Hot dog helps Mt. Hood climbers survive cold

[LinasK]

Rescuers credit Velvet the Labrador with keeping three people warm overnight after they fell into a crevasse.
By Sam Howe Verhovek, Times Staff Writer
February 20, 2007



SEATTLE — Three climbers can thank their black Labrador for keeping them warm until their rescue from Oregon's highest peak Monday, a day after they had slipped and fallen into a crevasse.

One rescuer said the dog, Velvet, had played a critical role in keeping the man and two women warm enough in "hellacious" winds and heavy snow on Mt. Hood.

"The dog probably saved their lives" by lying across the three of them during the night, said Erik Brom, a member of Portland Mountain Rescue, a volunteer group that helped locate the missing climbers shortly before 11 a.m.

The happy ending to the tale contrasted with a tragedy on 11,239-foot Mt. Hood that captured international attention in December, when one climber died and two companions went missing and are presumed dead after bad weather struck them near the summit.

The three rescued climbers "did everything right, and that's what makes the difference between a successful rescue and a recovery," Lt. Nick Watt, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.
One woman was taken to the hospital for a possible concussion sustained in the fall; the other two appeared to be OK. They walked down much of the mountain and rejoined five climbers who had been on their team, Watt said.

Velvet, who was attached to a rope the climbers were holding when they slipped over the edge, appeared unhurt.

Another key element in the rescue was a locator unit the climbers carried.

They activated the transmitter shortly after they fell into White River Canyon on Sunday during near white-out conditions, about 8,200 feet up the mountain.

The beacon helped the rescue team find the climbers.
more at link:http://www.latimes.com/news/printed...0feb20,1,5208666.story?coll=la-news-a_section

 

[samhoney]

Bless that dog's heart.

 

[curious1]

I have already posted this elsewhere, but I want to post it here as well.

Now the idiot climbers will get the idea that it's a good idea to take your dog with you hiking and we will start to hear about climbers and DOGS dying on the mtn. If people want to go up there and prove something to themsvelves that fine, but leave Fido at home. Don't make that choice for him to go you will be directly responsible for their death if you take them. I hope climbing experts will now go on tv and shout this not just say it would not be a good idea tell them NOT to do it, the dog will die.

 

[Jade]

Velvet is not the first dog to save hikers in alpine conditions. I read an interesting article about the Monks in the Alps and their St. Bernard Dogs. I will look for the article tonight and then try to find a link. I think it was in Smithsonian magazine.
When we stayed at Mt. Hood at the Timberline lodge we meet the St. Bernard mascot Bruno.

 

[LisainWV]

I get aggravated that these people decided to go hiking and climbing at this time of the year and then put rescuers in harm's way to go drag their asses down.

And, ditto on the dog idea. Way to go Velvet, but, folks, please don't take your dogs!!

 

[scandi]

True Jade, but St Bernards were created to do well in very cold climates, and think they have 2 coats of hair, one being underneath with shorter hairs. Labs aren't as well insulated.

He is a neat dog, for sure, and I'm sure his owner and friends are going to take really good care of him. Whoever has that brown lab photo here, isn't he a cutie pie. When you look at his pic you want to give him a big hug!

 

[Jade]

Hi Scandi!
Yes, St. Bernards much better for suited for the conditions.

Now for another tidbit without a link- my daughters’ boyfriend heard that there was a dog that hung out around the Lodge in the 1920s or 30s that followed hikers up the mountain regularly.
I am not surprised to hear since it is a deceptively easy hike in the summer and I can see how a dog could follow.

In a peril filled trip a few years ago in August we took the ski lift to the top of the mountain wearing jeans, tennis shoes and sweatshirts took off across the glacier headed for the hut. Right when we realized it was further than it looked white out conditions came out of nowhere. By the time we made it back to the ski lift it had stopped. Luckily the weather cleared and we made out the Lodge so we knew what direction to go found the service road and followed it down. We continued on our trip along the western coast planning to swim in Oregon but surfer attacked by shark, had Oregon fruit in the car going into California, picnicked at a Crescent City beach while a series of small earthquakes took place in Alaska [luckily no Tsunami], froze in San Francisco, thought that it wouldn’t take long to get from Monterey to San Simeon on Hwy 1 so started at dusk, dodged cougars at the Redwoods and Cuyamaca, set up our blankets against an unstable cliff at Torrey Pines and went swimming in a rip tide, then ran low on gas in the Anza Borrego Desert with temp about 102. There ought to be a law against dummies like us!
:loser:

 

[curious1]

hee hee hee


Glad you made it back in one piece Jade.

 

[scandi]

How Funny Jade! If you read that CascadeClimbers site there are several climbers who have posted they also take their dogs up.

Also, these people were rock climbers primarily, and not mountain climbers per se. There is a difference in the two sports, the main one being dealing with major snow. The climbers at that site thought this is probably why they walked off that cliff.

 

[Rum Tum Tugger]

I have already posted this elsewhere, but I want to post it here as well.

Now the idiot climbers will get the idea that it's a good idea to take your dog with you hiking and we will start to hear about climbers and DOGS dying on the mtn.

If people want to go up there and prove something to themsvelves that fine, but leave Fido at home. Don't make that choice for him to go you will be directly responsible for their death if you take them.

I hope climbing experts will now go on tv and shout this not just say it would not be a good idea tell them NOT to do it, the dog will die.

Curious1 ... THANK YOU!!

That is exactly what I accessed this thread to post.

Very well stated! :clap:

Rum Tum

 

[Opie]

Hi, RumTum--
Still following your good advice and posting every day on the animal help site.
Thanks for steering me in that direction.

 

[curious1]

Thank you RumTum. I am just so tired of children, animals and the helpless suffering at the hands of idiots that can't seem to think through things. When you have an idea stop and think of what all the outcomes could be. Then choose the one that would cause less grief for yourself and others, including pets, it's not rocket science folks, it's called good old fashioned common sense. Thank you very much.