Mount Hood climbing accidents
Mount Hood climbing accidents are mountain climbing- or hiking-related incidents on Oregon's Mount Hood. As of 2007, about 10,000 people attempt to climb Mount Hood each year. As of May 2002, more than 130 people have died climbing Mount Hood since records have been kept. One of the worst climbing accidents occurred in 1986, when seven teenagers and two school teachers froze to death while attempting to retreat from a storm. Despite a quadrupling of forest visitors since 1990, the number of people requiring rescue remains steady at around 25 to 50 per year , largely because of the increased use of cell phones and GPS devices. In 2006, 3.4 percent of search and rescue missions were for mountain climbers. In comparison, 20% were for vehicles (including ATVs and snowmobiles), 3% were for mushroom collectors, the remaining 73.6 percent were for skiers, boaters, and participants in other mountain activities. Regardless of route, Mount Hood is a technical climb. It requires ropes, crampons, and ice axes. Approximately 95% of Mount Hood's climbs occur April through July. Hazards. Cascade Range weather patterns can be deceptive, with sudden sustained winds of , and visibility quickly dropping from hundreds  of miles to an arm's length; climbers can experience temperature drops in less than an hour after leaving an access point. This pattern is responsible for the most well known incidents of May 1986 and December 2006. Avalanches are popularly believed a major climbing hazard, but relatively few Mount Hood deaths are attributed to them. For the 11-year period ending April 2006, there was one death on Mount Hood caused by an avalanche, while 445 avalanche-related deaths occurred throughout North America. Compared to other western states, Oregon has relatively few avalanche fatalities (16 of the 1009 for  the U.S. from 1951 to 2015). There are between 100 and 200 deaths each year worldwide from avalanches. The two major causes of climbing deaths on Mount Hood are falls and hypothermia. Incident history. From 1890 through 1990. According to "Mount Hood: A Complete History" by Jack Grauer, the first recorded climbing fatality on Hood's slopes occurred on July 12, 1896, when Frederic Kirn eschewed his guide and attempted the trip to the summit alone. Kirn's body was found on the Newton Clark Glacier on the east side of the mountain, after an apparent 40-story fall in  connection with an avalanche. In an unusual accident reported in Grauer's book, on August 27, 1934, Victor Von Norman successfully climbed the mountain via the southern route, along with a group of fellow University of Washington students. He then ventured too close to a fumarole between Crater Rock and the "Hogsback" that connects Crater Rock with the summit ridge, was overcome by oxygen-barren gases emanating from the fumarole, and fell about to his death. A number of men who tried to retrieve the body over several days were also nearly overcome by the fumes, even after obtaining an  oxygen mask, before finally succeeding in their efforts. In 1961, experienced climber Colin Chisholm and his teenage son, Doug Chisholm climbed the Elliott Glacier. On the descent of Cooper's Spur a crampon slipped on ice caused a fall. The two fell on Elliot Glacier. Colin broke ribs and Doug was unharmed. Their route became known as "The Chisholm Trail." . On March 1, 1969, James Eaton died when he fell headfirst into a concealed 60 foot crevasse near the edge of the upper portion of the White River Canyon. Eaton was a ski instructor and a member of the Mount  Hood Ski Patrol. On August 8, 1971 Harry B. Carson, 42, and his wife, 34, Joanne and two sons, Harry Jr., 13, and Clifton, 12, fell on Elliot Glacier while climbing Mt. Hood. Carson and his family fell about 1,000 feet while descending from the summit. Harry B. Carson and his son Clifton died from their injuries while Joanne and Harry Jr. were critically injured but survived. <ref>