In the AVALANCHE ZONE

Teton Climbing Ranger Reflects On Mt. Hood and Winter Mountaineering

By Todd Wilkinson, 12-21-06

The tragic end for three climbers on Oregon’s Mt. Hood has caused many serious alpine veterans in the Rockies, where winter mountaineering is a popular, cherished sport, to reflect on the risks of climbing, the need for proper seasonal preparedness, and the ever-present wild card of avalanche danger.

This week, New West caught up with Renny Jackson, who oversees the world-renowned team of elite climbing rangers in Grand Teton National Park. Over the years, Jackson has organized or been a part of several high-profile search and rescue efforts in the Tetons. The unique corps of public servants has, on several occasions, been awarded special recognition from the federal government for putting their own lives in danger to aid others.

In the short interview with Jackson that follows, he refrains from speculating on the motivation of the Mt. Hood climbers and on technical aspects of search and rescue efforts there. But he does put the issue into focus.

On Wednesday, authorities in Oregon decided to call off SAR based on the grim acknowledgment that it was highly unlikely Brian Hall and Jerry “Nikko” Cooke were still alive after more than a week on the mountain.

Within the climbing community, there is widespread speculation that they may have been lost to an avalanche caused by an unstable snow pack created by recent winter storms. Earlier this week, the body of their companion, 48-year-old Kelly James, was recovered from a snow cave. The SAR to find the trio commenced on December 10 when James made a call from his cell phone seeking help.

With some people in the media, including FOX commentator Bill O’Reilly and others, questioning whether it’s right for government agencies to pay for massive, sometimes expensive search and rescue efforts for climbers who willingly set out into danger zones, many government agencies and climbing groups have argued that it's justified.

Of timely relevance is a 2005 report titled “Climbing Rescues in America: Reality Does Not Support ‘High-Risk, High Cost’ Perception" written by Lloyd Athearn, deputy director of the American Alpine Club.

As background, Athearn noted that media attention of events like the Mt. Hood tragedy often result in calls for publicly-subsidized SAR to be scaled back or that backcountry users sign waivers agreeing to pay all or some of the costs for their rescue if they get into trouble.

“Over the past decade, some states have passed laws allowing the recovery of rescue costs—in some cases prompted by high-profile climbing rescues,” Athearn writes. “ Lost in the dramatic coverage of climbing rescues is an accurate, thorough and dispassionate analysis of the underlying issue.”

In its unprecedented examination of alpine-related rescues and the costs associated with them, the ACC found that “climbers are not a significant drain on the public safety system, and it debunks many of the arguments used to support charge-for-rescue policies specifically targeting climbers. It also explains why turning a humanitarian public safety activity into a business service is an inappropriate response that may cause more harm than good, as well as open up government agencies to costly lawsuits.”

Among the salient points worth noting that are found in the report:

Despite the possible public perception created by the Mt. Hood tragedy, the fatality rate for climbing in the U.S. has actually dropped dramatically over the last several decades. Even as the number of climbers has grown at some popular climbing venues, it has not translated into a corresponding rise in the number of rescues and/or fatalities.

Although mountaineering and technical climbing come replete with inherent and obvious risks, the number of rescues affiliated with those endeavors is actually less than seemingly safe activities such as hiking, boating, hunting, swimming, and various kinds of motor vehicle use.

At Yosemite National Park, among the top worldwide destinations for technical rock and ‘big wall’ climbing, rescues of climbers made up 14.7 percent of all rescues between 1998 and 2004, while rescues of hikers represented 67.2 percent, Athearn found. “Rescues of climbers exceed those for hikers in only a few remote, mountainous and largely trailless parks, including North Cascades and Denali. Climbing also ranks lower than many perceived ‘low risk’ activities on the list of most frequently rescued groups for the entire state of Oregon.”

Between 2000 and 2004 in Yosemite, more than three times as much rescue resources were devoted to assisting hikers than to climbers. Charging for climbing rescues, the ACC contends, “runs counter to national search and rescue policies, opens government agencies up to costly lawsuits and tends to delay the call for help, putting rescuers and victims at greater risk.”

Though several states have laws allowing the recovery of rescue costs, "most have been used in only the most egregious cases—and none has been used to recover costs from a mountaineer or rock climber,” Athearn wrote, highlighting.Oregon’s pioneering law aimed to recovery SAR costs.

