OR OR - Kelly James (dead), Brian Hall, 37, Jerry Cooke, 36, Mt. Hood Climbers, Dec 2006

[Ca-Sun]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two prominent American climbers exploring a region of unclimbed 20,000-foot (6,100-meter) peaks in southwest China were last heard from in November and are presumed missing.

Fellow climbers in the United States say they and American and Chinese officials in China's Sichuan province have organized searches for the two. Christine Boskoff is one of the world's top female high-altitude climbers, and Charlie Fowler is a well-known climber, mountain guide and photographer.

Boskoff has ascended six of the world's 26,000-foot (7,900-meter) peaks, including Mount Everest. She owns Mountain Madness, an adventure travel company formerly owned by Scott Fischer, a guide who died on Mount Everest in the 1996 season, who was portrayed in Jon Krakauer's best-selling book, "Into Thin Air."

 

[Sundayrain]

Oh.......I guess this is a private site of three.........sorry.......

 

[Sassygerl]

There are avalanche and slide warnings.......Rain, creating ice, then snow on top....of course....avalanche material.

One to two feet of snow due tonight.....looks like snow Saturday also......
Sunday looks good....Oh MY time, time, .........so little time.

Tuesday they said was the turning on and off of the phone...Monday was the 911 call........

But it was just reported about new pings on CNN.........and this says LIVE show.

Pray...........................

Pings tonight???? That is awesome news!!!! If only the weather would get better I think of these three all the time and hope they are in a safe place and will be rescued soon.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Pings tonight???? That is awesome news!!!! If only the weather would get better I think of these three all the time and hope they are in a safe place and will be rescued soon.

Sg, I haven't been able to confiem any news articles of pings today--will keep looking.

T-Mobile also reported that the cell phone initiated a call Monday morning.

The Hood River County Sheriff's Office said T-Mobile continued to signal, or "ping," the cell phone Wednesday, but the last signal received was Tuesday night.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/14/missing.climbers.ap/index.html

 

[scandi]

That is good news Sundayrain, Someone reported it was kind of like an SOS.

Now why haven't we heard from the other 2 men? They have to have cellies too, right? I read they went to great measure in planning the trip and what they would take with them.

I don't know how they can stay in that snow cave all that time. Me, when I went camping 3 years ago and had to sleep in a small tent, I had to lay with my head out of the door to go to sleep That's called major claustrophobia!

I don't know why, but I think Mr James has a broken bone.

Scandi

 

[Sassygerl]

Sg, I haven't been able to confiem any news articles of pings today--will keep looking.

thanks....I sure hope it's true (haven't seen news tonight), but last I heard the last ping was Tuesday night. I would think if Kelly was turning the phone on and off he would have turned it on again since then. My concern is now the phone is out of juice....I just pray he's ok...as well as the other two. The conditions on that mountain are rough!

 

[Ca-Sun]

thanks....I sure hope it's true (haven't seen news tonight), but last I heard the last ping was Tuesday night. I would think if Kelly was turning the phone on and off he would have turned it on again since then. My concern is now the phone is out of juice....I just pray he's ok...as well as the other two. The conditions on that mountain are rough!

SG, all I've found regarding the cell phone is:
Also Thursday, authorities said a cell phone belonging to the climber believed to be in the snow cave was on briefly as recently as Tuesday. But for more than two days the phone has not responded to engineers' signals, sent every five minutes.

In response to its "pings," T-Mobile got a return signal from Kelly James' cell phone early Tuesday, indicating the handset was back on, when it had been off, authorities said Thursday.

Everywhere I looked the headlines appeared to be saying the pings were ongoing, but all the articles were pretty much the same - the last response they received was Tuesday.

 

[Ca-Sun]

Weather forecast for Mt. Hood:

Avalanche Warning Blizzard Warning Flood Watch Hazardous Weather Outlook High Wind Warning Special Weather Statement Flood Warning

 

[RoughlyCollie]

The weather is terrible, but the cell phone's ping means someone (or all) are living through it so far. That's good news.

God, I hope they make it. I hope an avalanche doesn't cover up their snow cave(s). I hope the two who went for help are holed up in a snow cave, too.

