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News Archive
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Friday, 23 July 2010 17:47 |
At 10:45 a.m. this morning, July 23, a park trail crew working near Lost Lake in the northeast section of Rocky Mountain National Park were notified about an ill 15-year-old male who was hiking with a group past Lake Dunraven at roughly 11,600 feet. Lake Dunraven is approximately 11 miles from the North Fork Trailhead and the young man was another ¼ mile south at an unnamed lake. The reporting party called park dispatch from the trail crews’ satellite phone. The 15-year-old was complaining of chest pain and was nauseous. The young man had pre-existing health conditions, including asthma.
The trail crew hiked to the location with the reporting party and was on scene at 1:35 p.m. Due to the young man’s condition, conducive weather conditions and an appropriate helicopter landing zone nearby, rangers requested assistance from Flight for Life from St. Anthony Hospital. At 3:11 p.m. Flight for Life reached the helicopter landing zone in Upper Beaver Meadows. At 3:30 p.m. it flew to the location of the patient and landed at 3:57 p.m. At 4:00 p.m. the helicopter was in the air flying back to Upper Beaver Meadows to pick up their second flight nurse. At 4:14 p.m. they were en route to Medical Center of the Rockies.
Due to the patient’s age his name and hometown will not be released. |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:22 |
At 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, park rangers were notified that a 27-year-old climber was off route on her descent on a section of The Diamond on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Carolyn Davidson, from Fort Collins, Colorado, and her climbing partner, had been climbing the Casual Route and had left the base of the climb at 4:30 a.m. She had climbed this specific route twice last year.
While descending, Davidson found herself off the fixed rappel route and was unable to ascend or climb to the correct rappel station. She and her climbing partner tried for roughly two hours to resolve the situation. Davidson was able to set up an anchor and attach herself to the wall. She was well prepared with clothing to help her weather the elements; a heavy rainstorm moved through the area at 5:30 p.m. Her climbing partner rappelled to the base of Mills Glacier to find help. He contacted a park trail crew that was in the area.
At 7:15 p.m. four park rangers, who specialize in climbing and mountain rescue, were flown to the 14,259 foot summit of Longs Peak by the interagency United States Forest Service/National Park Service helicopter from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park. The helicopter was still in the area after assisting Rocky Mountain National Park during the Cow Creek Fire and responding to initial attack on another fire in Colorado.
The rangers descended from the summit to Table Ledge on the upper part of The Diamond where they established an anchor system to lower one ranger to Davidson. The ranger reached her at 12:15 a.m. The ranger gave her dry clothes, food and water. The ranger was able to assist the stranded climber up the fixed ropes to the Table Ledge and then climb back up to the Summit of Longs Peak via the upper Kiener’s Route, a vertical gain in altitude of approximately 700 feet and a distance over terrain of approximately 1,200 feet. They reached the summit at 3:00 a.m.
According to Rocky Mountain National Park Chief Ranger Mark Magnuson, “Given the location of Davidson in highly technical terrain at 14,000 feet, with no equipment to self-rescue and the extended weather forecast that predicted low temperatures and heavy rains, we made the decision to perform careful, well planned night operations by a highly skilled team. An unexpected bivouac half way up the Diamond in poor weather is not a good predicament.”
Rain continued off and on through the evening and temperatures were 39 degrees. Davidson was rescued without incident, warmed and fed at the summit and then flown out at 8:00 a.m. this morning. Due to inclement weather, the last ranger and helicopter crew member flew off the summit at 10:00 a.m. There were roughly 25 people involved in this rescue operation including 5 members from Rocky Mountain Rescue who were on standby to assist park rangers if a carry-out was necessary.
