PMR Searches for 3 Missing Climbers on Mt Hood
Monday, December 11, 2006
Link to the North American
Mountaineering Accident Report Form
PMR had 16 searchers in the field on Monday looking for traces of
the 3 missing climbers. Nine PMR members, working in 3 teams, searched
portions of the climbers' route on the North side above Cloud Cap. A Crag Rat
team searched this area as well.
Skiing up near Languille Crags in sustained winds
© Iain Morris (Portland Mountain Rescue)
Two rescue team members reported high sustained winds
with gusts estimated at above 60 (both were blown over several times) and
very limited visibility. The North side teams searched until a self-imposed
mid-afternoon cutoff time and found no signs of the missing climbers.
Looking down on the Coe Glacier, on the north side of Mt. Hood
© Iain Morris (Portland Mountain Rescue)
Seven PMR members, working in 2 teams, searched the south
side. The teams were transported by snocat to about the mid-station on the
Palmer lift; that was as far as the snocat could go. One team headed for the
Hogsback and the other for Illumination Saddle. Both teams were
recalled by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office IC at about 1:30 pm
because of deteriorating weather conditions (high winds and limited visibility
similar to that experienced by the North side teams). The Hogsback team reached
a point about 200' below the top of Triangle Moraine and the Illumination
Saddle team was within about 1/4 mile of the Saddle when recalled.
There will be about a dozen PMR members participating in the
search on Tuesday.
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