Brother stated "some kind of activity up there" ..(brother).they asked...." could it mean it was turned on and off" they said 'YES"........... Who he was asking I didn't catch................
Thursday...Wind , sleet and snow @ 100 MPH.....OH ..........not good.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Weather forecast for Mt. Hood:

Avalanche Warning Blizzard Warning Flood Watch Hazardous Weather Outlook High Wind Warning Special Weather Statement Flood Warning

It's going to be downright nasty:

SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE LATER TODAY AND THIS EVENING AS A STRONG
COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. HOWEVER...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE HIGH DURING THIS TIME...HOLDING AROUND 8000 FEET. SOUTH WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED THIS EVENING...WITH GUSTS OF 65 TO 85
MPH.

THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CASCADES BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 2 AM. BEHIND THE FRONT...WINDS WILL BECOME WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY...BUT REMAIN STRONG. EXPECT WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 75 TO 95 MPH. ON THE HIGHER PEAKS AND RIDGES ABOVE 4500 FEET...WIND GUSTS OF 100 TO 130 MPH ARE EXPECTED.

AT THE SAME TIME...SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP RAPIDLY...FROM 8000 FEET
THIS EVENING TO 2000 FEET BY DAYBREAK. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF A
FOOT OR MORE ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE CASCADE PASSES AND AT THE SKI RESORTS. IN ADDITION...EXPECT CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW ...WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS OCCURRING FREQUENTLY.

 

[cricket]

OK Scandi, I need you to proof this for all possible misinterpretations--JK

12-10-2006 On Sunday, Hood River County officials found the hikers' vehicle parked at the Tilly Jane ski trailhead, located at 3900', of the Cooper Spur ski area, with a note saying they would return on the north side of the Copper Spur area in case of an emergency or dangerous weather conditions.

Kelly James, called his son Jason Sunday afternoon, injured, and in a snow cave almost 11,000 feet up on the North side of Mt. Hood; Kelly sounded disoriented and said he had run into trouble, but did not specify a physical injury.

Buzzm1, I'm not Scandi, but I think this is still confusing because you say that he is injured - and then you say later that he did not specify a physical injury.

I think it would be more clear to state that his family thinks he is injured, although he didn't specifically state that he was, since they do not believe that the other two would have left him behind, unless he was unable to continue the descent.

 

[RoughlyCollie]

I think he either has a broken bone or a sprained ankle -- some injury that would prevent him from getting down the mountain.

It worries me that the other 2 probably have cell phones with them, yet no one has heard from their phones. Maybe they are all together after all.

Question: When the two men left Kelly in the snow cave, what were the conditions like? Would the weather have prevented them from making it down the mountain, or caused them to return to Kelly?

I'd be scared to death in a snow cave. I'd be worried that if I fell asleep I'd miss being able to signal the searchers.

If they are in snow cave(s), I bet they won't come out until the weather has cleared up anyway -- the searchers won't be able to find them if they are in there. For one thing, the wind itself makes a ton of noise, or at least it does here in the northeast when it gets going to 40+ mph. So the men in the snow cave may not be able to hear the helicopters. They have to be able to get out of there.

I hope the weather clears up soon. I hate to think of those poor men having to wait another 2 days for rescue.

That is good news Sundayrain, Someone reported it was kind of like an SOS.

Now why haven't we heard from the other 2 men? They have to have cellies too, right? I read they went to great measure in planning the trip and what they would take with them.

I don't know how they can stay in that snow cave all that time. Me, when I went camping 3 years ago and had to sleep in a small tent, I had to lay with my head out of the door to go to sleep That's called major claustrophobia!

I don't know why, but I think Mr James has a broken bone.

Scandi

 

[Buzz Mills]

The weather is terrible, but the cell phone's ping means someone (or all) are living through it so far. That's good news.

God, I hope they make it. I hope an avalanche doesn't cover up their snow cave(s). I hope the two who went for help are holed up in a snow cave, too.

RC, they are pinging the cell phone periodically but haven't received a response back from the cell phone since late Tuesday night.

 

[RoughlyCollie]

Hi Buzz. What were you going to buy at Costco? Nosy, I know.

I thought a poster said that a ping was heard today.

RC, they are pinging the cell phone periodically but haven't received a response back from the cell phone since late Tuesday night.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

I believe Greta asked a question about whether the other two men had cell phones with them and the answer was "We don't know".

 

[Buzz Mills]

Buzzm1, I'm not Scandi, but I think this is still confusing because you say that he is injured - and then you say later that he did not specify a physical injury.

