FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Search and Rescue | 3

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0:30High school student Molly Shula struggles to walk on the ice-encrusted slope that stretches out in front of her. The roaring wind blasts her eardrums and knocks her off balance. Ahead of her, climbing consultant Ralph Summers is barely visible through the driving snow, even though he's only a few feet away. He turns and waves for her to follow him to the edge of a steep drop-off. Molly swallows her fear and trudges forward. She has to get down off this mountain and save her friends. Just a few steps behind her is the snow cave that served as her shelter for the last 12 hours. Her fellow climbers are still huddled inside, nine classmates and two faculty members from Oregon Episcopal School.

1:21Their group started an ascent of Mount Hood more than 24 hours ago. But just before they reached the summit, they were hit by a vicious storm. Summers dug out the snow cave as an emergency shelter. and they took refuge inside, hoping the storm would pass. But as the night wore on, the storm didn't let up. By morning, it was clear. If someone didn't leave to get help, they were all going to die. Molly volunteered to join Summers and attempt the dangerous descent. As she inches closer to Summers, he pulls her towards the edge of the steep precipice and points down. We need to get down there, Molly.

2:04Molly, from what I can tell, this isn't a straight drop, just a very steep slope. We're going to have to slide down until the terrain levels out. When it does, we'll get up and hike from there. Molly feels her heart race as she stares over the edge, but she turns to Summers and nods. Okay, let's do it. Summers sits down and Molly scoots up behind him. She wraps her legs and arms around him. Just hold on as tight as you can. Are you ready? Ready. Summers jerks forward and Molly squeezes as hard as she can as they plunge over the edge. They slide down the face of the slope at blazing speed. Molly can barely see through the heavy snowfall.

2:52At any moment, she's convinced they could slam into a boulder or fly off a cliff. She feels like ice is tearing through her snow pants. Molly grips Summer's titer and screams, but can barely hear her own voice above the sound of the wind. And then she feels their movement begin to slow. They've reached level ground. When they come to a stop, Molly pulls herself up to her feet and looks around. The sky is white with haze, and the visibility is as bad as ever. but there's a path ahead that doesn't look too steep. Summers turns to her. Are you hurt? No, I think I'm okay. He nods and then starts walking.

3:39Molly shivers and sets off after him. She wonders how he can possibly know which direction to go in. They're still in the middle of a whiteout. Everything is covered in snow. There are no shadows, no visible terrain, just white in all directions. She and Summers could easily get lost and freeze to death or slip off the edge of a cliff but these are the risks they have to take if they want to save the others. Molly follows Summers into the whiteout aware that each stride brings her one step closer to safety or death.

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5:13From Wondery, I'm Cassie DePeckel and this is Against the Odds

5:25On May 12, 1986, a climbing group from Oregon Episcopal School was stranded high on Mount Hood when they were caught in the middle of a blizzard. Trapped by the storm and unsure of their location, the climbers took shelter in a snow cave. But as their bodies were wracked by the brutal cold, they knew they wouldn't be able to remain there for long. In the meantime, teams of highly trained rescuers launched a search for the missing school group. While the rescuers worked their way up Mount Hood, Ralph Summers and Molly Shula were desperate to find their way down. All the while, the storm continued to rage, threatening the lives of everyone on the mountain.

6:11This is Episode 3, Search and Rescue.

6:22Barry Wright points to a map of Mount Hood tacked to the wall of the ski patrol office at Timberline Resort. Search and rescue workers crowd around him, dressed in thick parkas and climbing helmets. Wright runs his finger along a line on the map, drawn in red pencil. All right, this is the route you'll start along. When you get here, to the top of Palmer chairlifts, you'll split up. Team one, you head right for the summit. Wright is one of the most experienced members of Portland Mountain Rescue, a volunteer organization that's leading the search for the missing climbers. He's 38 years old and has climbed Mount Hood 24 times.

7:06Because he knows the mountain so well, he'll stay here at base operations to coordinate the rescue effort. Wright's already been up most of the night, preparing. He knows that in conditions this bad, they have to find the climbers as quickly as possible. Anyone trapped near the summit could freeze to death in a matter of hours. He looks at the Team 1 leader, a paramedic and military veteran named Rick Harder. Wright doesn't know Harder well, but he's got a great reputation, and Wright likes the look of determination on his face. Rick, is your team ready? Ready and waiting. Then head to the parking lot behind the lodge.

