Nostimania: Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite
Spent a week in Yosemite.
Went climbing with Jason Ramsdell, formerly of Arches NP. He is now
the SAR coordinator for the Mather District of Yosemite which covers
everything north of Yosemite Valley (half the park). We did a fun 2 pitch
route on the west side of Lembert Dome.
When we returned to his Ranger Station, he learned of an ongoing
SAR. Seems a volunteer trail crew worker was lost. Two days later, the guy
was found. He had fallen off the rim of Yosemite Valley near Royal Arches.
When I was 10, our family visited the high country of Tuolumne
Meadows for the first of many times. I remember seeing the white Sierra
granite needle of Cathedral Peak sticking up in to the SKY and thinking
how daring it would be to get on top. This was 3 years before I became a
rock climber. Fifty years later I realized this dream. Fun. Big Scary in
the final 50 feet. Don't fall off. Solo, same as the first ascent by John
Muir in 1869. Sky Pilots, Marmots and big views of the Yosemite High
Sierra.
XX-XX 7-3-06 Stranded Family Steamboat Mesa Call passed on to Mesa County
2 adults, 2 children, 1 Kia high centered, way out at the tip of
Steamboat Mesa, Dolores Triangle. About as far out as you can get. They
flashed SOS to a passing helicopter at 4 am and he landed. Gave them a bit
of food and water and radioed the coordinates to our dispatch.
A 4:15 am call to the OIC to find these coords. It's in Grand
County but it would take 5 hours for us to get there so 1 T 15 passed it
on to Mesa County. It took them 4 hours. Long way out there.
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06-48 7-10-06 Rainstorm and Flooding
Assisted with traffic control at various locations. Helped fill
sand bags at the City Yard.
These helpful actions ceased when the rain stopped.
Responders: Frank, Rex, Jim, Barbara, Margy, Aug, Steve B, Bill
from MPD.
06-49 7-14-06 Agency Assist Possible suicide
person
GCSAR was called to retrieve a possible suicide person from a ledge
out by Corona Arch. It was really a Law Enforcement issue so they flew in
the BLM helicopter to capture him OK.
Responders: Nancy, Frank, Barbara, TBerry, Duckie, Steve B, Murray
NPS: Jacob Tung A224, Frank C521
06-50 7-14-06 Biker Down SRBT
Mountain biker down with possible broken shoulder on Swiss Cheese
Ridge.
Sent in two Rangers with 2 EMTs. Found Pt walking out on Swiss
Cheese Ridge. Pt rebandaged by EMTs and given an IV and morphine.
Responders: Nancy, Cody, Sam
06-51 7-17-06 Misplaced GeoCachers Corona Arch
These folks hiked to Corona Arch to find an Internet geocache and
then got lost coming back out. They forgot to mark the trail head as a
waypoint for the way home. Searchers found them off the trail in about the
only place you can get off the trail on a way hot afternoon
Responders: Frank, Nancy, Barbara, Lee, Mike, Aug, Steve
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An article about the fetching of The Hand was in the June Mountain
Gazette. This is an Email from a friend of mine:
"I found out about The Hand from Bronco. I called him because I
heard from Curt's wife that Bronco had been injured last week. Get this:
Bronco is between Idaho river trips, decides to go fishing, drives to the
end of a 50 mile dirt road, takes off hiking a 12 mile trail to a great
fishing spot, at mile 8, he takes a wrong step, is down in a flash, finds
himself with a dislocated knee, uses both hands to pull his leg into
position and gets the knee back into place, wraps the leg, starts
hiking/hobbling back to his truck, falls again in two miles, gets up,
keeps going, gets to the truck but must break down his tent/etc, then has
to drive with his left leg since the right was injured, but can't do it so
manages to drive with his bad leg, passes three hospitals because he wants
to get home. He tells me this story then says, "Find The Hand online and
read it!"
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06-52 7-20-06 Horseback Rider Fall Johnson's
Up On Top
On the single track horse trail that leads up to the big water
tank. The Ranger could get there barely.
Responders: Nancy, Sam, James
06-53 7-20-06 Missing ATV Rider 7 Mile
An 18 yr old male rolled his ATV and couldn't get it restarted.
This was at Wipeout Hill near Merrimac Butte. He left the area and walked
out to Hwy 313 where he was picked up by searchers.
Responders: Nancy, Cody, Jim, Barbara, Lee, Duckie, Shawn, Jeff
06-54 7-21-06 RimRocked Hikers Tombstone
Subjects reported to be yelling down from cliff that they couldn't
find the trail down.
Over before it started. A 3rd party hiker showed them the way down.
Responders: Nancy, Frank, Lee, James
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SARCON 06 Colorado SAR Board Western State College Gunnison, CO
The Colorado SAR Board put on a great show <www.coloradosarboard.org>
It is quite obvious that the State of Colorado is way ahead of the
State of Utah in communications, mobile repeaters and large incident
management and the ability for counties to get along. How does GCSAR
compare with Colorado county SAR units? Quite favorably. They do have more
experience in large incident multi-day searching. The State Board provides
large scale incident management if needed.
