Potential search and rescue situation on Mt Adams

There was just a notice put out through the local search and rescue paging system for a search on Mt Adams. No other details yet, but the whereabouts are probably unknown given that the page was specific to a search. I was up there Thursday night and Friday and had a great day in the SW Chutes, as we were leaving Friday evening the parking lot was filling up fast. It must have been a very busy weekend weekend up there. Total speculation, but due to the wording of the page, I'm guessing the search was was initiated by someone other than the missing person/persons. It's more common to be lost and un-injured than lost and injured on Adams, hopefully that's the case this time and the situation is resolved quickly. Anybody else up there this weekend?

Would appreciate any conditions details from the last few days on the south climb, a few of us are heading down there tonight.  Location we have is a broad estimate at the moment, not sure if there are rescuers on scene with the subject yet. 

Thanks in advance for any info you have.

A cascadeclimbers member was apparently there over the weekend, you could ask him:

cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php...limbs_I_#Post1150318

Posted 15 minutes ago....

Skied the SW chutes on Friday. Took the winter route up. Route is not skinable until you near the lunch counter. Snow was fairly firm until late morning/early afternoon, when the sun softened things up. Crampons were pretty useful.

SW chutes were in fine shape, though the high snow line made the bushwhack to the RTM trail a bit longer than I was hoping for.

I spend a lot of time on Adams and I have run into many parties that have become disoriented when descending below the lunch counter. Some want to head way down into the Morrison Creek drainage, while others head down onto the Mazama.

On a SAR mission a few years ago, we searched for an overdue skier for a few days before we located him on the east side of the Aiken lava bed. He went the wrong way around south butte on his descent, entering the Yakima reservation. He spent one night under a picnic table at Bird Creek CG, hiked into the lava bed, turned around, spent a second night at Bird Creek, ditched his rented boots and hiked downhill in liners until we made contact near the base of the Aiken - if my memory serves...

I think the conditions last Sat/sun were supposed to be somewhat cloudy, with some potential for precip. Sounds like good conditions to become disoriented.

A descending climber is likely to be exhausted, sleep deprived and dehydrated (making poor decisions). Throw in some clouds and unfamiliar ground and you have a recipe for forging ahead, despite being off route.

Good luck out there and be safe!

Warning for anyone skiing the SW Chutes this week: I’ve heard different things from different sources about the extrication plans. 
If you do see Robert, please keep your distance because of the dangerous rockfall potential. 
(And the Sheriff already has my waypoint coordinates and pictures, so no need to get any closer to him on the left, and instead stay to the right down low in that section as you normally would.)
You can donate to the family here:
www.gofundme.com/2fy4d7ns

Update: reliable source reports that recovery team was heading back down by around mid-morning, so no concerns now for anyone skiing the SW Chutes after today (i.e., Tuesday August 2).

A total of 24 volunteers yesterday according to this account:
kimatv.com/news/local/search-and-rescue-...turn-over-to-coroner
I suspect the reference to six hours is just for the return trip, i.e., not including the initial approach and then securing the litter.
(Note for anyone who happens to stumble on this post not familiar with the term:  "litter" is akin  to "stretcher" in this context, as opposed to its more typical usage.)

Nice portrait of Robert here:
www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2016/aug/03/b...-believed-be-hr-man/
(Henceforth I'll always stop by Sushi Okalani for a Robert's roll when returning from skiing Adams.)

Also, in case anyone happens to see this AP version that is republished in numerous places:
q13fox.com/2016/08/03/body-of-60-year-ol...ed-from-mount-adams/
... although I have at least been upgraded from a hiker to a skier, the location was not "on the popular South Climb route at about 8,000 foot elevation" (which would be the Crescent not-really-a-Glacier) but rather at 8,520 in the base of the skier-popular (although skiers aren't very numerous at this time of year) SW Chutes (and several ancillary chutes that aren't skied because they're typically burnt out at the entrance also prone to rockfall).
And yes, at least one version is showing a stock photo of the mountain from an entire different aspect.