7:50A snowcat will meet you there. Harder nods and leads his team out. A second four-man rescue team follows. As soon as they're gone, Wright turns to his fellow Portland Mountain Rescue Coordinator, Dave McClure. How soon do you think our next teams will be ready? They're ready now, but we've only got the one snowcat. We can only send them up two at a time. Wright grits his teeth in frustration. A snowcat is a truck-sized vehicle with treads instead of wheels, like a tank's. It's great for hauling people and equipment across snow and ice, but it's slow moving. He knows it will take their one snowcat at least an hour to drop off the first teams and come back.

8:34Wright has led countless mountain rescues, but this one feels more personal than most. He has two young daughters himself and can't imagine the anguish the parents of these missing kids must be feeling. He owes it to them to do everything he can to make sure this rescue operation runs smoothly, quickly, and successfully. As McClure starts debriefing rescue teams three and four, Wright goes back to the map of Mount Hood. He wants to triple check their search routes to make absolutely sure he's maximizing their chances of finding the missing climbers.

9:19Rick Harder steps forward into the snow and braces himself against the powerful gusts of frigid wind. A snowcat dropped off Harder and his team at an elevation of 8 ,500 feet. Now they're proceeding on foot, following what they think is the path the missing climbers took on their ascent. But it's slow going. They're lugging heavy medical supplies and sleeping bags to use as they find the missing climbers. And the wind is blowing so hard, it keeps knocking Harder and his men off their feet. The windward side of their red parkas and helmets are coated in a thick white frost. Rick! Harder looks back and sees Ed Hall waving for him to stop.

10:07Hall is Harder's longtime friend and climbing companion. He lives on Mount Hood's southwestern slope and knows the mountain better than anyone. Rick, I don't think we can go any higher. I've never seen it like this. These are 60-mile-an-hour winds. My radio's freezing up. Just tuck it under your jacket. We gotta get to those kids. Let's rope up and push on. Harder uncoils the neon orange rope around his shoulders and tosses one end of it to haul. One by one, the men hitch the rope to their belts so they're all connected at the waist. It's a safety precaution to prevent any one of them from a sudden uncontrolled slide or falling into a hidden crevasse.

10:55The four men continue their ascent, but the wind is relentless. Another gust hits him like a freight train, throwing him backwards onto the snowy ground. He hears his men crying out as the full force of the raging storm knocks them over. Parter pulls himself to his knees and assesses their situation. He pulls his watch-like altimeter from his pocket and checks it. 9 ,700 feet. More than 1 ,500 feet of elevation to go until they reach the summit. He grits his teeth. They'll never make it in these winds. Harder turns back to his men. All right, Ed, you were right. We've gone as high as we can go.

11:43Let's head east. At least our backs will be to the wind. Harder pulls his radio from his jacket. This is Harder. Come in. Don't bring the next team up here. It's too dangerous in these conditions. Harder shoves his radio back in his jacket and leads his team eastward. He hopes there's still a chance they might find the missing climbers. It's possible that this is the direction they took as they descended. But he knows the chances of that are slim. He just hopes that by ordering this tactical retreat, he isn't dooming the climbers to die in this storm.

12:30Giles Thompson wraps his shaking arms around his knees and rocks back and forth. He's sitting inside the snow cave, near the opening of the narrow tunnel that leads outside, where the storm continues to rage. A tiny slice of dim morning light peeks into the darkness from outside. Giles looks around the crowded cave at his fellow climbers. Nearly all of them are shaking violently from the cold. He tries to get a better look at the leader of their group, Father Tom Goeman. He's barely said a word since Molly Shula and Ralph Summers left the cave about an hour ago to get help. Giles looks back at the mouth of the cave.

13:15Snow is starting to fill the entrance again, and he knows it must be cleared away. If it isn't, the snow will freeze into impenetrable ice, and they'll be buried alive in this cramped and frigid space. Giles picks up an ice axe. One of the other kids lost their only shovel, so it's the only tool he has to clear the entrance. He's about to start chipping when he hears movement behind him. He turns and sees two of his classmates, Allison Litzenberger and Eric Sandvik. Allison nods towards the ice axe. Maybe we can help. We gotta go out there to pee. We'll make the tunnel wider with our shoulders as we crawl out.

14:00Giles nods. Good idea. I'll be right behind you. After Allison and Eric squeeze their way outside, Giles wriggles into the tunnel. He sucks his body in as much as he can. The tunnel has narrowed since he last tried to pull himself through it. He rolls onto his back and with his arms tight against his chest, scrapes the blade of the axe against the ceiling and walls of the tunnel. Icy shavings rain down on his face. Giles scrapes as fast as he can. He can feel the wind outside blowing frost onto his head as he hacks away faster and faster. He stops for a moment to review his progress. Is the cave getting any wider?