That law was enacted in 1995 following a rescue on Mt. Hood. “The bill’s sponsor opened its initial hearing by announcing, ‘This bill is about those jokers up on the mountain,’” Athearn notes, adding that five states—California, Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire and Oregon—have charge for rescue laws on the books. “These laws were often enacted by legislators who felt taxpayer funds were being spent to rescue irresponsible people.”

However, county sheriffs, who are elected officials, often decline to go after recovery costs, recognizing that it is difficult to determine after the fact if a recreationist demonstrated sound or poor judgment. With or without SAR recovery laws, federal agencies like the Park Service do possess the power to levy fines against users found to violate regulations that mandate recreationists to follow rules and behave safely.

New West Interview With Senior Grand Teton National Park Climbing Ranger Renny Jackson

NEW WEST: As you watched from afar the search and rescue efforts for the three climbers on Mt. Hood, what went through your mind?

JACKSON: Following the saga as it unfolded, my thoughts were primarily with the families of the two remaining missing climbers, especially as Christmas nears. My thoughts are also with the folks who are involved with the Search and Rescue operation, the risks and challenges that they are facing and their frustrations and sadness.

NEW WEST: Long before speculation began in the media about the potential of the lost climbers possibly succombing to avalanches, folks in your circle of friends already had identified that as a possible fatal outcome. Elaborate a bit about the challenges of winter mountaineering not only in a place like Mt. Hood but in the Tetons where you live.

JACKSON: I am not familiar with the climbing challenges on Mt. Hood, as I have never been on the mountain. I am very familiar with winter climbing challenges here in the Tetons, having done the Grand many times by several new winter routes as well as first winter ascents elsewhere in the range. The biggest challenge that I have faced is having all of the stars line up so that a winter ascent is even possible. By that I am referring to, first of all, being able to recognize when the “window” has opened up, that is, the period of time during which weather, avalanche conditions, and multiple other factors have stabilized enough so as to make a winter ascent even possible. Other factors include coordinating with wives, significant others, kids, partners, etc. I have found that this can actually be the biggest challenge. Another thing is learning how to do a particular climb. This learning process can take place over a period of years, sometimes, and can include several failed attempts, which has been the case several times when I have set my sights on a particular climbing objective.

NEW WEST: How much traffic do the Tetons get as far as mountaineers and backcountry skiers?

JACKSON:There is much more ski mountaineering that goes on here in the Tetons than technical climbing, I would say. The Tetons, during the last 10 years have become a kind of ski mountaineering Mecca. The Grand Teton was skied last winter, for example, on at least five separate occasions, including one new ski descent route-the East Ridge. Prior to last year it was kind of unheard of, or at least rare, that the Grand would be skied in winter, cold snow conditions. It is happening now, however. Besides this, there are more and more people venturing into the mountains each year. Most of these are either backcountry skiing or doing some ski mountaineering- usually consisting in either skiing a peak or skiing a steep couloir or portion of a peak.

NEW WEST: You’re a veteran backcountry skier. What kinds of conditions are you finding out there now and what are you warning visitors about?

JACKSON: This year the season began slowly with some early season snow resulting in a fairly thin snowpack initially with accompanying cold temperatures, which is the kind of set up that you don’t want to have, since that is conducive to the formation of temperature gradient snow sub-surface and surface hoar formation on the snow surface. These layers are now buried and we had some low elevation rain and heavier snow deposited last week which resulted in a big avalanche cycle last weekend. There was one snowmobiler killed last weekend and several big slides reported on all aspects and over quite an elevation range. That is basically what I know. I tell park visitors to go to the local, daily avalanche forecast put out by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Forecast center because those folks are the professionals who are observing the snowpack on a daily basis.

NEW WEST: For a time, search and rescuers in Oregon thought that maybe the climbers would be all right by retreating to shelter in snow caves. How long can a person hunker down in a snow cave comfortably without succombing to hypothermia and dehydration?

JACKSON: Apparently, according to a report by MSNBC that I was watching last night, one guy they interviewed spent 13 days in a snow cave on Mt. Hood and survived a few years ago. I have no idea exactly where he was, how much food, water, or what type of equipment he had with him, but he did survive. Snow caves tend to be wet and cold places depending upon what you have for warmth (down versus some sort of fiber fill) and how much food and fuel you have.

