PORTLAND, Ore. — Searchers are trying to reach a body on a Mount Hood glacier that was spotted by a helicopter crew looking for a missing climber.
The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said officials believe the body is likely Kinley Adams, a 59-year-old Salem dentist who failed to return June 22 from a climb on the west side of Oregon's tallest mountain.
Oregon Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter crews made the discovery Saturday at an altitude of about 8,400 feet, the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Because of extremely difficult terrain, a recovery effort was getting under way Sunday morning.
Avalanche risk from warming temperatures prevented rescue teams from climbing to the upper part of the 11,239-foot peak.
Adams is an experienced climber who had been making frequent trips to Mount Hood in preparation for a trip to Nepal. He is thought to have a cellphone, but searchers have been unable to pinpoint the signal. His mountain locator beacon was found at home, apparently with gear he was planning to take to Nepal.
He was reported missing June 22. His vehicle was found on the mountain at Timberline Lodge.