Sierra Blogging Post Archives

Could personal locator beacons have saved the lives of the three hikers lost on Mt. Hood in Oregon this month?

That's the question being asked by officials contemplating a bill that would require all climbers and hikers on Mt. Hood to carry personal locator beacons.

This is the second time in three years a group of hikers have been lost on Mt. Hood without locator beacons. Only one hiker in both groups was ever located, the rest presumably buried beneath several layers of ice and snow.



“When are you going to stop the carnage on Mount Hood?” asked Jim Bender, a commissioner in Clackamas County on the south side of the mountain. “People are dying for no reason,” said Bender, a longtime climber who said he had been up Mount Hood several times. “We need to find a way to protect them and we need to find a way to protect the people’s resources.

Supporters of the beacon-mandating bill say beacons would not only increase chances of a successful rescue but also reduce time, risk and expense of rescue teams. Opponents believe the locator beacons would create false security in inexperienced hikers and may cause them to take risks they normally wouldn't. Opponents also say that mandating beacons would diminish the "mystique" of backcountry exploration.

If the bill passes, personal locator beacons would be available for rent on the mountain for $5. Of course, if you are an avid mountaineer you probably already own one.

What do you think? Should Mt. Hood hikers be required to carry locator beacons?