14:47it's hard for him to tell. Hey Giles, we're coming back in. Giles rotates onto his stomach so he can push himself back into the chamber. He's stunned by what he sees. While he was scraping the walls, more snow accumulated at the cave entrance, constricting the passageway with solid ice. The tunnel opening is now almost completely closed. Giles sees Eric's boot push through the opening. Hold on, Eric. Let me get rid of this ice. He grips his axe and chops away at the icy wall, closing in around the entrance. But it barely does anything. The ice is too hard. Eric, get ready. I'm going to try to pull you in.

15:33Do it. It's freezing out here. Giles kneels inside the cave, reaching down the tunnel to grab Eric's boot with both hands. He pulls as hard as he can. Suddenly, Giles slams backward onto the cold, hard floor of the cave. He looks down the tunnel to grab Eric's boot again. Then he realizes something. He's holding the boot in his hands. Giles lies inside the cave and gasps for breath. He closes his eyes, totally overcome with exhaustion. Eric and Allison are now stuck outside. Giles and the others are stuck in here. and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.

16:24Molly Shula steps slowly and carefully through deep powder snow. She tries to follow in Ralph Summers' steps, but her ski goggles keep fogging up and she's having trouble seeing. She takes off the goggles and squints up ahead. And then she freezes in horror. Summers is nowhere to be seen. Ralph! Ralph! Molly's heart pounds. She's in the middle of another whiteout. And now she's alone and disoriented. If she moves too far in the wrong direction, she fears she'll be lost on the mountainside. Molly pauses for a moment and tries to get her bearings. She estimates that it's been about an hour since she left the cave.

17:16A few minutes ago, things were looking up. She and Summers walked past a tree, a sign that they had made it below 6 ,000 feet and closer to civilization. Molly felt hopeful, but now that hope has evaporated. Just then, she spies something in the snow in front of her. She gasps with relief as she realizes it's one of Summer's footprints. Ralph? Ralph, where are you? Molly, is that you? A wave of relief washes over her. Molly trudges forward in the direction of the voice until she sees a dim silhouette in the endless white. It's Summer's, standing under a snow-covered tree next to a towering canyon wall.

18:05He looks happy to see her. You found me, Molly. Thank God. I can't walk as fast as you. I'm really sorry. I was watching for you, but I had to keep moving to stay warm. Come on, let's go. Molly stays close behind Summers as they set off again through the howling wind and snow. After just a few minutes, Summers stops and surveys their surroundings. All right, I'm pretty sure we're in Little Zigzag Canyon. If we stay in here, it's going to be a long time before we see any signs of civilization. Let's climb out and head east. Are you sure? Everything looks the same right now. What if we're not where you think we are?

18:49I don't know, Molly. If that's the case, we'll just have to figure it out. Molly follows Summers towards a steep, snowy incline dotted with large boulders. As they start making their way up, she feels a sense of trepidation growing. Summers is smart and competent, but there's a good chance that he's just guessing at the root. And if they keep changing directions, how are they going to retrace their path and lead rescuers back to the snow cave?

19:27Rick Harder grunts as he thrusts his shovel into a pile of snow. Despite their efforts to escape the relentless wind, the cold has become unbearable for Harder and his team of rescuers. They desperately need to add layers of clothing, but they can't do it out in the open, where powerful gusts could blow the clothes right out of their hands. So the four of them have spent the last 45 minutes digging a bolt hole, a small burrow in the snow big enough to serve as a changing room for a single person. Harder stops for a moment to catch his breath. He leans closer to his friend, Ed Hall, who's visibly shivering as he wields his shovel.

20:12I tell you, Ed, this is a fucking survival situation. I know that. Dig. Harder checks his watch. They've only been out here for two and a half hours, and they're struggling. The storm is beyond anything he's ever seen. They need to get changed quickly and continue their journey east as soon as possible. He hopes the conditions will be less harsh in that direction. If they aren't, or the storm intensifies further, they could be stranded up here. harder shutters to think that his team of rescuers might need to be rescued themselves.

