Crag Rats Turn 100: A Century of Service with the Oldest Mountain Search & Rescue Team in America
Hood River, Ore. April 2, 2026 — Sense of Place concludes its 16th official season* on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, with Crag Rats Turn 100: A Century of Service with the Oldest Mountain Search & Rescue Team in America. Crag Rats Turn 100 will take place at Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, Oregon, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The evening will feature Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg, physician, rescue mountaineer, and author of Crisis on Mount Hood: Stories from 100 Years of Mountain Rescue. Van Tilburg will guide audiences through the remarkable history of the Crag Rats, the oldest mountain search and rescue team in North America, founded in 1926.
For a century, this all-volunteer team has provided lifesaving search and rescue support in the mountains and wild places of the Pacific Northwest. From the icy slopes of Mount Hood to the steep canyons of the Columbia River Gorge, the Crag Rats have rescued injured climbers on Eliot Glacier, helped hikers stranded during wildfires in Eagle Creek, and searched for missing hunters as far away as Olympic National Park.
Van Tilburg will share the history of courage, lore, tragedy, and triumph, and the stories of the people that have shaped this organization over the past 100 years, from team traditions to meaningful milestones such as welcoming women into the organization in 1993, as well as his speculation on what the Crag Rats’ future may hold.
About the Speaker: Christopher Van Tilburg, MD, is an American physician, rescue mountaineer, and award-winning author of 11 books, including Crisis on Mount Hood: Stories from 100 Years of Mountain Rescue (Mountaineers Books, 2025). He is on staff at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital and serves as medical director for four search and rescue teams.
Dr. Van Tilburg is also the Hood River County Public Health Officer and Medical Examiner and a U.S. delegate to the International Commission for Alpine Rescue. He has worked on six continents as an expedition physician, cruise ship doctor, and humanitarian medical team leader, including multiple medical missions to Haiti. His honors include the Wilderness Medical Society’s Dian Simpkins Award for Service, the Haiti Humanitarian Research Award, and the Ice Axe Award for Service. He lives in Hood River.
Event Details: Crag Rats Turn 100: A Century of Service with the Oldest Mountain Search & Rescue Team in America. When: Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.Where: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR 97031. Livestream: Included with ticket purchase.Tickets: Available online at senseofplacegorge.org. Advanced purchase is encouraged. (*Audiences take note: a special pop-up event featuring the “father of new forestry,” Jerry Franklin, will take place at the Bingen Theater on April 24th.)
About Sense of Place:
For 16 years, Sense of Place has connected people through place and storytelling. The flagship speaker series features individuals with unique knowledge of the Columbia River Gorge and explores the natural and cultural history that has shaped this region. Guests have included scientists, Tribal members, authors, farmers, and many others from throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Sense of Place is a program of Mt. Adams Institute, which strengthens the connection between people and the natural world through education, service, career development, and research.
Learn more, explore the online archive, and subscribe to the newsletter at senseofplacegorge.org or follow @senseofplacegorge on Instagram.
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