Climbers may have fallen.

Byline: Bill Bishop The Register-Guard

In single-digit temperatures and a 30-mph wind whipping fresh snow into a ground-level blizzard, 16 members of Eugene Mountain Rescue set out Saturday on the search for climbers lost on Mount Hood.

It was the most recent in a string of rescue missions for the volunteers this fall that have taken them to Josephine County in search of a stranded family, to Deschutes County in search of two lost snowmobilers and to Crater Lake in search for a lost boy.

That's in addition to a number of much smaller missions close to home, according to John Miller, search and rescue coordinator for the Lane County Sheriff's Office.

"The energy and effort put out on this is intense," Miller says. "I'm grateful no one was hurt in the effort."

It's dangerous work, but the 35-member team is trained, tested and experienced, Eugene Mountain Rescue President Tim McCall said.

Most of the team got into the work for the same reason McCall joined up 15 years ago - a love of climbing and a realization that if something goes wrong on a mountain, climbers need other climbers.

"There is nobody else to do it if we don't do it for ourselves," McCall said Monday.

When the team is called out, it joins a well-coordinated search that is planned in advance and tightly managed to thoroughly cover an area without undue risk to the rescue teams.

The Mount Hood operation was no exception, McCall said.

The Eugene Mountain Rescue group was divided into teams of three or four and assigned specific areas on the mountain. They climbed to timberline expecting to camp in the snow, but were lucky to have the use of an old Forest Service hut used by a snowshoeing club, McCall said. It became a welcome base camp in the blowing cold.

While Saturday was a hazardous and difficult search, Sunday's clear skies and calm wind reminded the team why they spend their time on mountains.

"It was a perfect day on the mountain. We could be real effective," said McCall, whose team searched an area at 9,000 feet on the mountain's north side.

With their assignment finished, the team descended Sunday night to find relatives of the lost climbers waiting for them with a stack of hot pizzas and heartfelt thanks, McCall said.

"A big motivation for a lot of people (in the rescue group) is we all do these things in the outdoors - like these (lost) people do," he says. "It's our community."

Eugene Mountain Rescue Specializes in mountain and remote rescue, with 35 volunteer members coordinated by the Lane County sheriff's office. Tested and certified by Oregon Mountain Rescue Council as part of statewide rescue network. Formed in 1968 by climbing and outdoor enthusiasts. More information: www.eugenemountainrescue.org - Eugene Mountain Rescue