Missing hiker on Mt Hood found

[Michael Ray]

Didn't see that Eric Chan already posted this. PCT 2010 alumnus apparently.

[Dale Wambaugh]

It is a lost hiker classic. She did tell someone she was going, but no specifics and no "drop dead" contact time. Her roommate waited a couple days. The cell phone comment is interesting, as though that is a reliable option. I would guess the west side of Hood has pretty good reception, but still.

"Owen, an adventurous spirit and experienced hiker, emailed a friend on Sunday, saying she was going to hike around Mount Hood. She said she would return by Monday night. When she didn't turn up, her friends figured she had decided to stay longer.

I'm glad she is alive!

"We thought that maybe she had found more hiking spots," said Izzy Freeman, a roommate.

But by Wednesday friends grew worried. Freeman called Owen's family who notified police. Deputies found Owen's sport-utility vehicle in the Timberline Lodge parking lot on Thursday with an empty backpack and a laptop inside. After a search on Friday, dozens set off on Saturday morning.

Owen, a senior in interdisciplinary studies at George Fox University, is an experienced hiker who often set out alone. In a five-month stretch in 2010, she hiked the Pacific Coast Trail from Mexico to Canada. She also spent one summer in Papau New Guinea with a missionary group that works with tribes.

Freeman said Owen is responsible. But she didn't have a working cell phone on her and no one knew what trails she was taking."

[HkNewman]

Pretty interesting television interview, so reading into her comments, her leg was hurt to the extent that she couldn't forage for wood to maintain a fire.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I count a leg injury as my #1 survival scenario. You need enough clothing, shelter, food and water to make it 24 hours on the trail you are supposed to be on , meaning someone knows where you went and that you are overdue in few hours.

I typically use sundown of the day I am due back as a drop dead contact time. That means a night out and part of the next day, but not two or three before SAR knows I'm out there. If I have the right equipment, even another 24 hours should be survivable.

The double stinker scenario would be getting lost and injured. Hopefully I wouldn't me too far off my intended trail and my backup plan would still kick in.

This does all depend on a *trusted* friend or family member. My wife is my contact and I don't have that much life insurance ;)

I don't blame her roommate in this case as the hiker didn't nail down the times and places. As ususal, they determined which trail she was on by finding her vehicle at the trailhead.

[Jeffs Eleven]

They said she was near the summit. (bottom of Hogsback? ~9000?) Became disoriented and was descending when she hurt her leg. They found her by Sandy glacier which it opposite of the way bak to her car. (went north instead of south) Then dropped down to 4600ft where they found her.

It seems like she was probably trying to get to Illumination rock or something.

She is lucky since no one knew her destination. There arent 'trails' this high up (esp in snow) and Timberline Lodge is a trailhead for tons of trails.

"Somewhere up on the mountain" is a scary place to be lost.

She did good on the back end (surviving) but her 'planning' nearly cost her. On the news they said she filled out a Climber Registry … but nobody could find it. hmmmmm sounds like she skipped that part.

Lucky girl- I bet she registers from now on.

[Jerry Adams]

She said she'de do better at leaving itenerary so people would know better when and where to look for her

South side Mt Hood climbers often go directly downhill, into Zigzag canyon and trouble, you have to angle South towards Timberline Lodge

[Jeffs Eleven]

I heard she was found near Sandy glacier- thats over Yocum Ridge and down. wrong direction all together. Sounds like that snowboarder from the east coast that got lost a year or two back. he descended into one of the canyon areas and became lost.

Simple compass would have helped.

Not trying to be an ass, I'm just trying to learn from other's mistakes. Note to self: In a whiteout, pull out the compass sooner than later.

[Dena Kelley]

I'm glad she was found alive and in relatively good condition. I'd love to know exactly what she had with her, because although she's being bashed (on the Oregonian) for being unprepared it seems to me she must have had some basic survival gear.

I've been in a far less dramatic but similar situation when I was 24 and on one of my first backpacking trips. It was a gorgeous sunny day in July, 4000', 70 degrees that turned into heavy fog, rain, and snow. My partner and I became disoriented. We had not brought along navigation gear because we would be overlooking a populated area the entire time and there were excellent landmarks where we were going. We didn't count on visibility dropping to 5'. We ended up on a completely different mountain, spent the night (my gear was soaked and I got hypothermia overnight) and we hiked out when visibility improved the next day. I made as many mistakes or more as this girl did. The primary difference is I wasn't injured and I had a partner. She'll learn from this experience and doubt she'll ever make that mistake again. Her story may also be a good lesson for other people. It was after a whole party went missing on Mt. Hood a few years ago that I began carrying a PLB.

[Jerry Adams]

"although she's being bashed (on the Oregonian)"

it's funny how whenever someone gets lost, there are so many horrible comments from people

[Roger Caffin]

> Freeman said Owen is responsible. But she didn't have a working cell phone on her
> and no one knew what trails she was taking."

Freeman was wrong.

Cheers

[David Thomas]

I try to convey to my math students the difference dependent and independent variables.

Independent: drawing cards, flipping a fair coin, or the gender of each subsequent child not born in China.

Dependent: hair length and gender; educational level and wealth, skin color and continent.

I'll add "getting lost" and "getting injured" to the later list.

I've gotten injured on maybe 0.06% of my hikes. And I get seriously off trail (in an unplanned way) maybe 2% of the time. But, man!, is there a strong correlation between the two.

[Jennifer Mitol]

David why am I not surprised you can find mathematical relevance to a lost/found/injured hiker situation?

[Author]

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