Two Climbers Die on Oregon Volcano
Two men died in separate falls within the past 30 days while climbing North Sister. Neither of their bodies have been recovered
North Sister is a popular mountain in central Oregon that’s considered one of the hardest to climb of the Cascade volcanoes. It’s not as tall as the nearby South Sister, but it’s climbed less due to the difficulties. The standard south ridge has exposed fourth and fifth class scrambling and steep snow traverses, making it a potentially dangerous objective.
Within a month this summer, two climbers died after falling down North Sister during their ascents. A 66-year-old missing climber was found dead after falling 1,200 feet down the mountain, according to local officials. John David Mulcahy, from St. Helens, had plans to summit both peaks, the Deschutes County Search and Rescue Foundation said in a news release, but he never returned. A search and rescue team, along with an Army National Guard helicopter, found Mulcahy’s body, but deputies said, “Due to the location of Mr. Mulcahy the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue unit was unable to recover him.”
And on July 17, a 21-year-old climber died after falling 300 feet while climbing with his girlfriend, McClatchy News reported. Joel Tranby’s body was also not recovered, because of “extremely loose and steep rocky terrain,” the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said.
In a story on The Bulletin, Sgt. Tom Speldrich said, “After consulting several mountain rescue groups and also in consultation with the family, it has been decided that unless conditions change, currently they are not going to, for safety reasons, try to recover him. Perhaps something could change but right now, that risk is just too great.” Read more about the decision to leave Tranby’s body on the mountain here.
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