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PMR Rescues Stranded Dog and Owner on Mt Hood Saturday, August 9, 2003 For the second time in two weeks, Portland Mountain Rescue rescued a dog from Mount Hood's Zig Zag Canyon. On July 31, PMR extracted a golden retriever from the steep canyon and on August 9, PMR saved a beagle and his owner from nearly the same spot.
A sharp switchback along the Timberline Trail (Mt Hood Trail #600) has been the site of two recent dog rescues and a nearby overlook in the same area saw another dog rescue in July 2001. The edge of the switchback (see photo at right) drops steeply into Zig Zag Canyon and can easily injure or strand persons or animals that fall there. Both recent rescues resulted from unleashed dogs that explored too far past the protective railing at the edge of the switchback. The dogs were unable to avoid the quick drop off and ended up needing technical extraction from the canyon. On Saturday, an unleashed beagle slid down the canyon and his owner soon became stranded after attempting to rescue his pet.		The less-than-dog-friendly switchback on Timberline Trail PMR rescuer Chris Ledoux helps Auden the beagle back to safety
Due to the owner's predicament, the Clackamas County (OR) Sheriff contacted PMR to extract the owner (and his beagle) from the Canyon. PMR rescuers Chris LeDoux (shown above with the dog) and Marty Johnson were the first to respond to Timberline Lodge and hiked nearly 4 miles to the scene. They, along with PMR's Rocky Henderson, were able to safely remove the stranded pair from the Canyon. The subjects were in good health and, along with the PMR team, hiked back to Timberline Lodge. Note: PMR responds to missions based on requests from the presiding sheriff or government organization. On Mount Hood, the Clackamas County Sheriff does not usually conduct rescue missions for stranded pets unless humans are in danger or there is some extenuating circumstance. As such, PMR would like to encourage dog owners to be aware of the trail conditions and leash their pets when around steep cliffs and other difficult terrain. A small measure of preventative actions can save dog owners and their pets a great deal of stress and worry and avoid unnecessary injuries or deaths.