Mt. Hood Accident?

[Ursa_Eagle]

Oregon National Guard - Oregon Army National Guard supports rescue - 06/24/05

The Oregon Army National Guard launched two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters at 8:55 a.m. today from the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Salem to aid in the rescue of a person on the east side of Mount Hood.

 

The Office of Emergency Management said the person is lying motionless in the snow at a location near Government Camp.

 

<no more pertinent info>

 

Anyone know anybody who was going up today? I've only found the info on KGW as of yet (and there's not much there...)

[Camilo]

Didn't make it. My condolences to the victim's family.

11:44 a.m. - Oregon Army National Guard finds climber deceased

Press Release from: Oregon National Guard

 

The Oregon Army National Guard recovered a climber from the east side of Mount Hood this morning. The victim was found deceased after what was described as an unsurvivable fall.

 

Soldiers hoisted the victim into a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and then took him to Mount Hood Meadows where he was turned over to officials with Hood River County.

Edited June 24, 2005 by Camilo

[Ursa_Eagle]

I guess they were on Cooper Spur.

Whoever it was didn't make it

 

MT. HOOD – A climber who fell on the east side of Mt. Hood Friday morning was found dead, authorities said.

 

The man, who was not identified, died from what was described as an "unsurvivable" fall.

...

The climber fell about 6:15 a.m. on the Cooper Spur route, in the area of Newton Clark glacier, according to witnesses and Hood River County dispatch.

[spacely]

I know some folks who were planning on cathedral ridge today so I'm relieved to know it probably wasn't someone in their party. my condolences to the victims family and friends.

[ryland_moore]

I am assuming the fall occurred on the way down???? Might be the first fatality on this route if it were on the way up. Anyone have more details? My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends....

[Couloir]

B-Rock was talking about going up to Snowdome today. I hope they stuck to their plan.

[Winter]

I just called and it isn't B-Rock. They wouldn't release the name, but they told me it wasn't him. Condolences to the family and friends.

[Couloir]

Good news about b-rock. Bad news about whoever it was.

 

From KOIN news website:

 

A search plane reportedly spotted the climber's motionless body at about 8,400 feet on Newton Clark Glacier on the Cooper Spur route. He apparently fell about 1,200 feet.

 

Either the guy fell from above the Spider (unlikely) or someone at these news organizations needs a copy of Oregon High.

[Ursa_Eagle]

from kgw:

"The man's name wasn't released; he was identified only as a 34-year-old Seattle resident."

 

My condolences to his friends and family

[Fairweather]

A search plane reportedly spotted the climber's motionless body at about 8,400 feet on Newton Clark Glacier on the Cooper Spur route. He apparently fell about 1,200 feet.

 

Either the guy fell from above the Spider (unlikely) or someone at these news organizations needs a copy of Oregon High.

 

If you've ever climbed the Wy'East chimney in very soft-snow conditions then you'll understand there is a moderate pucker-factor involved in being only about 150 feet above a near-vertical drop while on a 50 degree slope. (aka, The Black Spider) I suspect this is the deal here...but maybe not?

[jaee]

From Seattle PI:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=OR%20Climber%20Death

 

The climber was identified as Todd R. Engelhardt, 34.

 

My condolences to his family and friends.

[mtngrrrl]

 

Edited June 26, 2005 by mtngrrrl

[nonanon]

^^^ Yup, me too. ^^^

 

A very cool, sweet guy was our Todd. He'll be missed.

[Juan]

Does anyone know who he was with? Someone told me they were going there to solo that route on that day or the previous. Just curious.

 

This is very sad news.

 

John Sharp

[Couloir]

...who he was with?

solo = not with anyone.

Edited June 28, 2005 by Couloir

[gearbot]

 

A nice story:

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/230336_climber28.html?searchpagefrom=1&searchdiff=0

[Couloir]

Good read. Thanks gearbot.

[goatboy]

...who he was with?

solo = not with anyone.

 

So Couloir, what do you call it when you free-solo something with a partner who is also free-soloing?

 

I call it "soloing." But you can do it WITH someone.

 

Not trying to be , but I think you're implying that Juan's question is a dumb one, which it isn't.

[Couloir]

So Couloir, what do you call it when you free-solo something with a partner who is also free-soloing?

 

I call it "soloing." But you can do it WITH someone.

 

Not trying to be , but I think you're implying that Juan's question is a dumb one, which it isn't.

My only point was that from all reports the guy was alone...COMPLETELY alone. Maybe I was the one that misunderstood Juan's question (if I did Juan, I apologize).

 

I agree with you about the different kinds of soloing. I guess to me, it's context. I suppose you could say that two guys (or 3 or 4 or whatever) could "free-solo" anything. I would call that soloing. One guy, one crux, unroped. "I soloed the Eiger Norwand." "I soloed Mt. Defiance." It's all relative. And given the follow-up info we have about this cat, his friends bailed and he went up ALONE. Which in my judgement, on this route, on this day, may not have been a wise choice.

 

Note to all: If I used this thread inappropriately to answer goatboy's question, I apologize. He and I should have started a new thread to discuss these issues.

Edited June 29, 2005 by Couloir

[Juan]

I understand your point Couloir, and no offense taken. I have read that others watched him fall, which made me think it was a pair or more on the route (including the deceased), who were climbing unroped (which I don't believe was the case), or that he was in fact without partner, but not alone on the route, which is what the media implied. I believe a pair of brothers watched him fall, according to the Seattle Times obituary today.

 

In any event, for what it is worth, I consider it soloing to be without partner even if you are not alone on the route. If complete solitude were required to be considered solo climbing, then we'd have to go pretty far afield to truly solo.

[blue_morph]

You guys should take this crap to a different thread.

[goatboy]

My apologies for thread drift, especially on a thread of this nature.

 

Condolences to the friends and families of the deceased climber.

[TJD]

My condolences to family and friends.

 

For the grace of GOD there go I.

Edited June 30, 2005 by TJD

[Chriznitch]

obituary

[Juan]

Sorry Morph. I must have missed the lesson on what can be written on a thread involving a climber's death. I thought factual info and questions related thereto were fair game. My bad. Thanks for setting me straight, whoever you are.