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zip_ty
Dec 14, 2006, 7:17 PM
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Yes, they said that they received notice from T-Mobile that it was turned back on Tuesday night.
taken from oregonlive.com
In reply to: The cell phone of one of three climbers lost on Mount Hood since the weekend received a signal from the cell phone company late Tuesday night, “indicating it was back on,” authorities said Thursday. The AP is reporting that the T-Mobile cell company has been signaling the cell phone since climber Kelly James, 48, used it to call his family on Sunday. On Wednesday, the company said the phone went silent the day before. But on Thursday, the Hood River County sheriff’s office said that at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday “T-Mobile received a signal on the phone indicating it was back on, when it had been off.” The sequence of signals suggested that James may have been turning his cell phone off to conserve battery power, a possibility that brought hope to family members who have gathered near the mountain. “My heart was in my throat when I heard that, because if it’s true it means Kelly is alive, and he has his wits about him,” his brother, Frank, of Orlando, Fla., said at a news conference. T-Mobile also reported that the cell phone initiated a call on Monday morning. “If a call was attempted it was not completed,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. The sheriff’s department said T-Mobile continued to signal, or “ping,” the cell phone on Wednesday, but the last signal received was on Tuesday night. Rescue workers confronted stormy weather on the mountain again Thursday and said they would be searching lower elevations in hopes that James’ two companions, Brian Hall of Dallas and Jerry “Nikko” Cooke, of Brooklyn, N.Y., had gotten down from near the top of the mountain, where James was believed holed up in a snow cave.
Edit: my time frame was a bit off in my mind but this is the latest information to come out of the press conference they just held. Oregonlive.com played the conference live but I couldn't get it because my work wouldn't download the patch needed to make it play.
(This post was edited by zip_ty on Dec 14, 2006, 7:20 PM)
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pyramid
Dec 15, 2006, 3:19 PM
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Didn't the weather service predict a storm coming that would last a week? Of course they did. To say this could have happened to any of us is incorrect. Most mountaineers wouldn't have set themselves a rigid timetable to climb Hood.
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chugach001
Dec 15, 2006, 4:09 PM
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Keep the faith!
My wife and I lasted 8 days in an emergency snow cave once. Photos on my profile.
Back in 1976 some guys made it 13 days in a cave on Hood.
Pray for calm skies and stable slopes.
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majid_sabet
Dec 16, 2006, 6:51 PM
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12-16) 10:41 PST Hood River, Ore. (AP) --
Rescue teams set out before dawn Saturday in an all-out search for three men missing on Mount Hood, taking advantage of a long-awaited break in the brutal weather that had hobbled their efforts all week.
About 25 hand-picked rescue mountaineers were making their way up the south side of the 11,239-foot mountain, and 30 others started up the north side, Hood River County Sheriff Joe Wampler said at a news conference. He said the team on the south side would attempt to reach the summit.
Other teams were spread out elsewhere on the mountain, including paramedics and avalanche experts, he said.
The searchers were treading carefully to avoid starting snowslides, sheriff's Sgt. Gerry Tiffany said.
"With all the snow and wind from the last five days there is concern of avalanche dangers," Tiffany said.
In all, about 80 climbers were to take part Saturday, along with helicopters. A C-130 military cargo plane with heat-detecting devices made three passes over Oregon's highest mountain Friday but found no sign of the climbers.
At the news conference with Wampler, the mothers of the three missing climbers choked back tears as they expressed hope their sons would be found.
"I know my son's coming down today," Lou Ann Cameron of Bryant, Ark., said of her son, Kelly James. "It's my birthday. He wouldn't miss my birthday."
Wampler said the chances of finding the climbers alive would be improved if they had held onto the "bivvy sack" sleeping bags they said they had taken along. Some climbers stash gear such as sleeping bags and backpacks to lighten their load as they head to the summit, then pick it up on the way back down, but he said searchers had not found any gear left by the three men.
"They either stashed it really good, or they have it with them," he said. "If they have it with them, it greatly increases their chances."
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anson
Dec 17, 2006, 11:58 PM
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12/17 4:00 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061217/ap_on_re_us/missing_climbers
One dead body reported found in a second snow cave. It's a one-line article, so I expect a longer article should be forthcoming in minutes.
-aB
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nightlion
Dec 18, 2006, 12:45 AM
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R.I.P.
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moose_droppings
Dec 18, 2006, 12:56 AM
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Condolences to the family.
Hope they still find the other two alive.
Prayers and thoughts.
(This post was edited by moose_droppings on Dec 18, 2006, 12:58 AM)
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majid_sabet
Dec 18, 2006, 1:37 AM
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4:14 p.m. December 17, 2006
HOOD RIVER, Ore. – Teams looking for three missing climbers on Mount Hood found a body after searching a second snow cave near the summit on Sunday, an official said.
