(12/15/09) -- The Oregon National Guard launched a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from Army Aviation Support Facility #1 here on Dec. 14 to assist with the search for two missing hikers on Mount Hood.Early in the morning, weather conditions and avalanche conditions on Mount Hood appeared destined to halt rescue efforts; however, the weather conditions did improve, bringing clear visibility to the very top of the mountain around 9:00 a.m., the sheriff's office reported.
A helicopter landing zone -- situated at the Timberline Lodge parking lot -- provided an opportunity for members of Portland Mountain Rescue, to climb aboard and accompany the National Guard flight crew for an estimated 90-minute aerial view of Mount Hood.
"This clearing of the weather and ability to hover over a wide area of the mountain was very thorough and advantageous – the visibility was remarkable," said Monty Smith, a mountaineer with Portland Mountain Rescue.
In spite of this extensive air and ground search accomplished today, no trace of the two missing climbers was detected by these searchers, the sheriff's office reported.
After flying 3.9 hours today with a total of 7.7 flight hours flown, the search and rescue operations were concluded for the day.
Officials are waiting for a break in the weather before resuming the ground and air search. They will re-evaluate the mission today based on the weather and the needs of the sheriff's office.
The National Weather Service incident meteorologist, assigned to this ongoing mission, is reporting more severe weather for the mountain on Tuesday. It is expected to bring large amounts of snow to the mountain.
"This remains an active search and rescue mission, and the Sheriff's Office remains dedicated to this rescue mission," said Sheriff Craig Roberts.
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