Freezing rain turned to below freezing wind, with low visability. Turned around 500 feet from the summit of Mount Hood due to avalanche dangers.
Anchor with rope raising system, Illumination Saddle.
Inside the pingpong ball at Illumination Saddle, can't tell where the snow ends and sky starts.
Returning to the top lift station of Palmer Chairlift, Timberline.
On the way home, a long cold day.
Non Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death: Deep Snow and Tree Well Submersion Asphyxiation in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine
Sidecountry Rescue: Who comes to the rescue in Backcountry
Sidecountry Rescue: who should respond to ski resort out of bounds rescues in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine
Upcoming Appearences:
Sports Medicine, Minneapolis, MN: May 2010
WMS Annual Meeting, Snowmass, CO: July, 2010
Travel, Marine, Dive Medicine, Maui, HI: November 2010
Van Tilburg vigorously describes the difficult, life-saving protocol followed by him and his crew while at high angles, precariously perched atop sharp rocky cliffs: the rush to reach a trapped climber within the patient’s “golden hour” (the first critical hour after severe bodily trauma); attempting a tracheal intubation while a closely hovering medical-rescue helicopter whips up the dirt and debris; rescuing two dogs from the rock ledges of an icy stream. Van Tilburg’s dogged spadework in translating to the page the intricate essentials of his unique trade makes each breathtaking rescue literally come to life. Kirkus Reviews
Detailing each rescue operation fro the first call mobilizing teams of volunteers to grateful notes from the families of those rescued, Van Tilburg also offers snippets of environmental history and outdoor law. For readers who are unfamiliar with the rugged and beautiful Hood River area, he balances its undeniable perils with the joys of its scenic wonders. Publishers Weekly
In this fast-paced book, Van Tilburg recounts his experiences as a member of the Crag Rats, a mountain search-and-rescue team. Started in 1926, the Crag Rats are made up of extremely skilled, highly organized volunteers who face blizzards, darkness, freezing water, and other extreme conditions to help rescue sports enthusiasts who have become lost or injured in the mountains. He examines the high costs of search-and-rescue operations and provides an interesting overview of the debate on whether victims should be held responsible for some of these costs. Library Journal
Is this guy nuts? Well maybe. Perhaps an unintended lesson here is to follow one's dream, for Van Tilburg found a way to combine medicine and his love of extreme sports.
Booklist
Mountain rescue in Columbia River Gorge
