July 7, 2022 Op 22-352 #19

At 1727 hours the Team was called to assist with a 43-year-old female hiker in the Rainbow Falls area who was reporting an elevated heart rate. The Team responded to the Rainbow Falls trailhead near the Reds Meadow pack station and established a rescue base.

Two field teams hiked to the subject’s location, assessed her condition, and transported her to rescue base via wheeled litter. She was further transported to Minaret Vista where she was assessed and treated by a Mono County medic unit. The call was terminated at 2014 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Beechan, Haugh, Burnett, Knight, Cucura, Endo, Evans, Childers, Lipman, Mayernick, Beck, Torrence, Carlson

July 6, 2022 Op 22-351 #18

At 1639 hours the Team was called for a mutal aid to Madera County to assist a 39-year-old pregnant female who reported that she was unable to proceed under her own power. As resuce base was being established at the Rainbow Falls trailhead near the Reds Meadow Pack Station, it was reported that the subject had been able to walk out, and no assistance was needed. The call was terminated at 1819 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Torrence, Knight, Burnett, Senior, Firer, Anderson, Lipman

June 26-27 Op 22-315 #17

At 2306 hours, the Team was called to assist two hikers in the vicinity of Deer Lakes who were unprepared for the length of their hike or for the ensuing darkness. Rescue Base was establshed at the Duck Lake trailhead, and 2 field teams went out.

The field teams located the hikers at 0214 hours, provided them with warm clothing and other items, and they came out under their own power, though moving very slowly as they were exhausted from their dayhike. The field teams and the subject arrived at Rescue Base approximately 4 hours later, and the operation was terminated at 0630 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Torrence, Quiring, Knecht, Kaufman, Mayernick, Trott, Anderson, Kelly

June 26, 2022 Op 22-313 #16

At 0806 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 66-year-old overdue hiker last seen in Fresno County near Lake Thomas A. Edison. The subject was hiking with 2 friends, and they agreed to split up and meet at a campsite at Silver Pass Lake. The subject’s hiking companions arrived at the campsite and waited halfway through the next day before moving on. The plan was to come out at the Duck Lake Pass trailhead, and the companions did, and reported their friend missing.

Fresno County was the lead agency as the point last seen is in Fresno County. Fresno County had more than 30 searchers, and at least one helicopter involved in the search. After 2 days they had not been able to locate the subject, and called the Mono County Sheriff’s Office to ask for assistance searching the area between the trailhead and the Mono/Fresno county line.

The Team staged at the end of Coldwater Campground at the Duck Lake Pass trailhead. 4 field teams went in to search the areas on the Mono side of the county line and the many branch trails along the way. The Mono County search area was cleared, and one field team was left at the Duck Lake outlet as a trail block and to interview hikers coming from the direction of the subject’s last known location. Another trail block was established at Upper Crater Meadow along the JMT.

Reports began filtering in to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office of sightings of the subject, and then contacts made with the subject by other hikers in the Silver Pass area. The trail block field teams returned to base, and the operation was terminated at 1646 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Buchanan, Bush, Childers, Cucura, Endo, Kaufman, Kelly, Knecht, Lipman, Mayernick, Patterson, Pavlovsky, Quiring, and Torrence

June 20, 2022 Op 22-294 #15

At 1322 hours the Team was called to assist a 19-year-old male hiker on the Barney Lake Trail near the intersection with the use trail accessing the Incredible Hulk. The hiker was complaining of nausea, frequent vomiting, and general malaise.

The Team staged at the Mono Village Resort/Campground near the Barney Lake trailhead. A field team was sent out to locate the subject, and he and his companions were found approximately 1.6 miles from the trailhead. The subject was unable to intake either solids or liquids, and was transported via wheeled litter back to the trailhead. The subject refused medical treatment or transport, and was left with his companions to seek treatment. The operation was terminated at 1602 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Buchanan, Cucura, Davison, Evans, Irving-Ruffing, Mayernick, Torrence

June 17, 2022 Op 22-384 #14

At 1212 hours the Team was called to assist a 44-year-old male hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail near Sonora Pass who was pinned down by very strong wind gusts over the Sierra crest.

The Team staged at Sonora Pass, and field teams hiked southbound to attempt to locate the subject. An additional field team was sent to the Leavitt Lake trailhead but there was some delay due to a locked USFS gate, and unmelted snowdrifts across the road. The field team abandoned their vehicle and hiked from the point where the road was impassable.

The field teams hiking southbound from Sonora Pass located the hiker and assisted him back to the Sonora Pass trailhead. The call concluded at 2012 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Bush, Childers, Creager, Cucura, Endo, Evans, Hartstrom, Kelly, Lipman, Patterson, Trott, and Wallace.

June 13, 2022 Op 22-274 #13

At 0907 hours the Team was called to assist a male hiker in a party of 5 who had indicated through an Inreach device text message to his wife that there was an injury in their party, and they required assistance. The Team launched, and staged at the Rush Creek Trailhead. CHP H40 was contacted for availability, and indicated that they could be available.

