Utah search and rescue teams brace for busy season.

Utah search and rescue teams brace for a busy season as winter storms continue

KUER 90.1 | By Lexi Peery

Published December 28, 2021 at 3:38 PM MST

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Summit County SAR

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The Summit County search and rescue team has successfully found a missing snowmobiler over the holiday weekend. They expect more calls to come as winter storms bring fresh snow and more people head outdoors.

This year has been another busy one for some search and rescue teams in Utah as they responded to multiple calls over the holidays.

The search and rescue team in Summit County spent most of the day and night Christmas Eve looking for a lost snowmobiler. They eventually found the person alive, though suffering from hypothermia, said Lt. Andrew Wright with the county's sheriff's office.

Given the conditions they're seeing, he said it's shaping up to be a busy season.

"These storms that we're getting day after day, it's great — we definitely need the snowpack," Wright said, "but that does encourage more and more people to get out. They want to get that fresh powder. They want to go explore the big backcountry. We anticipate we're going to have a very busy winter, especially if these storms continue."

Wright said if people are venturing into the backcountry, they need to be aware of avalanche conditions and have proper equipment. For everyone doing activities outdoors this winter, he recommends bringing plenty of water, snacks and an extra light source.

In southwest Utah, teams responded to three calls on Christmas morning. Two people died recreating that day and one person, who was drowning in a county reservoir, was life-flighted, according to Sgt. Darrell Cashin, the search and rescue liaison for the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

So far they've responded to about 150 calls making this year one of the busiest on record, he said, just behind 2020. Cashin expects more of the same next year.

"People are going to go out and are going to recreate, and nothing's going to change that," he said. "We're just saying, think about it, be a little smart and think about what if? What if I'm out past dark? Do I need a jacket? Do I need a way to make a little fire so I can stay warm? Do I need that extra flashlight?"

Cashin said being prepared will hopefully help people avoid having to call for help — or at least will make them more comfortable until help arrives.

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This is such an interesting area. There are some really nice neighborhoods, and some really bad rundown ones, and in the middle is a freaking lake. 😆

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https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/12/25/west-marin-remains-identified-as-missing-man/

Remains found in Marin identified as man missing since 2012

Natalie HansonDecember 25, 2021 at 5:01 a.m.

A man who was reported missing nearly a decade ago has been identified from remains found in the Point Reyes National Seashore, the Marin County Sheriff's Office reported.

The National Park Service found the remains west of Five Brooks Trailhead on Sept. 9. The remains were transported to the county coroner's office, which ordered DNA tests from a state lab.

"The setting was within a remote part of the park not near the hiking trail system," the coroner's office said in a public statement. "The overall condition of the remains and items located at the scene is suggestive of them having been exposed to the elements for a significant time period."

The remains were identified Monday as Gerritt Henry Vanderveer III of Petaluma. Vanderveer was 44 when he was reported as missing on Sept. 10, 2012.

The cause of death is under investigation by the National Park Service and the coroner's office, which is a division of the Marin County Sheriff's Office.

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

What I’ve learned about Oklahoma in the past week. Some days are 20 degrees others are 80 and it’s always windy, but the sunsets are nice.

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https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/Rangers-trek-through-snow-to-find-hiker-on-Hawaii-16726683.php

Rangers trek through snow to find hiker on Hawaii mountain

JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER ,  Associated Press Updated: Dec. 24, 2021 4:24 a.m. Comments

JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER , Associated Press

8

1of8In this photo provided by Center for Maunakea Stewardship, The University of Hawaiʻi Maunakea Rangers rescue a lost hiker found on the Humuʻula Trail Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, on the island of Hawaii. Rangers, fire and rescue personnel from the U.S. Army Pohakuloa Training Center, trekked through heavy snow and sleet to find the hiker lost in one of the most dangerous places in Hawaii, after he set off for a hike on Mauna Kea Tuesday morning. The hiker was found Tuesday night in a small cave in "thick white-out conditions" at 13,000 feet above sea level, the center's news release said. (Center for Maunakea Stewardship via AP) 

HONOLULU (AP) — Rescuers trekked through heavy snow and sleet to find a hiker lost in one of the most dangerous places in Hawaii.

