Fox reporting one snow climber found (Deceased)

[ConservativeMan55]

One climber found dead on Mt. Hood

[angkor]

Wish I'd spent paid more attention to the Northwest when I was younger and had more time.

In terms of mountains, the furthest West I got was Grand Teton. Oh, there also was that visit to the Ranier parking lot while on a business trip.

[steve86]

As you may know, most of Mt. Rainier National Park is closed right now due to road washouts and other damage. Will progressively reopen over the next six months.

[Jezebelle]

And there are some ignorant climbers, and climber-claimers, who think the world revolves around their sport, or wannabe sport, and the rest of the world can just go hang itself.

I've never seen so much haughty ignorance and nasty arrogance in one thread as I have seen from some of you on this thread. Ignorance and arrogance usually don't go hand-in-hand, but this has been a rare exception. I didn't have a bad opinion about climbers before this, but you're obviously mostly a bunch of "Clymers." Thanks for the eye-opener. It's been fun.

[bray]

Actually the news was all about a big windstorm with hurricane force winds that were predicted 4 days before they went up. That is why they opted for a quick trip and left much of their gear at the hut. That was a really bad gamble. The weather changes in minutes up there.

I have skied up there and perfect in the morning and then fogged in & 50 mph winds 2 hrs later.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[cerberus]

Enjoy your perfectly safe life. I pity you in a way.

[from occupied ga]

Enjoy your perfectly safe life. I pity you in a way.

Enjoy your immaturity - I don't envy it in the least

[antiunion person]

Are you aware of the danger of being in a traffic accident every time you get in a car?

RRR, getting into a car to go to work or anywhere else may be voluntary but it's not like going out of your way to climb a mountain or go cave diving for the thrill. I'm not sure about you, but driving a car and mountain climbing (in the wintertime) is like comparing apples to oranges. I knew I was going to get some resentful replies about my posts, but this is still the US and I still have the right to voice my opinion, as do you.

[antiunion person]

Of all the replies I received from my posts, well over half agree with me about a waste of time and how personal responsibility is being overlooked here.
To the people opposing my views, thank you for your opinions. BUT, I don't think you're thinking about the hazardous duty for the rescuers on that mountain. Do you realize the copter in the air IS the most dangerous helicopter? The Chinook is also called a flying gas can by people in the military either flying them or being transported by them. Do you know what it's like rappelling from a helicopter in sub freezing weather, high winds and the possibility of avalanches?
Like I said before, I feel sad for the families left behind due to the climbers NOT planning ahead. The weather report forecasted bad weather for a couple of days after the climb began. That's too small of a safety window for a 'professional' mountain climber to take.
As far as personal responsibility. People in this country have forgotten what personal responsibility and common sense are. IF, I say again, IF, people would think ahead about those two small items, we wouldn't have such a screwed up country.
Before you post a comment about this post, read it again and think, if "I" were doing something for a hobby and something happened to me, WOULD "I" want people to place their lives at risk such to save me because I was stupid.

[wndycndy]

Guess I'll go check out Cascade Climbers.com because this whole thread has gotten more boring and annoying than arguing with my own mother about the usual apples and oranges. Why are there so many non-climbers disrupting this thread. It's freaking annoying. Don't bother answering me because I'm not coming back. If you've never really climbed or loved a climber and you are all worried about rescue compensation than you will NEVER get it.
SEE YA!

[antiunion person]

Just in case you DO come back. One, I have done some climbing, with the 10th mountain division in Fort Drum NY. I have no love for it because I thought it just added danger to another dangerous job I had. Two,I also have no love to see other people (rescuers) getting hurt or even killed because three (pro) climbers decided to go and work on their techniques for an even harder and more dangerous. Obviously, all three climbers are dead even though two bodies were not recovered as of yet. It is very easy to get hurt or killed mountain climbing. The thing that pisses me off the most of this tragic event, is there was adequate weather forecasts to warn these guys off. They did not heed the warnings, when the best and most experienced would have stood down and waited for another day and better weather.
As I stated on previous posts, the only people I feel for are the families. Especially for the guy's kids, if they had any. Because of their stupidity and/or ignorance, their kids will never see their dads again. As for the wives, my heart mourns for them but for the same reason. I received many posts saying I was not human for not spending the money or risking the personnel to look for them. But overall, more people agree with me. They took their chances and paid with their lives. I am very glad no one on the rescue teams, ground or air, lost their lives or had gotten hurt looking for these guys.
This is the last time I will post on this subject. I'm sure some people will be happy to see this too. AP

[Jezebelle]

I agree with you 100%. There are some very selfish, immature people posting on this thread who think that because they get a thrill out of something, the world owes them a living. Anyone who disagrees with them is called a couch potato or a person too cowardly to really live life to the fullest, as though climbing a frozen mountain in the dead of winter is the only fabulous thing the world has to offer. One wonders why they weren't up there if this is such a great time to go. Why isn't the mountain crawling with other climbers?

