Rescue Patterns in the Crestones

This ArcGIS Story Map project, is a collaborative effort between the author, Kim Jones Thomas, and Custer County SAR (CCSAR). It reflects documented missions in the Crestone Group, including those in the Saguache County SAR response area, where detailed mission data was available and/or Custer County SAR responded as the primary, or assist agency, in the mission response. Where possible, Saguache County SAR contributed to the accuracy and completeness of the data set in the project.

The author is a Denver, Colorado native, an active climber/scrambler and backcountry enthusiast. In 2015, two of the author's friends were rescued from Crestone Peak, after a fall on snow seriously injuring one of them. As part of her graduate certification in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), from Emily Griffith Technical College, a capstone project was required. Kim chose to partner with Custer County SAR for her project to see what patterns would be revealed by mapping available mission data in the Crestone Group, over a period of several years. This StoryMap, the interactive ArcGIS WebApp Map and ArcGIS Insights Charts within are the products of that research. It is our belief that the results will help backcountry enthusiasts and fellow climber/scramblers by revealing potential high risk areas located in the Crestone Group, and that some of these objective hazards can be avoided. The subjective hazards, such as experience, equipment, unexpected weather, and critical route finding, are for individuals to consider as they make their personal plans and preparations ahead of climbing Colorado's 14ers. Careful decision making on these peaks begins well before you ever arrive at the trailhead.

In Colorado, the County Sheriff has the statutory responsibility for search and rescue operations in their jurisdiction. The Crestone Group offers a good example of how response by geographic terrain and access is sometimes necessitated; rather than solely by a county boundary line, running along a ridgeline, as the deciding factor in a mission response. Custer and Saguache counties, through their Sheriffs, SAR Teams and County Coroners have a history of cooperation and mutual aid, that includes utilizing SAR resources from both sides of the Sangre de Cristo range, during incidents. Through written 'Memorandums of Understanding' and verbal requests, these stakeholders work for the mutual benefit of those individuals in need of rescue, or recovery across jurisdictional lines.

Custer County Search and Rescue (CCSAR), is an all-volunteer team, located in Westcliffe, Colorado, the county seat. The mission of CCSAR is the search, rescue, and/or recovery of a person or persons who have become lost, incapacitated, or deceased in Custer County, Colorado. CCSAR also provides assistance to adjacent counties through mutual aid, and to other counties in southern Colorado, in co-operation with Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR). CCSAR is organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and provides services under the direction of the Custer County Sheriff. Saguache County Search & Rescue (SAGSAR) is part of the Saguache County Sheriff's Department. SAGSAR is an all-volunteer team dedicated to providing wilderness search and rescue operations mainly in the Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range.

With 58 peaks exceeding 14,000 feet, summitting Colorado's iconic 14-ers has become exceedingly popular among residents and out-of-state visitors.

In 2017, the  Colorado 14ers Initiative  (CFI) estimated 334,000 people took on a 14er. In 2018, the estimate reached a reported high of 353,000, up 5.7% from 2017. In 2019, the estimate dropped to 288,000 people due to a massive spring snowpack that cut the amount of people by  18.4% . In 2020, however, the estimate surged by  44% to 414,000  due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CFI says when comparing the 2020 estimate to the previous reported high of 2018, 2020 is up 18% over 2018.

To the west of the small town of Westcliffe, is the northern end of a 220 mile long, linear mountain range called the Sangre de Cristos (blood of Christ). The Sangres contain 10 named fourteen thousand foot peaks, clustered in three groups. They are considered to be some of Colorado's most difficult fourteeners, and hold many technical routes. They are also some of Colorado's most dangerous 14,000 foot peaks. The Crestone Group, includes the five most northern 14ers in the Sangres, straddling the Custer and Saguache County lines. These peaks also lie within the 220,803 acre Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, which was designated by congress in 1993. The Wilderness Act of 1964 states that there shall be no "mechanical transport" in Wilderness, a factor that complicates SAR missions in the region, and must be taken into account on all mission responses.

The Crestone group is made up of: Crestone Peak at 14,294 ft; Crestone Needle at 14,197 ft, Kit Carson Mountain at 14,165 ft, Challenger Point at 14,081 ft, and Humbolt Peak at 14,064 ft. The area also includes several 13,000 and 12,000 ft mountains, alpine lakes, passes and wilderness areas enjoyed by many backcountry enthusiasts.

Note: Saguache County SAR is the primary response agency for incidents on Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak. Responses on Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle may depend on jurisdiction (the county line runs along the ridgeline of the two peaks). Additional considerations for these peaks include access points, the availability of technical and medical personnel, weather, and other factors. Most climbers/scramblers access these peaks via South Colony Lakes, in Custer County, over Broken Hand Pass and across the county line into Saguache County. Custer County SAR often responds as the primary agency to incidents on Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak. Humbolt Peak lies entirely within the Custer County response area.