“We have found one deceased at this point,” said Pete Hughes, a spokesman for the Hood River County Sheriff's Office.
* More than a week after three climbers went missing on Oregon's Mount Hood, rescuers discover what appears to be a snow cave.
He said the body had not yet been identified.
The body was found in a snow cave – but not the one that was first searched earlier on Sunday, he said.
“Our hearts are going out to the families right now,” said Capt. Mike Braibish, spokesman for the Oregon National Guard.
He said it is not yet known how the body will be brought down from the mountain.
“We need to determine the safest way to make a recovery,” Braibish said.
The second cave was located in the same area as the first snow cave, officials said.
Braibish said rescuers would be coming off the mountain early Sunday evening and will review the information gathered today before making tomorrow's plans.
“We remain hopeful,” Braibish said. “We are going to still collect information and pursue the rescue of the two other climbers.”
A sleeping bag, ice axes and rope were found in the first snow cave, said another sheriff's office spokesman, Sgt. Gerry Tiffany.
Tiffany said earlier Sunday after finding the first cave that another snow cave was likely. It is believed that both caves are in the region where missing climber Kelly James made a distress call with his cell phone to relatives a week ago.
Taking advantage of clear skies and a sharp drop in the wind, rescuers focused on the first cave Sunday after a helicopter spotted a rope laid out in a Y-shape, which climbers often use to signal their location.
Footprints were also found at the site. Tiffany said the prints appeared to head up the mountain, toward the summit but were blown out by the wind at higher points.
Weather conditions have been harsh since the three were reporting missing eight days ago, with heavy snow fall and wind gusts of up to 100 mph. The snow stopped Saturday, but wind up to 50 mph blew the fresh snow, hampering visibility. Skies were blue Sunday, the wind was still, and temperatures at the 11,239-foot summit were reported near zero degrees.
Searchers dug through the first cave, about 300 feet below the summit, to ensure no one was there and took the equipment, which officials will examine for clues.
Tiffany said its clear that whoever stayed there “hunkered down in the snow and they survived there for a while” and that they climbed out and could have made a snow cave elsewhere.
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bounty
Dec 18, 2006, 4:21 AM
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Updated: 1 hour, 23 minutes ago
HOOD RIVER, Ore. - Rescuers looking for three missing climbers on Mount Hood found a body Sunday in the area where one of the climbers made a distress call last week, authorities said.
The dead climber had not yet been identified, said Pete Hughes, a spokesman for the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. The victim was believed to be one of the three missing climbers, authorities said.
The body was found in a second snow cave near another such cave where rescuers found a sleeping bag, ice axes and rope, officials said.
Rescuers were coming off the mountain Sunday evening and planned to resume the search for the two others Monday, authorities said.
NBC VIDEO
• Body found
Dec. 17: NBC's Peter Alexander reports on the latest in the search for a group of missing climbers on Oregon's Mount Hood.
Nightly News
“We remain hopeful,” said Capt. Mike Braibish, spokesman for the Oregon National Guard. “We are going to still collect information and pursue the rescue of the two other climbers.”
Teams of climbers and a helicopter will work Monday to remove the body from the 11,239-foot mountain, said Marc Smith, also a spokesman for the Hood River Sheriff’s Office.
Near the first snow cave, helicopters had spotted rope that had been intentionally laid out in a Y-shape, which climbers often use to indicate their location. There was also an ice spike and footprints, said Sgt. Gerry Tiffany, spokesman for the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.
The footprints appeared to head up the mountain toward the summit, but were blown out by the wind at higher points, Tiffany said.
Searchers dug through the first cave, about 300 feet below the summit, to ensure no one was there and took the equipment, which will be examined for clues.
Weather conditions have been harsh since the three were reporting missing eight days ago, with heavy snow fall and wind gusts of up to 100 mph. The snow stopped Saturday, but wind up to 50 mph blew the fresh snow, hampering visibility. Skies were blue Sunday, the wind was still, and temperatures at the summit were reported near zero degrees.
There has been no communication from Kelly James, 48, of Dallas, 37-year-old Brian Hall of Dallas, or 36-year-old Jerry “Nikko” Cooke of New York City since Dec. 10, when James used his cell phone to call his family. He told them he was sheltering in a snow cave while his companions started back down the mountain, apparently to get help for him.
The last clue to their whereabouts was a brief signal returned from James’ cell phone Tuesday.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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g
Dec 18, 2006, 10:07 PM
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I don’t do big peaks, I just don’t think it is worth it. If something goes wrong, it is going to go really wrong. You have far better chances of survival in simple rock climbing, a bigger margin for error. Anyway, I don’t do that, but I think I have a decent understanding of it all from general climbing experience, and the news has given me some entertainment.
