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3 Lost on Mount Hood


cluck

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www.katu.com

 

BREAKING NEWS: One climber found dead

 

Portland Mountain Rescue officials confirmed Sunday afternoon that crews found the body of one climber in a snow cave different from one that officials zeroed in on earlier in the day.

 

 

 

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That "Y" does seem to be sort of an anchor. It's like half a bollard and half wrapped around the rocks (you can see the rope wrap around the rock and then disappear). And then the bottom leg of the "Y" looks like it may have been covered with snow...so they may have been purposefully making it into an arrow showing a direction. Just a thought.

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In their notes they stated their escape route was the South side.
I thought all along the escape route was to come back down the north side. People have stated that their route wasn't easy to come down, and possibly not the best choice.

 

I just saw the infamous upside down 'Y' shape on the news. Initial reports were that it was made with a rope. What I saw was a shape in the snow. It's huge. I don't know how one person could make that, or what equipment they used to make it, but for the brief second I saw it, it looked like two wide riding lawn mower tracks, side by side to increase the width. For one person to do that would be incredible. But the Y was upside down with the stem curving off to the left. Weird.

 

I also saw the peak of the mountain, just above the area. For any person, injured or not, to get over the top of that in it's current condition seems unplausible to me, with or without help. Has anyone ever done it?

 

I'm thinking that with all the SAR's, the aircraft, the nicer weather, both sides of the mountain being covered all the way to the top, for one of THEM to not have run into a rescuer somewhere is discouraging. I don't get it.

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i don't know how to put words to what i'm feeling

 

mt hood has always felt like an extra room in my house - a great big playroom - intimate, familiar...home. i feel as if a crime has now happened inside my demense - a murder, a rape, an unspeakable act of violence - i fear that it will be a long time before i will be able to walk on that hill i love so much without seeing the ghastly fingerprints of the tragedy. i want to go back now very soon - as soon as the mountain clears again i will return, if only to excorcise the demon that has temporarily claimed it. i don't need to look like some voyoeur on the crime scene. i need to forgive the mountain, and try too to forgive myself for the things i am inexorably drawn to do to those who love me.

 

perhaps it's best not to anthropomorphize the mountain? - it is afterall only an immense piece of frozen lava thrust high up into the rarified and stormy pacific airflow - it doesn't care about me or you or anyone - it has no sense of self, no spirit - it is rather for we humans, especially we climbers, to infuse that lifeless mass of rock and snow with the charity and warmth of human endeavor, with a soul of memories from countless excursions up its graceful flanks - undboutedly that glow will dim for awhile, but it will not die - as long as men and women feel the nebolous desire to test themselves in tempestous places it will be a home - i hope for all of us, most particurarily the families of the lost (a band of the bereaved that includes many more than just the families from this most recent tragedy), that the seasons will renew in us the love of nature that was our birth-right, that time will erase the memories of the horror and confusion and agony of this terrible theft, and leave us in the end with only the cherished memories of happier times and the people we shared them with, when the fate that hangs over all our heads was not known to us, when it seemed that the smiles could never die.

 

the mountain will live longer than all of us. longer than our children. longer than our race. it will last longer than any tombstone. it is therefore a fitting and appropriate memorial for all who have left their lives there. please don't look towards it with hate. let that go. go there again soon, with me if you want, or alone which is often much better - go there and look up from timberline, or make tracks up the long slope - go there and remember it is a place of dreams, even if sometimes they turn to nightmares - in the morning we will all wake and it will better - believe it.

Edited by ivan
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Sounds like it was just Kelly's injury and that there was no urgency in getting help. Otherwise, I think he would have called 911 instead of his dad. All we know is that he called and said he was held up in a snow cave with his buddies descending for help. Never heard any other information. You would think that he might of said how and what was hurt, which way the guys headed down, and what kind of gear/supplies he had. Not sure if his call was cut-off or something. As methodical as they were about leaving notes, you would think some information would have been passed on during the phone call.

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I don't think anyone knows why one climber was left on his own by his two partners.

 

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.

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