By Bruce Beckmann, CSAR deputy chief state coordinator and Alpine Rescue Team member. Cover photo by Jan Rasmussen.
“Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” ― Ed Viesturs
In September of 2013, Mark Stice of Arvada was reported overdue by his wife after failing to return from a camping and hiking trip in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Custer County Search and Rescue and Saguache County officials searched for eight days, fielding hazards such as difficult terrain; significant snowfall, ice, encrusted rock; and falling rock and ice during the daily freeze thaw cycle. On September 29th, the search was suspended pending any new clues or information, and Stice remains missing to this day.
In July of 2022, Daniel Lamthach was reported missing in the Trinity Peaks area of the San Juan mountains after he went on a trail run from the Molas Lake campground. San Juan County SAR and Silverton Medical Rescue searched for 11 days, using extensive aviation support from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, before suspending the search due to dangerous mudslides and flood watches. Lamthach has never been found.
What do these two incidents have in common? Neither Stice nor Lamthach are believed to have been carrying the gear needed to survive changing weather conditions and/or an overnight stay, and neither left a detailed trip plan with someone back home, a plan that might have helped backcountry search and rescue teams target specific likely search areas. The only clues search teams had for Lamthach were that he parked his car at the Molas Lake campground, and his cell phone was found on the Elk Creek Trail. For Stice, his vehicle was found parked at the South Colony trailhead on September 22nd but his campsite was not located until the 24th. He did not sign any trail or summit registers and did not have a cell phone or emergency locator beacon. Without an idea of the intended route, rescuers are faced with finding a lone individual in ten to twenty or more square miles of wilderness – a daunting task when time is critical.
Many people believe trip planning is only for long, involved hikes, but trip planning should be conducted for every backcountry outing you take. When you step onto the trail, regardless of distance from your vehicle, you are in the backcountry. Things can happen quickly that turn a simple “just going to the lake and back” into a real emergency. The objective of every hike, regardless of distance, is to return home safely to hike again another day.
Yes, some trip planning efforts will be more involved, while others are simpler. Experienced hikers may do a lot of this planning in their heads, but this article lays out the steps that should be addressed regardless of the duration, the miles to be traveled, the elevation to be gained, or the changes in terrain to be encountered. Every trip should involve some degree of trip planning.
The first element below should be undertaken regardless of your familiarity with the hike. The remaining seven elements are very useful when doing a new hike with new members in the group. But first, let’s think about a few pre-trip foundational items.
PRE-TRIP CONSIDERATIONS
Overview: Decisions by the group need to be made and agreed upon in advance of the actual hike, before the group assembles at the trailhead.
While in the field, the occurrence of a traumatic incident diminishes decision-making capabilities. Having a plan laid out in advance lessens the impact of fatigue, hypothermia, and the urgency of the moment. Also, at such times, personal egos tend to surface which can lead the group into making hasty or poor decisions. Goals and stop triggers do not need to be complicated but do need to be clear and well defined. Agreement is a condition of being in the group. Pre-trip planning will greatly help the group make better decisions if an emergency situation should arise.
Pre-trip planning should also include getting an understanding of any significant medical conditions within the group. Does someone have severe allergies and carry an epi-pen? Does anyone have diabetes, a cardiac condition, etc.? Where will they be carrying their medications and what are trouble signs the group should watch for?
Group Dynamics: Understand the different personalities of the group, and does everyone get along? Some people work well together; others are less compatible. Under stress, group dynamics can either help in problem resolution or make the situation deteriorate quickly. Choose your group carefully.
Do all the folks in the group know each person’s strengths and weaknesses? If not, consider a short, easy pre-hike to evaluate a person’s technical abilities and social skills. Are folks capable of doing the planned hike and does each person blend in with the social makeup of the group? It is better to find out these types of interactions before the big day and adjust if needed.
Do not be minimized by a few forceful individuals – speak up and raise questions or concerns. Do not become complacent – be involved, and don’t be forced into doing something you are uncomfortable with. Be honest with yourself about your abilities.
THE 8 TRIP PLAN ELEMENTS
| 1. Assigning a Trip Leader and In-Town | 5. The Gear List |
| 2. The Contract | 6. The Pack Checks |
| 3. The Plan | 7. Emergency Situations |
| 4. Physical Preparation | 8. The Day of the Hike |
- Assigning a Trip Leader and an “In-Town”
Regardless of how easy the trip, every trip should have an assigned trip leader and an “in-town.”
