Chelan County Mountain Rescue

Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. we had a callout for a hiker with an injured ankle about 3.5 miles up the Colchuck Lake Trail. Two of our team members were deployed to make contact with the patient and assess the situation. While our team was en route, Chelan County Volunteer Search & Rescue worked on assembling a team for a litter evacuation.

Our team made contact with the patient and assessed the ankle as either a bad sprain or fracture. They were able to fit the patient with a walking boot, and she was able to tolerate the pain and walk through some of the more technical trail sections. The CCMR team was also able to piggyback the patient through a few of those sections. Through a combination of walking and piggybacking, the team and patient covered about a mile before meeting up with the CCVSAR team. From there the trail is more forgiving, and the patient was carried on a litter the rest of the way to the trailhead.

This patient was incredibly tough and positive — it was genuinely fun and refreshing for our team to work with her. The teams wrapped up at about 5 a.m. for a total car-to-car time of 5 hours, which was remarkably fast.

Here are the clues for the Green Carabiner Event today sponsored by . Find one and visit us at our booth at the Rockfest event to claim your prize. 5 green carabiners and 1 Ambassador Draw (grand prize) are waiting for you out in the canyons 😁.

Yesterday we headed into the field to sharpen our technical rigging skills. We spent the day focusing on high-angle litter operations, covering a variety of scenarios involving complex anchor builds and lower-to-raise transitions. These simulations are vital for ensuring that when the call comes, our systems are fast, redundant, and safe.

🧗‍♂️GIVEAWAY ALERT 🧗‍♀️ Rockfest 2026 is just around the corner and we will be hosting another Green Carabiner Event! We’re clipping a limited number of Edelrid Green Bulletproof Bent Carabiners out on the local crags. If you find one, it’s your ticket to some awesome gear provided by and local businesses.

How it works:
1️⃣ Start at the CCMR Booth: Swing by our booth near the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts starting at noon on May 2nd to pick up your official clue sheet. This will give you the beta on which areas to scout!
2️⃣ Head to the crags and keep an eye out for that signature Edelrid Green carabiner.
3️⃣ Claim your prize: Bring the carabiner back to our booth to trade it in for your prize!

Let’s have a safe, stoked, and successful Rockfest. See you there!🤘

CCMR members spent the afternoon practicing hoist operations and rapid insertions with . We're very grateful for the opportunity to refine our skills with such a great crew.

🚁Important reminder: Helicopters are highly dependent on weather and terrain. They aren't always an option, so always be prepared for a ground rescue. Stay safe and stay prepared!

Track down the sustainable Bulletproof Bent Carabiner and turn it in to the Chelan County Mountain Rescue booth to claim your prize!

Happening at Rockfest 2026 on May 2, 2026!

Go to leavenworthma.org for tickets.

If you knew Jeff Paton please join us at RRG on March 1st to honor his legacy.

Come join us on March 1st at 6 p.m. to remember the extraordinary Jeff Paton. Stories , slides, and laughter. The Last Pitch Cafe will be serving beer and wine. Food will be provided. If you have a Jeff story you would like to tell, please reach out in advance to [email protected].

If it seems like it's been a warm winter...well it has been. As of now the warmest winter on record for the PNW Basin... You can access this data by using the link in the comments.

We were up in the Enchantments last Friday on training flight and wanted to update on conditions. Believe it or not there isn't much snow to ski or ice to climb, in fact Lake Colchuck is not even totally frozen....Do the cold dance? Or is it just time to do the summer dance? 🤷‍♂️