Prior to 1975, there was little need for a formal SAR team in Custer County. On the rare occasion of a climbing incident on Crestone Needle or Crestone Peak, the Sheriff would contact Alpine or Rocky Mountain Rescue for help, waiting a day or so for them to get here. This would not be acceptable when usage and accidents increased in later years.

By the mid-70's, there were several climbers living around the county, including local Gary Ziegler, who saw a need to improve SAR capabilities. Gary was trained in mountain rescue and alpine technical climbing, having instructed in the Peace Corps, Army units and then guiding/instructing for Colorado Outward Bound. He formed a ‘sort of hasty team of climbers’ who could get quickly up on a mountain with a radio and emergency kit to stabilize the injured while awaiting the arrival of an outside team.

Custer County Search and Rescue’s (CCSAR) team was formally organized under the Sheriff’s department in March of 1976 by Ken Perschbacher. CCSAR went inactive in 1983 and then was reactivated in 1987. Art Nordyke joined with a passion for snow cats, snowmobiles and winter sorties. This, along with others on skis and snowshoes, added a year-round winter capability. The team became a non-profit corporation in November of 2002, with the support of then Sheriff Fred Jobe. The tax-exempt status has greatly assisted CCSAR in increasing donations and securing grants. Other past Captains including Dennis Shaydak, Buzz Inderdall, Corey Phillips, Bob Pruiskma, Cindy Howard, Larry Weber and current Captain Jonathan Wiley have continued to move the organization forward, increasing capabilities and working with partner agencies to fulfill the agency’s ongoing mission. The SAR ‘barn’ is the local cache for Custer County Search and Rescue, at 710 Rosita Avenue, now outfitted with four 4x4 response vehicles, 3 ATVs, capable of running tracks in the winter months, and a variety of other technical, medical and communications equipment, including VHF and DTR 800 Mhz capabilities.

CCSAR also works with many cooperating agencies, during life and death emergencies, including Flight for Life, Reach Air Medical Services, Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Canon City Helitack, the Colorado Army National Guard aviation units with the Colorado High Altitude Aviation Training Site, and COANG at Buckly Air Force Base, as well as the Colorado Hoist Rescue Team, and Colorado Search and Rescue Association.

As backcountry usage increases, the CCSAR team is called out on about 20 missions each year, with a record 30 mission responses in 2020, (many of which were highly technical in nature and are also lengthy in response duration) correlating to the increased popularity of people climbing 14ers. An evaluation of missions from 2015 to 2020 has revealed some interesting patterns within the Crestone group of 14ers.

For just the Crestone Group, CCSAR had 49 missions between 2015 and 2021, with 24 of those missions on the Crestone Needle (48.9%).

• 8 of those missions were on the class 5 climbing route Ellingwood Arete (note: two of those missions are not mapped due to lack of mission coordinates).

• 13 of those missions were on the standard class 3 route.

• 2 of those missions were unknown which route the party was on.

• 3 fatalities occurred (black circles on the map), two on the standard class 3 route and one on the class 5 Ellingwood Arete route.

• 9 missions were non-life saving missions (green circles on the map).

• 3 missions were classified as other (orange circles on the map).

• 9 missions were life saving missions (red circles on the map).

• 7 missions were during climber's ascent: 1 on the standard route, 6 on Ellingwood Arete (3 life saving, 2 non-life saving, 1 other, and 1 fatal).

• 16 missions were during climber's descent: 2 on Ellingwood Arete, 2 unknown, 12 on standard route (6 life saving, 7 non-life saving, 2 other, 1 fatal).

• 12 missions appear to be climbers off route descending the south face, from 13,400 ft and below - indicating the extreme importance of navigation and staying on route to avoid becoming cliffed-out and fatal falls.

• 1 fatal mission was unknown if the climber was ascending or descending on the standard route.

• 7 missions were solo climbers, all male.

• 14 missions were two climbers: 9 were all male, and 5 were female/male.

• 2 missions were three climbers, all male.

• All 3 fatalities were male, average age 56.5.

• Average climber age is 36.5.

• 9 missions involved air evacuation, which is 37.5% of the total Crestone Needle missions.

The following is a description of this video courtesy of the  Alpine Rescue Team. 

