CMRU High Angle Rescue Practice 4-12-08

3FJ from Hayrick Butte (photo by Jonathan Ellinger)

Click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Finally getting caught-up on the Blog. On the weekend of April 12th CMRU held an overnight high angle rescue practice. We met at Hayrick Butte on Santiam Pass at 9:00am and immediately began practice. The weather was unusally warm and sunny with plenty of snowpack remaining (Perhaps 6 feet deep). The sun and warm temperature got the snow very stickly and wet.


We did 3 scenarios that took us high on Hayrick Butte. Each scenario was progressively more difficult. Each one involved 2 patients stuck on the mountain. The first was a skiing accident on a ledge. One patient walked down, the other had to be strapped into a litter and lowered using our litter, lowering system, and then hauling the litter out using skis or snowshoes.

Jerry setting-up the belay for the lowering system (Photo by Jonathan Ellinger)

Nate in a litter during the first scenario (Photo by Jonathan Ellinger)


The second scenario was similar. Some of us took turns as the patient. I was strapped into the litter for the second scenario. While the team worked on me I took video from "The Patient's Perspective."


Hoy getting strapped into the litter during the second scenario (Photo by Jonathan Ellinger)



Photo from "Patient's Perspective"



About half way down the slope, the litter I was in dislodged enough snow snow to create what became a giant snow pinwheel the size of a minivan. It was pretty humorous, albeit a little dangerous. I have attached a video clip here.




Snow Pinwheel Video



For perspective, look at the two guys standing next to just one of the chunks left from the pinwheel after it broke apart




Video: After Lowering, the litter is dragged back to base.

Each of the first two scenarios took about 3.5 hours. After the second scenario we dug snow caves before it got dark.







Then we did a night scenario that was nearly twice as high on the mountain, involved two climbers, and required two litters with a 600' lower. We stopped that scenario at 2am after we got the patients down off the high angle. We were exhausted. A very draining but worthwhile 17 hour practice.