Prior to field teams leaving the staging area, addtional Inreach text messages were received by the subject’s wife, and the subject communicated that no SAR assistance was required. After numerous message exchanges, the Team was requested by the Sheriff’s Office to stand down, and H40 was advised that they could cancel their response. The call terminated at 1035 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Childers, Torrence, Wallace, Evans, Bush, Endo, Irving-Ruffing, Roos-Collins, Cucura, Quiring, Lipman, Cowan, Kelly, Creager.

May 1, 2022 Op 22-### #12

At 1821 hours the Team was called to assist in locating an overdue 73-year-old male hiker in the Lower Rock Creek area. As the Team was mobilizing, notification was received that the subject had returned to his vehicle and was no longer overdue. The operation was terminated at 1856 hours. IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Buchanan, Torrence, Kaufman, Lipman, Evans, Wallace

April 16, 2022 Op 22-173 #11

At 1401 hours the Team received a call for assistance from the Sheriff’s Office for a personal locater beacon (PLB) activation in the Horse Creek drainage below Matterhorn Peak. The Team responded to the Horse Creek trailhead at Mono Village and established rescue base. The owner of the PLB, International Alpine Guides, reported that the group with the PLB was a party of 4.

While the Team was responding, the PLB was activated an additional 4 times. Two field teams were sent to respond with medical gear, hypothermia treatment and prevention supplies, and the wheeled litter. It was extraordinarily windy which precluded any air resource response.

Just above Horsetail Falls. Image by J. Bush

Made it to the (new) snowline… Image by J. Bush

After the field teams departed base, it was reported that the PLB was moving uphill from the initial location, toward Matterhorn Peak. Field team 2 arrived at the location indicated by the original PLB coordinates, they found 2 of the group of 4 in a tent, and these 2 reported there were no injuries that they were aware of, and that the other 2 members of their party had skinned up for a couple of ski runs. The person carrying the PLB discovered it had been activated and sent a cancel message. They then returned to camp and field team 2 was able to confirm that it was an inadvertent activation.

Stowing gear after return to base. Image by B. Beck

Both field teams returned to base, and the call was terminated at 1927 hours.

IC: Belcher/Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Bush, Creager, Endo, Torrence, Dunne, Hartstrom, Quiring

April 1, 2022 Op 22-151 #10

At 1338 hours the Team was called to assist with the rescue of a 47-year-old male snowmobiler with a possible broken pelvis near Koenig Lake in the Sonora Pass area. The Team staged at Pickel Meadows adjacent to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center (MCMWTC). CHP H24 was contacted as a possible air resource, and they accepted the mission. MCMWTC personnel also responded with a snowcat modified for medical response, and were proceeding up (closed) Highway 108 toward the incident location.

CHP H24 landed at Pickel Meadows and boarded one field team member, transported him to the injured party, and offloaded him near the subject. The subject was assessed, treated, packaged and prepared for transport via H24.

H24 hoisted the subject into the aircraft, and delivered him to a Care Flight aircraft waiting at Pickel Meadows. H24 returned to the incident scene and retrieved the field team member, and returned him to rescue base at Pickel Meadows. The operation terminated at 1752 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops Leader: None Responders: Hartstrom, Kaufman, Quiring

February 15, 2022 Op 22-091 #8

At 1904 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a pair of hikers in the Inyo Craters area. Search base was established at the turnoff from the Scenic Loop to the Inyo Craters. A field team of 4 members began searching the area between the parking area and the Inyo Craters, and located the subjects in about 10 minutes.

The subjects were transported back to base, and Sheriff’s Office personnel delivered them to their vehicle parked a short distance away. The operation terminated at 2044 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Knight, Kaufman, Evans, Anderson, Patterson, Buchanan, Senior, Quiring.

February 13, 2022 Op 22-087 #7

At approximately 1515 hours the Team was called to assist a 29-year-old female hiker with reported symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) near the lower end of the East Couloir on Matterhorn Peak. The Team responded to the Bridgeport airport, and air resources were requested. Lemoore Naval Air Station did not have immediate crew and equipment availabilty, but CHP H40 was contacted, and they were able to accept the mission.

CHP H40 arriving at Bridgeport International Airport. Image by J. Bush

As the field teams assembled gear in preparation of hike up to the 11,100 foot level on Matterhorn Peak, H40 arrived at the airport. Extraneous gear was offloaded due to the high elevation, and the crew of 3 was able to hoist the subject into the aircraft and deliver her to Bridgeport airport. Her hiking partner remained to gather gear from their camp, and planned to finish his descent the following day.

Pre-Rescue briefing. Image by J. Bush

The operation terminated at 1837 hours.

IC: Way Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Anderson, Beck, Creager, Cucura, Hartstrom, Torrence.

February 3, 2022 Op 22-057 #6

At approximately 1615 hours the Team was called to assist in a search to locate a lost 64-year-old female hiker in the Inyo Craters Area near the Scenic Loop. MLPD was the initial responding agency, and they requested the assistance of the Team.