Take the “ice spike” that was outside of the cave, I’ve never heard of an “ice spike,” but whatever, I knew what they were talking about. How about on CNN when they were showing the SAR team lowering someone from the summit to the cave. The guy they were interviewing said that they were all huddled up, probably trying to come up with a game plan. They couldn’t have possibly been monitoring the system and assisting with the lowering of a team member. Another time I heard the anchor ask how they communicated on such a high peak? Bendix King and Motorola’s would be my guess. I mean, how are radios to function when you have line of sight all over the place!
One other thing that I keep hearing is a Y, “which climbers often use to indicate their location.” Maybe this is some obscure mountaineering thing, but I’ve never heard of this. Anyone else know about this?
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j_ung
Dec 19, 2006, 3:23 PM
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I'm in the same boat as you, g. I mentioned as much to my mother when she asked me about the Y. That was when rescuers were trying to get to the first snow cave. I told I've never heard of the Y thing, which didn't mean much alone, but that the lack of heads poking out from the cave with rescuers so close might be a bad sign. The cave was empty.
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whipperman
Dec 19, 2006, 3:59 PM
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I'm pretty sure the Y thing was an equalized two-piece anchor that was outside of the snow cave and was used to anchor themselves to the steep North Face in which they dug into. Probably two pickets (or screws) connected with a bright colored cordelette. Overhand knot tied into the cordelette to equalize the two pieces makes a nice looking Y. It's pretty common to have an anchor outside of the snow cave in case somebody decides to go sleep walking.
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dynoho
Dec 19, 2006, 4:13 PM
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They just showed the "Y" on the news. It looked very much like an anchor as described above. Anyone else heard of using this as an indicator for direction headed?
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wanderlustmd
Dec 19, 2006, 8:10 PM
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http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/19/missing.climbers/index.html
They found a camera on the body. That's the latest.
 Hope they get lucky
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the_peak_bagger
Dec 19, 2006, 11:04 PM
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Last I heared they Had found fixed lines down the mountain but NO signs of climbers. They thing they fell off the side and they will have to wait till spring to find the bodys if they have been there long. That is the update Igot an hour ago
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nuts_bolts
Dec 19, 2006, 11:29 PM
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I have a friend who is in one of the SAR teams. He said the "Y" was a self-equalizing anchor as guessed above. The other two climbers may have used this to repel off of. Apparently the other two climbers couldn't find the "pearly gates" which would have led them to the main south side route, which they were planning to descend. Since they couldn't find the gates they must have tried to descend via a different route.
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turtleass
Dec 20, 2006, 1:05 AM
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CNN is reporting that they didn't even have Avy beacons on!
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billl7
Dec 20, 2006, 1:24 AM
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Have been following the applicable CC.com threads; 1 of the threads is identified in this thread and the 2nd CC.com thread is referenced at the end of the 1st.
Here's a summary from my perspective based on what seem like credible reports on those threads.
If the notes the climbers left are any indication then they probably tried to exit via Cooper Spur. Based on that, on the photos in James' camera and on tracks:
Imagine looking down on the volcanoe with a clock overlain with 6 o'clock being north and Cooper Spur being about 8 o'clock. They summited via 1 of the North Face gullies (pics in James' camera). At the summit they went to find Cooper Spur which is roughly at 8 o'clock.
For some reason (high winds and white-out conditions?) they went too much towards roughly 9 o'clock and dropped down several hundred feet before realizing their mistake. They made the 1st cave which was big enough for 3.
Likely, somewhere along the way to the 1st cave, there was an accident and James sustained a dislocated shoulder - possibly other injuries unkown; 1 scenario would be arresting a fall by the other 2. (edit: the dislocation was in error based on a subsequent autopsy).
There are strong indications that the men were traveling light and not prepared for an extended stay on the mountain (i.e., more than 1 night was stretching it).
Probably next day the 2 left for help without James (probably for dire reasons), going counter clockwise to get back on Cooper Spur. They overshot and ended up back on the north face but probably did not realize it until it was too late (again, white-out conditions?). This is where the anchor ("Y") was found and where the 2nd cave (think improvised belay ledge) was found.
The media has been circulating a pic with a "Y" that is made of steel cables - not related at all. The involved sheriff has speculated that perhaps shortly after where the anchor was found the other 2 got into trouble (definitely a relative term here).
Peace to the 3 men and their close ones.
Bill L
(This post was edited by billl7 on Dec 21, 2006, 2:48 PM)
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wanderlustmd
Dec 21, 2006, 2:42 PM
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http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/20/missing.climbers/index.html
Search is over, unfortunately no one was found. Regards to the families and RIP
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