CDT Southern Colorado Road Trip July 2024

September 11, 2024

Inside Backcountry Search and Rescue of Colorado

by By Anna DeBattiste for the Colorado Search and Rescue Association , Read by Jordan Williams, CDTC

by Jordan Williams, Colorado Regional Representative

Following in the footsteps of an action packed road trip in 2023, CDTC’s adventure through Southern Colorado in late July 2024 had big shoes to fill. Thankfully, all of our partners, volunteers, and community members helped make this trip just as fulfilling and inspiring.

Starting with a drive to the San Luis Valley (SLV) to visit with the SLV Great Outdoors Coalition, Claire Cutler – CDTC’s newly appointed Trail Policy Specialist – and I highlighted updates surrounding CDTC’s Gateway Community program. While Alamosa is not a designated Gateway Community (GC), South Fork is part of the western SLV and was the first GC designated in Colorado back in 2015. Additionally, the SLV continues to be a priority landscape for the CDT, as highlighted in the work of CDTC’s intern Audrey Moreng from last year.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay long since we needed to get to Archuleta Lake where we would help with packout the next day as part of CDTC’s trail maintenance project with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. While dodging raindrops, we woke up early the next morning so we could assist the San Juan Backcountry Horsemen with their horse pack string to get all the volunteer supplies back to the trailhead out of the Weminuche Wilderness (where motorized and mechanized travel is prohibited). Everyone made it back in one piece, and the volunteers were happy that their packs were lighter on the way down.

2 men and three horses in a line on a trail with packs

After a relaxing night at the Wolf Creek LOGE in South Fork, Claire and I headed up to Wolf Creek Pass where the CDT crosses Highway 160 for a site visit. With ongoing development pressures in the area and potential changes to the Rio Grande National Forest Winter Over-snow Travel Management Plan, this area will continue to be a hotspot for recreation and conservation concerns.

1 person on a trail next to a sign post overlooking lots of mountains

1 person on a trail overlooking dead trees in the foreground and the San Juan mountains in the background

Back down the hill in Pagosa Springs, another designated Gateway Community, we hosted a volunteer meetup event at Motel SOCO. The good vibes and weather (for the most part) provided the perfect opportunity for Community Volunteers and local Trail Adopters to connect and get updates on all things CDT. (And win some SWAG along the way.)

A group of people gathered in a circle winning prizes

On Sunday, we drove over Spring Creek Pass on Highway 149 along the Silverthread Scenic Byway where the CDT is co-located with the Colorado Trail (CT). At the top of the pass, we were able to offer some trail magic and give a few rides back down to the town of Lake City. This popular Gateway Community to the CT and CDT offers free Community Hiker Dinners on Sunday evenings in July and August out of the Lake City Hiker Center. This year alone they served over 750 hikers, with a ding of their bell every time a hiker enters the building.

A group of hikers sitting and standing at kiosk enjoying some cold drinks

A large group of people sitting down having a potluck dinner

As Claire and I drove back to Golden the next day, it was easy to feel both tired and exhilarated at the same time. Which is probably how a lot of visitors to CDT feel after five days out there on trail–both excited to be going home, and looking forward to their next time on the Continental Divide.

Two people at a Continental Divide Trail outreach table

If you are injured and have to wait hours for rescuers, do you have enough clothing and shelter to survive until they get to you? Remember, even in July, it will be cold in the Colorado mountains once nightfall descends. Colorado BSAR volunteers are not stationed in a firehouse waiting to slide down a pole when the 911 call goes out. They will be responding from their homes or places of work, and they must get to the trailhead and hike to where you are. Helicopter rescues are the exception rather than the rule, and we reserve them for cases in which life, limb, eyesight, or rescuer safety is at stake.

The BSAR community is the safety net for Colorado’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy, an economy that continues to grow.

Wondering how you can support that safety net beyond staying safe on your hike?

You can donate to the Colorado Search and Rescue Association or a local team.

And you can volunteer if you live in Colorado!

Find contacts for your local team at www.coloradosar.org/

The Colorado Search and Rescue Association is a membership organization composed of volunteers from BSAR teams across the state. They bring organizations together to find, rescue, and recover those in need in the Colorado backcountry. They also assist and empower BSAR teams through public education, advocacy, coordination, collaboration, and continuous skill development.

How Can You Help backcountry Search and Rescue Volunteers?

First, be prepared for your hike, by considering the “Three Ts” of preparedness:

Number 1: Trip plan – Tell a reliable person back home where you’re going, what trailhead you’ll be parking at, what your intended route is, and when you expect to be back. Tell them how to call for help if you’re not back within a reasonable time of your intended plan. If they are in the same county you’re hiking in, they can simply call 911. If not, they need to know the county your route is located in so they can look up contact information for that county’s sheriff’s office.

Number 2: Training – Make sure you have the technical skills and physical conditioning for what you’re doing. Work your way up to the endurance needed for multi-day and high-elevation hikes. Don’t overestimate your abilities and do enough homework so you don’t underestimate the terrain. Use the resources on the Continental Divide Trail Coalition’s website to help you start your research.

Number 3: Take the essentials – Carry the ten essentials plus any terrain-specific gear you might need.

Photo credits:

Andy Novak

Heath Sample

Jack Hiskisch

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