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21:51Rick Harder helps Ed Hall climb out of the bolt hole. He's the last member of Team One to use the shelter to change into warmer clothing. They're now all wearing every layer they brought with them up the mountain. Harder looks at his tactical watch and winces. It's 9.30am. They've wasted an hour just digging the bolt hole and putting on more layers. And as Harder looks around, he can see that everyone is still shivering in the icy wind. He makes a decision and shouts to his team over the gale. We've been up here over two hours. Still no sign of those kids. And our radios are freezing up. The storm's kicking our asses, guys.

22:38I say we get back to base, then come back up when there's a break in the weather. Ed Hall nods. Let's make our way down to Silcox Hut. We can take shelter and figure out our next moves. Harder and the others agree and get ready to turn back. Hall pulls off one of his outer gloves. Hold on, let me scrape this ice off my goggles. Harder watches as Hall tucks the glove under his arm. But just then, they're pummeled by another gust of wind. Hall is knocked off his feet. Harder watches in horror as the glove flies out from under Hall's arm and into the air like a bird. In less than a second, it disappears into the white void.

23:24Hall sits in the snow and stares at his hand, which is now covered only by his inner glove, a thin layer of polypropylene. He looks up at Harder. His mouth is open, but no sound comes out. In these conditions, an exposed hand is a serious problem. Harder calls out to the team. Let's move! Paul tucks his exposed hand under his armpit, and the team forges downhill, struggling to push through the wind. Harder grimaces in frustration behind his ski mask. The team should have brought more gloves, but they were focused on carrying emergency supplies for the missing climbers. Harder shakes it off and picks up the pace.

24:10All that matters is that they get to the shelter of Silcox Hut as fast as possible before Ed Hall loses his hand to frostbite.

24:27Barry Wright grips his handheld radio. Harder, do you read me? Harder, damn it! Wright puts down the radio and looks out the window at the brutal storm that shows no signs of letting up. He's sitting comfortably inside the base operations office in Timberline Resort, but his men are out there in the thick of it. He takes off his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose. The plan for finding the missing students is coming apart at the seams. There are now four teams of rescuers on the mountain. All of them are having issues with their radios. And even when the radios work, their voices are drowned out by the ferocious wind.

25:12Wright has been tasked with coordinating this rescue. How can he possibly do that if he can't communicate with his teams? Wright sees fellow search and rescue coordinator Dave McClure sitting at a nearby desk, hanging up the phone. McClure smiles as he turns to Wright. All right, Barry, it's confirmed. Six more search and rescue volunteers are on their way here. That's great. We need all the help we can get. Any idea where Harder and his guys are now? Hard to say. We've lost contact again. They're being blown around like rag dolls up there, Dave. Space, this is Steve Glenn. Do you read me? Wright picks up his radio again.

25:54Steve Glenn is the leader of Team 2. Wright is eager for an update. Copy that, Steve. Where are you? We're back in the snowcap, up at the top of Palmer Snowfield. Driver came back to get us. But, Barry, uh, our windshield just got blown out by this storm. Wright rubs his eyes and grips the handset a little tighter. Did I hear you Wright? Your windshield is gone? Affirmative. And I'm afraid our driver is not dressed for these conditions. So we've got a bit of a problem here. Just get everyone to hunker down in the back, Steve, and await further instruction. Wright turns to McClure. Dave, if our guys are getting beat down like this, how do you think those kids are handling it?

26:42McClure shakes his head. Wright knows they have to accelerate their rescue efforts if they stand any chance of saving the lives of the missing students. But how can they when this storm keeps slowing them to a crawl?

27:03Ralph Summers stops walking and plants his feet so the wind won't knock him over. He shouts over his shoulder to Molly Shula, his eyes fixed on a welcome sight. Molly, hurry up! You gotta check this out! When Molly arrives, she brings her hands to her mouth and gasps. Just a few yards away, stretching high up into the haze, is a gray metal ski lift tower. Summers and Molly have reached civilization at last. They've been hiking for hours, and Summers privately wondered if they would survive the journey down the mountain. Now, he knows they will. Summers and Molly march past the ski lift tower. Summers is sure they should reach the road that leads back to Timberline Lodge in just a few minutes.

27:55But then he sees another man-made object emerging from the snowy mist up ahead. It's a wooden sign. When he sees what's written on it, his heart sinks. Oh no. What's wrong? This is the Texas chairlift. We're two miles east of where I thought we were. This will take us down to the Mount Hood Meadows Resort. Molly puts her face in her hands. But if we're two miles off course, how are we going to retrace our steps back to the cave? Summers can tell that she's reached her limits. He takes her arm. It's okay, Molly. Let's get down to the resort first, and then we'll figure it out. He begins to walk forward with Molly's arm locked in his.