The search and rescue was underway!
The Liston group had
essential insulating pads, sleeping bags, shovels to dig snow caves, food and water and essential gear for the night before. They had at least one cell phones and a GPS.For some reason the Matty Bryant group of three did not camp in place, but after the injured person returned to consciousness after the probable kick to the head, they elected to hike on down.
They left two of their three backpacks filled with their winter gear as the concussed woman could not carry her pack and needed support. They walked down the bottom of the White River drainage for about 40 minutes before they had to stop and "camp".
Unfortunately, the Matty Bryant group of three was now not well equipped for an overnight. They did not have a shovel or a tent. The three teachers "sheltered" under a small tarp huddled under two sleeping bags on ensolite pads on the snow with Velvet. Matty describes a difficult night with the wind tearing at the tarp. The media gushed, "The dog Velvet saved the lives of the fallen climbers!"
Apparently, the owner of the GPS had not input the location of the huge Resort parking lot and any other key features as GPS "GO-TO" waypoints. Any person can carry a map, compass and GPS but few people actually know how to use them properly.
Matty was relying upon "a compass held in hand while walking", a basic compass goof, to find their way to the huge parking lot. He actually led his eight companions east instead of south.
A GPS carried in hand will always point toward the selected Waypoint (say the parking lot) while the owner is walking. Geocachers know this well.
The Liston group of five was located at their GPS coordinate position which they had given by phone. The Search and Rescue volunteers (by snow cat and by hiking up the snow slope) made their way to the GPS location reported on their cell phone. GPS accuracy on an unobstructed snow slope should exceed 4.1 meters.
The Liston main group of five friends were "found" by the volunteer rescuers at their phoned in GPS location and transported down across the ski slopes by snow cat that Sunday evening.
The "lost" Matty Bryant group of three and Velvet were found based on the GPS coordinates given to Rescuers by the main group and by information from their hourly cell phone calls to the Rescuers. They did not have a GPS. They had a cell phone. They called in to SAR each hour according to an interview on OPB broadcast on March 5, 2007.
The cell phone calls alerted the volunteer Rescuers to activate their MLU receivers. Please read below for a description of MLUs for Mt. Hood compared to world wide Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), EPIRBs and Avalanche Beacons.
The Rescuers did use their MLUs while approaching the group of three. Searchers are quoted as saying the MLU receivers are "neither accurate nor easy to use". An old fashioned whistle is said to have brought them together.
The entire group of eight friends was none the worse for their adventure. The SAR volunteers participated in an arduous but relatively quick, risk controlled, high profile and successful Rescue. The media got a few days of breaking news. The public had a chance to experience risk from their armchairs.
Velvet had injuries to paws and toenails which were taken care of at a Veterinarian Hospital. Taking dogs on summit climbs is not smart. Certainly it is not smart to bring a dog into a forecast snow storm!
We initially tried to contact the individuals involved in this event by finding their telephone numbers on web based area directories. The numbers were not listed. (The new federal HIPPA Regulations prevent Rescuers from giving more information than name, age and city of residence). Matty Bryant has put up a website in which he describes their stranding.
Our Traditional Mountaineering Analysis
Why did they call for a Rescue?
What do we know now, and what would we like to know, to better
understand what happened to these cheerful adventurers who have been booked now
to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show?
Let us frame our questions around the Four Basic Responsibilities of all Outdoorsmen offered by TraditionalMountaineering.org.
1. The Responsible Person.
We do not know if the group of eight had left a Responsible Person
with instructions to call Search and Rescue at 911 if they had not checked in by
a certain time. One should not rely on cell phone calls to initiate Search
and Rescue.
The two groups were able to make cell phone calls from the snow slopes on Mt. Hood to 911. These calls led to the "dramatic" rescue effort that was reported, hour by hour in the media.
Lest one dismisses this imperative, I ask him or her to read my Report of a climbing accident on Mount Washington in 2001, published in the fifty fourth edition of Accidents in North American Mountaineering. The two climbers involved lay in agony for three days and two nights at the foot of their route high on the mountain after a 100 foot fall to a hard snow ramp, with broken femur and compound tib-fib fractures and more. They had not asked friends to call 911 if they did not meet at Smith Rock after their 24 hour "adventure" climb. They were discovered almost by chance. Read more about this accident on Mt. Washington. This accident was also analyzed in Outside Magazine.
This is the most important Responsibility affecting surety of rescue, of our Four Traditional Basic Responsibilities of all Outdoorsmen.
2. The Ten Essential Systems.
The Ten Essential Systems, propounded by The Mountaineers of Seattle,
Washington, and detailed in their basic to advanced text Mountaineering, The
Freedom of the Hills, now in it's seventh edition, discusses the clothing
and gear each person should carry. This clothing and gear varies according to the season, the
forecast weather, the difficulty of the
climb and the style of the climb. The new Ten Essential Systems supersede the
original Ten Essentials.
It is reported that the group of eight were equipped with essential camping gear and clothing needed for a slow ascent and a relatively easy descent down across the snowfields to the Lodge, and that they hoped to beat the forecast incoming storm. They expressed surprise at the actual force of the storm and the lack of visibility in the white-out conditions typical on Mt. Hood
Technical climbing gear for Mt. Hood.
At least two of the party of
eight had "climbed Mr. Hood several
times" and called themselves "experienced Mt. Hood climbers". The rest of the group
may have been "experienced sport rock climbers and outdoors people", but they are
not described as experienced and trained traditional mountain climbers.
Reportedly the three who slid away were wearing crampons. According to their comments on a television news program, they had been instructed by their friends to keep their crampon points in the air so that they did not catch during a fast slide. This is a common imperative for sliding on steep snow while wearing crampons.
No mention has been made of Ice axes. No mention was made of any efforts to self arrest their long slide down the hard snow slope. The print media stories and television interviews that we have heard seem to be silent on this rather important point. We question whether they were equipped with mountaineering ice axes.
The group was short roped to stay close together during the descent in wind, blowing snow and low visibility. The second rope team was holding on to the end of the first rope. The best practice on an un-crevassed snow field is to have the interval as long as visibility allows. The second person should navigate directing the point person to go right or left as each rope interval is reached. Is that description clear as mud?
Essential Clothing for Mt. Hood in the winter.
At this time we do not know what
essential
clothing they had to prevent the loss of body heat during their
exploratory excursion and overnight camp in the snow. Specific designed clothing
layers are an important basic essential to protect against the loss of body
heat. Read
about avoiding hypothermia.
Two of their overnight backpacks were discovered by experienced climbers almost a month after they were abandoned at the bottom of their slide path! This is a dangerous beginners goof. Many novices have died when they dropped their packs to make a run for their car in an oncoming snow storm.