Another backcountry user encountered the subject and escorted her to the Scenic Loop. The call was terminated at 1645 hours prior to the Team arriving at the search location.

IC:Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Quiring, Patterson, Evans, Senior, Cucura

January 24, 2022 Op 22-035 #5

On Monday afternoon at approximately 1313 hours the Team received a request for assistance via an Inreach notification of an injured skier on Laurel Mountain. The initial indication was that the location was near the outlet on the Mendenhall Couloir, but later turned out to be in the Pinner Couloir just south of Mendenhall.

The Team responded to Convict Lake, and CHP helicopter H40 was requested, and they accepted the mission. Three field teams left the Convict Lake Marina, and one field team was held in reserve for possible air insertion. CHP H40 arrived on scene, and located the subject and one companion. H40 landed in the closed campround, and loaded on field team 3, and dropped them via a one-skid landing near the subject.

CHP H40 returned to the campground, then made one more round trip to drop gear to the subject location. The subject was packaged, and H40 was able to complete a hoist extract, transport the subject to the Mammoth-Yosemite airport, and then he was transferred to the care of the Medic 3 unit for transport to Mammoth Hospital. All field teams hiked out, and the subject's companion joined Team 3 on the exit. The operation terminated at 1839 hours.

The subject's partner stated that they took a conservative approach, and did not ascend as high into the couloir as planned. The partner was not entirely comfortable and was side-slipping, but the subject attempted some turns, and fell after 2 or 3 turns. He had a Whippet, but was unable to arrest his slide, and he slid/tumbled for an estimated 1,800'. It was reported that he had an ice axe in his gear, but it was not deployed.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Buchanan, Case, Quiring, Carlson, Thomspon, Senior, Kaufman, Creager, Evans

January 23-24, 2022 Op 22-032 #4

On the evening of Sunday January 23 at approximately 2149 hours the Team was called to assist a pair of stranded skiers on San Joaquin Ridge to the lookers right of the Hourglass up-track. The pair of skiers, one male, one female, were attempting to traverse from MMSA across the San Joaquin Ridge, and descending the Yost Creek drainage.

As noted in the ESAC reports, avalanche conditions were benign, but snow conditions were firm, and in some spots impenetrable. On the descent, the female skier fell and slid a significant distance, and while uninjured, was shaken and unwilling to continue the descent due to the firm conditions and steep terrain.

The pair contacted friends to assist them, and after some consideration the friends contacted the SO to ask for assistance before departing on their own rescue mission. The rescuers were proposing to travel up the Yost Creek drainage to assist, but the SO recommended that they abort their mission.

The Team responded to the JMSA parking lot, and 4 snomos and drivers transported a field team of 4 to the summit of June Mountain. The lights of the stranded skiers were visible from this location. The field team descended to the saddle below the Hourglass, and learned that the stranded skiers had managed to cut steps in the firm snow and had descended to safer terrain.

The field team escorted the skiers in a contour around to Matterhorn, and they skied down to the bottom of J7. One subject (and a 60 pund pup) were loaded into the Rescuboggan, and one rode on the back of the towing sled, and all were safely delivered to the JMSA parking lot. The op concluded at 0323 hours on Monday morning.

IC: Way Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Hartstrom, Knight, Evans, Quiring, Senior, Godshalk, Endo

January 6, 2022 Op 22-17 #3

At approximately 1610 hours, three team members were called to assist with a 58-year-old stranded snowmobile rider in the vicinity of Inyo Craters. As the Team was preparing to depart, the subject was able to self-extricate and the call was terminated at 1710 hours. IC: Pelichowski Ops: Bush Responders: Patterson, Buchanan

January 5, 2022 Op 22-16 #2

At approximately 1800 hours, two team members were called to assist a 25-year-old trail runner who was stranded below steep icy snow slopes on the shore of the south side of Convict Lake. The SAR members brought crampons for the subject, and rigging gear for the descent from the trail to the subject. Both were then belayed up the icy slope to the trail, and the subject was able to walk out unassisted. The subject was assessed by Mono County medics and released. The call terminated at 2230 hours. IC: Pelichowski Ops: Bush Responders: Senior

January 2, 2022 Op 22-004 #1

At 1615 the Team was called to assist in locating a PLB that had been activated in the Glass Creek Area southeast of June Mountain Ski Area. As the Team began response, the subject was located, determined to be in good condition, and the operation was terminated at approximately 1630 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops: Bush Responders: Beck, Buchanan, Carlson, Creager, Endo, Haugh, Kaufman, Knight, Patterson, Senior, Thompson, Torrence

October 5, 2021 Op 21-563 #31

At 1322 hours, the Team was requested to assist with a 29-year-old female hiker with an injured ankle near the outlet at Heart Lake. The Team staged at the Coldwater Campground, and a field team of 3 departed with a titanium litter and the litter wheel.

The subject was quickly located, packaged in the litter, and transported to Rescue Base. The subject chose to seek treatment on her own. The operation terminated at 1603 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Zila, Haugh, Evans