I’m Tired Of Hearing About The Missing Mt. Hood Climbers

MND ^ | December 17, 2006 | By Robert Paul Reyes

[Nasty McPhilthy]

A trio of climbers, ascended Mount Hood, under adverse winter conditions — to test their survival skills. The intrepid climbers took gear such as food, fuel, bivvy sacks, a shovel and ropes. These men knew they were taking a big risk – or they would not have taken survival gear with them.

Mountain climbing is a sport for the wealthy who can afford to take weeks off from work to indulge in their expensive hobby.

These clowns have been missing for over a week, and the state is expending tens of thousands of dollars in search and resuce operations.

Why is the sheriff’s department and the U.S Forest Service rangers looking for these men who are addicted to danger?

The taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the foolhardy thrill seekers who knew they were taking a big risk. The families of the climbers should pay for their own search teams; they shouldn’t expect the government to pay for the reckless chance the climbers took.

From USA Today:

“Deputy Gerry Tiffany, spokesman for the Hood River County sheriff’s office, said its office does not charge for its searches.”

I think it’s about time the government starts charging for rescue operations – when it’s a case of adventurers who place themselves in danger.

I’m sick of hearing about the missing climbers; I’m sick of watching the relatives of the missing men on TV praise the courage of the climbers, and I’m sick at the thought that taxpayers are paying for the rescue efforts.

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "If they find them alive they usually bill them for the rescue efforts."

Well, that will be a surprise to the people in Oregon...

Regards,
Star Traveler

[southland]

No one seems to care anymore for the MIA's from Viet Nam or Korea. We sent them there and seem to forget that over 8,300 men are still missing from Korea. Not ads many from Nam but each one was sent there by our country.

The people in Oregon went of there own accord.

[MeekOneGOP]

"Both of you have it right. Natural consequences for stupidity can be rather final. These guys sound like Darwin Award candidates to me.

And I was sick of hearing about these guys last Wednesday (I live in the North TX Metroplex)."

Me, too. In Northeast Dallas County.

---

I gotta kick outta this story about a man that decided to go for the gusto, nearly landing himself a Darwin Award in the process! :)

http://www.darwinawards.com/slush/200609/pending20060917-082055.html

This story was related to me by a friend who worked at Bonneville Dam east of Portland, Oregon over 10 years ago.

Bonneville Dam is the first in series of large dams on the beautiful Columbia River that empties into the Pacific Ocean. When Bonneville releases water for hydroelectric power generation, that water runs through giant turbines. Oftentimes small salmon fry as well as adult fish get run through the turbines along with this water which is jetted at the base of Bonneville. The turbines, regrettably, grind the fish into pieces which form a chum line at the base of the dam.

Large native white sturgeon prowl the base of Bonneville Dam feeding on these tasty bits of fish chum. They have done this for years. As a result these sturgeon get massive with small ones ranging from 300 to 500 pounds and large "oversize" sturgeon running 700, 800 pounds with some over 1,000 pounds and 12 to 15 feet in length.

Sturgeon are also terrific fighters and, contrary to the rumor that they are not, will leap, tail dance, rush the boat and sometimes tenaciously fight for literally hours (been there, done that, got the T shirt!).

Some years ago, when it was legal to fish at the base of the dam (that is now illegal, such area is now a protected spawning ground for the suurgeon) there was a man who would fish from the nearby shoreline, hook up, but then have these powerful fish snap the line. It happened to him again and again and eventually, in frustration he decided to do something about it.

So he went out and bought an extra heavy sturgeon rod along with a large reel. He then bought three hundred yards of steel monafilament which he threaded onto the reel. Using a heavy wire leader he put a large fist-sized needle-sharp hook on it. He capped this off with a large fishing vest of the type used by fisherman on deep ocean fishing boats that actually clip onto the rod to give the fisherman more support. These clips are steel with woven wire leads that attach to the reel and the vest.

Taking all his new gear he headed out to the base of Bonnevile and with almost religious fervor, put on his vest, baited up the hook with an entire whole shad the size of a large trout, and clipped the rod onto his vest, then threw the shad into the deep, dark waters at the base of Bonneville.

