She has a ton of guts and wits to survive that ordeal.

That peak is very alluring and within an hour drive of Portland -- 10,000 people a year attempt the summit.

Timberline Lodge is at 6500 feet, the highest ski lift (Palmer) goes to 8500 feet

Insight on summiting:

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/mt-hood-via-south-side-timberline-approach


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timberline_Lodge_ski_area


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"a PLB is better, you press the button and help comes,"

That is true in relatively normal conditions, at least where SAR is functioning well. However, if avalanche danger is high or a severe whiteout exists, SAR units most likely will not respond immediately.

All true. Her climb would have been considered, officially as a winter climb and not a climb during the normal May-Sep season.

I would guess that not every person attempting a climb of Mt. Hood has mountaineering experience and training, thus the number of non-summit climbs and the high numbers of searches and rescues. I am sure not all that go out are aware of the locator being available or where to rent one. A cell phone works well on Mt. Hood because of the clear line of sight to cell towers. One must have a phone and a charged battery.

As far as sign out goes, it is understandable that spending cuts have an impact. However, how hard is it to check a register to see of someone is out and if they return? If it is not something that can be maintained, then do away with it altogether, it causes a sense of security that is unreliable. On the other hand, it cost more for a SAR effort when you have no idea where a person was intending to travel and if you have less information. The sign out could have aided searchers, like it is supposed to do. That would have made a successful search easier and faster.

Mt. Rainier being a National Park has more manning, more rules and more personnel to do a SAR mission. Mt. Hood is run by the Forest Service and is not treated to the same governmental respect as Mt. Rainier. Sign outs are more like trail hiking sign outs and not like a climbing permit system. I have not been there for 25+ years, so I am sure there are many changes to procedures and responsibilities.

Bottom line, the young lady is alive and she deserves respect for her abilities. She survived when many others would not have.

Back in my younger days, I climbed Mt Hood about 12-15 times, by about 4 to 5 distinct routes and variations, including one climb in mid-winter. The standard "Southside" route is not terribly hard, but does have one stretch of steep climbing almost at the top (the "Hogsback" above "Crater Rock"). The lower part of the route, from Timberline lodge up to Crater Rock" is a broad, open, easy walk up.

It is an easy route to underestimate, and lots of inexperienced people get into trouble every season. Even experienced climbers get careless and come to grief now and then. My experience on Mt Hood was decades ago, so I can't speak to the current climbing registration issues. However, the most fundamental mistake she made was navigation. A simple map and compass, and a bit of knowledge would have kept her out of trouble.

Descending the Southside route in clear weather, one just naturally aims towards Timberline Lodge. However, the actual fall line is more to the Southwest. When descending from Crater Rock in poor visibility (very common on Mt Hood), that fall line will inexorably funnel you down into Zig Zag Canyon. Early in the season the snow on the upper mountain tends to be windpacked, icy, and easy walking. However, once you get down near timberline and Zig Zag Canyon the snow often becomes much softer and travel can be difficult without skis or snowshoes.

A typical scenario seems to be climbers descend in a whiteout and get funneled into the Canyon. Just when they are getting really tired, they find themselves in a steep canyon, slogging through deep soft snow, and it is getting dark. It happens so often that Portland Mountain Rescue has a warning pamphlet called the "Mount Hood Triangle", and also a simple map of the key features. A compass and a simple map like that would have made all the difference.

Staying out of trouble in the first place beats any PLB!