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A black and white photo of Mt. Hood. There are smaller mountains in the foreground and clouds around the base of Mt. Hood. The image looks old, faded, and ominous.
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Summer Read: A Mount Hood Tragedy We’ll Never Forget

A black and white photo of Mt. Hood. There are smaller mountains in the foreground and clouds around the base of Mt. Hood. The image looks old, faded, and ominous.

A group of high school sophomores set off on what was supposed to be a grand climb. Instead, it became one of the deadliest alpine disasters in North American history. It was 1986, and the Oregon students were seeking to complete an adventure program with the support of professional guides. As they made their way toward the 11,235-foot summit, a vicious storm hit. In this episode of our Summer Read series, we revisit a feature by writer Pauls Toutonghi that chronicles the tragedy and its enduring impact on a community that it changed forever.


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ϳԹ’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners. We launched in March 2016 with our first series, Science of Survival, and have since expanded our show to offer a range of story formats, including reports from our correspondents in the field and interviews with the biggest figures in sports, adventure, and the outdoors.