Jeffrey Kelly James was one of three experienced mountain climbers who died on Mount Hood

Mount Hood

Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 in December 2006 in an incident which received worldwide attention.

James was a native of Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 and a graduate of Texas Tech University in Lubbock

Lubbock, Texas

Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...

. He was an accomplished landscape architect with his designs published in Metropolitan Home and Better Homes and Gardens. James was also a veteran mountaineer with more than 25 years experience climbing mountains including Mount McKinley

Mount McKinley

Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...

, the Eiger

Eiger

The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...

, and Alpamayo

Alpamayo

Alpamayo is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes.It is a steep , almost perfect pyramid of ice, one of a number of peaks that compose the Santa Cruz massif, the northernmost massif of the Cordillera Blanca...

, along with guiding dozens of climbs on Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...

. James resided in Dallas with his wife Karen James and four children.
He was also a devoted Christian.

On December 10, 2006, during his climb on Mount Hood, James made a cell phone call to his wife (Karen James) and two older sons telling them that he was trapped in a snow cave

Snow cave

A snow cave is a shelter constructed in snow by certain animals in the wild, human mountain climbers, winter recreational enthusiasts, and winter survivalists. It has thermal properties similar to an Igloo and is particularly effective at providing protection from wind as well as low temperatures...

 and his two climbing partners Brian Hall and Jerry “Nikko” Cooke had gone for help. For more than a week, fierce weather

Hanukkah Eve Wind Storm of 2006

The Hanukkah Eve Wind Storm of 2006 was a powerful Pacific storm that slammed into the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and southern British Columbia, Canada between December 14, 2006 and December 15, 2006...

 thwarted rescue attempts. Finally on December 17, 2006, rescue workers located James’ body in a snow cave, 300 feet below the summit. Before he died of hypothermia, James removed his glove and extended his ring finger with his signet JKJ ring prominently displayed, which some have interpreted as a signal to his family.

Kelly's wife Karen James wrote a book “Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy,” about the accident.

See also

• Mount Hood climbing accidents: climbing incidents on Mount Hood, including a full description of this one