Rangers said the hiker registered at the the visitor's center for Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest peak, before he set off Tuesday morning. But the Center of Maunakea Stewardship said he gave rangers the wrong number.

Rangers tried to contact him after it got dark, but couldn't reach him. They used the hiker's 911 calls to connect with him and narrow the search area.

Rescuers hiked about a mile (1.6 kilometers) and found him Tuesday night in a small cave in "thick white-out conditions" at 13,000 feet (3,962-meters) above sea level, the center's news release said.

He was able to walk out on his own but was taken to a hospital.

The mountain's summit is dangerous because of "extreme altitude and weather conditions, and emergency services may be two hours away because of its remote location," the release said.

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/4-hikers-fall-down-treacherous-California-trail-16726020.php

4 hikers fall down treacherous California 'ice chute' in a week

Andrew Chamings Dec. 23, 2021

Andrew ChamingsDec. 23, 2021

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Air Rescue 307

San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department

Earlier this week we reported on a frightening accident on Mount Baldy in the Cucamonga Wilderness that resulted in a hiker being airlifted out after sliding 900 feet down a frozen "ice chute."

That hiker, Jeaffreson Guevara, is happily recovering without life-threatening injuries, but it's now been revealed that three other men met a similar fate in just one week. 

In a fortuitous turn of events, one hiker who fell from the notorious Icehouse Saddle trail this week was able to call for help when he found a cell phone belonging to another hiker who fell 5 days earlier. 

Matthew Jaurequi and a friend were hiking the trail on Tuesday when they encountered a thick patch of ice, the sheriff's department said in a statement: "Jaurequi lost his footing and began to slide. Jaurequi's friend attempted to grab Jaurequi and they both slid approximately 150 feet down the mountain." After a "precipitous descent" stopped by holding onto a tree, the hikers realized they had lost their phones. They had no way to call for help until they found a phone in the snow nearby that was at 1% battery life, reports the LA Times.

After making a 911 call, Jaurequi was airlifted to safety while his friend hiked out, the statement says. 

The phone belonged to Nicholas Ardoin, a hiker who was airlifted from the mountain by the busy Fontana Station rescue crew on Dec. 16. 

"The ground was icy, hard packed and the rescuer had to set up anchors to proceed with the rescue operation," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Aviation said in a statement on the Ardoin incident. "Once secured, the rescuer and hoist operator worked together to get Nicholas out from underneath the trees and hoisted him to the helicopter, all while the pilot kept the helicopter in a hover for an extended amount of time."

Footage of that rescue (soundtracked with Greta Van Fleet's "Safari Song,") was shared on Instagram by the department. 

The fourth hiker to need rescuing from Mount Baldy over the seven-day period was identified as Patrick Murphy by the sheriff's department. Murphy slid 100 feet down the icy mountainside on Dec. 18 and was hoisted out from a height of 145 feet by air medic Tom Gallant.

"The trail turns into a little ice chute," Doug Brimmer, a deputy pilot with the sheriff's department who helped with the rescues, told the LA Times. "So you're walking on the trail one minute. Next minute, you're sliding down the mountain."

"The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department would like to remind the public about the dangers of hiking in hazardous conditions such as steep, rugged, mountainous terrain covered with snow and ice," the department said in a statement. "Without crampons (a specific type of traction device for ice climbing) and an ice axe, along with the proper training to use this equipment, this type of activity can lead to serious injury or death."

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

Hiker missing on Mount Whitney apparently died from fall

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUBLISHED: December 22, 2021 at 5:00 a.m. | UPDATED: December 22, 2021 at 9:12 a.m.

INYO COUNTY — A man who went missing during a winter backpacking trip on Mount Whitney was found dead this week, apparently having been killed in a fall.

Altitude sickness and severe storm conditions likely contributed to the fatal error, said a statement from the Inyo County sheriff's office.

Eric Goepfert, 50, had left the Whitney Portal trailhead on Monday, Dec. 13, and planned to return on Friday, Dec. 17, the report said. His itinerary included reaching the 14,505-foot summit of Mount Whitney by the North Creek/Mountaineer's Route.

When he did not return on Dec. 17, his wife called the sheriff's office.

