–11 Dresbeck, Rachel. “Tragedy on Mount Hood.” Pp. 135-144, Oregon Disasters, p. 143.[1]

— 9 Chicago Tribune. “Mount Hood may keep secret…details of…ordeal.” 5-17-1986, A3.

— 9 Seattle Times (Jack Broom and Steve Bovey). “Mount Hood Tragedy of 1986.” 7-25-1986.[2]

— 9 The Oregonian “1986 Mount Hood climbing disaster never ended for one…” 9-5-2014.

— 9 UPI. “Doctors hope two survive Mt. Hood Tragedy.” 5-16-1986, p. 7.

Narrative Information

Seattle Times: “….The Mount Hood climb was an annual event for sophomores at Oregon Episcopal School and was part of the school’s “Basecamp” wilderness-experience program.[3]

“Of the 19 climbers who started the hike at Timberline Lodge at 3 a.m. on May 12, six turned back early because of illness or exhaustion. The rest climbed to above the 10,000-foot level by about 3 p.m. when they were turned back by poor weather conditions. At night, the climbers dug a snow cave for protection.[4] The next day, one student, Molly Schula, and a guide, Ralph Summers, walked down the mountain to summon help.

“The following day, May 14, search parties found three climbers who had died from hypothermia. The other eight were found on May 15 in the snow cave. Only two, Brinton Clark and Giles Thompson, survived….”

AP, May 15: “Timberline Lodge, Ore. (AP) — Thirteen students and advisers hiking up Mount Hood were ambushed by a blinding snowstorm near the summit, and eight remained missing Wednesday as three victims who were found half frozen died. Two others walked to safety off the 11,239-foot peak Tuesday (May 13).

“The three teenagers, part of a group of climbers from a Portland high school, were found near death Wednesday morning about 7,500 feet up the mountain, which is 50 miles east of Portland. During the day Tuesday, wind-chill temperatures fell to about 50 degrees below zero.

“Two girls were pronounced dead after an all-day attempt to revive them at Portland’s Emanuel Hospital…The heartbeat of the third victim, a boy, was revived, but hospital officials said he died several hours later….their core temperature had been brought up from 43 degrees to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Ten students at Oregon Episcopal School in Portland and three adults had begun climbing the mountain Monday in the annual sophomore class wilderness outing. At least one of the students had no previous climbing experience….

“At least 100 people took part in the search, which was concentrated between the 8,000- and 9,000-foot levels, but had found only a glove and a mitten by midafternoon….

“Molly Schula, 17, and guide Ralph Summers, 30, were able to hike from the peak early Tuesday to seek help. They said they had climbed to within 14 feet of the summit when a snowstorm struck, with winds gusting to 60 mph limiting visibility to less than 2 feet.[5]

“The two said they left their companions huddled in a small snow cave the party dug at the base of a glacier….The climbers had decided to dig in when whiteout conditions got so bad ‘there was no distinction between the sky and snow,’ said Ms. Schula, the daughter of Joe Schula, an Associated Press newsman in Portland….” (Associated Press. “Students’ Hike Turns Deadly.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 5-15-1986, p. 38.)

UPI, May 16: “Portland, Ore. (UPI) — Doctors held out hope today that two climbers trapped for three days in a tiny snow cave on the bleak white slope of Mount Hood would survive the grim ordeal that killed nine others in a tragic prep school survival expedition. The rest of the eight people found piled like cordwood when searchers uncovered the cave Thursday were pronounced dead….It was the worst tragedy in the history of Mount Hood, which is scaled by more people each year than any mountain in the world except Fuji in Japan.

“Those still living were two teenagers, a boy…and a girl… Both were semi-conscious when they arrived, and doctors succeeded in restoring their core temperatures o normal by heating their blood in heart-lung machines. When they were found, paramedics said their arms and legs were so frozen they could not insert the needle for an intravenous medicine drip….

“Ten students from the exclusive, 100-year-old Oregon Episcopal School, two class advisers and a professional guide started out before dawn Monday on a rugged hike to the top of the 11,239-foot mountain — part of the school’s four-year wilderness survival course. As they neared the peak a sudden blizzard fell upon them with winds of 60 mph and the snow fog that produces whiteout — visibility extending no farther than arm’s length. The wind chill factor plunged to 55 below zero. After fighting their way through the storm for two hours, they gave up and dug themselves into a snow cave, which is intended to reflect the heat of their bodies and keep them warm.

“Tuesday morning, the guide, Ralph Summers, and student Molly Schula decided to try to reach Timberline Lodge, their starting point, although the storm still raged. The others refused to go with them, Summers said, but they reached the lodge safely and launched the search for the others….” (UPI. “Doctors hope two survive Mt. Hood Tragedy.” Daily Republican-Register, Mt. Carmel, IL. 5-16-1986, p. 7.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Students’ Hike Turns Deadly. Three Dead, Eight Missing Climbing Stormy Mountain.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 5-15-1986, p. 38. Accessed 12-31-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/virginia/harrisonburg/harrisonburg-daily-news-record/1986/05-15/page-37?tag

Chicago Tribune. “Mount Hood may keep secret forever details of icy ordeal.” Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO. 5-17-1986, p. A3. Accessed 12-31-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/colorado/colorado-springs/colorado-springs-gazette-telegraph/1986/05-17/page-3?tag

Dresbeck, Rachel. Oregon Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. Guildford, CT: Insiders’ Guide, an imprint of the Globe Pequot Press, 2006.

Seattle Times (Jack Broom and Steve Bovey). “Mount Hood Tragedy of 1986.” 7-25-1986. Accessed 12-31-2016 at: http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/Report_Hood_EpiscopalSchool.htm

The Oregonian (Tom Hallman Jr.). “1986 Mount Hood climbing disaster never ended for one father until now: Tom Hallman at large.” 9-5-2014. Accessed 12-30-2016 at:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/09/mount_hood.html

UPI (United Press International), Clyde Jabin. “Doctors hope two survive Mt. Hood Tragedy.” Daily Republican-Register, Mt. Carmel, IL. 5-16-1986, p. 7. Accessed 12-31-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/mount-carmel/mount-carmel-daily-republican-register/1986/05-16/page-7?tag

[1] “Oregon Episcopal School…had suffered terrible human losses — nine students, two faculty members, as well as its beloved Basecamp program…also lost a half-million dollar lawsuit over the disaster.” [Blanchard note: two students suffered an ordeal and were near death when rescued, but there were only seven student losses.]

[2] Seven students and two faculty members, including the leader whom an investigation faulted for continuing the climb “despite general fatigue, illness and bad weather.”

[3] Dresbeck writes that the wilderness education program was “internationally known” and “very popular” — “parents, students, and teachers loved it, for it was designed to teach leadership skills, responsibility, and preparedness…” It was required for graduation. (Dresbeck 2006, p. 135.)

[4] 400 feet below the 11,245-foot summit. One of two snow-cave survivors described cave, in words of the Chicago Tribune, “as a small hole abut the size of a large office desk dug 4 feet into the snow.”(Chicago Tribune. “Mount Hood may keep secret forever details of icy ordeal.” Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO. 5-17-1986, p. A3.) Dresbeck writes that the cave “was big enough to hold two people, and there were thirteen of them inside.” (p. 139.)

[5] Dresbeck writes (p. 138) the group turned back after reaching Hogback, a ridge about 1,000 feet below the summit.

1986 — May 14-15, Blizzard, Oregon Episcopal School mt. climbing group, Mt. Hood, OR-9