NEW WEST: What’s on the checklist of stuff you put in your backpack when heading out?

JACKSON: This really depends on where and for how long I am going out for. For a day ski trip in the hills that does not include a mountain climb I would say just the regular stuff: food and liquid for the day, extra, insulated clothing, lighter, avalanche transceiver, collapsible probe pole, shovel, light first aid kit, tool/repair kit (light). If I am on a work day I usually have a radio and a cell phone along with me. If I am climbing a peak I usually try to throw in enough stuff so that I could spend the night out safely if I had to. This might just be a down parka and a pad to sit on in the snow cave that I dug with my avalanche shovel.

NEW WEST: You’ve spearheaded the response for some pretty harrowing rescues on the Grand and other Teton peaks. In terms of assessing risk, what’s the Achilles Heel you often see?

JACKSON: One thing that I have seen with folks is that they might know about the light/fast philosophy but they don’t follow through with it. That is, if they find that they are going too slowly or they come up against their turnaround time, they continue instead of bailing and coming back another day. Sometimes it may take several failed attempts in order to learn what you need to learn in order to be able to be successful on a particular climb. This learning process never stops- I’m 54 and I am either learning new stuff or relearning the old stuff that I have forgotten.

NEW WEST: What’s the worst winter climbing experience you’ve had?

JACKSON: When my partner Hans Johnstone and I were trying to figure out how to climb the Grand Traverse in the winter. During one of our attempts, I was following him on the section between Teewinot and Mt. Owen. I knew we were a little too close to a cornice edge at one point and, sure enough, the bottom dropped out from under me as several tons of snow dropped onto a steep starting zone. Somehow I instantly did a backflip onto the windward side of the cornice and was OK. The cornice that broke hit the starting zone and started a large slab avalanche that ran a few thousand feet down to Teton Glacier. My partner and I were quite shaken by that and eventually bailed off the Traverse a little further along the ridge.That was my closest call and I was ignoring the warning bell that was going off in my head telling me that I was too close to the cornice edge.

NEW WEST: There’s been a growing debate over the question of whether rescuees should have to pay all or part of the bill for any mounting of a search effort. What are your thoughts?

JACKSON: In the national park setting I would say that rescuees should NOT have to pay for their rescues. All of us pay taxes and there are entrance fees to get into parks and fees for backcountry permits in some places. Tragedies such as the one on Mt. Hood bring a ton of media attention to the sport of mountaineering. Because of the sensationalism, people begin to believe that it is, without question, one of the riskiest endeavors that recreationists undertake. If you actually look at the statistics of what types of incidents occur on Federal land, some of the ones that generate the highest costs are not what one would expect. For example, searches for lost hikers or simply kids who wander off from campgrounds generate enormous costs. Boating accidents, motor vehicle accidents, and other similar incidents occur at statistically much higher rates.

A Reader Resource List For Assessing Avalanche Danger In The West

Forest Service Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center

Westwide Avalanche Network

American Avalanche Institute

Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center

Colorado Avalanche Center

Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center

Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

Utah Avalanche Center

[End of article]

Comment By J. Greer, 12-21-06

I guess I must side with Bill O'Reilly when it comes to this. I see no scientific nor any significant benefit to the public when people engage in mountain climbing. It is not exactly like being an astronaut. It is a sport and a dangerous one at that. For governments to bear the expense of these risky endeavors no matter how low the percentage of rescues, in my opinion, is outside the realm of their financial responsibility. Though, money pales in comparison to the grief endured by the families of those lost it remains in the aftermath a cold hard reality.

Comment By Kenny, 12-22-06

So J. Greer,

You are basically saying that, i who live in Brooklyn, NY, when i go out jogging in Prospect Park and get half beat to death by some muggers and left in some remote area of the park (it's really big), should not be the subject of any sort of search by the police since what i was doing had no scientific benefit to the public making any search a waste of taxpayer money??? What's with all this Bill O'Reillyism in America. Get with it. We need to care for eachother without making these gross and vague judgements about what everyone is doing.