The Inyo Search and Rescue team found the man's rental car at the trailhead on Dec. 18. An aerial search then located his satellite communication device and a trekking pole at the base of the Ebersbacher Ledges, where the North Creek trail goes up a rugged chute just below 10,000 feet elevation.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter lowered a man on a cable, but he did not find any more signs of the missing hiker.

The following day, Sunday, four Inyo search-and-rescue members were lowered to the Ebersbacher Ledges by helicopter and others hiked from Whitney Portal.  Using an avalanche probe, they found Goepfert's body buried under snow near where the trekking pole was found.

Investigators believe he died on Dec. 14 after falling about 30 feet.

The sheriff's statement said the investigation found indications Goepfert had been experiencing headache and nausea, symptoms of acute altitude sickness. He was also carrying a heavy pack with winter supplies and contending with snow, high winds and single-digit temperatures as a major storm passed over the Eastern Sierra.

The statement did not list a city of residence for Goepfert; it said he had served in the U.S. Army and was an active Army reservist.

Whitney, the tallest peak in the conterminous United States, lies on the boundary of Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest.

The last known death on the mountain occurred in April 2021, when Saulo Sifuentes Escalante, 36, of Conroe, Texas, fell to his death while attempting a day hike to the summit.

The following month, another Texas man was rescued far off course and suffering from injuries and exposure after going missing during a late season snowstorm.

Grand Canyon hiker discovered deceased below South Rim near Boucher Trail - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/hiker-found-deceased-boucher-trail-december-2021.htm?fbclid=IwAR3GTgArWgvsTD42r5_7RoVembrr6RecNMx1e69pfFlooMdydYDJV9_8R2k

Grand Canyon hiker discovered deceased below South Rim near Boucher Trail

The Boucher Trail on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

NPS Photo

News Release Date: December 22, 2021

On Tuesday, December 21, at approximately 8:04 a.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of an overdue hiker in the vicinity of the Boucher Trail within Grand Canyon National Park. 

An aerial search of the Boucher Trail began yesterday morning at approximately 10 a.m.; the hiker's body was located between Yuma Point and Dripping Springs, approximately 200 ft. below the Boucher Trail.

The deceased, Ralph Stoll, 57, of Scottsdale, Arizona was recovered and transported via helicopter to the South Rim. An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. No additional information is available at this time. 

 

-NPS-

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

Adventures in Arkansas

Driving by highway this week, we've been in Arkansas for work. Driving as far as West Memphis. It's been raining most of the week, so not a lot of exploring on our part, that and the 14 hr work days 😂

We'll be headed home to western Oklahoma tomorrow, then start to do it all over again. It's been a wild week, we don't even want to think of the miles and hours we've been driving, five states in just as many days. 

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/study-predicts-most-likely-hurt-181907529.html

This Study Predicts Who Is Most Likely to Get Hurt in the Wilderness

Fri, December 17, 2021, 12:19 PM

A long trail is just that--long--and a lot can happen on it. Hikers can twist their ankles, slowing them down or stranding them. They can contract waterborne illnesses, leaving them shuttling between their tent and the privy (or a cathole if they're unlucky). A run of bad luck might leave them limping; really bad luck could end their hike. Suffer a serious accident, and a person might end up on an express flight to the emergency room--or worse.

Backpackers come in all shapes and sizes, and with a variety of backgrounds and physical situations comes a variety of different risks. Thanks to a 2018 survey of more than 700 hikers on the John Muir Trail, we have an idea of how some of those factors play into who is most likely to get hurt or sick or needs to be evacuated on the trail, and how we can reduce--or at least prepare for--those risks.

First off, the study didn't find sex to be a determinant of getting hurt or sick on the trail. While other authors have pointed out that men are more prone to taking risks, all sexes, it seems, were equally susceptible to mishaps on the JMT.

So what characteristics do make a person more likely to suffer medical events on the trail? The study singles out three factors that were correlated with injury and illness. The first was age, and not in the way you might think: Older hikers reported fewer adverse events on the JMT. One explanation for this might be that they have more years of experience on the trail and are better equipped to identify and avoid risky situations. A study on search and rescue missions in the Polish Tatra mountains also revealed that younger tourists were more likely to need help due to inexperience and lack of equipment.

