Comment on Climber’s death on Mount Hood underscores dangers

Climber’s death on Mount Hood underscores dangers

GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. — Oregon’s tallest peak rises above the streets of downtown Portland, its gorgeous snow-capped slopes luring 10,000 climbers a year. The picture postcard view of Mount Hood makes it one of the most visited snow-capped peaks in the U.S., a destination to check off during any respectable visit to the City of Roses. “It just stands there and calls to you — and during clear weather like we’ve had the past couple of days, that mountain is there calling to anyone who’s ever thought about climbing it,” said Mark Morford, spokesman for Portland Mountain Rescue. But Mount Hood’s accessibility and beauty obscure a treacherous history that once again came into focus Tuesday, when one man plummeted 1,000 feet to his death and three more were stranded on its icy slopes as a storm approached. More than 130 climbers have died trying to reach the top of the dormant volcano, including a party of school children and teachers who froze to death in 1986 and several climbers whose bodies haven’t been found. Compounding the difficulty Tuesday’s rescue was the fact that for at least several hours, officials weren’t sure exactly how many people remained on Mount Hood.

 

Comment On This Story

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More U.s. News