Fox reporting one snow climber found (Deceased)

[ConservativeMan55]

One climber found dead on Mt. Hood

[kcvl]

Survivor of '76: If we made it, they can too
Three teens walked out after 13 days in a snow cave on Mount Hood
Friday, December 15, 2006
MARK LARABEE

It's been almost 31 years since Randy Knapp and two high school friends emerged from their 13th night in a wet, cold snow cave on Mount Hood, where they held onto hope through prayers and struggled to survive while a snowstorm raged outside.

As the years passed, Knapp, 48, a finish carpenter and part-time pastor who lives in Medford, refused requests for interviews. But Thursday, as headlines detailed the unfolding drama of another Mount Hood climbing party in trouble, the father of two said he wanted to give the climbers' families some hope.

"Ten days into it, I could hear the helicopter up there searching, and that gave us hope," he said. "I wouldn't write these guys off. They're experienced mountain climbers, and I wouldn't give up hope. They can make it."


Knapp should know. He was 18 when the party that included Matt Meacham and Gary Schneider, both 16, set off on New Year's Eve 1975 for a summit climb from Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood's south side.

The three friends from Walla Walla High School were well prepared, with 10 days' rations, down coats and sleeping bags, crampons, rope, ice axes and a stove.


More...


http://tinyurl.com/y7l4ap

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Excellant pont. they had a cell phone...but with batteries and transmission.

[Dog Gone]

Just so I understand your postition, we shouldn't try to rescue people in danger of dying if they're engaged in recreational activities?

Rafters, hikers, fishermen, pilots, etc.?

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Let's see. A child of God. A child to two worried parents. I don't see the difference in age.
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Very Good Point,,,,,
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Species working together to preserve themselves is a nice category to be in.

Yes my friend, I am proud to be a human :)
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Roger-That...My FRiend...;0)

[ican'tbelieveit]

People on the coasts: hurricanes.

People on the west coast: earthquakes

People living in the midwest: tornadoes

I live in CO: massive snow falls

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

No, I realize this is not an easy call..but many have said that mountain climbing , especially in winter, is more high risk and retrieving people is more difficult.

Fishing, pilots, most hiking, rafting does not take THIS much risk and expense to assist the lost ones. I am not so sure that these mt climbers did not up the ante by going there at this time.

[michigander]

One missing climber found dead in snow cave on Mount Hood

Story Published: Dec 17, 2006 at 4:21 PM PST
Story Updated: Dec 17, 2006 at 5:50 PM PST

By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER Associated Press Writer

HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) - Teams looking for three missing climbers on Mount Hood found a body after searching a second snow cave near the summit on Sunday, an official said.

"We have found one deceased at this point," said Pete Hughes, a spokesman for the Hood River County Sheriff's Office.

He said the body had not yet been identified.

Marc Smith, another spokesman for the sheriff's office, said the body had not yet been retrieved from the 11,239-foot mountain. A colleague of Smith, Karl Tesch, had said the body had been taken by helicopter to Hood River. But Smith said that information was incorrect.

"I have confirmed the body is still on the mountain," Smith said.

The body was found in a snow cave - but not the one that was first searched earlier on Sunday, officials said.

"Our hearts are going out to the families right now," said Capt. Mike Braibish, spokesman for the Oregon National Guard.

The second cave was located in the same area as the first snow cave, officials said.

Braibish said rescuers would be coming off the mountain early Sunday evening and will review the information gathered today before making tomorrow's plans.

"We remain hopeful," Braibish said. "We are going to still collect information and pursue the rescue of the two other climbers."

A sleeping bag, ice axes and rope were found in the first snow cave, said another sheriff's office spokesman, Sgt. Gerry Tiffany.

Tiffany said earlier Sunday after finding the first cave that another snow cave was likely. It is believed that both caves are in the region where missing climber Kelly James made a distress call with his cell phone to relatives a week ago.

Taking advantage of clear skies and a sharp drop in the wind, rescuers focused on the first cave Sunday after a helicopter spotted a rope laid out in a Y-shape, which climbers often use to signal their location.

Footprints were also found at the site. Tiffany said the prints appeared to head up the mountain, toward the summit but were blown out by the wind at higher points.

Weather conditions have been harsh since the three were reporting missing eight days ago, with heavy snow fall and wind gusts of up to 100 mph. The snow stopped Saturday, but wind up to 50 mph blew the fresh snow, hampering visibility. Skies were blue Sunday, the wind was still, and temperatures at the 11,239-foot summit were reported near zero degrees.