We know that one of the two young women who slid down the snowfield in the wind and flying snow, was reported to be shivering violently before they sheltered from the wind in the two sleeping bags and a tarp. This is not surprising, since stopping activity without adding a thick layer of insulation will allow anyone become cold. On OPB today, March 5, 2007, they all reported that they were wet! A correct clothing system should not have become "wet".
Nutrition and hydration systems.
They hiked up across the consolidated snow about 2.5 miles with about 3,300
feet of gain. It would be helpful to know
the following hydration and carbohydrate calorie replacement questions: What
stoves and how much fuel did the group carry? How much
easily digested high carbohydrate food did they carry
to avoid bonking after their hard slog up the snow field? A great deal of
hydration is lost to perspiration and heavy breathing during hard uphill snow
travel.
The earliest stages of Hypothermia such as uncontrolled shivering upon arrival at camp, cause the body to purge water from the blood stream as the extremities are shut down. The individual must re-hydrate aggressively with liters of warm melted snow laced with metabolites to stop the slide toward profound hypothermia and death. None of the group experienced first stage Hypothermia.
Apparently they had no food or water after they dropped their packs.
Emergency shelter system.
The group of three chose to "camp" on Sunday on a snow field near a rock outcropping, avoiding the brunt of high winds and the driving snow.
They did not have a shovel to
create a safe "snow cave" with an entrance located below the level of the
sleeping bench. A safe snow cave cannot
be constructed without a shovel, or better two shovels. Each person should carry
an essential snow shovel to provide shelter in the snow. (The shovels remained
with the main group.)
It is reported that they sheltered with a tarp huddling together under the two sleeping bags under the tarp with the large dog.
Did each participant have adequate insulation from the snow? Reportedly, two climbers had at least the equal of a 3/4 length 9 oz. ensolite insulating pad.
The personal Ten Essential Systems carried by each participant is the most important Responsibility affecting a positive outcome after a stranding, of our Four Traditional Basic Responsibilities of all outdoorsmen.
3. Navigation system.
It would be helpful to know if everyone in the group had a small inexpensive GPS receiver,
input with the UTM waypoints for Illumination Saddle, the lower end of the hog back, the likely
edge of the bergschrund, the entrance to the "Pearly Gates" and the summit of
Mt. Hood, (if indeed they intended to go higher than their camp). Did each person
have an inexpensive GPS, input with waypoints for the Silcox Hut, the top
station of the ski lift and
the Timberline Lodge parking lot?
Did each member of the group have a topo map and a compass set for the current Mt. Hood area declination of 17 degrees east declination? Were their maps marked with the bearing lines from their proposed camp site for the sometimes tricky descent to the Lodge?
It would be helpful to know if all eight friends input the UTM location of Timberline Lodge parking lot in their small $100. GPS receivers carried until needed, turned off in a warm inside pocket. In a white-out one can very easily become lost on Mt. Hood. Several people have died above the ski slopes on Mt. Hood.
Having a map, compass and GPS carried by each participant is the most important Responsibility affecting an individual becoming lost, of our Four Traditional Basic Responsibilities of all outdoorsmen. Also, one must have the ability to use these tools together. Each person? Why not? The cost is as little as $136 for topo map, base plate compass and GPS. Never trust one person with the sole responsibility for backcountry navigation.
However, being lost is not the only reason for becoming stranded in the backcountry. A party can become stranded by weather, injury, illness or equipment failure in their party or another party.
4. Communications.
The group of eight carried at least two cell phones and put them to critical use when
it was clear they had a perceived problem. The main group telephoned 911 and reported their exact location (within 4.1 meters)
from a single GPS receiver. They kept in touch by cell phone until "rescued". The group of three
did not have even one GPS but phoned
SAR every hour until "rescued".
Did each participant have a cell phone input with the cell number of each member of the group to keep in touch on the mountain? Did the group carry short distance un-licensed inexpensive family radios to keep the group in communication? This might be the ideal communications plan for some groups. Some adventurers might benefit from the use of HAM radios.
The two of the eight friends had rented Mountain Locator Units (MLUs). Luckily, one was with each group! "Transmitter, dog saved Mount Hood climbers! Velvet kept them warm; signals fixed their location". These were the headlines on February 20, 2007, of an Associated Press story that was picked up an reprinted across the nation. "For three climbers stranded on Mount Hood, survival was a live transmitter and a warm dog."
We do not agree that MLUs (nor carrying big warm dogs) should
be required for climbing Mt. Hood.
1. See below for the blog from
CascadeClimbers with details about the Mt. Hood MLUs and the local Mt. Hood rental program.
2. Read about the Episcopal School
Tragedy which motivated the development of the MLU system. In that tragedy,
the unmarked snow cave could not be seen by Rescuers. Short range MLU beacon
triangulation might have helped find the cave entrance on the snow field.
3. Read more about
Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs).
Having charged personal cell phones and/or family radios and GPS receivers is the most important Responsibility affecting an efficient rescue outcome, of our Four Traditional Basic Responsibilities of all Outdoorsmen. Each member of the group having a cell phone or family radio and a GPS is the ideal perhaps, but which members of the group would be among the three who slid into White River Canyon?
Our Summary:
Cell phone calls which alerted 911 and a GPS receiver were the critical gear. While the Bryant group of three apparently did not have a single GPS, they were located generally from the GPS position given by the main group and by cell phone descriptions of their slide and subsequent 40 minute walk down White River Canyon. The three phoned SAR each hour until "rescued" according to their comments on OPB on March 5, 2007.
Rescuers did try out the MLU system, but we understand using it was "neither easy nor exact" coming up White River Canyon. See the Military Reserve Para-Rescue news release below.
The main group was walking on non-technical snow slopes, not so far above groomed ski slopes and the parking lot. They were able to walk down the snow with Rescue Volunteers to a waiting snow cat at the top of the groomed ski slope. The group of three were found "cold and wet under a small tarp" and "escorted down toward Highway 35. Approximately one mile before reaching the Highway, they were met by a snow cat and all were delivered safely to White River Sno-park".
Two of their large backpacks were found by two experienced climbers after having been abandoned for a month! The two fit and experienced climbers carried their own light and fast packs and the two heavy abandoned packs down to the parking lot in about 40 minutes according to their post on CascadeClimbers.com They report that the large parking lot was clearly visible from the location of the two abandoned packs.