On Saturday (9/19/2020) the Colorado Hoist Rescue Team (CHRT) was activated for a mission to assist Custer County SAR (CCSAR) in the rescue of an injured climber. The team sent a pair of Rescue Technicians from  Alpine Rescue Team  and a  Colorado National Guard 

(COARNG) UH-60 and its crew from the Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) at Buckley Air Force Base, to a location high on the Crestone Needle’s Ellingwood Arete. Custer County SAR managed the operation, and had field teams ready to go if conditions did not allow hoists of the two climbers. Fortunately, favorable conditions enabled the flight crew and hoist operator to deliver the rescue tech on target.

Please know that while one rescuer rides the hoist, there is a team of more than 20 others from the organizations mentioned above, along with the  Colorado Search and Rescue Association - CSAR , working together to make the rescue possible.

The use of helicopters in search and rescue is dangerous, and Colorado’s high elevations and warm summertime temperatures only compound the dangers for the aviators and rescue crews. The use of a helicopter is limited to rescue those whose injuries are life-, limb-, or eyesight-threatening, or when conditions put ground-rescuers at significant peril.

The arrival of a helicopter in a search and rescue setting should never be considered an expectation. It is an exception.

Route finding on the descent is of utmost importance! Over 42% of the total Crestone Needle missions were due to climber/scramblers descending off-route, below 13,400 feet. The 'notch' at 13,300 is a critical navigational point on the route.

Crestone Needle's standard route is on the complex south face, and route finding here is difficult, yet essential. The south face route on Crestone Needle has high risk-factors for route finding, which can lead climbers/scramblers to descend off route, into treacherous, often deadly terrain.

 Custer County Search and Rescue  recommends careful route finding and navigation, which is best gained by carefully descending the same route one previously ascended. Navigation errors on Crestone Needle have been the one constant for SAR responses on Crestone Needle, yet technology is in place to avoid potential route finding issues on the descent:

• Pay careful attention to landmarks during your ascent (particularly photos #11 and #12 of the  route description on 14ers.com  - DO NOT descend below 13,300 ft if you have not first reclimbed the class 3 'notch' described in photo #11).

• Consider use of a GPS to track your progress to the summit and TRACKBACK.

•  Download  existing routes (GPX, KML, GeoJSON) from 14ers.com or other trusted sites.

• If using a mobile app, such as CalTopo, make sure you carry a power bank phone charger, capable of recharging your phone multiple times.

• Close unnecessary applications on your phone and consider navigation in Airplane Mode to conserve battery life. (CalTolo subscriptions allow the downloading of map layers for use in offline mode - you can also download Avenza Maps mobile app to use your QR code printed PDF CalTopo map so it doesn't drain your phone battery.)

• Know your elevation and REGAIN elevation when necessary to get back on route.

• Climb with a trusted partner and always carry the 10 essentials. Always be minimally prepared for an unplanned/uncomfortable night out.

Climbers who descend below 13,300 ft and are aware that they have lost the route, must re-ascend to regain the route and proper exit, then continue by traversing south-east along the ridgeline. Continuing your descent towards Cottonwood Lake results in a high probability of becoming cliffed out, or risking a potentially fatal fall.

Climbers ascending Crestone Needle via the Ellingwood Arete or other technical route, should carefully assess their equipment and experience. Consider these routes as alpine climbs, subject to sudden severe weather during storms. Technical routes have considerable to high risk factors, including rockfall, exposure, route finding and commitment. Route finding on the descent is critical if you have not previously climbed the standard route.

If you choose to climb Crestone Peak or Crestone Needle, you should be a very experienced climber with proper equipment and be sure to follow designated climbing routes. You should be well acclimated and attentive to weather patterns in the area.

"Live to climb another day."

The mountain will be there, when weather windows or other setbacks/challenges impeded your planned summit day. Be flexible and adjust/cancel your plans as needed! Visit  14ers.com  for more information.

For just the Crestone Group, CCSAR had 49 missions between 2015 and 2021, with 2 of those missions on Crestone Traverse (4.1%).

• Both of these missions were while descending.

• 1 fatality occurred (black circles on the map) for a solo male climber.

• 1 mission was a non-life saving missions (green circles on the map).

For just the Crestone Group, CCSAR had 49 missions between 2015 and 2021, with 9 of those missions on Crestone Peak (18.4%).

• 4 of those missions were on the standard route.

• 5 of those missions were in the red gully.

• 1 fatality occurred (black circles on the map), in the red gully.

• 3 missions were non-life saving missions (green circles on the map).

• 5 missions were life saving missions (red circles on the map).

• 1 mission was during the climber's ascent (life-saving mission) and 3 missions were unknown for ascent or descent (1 life saving, 1 non-life saving, and 1 fatal) - all in the red gully.

• 5 missions were during the climber's descent: 4 were on the standard route (2 life saving, and 2 non-life saving), and 1 in the red gully (life-saving mission).

