Mount Hood climbing accidents

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

aerial view of Mount Hood's rugged north side

Main article: Mount Hood

Mount Hood climbing accidents are mountain climbing or hiking-related incidents on Oregon's Mount Hood. Counting deaths alone, more than 130 people have died climbing Mount Hood since records have been kept. One of the worst climbing accidents occurred in 1986, when seven teenagers and two school teachers froze to death while attempting to retreat from a storm.^[1]

Despite a quadrupling of forest visitors since 1990, the number of people requiring rescue remains steady at around 25 to 50 per year, largely because of the increased use of cell phones and GPS devices.^[2] 3.4 percent of 2006's search and rescue missions were for mountain climbers. In comparison, 20% were for vehicles (including ATVs and snowmobiles), 3% were for mushroom collectors, the remaining 73.6 percent were for skiers, boaters, and participants in other mountain activities.^[3] About 10,000 people attempt to climb Mount Hood each year.^[4]

[edit] Hazards

Cascade Range weather patterns are unfamiliar to many, even nearby residents. Seduced by gentle wind and warm air at access points, many are surprised to encounter 60 °F (33 °C) temperature drops in less than an hour, sudden sustained winds of 60 mph (100 km/h) and more, and visibility quickly dropping from hundreds of miles to an arm's length. This pattern is responsible for the most well known incidents of May 1986 and December 2006.^[5]

Avalanches are popularly regarded to be a major climbing hazard, but relatively few Mount Hood deaths are attributed to them. For the eleven year period ending April 2006,^[6] there was one death on Mount Hood caused by an avalanche,^[7] while 445 avalanche-related deaths occurred throughout North America.^[8] Compared to other western states, Oregon has the fewest avalanche fatalities.^[9] Worldwide, between 100 and 200 people die each year from avalanches.^[10]

The two major causes of climbing deaths on Mount Hood are falls and hypothermia.^[11][12]

[edit] Incident history

National media covered the relatively minor 2007 Presidents Day climbing incident probably due to the intense December 2006 tragedy coverage.

According to Mount Hood: A Complete History by Jack Grauer, the first recorded climbing fatality on Hood's slopes occurred on July 12, 1896, when Frederic Kirn eschewed his guide and attempted the trip to the summit alone.^[13] Kirn's body was found on the Newton Clark Glacier on the east side of the mountain, after an apparent 40-story fall in connection with an avalanche.

In an unusual accident reported in Grauer's book, on August 27, 1934, Victor VonNorman successfully climbed the peak via the southern route, along with a group of fellow University of Washington students. He then ventured too close to a fumarole between Crater Rock and the "Hogsback" that connects Crater Rock with the summit ridge, was overcome by oxygen-barren gasses emanating from the fumarole, and fell about 50 feet to his death. A number of men who tried to retrieve the body were also nearly overcome by the fumes before finally succeeding in their efforts.^[14]

Beginning on New Year's Eve in 1975, two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-old survived in a snow cave 13 days through a snow storm.^[15]

One of the worst U.S. climbing accidents occurred in May 1986 when seven students and two faculty of the Oregon Episcopal School froze to death during an annual school climb.^[1] Of the four survivors, three had life-threatening hypothermia; one had legs amputated.^[16]

On May 31, 1998 during a graduation climb for The Mazamas mountaineering club, several were caught by an avalanche. One died, one had serious injuries.^[17]

On May 23, 1999, an experienced pair of climbers summited successfully. Shortly after commencing their descent, one stumbled and both fell more than 2,000 feet to their deaths.^[18]

On June 22, 1999, a 24-year-old medical student from Michigan apparently set out from a remote trailhead where his rental car was found. Temperatures dropped 15 degrees and more than an inch of rain fell beginning the next day. Ten days after his presumed disappearance, searching began with up to 70 rescuers combing the area. Additional searches included cadaver dogs and psychics. No sign of him was found.^[2]

On September 8, 2001, rescuers abandoned a search for a 24-year-old Hungarian exchange student who had been missing for six days. He had been hiking with friends when he left the group with light clothing and no provisions. Two days after his disappearance, the weather turned cold and snowy.^[19]

On May 24, 2002, a 30-year-old Argentine national attempted to snowboard off Mount Hood's summit along Cooper Spur ridge. He lost control after a few turns and tumbled over 2,000 feet to his death.^[20]

A search-and-rescue team deploys in December 2006 from Timberline Lodge.