Designate a trip leader. The trip leader helps to organize the group, even if it’s just two of you. This person helps coordinate the group’s activities, helps determine the primary route and alternative route(s), identifies the trigger points and timeframes, tracks weather, assigns the in-town, etc. This trip leader is responsible for coordinating the trip’s activities before, during and after the hike. This person should not do all the work but should delegate and help guide folks as needed. Four individuals per group is a good number.
Designate an in-town. An in-town is a responsible adult who knows a lot of information about you, your companions, your intended route(s), and especially your timeline. Involve the in-town in all aspects of planning; this person should know the people, gear, and route(s) just as well as any member of the group. The in-town is the “Let someone know before you go” person.
If multiple people are hiking, there should only be one assigned in-town. There can be other people or family members staying in town following their respective party members. Share contact information with them so they may all keep in touch and follow the group’s progress. But only the assigned in-town should be the main contact to the group, especially if a call to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) is needed. The AHJ is generally the sheriff for the county in which the vehicle is located. Without this coordination, multiple calls to the AHJ – with varying pieces of information for the same event – may create confusion for the AHJ and rescuers as to the nature of the incident and the real number of people involved.
What information does the in-town need? Details about you and the others in the group, including names, ages, phone numbers, vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers for each vehicle; significant medical conditions; and level of backcountry experience. Details about the trip, including the planned parking spot and route(s) the party will take, what time the group plans to start, and when they will be back in touch. The in-town should know the gear they have with them and be able to identify the satellite messenger address if applicable and Garmin tracking capabilities, so folks can communicate. The more information, the better. Create a document with all your personal information and have each person in your party complete this same document. Share these documents with your designated in-town.
When should the in-town call for help? If the party does not contact the in-town by the designated time, the in-town should call the (AHJ’s) sheriff’s office. This check-in time should be pre-determined and is firm. 6 pm is 6 pm, not 7 or 8 or 9 pm. It is better to call for help at the designated time and stand SAR down enroute than to delay calling. Your party, if injured, will be thinking, “I know my in-town will call 911 at 6:00 pm and help will be on the way soon.” If the in-town delays, this makes the rescue and evacuation more difficult and riskier for all parties.
The in-town should know which county the hike is located in and the emergency phone number for that county’s sheriff. Calling 911 in one city 60 miles away from the hike and in a different county will not get you directly to the right county’s sheriff, although they may be able to transfer the call.
During the hike, if you have communication, the in-town can provide unbiased perspectives regarding an issue. Need to call 911? Have your in-town do that while you save your battery power and tend to the matter at hand. The AHJ will eventually call the group to get details, if possible, but let the in-town start the ball rolling and answer as many questions as possible – saving your battery life for critical details and later communication.
- The Contract
The “contract” identifies those conditions and circumstances the group agrees to before the trip happens. Listed items are for the safety of the entire group. All parties agree to follow these items including “no-go” trigger points, meaning the group stops and turns around when certain conditions arise. When conditions deteriorate and present an unsafe situation, the predetermined action of the group prevails, with no arguments.
The contract should be a written agreement. Conditions on this list might include:
- No last-minute group additions. “Late comers” have unknown hiking abilities and change the entire dynamics of the group; this can become a liability later.
- When lightning or thunder is in the area – “no go.”
- No drinking or drugs – “no-go.”
- No one goes solo and the group does not split up.
- Hike at the slowest pace of the members. Do not allow folks to go ahead and wait for the rest of the group.
- No short-cuts off the trail – the trail is the short-cut.
- Each person carries the required gear needed for this hike.
- The group will not make decisions by majority rule – either we all agree or we all go home.
- No summit fever – regardless of how close to the objective.
- Anyone can say STOP.
All parties should agree that any person has the right (and obligation) to say “STOP” at any time and end the hike, with no questions asked, no pressure and no guilt trips. Pushing an individual beyond his/her comfort level increases the likelihood of an adverse situation for the entire group.
Avoid “summit fever” at all costs. It is better to return home safely and attempt the hike another day than to not return at all; that is the real goal of any hike or adventure.
- The Plan(s)
Conduct pre-hike meeting(s). Have one or more in-person meetings to discuss the route(s), timing, and delegation of various roles. Identify any personal dynamics issues and personal limitations of the group and factor them into the final plan. Share the load – no single person should be the holder of all trip information. Remember – “two is one and one is none.” Share the load and the work. The more each person gets involved, the more comfortable they will be on the day of the hike.