There have been numerous incidents in Rocky Mountain National Park in the last month where rangers and injured visitors have benefitted from having an available helicopter and trained helitack crew in the area. After this operation the interagency United States Forest Service/National Park Service helicopter from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park left Rocky Mountain National Park for other commitments. It is crucial for visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park to realize if they are injured in the backcountry, depending on available resources, it could take hours for assistance to arrive. It continues to be vital that backcountry visitors are prepared to help themselves and others in the event of an emergency. Another reminder to backcountry users; seasonal weather patterns appear to be changing bringing monsoonal conditions, which contribute to elevated hazards and challenging conditions in the mountains. |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:25 |
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Written by Aaron
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Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:04 |
This summer, if conditions allow, fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the South Lateral Moraine, North Lateral Moraine, and Deer Ridge Junction areas. The South Lateral Moraine burn area is 115 acres of open ponderosa located south of Eagle Cliff Mountain and adjacent to Bear Lake Road. The North Lateral Moraine burn area is 140 acres north of the Moraine Park Visitor Center and south of the junction of Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake Road. The Deer Ridge Junction burn area is 70 acres northeast of the junction of Trail Ridge Road and Fall River Road. One burn in the South Lateral Moraine area was successfully completed this spring and burning will likely resume within the three adjacent units before moving on to the other areas. Burning will only occur if weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Multiple days of ignition will likely occur in each area to limit daily smoke production. The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and park infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuel available for wildfires in the project areas.
Favorable conditions for burning are anticipated to occur periodically July 26 through August 31. Ignitions will only occur on weekdays with smoldering and smoke emissions lasting for an additional 3-10 days. Smoke may be visible from Highways 66, Bear Lake Road, Trail Ridge Road, and Fall River Road as well as other locations in the park. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts to visitors and the adjacent community; however some smoke is anticipated to flow down the Fall River and Big Thompson River corridors and into the Town of Estes Park during the early morning hours. No trail closures are anticipated but visitors hiking past active burn areas may be escorted by fire personnel through the area.
Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, available personnel, fire danger, ongoing wildfires, and environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any prescribed fire management operation. For more information please contact the park’s information office at (970) 586-1206. |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Sunday, 18 July 2010 16:26 |
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 At 2:23 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, park rangers were notified of an incident on Stettner's Ledges near Mills Glacier on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. William Esposito, 27, from Boulder, Colorado, was on a technical climb and took a 20 foot lead fall. He seriously injured both ankles. Two park rangers were on a backcountry patrol near the summit of Longs Peak. They reached the man at 4:53 p.m.
Rangers picked up search and rescue gear nearby at the Chasm Shelter. Esposito's climbing partner had safely lowered him an additional three pitches making it easier for rangers to assist him. Although Esposito could not put weight on his feet he and his climbing partner also tried to move as far down on the snowfield as possible. The two rangers, assisted by 8 other climbers who were in the area, carried gear and the litter with Esposito, to a helicopter landing zone near Chasm Lake (see photo). Flight for Life, from St. Anthony's Hospital, flew Esposito to Boulder Community Hospital at 6:37 p.m.
Park rangers were grateful for the assistance of the climbers in the area. Although all of the climbers happened to be from Boulder, they were all in different groups. The rescue efforts made for a long day for the climbers as they had all left the Longs Peak Trailhead before dawn. Their assistance to park rangers in carrying Esposito to the landing zone enabled the helicopter to be able to fly during daylight. Because of their assistance, additional park staff did not have to hike to the area; allowing them to focus on other operations on a busy Saturday in July at Rocky Mountain National Park. |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Friday, 16 July 2010 16:00 |
Early this morning, Friday, July 16, a twenty-nine year old man’s body was discovered by a hiker on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Rhode Island man’s body was found along the Keyhole Route by “The Trough” and on “The Ledges” at roughly 13,000 feet in elevation. It is believed he fell roughly 250 to 300 feet.
Park rangers were notified this morning at 5:30 a.m. by a hiker who found the man’s body. It is believed the man fell sometime after 7:15 p.m. yesterday. A park trail crew, who were camping near the Boulderfield, were the first park staff on scene at 9:30 a.m.
Park rangers were flown to the Boulderfield by the interagency United States Forest Service/National Park Service helicopter from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park, staged in the park for the Cow Creek Fire. They hiked to the scene and reached the man at 11:02 a.m. The victim’s body was flown to a helispot in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of the park at 1:30 p.m. His body was then transferred to the Boulder County Coroner.
The victim was in a hiking party with three others, who had stayed behind at their backcountry camping site at the Boulderfield, and were not with him at the time of the accident. The victim’s name will not be released until next of kin are notified. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 16 July 2010 21:36 |
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