"Oversize" sturgeon hit violently and this was no exception. In less than ten minutes a large sturgeon attacked his bait, and was hooked. When hooked, a sturgeon's instinct is to head downstream for the ocean, due West. This sturgeon, later estimated at well over 600 pounds and over 9 feet in length ran downstream heading for the Pacific.

The fisherman, standing on the sandy beach above the rocks at Bonneville, the rod jammed into his lower stomach as he fought, watched in vain as his steel monafilament line was stripped off his reel. First a hundred yards, then two hundred, then in horror he watched as the last 100 tore off the reel. When the reel hit dry the line snapped taught, (but did not break!), with the kinetic energy of a very pissed off 600 plus pound white sturgeon still on it. The fish was still moving rapidly back to the greater Pacific Ocean, along with a four knot current in the Columbia heading that way also.

This combined force instantly pulled the hapless fisherman, who was still hooked to the rod via his special vest, onto his face on the sandy beach. It then dragged him rapidly twenty feet down the beach towards the large rocks which rip rap the base of the shore.

Still pulling, the agitated fish pulled him over and into the large jagged boulders. After bouncing off several and sustaining multiple contusions and cuts, the mans arm became lodged between a rock (and another hard place) and snapped, breaking his arm.

To his great fortune, the fisherman, with the giant sturgeon still pulling madly with great force, became lodged amongst the rocks. Had the rocks not been there he would have been swiftly dragged into the Colunbia where he would have drowned as the fish dragged him West.

At this point the man, in terrible pain, and fully realizing that he might indeed be drowned by this fish, began screaming for help. Up at the Dam some workers heard his cries and came to his aid. However, the fish was pulling so hard that they could not unclip the man from his vest. No one had wire cutters or a knife capable of cutting the wire leaders to the vest.

In desperation, and with the man starting to be pulled out of the rocks, the Oregon Fish and Game Department was contacted. They quickly dispatched a nearby boat that came up to the shore, grabbed the steel line and eventually snipped it off to the relief of all.

The man was medevaced to a local hospital where his arm was set, numerous stitches were put in for his various facial and head cuts and he eventually went home. We do not know if he ever fished for the giant white sturgeon of the Columbia again with his special rig.

This is still talked about by some of the worker's at Bonneville.

I would suggest he get an "Honorable Mention."

[LibKill]

I have a mixed opinion on this:

1. Absolutely they should be rescued. They are our fellow citizens, however foolish they may be.

2. Once rescued, they should be made to wear clown outfits and makeup for a solid year.

[ßuddaßudd]

Indeed, good news doesnt sell as well as bad news does.

[cajungirl]

You make a good point. I think as we are more comfortable we know we lose something elemental in life,,so we watch others who go out and pit themselves against nature, risk, whatever.

Some enjoy this,,others envy it. It is like watching the rich. Some enjoy, others denigrate and want to snatch what they have.

And some want the true adventure seekers to "pay a price" so they feel all better, comfy in their homes, watching their tvs.

[monocle]

Ah, but governments in their ultimate wisdom tax cigaretts which taxes hit the least able to pay the hardest.

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "I was reading that Everest expeditions can cost up to $65,000, talk about expensive."

Yeah, it sure is -- and that is a sport for the rich and famous, I would say.

But, in Oregon we've got the best of it, with the mountain being so close to Portland. One of these days that might not be a benefit if it blows up like Mt. St. Helens (and it's rumbling, too). And there is a hot spot up there, near the top that never has ice or snow on it.

In the meantime, though, we can go up there for a measely few dollars and be back down again, ready for work the next day. And if you don't want to "climb" the mountain (not very much "climbing" actually), you can just go up to Timberline Lodge and look out the window, or play around in the snow around the lodge.

There are mountains all up and down the Cascade Range in Oregon. So, there are others to choose from, too.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[DugwayDuke]

"Climbing a mountain is certainly dangerous and I wouldn't consider it a necessary activity of everyday life like driving a car."

Who defines necessary? For example, riding a motorcycle is certainly more dangerous than driving a car. Is riding a motorcycle with the higher inherent risk to be considered necessary? How about riding in a boat?

"I never said "don't try and rescue them". But now everybody has to react to their situation."

I have to react every time I encounter an accident since it delays me in my progress.

[Inspectorette]

If these guys survive they will be touted as hero's. In fact, their family members are already treating them as such.