Develop the plan. All members should research all routes being considered; do not rely on another person’s knowledge or input. Do your own homework, explore comments on websites, use Google Earth Pro to take a look. Identify primary routes and alternatives. Will the route in be the same as the route coming out? What’s the crux or cruxes of the route (the most difficult or technical part)? Can all members do each route and crux? Clearly identify any trigger points in the route and timeframes when the group will turn around. The in-town needs to be highly involved in the development of this plan. If the first route is a no-go, having alternatives identified in advance makes field decision-making easier.
Define set time frames for arrival at the trailhead, departure into the field, reaching key points by certain times (“no-go”), return to trailhead, etc. Times may need to be adjusted in the field to safely get out by the agreed to times, and/or to consider darkness or weather. Notify the in-town of any changes to established times.
Identify all key waypoints on the GPX file or mapping software, e.g., the trailhead where your car is, the summit, creek crossings, trail intersections, the correct fork to take, etc. Make sure all members have the exact same route loaded. Just sending out a file to people does not mean they loaded it into their phone or GPS device.
Lastly, in addition to leaving your trip plan with your in-town, consider also leaving a note in your vehicle. Silverton Medical Rescue points out that if Daniel Lamthach had done that, sheriff’s office personnel would have been able to retrieve it, allowing the team to pinpoint a search area more effectively.
- Physical Preparation
Physical preparation by all members is important to a successful hike. Determine if all individuals can manage this outing, and be honest. Is this a new experience for one or more individuals? How will they handle the new challenges? Determine the profiles of the planned adventure – distance and elevation changes, etc. Consider conducting a pre-hike with an inexperienced person that is easier but still challenging. Is there time to build up to the larger, more strenuous adventure?
Other considerations might be the weight of the pack needed for the trip. Has everyone carried such weight before, or is this the first time? Also consider footwear and whether it is new or broken-in. Consider handling stream crossings, winter or rainy conditions, night travel via head lamp versus daytime travel, bivy experience and water purification. Explore the capabilities of each person, especially those folks with unknown or unproven abilities.
- The Gear List
As Earl Shaffer once said – “Carry as little as possible but choose that little with care.“
Review the plan and determine the gear Discuss all required gear that may be necessary – especially for those individuals using this hike to advance their abilities, as they may not think of items that are second nature to those with more experience. Make a list, add to it, share it. Gear can solve many of the technical aspects of the hike, but not the emotional and judgmental aspects encountered; that’s why you need the contract discussed above.
- Required gear is required. For example, you do not want to get to that steep ice couloir and have a member not have the trail traction needed to safely cross it. Planning the route is one thing, but planning the gear needed to accomplish it is another leg of the stool. Choose this gear carefully.
- Personal gear is personal. This is tailored to your specific needs and desires. Time tested gear that you have a preference for is your choice, but you alone will need to carry it. Folks do not appreciate a person who always sponges gear or food from others. This negatively impacts the group’s overall demeanor.
- Be specific in your naming of required gear. Saying “Bring a rope” can be interpreted as an 8 mm, 9.5, 11 mm, a 50 ft, 50 m or 100m, etc. Bring trail traction – do you mean Yaktraks or crampons? Headlamps – white, or multi-color, e.g. red/green to preserve night vision? If inexperienced members are joining your group, be sure to talk with them so they clearly understand the need for each piece of required gear and the reason behind it.
- The Pack Check
Perform a pack check a few days before the planned hike. Doing this allows time for individuals to obtain additional items, if needed, or to discard unnecessary equipment. Have a pizza party, gather and review packs. Pull it all out and repack it and get any last-minute questions/issues resolved. Are all the pack clips functional; was any damage found to straps or the pack?
Get confirmation that all the required gear is obtained and packed. Hearing it’s in the back seat of the car and forgetting to pack it on the day of the hike can be a problem later.
Did folks remember to replace their headlamp batteries – do they have spares? Are satellite messenger contacts updated and synced with the device? Are FRS radios to be used – and do they talk to each other? Try them out.
Adjust the gear list if needed and be sure a copy is sent to everyone.
