MI climber survives fall on Mount Hood

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 52-year-old Clarkston, Mich., man has survived a 500-foot fall on a popular route to the summit of Oregon's Mount Hood.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Sgt. Adam Phillips says Gary Morgan suffered a serious injury to a hip and leg. He was at roughly the 10,000-foot level on the 11,239-foot mountain when he fell Thursday.

Phillips says the man fell and slid 500 to 600 feet, unable to attempt to stop his fall since he lacked an ice axe. He finally flew over a crevasse at the end of his fall, landing in snow on the far side.

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An experienced climber died last week in a 1,000-foot fall in the same area of the mountain. It's known as the Hogsback, near the summit on the south side.

Rescuers carried Morgan to the top of a ski lift and a snowcat brought him down to the Timberline Lodge parking lot so he could be taken to a hospital.

Mount Hood is 50 miles east of Portland.