I think it would be more clear to state that his family thinks he is injured, although he didn't specifically state that he was, since they do not believe that the other two would have left him behind, unless he was unable to continue the descent.

I said he was injured; I didn't say that he did not specify a physical injury (that was Scandi, I think). Oops, he didn't specify a physical injury to his son.

He's injured and unable to make it back down the mountain, without considerable help; that is the only reason for him being in an ice cave in between 10,000' and 11,000'.

Let's hope they all make it down.

 

[cricket]

According to Oregonlive.com, they are now saying that the last real ping was from 1:51 AM Tuesday morning, not Tuesday night. Bummer.

Does anyone know if the other two do have cell phones, or if they only took one phone with them?


Mt. Hood officials say Tuesday phone activation a 'nonevent'
The Hood River County sheriff’s office is backtracking from an earlier announcement that one of the climbers missing on Mount Hood may have turned on his cell phone as recently as Tuesday night.

Sheriff’s officials said this morning that Kelly James’ phone transmitted a signal at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday from where the Dallas, Texas man is thought to be sheltering in a snow cave near the summit.

The announcement gave hope to the families of James and fellow climbers Brian Hill and Jerry “Nikko” Cooke, who have been missing since last week. The location of the latter two men is not known.

The signal late Tuesday is now considered a “nonevent” that could have been caused by a dying battery, weather or some unknown circumstance, said sheriff’s Sgt. Gerry Tiffany.

“It’s nothing we can hang our hat on,” he said.

The last time technicians at James’ cell phone service provider, T-Mobile, heard with any certainty from James' phone was hours earlier, said Tiffany.

“We got a definite ping at 1:51 Tuesday morning, and that’s the last confirmed signal we’ve had from the phone,” he said.




Link:

http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/oregonian/index.ssf?/mtlogs/olive_oregonian_news/archives/2006_12.html#215597

 

[Ca-Sun]

*OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES AND CASCADE PASSES NEAR
AND WEST OF THE CREST, INCLUDING STEVENS PASS AND
SNOQUALMIE PASS AND WHITE PASS, MT HOOD AREA--
...AVALANCHE WARNING..
Increasing avalanche danger Thursday becoming high
below 7000 feet by Thursday afternoon through Thursday
night. Slightly decreasing danger by early Friday, but
remaining high above 4 to 5000 feet and considerable
below. Increasing danger Friday morning through Friday
afternoon becoming high above 4000 feet and
considerable below. Slowly decreasing danger Friday
night becoming high above 5000 feet and considerable
below

 

[Buzz Mills]

Hi Buzz. What were you going to buy at Costco? Nosy, I know.

I thought a poster said that a ping was heard today.

No pings today that I have been able to find RC. Costco, I don't need anything, although I always manage to find an item, or two, (or 10, or 12) usually on sale, that I will buy. I also pick up supplies for a friend who owns a beauty shop; it saves her a lot of time. I was going to buy a 4 lb. bag of pistachios for snacks in my computer room, and who knows what else??

 

[Buzz Mills]

According to Oregonlive.com, they are now saying that the last real ping was from 1:51 AM Tuesday morning, not Tuesday night. Bummer.

Does anyone know if the other two do have cell phones, or if they only took one phone with them?


Mt. Hood officials say Tuesday phone activation a 'nonevent'
The Hood River County sheriff’s office is backtracking from an earlier announcement that one of the climbers missing on Mount Hood may have turned on his cell phone as recently as Tuesday night.

Sheriff’s officials said this morning that Kelly James’ phone transmitted a signal at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday from where the Dallas, Texas man is thought to be sheltering in a snow cave near the summit.

The announcement gave hope to the families of James and fellow climbers Brian Hill and Jerry “Nikko” Cooke, who have been missing since last week. The location of the latter two men is not known.

The signal late Tuesday is now considered a “nonevent” that could have been caused by a dying battery, weather or some unknown circumstance, said sheriff’s Sgt. Gerry Tiffany.

“It’s nothing we can hang our hat on,” he said.

The last time technicians at James’ cell phone service provider, T-Mobile, heard with any certainty from James' phone was hours earlier, said Tiffany.

“We got a definite ping at 1:51 Tuesday morning, and that’s the last confirmed signal we’ve had from the phone,” he said.




Link:

http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/oregonian/index.ssf?/mtlogs/olive_oregonian_news/archives/2006_12.html#215597

I hate to see them backing off from a positive statement made earlier. It's a downer.