- Emergency Situation Planning
As a group – and in the pre-trip group meetings – talk about the elephant in the room. What does the group do if one or more individuals are injured and immobile? What if the trip leader is involved? Treatable injuries to a person still mobile are manageable, whereas injuries causing immobility are very serious and can severely impact the entire group. What if someone goes missing? Agree on how to handle this.
Start with the worst situations: One or more group members are injured and immobile, or a member has gone missing. What about a death or other medical emergency? Who will take control of the group? Who knows the route out? Who is second in command? Make sure everyone knows how to determine location coordinates, elevation, the name of the mountain, the name of the trail, the time of the incident, and the medical condition of each injured party. Assess the group’s medical expertise, and who has satellite communications, water, food, a stove, etc..
Discuss how to attend to the injured party(s) and prepare for a long period before help arrives. The group should make sure no one wanders off, and should know to monitor fellow team members who may never have been exposed to traumatic injuries and may handle them differently. Trip leaders should know how to keep the group calm, notify the in-town, and call for help or have the in-town do it. They should notate updates on all medical treatment provided to the injured party and status changes, with time stamps.
Non-injured party members should keep calm, fuel up and drink up. It could be many hours before search and rescue teams can arrive. The group should be patient and prepare for the possibility of spending the night.
- Murphy’s Law – Anything that can or will go wrong, is going wrong, all at once. Plan for bad stuff to occur and be thankful when it does not.
- The Day of the Hike
The day of the hike has come. Ensure all parties arrive and are ready to go by the departure time. One person being late delays the entire group and sets the trip’s entire timing off. As folks gather, review the route to be taken, planned stops for water/food, and safety checks. Weather updates? Route changes? – notify your in-town before departing. It might be good to do a quick boot and pack check about a mile in and give the group a few moments to do adjustments.
Are all the cars turned off, lights off, and are keys being taken or left behind? Make sure everyone knows where the car keys are. Do a quick verbal gear check. Have the leader take the lead: who follows, who sweeps? Put your slower people up front.
Mid-trip status checks. Going up and coming down – make periodic, short mid-trip status checks to be sure no one gets lost and that any issues like hot spots or blisters are addressed before they become a critical issue. Travel at the slowest pace. Stop before you see a person really struggling and address issues early.
- Stop at key intersections or changes in the route. Be sure all members take the correct trail. People may be looking down at the trail and not realizing the leader took a less marked turn. If you cannot see the person ahead of you and behind you, you are too far strung out.
- Ask members of the group to let someone know before they step off the trail to relieve themselves.
- Point out all key points to the route to new folks, and remind others. Consider giving each key point a funny memorable name, e.g. “moose head rock,” “bear crap hill.”
- Stop and turn around periodically to look behind you. That vivid object you saw going uphill may look different going downhill. Make a written note or take a picture.
- Look up and perform weather checks – look at the sky, the moon, the sun, the clouds and keep track of changes in wind direction or sudden drops in temperature, all signs of weather changes coming. In the summer, note the smell of rain, lightning or thunder.
- Do a head count at each stop. Did someone unexpectedly join your group by accident? (It has happened.) Give stragglers time to rest – don’t take off as soon as they reach the group. Give them a few minutes and put them in the lead for the next section.
Summit status check – Same as the mid-trip status check, take count of folks as they come to the summit and before you head down. Give them time to enjoy the sights, change socks, address hot spots, rest up, etc., then put the slowest person in the lead with a strong route finder.
Back at the trailhead – final status checks – Everyone made it back without incident. But before you say goodbye, reassess everyone’s ability to drive down from the trailhead. Do all drivers have their keys? Will all cars start? Does anyone need a jump? Is anyone too tired to drive?
Contact the in-town and advise that the trip is concluded. The in-town can then contact the other home-bound parties to advise them of the group’s status. The in-town and the trip leader need to discuss and agree as to when the in-town’s involvement is no longer needed. Maybe the in-town stays on until all cars are out on the main road, especially if roads are bad or weather is affecting driving.
Celebrate your hike and be safe. The mountain may be behind you but the experience will always be with you.
Bruce Beckmann is a former paramedic and EMT and a current member and director of preventative search and rescue (PSAR) with Alpine Rescue Team in Evergreen, Colorado. He has served as a backcountry search and rescue volunteer since 1983 and also served with Seattle Mountain rescue in the 1990s. He has been a volunteer state coordinator with the Colorado Search and Rescue Association since 2020 and serves as deputy chief coordinator to the program.