Lyn

For the few here who have not read it, you may find this a good exercise in "speculation" and "the steep price of ambition". Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/199609/199609_into_thin_air_1.html

Mount St. Helens, Washington is "steaming" right now, perhaps preparing for an eruption. Here is a link to the web cam. The photo updates about every 5 minutes, but if you refresh you sometimes get a new photo sooner. Mount St. Helens webcam: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

Yep, the last snow cave was the 6th or 7th they dug. I only quoted a part of the article (but gave the link). A great story - 3 teenagers, leave their map in the car, get lost, dig 6 or 7 snow caves, two fall into crevasses & rescue themselves, on Hood 16 days and were never afraid. They only dug 3 caves, the last of which had a tunnel that was 45 feet long by the time the storm was over. And they were VERY afraid. Mr. Knapp was interviewed on CNN. He said they built 6 or 7 snowcaves (he wasn't sure which). He said they were never afraid but always cold Here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1753891/posts

The article did not give a date: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121606dnmetclimbers.11dd082b.html

Mr. James and Mr. Hall had been in trouble before. On their first climb together, they got caught in a white-out blizzard for five days atop Alaska's Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. After the storm broke, they scaled the mountain's 20,320-foot summit. Mr. James has been climbing mountains for 25 years.

Your post, Lambone, was the first insulting post. You were baiting, when you said:

Yep, the last snow cave was the 6th or 7th they dug. I only quoted a part of the article (but gave the link). A great story - 3 teenagers, leave their map in the car, get lost, dig 6 or 7 snow caves, two fall into crevasses & rescue themselves, on Hood 16 days and were never afraid.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1753891/posts The Oregonian ^ | 12/15/06 | Survivor of '76: If we made it, they can too Just part of the story: Three teens walked out after 13 days in a snow cave on Mount Hood 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. Knapp, 48 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 said they continually watched their altimeter, which works off a barometer and signaled when weather was coming in. On the last night, high pressure moved in and Knapp said he dug out the opening. It had snowed so much that the entrance tunnel was 40 feet long, and there was 15 feet of snow on top of them. The searchers had been out for 12 days and were about to give up. A Sno-Cat picked them up and took them to Timberline Lodge. Each had lost about 30 pounds, Knapp said. While he was missing, Knapp said his family was glued to the evening news. The reports continually speculated that the boys would not survive. "It was a source of tremendous strain on my family to listen to the negativity coming out of some of the press, not all of it," Knapp said. He and his buddies went back and climbed Mount Hood the next year. Wary of publicity, they used false names in the climber's register, Knapp said. These climbers were teens and they knew what to do to survive. The climbers on Mt. Hood now are seasoned. They can make it.

On CNN, Randy Knapp told about his climb and rescue on Mt. Hood in 1975. He said he and friend survived for 13 days in 5 or 6 separate snow caves that they dug.

Stranded climbers have lived a week or more in snow caves if they had adequate food and supplies. But Mr. James and his two companions planned a fast and light two-day trip up Mount Hood, according to notes they left behind. In e-mails detailing their packing lists, Mr. Cooke planned to carry a half sleeping bag – an insulated surface to sleep on – but it is unclear what gear the others took. Mr. James and Mr. Hall had been in trouble before. On their first climb together, they got caught in a white-out blizzard for five days atop Alaska's Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. After the storm broke, they scaled the mountain's 20,320-foot summit. Mr. James has been climbing mountains for 25 years.

Some members of the Hood River search-and rescue-group, the Cragrats, called last week's expedition up Mount Hood foolish and reckless. "It really is risky," said Devon Wells, an assistant fire chief and Cragrat, who first scaled Mount Hood at 8 years old, the youngest person on record. "It seems like if they would have looked into any resources ... I doubt it would say, 'Climb Mount Hood in the middle of a snowstorm in December.' "

According to the phone call placed by James last Tues., the other two went to get help. That's why he was left alone. We don't know yet which of the climbers was found today. Until the final chapter of this story is known, there are many more questions than there are answers, unfortunately. It's worse than that: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121606dnmetclimbers.11dd082b.html'>http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121606dnmetclimbers.11dd082b.html "By the tone of his voice, I could tell something was really wrong," said 25-year-old Jason James. "I went into 911 mode." He learned his dad was dug into a cave on the northern face of Mount Hood near the summit. Half an orange remained in his food supply, he was lying on his backpack to stay off the snow, and he was weak, cold and wet. "He just said he was exhausted, and that's why he was stuck there," Jason James said. The 48-year-old landscape architect offered "delirious" answers when asked about his climbing partners. "He said Brian was in town looking for help and Nikko was on an airplane," Jason James said. Disturbing quote from this article: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121606dnmetclimbers.11dd082b.html But some members of the Hood River search-and rescue-group, the Cragrats, called last week's expedition up Mount Hood foolish and reckless. "It really is risky," said Devon Wells, an assistant fire chief and Cragrat, who first scaled Mount Hood at 8 years old, the youngest person on record. "It seems like if they would have looked into any resources ... I doubt it would say, 'Climb Mount Hood in the middle of a snowstorm in December.' "