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3 Lost on Mount Hood


cluck

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That was what I was fearing all along... that the other two always carry their cell phones. If so, why have they not tried to use them? If they were turned on... why has no "ping" been reported from their phones?

 

I am soooo sorry for these families... this has been a nightmare of a week for them.

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Does anyone think that maybe there was an ave before James Kelly called his family and he was the only one that made it out--he stated he was wet and cold--well how did he get so wet--maybe the other two just didn't make it from the beginning--sorry to sound like this but something just doesn't make sense here--I have been watching this web site all week and my heart goes out to everyone involved in this incredible search and rescue--

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Think you're right Mt. Hood History. Lost track a LONG TIME AGO of how many people have veered mistakenly towards Zigzag Cyn. It has been happening for decades. In fact, that's one of the ways to guage how well prepared someone climbing the mountain really is. Any future climbers would be wise to study this commonly made mistake. You can chalk up a lot of lives to this mistake.

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Does anyone think that maybe there was an ave before James Kelly called his family and he was the only one that made it out--he stated he was wet and cold--well how did he get so wet--maybe the other two just didn't make it from the beginning--sorry to sound like this but something just doesn't make sense here--I have been watching this web site all week and my heart goes out to everyone involved in this incredible search and rescue--

As far as what exactly the accident was, I'm not sure its fair to speculate, but the other two already being lost unfortunately seems plauible. Knowing that they were dead, but not wanting to think about it or break the news to his family could have contributed to the "delerium" of his responses regarding them.

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climberwanttobe,

 

That's why Mt. Hood is not a safe place to climb in the winter. The weather is almost guaranteed to be wet, cold, windy, and predictably unpredictable. Guaranteed. A cell phone, sat phone, or radio will work, but no one can get to you. Modern technology sometimes makes us seem closer than we really are, sometimes that's good and sometimes it's not so good.

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He also thought his partners were on a plane and the other in town so any self medical assessment is probably out.

 

Not being an ass here. just an observation.

 

True, he said one was flying his plane, and the other had gotten to town.

So, he was either in an altered state of consciousness at that time, or he was in a state of denial/ shock which we use as a method of short term self- preservation.

We think he was in preservation mode, wanting to live, to have hope, and for his family to have hope for him.

We think the other two fell to their deaths together on the NF.

 

One of our buddies is a pilot, and everyone who knows him knows that he hopes that God takes him home while he is doing what he loves best- flying.

He has said as much, with the caveat that he doesn't want anyone to be injured or hurt when he goes and that he hopes it happens when he is quite a bit older. Maybe some of you who are climbers can relate to the desire to pick and choose your time and way of death... I don't know.

 

We believe that it is possible that one of the other guys ( not sure if it was Brian or Nikko) had the same absolute love of flying and this was Kelly's way of saying " He's not with us any longer".

 

James wasn't delirious or confused about several things he told his family. He was also able to dial the correct phone number, whether on speed dial or not, he had to remember WHICH speed dial number and do it correctly. I don't see that as a person with a low Glasgow Coma Scale score, but I could be wrong.

 

 

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Texan,

 

Actually, one of the traits which circumvents a GCS score is a repetitive motion combined with habit. And in some tests, cell phones were precisely the activities which were able to be completed when a person's GCS score was low. Think about it, how often do you dial a frequently called cell number, or speed dial. You need the lowest amount of thinking, hand-eye coordination and motor skills to complete the action. But good way to bring up the topic.

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As we sat glued to Fox news this afternoon, the ups and downs were agonizing. The final reports of a fatality were very emotional for us and the feeling of utter drain that the families must be experiencing is unimaginable. Our hearts go out to all involved. We still have 2 up there to keep our hopes up. Tomorrow is another day....

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If you look at the photo of the footprints headed up the mountain from the area of the snowcave, it looks like there are two sets of steps at times. I can zoom in on the steps and on the upper part of the mountain there is a little light on them. Pretty sure there are two sets there, but I am possitive there there are two sets of tracks from ice axes digging in. The ice axe prints are two close together to be from one climber. I also don't think that if Kelly would have climbed that slope, that he would have down climbed it. Once you make that commitment, you are not turning around. We all know downclimbing is harder, even more so if you have to self belay. At that point you would definetly take the easy way down.

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