The group of friends may have been equipped with some elements of the Ten Essential Systems but they were not experienced and trained to use the Essential Systems or to use their technical mountaineering gear. The low velocity fall should have been arrested by the group with their own ice axes or by the top people simply sitting down and digging in their heels or going into a traditional self arrest. Our guess is that the group was simply walking on the easy snow slopes and that their rented short technical ice axes (if they had them) were strapped on their back packs
.No one in the group of eight new how to use a map, compass and GPS receiver. Each person should have followed Waypoints which had been input from a Quad map or on the way hiking up from their vehicles. They should have followed their GPS "GO-TOs" back down the way they came up using the GPS and not followed a "compass held in hand while walking"! The group of three who slid away did not have a single GPS! We assume they did not have a USGS topo map either
They should have had the ability to shelter in properly constructed snow caves, not huddled under a tarp near a boulder. While the group of five dug a snow cave shelter at the edge of the White River Canyon, the three who slid away did not have a shovel. They should have carried at least four personal shovels among the eight people.
Note: I asked the Clackamas County Sheriff's Public Information Officer if
he could pass along my request for a call-back to Matty Bryant. Matty called me.
I identified myself as a traditional mountaineering writer. I noted that I had
contributed to Rock and Ice and Backpacker Magazines. Matty asked for a donation
for "the heroic rescuers" before he would give me any information. I declined
and he said he would contact those magazines himself, asking for a donation for
his story. He did
say that he intended to make available a ten page press release "in a few days"
and gave me a contact email address. Here is the website:
Miss Velvet's Homepage.
--Webmeister
Note: Matty Bryant and his two companions and Velvet were interviewed recently on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I missed the show. Reportedly $10,000 was given to the Veterinarian Hospital and $30,000 was given to Portland Mountain Rescue.
Matty is soliciting more donations for the Search and Rescue Units who participated. Some rescuers say they would prefer that the public be educated in the traditional mountaineering techniques that might have avoided this rescue. --Webmeister Speik
The Reason for this enquiry: A QUOTE FROM 1871
See yonder height! 'Tis far away -- unbidden comes the word "Impossible!"
"Not so," says the mountaineer. "The way is long, I know; its difficult --
it may be dangerous."
"It's possible, I'm sure; I'll seek the way, take counsel of my brother mountaineers,
and find out how they have reached similar heights and learned to avoid the dangers."
He starts (all slumbering down below); the path is slippery - and may be dangerous too.
Caution and perseverance gain the day
-- the height is reached! and those beneath cry, "Incredible! 'Tis superhuman!"
This is a passage we found on page 161 of "Scrambles
Amongst the Alps" by Edward Wymper,
first published in 1871 and reprinted 1981 by Ten Speed Press, Berkley, CA.
A suggested minimum standard news advisory for all backcountry travelers
"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate food, two quarts of water or Gatorade and the ability to make more, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone and inexpensive walkie-talkie radios. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.
Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or exercise around your marked location to stay warm. Do not try to find your way until you are exhausted, or worse yet - wet. Wait for rescuers.
THE MISSION of TraditionalMountaineering.org
"To provide information and instruction about world-wide basic to advanced alpine mountain climbing safety skills and gear, on and off trail hiking, scrambling and light and fast Leave No Trace backpacking techniques based on the foundation of an appreciation for the Stewardship of the Land, all illustrated through photographs and accounts of actual shared mountaineering adventures."
TraditionalMountaineering is founded on the premise that "He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught", that exploring the hills and summitting peaks have dangers that are hidden to the un-informed and that these inherent risks can be in part, identified and mitigated by mentoring: information, training, wonderful gear, and knowledge gained through the experiences of others.
The value of TraditionalMountaineering to our Friends and Subscribers is the selectivity of the information we provide, and its relevance to introducing folks to informed hiking on the trail, exploring off the trail, mountain travel and Leave-no-Trace light-weight bivy and backpacking, technical travel over steep snow, rock and ice, technical glacier travel and a little technical rock climbing on the way to the summit. Whatever your capabilities and interests, there is a place for everyone in traditional alpine mountaineering. Read more about The Mission.
Selected Media Reports during the Search and Recovery are copied below
Three Climbers Lost in White River Canyon
Portland Mountain Rescue
Sunday, February 18, 2007
At 12:30pm on Sunday, February 18, 2007 the Clackamas County Sheriff paged Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR) to assist in the search for three missing climbers. The subjects had been part of a larger group of eight when the three and their dog fell down a steep slope into the White River Canyon. White-out conditions and high winds prevailed at the time. The five subjects that did not fall called for help with a cell phone and were able to provide GPS coordinates of their location. Both subject parties had Mountain Locator Units (MLUs) and both parties activated them. MLUs, a technology used exclusively on Mount Hood, send out a locating signal but do not send any alerting signal to initiate a search.
Mt Hood from the south
A small team of four PMR personnel and four emergency medical technicians from
American Medical Response (AMR) made their way to the group of five subjects by
5pm. These subjects had dug a snow cave at the 8200 foot level, close to the
edge of the White River Canyon. Two members of the AMR team accompanied these
subjects back to Timberline Lodge.
The remaining members of the rescue team descended about 450 feet into the White
River Canyon but were unable to locate the fallen climbers. Nightfall and
worsening avalanche hazard and weather conditions (including wind gusts over
70mph) forced the team to retreat.
Meanwhile, a team of rescuers from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 304th Rescue
Squadron attempted to reach the subjects by climbing up from the White River
Bridge on Highway 35. This team reached an elevation of 6300 feet on the west
rim of the canyon and was forced to bivouac for the night. Another team of
volunteer rescuers, the Crag Rats, from Hood River, Oregon ascended to the 7000
foot level on Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area to take a MLU bearing and help
pinpoint the fallen party. A volunteer group known as Mountain Wave assisted
everyone with communications. Volunteer teams from Eugene Mountain Rescue and
Corvallis Mountain Rescue arrived to assist as well as Deschutes County
Sheriff’s SAR members and Hood River County Sheriff Department.
At first light, PMR fielded a new team that rendezvoused with the team that had
bivouacked at 6300 feet. The PMR team then descended into and proceeded up the
White River Canyon and located the three subjects and their dog with the MLU.
Contact with the missing climbers was made at 10:30am. The subjects were wet and
cold and in a very windy, exposed location at 7400 feet elevation. After the
initial fall, the subjects had traveled down slope for approximately 40 minutes
before huddling together with their dog near a boulder. They also made use of
two sleeping bags and a small tarp for protection against the elements. The
rescuers gave the three food, water and additional clothing prior to leading
them down the White River Canyon toward Highway 35. Approximately one mile
before reaching the highway, they were met by a snow cat and all were delivered
safely to White River Sno-park around 4:00 PM on Monday.
