Death on the mountain: A timeline
Story Published:
Dec 18, 2006 at 6:37 PM PST
Story Updated:
Dec 19, 2006 at 1:26 PM PST
By
Associated Press
- Wednesday, Dec. 6: Kelly James, 48 of Dallas; Brian Hall, 37 of Dallas and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36 of New York leave car at a trailhead, planning to climb to summit Mount Hood, Oregon's highest mountain at 11,239-feet
- Thursday, Dec. 7: The three men spend the night in a warming hut
- Friday, Dec. 8: Climbers begin the northern, more difficult, route up Mount Hood. Officials believe all three climbers reach summit and begin descent on more gentler southern side of mountain. Climbers can't find path between rock and ice formation known as "the Pearly Gates" to direct them down. They return to north side where all three spend the night in a snow cave, located 300 feet from summit.
- Saturday, Dec. 9: Hall and Cooke leave James in a snow cave. He is later found to have injured his arm. The other two climbers try descend north side between Eliot Glacier and Cooper Spur. Weather conditions are fierce. The two climbers strap themselves to side of mountain in crude shelter carved out of ice
- Sunday, Dec. 10: James calls relatives at 3:45 p.m. PST from his cell phone, saying he is in a snow cave and that the team is in trouble. He indicates original descent was not possible
- Monday, Dec. 11: Searchers track a ping from a cell phone at 10,300 feet, transmitted about 4:20 a.m., which narrows down where James is stranded. Heavy snow and strong winds force the rescue teams down the mountain after one group reached 8,500 feet. The families of all three climbers arrive in Hood River
- Tuesday, Dec. 12: The last ping is detected from the cell phone, about 1 a.m. An estimated 40 searchers hit the mountain and a Black Hawk helicopter joins in. But weather keeps climbers from going past 7,200 feet on the north side of the mountain and the helicopter to no higher than 6,000 feet
- Wednesday, Dec. 13: Weather limits searchers to the treeline. Unmanned drones are brought in, but the weather grounds them as well
- Thursday, Dec. 14: Two drones are launched with negligible results and the weather again limits searchers to the treeline and lower
- Friday, Dec. 15: Winter storms stymie any climbing, and teams hunker down at Timberline Lodge, Cloud Cap and a base in Portland for a full push Saturday
- Saturday, Dec. 16: Weather allows for first clear day for full attack of the mountain. Expert climbers, 70 in total, head up the mountain on both sides. Helicopters and a C-130 military aircraft circle the mountain. Point-of-interest found near summit but all teams are called off by mid-afternoon
- Sunday, Dec. 17: Searchers make another full attack. Forty-six searchers track up Mount Hood and search continues by air. Air crews return to areas spotted on Saturday and find rope anchored roughly 300 feet from summit. Crews find snow cave that is empty. Shortly after, searchers find a second cave 300-400 feet away. Body of Kelly James is inside
- Monday, Dec. 18: Family and officials confirm body is that of Kelly James. Search for two remaining climbers is narrowed to treacherous area known as "the gullies" below both shelters. Officials express concern that remaining climbers have fallen in the treacherous area, which is unsafe for ground search because of avalanche conditions.
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