What are the common dangers on Mt. Hood, or any mountain for that matter man made or natural?
Experience also tells us that a climb to the summit of Mt. Hood is often trivialized and the mountain disrespected. The Episcopal School group disaster on Mount Hood a few years ago is a well known case in point. The girls and boys and their leaders were not prepared and many died. They did not have the proper clothing and equipment and the skills to survive the storm and many died. Their leaders were too goal oriented, hiking into bad weather because they were scheduled to climb and did not have the knowledge and experience to retreat to climb again. Athleticism and conditioning are not sufficient to prevent a person from becoming disoriented in a white out and disappearing on the slopes and crevasses of the Mt. Hood Triangle. Having a map, compass and GPS and the skills to use them, a Cell phone and on Hood, a personal locator device, may violate some wilderness minimalist ethic, but the alternative may be costly. Search and Rescue volunteers are there to help and for the excitement