The four of us went to these classes:
Mike- Basic Tech Rescue-Safe Rope Travel; Advanced Rescue- Lowering
Systems; Radio Com- Toys and Tech;
Tracking Intro
Aug- Managing the Search for the At Risk; ICS; Tracking Intro;
Search Essentials
Jim- Helicopter Safety; Tech Rescue; UTM, maps, GPS; Appropriate
Technology for Wilderness
and Rescue Medicine
Bego- Radio Com Toys and Tech; UTM; Maps, Navigation, GPS; ICS; Air
Ops: High Birds and A-G Search
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XX-XX 7-24-06 Call given to San Juan County
A call was received (by satellite phone??) at one of the local
boating companies from one of its river guides down river. A man had heat
stroke. Coordinates were given for a spot on the river at The Loop. Zane
advised dispatch to give it to San Juan County.
Park River Ranger TBerry arrived by boat before the helo. Reported
the guy had passed out for 30 seconds and then had partial paralysis on
the left side for a bit. The helo arrived 20 minutes later. AirCare out of
Farmington flew in to a nearby sandbar and then flew the Pt to Grand
Junction.
Local Radio com on NLEC channel.
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WD-40
Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust
preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was
created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical
Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water
displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth
formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect
their Atlas missile parts. The workers were so pleased with the product,
they began smuggling (also known as "shrinkage" or "stealing") it out to
use at home. The executives decided there might be a consumer market for
it and put it in aerosol cans. It is a carefully guarded recipe known only
to four people. Only one of them is the "brew master." There are about 2.5
million gallons of the stuff manufactured each year. It gets its
distinctive smell from a fragrance that is added to the brew. Ken East
(one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would
hurt you. The basic ingredient is fish oil.
The invention of the wheel was the spur to development of a
rudimentary concoction of mammoth blubber, crushed berries and mud known
as WD-1. Sheep snot was WD-3. In Ben Hur, just before the chariot race,
while greasing their axles, there is a small clay pot of WD- XVI. WWW.D-40
keeps the internet rolling. On and on.........
"IF it's not stuck and is supposed to be-- Duct Tape it. If it's
stuck and not supposed to be-- WD-40 it." Man, the tool maker.
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06-55 7-28-06 Biker Down SRBT
Reported by a third party. By the time we got to the parking lot,
he had walked out. 10- 22.
Responders: Frank, Bego, Lee, Mike, Jon, Duckie
06-56 8-10-06 Biker Down Klondike Bluffs
This rider went over the handle bars and bonked his head. He was
unconscious and convulsing for a short while. We took the Ranger and EMTs
to him. It was decided to helo him out. St Mary's helo was busy so we got
Classic Lifeguard from Page. Zane set up the LZ. Comm on UHP Statewide.
Responders: Frank, Bego, John, Sam, Mike
06-57 8-18, 19-06 Search for Overdue Hiker Arches Natural Park
Michael left the parking lot Thursday evening to go take pictures
near Pine Tree Arch. Henry, his friend, slept in the car in the parking
lot all night waiting for him. In the morning Henry looked and by
afternoon contacted the Park Service.
Park personnel set up an Incident Command Post and dispatched many
NPS employees to search various places near Pine Tree Arch and other areas
nearby notorious for hiding lost people. A suspect footprint (size 13 new
hiking boot) was photographed. Nancy and Shalla the search dog worked for
hours.
Just before dark, an NPS tracking team northeast of the park in
Long Valley found fresh tracks coming down slope and heading northeast,
possibly toward I-70 we thot. I took the foot print photo out to this
group and they said "Nope. We're following a different print." Then we had
to decide if the picture was correct or the footprints in Long Valley.
Nancy and Shalla came out and Shalla "was interested." We tracked slowly
until 2:30 am.
In the morning, Arches IC had teams out everywhere. GCSAR was paged
to come out to put more coverage on the northeast boundary of the park and
pick up on last night's tracks. We did. Last night's tracks led up a hill
and then we couldn't find them in the rocky terrain. The other team found
his blue bandana and tracks leading back up towards the park. (These most
likely would tie in with tracks up in Eagle Park heading west).
At 11:15 we were all told to hold our positions. Twenty minutes
later we were told he had walked in to the Airport on Hwy 191.
Responders: Bego, Nancy, Shalla, Duckie, Mike, Steve, Barbara,
Kris, Lee, Sam
Comments: Arches IC was great.
Arches
dispatch Nancy was superb and awesome ! ! ! ! !
It was
quite some time in to the search when the correct footprint was deduced.
Many
thanks to Slickrock Air Guides and Larry Van Slyke for the airplane time.
Note: Michael said the plane flew over him 3 times and he was waving
frantically. This points out the difficulty of spotting someone in complex
and vegetated terrain from a plane going 90 mph. Had he been out in the
flats,
he most likely would have been spotted.
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WANG Organization Scholarships- awarded each year to Grand County High
School Seniors
Crystal O'Donnal- Search
and Rescue
Chelsea Walker- Grand
County Sheriff's Dept
Jennifer Engleman- Moab
Valley Fire Dept
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conversions from this to that and back:
www.maps-gps-info.com/cool-map-tools.html
compute magnetic declination:
www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/jsp/Declination.jsp
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