When Dr. Sue Spano, the lead author of the JMT survey paper, associate professor of clinical emergency medicine, and program director of the Wilderness Medicine Fellowship at University of California, San Francisco, first saw the results showing that age was a protective factor against injury, she says she didn't know what to make of them.

Given that the majority of reported injuries were to the feet and legs, Spano suggests that because older backpackers tend to use trekking poles--which are correlated with a reduced rate of lower extremity injuries--they might be more protected.

"Hiking pole use is good for preventing strain and reducing injury to lower extremities," Spano says. "And I don't know a lot of younger people out there hiking with poles; they just don't feel they need them."

Wrapping an ankle

The second factor that the team found that correlated with risk of injury was body mass index. Often abbreviated as BMI, body mass index is a measure of the size of the human body, calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms dividing by the square of their height in meters. While it's often used to categorize people as healthy, underweight, overweight, or obese, the measurement doesn't directly address body fat, composition, or physical health. Spano and her fellow researchers found that hikers with higher BMI were, in general, more likely to suffer injuries or need evacuation from the trail. Perhaps surprisingly, Spano and her coauthors did not find that how much a hiker trained for the JMT in advance of their trip significantly affected their likelihood of injury or illness, though it did affect how hard they perceived their trip to be.

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

When in Hope, Arkansas checkout this little hamburger joint! Great food, great hospitality, a solid 10! Come for the hamburger, stay for the fried corn! 🤤

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Popular Boondocking Camp to be Closed, State Money Grab Replaces It - Drivin' & Vibin'

I'm not a bit surprised! 
https://drivinvibin.com/2021/12/06/willow-springs-trail/

Popular Boondocking Camp to be Closed, State Money Grab Replaces It

Kyle & Olivia Brady

How are we going to kick off 2022? With another boondocking site closing, obviously.

This time it's a state park replacing it. And, in our opinion, it seems like a money grab from the state. 

Let's get into it.

What Boondocking Site Will Close?

The popular boondocking site on the chopping block is Willow Springs Trail in Moab, Utah.

The exact location of this site is 38.6968, -109.6981.

It bears stating that this site isn't closing due to land abuse (at least not directly). Instead, Utah passed a bill that will designate it a State Park. The current plan for the park is to create two established, paid campgrounds. 

Here's why it sounds like a money grab.

Moab is very protective of commercial development. Meaning it's pretty challenging for new RV parks and campgrounds to be built.

As recently as October, the Moab Planning Commission denied a new RV campground construction.

However, the state quickly passes a bill to create a two-campground state park in the same area.

Sounds fishy, huh?

Moab, USA – June 13, 2014: Store fronts, restaurant sign and street traffic at Main Street in Moab – Utah, popular destination for rock climbers and bikers, getaway to Arches National Park.

How Is Willow Springs Dispersed Camping Rated?

We use Campendium as the gold standard for boondocking site reviews. And, the users of Campendium give Willow Springs 4 out of 5 stars.

Everything from pop-up campers to motorhome buses have been able to access this dispersed campsite.

Corndog Caravan on Campendium recently reviewed the site. They said:

"Very happy with this location. Even though there are lots of people here, we are spread out enough. Great location for Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point SP. Fire pits and large spaces. Vault toilets and port-a-potties throughout."

The Dyrt reviewers also give the spot 4 out of 5 stars.

What State Park is Taking Over?

The newly minted state park is called Utahraptor State Park. It's named after a famous Utah dinosaur.

Here's the official word from Utahraptor State Park:

"In the 2021 legislative session the Utah State Legislature passed HB 257, which created Utahraptor State Park, located roughly 15 miles northwest of Moab in Grand County.

This new state park includes popular recreation spots such as the Dalton Wells and Willow Springs areas. Utah State Parks believes that — with proper planning and coordination with partners — we can better protect the area while maintaining its recreational value."

And, here's a bit from them about development:

"While it is still in the planning process, future park visitors to the area can expect two modern campgrounds, restrooms, office and entrance station, and trailheads for access to the nearby OHV and mountain bike trail systems."

Money Grab or Legit Conservation?

What do you think? Is the state trying to preserve the area or cashing in on public land?

Let us know in the comments.

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com