Clavote

I will not guess but provide some context. I have seen multi-system trauma patients in my training and work (usually alcohol related). This can occur in falls, MVA, ATV accidents; work and play. Falls can result in long bone fractures, internal hemorrhage, closed head injuries (CHI); alone or in combination. Of course the more injuries the more complicated and increased chance of morbidity and mortality. Coupled with environmental extremes, fluid loss, baseline functioning, heat loss and distance from definitive care and outcomes grow worse. This pretty much can be anywhere; cold Everglades, hot humid south, Death Valley, elevated and glaciated peaks, Escalante, etc, etc. I hope Mr James didn't suffer much or alone. God rest his soul. And may his partners emerge from a hole alive and in one piece. I can not agree more with the way you put it in context. Getting even a sprained ankle is a signal event that could complicate your situation, no matter how ideal the conditions when you're in that environment. The weather and temperature extremes as well as the altitude can compound the seriousness of a sprained ankle, by a lot. This is a simple but common accident at sea level, but on a mountain, it could be a much more severe situation. The number one injury in mountaineering is falling. Many people twist or sprain ankles if not break legs. I've seen plenty of helicopter rescues even in great summer weather, on Hood. Mt. Hood can throw serious situations at any time of year. Mountain climbing IS inherently dangerous. The SAR folks have been incredible. I can see their pain in knowing the window of opportunity to find survivors is closing. They made every effort to find climbers who made plans any experienced mountaineer might have made. It looks more and more like an accident happened and we will have to wait the final report from the sheriff.

Great shots. You really captured the beauty of winter. Winter does make available some routes not really doable in summer and it also closes off some routes due to avi danger.

I avoid avalance land whenever I can so I can travel faster solo. No need for a beacon here because as a lone climber, I'm likely to be toast. Not in this instance. If I have a partner and we were not tied together maybe I would take one. Maybe, because we might both be toast. Maybe one person will have a hard time finding me, but maybe he wouldn't. Depends on how quickly he could get to me. Gray area. In a group of people, who are spread out in case of avalanche, I would take one. They should all have their own units, probes and shovels. I might survive this scenario if the weight and force of the avi hitting me did not toast me then. But this is the ideal situation to take one. I have been thinking about a PBL (satelitte beacon) since that just makes what is essentially a 911 call with your GPS coordinates.

"I'm new to climbing too, Kit and I think that's why I've lurked here too...even if it's a long shot, I needed to hear from real climbers that their skills and supplies can culminate in a miracle." Wow, do people read this shit in an REI flyer or something? Maybe a few extra cliff bars in the pack would have produced a miracle.

If it's made into a moview Fox will prodcue it and air as a "very special" segment. And they will make up shit to get higher ratings. Fox won't make up the tontons. This would just be too fucking tree huggerish and not believeable.

Metronatural - Because your momma shops for your ass at REI

Thanks for the welcome to Spray Lambone I like the backroom a lot better. Even if the orange shag carpet smells like bong water.

I just found this part of the website. I've been reading your forums on cascades for a long while now. Thanks for the really great information too. I registered some time ago, way after starting to read it for mountain information. However, I have never posted and today was the first time I have participated beyond reading. I've stuck to the basic forums and stuff and never dug deeper. I'm impressed with this part and very relieved that the people posting over there are not representative of the regulars. I had no idea that this part was freer. I had not idea this was even being discussed here until I saw, by chance, that thread while looking for some conditions reports on this site, as I normally do quite often. I think I'll be more regular if the religion Q decreases. No offense to those of you with religion.

I am also basing my speculation on earlier comments about Kelly James possibly suffering a concusion at the time he made the call. I think the poster makes sense. He may not have been able to self asess in that condition. No one could. Hypothermia, shock. If there was an accident and he survived with little gear, but he had a cell phone, and he was injured with a concussion he may have had a hard time explaining his situation and relaying his position for rescue. His explantion as to the whereabouts of his friends may indicate a concusion or head injury. Maybe he fell or something fell on him. Even in winter when the snow keeps hood together a random rock/ice/snow fall could have been unavoidable and could have been the precursor problem if there was a subsequent fall.

ScaredSilly, I agree. Why leave your hurt partner, your rope, tools, etc..? He only had half an orange left for food as was reported in the paper. Why would his companions not leave him food/fuel if they would be back down at the car with suplies/help? They leaving him while a cell phone was available seems unlikely and that is why sadly, I think there was an accident. I'm not sure how distant apart the caves were. I wonder if both caves were on the NF? I wonder the time span between building of the snow caves. Perhaps the second cave was dug after the accident? That might indicate why there is only one person's gear and shared gear missing. Extra gear, food/fuel may have been carried by the two other climbers. The most obvious question is why not just a direct call to 911 if you have a cell as you pointed out. Even if one is hurt and you have two that are healthy, you call 911. I can not speculate if they had a signal or not. Maybe they/he moved and dug a second cave in a different location to get a cell signal? I do want my speculation to be wrong and have two survivors.

Mt. Hood has always been a greatly underestimated Mt. and it has taken many people because of the unexpected. Even experienced mountaineers have gotten into trouble on this mountain. I don't know anyone who I climb with that wants to die "doing what they love doing". The goal of mountaineering is to live. That is why my buddies and I take the risks of climbing on mountains. These climbers were experienced and seem to have made an effort to get information prior to the climb. I don't think they underestimated the Mt. because other climbers reported they were geared up well. More than likely it was an accident. An avalanche or a fall where the anchors failed. A fall on the NF may have been the start of their problems as someone from Texas said. I have seen the weather on hood change very quickly and I think this may have been a contributing factor as it certainly would have compounded the problem of survival after an accident. Weather would have been a serious problem, at that altitude, even without a prior accident. I have not heard that the climber in the cave had any heat source. As someone else pointed out so correctly,Mt. Hood in winter is cold, wet and windy. You can only survive so long under these conditions without an external heat source like a candle or better yet a stove to help dry clothes and to melt water or make a warm drink to keep you from hypothermia. Perhaps the other two climbers did fall and they took some critical gear like a stove with them. There were two caves. The first cave seems to have gear for one person. They did not say what gear was in the second cave where they found the body. That might be a clue as to wether the other two climbers left gear behind when they went off to get help after their friend was hurt or it was just his gear, since his friends already died in a fall or avalanche. Two axes and a bag sounds to me like one ice tool and one axe and his bag. Does not sound like someone left gear. The "Y" does not look like a signal to me. From what I saw on TV was a shot of an anchor. It looks like the picture of the rope anchor was turned horizontal. Perhaps he was belaying from the top? Perhaps the other two did leave him in the cave and descended the NF from that anchor and had an accident. I can not tell because of the scale. I am not sure if it's a buried anchor or made with ice screws into hard ice beneath the snow. Nothing can bring back the one deceased climber and little can be said to console the families. Perhaps the dialog here will prevent others from going through the agony these families have experienced. Condolences to the families for their loss and thanks to all the SAR people for their efforts.