High winds and whiteout conditions make alpine navigation very difficult. It is
important for any party to consider that even using tools like a compass or GPS
may be quite difficult in severe weather. Predicted changes in the weather
should be given weighty consideration when contemplating an alpine adventure.
http://www.pmru.org/pressroom/headlines/hood3Lostclimbers_021807.html
Reserve para-rescue men help rescue Mount Hood climbers
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123041737
Transmitter, dog saved Mount Hood climbers
PORTLAND -- For three climbers stranded on Mount Hood, survival
was a live transmitter and a warm dog.
Rescuers said two women and a man who waited out a winter storm on the
11,239-foot mountain beamed signals to rescuers who were able to fix their
precise location, as they covered up with two sleeping bags, a tarp and the dog,
a black Labrador named Velvet.
"The dog probably saved their lives," said Erik Brom, a member of the
Portland Mountain Rescue team.
After Velvet helped them through the night, transmitters the size of sunglasses
cases led Brom and other rescuers to the three stranded climbers.
The devices are called Mountain Locator Units and are available for rental at
half a dozen locations in Portland and the Mount Hood area, and search leaders
gave the devices and the climbers' use of them credit.
"The most important part of this rescue is that they did everything right," said
Lt. Nick Watt of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
Brian Bate, operations supervisor of the REI outdoors store in downtown
Portland, said mountaineers can rent the units for $5 a climb -- for a party of
eight, that means $40.
But the devices are set up only to transmit, not to receive, Bate said. And the
signal is received only by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, at the base of
Mount Hood, and then only when the sheriff's office is looking for a climber, he
said.
That makes filing a trip report with friends, relatives and authorities "really,
really important," he said, so that when a climber is overdue, a search can
quickly be triggered.
An alternative, Bate said, at $450 to $550 to purchase a unit, are personal
locator beacons, much like those in maritime use, that alert the Coast Guard and
other authorities of trouble at sea, and work anywhere in the world to raise an
alarm.
Three climbers who became stranded on Mount Hood in December did not have such a
locating device. One climber made a cell phone call to his family, but the phone
went dead within days. The three climbers stranded this week had cell phones,
and also GPS devices that helped rescue teams home in on them.
The three climbers, with Velvet leaping last into the ambulance, were taken away
in an ambulance late Monday.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/304336_mthood20.html
Note: "The most important part of this rescue is that they did everything right," said Lt. Nick Watt of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Please understand that "they did everything right" or "they did nothing wrong" is a statement made by the County Sheriff's Office which confirms that the individuals did nothing ILLEGAL. This finding enables the Sheriff to wave any charges for the rescue. Oregon State law requires the Sheriff charge $500 for each person rescued, if any laws are broken by the persons rescued. Read the law for yourself, here. Unfortunately the press and public do not understand this; the implication is the rescued person just had a stoke of bad luck that could happen to anyone! --Webmeister Speik
Good snow caves best hope for Mt. Hood climbers
By Tim Fought
Associated Press
The Bulletin
December 15, 2006
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - If Kelly James and his climbing companions get off Mount
Hood alive, it will almost certainly be a result of their success in digging
womb-like snow caves, mountaineering experts said Thursday.
The climbers conceivably could make it, and it would help mightily if they took
lightweight camp stoves and fuel with them when they set out more than a week ago
for the summit of the 11,239-foot volcanic peak.
On Thursday, rescuers continued to wait on the middle elevations of the mountain
for the weather to clear, and family members took hope from two-day-old signals
from
James' cell phone handset.
The fiercest storm of a turbulent week bore down on the region Thursday
afternoon, prompting authorities to order journalists off the mountain.
Rescue teams remained hunkered down at a campground at about 6,000 feet, waiting
for a break in the weather and a chance to advance to the summit. That
opportunity was unlikely to present itself until the weekend, weather forecasters said.
But with the hikers missing since Sunday in worsening weather, the question of
their survival tactics pressed more urgently.
"It doesn't take a lot to survive if you can create a good snow cave," said
Dunham Gooding, president of the American Alpine Institute in Bellingham, Wash.,
which provides mountain guides and training services.
What makes a good shelter from mountain storms?
It should be small, with about enough room to go to the bathroom and turn,
Gooding said. "It's going to be warmer the smaller it is," he said.
Its living area should be uphill of the entrance, so as to trap what warm air
rises from the body, said Robert Speik of Bend, who said he has spent 35 years
giving
mountaineering instruction with the Sierra Club and has been involved in other
training for climbers.
It needs a breathing tube, which could be either the entrance, Gooding said, or
a separate opening to the outside. What's critical is that the climber be able
to clear it readily, he said.
It should be a two-person job because there's risk of hypothermia in
constructing a snow cave, Speik said.
"In digging the snow cave, you have to be careful to not get wet with sweat or
snow," he said.
Beyond that, the experts said, the most important things are water and
insulation.
Ingesting snow directly is dangerous because that lowers body temperature and
increases the risk of hypothermia, Speik said.
Best is to melt snow with a stove, but search authorities say they have very
little information about what kind of clothes or gear the climbers took on what was supposed to
be a rapid, "light and fast ascent." Gooding said that phrase can mean different
things to different climbers.
James, 48, and Brian Hall, 37, both of Dallas and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, of
Brooklyn, N.Y., began their hike last week and were reported missing on Sunday after James
called his family saying he was in a snow cave, that the party was in trouble
and Hall and Cooke had descended for help.
Associated Press writer Typhanny Tucker contributed to this story.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Marc Lieberman| Producer | CBS Evening News
Note: I have included this responsiple report here in order to help new people understand that carrying a one pound snow shovel or two can provide a bomb proof shelter for several people on a snow slope. A quicker shelter can be provided by a shovel and a three pound tent for two. Read more here. --Webmeister Speik
The statements below were written by a representative of each rescue team.
Mt. Hood Ski Patrol
Mt. Hood Ski Patrol is a 501(c)3 organization
P.O. Box 4384
Portland, OR 97208.
http://www.mthoodskipatrol.org/
Mt. Hood Ski Patrol’s roll was to have the Nordic ski patrollers’ ski up White
River canyon on Monday, chasing the cell phone pings that showed the climbers at
5400 foot level. Three of us started out as team 6 form the White River Snow
Park at about 9:00. We were about 1.5 miles in when the three climbers were
found, but we continued up to meet the group and help escort the climbers down.