Our Portland TV stations are naturally covering this 24/7. I feel really bad for these climbers and for their families, but the media has indeed turned this into a circus, thrusting microphones and cameras into the faces of the anguished moms.

One of the mothers made a comment that floored me: "The mountain has to give us back our sons - the mountain has no right to keep our sons." One of the other mothers said, "I know he's coming down today - it's my birthday, and he wouldn't miss my birthday". The third mother said something to the effect of "I saw the moon last night, and I know he was looking at the same moon as I was". Geez...it's just getting totally goofy.

[khnyny]

I guess the author is willing to set himself up then as the moral authority to decide which people who are lost in the wilderness actually deserve to get a rescue search? This judgmental guy's a little weak in the compassion department, I'd say.

This author's premise is totally absurd, let's not turn everything into a class warfare issue. People of all socio-economic backgrounds do stupid things and make stupid decisions all the time that endanger themselves, that's why rescue teams exist.

[river rat]

Usually, I'm in favor of having folks suffer the consequences of their actions -- without undue involvement or interference from the Government..

BUT - in circumstances like these climbers or others with excessive testosterone or balls larger than life ---- I support expending the effort to save them if possible..

Too many men in our current society have been emasculated, feminized, deballed and blow dried........in tassel loafers with a bouncy step and a swishy ass.

We NEED to save the "men" among us to the extent possible.
The lost climbers appear to be of a genetic strain worthy of saving..

Semper Fi

[Man50D]

Should the authorities have searched for and rescued the folks in Gold Beach, Oregon who took the wrong turn? Should the authorities have searched for the couple who was recently found in a submerged car just off the interstate?

Poor analogies. The folks in Gold Beach didn't intentionally take a wrong turn for the thrill nor did the couple from South Carolina intentionally submerge themselves to fulfill some burning need.

This ignores the more obvious fact millions of people travel everyday and yet a very tiny fraction are killed. Most of them do not die because they meant to put themselves in dangerous conditions. The weather conditions that occurred on Mt Hood during the climb created a far more dangerous situation then traveling by car.

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "Insurance companies expend a great deal of money and resources divining the risk tables they use to rate their customers.If you disagree with their assessments, take it up with them."

So, are you saying that they've -- in fact -- assessed the people of the State of Oregon a higher rate for their rugged environment. I didn't quite understand, from your answer, if that's what they're doing.

I hear about all sorts of people being injured and killed, on the mountains, on hiking trails, on a drive out in the woods, in a fishing boat -- in fact doing just about everything in the state, come to think about it.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[CaptRon]

We could talk about Miss USA losing her crown then.

As long as it includes pictures!

[bonfire]

One of the wives said "As soon as they get off this mountain they will be planning their next trip up"

Of course I feel bad for them too. If that were a member of my family I would be EMBARRASSED!

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "The people in Oregon went of there own accord."

If you "go out" in Oregon, you're in the wilderness. So, yes, they do "go out" in Oregon.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Man50D]

By that logic driving a car is selfish because you might crash and endanger a fireman who tries to rescue you.

Wrong analogy. The climbers were fully aware it was much more dangerous to climb the north slope and were also aware they would face extreme weather conditions. They climbed at this time to specifically face those dangers. People driving don't do so with the intent of facing dangerous situations.

[cajungirl]

No but indirectly we spend much money on football players and their families spend lives caring for them. And for other sportsmen. Their risk affects their families and the people who pay for their treatment.

The rescuers are not forced to do what they do. I suspect they love what they do.

I wouldn't do mountain climing under any circumstances. But men are like that,,they have always done stuff like that. It is in their nature.

[Mr170IQ]

That is quite an exciting story.

I look back at my own hiking/climbing history in Mt. Washington, during my late teens and early twenties... those were some good times. Mostly I have shifted from winter climbing/hiking to downhill skiing.

My own worst 'near disaster' occurred when I was climbing Algonquin Peak with a group during April. The weather rapidly shifted from clear mild conditions into a light rain, followed by a solid blizzard. We turned back, but descending the slippery trail with a heavy pack and the wrong kind of boots took a really long time.

I ended up with some frostbite on my left hand, and considered myself lucky to return mostly unscathed.