Mt. Hood is no stranger to dramatic rescues.
A climber had to be helivaced from Hood’s summit ridge after falling 700 feet just earlier this year. You can watch that video here.
Mt. Hood National Forest is now proposing daily access fees for climbers, hikers, and campers who want to access Mt. Hood above 9,500 feet.
The fees would help pay for two climbing rangers to patrol popular routes, add resources for coordination with search and rescue crews, and provide education on climbing and hiking safety on Mt. Hood.
They would go into effect in January of 2024 at the earliest.
Full report from KOIN 6 below:
It seems like permitted access to our country’s most beautiful features is becoming a necessary evil these days. I don’t necessarily love the fact that the average person will have to pay the government $20 to hike/climb Mt. Hood, but it will go a long way for the health and safety of everybody involved.
The permits will surely be a way for the rangers to track who is on the mountain, and will help them to coordinate with search and rescue crews in lifesaving situations. This benefits the climbers who need rescuing, and the search and rescue crews who risk their lives.
Nothing is free anymore. That’s just the way it goes. Unfortunately.
