I apologize, this is a couple days old but interesting none the less.
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_011508ORN_mt_hood_climbers_LJ.253cb5a0.html

Apparently, they were located by a geocache that was in the area. They called in by cell-phone and said they had found the cache. So the rescue team looked up the co-ordinates and went to find the climbers and brought them out to safety.

Yet another example of arrogant foolishness that the taxpaying public get to pay for. No excuse these days for not taking at least a GPS with you to find your way home.

At least they had some skills, if they were able to build and stay in a snow cave overnight.

You guys should have a stupid hiker clause added to your parks act, we have one that says if you are really stupid parks can charge you for the SAR.

The NPS and other agencies does charge for really dumb things, especially blatant violations of regulations, like entering plainly posted, closed areas. Frankly, I don't see anything nearly that bad going on here. I have seen whiteouts, but nothing so severe that I couldn't see my own feet.

I have climbed on Hood before and you below timberline there is really no climbing just a nice walk in the wood. This is most likely the media misrespresentation of people in the woods. I have spent the night on hood at 10k and woke and it is so bad you lose the enterance to the snow cave within 3 feet of the enterance. Well you have a map and compass and know how to use it, okay you know where you are on the map too. Finding a geocache amazes as most are hidden pretty well, I know I geocache, and I bet they were geocachers that found the cache and just couldn't figure out where they had left the car. O'well they are safe and probably not much smarter.
cheers

I actually just read a book called "Mountain Rescue Doctor" i really great book! I now want that mans job, but he is a rescuer on mount hood and it reminded me of it! A truly great read!

"... At times, they couldn't even see their own feet and were afraid any misstep would send them tumbling over a cliff."

So just keep going and be nominated for a Darwin Award, dummies!

"...experienced climbers in their 20s..."

Not very, IMO.

The geo-cache business here puzzles me. And makes me wonder...

Sue

I was reminded of this incident just now when the news told of another hiker rescued in the San Gorgonios. He had a GPS (and evidently a cell phone) because he could give his coordinates to rescuers, but could not find his way out by himself (!!). They evidently came to him and showed him the way home.

This is just another example of the need for skills over mere possession of gadgets and gizmos.

I was reminded of this incident just now when the news told of another hiker rescued in the San Gorgonios. He had a GPS (and evidently a cell phone) because he could give his coordinates to rescuers, but could not find his way out by himself (!!). They evidently came to him and showed him the way home.

This is just another example of the need for skills over mere possession of gadgets and gizmos.

Absolutely.

And you should probably know how to do things the old fashioned way before trying to them alone.

I like gadgets along, but they should not be the only thing you have to rely on, because as we all know, they can fail.