Lost on Mt Hood: The 1916 Rescue of Anton and Helen Edlefsen

The Anton and Helen Edlefsen Mount Hood Rescue

A Weekend of Adventure at Mount Hood

In late September 1916, what began as a summit climb on Mount Hood turned into a dramatic rescue that made headlines across Oregon and beyond. The story of the Anton and Helen Edlefsen Mount Hood rescue, important in its time, has become one of the mountain’s least remembered survival tales.

Anton H. Edlefsen, vice-president of the Edlefsen Fuel Company in Portland, and his wife Helen joined a climbing party led by the legendary guide Elijah “Lige” Coalman. They left their two young children, Charlotte (7) and Robert (4), in the care of friends at Tawney’s Mountain Home in Welches, expecting only a day’s adventure.

A Summit Climb with Lige Coalman

The climb began before dawn on Sunday, September 24, 1916. Anton and Helen wore ordinary street clothes for the day—he in a business suit and sweater, she in knickerbockers, skirt, and sweater. The couple lagged behind the party as they worked their way up the Hogsback, and Helen became ill from sulphur fumes near Crater Rock. Coalman took the stronger climbers on toward the summit while the Edlefsens turned back.

Instead of waiting for the party to return, as Lige had instructed, Anton and Helen attempted their descent alone. They followed the tracks of two other climbers who had come down from the summit, but visibility deteriorated as clouds moved in. The footprints soon vanished, and the Edlefsens mistakenly descended toward the deep canyons west of Government Camp rather than the trail back to safety.

The Search Effort

When the climbing party returned to Government Camp and discovered the Edlefsens missing, alarm spread quickly. A search was organized, led by Edward Roberts, a respected pioneer of Welches who knew the terrain well. He coordinated volunteers and fellow guides, including Lige Coalman and Adolf Aschoff, to fan out into the canyons and ridges where the couple might have strayed.

For hours, searchers combed the rugged country—through timber, across ridges, and into the chasms of the Zigzag drainage. Newspapers later praised Roberts for his persistence and leadership, noting that he never gave up until every possibility had been checked. His efforts proved crucial in the Anton and Helen Edlefsen’s Mount Hood rescue, which drew attention throughout the Northwest.

Lost in the Canyon

Meanwhile, Anton and Helen had descended into Sand Canyon, a branch of the larger Zigzag Canyon. Exhausted, wet, and chilled, they spent a miserable night in the open. They ate a handful of huckleberries for strength and, with great effort, managed to start a fire using the driest twigs they could gather. The small flame gave them just enough warmth to endure the night.

Their children, unaware of their parents’ plight, waited anxiously at Tawney’s Mountain Home. Friends kept them safe and sheltered, but the tension mounted as hours passed with no sign of Anton and Helen.

Found at Last

The next morning, searchers spotted smoke rising from the canyon and followed it down. There they found Anton and Helen huddled by their fire, weary but alive.

Anton, though fatigued, managed to walk out with assistance. Helen, however, collapsed from exhaustion after beginning the hike out. Rescuers fashioned a stretcher and carried her the rest of the way down through the canyon and woods to the nearest road. From there, the couple was returned to Welches and reunited with their children at Tawney’s Mountain Home.

Newspapers across the Northwest reported the rescue, praising Edward Roberts for leading the effort that saved the Portland couple.

A Lesson in Mountain Travel

The Edlefsen rescue stands as a cautionary tale from the early years of climbing on Mount Hood. Trails were primitive, weather conditions unpredictable, and climbers often wore ordinary clothes rather than specialized gear. A wrong turn could quickly become life-threatening.

At the same time, the story illustrates the determination and community spirit of the Mount Hood region that still exists today. Men like Edward Roberts, Lige Coalman and Adolf Aschoff risked their own safety to search rugged canyons for strangers in need. Their persistence ensured that Anton and Helen Edlefsen’s story ended in survival, not tragedy.

Remembering the Rescue

Over a century later, the 1916 Edlefsen rescue remains part of Mount Hood’s lore. It should be remembered both as a warning of the mountain’s dangers and as a testament to the courage of those who step forward in times of crisis. Even today, the Anton and Helen Edlefsen Mount Hood rescue stands as a reminder of how quickly adventure can turn to peril, and how a community can come together to help in times of crises, which can mean the difference between tragedy and survival.

The rescue of Mr. and Mrs. Edlefsen is one of many cautionary tales from Mount Hood’s history. In the early 1900s, trails were less defined, equipment was minimal, and communication was slow. A simple day hike could become a life-threatening emergency. Today, even with modern technology, catastrophe can happen, especially to those who are unprepared.

Sources

• The Oregonian, August 12, 1916, p. 1
• The Oregonian, August 13, 1916, p. 1
• The Oregonian, August 14, 1916, p. 1
• The Oregon Journal, August 12, 1916, p. 1
• The Oregon Journal, August 13, 1916, p. 1
• The Oregon Journal, August 14, 1916, p. 1
• The Morning Register (Eugene, OR), August 13, 1916, p. 1
• The Sunday Oregonian, August 20, 1916 (follow-up coverage)
• Grauer, Jack. Mount Hood: A Complete History.

About the reconstructed images on this website.
Some images in this article may be reproductions based on historic photographs or newspaper articles that survive only in poor condition. These images have been digitally restored to improve clarity and, where necessary, reconstructed to represent the originals accurately. All reconstructions are guided by historical evidence and are intended to clarify-not reinterpret-the original scenes.