Searchers dug through the first cave, about 300 feet below the summit, to ensure no one was there and took the equipment, which officials will examine for clues.

Tiffany said its clear that whoever stayed there "hunkered down in the snow and they survived there for a while" and that they climbed out and could have made a snow cave elsewhere.

[ican'tbelieveit]

The question about climbing in winter has been answered on this and several other threads. Try reading it.

[omega4179]

lives could be saved if we all took buses to work or... we could ban cars with more than 40 HP so people would stop speeding so much.

[jdm]

Driving is not a necessity.

Perhaps not to you, but the reality is that mountain climbing is a necessity to no one. It's vanity is what it is.

[flaglady47]

I just posted this on another thread, but it applies here also:

Both the rescuers and the climbers, IMO, are motivated by the challenge. That's what is behind our space exploration, ocean exploration, any exploration. The challenge, curiosity, and the exhilaration that goes along with conquering new territories, discovery, physical and mental mettle testing, all qualities that are necessary to the survival of the species. That's us. Nothing would have been gained in the world without the risk takers.

We have already made wimps of too many of our men in our society. I'm all for men being men, and doing what many men do, and part of that is to challenge their environment, and take risks. You can see it on the playground when little boys are young, and climb to the highest part of the jungle jim, while most little girls look on. It's a boy thing. I'm sick to death of too many women wanting to make men just like them, and/or too many men, sitting on their butts complaining about other men who actually get off their duffs and take risks.

Even in business, where bankruptcy is a real threat, most often it is men who jump in feet first to establish new ventures. Without risk, no society would move forward. Give me a manly man anyday. I don't like wimps. Too many Democratic men are wimps (think Alan Colmes of Hannity and Colmes, as an example).

These men were experienced climbers who knew the dangers and had climbed many times before. When you are out in nature, you always are surrounded by potential danger, as the victims of Katrina found out. Rescuing these climbers gives the search teams extra practice and experience on how to deal with a new rescue scenario, which adds to the body of knowledge on how to do rescues. An analogy would be our U.S. troops. Unless they eventually end up in battle some day, everything they have learned is theoretical unless put into practice at some point. Obviously there are risks to battle, but the troops gain experience in actual warfare and become better warriors for it. Man has been climbing mountains forever, out of need, or out of desire. I admire them.

[ican'tbelieveit]

That is your opinion. Nice thing about living in the good old USA is that we are founded on the idea of Life, Liberty, and oddly enough, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

[Hot Tabasco]

Why is it MY responsibility when they take on this risk?

See post #61

[toldyou]

No, not from here.

[jdm]

I'm not so sure it's an opinion as it is a fact.

If no one could drive for the next 30 days, most people would suffer as a result. How do you get food for yourself when the closest grocery store may be 20 miles away, for example.

On the other hand, if no one can mountain climb over the next 30 days, there would be little difference in the day-to-day workings of this great country.

[Blue_Spark]

A lot of the people doing the search are volunteers. A number said they would try to get off work to continue the search. THAT is the kind of people we have up here. Sorry to say, but the lost climbers drew short straw when it came to weather. The storm that came thru this week was the worst in a decade. Mountain locator transmitters (MLT) are available around here as rentals. Had the climbers picked today to go up, I am sure it would have been no problem. Skies have been clear and low (at least for the mountain) wind speeds. I climbed to the top myself in my younger years and skied up there in some pretty nasty times. Expecting perhaps another 48hours before the next storm comes in.

[ican'tbelieveit]

Why did you chose to live 20 miles from the nearest food source? Why don't you produce your own food? Again, that is a choice to live that way, not a necessity.

[NittanyLion]

We can hope and pray, but I fear it's already a done deal. What is the wind chill at 0 degrees and a 50 mph wind?

Dunno...cold. Although there were some posts earlier indicating that a snow cave can stabilize at over 30 degrees even in below zero temps. I tend to agree with you, though. One would think that if they were alive and on the mountain they would've made themselves seen today.

[Dog Gone]

I think it's idiotic to go mountain climbing in December in America. But I'm not a mountain climber, and perhaps someone will inform me that it's not idiotic.

I don't know if a permit to climb Mt. Hood is required or not. If it is, and if the permit says IF YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE, TOUGH. WE WILL LAUGH AT YOU AND LET YOU DIE AND MAYBE RECOVER YOUR BODY IN MARCH, then okay. At least everyone would know what the ground rules are.

[jdm]

IF YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE, TOUGH. WE WILL LAUGH AT YOU AND LET YOU DIE AND MAYBE RECOVER YOUR BODY IN MARCH

Actually, I believe you nailed it verbatim. :O)