3 men stranded on Grand Mesa

[BOHICA]

http://www.kjct8.com/global/story.asp?s=9736335

I'm hoping to hear back from Powderpatrol with any news from the Mesa County S&R. Hope they find them soon, snows moving back in.
Mark

 

[Dbook]

Well that's no good .. Hope they are just holed up somewhere.

 

[capen4]

everyone say a prayer that there found alive and well.
x2 finding them holed up somewhere.

 

[live2ride]

Please keep us posted, especially if they need more help!!! Prayers going out to all!!!

 

[SSWIM]

Still looking this morning.


Sam

 

[Bauer]

Dang.. I hope these guys were well prepared..

They are relatives of some sort to one of my co-workers. Brother-in-laws, Brother and nephews IIRC.. I was told they were experienced...

I'd be up for any extra help they may need.

 

[Bauer]

Rumor has it, they have been found.. There were injuries but they are safe.

Let's hope that's true

ETA:

O ya and they were on foot..

 

[SSWIM]

That is GREAT news.

Sam

 

[Fourwhlnutt]

Found 'em

Published January 27, 2009 @ 8:56 am by Le Roy Standish, Grand Junction Daily Sentinal.
Three snowmobilers, missing since Sunday, have been located by search and rescue crews, according to scanner reports received this morning.

According to those reports, the three are safe, but are being treated for injuries due to exposure. The men were found in the Gunnison National Forest, in an area southeast of Vega Reservoir.

The three men, from the Rifle/Silt area, were reported missing by a family member around 11 p.m. Sunday, said Heather Benjamin, spokeswoman for the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department.

By 6 a.m. Monday sheriff’s deputies, volunteers from the sheriff’s winter search and rescue team (the Snowskippers) and deputies from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Department converged on the search area. In all 24 people participated in the search Monday, Benjamin said.

A helicopter was brought in briefly Monday morning, but had to return to Olathe due to poor weather conditions, she said.

The search resumed today at 6 a.m.

Since Sunday the search area has been under a winter storm warning, which expired at 6 a.m. today. The weather service estimates 12 to 15 inches of snow fell east of Collbran in the last two days and the nighttime temperatures fell into the single digits.

 

[866RMK]

This is good news:

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=108612&catid=188




They walked out..............

 

[arcticcat38]

Great News but can I ask a serious question. How many of you would start a big fire? I always say if I'm caught out for the night I'd start a big fire. This would act as a signal fire and warmth. You should always have enough gas in the sled to start a fire. even if your empty you should be able to take some kind of cloth and wipe it in your gas tank. If you don't have a match use a spark plug. I'm just wondering why I never hear about someone getting rescued by a nice warm fire or something. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just wondering.

 

[BOHICA]

GREAT TO HEAR! Hopefully have some details later tonight.

 

[BOHICA]

Great News but can I ask a serious question. How many of you would start a big fire? I always say if I'm caught out for the night I'd start a big fire. This would act as a signal fire and warmth. You should always have enough gas in the sled to start a fire. even if your empty you should be able to take some kind of cloth and wipe it in your gas tank. If you don't have a match use a spark plug. I'm just wondering why I never hear about someone getting rescued by a nice warm fire or something. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just wondering.

It's a lot harder than you might think to get a big fire going and keep it burning in the conditions that they faced. The biggest problem is finding enough fuel for the fire, if it's not within your immediate area your screwed. How far can you walk and how much can you carry in nipple deep snow. However, if your stuck in an area of a lot of available wood, then build a ragging fire and stay put, then turn on your SPOT messenger and be relieved to know that someone knows right where you are.

 

[dagmccall]

Great News 1. Building a snow shelter best for the long haul .2. Make sure searchers can see you . Fires can be hard to maintain all night.

 

[arcticcat38]

Fire

It's a lot harder than you might think to get a big fire going and keep it burning in the conditions that they faced. The biggest problem is finding enough fuel for the fire, if it's not within your immediate area your screwed. How far can you walk and how much can you carry in nipple deep snow. However, if your stuck in an area of a lot of available wood, then build a ragging fire and stay put, then turn on your SPOT messenger and be relieved to know that someone knows right where you are.

I don't know that area. Most of the area I ride I could hike down to the trees and find something to get things going. I would hate to test out my survival skills anyways. I know I could make it work but I dont want to.

 

[T&A1000]

Glad to hear they are safe!! Most of the areas that I ride have so many dead beetle kill trees, it would be very easy to start a good fire and it might do the forest some good too!!!

 

[live2ride]

We got a call @ 6:45 am today to go help. We got ready to go and loaded friends sleds in the trailer to go to Muddy, we then heard that the guys had been found.......THANK GOD!!!

 

[bushy]

I don't know that area. Most of the area I ride I could hike down to the trees and find something to get things going. I would hate to test out my survival skills anyways. I know I could make it work but I dont want to.

Sounds pretty easy the way you put it, like a scout outing in the "Mountains" of Kansas . In a survival situation your better off conserving energy in a snow cave shelter out of the elements than burning up your fat postholing through 8' of powder for a piddly amount of wood that barely keeps your feet warm. What are you using to cut this substantial amount of fire wood, a 10 inch POS hand saw?

 

[SSWIM]

It's a lot harder than you might think to get a big fire going and keep it burning in the conditions that they faced. The biggest problem is finding enough fuel for the fire, if it's not within your immediate area your screwed. How far can you walk and how much can you carry in nipple deep snow. However, if your stuck in an area of a lot of available wood, then build a ragging fire and stay put, then turn on your SPOT messenger and be relieved to know that someone knows right where you are.

Yep. You hit her on the head Mark. Yea, I can say from experience it is a LOT harder getting firewood in DEEP snow than people think. There were 4 of us and it took everything we could muster to keep a fire going all night.


Sam

 

[bdubs]

Get some 12 hour candles and put em in your pack. You build a snowcave and line it with pine branches, you will be suprised how much more affective this is then a large fire to keep you warm. (I know it's not just as easy as that, but done right it will save your bacon)