At the 5,000 foot level, where the canyon opens up and there is no more
protection form the wind by trees and the terrain becomes steep and rough, we
dropped our skies and switched to snow shoes. We spent about an hour scouting
the safest rout to cross the river on snow bridges and ways to avoid avalanche
slopes. At this time a two person Reach and Treat team from AMR caught up with
us, and we continued up as one team. We continued up the canyon to the 5600 foot
level where we built a snow cave where the AMR team could do a field evaluation
of the injured climber. We also continued scouting around for safe routs through
the canyon. While we were focusing our attention on the cave and the canyon
above us the climbers and rescuers crossed a couple of hundred feet below us
intersecting our path at about the 5400 foot level. We started down and caught
up with them as they met the snow cat.
Mt. Hood Ski Patrol is the oldest ski patrol in the U.S.!
Portland Mountain Rescue
PMR is a 501(c)3 organization
Po box 5391
Portland, OR 97228-5391
http://www.pmru.org/contact/donation.html
PMR lead the hasty team (Team 1) which reached the 3 climbers in the canyon and
escorted them out. We also had other teams on the mountain which had rescue
litters (baskets) and packaging gear to evacuate the climbers if they were too
hypothermic to walk out. We also participated in Sunday’s mission which reached
your group of climbers above the canyon. A total of 29 volunteers were involved.
AMR Rat team
AMR team is a for-profit company.
www.amr.net.
Our role in the sar incident was to provide Advanced Life Support care as needed
for any injury or illnesses that may have occurred. In addition, two AMR RAT
members led the first group of 5 subjects back towards the Palmer Lift the
evening of the 18th. Two RAT members stayed in the field and assisted PMR in a
rope system to attempt to locate the 3 subjects and dog. Also, during the night
a team of two RATs stood-by at Timberline Lodge on a ready-status.
The next day, the 19th, two RAT members were on a ready-status throughout the
morning. Upon the find of the 3 subjects, the RAT members entered the field to
evaluate the subjects for any injury or illnesses. Upon arrival at the sno-park,
the crew then transported a patient to the hospital for further evaluation and
treatment.
Crag Rats
Crag Rats is a 501(c)3 organization
Hood River Crag Rats
PO Box 1159
Hood River, Oregon 97031
http://www.cragrats.org
On Sunday, a total of six of our members responded. Ultimately, three were sent
to the edge of the White River canyon near the Silcox Hut. Three were sent to
area of the Vista chair on the Mount Hood Meadows side of the canyon. Those
three were joined by an off-duty ski patroller who is the son of one of our
members.
Both of those groups worked with MLU receivers to help triangulate the position
of your friends. I do not know whether they were responsible for the
triangulation that lead to the discovery of your friends. I believe that they
were (at least partially) responsible.
On Monday, three of our members dropped into the canyon from the Meadows side
(one of those persons participated in the Sunday evening mission). I was with
that group. Our job was to gather your friends if they wandered in our
direction. Fortunately, they stayed still as they should have.
A fourth member drove the snow cat that was used to transport searchers on the
Meadows side of the canyon. That cat was also used to transport your friends out
of the canyon.
Corvallis Mt. Rescue
CMR is a 501(c)3 organization
PO Box 116
Corvallis, Oregon 97339
http://cmru.peak.org/
On Sunday night around 10pm, we were contacted to provide assistance with the
rescue on Mt. Hood. We sent a team of 7 up Sunday night. I suppose technically
it was Monday morning. Our team was asked to wait as back-up. They spent the
better part of the day in a snow cave above Timberline Lodge. They were waiting
near another team, that included some Portland Mountain Rescue members, that was
also waiting as back-up. It is common to hold teams in reserve for a variety of
reasons.
Eugene Mountain Rescue
EMR is a 501(c)3 organization
P.O. box 20
Eugene, OR 97440-0020
http://www.eugenemountainrescue.org/
Six members of Eugene Mountain Rescue arrived at Search Base at approximately
6am, Monday, February 19, 2007. We were assigned to work with three members of
Crag Rats team. From Mount Hood Meadows ski lodge parking area, both teams were
transported via snowcat to the top of the Vista Chair lift area of Mount Hood
Meadows. We were to take another reading of the MLU signal, confirm the
coordinates where the MLU was transmitting from, and proceed to that area. The
wind was already fierce on the ridge with spin drift making it difficult to see.
The receiver for the MLU transmission only got static. So the two teams
transported the equipment down towards White River to get out of the wind and to
make an approach to the last calculated position of the climbers. Unfortunately
the wind continued, and the equipment failed to receive a signal. The two teams
traveled together towards the last calculated position, but visibility was
becoming a problem. We then realized we had traveled into an area that had large
cornices hanging above us. We climbed up on an adjacent ridge to get out of the
avalanche danger and had hoped to proceed along to ridge and over to the last
calculated position. However, the winter storm that had been forecasted for the
day was descending on us and visibility became more of a problem, and the wind
was forceful enough to knock us off our feet. In addition, we realized the ridge
we were on corniced out. We feared that if we proceeded towards the beacon along
that ridge, that the whiteout would become more intense. If we then tried to
return along that route we feared someone would walk off a cornice. At that
point both teams decided to descend to a safe spot below. EMR team decided to
return to where the snowcat had dropped us earlier that morning, and requested
transport to base. At that point in time we heard the transmission that another
team had reached the three climbers. We returned to the top of the ridge. Crag
Rat members were on skis and decided to try to return a different route when it
was determined we could not reach the climbers to assist. The whiteout was such
that the snowcat driver could not see to drive and requested a snowmobile
escort.When we finally made it to base, EMR was dispatched to White River
SnoPark and stood by to assist if necessary until the three climbers reached the
ambulance.
PJ’s 304th Air Rescue (Air Force)
You already donate to the Air Force via your federal taxes!
PJ’s supplied a 6 person team that put in the route from Hwy 35 into timberline.
We were searching at night – we started at 10 pm on snowshoes, reaching a high
point of 6400 feet at 3:30 am. We dug in for the evening and started again in
the morning. We were part of a team that was bringing up extra equipment
including tents and rescue sleds in case of hypothermia. We were in a support
position off to the side but never in contact with climbers.
Mt. Wave Communication
Mt. Wave is a 501(c)3 organization
321 SW Fourth, Suite 501
Portland, OR 97204
http://www.mwave.org/
Mountain Wave is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides expert
computer and communication resources at rescues and large emergency incidents.
We respond to about 50 calls a year (1 per week!) across a 7 county area,
providing emergency communications equipment, temporary radio repeaters, WiFi
and Internet service at the base camp, and generally help manage the complex
operations of 20 to 200 responders from 5 to 20 agencies. We have been doing
this for 15 years now.