On May 30, 2002, three climbers were killed and four others injured when they fell into a crevasse (The Bergschrund) in the "hogsback". Most unusual was the televised crash-and-roll of a rescue helicopter whose rotors clipped the sloping ice bridge.^[21]

On March 7, 2003, the search for a man snowshoeing from Timberline Lodge was abandoned after more than four days in heavy winter weather. More than six feet of snow fell during the search.^[22] An extensive search five months later for the man's body failed, but unexpectedly discovered the body of another man who was not identified.^[23]

On Thursday, December 7, 2006, three experienced climbers—Kelly James, Brian Hall, and Jerry Cooke—began what they expected to be a two-day expedition on the more-treacherous north slope of the mountain. On Sunday, December 10, 2006, the climbers failed to rendezvous as scheduled with friends, and James made a cell phone call to family members indicating that the group was separated and in trouble.^[24] Rescue attempts were forestalled by freezing rain, heavy snowfall, low visibility and winds of 100 to 140 mph, caused by a widespread winter storm. The last sign of them alive was a signal from James' cell phone late on the night of Tuesday, December 12, indicating it had been turned on.^[25] Clear weather on the weekend of December 16 allowed almost 100 search and rescue personnel to scour the mountain. On Sunday, December 17, searchers found a snow cave and climbing equipment, approximately 300 feet from the summit.^[26] Inside the snow cave, the rescuers found a rope, two ice axes and an insulating sleeping pad. At approximately 3:29 PM PST, the body of Kelly James was found in another snow cave near the first one. On Wednesday, December 20, 2006, as good weather ended, the Hood River County sheriff announced that the mission was now being treated as a recovery rather than a rescue.^[27] Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke remain missing and have been declared dead.^[28]

On the morning of Saturday, February 17, 2007, eight experienced climbers from the Portland area ascended in sunny, mild weather. Observing worse weather mid-afternoon, they camped at the 9,300 feet (2,800 m) level of Illumination Saddle overnight. Sunday morning, they abandoned a summit attempt and descended in freezing rain and snow, visibility less than 30 feet (9 m), and winds at 40 to 70 mph (64 to 120 km/h). At about noon, disoriented, three of the climbers and a black lab stepped off a cliff (at the 8,300 ft (2,500 m) foot level at the east edge of Palmer Glacier) while tethered together and tumbled down several hundred feet of steep slope into White River Canyon. One of the remaining five climbers was lowered by rope to search for the fallen group, but returned without seeing them. They called for help by cell phone, and were advised of even worse weather advancing. They dug in expecting another night, but rescuers arrived and evacuated them Sunday evening. The three fallen climbers were unable to dig into solid ice to build a snow cave, so they improvised a shelter and were in hourly cell phone contact with rescuers. They had a Mountain Locator Unit, sleeping bags, GPS, and a tarp. The dog, Velvet, helped keep them warm. Rescuers arrived Monday about 10:45 am. One was hospitalized for a head injury, the others were treated for minor injuries and released. The dog had broken nails and a cut on one of her back legs from cold exposure.^{[4] [29] [30] [31]}

On May 12, 2007, five climbers were stranded at the 9,400 ft (2,900 m) level by whiteout conditions. The climbers contacted rescuers by cell phone and obtained assistance to navigate to Illumination Saddle, on the south side of the mountain. Using their GPS navigation unit, the climbers traversed to the saddle and descended the mountain without further incident. The climbers carried a Mountain Locator Unit with them, which would have allowed rescuers to pinpoint their location, had they not been able to descend from the mountain on their own.^[32]

On September 7, 2007, two Portland-area climbers were ascending early afternoon a technical approach to the Pearly Gates when one slid to the edge of the Bergshrund and sustained injuries sufficient for him to call for rescue assistance. His partner decided it was too dangerous to descend the frozen gravel and loose rock face and remained in place. Rescuers arrived about five hours later, assessed the fallen climber, treated minor injuries and belayed him walking down. The other climber required technical climbing equipment and was assisted down the Bergshrund. He walked down and joined his partner about dawn at a Timberline snowcat at the top of the ski area.^[33]

On January 14, 2008, two young experienced climbers intended to ascend the Leuthold Couloir route (above Illumination Rock) and began in good weather. When their return was overdue that afternoon, a search and rescue team activated for the following morning, but was turned back by bad weather. At 9 am, cell phone contact was established and rescuers learned they spent the night below the tree line. Rescuers escorted them out two hours later.^[34] They were uninjured. The climbers were unprepared for bad weather which arrived as they reached the 10,000 ft level. Thinking they had a clear weather window, they had no GPS, nor Mountain Locator Unit, and did not believe their cell phone was usable. Using a map and compass, they navigated southward hoping to encounter Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, or the Mount Hood Highway. Not finding any of these, they reached the 5,000 level and built a snow cave to spend the night. In the morning, they inadvertently discovered a geocache labeled with coordinates just as a rescue sheriff called their cell phone.^[35][36]

[edit] References

v • d • e Major Cascade Volcanoes British Columbia Mount Silverthrone · Silverthrone Caldera · Plinth Peak · Mount Meager · Mount Cayley · Mount Garibaldi Washington Mount Baker · Glacier Peak · Mount Rainier · Mount St. Helens · Mount Adams Oregon Mount Hood · Mount Jefferson · Three Sisters · Broken Top · Mount Bachelor · Newberry Volcano · Mount Thielsen · Mount Mazama (Crater Lake) · Mount McLoughlin California Medicine Lake Volcano · Mount Shasta · Shastina · Mount Tehama · Lassen Peak