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3 Lost on Mount Hood


cluck

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Many speculating about what happened aren't looking closely at the available info, at least as it's been reported. James called last Sunday. He was in a cave, near the summit, hurt (or "in trouble"), and his two teamates had gone for help.

 

The info you cite was from a phone call James made in which he seemed delirious, according to his family. It's possible some of what James said in that call was truthful, but it's also possible that none of what he said was.

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Many speculating about what happened aren't looking closely at the available info, at least as it's been reported. James called last Sunday. He was in a cave, near the summit, hurt (or "in trouble"), and his two teamates had gone for help.

 

The info you cite was from a phone call James made in which he seemed delirious, according to his family. It's possible some of what James said in that call was truthful, but it's also possible that none of what he said was.

 

Oh please. You've been watching CNN, haven't you.

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Signing off for the night, great forum, great experience in here, keep the thoughts positive but we all know that one has passed on and we need to pray very hard tonight for better news tomorrow and maybe we will not get that news and we need to know that these guys really loved to be out there and we cannot judge that right now, good night to all, see you tomorrow

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To all the cascade climbers who've posted here, from a southerly (CA) hiker/scrambler: despite moments of acrimony, your board has been a bastion during these agonizing days. I'm sure the families of the climbers understand the occasional spats, & have focused on your messages of support & your expertise, however tactfully (or not) expressed. I've learned plenty, lurking here. To all the SAR people posting, reading, or out somewhere, much gratitude. I've seen you guys in operation in the Sierra, levitating straight up a cliff with 90 lbs of rescue equipment on your backs, leaving moutain goats agog. Ordinary mortals who love the mountains owe you a huge debt. Don't be too impatient with us as we bumble along trails that are child's play for you.

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i just wanted to post my theory of the two snow caves. do you think it was possible that kelly made the first cave, with no cell left and realizing his partners weren't coming back, tried to get out, make signals to be found? i think the first they found was kelly's he made, left it and left supplies behind with the intent of retrieving to that cave after making some visible signs, i.e. the supposed "Y". i think he intended to return and thus why the supplies were in the first cave. got lost or delerium from hypothermia and couldn't find his original cave so he dug another up higher thus the finding of the second cave with the body. no insight as to what equipment was found nor identification yet. i am sure that will be released in the morning.

 

i think the other guys truly set out for help, left kelly behind, and some how got into trouble.

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No, haven't watched TV news all day. Source for the original phone call story:

 

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121606dnmetclimbers.11dd082b.html

 

 

Hmmmm. Okay, these are interesting details. Aside from the comments about his partners, though, he sounded fairly lucid, though certainly in trouble.

 

In any case, I'm as guilty of speculation as everyone else.

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okay i said i was signing off but ran back in for one more look at the forum, no I am not going away from this forum, it has been very educational for me and also have learned a lot from you guys, unless you are suggesting that we are bothersome to your forum, I will not return. Please let us know what you are thinking???

 

Thanks

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the times about come to stop worrying about details - it's over folks - time to let the folks who have the grieving to do to get to it w/o the temptation to continue to follow endless speculation over crap that truly does not matter. no amount of reconstruction reverses that fact that 3 men are gone. so what if you had a play-by-play, minute-by-minute transcript of the events? - unless you're a relative or friend it's just morbid curiosity - and if you did know the deceased, the search to understand what happened will never end, no matter how many more details you acquire. start healing. start remembering the good times. turn the tv off. make your last thank-yous and go back to the bosum of your diminshed family. if you've the blood of a good irish-man like me, it's time to tie one on nice and tight, and please let other people do all the buying. there is no concievable lesson to be learned here beyond the fact that mountaineering is indeed dangerous, especially in winter, regardless of training or equipment. and that death for young men in good health is not cool.

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climberwanttobe, i think the issue that is perplexing is what/who were they trying to anchor. I'd actually like to know where on the mountain this was found - the reports were saying that it was close to the caves but I'd like to know how close. I.e., how are the caves and the rope anchor related?

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The wind-scoured tracks and axe holes suggest the three were going up together. I wonder where the anchor was relative to the snow caves. It seems to suggest that two tried to rap down from the upper cave. Its a little odd that they would have left the rope as a rap anchor, the way it is tied it couldn't be retrieved and it would have been useful for the terrain below. Maybe they didn't have any long slings, but then why didn't they cut a piece of the rope off? If they went down the Elliot, the best hope is that they are in a schrund or crevasse lower down and alive but unable to climb out...hope for the best.

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go back to the bosum of your diminshed family. if you've the blood of a good irish-man like me, it's time to tie one on nice and tight, and please let other people do all the buying. there is no concievable lesson to be learned here beyond the fact that mountaineering is indeed dangerous, especially in winter, regardless of training or equipment.

 

Yikes. This might be the most ignorant post or comment—including those from the bozos on fox—I've heard since this incident began. In fact, there is MUCH to be gleaned by parsing the details of this accident, from building a snow cave, to what to bring on a climb (winter or summer), to how to stay alive until someone gets to you if you're in trouble. To dismiss this without discussion disrespects the climbers far more than analyzing the particulars of their demise.

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I echo ivan's sentiments.

I actually appreciate and respect those who came on this site to offer support and are honestly curious as to why someone would take such a risk, knowing the possible outcome. I think this is an open door for climbers to help others understand how passionate we are about what we do. With that understanding, we might have more support and less criticism from the general public when situations such as this hood incident happens.

 

I dont remember who said this earlier, but climbers (in general) are afraid of rules and regulations put on them- when it comes to climbing. When these kind of stories become a focus of the media/public, then the questions of regulations comes into play.

 

I've read a great deal on other sites and overheard many about the money necessary for this rescue and who is going to pay. I find it appalling and makes me doubt humanity when I see that being more of a concern than a human life- Whether it be a climber, hiker, boater, homeless person, uninsured, etc. I would prefer my mention of this topic not become a debate. With the example, I just wanted to point out how nice it is to come to this site and see new folks genuinely concerned about the human beings involved.

 

I dunno, to me that just implies that despite the bickering and silly banter on this site, we still somehow attract a compassionate crowd.

 

Anyway, there are a lot of details missing right now. Some may forever be unknown. Others are being discussed at this moment. Without at least some of those details, its just a viscious circle of speculation that probably doesnt do anyone any good.

When the information is all gathered by those in the field, it will be passed onto the public.

 

Until then, do what ivan said!

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so as soon as this is over are all you people going to go away?

Do I sense some hopefulness?

 

I'm an Oregonian who does not climb--I have been following this forum for days now in an effort to get a perspective from folks who share the same passion and love as the three missing climbers; I can get factoids from cnn or kgw but I wanted to hear how fellow climbers feel and try to gain a bit of your knowledge.

 

I love Mt. Hood---and I feel some strange sense of responsibiity that three men traveled from afar to recreate in our state and met with such tragedy. Thank you to those who have patiently explained technical terms; thank you to those SAR folks who have tried so hard; and my heart goes out to the three climber's loved ones. God bless them all.

 

 

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