We are all volunteer, and must pay for our emergency response insurance, fuel,
and constantly buy new equipment to keep up with technology. Despite great
support from Nextel, Planar, and American Medical Response, our members
frequently dig into their pockets to pay for the fuel to get our emergency
trucks to the scene! Every dollar donated is applied to operational expenses, as
we have no paid staff and no paid fund-raisers. Thank you.
Clackamas County Sheriff's Department
Washington County Sheriff's Department
Hood River County Sheriff's Department
Supplied a snow cat
Wasco County Sheriff's Department
Supplied snowmobiles
Deschutes County Sheriff Search and Rescue
http://www.deschutes.org/go/government/departments/sheriff's-office/sheriff's-office/search-and-rescue
Monitored the situation in case they were needed.
http://www.missvelvet.net/Rescue.htm
Selected climber's comments are copied below
Three people and a dog rescued on Mt. Hood
CascadeClimbers.com
KB, this is not based on speculation. This is based on
statements made by your friends and from information collected from the SAR/MR
folks. What is so difficult about understanding that there was a serious lapse
in judgment? That is not speculation. it is fact. if they knew what they were
doing, then they would not have ended up where
they did. Bottom line. If you carry a GPS then use it. The batteries were fine
as that is how the PMR crew found the group of five originally. Even if they
forgot to get a waypoint on the way up, knowing that bad weather was coming in,
and bad weather goes with white-out conditions, how hard would it be to drop
down 400 ft. to take a way point from the top of the Palmer? Not hard at all.
Instead they showed lack of common sense and skills necessary to be out there by
trying to navigate by compass in a white-out. If they had the orienteering
experience, they would have known that this is next to impossible to pull off
with no fixed bearing/point to look at and use while descending. They may have
been prepared with the gear, but like I said earlier, just because you have it
doesn't mean it will do you a damn bit of good. In your terms, KB, if you
bought a shiny new set of quickdraws, does that automatically make you able to
properly lead a sport climb, or belay, or just because you have a shiny new
rack, do you automatically know how to place gear, set anchors, or simul-climb
with your partner? I'm just saying that they were obviously prepared, and maybe
without the MLU, since they did not how to use the rest of their gear properly,
they may still be up there.
But this is not about speculating and it is clear they got in over their heads
because they did not follow the most basic of mountaineering principals and did
not listen to the most basic warning signs regarding weather, which they
admitted, they knew about.
_________________________
Someday the Mountain Might get 'em but the law never will - Theme Song From
Dukes of Hazard
http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/648904/page/1/gonew/1#UNREAD
MOUNTAIN LOCATOR UNITS ON MT. HOOD
http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=622470&page=0#Post622470
Doing the right thing....
CASCADECLIMBERS.COM
03/19/07
John Frieh
Posts: 3700
Loc: PDX
So after a long winter of watching and waiting it appeared that the correct
conditions needed to bring the Black Spider in were going to materialize on
Sunday.
Marcus and I headed up on Sat so we could get a high bivy and rest our legs for
Sunday's attempt.
We were cruising the ridge climbers left of the ski area when we saw something
red under a large rock. Marcus pulled out his scope and we glassed it for a few
minutes...
too large to be a backpack.
F---... do you think?
It had to be one of the bodies from the first accident this year.
So what do you do?
The black spider comes in maybe once or twice a winter. More people have climbed
Yocum ridge than the Spider.
So what do you do?
You do the right thing... You go check it out. You take care of your own.
We descended 500' to find two red backpacks + a mini yard sale of gear. No
bodies. The packs had been left end to end giving the appearance from a distance
that it was a
body in the fetal position.
At first we thought it was abandoned gear from the north side accident... we
started looking around for birds (old mountain rescue trick... where there are
birds there is
usually a body). No birds...
We started looking for ID in the packs and I found this:
F---!. But relief. But still: f----. We just wasted an hour and 1000' of travel to
find someone's garbage. F---..
So off we sped back up hill to try and make up for lost time. We made it to
about 8.1k before the predicted storm rolled in so we settled in and hoped we
could make up the
lost distance in the morning. But you know how it turns out... the storm lasted
till 6 am (as predicted) and we both knew our window had expired as we couldn't
make up for
lost time. No black spider. Again. Next year I guess.
We rolled back down hill to the yard sale.
Marcus and I were able to easily see the parking lot from the location of the
jettisoned gear.
Each balancing an expedition size backpack on our head in addition to each
carrying our gear from our black spider attempt (30 lbs each) on our back we
were able to cover
the distance from the recovery spot to the parking lot in 45 minutes post holing
the whole way. 45 minutes to the parking lot.
It sucked... my neck still hurts... but it was the right thing to do.
So the unpopular part...
I don't know how to say this without making it sound like a personal attack...
it's not my intention. But based on the larger ramifications (required MLUs) of
this event + the
north face triple fatality I feel the need to speak my piece.
Based on:
- the location of the found gear
- the TR describing the ordeal
- the contents of the gear
- the presence of the gear on the mountain this long after the event
it is apparent this team did not have the technical skill or knowledge to be on
the mountain this time of year.
- There are safer, more accessible locations than Illumination rock in winter
that exist to learn the art of snow caving
- Understand that when NOAA predicts 80% PoP that it translates loosely into
"f---ing nuking"
- Map and compass skills are not optional or designated to just one person.
Everyone should have taken a compass bearing and conferred as a team.
- Everyone should have self arrest skills. Looking at the "cliff" the leader
fell off it should have been easily caught/self arrested by the team... not the
entire team going over.
- Having a GPS coordinate marking the parking lot as well as at Silcox and the
top of Magic Mile would have prevented all of this as well as told one how close
one was to
the parking lot.
- Clean your garbage up off the mountain as quickly as humanly possible
especially if other un-recovered bodies on the mountain still exist. I lost my
attempt doing the right
thing while you were busy drinking pints at the lucky lab.
I hope anyone considering Hood anytime in the future makes sure they have the
skill and knowledge to avoid making these same mistakes and not having to rely
on a MLU
or a cell phone. It would be the right thing to do.
If you feel you need an MLU and/or cell phone for the "just in case" situation
perhaps you should reevaluate your objective and skill set.
I think it is awesome the group has been raising money for PMR.
But what about the rest of us? What about the rest of the climbing community?
What do we get out of the deal? As far as I can tell decreased access and new
laws to
adhere to.
I would like to see some of the money raised be donated to the access fund so
they can attempt to fight the proposed MLU requirement.
I think it would be the right thing to do.
