Alpine Rescue Team

It's a beautiful morning at Colorado Search and Rescue Association - CSAR's SARCon in in Summit County, Colorado. If you' re on a SAR team somewhere else in the world, well, we feel for ya' 'cause you're not in Colorful Colorado! 😢 And a huge thank you to CommonSpirit - Flight for Life!

Our state Colorado Search and Rescue Association - CSAR conference is this weekend in Summit County. Many of us are there as students; many as faculty teaching technical rescue, avy rescue, new technology—along with colleagues from across Colorado.

Improving search and rescue efforts in Colorado Hundreds of responders from across Colorado are gathering in Breckenridge to share and learn new skills and improve rescue efforts statewide.

Precisely. Uh, the milk though ... ?

While the story is from Wales, we might be headed in the same direction in Colorado. Click to the original post and read the comments! Remember, the "10 Essentials" are not nine oz. of water and hope.

After 59 callouts in August, the busiest month in our history, we think it is time for a serious conversation about what is happening in our mountains.

Our volunteers carried out prolonged rescues in darkness and poor weather, dealt with serious injuries, heat-related issues, assisted people stuck in serious terrain and, sadly, attended incidents where people and animals lost their lives.

What concerns us most is the increasing number of people taking on difficult terrain while completely unprepared for what they are facing.

The mountains have not suddenly become more dangerous. More people are visiting them, and the way routes are discovered and accessed has changed.

Routes once mainly attempted by experienced hillwalkers and mountaineers are increasingly attracting people with little or no experience.

A photograph or video of Crib Goch can make an exposed Grade 1 scramble look like just another route to the summit. What it doesn’t show is how intimidating that ridge can be in cloud, rain or strong winds or how quickly a manageable situation can become a serious emergency.

We want people to enjoy Eryri. We understand the physical and mental health benefits of spending time in the mountains but accidents happen, even to experienced, well-prepared people. That is why we volunteer.

But enjoying the mountains also comes with personal responsibility. Too often, people simply don’t know that a route may require specific skills, equipment, fitness, experience and judgement and how quickly conditions can change.

Our callout numbers tell the story:

147 in 2020
237 in 2021
233 in 2022
308 in 2023
327 in 2024
359 in 2025
Around 440 projected in 2026.

This trend is not sustainable.

The answer cannot simply be more Mountain Rescue. There has to be greater focus on prevention and personal responsibility.

We will always respond when someone genuinely needs our help. The bigger question now is: how do we stop so many people from needing help in the first place?

Enjoy the mountains but please try to understand the environment you are entering and if the terrain or conditions don’t feel right, turn around.

"Half of the people that we rescue and help did not have the knowledge, skill, and ability to be where they were doing what they were, and the other half did, and unfortunately accidents happen," Edelson said.

"Atkins also noted that they're seeing more serious injury calls ... Atkins also partly blames social media, saying that it can create a false sense of security by highlighting successful trips rather than the difficulties involved ... It often makes those reports, those trip reports, sound much easier than they actually are," he said. "

Search-and-rescue crews see rise in serious injuries, deaths on Colorado 14ers With search and rescue demands on the rise, experts stress preparedness for mountain adventures.

Excellent advice that helps ensure Type 1 Fun!
https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/fun-scale

My turnaround rules, written down before I ever leave the trailhead:

1. I set a turnaround time the night before, when I am thinking clearly, not on the summit push when I want it badly.

2. Weather overrides everything: building cumulus by mid morning, a first rumble of thunder, graupel bouncing off my hood, or storms on the horizon all turn me around.

3. Pace check: if I am not where I planned to be by my checkpoint time, and I know I'm not on pace to meet my turnaround time, the summit moves to another day.

4. Body check: When I notice stumbling feet, a headache that will not quit, or a partner who has gone quiet, I usually call it a day before something goes wrong.

5. The golden rule to respect: the summit is optional. Getting home is not.

Risk management is not fear. It is what lets me keep coming back year after year.

📍Grays Peak Trail, Colorado Front Range

It's almost that time of year again: leaf-peeping! During peak weekends, we have as many as 10,000 visitors a day to Guanella Pass. While we welcome visitors to our county, we want everyone to be safe. Therefore, beginning next weekend (Sept 11 - 13) and continuing through peak leaf-peeping, we will have extra patrols along Guanella Pass Rd to help ensure visitors PEEP Responsibly:

• Park in designated parking areas only. This includes parking lots, places with green “Parking” signs, or in pull-offs that are not marked “No Parking.” Parking is NOT allowed on the side of the roadway within one mile of the summit. If parking in a pull-off that is not marked “No Parking,” the vehicle must be completely off the roadway. No part of the vehicle can be on or in the roadway when parked.

• Expect heavy traffic. Know Before You Go by checking cotrip.org for traffic delays on I-70 and Hwy 285. Cell phone map apps should also show traffic delays along routes to Guanella Pass.

• Exercise patience. Heavy traffic and delays can cause frustration, impatience, and aggression. Take a break by visiting a nearby park, shopping in town, or dining at a local restaurant.

• Plan ahead. Consider visiting on a weekday (Monday – Thursday). Weekdays have about 6,000 fewer visitors than weekend days. In the event of heavy traffic, bring plenty of water, food, and other necessary supplies.

Let's have a safe and beautiful fall y'all!

Drones are the biggest leap forward for SAR since GPS and cell phones. We recently teamed up with Douglas County Search and Rescue, Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, Gilpin County Sheriff's Office and Colorado Parks and Wildlife for a joint exercise in the Mt. Blue Sky area.

This was to evaluate different types of drones for searching for mushroom hunters and lost people in the Mount Evans ranch area. ⛰ 🆘

Thank you, too, to U.S. Forest Service-Arapaho & Roosevelt Natl Forests Pawnee Natl Grassland and Denver Mountain Parks for your support and help.

PSA.
Guanella Pass Road gets so clogged we, at times, cannot get through in an emergency! Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office will ticket cars parked illegally, so pay attention—and enjoy the autumnal rainbow!

If you don’t want to fight crowds for a parking spot, consider leaf-peeping on a weekday. 🍁