2006 Mt. Hood Tragedy Sparks Book From Lost Climber’s Wife

Mt. Hood became a deathtrap in December of 2006.  Three experienced climbers would be caught up in a drama of survival that would unfold before the nation’s eyes.  All three would perish.  Kelly James’ body would be discovered in a snowcave a week after the drama began.  The two others, Brian Hall and James ‘Nikko’ Cooke, would never be found.

Throughout the course of a two week period, this ongoing drama of real life events would top the nation’s news.  Beginning with the first alert for the missing climbers, I began to watch and give updates as to what was going on in a minute-by-minute basis.  In a two week period, The Adventurist put up over 50 articles based on this single event and the search that ensued.  This tragedy became a nation’s fixation and pulled at our heart strings.

Two years after this drama unfolded, I still find myself thinking back to that single event.  Perhaps it was the night that I first heard of the authorities finding the body of Kelly James.  Through the comments and thoughts, prayers, and the visits by the climbers’ family’s to this site in the ensuing hours, I had somehow found myself crying.

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