Comment By Chris, 12-22-06

Greer demonstrates a lack of compassion and inability to empathize with those of us who travel and explore the world in which we live. For those of us who hold ourselves to a higher standard of health and responsibility, mistakes or accidents happen. Greer suggests naivete, and regrettably, hypocrisy, when incorporating an argument the the talking heads throw to the sedentary herds. It's agreed that there are places where our tax dollar shouldn't be spent; perhaps we should reconsider federal subsidies for the recovery of substance abusers?

I trust Greer speaks from a perspective of never qualifying for assistance from the government, much less needing medical aid when the unforseeable happens in any scenario. Which is exactly what Citizen Greer consents to support when signing a check to the Treasury every year. Sour grapes, my friend. Lock your door, stay glued to Wild Bill, and preserve your safety, sanctity, and isolation from the support of your community. And hope your elected officials use your tax dollars to keep the plumbing and electrical running on the international space station, and exploring Mars with a multi-billion dollar RC car.

Comment By Tim Sharp, 12-22-06

Why isnt there a direct link to the West Central Montana Avalanche Advisory included in the list? At present it is only posted once a week, but there is a ton of info there for us Missoulians. ;]

Comment By Jean Atthowe, 12-23-06

This may be my best chance to contact once again and honor Renny Jackson of the Teton Park Climbing Rangers.

We watched with sadness the unfolding of the catastrophe that occurred on Mount Hood last week - the high winds, the snow, the efforts to combat Mother Nature as all America watched for news of three missing winter mountain climbers. As parents, we relived again such scenes which took our own son at age 23. Finding Renny Jackson again, discussing winter mountain climbing here, was to revisit again our gratitude and appreciation for this hero of the Tetons who, 26 years ago last September 11-12, led a team of the Climbing Rangers out into the darkness, up Grand Teton, over steep terrain and ice-coated rocks, into the worst early and unpredicted winter storm to have hit the mountain in 26 years. They were seeking two missing climbing groups, a total of five climbers, locating and ultimately saving high on Grand Teton two at 2:30 a.m. as the storm began to abate. The two were very near not surviving. The other three did not. As on Mount Hood, the storm hampered search and rescue. And Renny's warning here about climbers knowing the philosphy of going up fast and light, but not recognizing when to stop was one our son should have heeded. Renny and the other rangers (I would have to look up their names in my papers) were honored with the highest Department of the Interior award for courage and bravery for that year - 1985. I hope Renny reads New West and maybe the other rangers involved, all "class acts", especially Renny.

In this age of 24 hour news, coverage of the Mount Hood losses was very detailed. (We did not know of our loss until a policeman came to our door where we lived at the time in the East.) During those many hours of the Mount Hood ordeal, television reporters kept asking, why would one want to be a mountain climber, in winter especially. Those mountaineers questioned sought for words to explain the unexplainable.

Here is how our son John explained his mountain passion - left behind throughout a journal he kept. "Climbing is the supreme challenge for me It means being able to control or rather come to grips with the idea of ever present danger and death in such a way that you no longer have any fears about such things and consequently you can't be afraid about anything else either. To top off that ultimate reward of fearlessness you are able to be in the most beautiful and sublime landscape imaginable. You also realize your proper place in the scheme of things."

"If I want to climb mountains don't I have to be cocky and shouldn't I believe in myself. I'd be afraid on Rainier. I'd like it, even love it like I used to love basketball because I could lose myself in the doing of it. Escape from pain, boredom, fear, anxiety, everything but the necessary thrill of performing what must be done to survive and helping others to do the same." He had much more to say about the beauty of and the freedom mountains instill.

John was 23 when he died. I believe it was Renny who pointed out to his parents that most mountaineers experience at least one close call as they become experienced climbers. Most survive that once close call to go on being even more experienced in their passion. Some, however, do not survive that first truly close call.

I hope this helps others to appreciate Renny Jackson, the Teton Park Climbing Rangers,and the three climbers who attempted Mount Hood last week. And those here who discuss who should cover search and rescue costs are in danger every day, dangers covered by the "community" called "the taxpayers." So many climbers and hikers love where they go and what they do that they stay out of trouble, off police rolls, and spend a lot of time in the process trying to save the America our ancestors discovered. A bargain for us all, I would submit.

Thank you Renny, and take care of yourself!

