SAR: It Can Happen to Any of Us When We Least Expect It

Earlier this week in, a hiker shared her SAR story of when her and her friends ended up spending an unexpected night in the backcountry this larch season.

All photos in this post belong to Diana Bartos

Diana Bartos shared her SAR story in the Washington Hikers and Climbers Facebook group in the hopes to inform others, and hopefully reduce the risk of this happening to someone else.

Read her story below, and leave a constructive comment at the bottom.

"We often hear rescue stories involving expert adventurers or unprepared beginners. I don’t fall into either category, and I bet a lot of us don’t. My friends and I were recently rescued, and I’m sharing our experience to hopefully help others.

We chose a 14-mile, 4,500 ft gain loop hike to enjoy the larches. The mileage and gain were very manageable for our group, and we planned to hike out in the dark, which I often do to catch the sunset. Nothing out of the norm for us. We were decently prepared with the 10 essentials, but we lingered longer than planned, taking breaks to enjoy the views, eat, and take photos.

Here’s where we went wrong: At a lake beyond our halfway point, we debated whether to return the way we came or finish the loop. Continuing the loop had less mileage and elevation gain, but it included a class 2/3 scramble. Returning the way we came added extra mileage and elevation to a long day. We miscalculated the time it would take to reach the scramble and aimed to finish it before dark.

Unfortunately, a slow boulder field that stretched further than we anticipated, and going off-course up to the wrong saddle requiring backtracking delayed us. By the time we reached the scramble, it was dark, and our headlamps, despite fresh batteries, didn’t shine as far as normal in the moisture thick air. We could tell the drop offs and exposure were way too risky with the rock that was becoming wet. One of our friends also became very sick—nauseous, dizzy, and unable to stand. Continuing was unsafe. Backtracking 10 miles with our sick friend was no longer an option either.

We knew we needed to stay put. My ego resisted wanting to call SAR, but my friends made the right decision. They used their Garmin to call for help. I knew SAR wouldn’t reach us until morning. I’ve relied on my friends having a Garmin, but after this, I won’t solo hike without one.

I had one emergency blanket, which I gave to our sick friend. We layered up with all our extra clothes, used every hand warmer, and huddled together. Thankfully, it didn’t snow or drop below freezing, rare for 7,000 ft in the North Cascades in autumn, but the wind was strong, preventing a helicopter rescue. We ate, used pack rain covers for extra wind protection, and did jumping jacks to ward off hypothermia.

At first light, we assessed our situation—steep, rugged terrain with drop-offs everywhere. We definitely made the right call staying put. When we saw the SAR ground team on a ridge below, we signaled with our lights. They hiked up to us, validated our decision-making, and used ropes and harnesses to help everyone safely descend. Our sick friend was starting to feel better, and we hiked out together.

Although shivering all night wasn’t fun, I’m thankful for the experience. I learned so much, and it could have been far worse. SAR will have my gratitude (and donations) forever, and I hope to volunteer with them in the future.

Here’s an unofficial list of what we packed for the day hike, not expecting an overnight stay. Most items had multiples since each person packed their own gear, except for the Garmin and emergency blanket:

• Offline maps

• Radios (in case of separation)

• Garmin

• Power banks

• Water, water filter, electrolytes (drink and chewable)

• Hats, gloves, extra socks, base layers/thermals, rain pants/jackets, puffy coats

• Gaiters, microspikes

• Headlamps, extra batteries/lights

• Fire starter, medical kit, 1 emergency blanket, lots of hand warmers, duct tape, bear spray, knife

• Extra food/snacks

• Camera/tripod

What I wish we had:

• An emergency bivy for each person instead of one blanket

• Foot warmers!

  • I always have them but spaced and grabbed extra hand warmers instead, which don’t fit in boots like toe warmers do! We all had frozen feet. I’m now considering adding nausea relief to my med kit.

Given the weather, we had what we needed to survive. It wasn’t the most fun night, but it’s one we’ll never forget. We’re bonded for life now!

Double-check what you pack for a day hike. Let people laugh at you for “overpacking”.

Don’t hesitate to call for help if you truly need it. Waiting too long can make your situation worse and potentially put SAR members at even greater risk during your rescue. It’s important to prioritize safety not only for ourselves, but also those coming to help.

If you can, please consider donating to your local Search and Rescue. These teams are mostly volunteers, running on donations and grants. I can’t imagine the costs of a rescue, especially with so many people working through the night like they did for us. They all gave us 12 hours of their time and resources, and I’m so thankful they were there. Your support helps them continue saving lives when unexpected situations arise, and every bit makes a difference.

Thanks for reading, now go check your emergency supplies!"

Thank you do Diane for being vulnerable and sharing, and for allowing me to share your story with the WitW community. Going on day hikes we all can underestimate the conditions and/or the time we will take to complete the hike and overestimate our abilities, I know I've done it! A million and one things can cause the best-laid plan to fail, so always be prepared to spend the night. Diane's group made the right decision to stay put. Don't push yourself into a potentially dangerous situation just to try to get back to your vehicle and home. Assess each situation accordingly, and if spending the night where you are is safer than pushing forward in the dark, do so.

Do you have an SAR story you'd like to share with the Women in the Wild community? Send it to: submissions@womeninthewild.net