Historic Hood River
TV Movie
3-25-2016
Notes
Hopefully some of you can fill in the details here. We have a series of images of the Crag Rats on Mt. Hood participating in the filming of a movie for KGW 8 television. Does anyone remember particulars?
The History Museum of Hood River County
Bringing the Rich History of Hood River County to Life
Charlott
It is obvious that they are bringing someone up out of the cravass. Bill Pattison needs to weigh in on this one, as he in all likelihood was involved.
Jay
This is certainly Bill P’s era. This is on the upper Eliot Glacier where the Rats still have their annual Ice Follies for fun and training in the crevasses and seracs. They have rigged a "tyrolean traverse" across the crevasse (a fixed line anchored on each side) and are hauling a litter across the span with a tag line. It doesn’t look like they were able to recruit a volunteer to be the patient in the litter.
Although the lines on the lower side go to a couple of ice axes sunk into the snow, they couldn’t have been the main anchor as they aren’t sunk very deep, and they aren’t angled back away from the force. There might be some ice screws, an axe buried horizontally as a deadman, and/or a snow bollard, to anchor against what would be a lot of force. It’s easier to anchor against a rope going over the edge and down, then against the horizontal force of a tyrolean traverse.
There are two guys dangling lines over the edge. They might be tied in but they aren’t belaying from their casual standing position. Maybe they’re lowering lunch down to some rats at the bottom. Or watching as the guy below is tying in and preparing to climb.
Those beanies were standard Rat wear in the 50’s – ask Bill; I think one of the wives made them.
Stever
I spy GI style boots with box toes and cargo pants .. likely wool.
The outline of the five to the upper right is neat … perhaps peering down into the glacier from a better vantage point.
What purpose might the flags serve ?
Bill P
In 1956 to about 1960 Channel 8 in Portland Oregon filmed a documentry similar to Grant McCombe’s Grant’s Get Away today. The similated glacier evacuation provided the show. The flags were placed to keep the gapers away from the snow bridges in the area. The victim at this time was Bill Gale, our smallest Rat at that time. The box toed boots, GI parkas and large pocket pants were 10th Mountain Div. surplus property. I’m personally reminded of this trip. I packed in a hurry and didn’t pay much attention to what I had until I got up the trail and reached into one of the large pocket and found a baby bottle.
placed there by my 2 year old son Don. He did make the trip 56 years later.
Betty Sheppard, who passed away last week made the hats and the shirts.
Thanks for the memories
Bill P.
Theresa Puddy
I am Hal Puddy’s daughter, and I am wild-guessing that he might be the one with his back to the camera, crouching down on the right. Bill, any idea?