Mount Hood search delayed

HOOD RIVER, Ore. – Hopes that Saturday would be the day three climbers missing on Mount Hood would be located were dashed as searchers had to suspend their efforts because of high winds, swirling snow and the approach of nightfall.

After blizzards during the past week, rescue coordinators had hoped for a break in the weather. They got one, but it was brief.

Skies were clear in the morning, but the weather worsened around midday.

Winds up to 50 mph kicked up soft snow, limiting visibility to as little as 20 feet in the upper elevations, making footing tricky and increasing avalanche danger. Search teams also were hindered by the cold.

“It wasn’t quite the dream picture we had hoped for today. But there is the chance tomorrow will be a better day,” said Sgt. Sean Collinson of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

He said a C-130 aircraft equipped with thermal imaging would continue flying around the mountain during the night, hoping to detect body heat from the missing climbers.

Ground teams were to continue searching today.

There has been no sign of the three missing climbers – two Texans and a New Yorker – since 48-year-old Kelly James’ call from a snow cave last Sunday.

It is believed the two others in the climbing party – Brian Hall, 37, of Dallas, and Jerry “Nikko” Cooke, 36, of New York City – tried to descend the mountain to seek help. James is also from Dallas.

The last clue to the climbers’ whereabouts was a signal returned from James’ cell phone on Tuesday.

Before dawn on Saturday, 25 rescue mountaineers began making their way up the south side of the mountain, and 30 started from the north side, said Joe Wampler, sheriff for Hood River County. Both teams started at about 6,000 feet.

Just before midday, a small team moving from the south had reached 10,600 feet, said Sgt. Gerry Tiffany, with the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. They had hoped to summit and descend down the north side, but they had to turn around.

Blackhawk helicopters worked the north side of the mountain, also hoping to find signs of the trio.

At a Hood River news conference earlier Saturday, the mothers of the three missing climbers choked back tears as they expressed hope their sons would be found on Saturday.

“I know my son’s coming down today,” said Lou Ann Cameron, of Bryant, Ark., mother of James, who was last heard from on Sunday when he placed a call on his cell phone from a snow cave near the summit to tell relatives the climbing trio was in trouble.

“It’s my birthday. He wouldn’t miss my birthday,” she said.

Wampler, the sheriff, said chances of finding the missing climbers alive would improve if they kept sleeping bags they had presumably taken with them on their attempt to summit Mount Hood.

Some climbers “stash” gear like sleeping bags and backpacks to lighten their load as they summit, picking it up on the way back down.

Wampler said searchers have been unable to find a stash of gear left by the three climbers.

“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 of survivability.”