Most recent Mt. Hood Accident [Re: John
Frieh]
CASCADECLIMBERS.COM
03/19/07
ryland_moore ryland_moore
Posts: 1498
Loc: Portland, Oregon Why would they leave gear on the mountain at all? They
obviously walked off under their own power and had plenty of help with PMR. Why
would
they not go back up and retrieve it? What were they doing Saturday that would
prevent a hike up there? Weather was stellar! Out of sight, out of mind,
perhaps? I cannot
speculate as to them being prepared, as that may not have been all of their
gear they took up with them, but it is sad to treat a mountain environment with
leaving such
trash up there for someone else to find and haul off. I feel sorry for the kids
of these teachers. The thing that concerns me even more is that some of these
group members
are teachers. Meaning, they have a responsibility, as everyone should, to
practice what they preach. Do you think they allow their students to just
throw trash on the ground
when on a field trip or coming back from lunch? Leaving gear up there and not
returning to get it is bad juju. Thanks guys for hauling it off yourselves. You
will be rewarded, I
am sure. Now you just sealed a nice weather window for you on Black Spider in
the future......
I'd say this is free booty and whatever gear is there is now yours. Keep it ort
sell it on Craig's list.
_________________________
Someday the Mountain Might get 'em but the law never will - Theme Song From
Dukes of Hazard
http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/655772/page/1#Post655772
Oregon House Bill 2509 opposed by Mountain Rescue Units
MEDIA RELEASE
March 23, 2007
PMR Statement on MLU's and PLB's
http://www.pmru.org/pressroom/headlines/MLU&PLBStatement.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Fran Sharp; President (Tacoma, Washington)
Charley Shimanski; Vice President (Evergreen, Colorado)
MOUNTAIN RESCUE ASSOCIATION URGES OREGON LEGISLATURE TO IMMEDIATELY POSTPONE
HOUSE BILL 2509
Rescue Leaders Say Mandating Safety Equipment May Actually
INCREASE Number of Search and Rescue Operations
(March 21, 2007) — The Mountain Rescue Association urges the Oregon State
Legislature to postpone indefinitely House Bill (HB) 2509, which requires
mountaineers to carry specific electronic equipment.
1. Rescue mountaineers nationwide believe that legislation
pertaining to any backcountry activity and the rescues of lost or injured
backcountry users
should be deliberate, and;
2. should include detailed planning meetings with the
backcountry user group as well as the mountain rescue community.
The Mountain Rescue Association feels that Oregon’s HB 2509 has been neither
deliberate nor included such important meetings, particularly with the rescue
community that serves Mt. Hood.
State and Federal lawmakers do have a duty to respond to public calls for action, but they also have a duty to the emergency medical service providers in the community. While Oregon’s HB 2509 responds to a public call for action, its path through the Oregon General Assembly appears to not include detailed planning meetings with the mountain rescue community or the mountain climbing community.
While HB 2509 has public support, the public appears to be
unaware of the dangerous unintended consequences that this legislation may
create – consequences that could actually increase the number of rescue
operations, thereby putting the rescue community in greater risk.
Under Oregon law, individuals can be fined for reckless behavior that results in
search and/or rescue operations. Ironically, Oregon’s HB 2509 could actually
increase the number of search and rescue operations on Mt. Hood.
The MRA agrees with Portland Mountain Rescue assessment that HB 2509 could foster “an unrealistic expectation that carrying government-mandated equipment entitles climbers to rescue.” We also share the concern of North America’s oldest organized mountain rescue team, Oregon’s “Crag Rats,” who believe that, “A hurried review in the middle of a legislative session is neither sufficient nor appropriate.”
About the Mountain Rescue Association
The Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) is "a volunteer organization dedicated to
saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education." The MRA, established
in 1958 at Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood, Oregon, is the oldest Search and
Rescue association in the United States.
With over 90 government authorized units in the US, Canada and other countries,
the MRA has grown to become the critical mountain search and rescue resource in
the United States. The large majority of our membership is made up of unpaid
professional volunteers who have been fully accredited in Mountain Search and
Rescue operations. For more information, go to
www.mra.org
Note: HB 2509 died in the Oregon Senate. --Robert Speik
http://www.mra.org/documents/MRApositiononMt.Hood.pdf
OpEd: Electronic locator beacons, a mountaineers viewpoint
Published as a Guest Editorial
The Bulletin
Robert Speik
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Bulletin Reporter James Sinks broke the news that House Bill
2509 might require “mountain climbers” and guides to carry an electronic beacon
when they venture above the treeline on Mt. Hood.
A controversy erupted between experienced mountaineers and those who would
reduce government costs by controlling irresponsible thrill seekers asking for
expensive search and rescue efforts while endangering volunteers.
According to an Oregon State report climbing accounts for 3.4% of rescues,
mushroom picking 3.0%, hiking 13.8%, vehicle, ATVs, snowmobiles 20.5%. Enough
said.
Bulletin Reporter Lily Raff wrote about the controversy in an excellent in-depth
nine column front page Sunday Perspective: “Locator Beacons, Lifesavers or
Unnecessary?”
Lawmakers recalled the 1986 Episcopal School Tragedy where seven teens and two
adults died in an unmarked snow cave while for days searchers combed the broad
snow slopes of Mt. Hood. The leaders had made many common sense basic
mountaineering errors. This tragedy led to the invention of the electronic
Mountain Locator Unit (MLU).
For ten days in December last year, the world’s media focused on the plight of
three experienced mountain climbers missing in a storm near the summit of Mt.
Hood. Two of the three north face winter ice climbers may have fallen, stranding
Kelly James. He called his home in Texas using his cell phone, triggering the
rescue effort. Days later, when the weather cleared, searchers quickly found
Kelly who had died from hypothermia shortly after his one phone call. Kelly did
not call 911 for rescue.
In February, eight adventurers challenged Mt. Hood by climbing north up the snow
slope from the parking lot to Illumination Saddle to camp in two snow caves. The
next morning, while descending the easy slopes in a forecast snowstorm, three
became separated from their five companions. Very poor navigation had led them
90 degrees east to a steeper snow slope. Three slid down uncontrolled, abandoned
two of their backpacks and then hiked for forty minutes until forced to spend
the night ill equipped and un-prepared. They called for rescue. Searchers found
them next morning, inexcusably wet, cold, hungry and thirsty. The group
committed a comedy of mountaineering errors.
Note that they called rescuers every hour by cell phone. None of the three had
their personal GPS to report their exact position or to find the nearby parking
lot. However, searchers easily figured out where they were from their phoned
information.
By chance, one of the two rented MLUs among the eight climbers was with the
group of three. Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR) used the Mountain Locator Unit
system. Searchers commented that the MLU was “hard to use and not very precise”.
PMR advocates the use of electronic communications with GPS receivers but does
not believe the State should require anyone to use “electronic signaling
devices”.
