Beaverton teens rescued from Mt. Hood after losing gear to intense wind

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Two Beaverton-area teens were rescued from Mt. Hood on Saturday after intense wind left them stranded without a tent and the gear needed to hike down, according to Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

The 16-year-olds began their hike Friday morning in the Mt. Hood National Forest near McNeil Point — setting up their tent on an exposed ridge, officials said. Their tent was on a foot of freshly fallen snow at a 6,100-foot elevation, according to the sheriff’s office.

Around midnight, the teens abandoned their tent and retreated to a nearby stone shelter after winds intensified and blew their tent and other gear off the ridge, authorities said.

Luckily, officials said, the teens had cell service and were able to call their parents, who then contacted authorities around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Two search and rescue teams hiked four miles up the Timberline Trail before daylight with 45-mile-per-hour gusts and temperatures in the mid-twenties before reaching the teens around 10 a.m.

Rescuers said the teens were in good condition but were missing some equipment, including socks they would need to hike out. The teens were able to hike with heat packs and clothing kits provided by the rescue teams before reaching their family, who was waiting for them in the parking lot around 1:30 p.m.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office warned, “this successful rescue serves as a good reminder: The recent change in weather, with snow now falling below pass elevations, means that summer backcountry conditions are over for the year. Cold-weather equipment and preparations are now needed for mountain adventures.”