About The Hood River Crag Rats and the Cloud Cap Inn
Presented by Don & Bill Pattison, Crag Rats
On August 3, 1926 Andy Anderson, a Hood River lumber store
manager, invited around 20 local young men to his home for the purpose of
establishing an organization to promote mountaineering and skiing. The Hood
River Crag Rats were formed that afternoon and became the first U.S. mountain rescue
organization west of the Mississippi. Wooden ice axes and hemp rope have given
way to GPS devices and helicopters, but searching for and rescuing people on
Mt. Hood and in the Columbia Gorge have remained much the same for over 80
years. The program, featuring tales of harrowing rescues, will chronicle the
early and current Crag Rats and their relationship with the historic Cloud Cap
Inn. Speaker Don Pattison is a second-generation Crag Rat and works in the
outdoor industry; Bill Pattison is a Crag Rat and 4th generation Oregonian.
About the Speakers:
Bill Pattison’s great-grandparents lived in Portland but built a
summer home in Hood River, around the same time Cloud Cap Inn was constructed
in 1889, where he was raised. After high school, Bill attended the University
of Oregon but Harry Truman interfered and he joined the US Air Force, during
the Korean War. Upon returning to civilian life, Bill completed his college
education at Lewis and Clark. After graduation, Bill returned to Hood River and
contributed to his community as a business leader, mayor of the City of Hood
River, city fire chief, Boy Scout leader and member of the Historic Columbia
River Highway Restoration Committee. Bill’s love of the Hood River Valley and
Mt Hood led him to become a member of the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, a life member of
the Crag Rats, and leader of the restoration of Cloud Cap Inn.
Raised in Hood River by fourth generation Oregonians, Bill's son
Don Pattison grew-up ski racing, mountain climbing, river-running, Boy
Scouting, fruit picking, lumber stacking and sailing on the Columbia River.
After graduating from Willamette University and traveling around the world
climbing and skiing, Don settled in Portland, and has spent decades working in
the outdoor industry. He has completed his tour of duty as an officer and
trustee, in the Crag Rats, and is a Life member having climbed all the Cascade
peaks and skied-off most of them. These days, Don likes short days at the
computer and long days in the mountains.
