DALLAS -- Friends of Brian Hall say climbing Mount Hood was supposed to be practice for a bigger dream -- conquering the high peaks of Mount Everest.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Ford.

Brian Hall, left, and Kelly James embrace each other on Feb. 2006 in Dallas.

Hall, Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, of New York, and Kelly James, of Dallas, disappeared on the Oregon mountain more than a week ago. James' body was discovered on Sunday and searchers continued Monday to look for Hall and Cooke while family members kept vigil.

Hall, a personal trainer who played for the now-defunct Dallas Rockets professional soccer team, makes yearly climbs and spent five to six months training for his trip to Mount Hood. Climbing mountains and being outdoors is a passion with special meaning for Hall, friends have said.

"It's something that he takes very seriously and it's like his spiritual release," friend Frederick Stephenson said last week. "Not many people know that when he gets to the top of a mountain, he gives thanks."

Hall, 37, typically devotes most of his time to his work and volunteering or raising money for charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, friends say. He coached a girls' soccer team called the Dead Rhinos.

"He has such great energy. ... Everything about him is just shiny," said Stephenson, owner of Performance Playground, a gym where Hall works as a personal trainer. "Nothing brings him down."

Hall left Dallas on Dec. 6 for Mount Hood, where he, his longtime climbing partner James and Cooke, a new climbing friend, were attempting the difficult north side of Mount Hood.

Friends have tried to maintain positive spirits despite tragedy. James was found dead Sunday and authorities now say Hall and Cooke may have been swept to their deaths by howling winds of more than 100 mph.

Teams were expected to continue searching for two more days, but weather forecasts may require them to take a break about Wednesday.