This summer, a hiker fell 30 feet, dislocating his femur and tearing open a major artery. Quick action from the Organ Mountain Technical Rescue Squad allowed rescuers to pull off a complicated extraction from a desert ravine—just in the nick of time.
In one of the most involved rescues in Summit County history, volunteers hauled a patient over a ridge and more than 1,500 vertical feet through remote, loose mountain terrain—all just ahead of a looming winter storm.
This summer, Avi Ruben was climbing a steep couloir when he slipped, started sliding—and realized he had no idea how to self-arrest. Just as panic set in, he heard his radio come to life: It was his partner, giving him step-by-step instructions.
On June 29, 2020, Taylor Gibler fell about 30 feet into a crevasse while descending Mt. Baker.
Even after years of first-hand experience, it’s hard for Don Bowie to believe just how harsh winter in the Himalaya can be. High winds scour the mountains of snow, leaving behind rock and bulletproof ice. Temperatures regularly drop to -50 degrees—as low as -80 with wind chill.