• 6 missions were solo climbers: 5 male, 1 female.

• 3 missions were grouped climbers: 1 pair (female/male), 1 group of 3 (all male), and 1 group of 4 (all male).

• 1 fatality was solo climbing male age of 34.

• Average climber age is 38.75.

• 8 missions involved air evacuation, which is 88% of the total Crestone Peak missions.

For just the Crestone Group, CCSAR had 49 missions between 2015 and 2021, with 6 of those missions on Kit Carson Mountain (12.2%).

• 2 of those missions were on the standard route, 4 were unknown.

• 3 fatalities occurred (black circles on the map), on the standard route.

• 1 mission was classified as other (orange circles on the map).

• 2 missions were life saving missions (red circles on the map).

• 4 missions were during the climber's descent: 1 on the standard route and 3 unknown which route (2 fatal, 1 life saving, 1 other).

• 2 missions were unknown if climbers were ascending or descending: 1 on the standard route and 1 unknown which route (1 fatal, 1 life saving).

• 4 missions were solo climbers, all male.

• 1 mission was a pair (all male); however the 2nd party followed the 1st unrelated party off-route.

• 1 mission the data is mostly unknown as the hiker was able to get out under their own power.

• Average climber age is 34.

• 3 fatalities were solo male climbers, average age of 34.

• 5 missions involved air evacuation, which is 83% of the total Kit Carson missions.

For just the Crestone Group, CCSAR had 41 missions between 2015 and 2020, with 5 of those missions on Humbolt Peak (12.2%).

• 3 of those missions were on the standard route.

• 2 of those missions were on the east ridge.

• 2 missions were non-life saving missions (green circles on the map).

• 1 mission was classified as other (orange circles on the map).

• 2 missions were life saving missions (red circles on the map).

• 1 mission was during the climber's ascent (life saving) on the east ridge, and 1 mission was unknown (other) on the standard route.

• 3 missions were during the climber's descent: all on the standard route (2 non-life saving and 1 life saving).

• 2 missions were solo climbers: 1 female, 1 male.

• 3 missions were groups of climbers.

• Average age is 53.

• 3 missions involved air evacuation, which is 60% of the total Humbolt Peak missions.

• Number of Missions By Location and Mission Type, and Number of Mission Types by Gender:

• Age Range Charts: age range is roughly 20 to 70 years old.

• Ascending or Descending: where climbers were at when they needed help. Most climbers were on the Descent. This is important to note that summitting is the half-way point. Climbers can be so focused on the summit push, that they fail to realize that upon reaching the top, that they are only 50% there, and need to still properly navigate the descent, have plans, equipment, a weather window, and the energy to get them back down. Blinded by 'summit fever', we can often forget "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory" Ed Viesturs.

• Human Error
• Fall or Slip
• Weather/Environmental Factors
• Off-route
• Solo climbers/Non-Event Feedback
• Fatigue/Physical Factors - AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), Confusion, Disorientation, Nausea, Headache
• Navigation Errors/Failure to use available technology
• Subjective vs Objective Hazards

CCSAR does not charge for rescue or other services. In fact, most Colorado Search and Rescue teams do not charge for their services. However, there is a way you can help them get reimbursed for their expenses.

• 14.6% of CCSAR missions from 2015-2020 had the CORSAR card, that's 6 out of 41 missions
• 75.6% of CCSAR missions from 2015-2020 did NOT have the CORSAR card, that's 31 out of 41 missions
• That means 75.6% of their missions were not eligible for reimbursement of their expenses.

The text below is directly from the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Backcountry Search and Rescue Page:    https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/Backcountry-Search-and-Rescue.aspx 

Dedicated VOLUNTEER search and rescue (SAR) professionals, across Colorado, are ready to mobilize to help those in the Colorado backcountry. Your Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) contribution supplies reimbursements to SAR teams for costs incurred while conducting search and rescue operations, and to provide funding for the purchase of search and rescue related equipment. Because of your support and the tremendous generosity of our search and rescue responders, Colorado is a safer place to play.

Here’s how the reimbursement works… After a SAR mission concludes, the County in which the mission was conducted sends a request for reimbursement. If the subject of the mission has a CORSAR card or eligible Parks and Wildlife license or registration, a reimbursement payment is processed immediately. If the subject of the search does not have a CORSAR Card or eligible Parks and Wildlife license or registration, the request for reimbursement is held until the end of the year. If money is available in the fund at the end of the year, the requesting county receives reimbursement.

*The CORSAR card is not insurance and does not reimburse individuals or pay for medical transport.

 Purchase or Renew Your Card Now!