The following is my observation, speaking from the experience of a traditionally
trained mountaineer.
First, a rescue does not begin until a Responsible Person calls 911 if the
adventurer does not return by an agreed time.
Second, when a person becomes stranded due to illness or injury to themselves or
others, or if they become lost, or are forced to overnight or shelter from a
storm, it may be better to phone for help then, rather than waiting for the
Responsible Person to call 911 hours or days later. Experience tells me to have
this option.
MLUs: Mt. Hood Mountain Locator Units are simple radio transmitters. They are
managed by Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, which is liable for maintenance,
battery replacement, rental and user instruction.
Note that MLUs require a separate radio or phone call to 911 before any search
begins. They are only available on Mt. Hood.
PLBs: A better option is the Personal Locator Beacon. These strong radios
broadcast a signal to satellites that is relayed to the local County Sheriff
often within five minutes with GPS Latitude and Longitude coordinates. They cost
about $450 at local stores and do not require a subscription. The batteries last
for years. They weigh a reasonable 12 ounces. Serious backcountry adventurers
may want to own one.
SATs: A third option is a Satellite Cell Phone. These units work like a PLB, but
you can verbally send your GPS coordinates and chat. They are heavy, expensive
and require a monthly subscription.
Walkie-talkie radios are a low cost option, but someone must be listening.
Best option: Your own everyday Cell Phone and your simple $100 GPS.
A good cell phone is FREE with a $10 or also a $20 per month, two-year subscription including
200 free monthly minutes. One can call for help and give their very accurate GPS
coordinates.
My friends choose to bring their own cell phones, GPS receivers, base plate
compasses, USGS topo maps, and the knowledge of how to use them together. The
cost of a quality map, compass and GPS is $136.
Robert Speik pursues an active retirement while writing for
TraditionalMountaineering.org
WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can, only in part, be mitigated
Read more . . .
ACCIDENTS ON MOUNT HOOD
Rescue charges in traditional alpine mountaineering
Governor establishes a Search and Rescue Task Force
Oregon Search and Rescue Statutes
Lost hiker in Oregon backcountry found with heat-sensing device in airplane
HB2509 mandates electronic locator beacons on Mt. Hood - climbers' views
Oregon HB 2509 as approved on March 28, 2007
Mount Hood - Three climbers, their MLU and a dog rescued on Mt. Hood
Mount Hood - Veteran climber injured during ice axe arrest on Mt Hood
Mount Hood - Climber injured by falling ice, rescued by helicopter
Mount Hood - Three climbers die on the North West Face
Mount Hood - Solo climber falls from Cooper Spur
Mount Hood - Climbing accident claims three lives -Final Report and our Analysis
Mount Hood - Notable mountain climbing accidents Analyzed
Mount Hood - Solo hiker drowns while crossing Mt. Hood's Sandy River
Mount Hood - Solo climber slides into the Bergschrund and is found the following day
Mount Hood - The Episcopal School Tragedy
Mount Hood - Experienced climbers rescued from emergency snow cave
Mount Hood - A personal description of the south side route
Mount Hood - Fatal avalanche described by Climbing Ranger
Mount Hood - Avalanche proves fatal for members of Mazamas climbing group
Mount Hood - Snowboard rider dies on Cooper Spur
Mount Hood - Fatal fall on snow, Cooper Spur Route
Mount Hood - Fatal fall on snow from the summit
Mount Hood - Climb shows the need for knowledge
Mount Hood - Climb ends in tragedy
Mount Hood - Rescue facilitated by use of a VHF radio
MORE
ACCIDENT REPORTS 
Lost and Found
Oregon State Search and Rescue Statues
six PDF pages
Missing California family found, dad dies from exposure and hypothermia
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Longacre Expeditions teen group rescued from the snowdrifts above Todd Lake
Lost climber hikes 6.5 miles from South Sister Trail to Elk Lake
Hiking couple lost three nights in San Jacinto Wilderness find abandoned gear
Expert skier lost five days in North Cascades without Essentials, map and compass
Climber disappears on the steep snow slopes of Mount McLaughlin
Hiker lost five days in freezing weather on Mount Hood
Professor and son elude search and rescue volunteers
Found person becomes lost and eludes rescuers for five days
Teens, lost on South Sister, use cell phone with Search and Rescue
Lost man walks 27 miles to the highway from Elk Lake Oregon
Snowboarder Found After Week in Wilderness
Searchers rescue hiker at Smith Rock, find lost climbers on North Sister
Girl Found In Lane County After Lost On Hiking Trip
Search and rescue finds young girls lost from family group
Portland athlete lost on Mt. Hood
Rescues after the recent snows
Novice couple lost in the woods
Broken Top remains confirmed as missing climber
Ollalie Trail - OSU Trip - Lost, No Map, Inadequate Clothing
Real Survival Strategies
FREE Clinic on Real Survival Strategies and Staying Found with Map, Compass and GPS together
What do you carry in your winter day and summit pack?
Why are "Snow Caves" dangerous?
Why are "Space Blankets" dangerous?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
How can you avoid Hypothermia?
Missing climbers on Mount Hood, one dies of exposure, two believed killed in fall
Missing California family found, dad dies from exposure and hypothermia
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Olympic Champion Rulon Gardner lost on snowmobile!
Lost Olympic hockey player looses feet to cold injury
Expert skier lost five days near resort in North Cascades without map, compass, gps or cell phone
Mount Hood - The Episcopal School Tragedy
Mount Hood - experienced climbers rescued from snow cave
How can you learn the skills of snow camping?
Prospectus
Your Essential Light Day Pack
What are the new Ten Essential Systems?
What does experience tell us about Light and Fast climbing?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is Light and Fast alpine climbing?
What do you carry in your day pack?
Photos?
What do you carry in your winter day pack?
Photos?
What should I know about "space blankets"?
Where can I get a personal and a group first aid kit?
Photos?
Carboration and Hydration
Is running the Western States 100 part of "traditional mountaineering"?
What's wrong with GORP?
Answers to the quiz!
Why do I need to count carbohydrate calories?
What should I know about having a big freeze-dried dinner?
What about carbo-ration and fluid replacement during traditional alpine climbing?
4 pages in pdf
What should I eat before a day of alpine climbing?
About Alpine Mountaineering:
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities
Cuatro Responsabiliades Basicas de Quienes Salen al Campo
The Ten Essentials
Los Diez Sistemas Esenciales
Our Leader's Guidelines:
Our Volunteer Leader Guidelines
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus
This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus
Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form
This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form
Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit
Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)
About our World Wide Website:
Information
Mission
