Good story!
As an Eagle Scout and current leader of Cub Scout Pack 283, Brent Read fully knows the Boy Scouts of America's motto, "Be Prepared."
But after spending a recent night stranded in unfavorable conditions in the forest, Read now puts more meaning into those two simple words.
On Jan. 21, Read of Fort Collins, and his brother-in-law, Chris Haynie, set out to celebrate Read's 35th birthday with a backcountry ski trip near the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead by Cameron Pass.
However, the snow proved to be a tough trek, and the two skiers, fully exhausted, were forced to abandon the trip back to their vehicle and instead prepared for a night in the snowy terrain.
Larimer County Search and Rescue was able to rescue the skiers but not until after dark when food rations were depleted and their shelter for the night had collapsed twice.
"The snow was really bad," Read said. "It was about 4 inches of crust on top of depth-core, really nasty snow underneath."
The area wasn't new terrain for Read, but the end result was. He had skied there before, but the heavy snow forced the duo to take a different path back to their car.
Because of their experience as Scouts and outdoorsmen, the two carried a few emergency packs. Haynie had a headlamp that proved useful, and Read's pack, which contained a first aid kit, avalanche beacon, metal shovel, matches and paper, proved even more useful.
"The first thing we did was throw a bunch of snow into a big mound, letting it set up so it'd be stable for hollowing out a cave," Read said. "Then, when we had that ready, we built a fire."
Read also carried a ham radio, an item he feels contributed to the rescue since he was able to establish communication on the Search and Rescue channels.
As amateur radio enthusiasts, Read and his wife, Jana, set aside a frequency to use in case they ever had to contact each other. Although Read couldn't hear his wife on the other end of the radio as they were setting up camp, he could hear static, and that was just as good.
"I listened to the frequency I had arranged with her to talk on," Read said. "I heard static on the one frequency and knew there wasn't going to be static from anyone else, so I knew she was in the area looking for us."
Jana was, in fact, in the area looking for the skiers and had contacted Search and Rescue. Eventually, Read locked onto their transmissions and guided the rescuers to his location.
"Because of the dense trees we were in and the terrain, I don't think they would have been able to hear us very well," Read said. "The ham radio definitely sped up their search."
The skiers feel fortunate their night ended the way it did. Even though they were prepared, they could have been more prepared for the unknown.
"There are definitely a lot of changes I've made to my backpack since," Haynie said. "We were planning on a half-day trip and it got out of hand due to the conditions. Around the fire, we sat and talked about what we would do different."
The two have added whistles, more food and insulation to their packs, and Read also plans to add some plastic drop cloths to his, and possibly a GPS unit.
While Read and Haynie hope no one is ever in the same position they were, they do have advice.
"Letting someone know where you are going and when you will be back, and making sure they will actually do something about it if you aren't back when you say," Read said. "Ultimately, that is what got us out in such good condition.
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