Comment By concetta moretti, 12-23-06

wow, such a good article, my heart and prayers go out to all the families that have lost thier children. they all seemed to be in the places they loved, on the mountain. i am a trail runner and know somewhat how they felt being out there, you become one with nature. many blessings to all those who participate in the search and rescue fields, keep up the good work. to all the climbers, keep climbing, don't worry or stress over who's going to pay the costs for searches, keep climbing and let us know how beautiful the mountains really are. c. moretti

Comment By J. Greer, 12-28-06

To Chris and Kenny: Regrettably, I seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest. I really am a caring person even though you who has never met me has characterized me of being quite the opposite. However, all that aside, I don't think much is contributed to society by mountain climbers but yet they want society to pay for the colossal mistakes they make while up there not to mention going up unprepared. If you are left in Prospect Park in a remote place, beaten, etc. just because you are walking or jogging there, yes, you should be searched for and I believe that mountaineers should be searched for as well. I just think they should share in the cost. After all, others are risking their lives looking for foolish you. In a park searchers are not so apt to become casualties. I am truly not singling out mountaineers, it is all risky sport that should share in the cost of rescue. Just my opinion. I am a tennis player and have major nerve root compression in my neck with vertebral deterioration. Therefore, my engaging in this sport puts me at risk for paralysis or even death. Yet I still play. So, if I do harm myself, should I put the blame on others or expect the facility to pay for my injuries or the town where I live? It's called personal responsibility....knowing your risks and that they belong to you.

Comment By Lloyd Athearn, 1-03-07

Greer seems only able to dig himself deper into a hole of unsupported prejudice about climbers. In his first post he says climbing has provided "no scientific nor any significant benefit" to society. In the most recent post he says he doesn't think "much is contributed to society" by them. Well, since you obviously have done no research into this, let me provide a few examples.

1. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., is widely acknowledged as the father of the space-based telescope. He was a professor at Princeton and a climber who did pioneering climbs in Greenland.
2. John Grunsfeld is a NASA astronaut and the chief "mechanic" for the Hubble Space Telescope. He's also a climber who worked on a NOVA program about the physiology of climbing Denali.
3. Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University is a leading authority on global warming drawn from extensive study of mid-latitude glaciers. While he wouldn't consider himself a technical climber, he's climbed many mountains and spent more time at extreme altitude than most Himalayan veterans during the course of his research.
4. Louis Reichardt was the first American to climb several Himalayan peaks. He is a leading researcher in bioscience.

These are just a few climbers who have made significant contributions to science. Add to these conservation leaders like John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club), Bob Marshall (founder of the Wilderness Society) and David Brower (key opponent of damming the Colorado River, advocate for Wilderness Act), who all were pioneering climbers of their eras. Newsman Tom Brokaw, Patagonia clothing/equipment founder Yvon Chouinard, New York Times publisher Arthur Sulsberger, Jr., nature photographers Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell, and former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas all are or were climbers. The list goes on and on.

The reality is that those who seek to test their abilities in nature through climbing are often the same people who have the vision and drive to succeed in business, politics, law, science and other pursuits that reap significant benefits to society. Greer doesn't tell us what he's done to benefit society, but I'm guessing it pales in comparison to what these climbers have done.

Comment By Steve Wolford, 1-28-07

The whole theory that these 2 climbers were lost to a avalanche is false. I was on the mountain almost every day and sometimes night, sking Mt Hood Meadows during that week. I am also a technical climber for 30+ years, did Luthold's Couloir Route last summer on Hood. The conditions that the climbers experienced were NOT avalanche conditions. The mountain had warmed up the prior week and then refroze. It had one heck of a sheet of hardcore verglas on it, which is probably the reason when one of them was injured, they chose to try to push over the top rather then try and retreat off. A mistake in retrospect, for they ran into hurricane force winds coupled with the badass ice. I was at 6500 ft on the mountain Sunday evening and almost every day that week skiing. it was snowing monday, but not hard. But it was whiteout conditions due to the WIND. in my humble opinion, these 2 guys were literally BLOWN off the mountain. The gust coming in while I was skiing( and not many people were) were horredous. Visability was minimum, and the snow was not sticking to any surface exposed to the wind. So these guys were in 100 mile plus winds coming over the top on down on verglas ice that would barely take a tool. There was no real buildup of snow on exposed ridges until later in the week when the BIG storm hit on Thursday. They were long gone by then.

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