The page went out about 5 p.m. that evening. When I called in, the incident coordinator asked if I could stay out overnight. "Yes." So I grabbed my gear and was at the staging area shortly thereafter. Two hikers had camped at East Cross Creek the night before. They summitted Mount of the Holy Cross that afternoon, and got off the trail on their way back to their camp. We were told they had pants, shirts, sweaters, rain gear, a cell phone with a dying battery, and some water bottles. No food, water, or any survival gear.
Nine of us were set to go and we were broken into 2 teams. They put me on the rapid-search team. We hit the trail at 7:45 and made it to the top of Half Moon Pass by about 8:30. So we gained about 1,500 feet of elevation over 1.9 miles in 45 minutes. Just as we were reaching the top, we got another page that we were to stand down. The hikers had been communicating with command via cell phone. Command had guided them to the trail so they could return to their camp site at East Cross Creek.
Apparently this is a pretty typical mission. We may get deployed, but we often are told to return before we even find the missing party. I really enjoyed it because I learned how a real scenario works. The sunset view from the top of Half Moon Pass wasn't bad either. Actually it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in a long time. These pictures just don't do it justice. Here is a view on Mount Jackson to the west.
This is an incredible view of The Gore Range to the north-east.
Since The Mount of the Holy Cross is one of 2 Fourteeners I have left in the Sawatch Range, I'm really looking forward to getting back out there soon. Hopefully I'll have many more pictures to share.
2 comments:
Wow! That's really awesome. You're like a hero and stuff.
Maybe if I actually save someone. I'm just happy to learn a bunch of stuff and be available if they need me.
Post a Comment