On and on they posted about how experienced and prepared these guys were. Well, it turns out these climbers had the weather warning and they went up there WITHOUT the proper gear, no sleeping bags, no insulated clothing, little or nothing of what they would need to sustain them through an emergency. It would become a suicide mission if any one small thing went wrong, or any one climber was injured. I'm truly sorry they are dead, I really am, but it was a foolish, childish thing done through selfishness and over confidence. One of the blusterers posted a copy of a post from a site called "Cascade Climber", or something like it. I took a look at the site, read a lot of posts, and I never saw so much arrogance and childishness on one forum in my life. One guy even said he climbs because "I'm a selfish f***ker! Hahaha!" or something close to that. All in all, it's easy to see from that site that their arrogance is born of some sense of superiority they derive from climbing, and they feed off each other with it. That's why they show such contempt for those who choose other forms of recreation and condemn others as not measuring up to their level, which in reality is just a level of true stupidity, at least as to defending this particular climb goes.

I feel so sorry for the families of these dead men, them knowing it didn't have to be this way. May God bless them and bring them comfort.

[wndycndy]

Okay, after a few days at CC I'm back...hoping maybe you guys had something new. I've heard that the autopsy now reports that James Kelly was NOT injured...whatever really happened it seems we will probably never know.
I don't climb anymore but I was married to a top level climber for 10 years so I got dragged up enough mountains to know what it's all about (my hardest accomplishment was a 5.8, my husband and his brother were 5.11 caliber in the 1980's).
With the right equipement and weather forcasts I would say climbing is not really any more dangerous than driving to the dog shows that I now frequent (my new "sport."). Seriously, life itself is dangerous, there are no guarantee's and even the most cautious person can fall down the basement steps, etc., As was once stated so eloquently "No one here gets out Alive."
Let those guys climb. Live Free or Die.

Cindy

[bray]

Climbed South Sister once and they made me smoke my celebratory cigar on the other side of the mountain, second hand smoke. They all celebrated by eating dried watermelon, blech! Their moral superiority drips from their condescending faces.

I have the same pity for these climbers as I do for the average base jumper who dies. Tempt fate and it will win once in a while. Climbing under these conditions was nothing more than Russian Roulette.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[sissyjane]

I show dogs as well. What breed do you show? I have golden retrievers.

[wndycndy]

Hi Sissy,
I show Beagles. Click on my screenname and you can see my K9 Kids.
I'd like to say to the fellow who posted above about eating dried watermellon....my friends were not like that type of climber at all. They were also hunters and fishermen and smoked the kind of stuff that made you enjoy that second hand smoke if you know what I mean ;)
There was also always room in the pack for a celebratory bottle and that was my favorite part of the climb. Sitting up there, FINISHED with the physical exertion for the day and relaxing, exhausted, with a stiff drink, a small toke and a bunch of hard bodied young knuckleheads. We were good climbers and well prepared, but younthful and invinsible and probably the ones who should have fallen off the mountain around midnight but never did...and at least we weren't out drinking and driving and endangering others.
Those were the days. I don't miss them but they are fond memories.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Mr. CGG and I bred and showed Old English Sheepdogs for 25 years.

[wndycndy]

Now THAT's a lot of Grooming! Kudo's to you!
Got any puppers now? Why did you quit showing? You must have heard that Annie Clark passed away a couple days ago?

[sissyjane]

...and I think my dogs have hair!

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

We lost our last OES a few years ago but inherited a blind Springer from our daughter. Bogie and Mr. CGG had been constant companions since we got him but Bogie passed away about 3 weeks ago at age 15.

Mr. CGG said he needed time to think about another dog but now we're at the talking stage. He's ready. He just can't live without a dog. I'm gone a lot and a dog is his company.

How long have you been showing? Annie Rogers Clark had done a good job--most of the time. I always had respect for her. I thought I just saw her on TV recently.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Yea, I just refuse to do it anymore. Mr. CGG had to take Bogie to the groomer even for a bath. I'm burned out on hair.