Crews reach stranded Mount Hood climbers

[piedmont]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17219953/

GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. - Three climbers stranded on Mount Hood after a fall were rescued Monday after spending the night amid ferocious winds and blowing snow.

"Their condition is very good at this time," Russell Gubele, coordinating communications for the rescue operation, told CNN. "They were located in the area where their mountain locator units suggested that they were, and we finally got some of our rescuers down there to them. They are fine. They are being warmed up right now and fed by our rescuers."

edit: added link

[Carni]

1. Does anyone know why they had a dog with them?

I didn't know people took dogs along with them on climbs!?!??

Whatever the case may be it's good that these people have been safely rescued.

[hlthe2b]

2. Is the dog ok, too?

yes, that IS an additional prime concern for me....

[Carni]

4. Yes! The dog has also been rescued and is OK! eom

[hlthe2b]

6. ahh, good.. then it is a really happen end, all around..

Smoochies to the poochie! LOL

[Carni]

11. I was more worried about the dog than the people

As horrible as that may sound (yeah yeah I know) the people had a choice in the matter when they set out on that climb, where as the dog didn't!

[schmuls]

12. That's exactly how I feel about it! It wasn't the dog's choice!

[pecwae]

10. Thank you for that!

I had heard it was a black Lab and was helping to keep the climbers warm while stranded. I was afraid it might get overlooked. Happy to hear about all those rescued!

[xultar]

15. The dog was my primary concern. I don't mind if they fuck themselves up

but I'll be DAYUMED if they fuck up a dog's life.

Then I'll get medieval on their asses.

[Radio_Lady]

17. OT: There was a feature on a cable channel about a rock-climbing dog.

Did anyone happen to see it?

Looked like a wire-haired fox terrier or Jack terrier.

He just followed his owner on climbs, and he seemed pretty sure-footed.

But in a snowy climb? Not such a good idea... unless he's a St. Bernard with some booze in a cask on his neck!

[ORDagnabbit]

3. and are they required to have insurance just in case?

who pays for all these rescues of independently planned personal joy trips?

We the taxpayer gets the bill. weeeee.


sorry just a lot of stupid people up on the mountain this year and it irritates me that there isnt mandatory mountain climbing insurance that would make the climber responsible for paying the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to bring their silly asses back down.

[Hawkowl]

5. Idiots

These idiots need to be presented with a bill for all cost of the rescue efforts. The dog was the ONLY reason to mount a rescue effort.

[Double T]

8. The humans should be brought up on charges for putting the dog's life........

in danger.

[PearliePoo2]

9. who the hell

takes a dog on a mountain climb through ice and snow in the winter???
Maybe there's info I don't know about and circumstances I'm not aware of, but on the surface I see this as animal abuse.....
Poor dog.

[Divernan]

7. Y'all recall the saying "three dog night"?

Snuggle up with three dogs to keep warm. One article said they were cuddled up with their black Lab to use the dog's bodyheat to keep warm.

[schmuls]

13. I always have a three cat night!

[xultar]

14. They got the dog right! the Lab they had with them is OK right!!!!

I don't care if they risk their lives but they shouldn't risk the dogs life.

[piedmont]

16. Sounds like they did.

Dunno what they were thinking taking the dog up there. I wonder if they underestimated the risk?

[Oreegone]

18. Here in Oregon

The state is debating a law to make people take those locators with them climbing. There are a bunch of climbers all pissed off about it. They think it is taking away their rights.http://www.kptv.com/news/11052639/detail.html

Here is my proposal.... If you don't want to take it with you, you foot the bill for the rescue. If you don't want to do that, well we just won't come look for you, you are on your own.

The rest of us don't go around putting ourselves in a situation like this on a regular basis, expecting to have the government pick up the tab for our hobby....what BS....35 climbers have died in the last 25 years.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/02/19/hood.rescue/

Sorry I am just sick of the HUGE taxpayer expense to go get these idiots climbing in the middle of the freaking winter....and taking a dog, now that is criminal.

[leftyclimber]

19. 50% of Oregon SAR budget goes to day hikers and

mushroom pickers.

3% goes to mountain rescue. It's just much more tabloid news friendly, because it televises better. Better have day hiking and mushroom-picking rescue insurance, too, then, because it's really freaking irresponsible to go outside and have a problem.

And compared to the tens of thousands of successful ascents and descents of Hood that have happened in those 25 years, there have been only 35 deaths. This may sound cold, but that's statistically insignificant and no reason to change the rules. They are the exception.

And these people are a prime example of why MLUs are a bad idea. They fell. They were OK. They hunkered in for the night. They were OK. They called in Portland Mountain Rescue et. al EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE OK.

And they were too fucking stupid to know that you don't stand on cornices. And they had a GODDAMN DOG UP THERE!

(okay, breathe, lefty. These people embarrass me. And I'm cranky because I'm in the process of quitting smoking.)

The big point, though, is that something went slightly wrong, and they went, "ooh! I have an MLU!" and --poof!-- rescue. They didn't require one. They could have gotten down under their own power. If they had known that PMR wasn't sitting at the ready waiting for their ping, they would have been forced to take care of themselves. Dumb bill. It'll cost SAR (and local law enforcement, etc.) more because more people who shouldn't be up there will be going because it's become easy and convenient to call in a rescue.

And, since I'm assuming that these people paid taxes, regardless of how stupid I think they were, they had paid for their rescue.

Sign me a pissed off native Oregonian, two days smoke free.

edit: apparently I was leaning on the Enter key. Sorry.

[depakid]

20. "you don't stand on cornices..."

I reckon not...;-)

Also, the MLU won't do much good unless you're conscious and can turn it on....

I don't understand why people aren't more respectful of the weather around here. Sure, we had a little break on Saturday- but it was sure to be followed by a nasty white out.

It must be snowing like hell up there right now:

Conditions at Zigzag

Winter Storm Warning in effect until 4 PM PST this afternoon...

Windy. Snow may be heavy at times in the morning with blowing and drifting snow reducing visibility to one quarter mile or less at times. Snow level 2500 feet lowering to 1500 feet in the afternoon. Snow accumulation 10 to 15 inches heaviest above 4500 feet. Pass winds southwest 15 to 30 mph. Gusts to 55 mph decreasing to 30 mph in the afternoon.

(That's not even on the mountain!).