Thanks for your comments.
#1, Wife.
Since we were not doing any back country sledding, and just trail riding, there was no specific plan for this trip, other than that we were to be back home that day by 5:00pm.
We had no "calling tree", but I am building one now!!
#2. Splitting Up.
Everyone here agrees with you.
When I put my son on his sled to send him down the mountain he swapped out his pack with his friend. That left me and the other young man with all the gear, and got my son down to meet the rescue team.
I suppose I looked at it like this.
If I had to spend the night on the mountain because S&R wasn't going to be able to make it, I would rather have done so with just myself and the other young man. He was in much better shape to spend the night up high in the storm with me than my son was. S&R told me they would be delayed for at least a couple hours do to the storm and could not give me a hard time when they could lend assistance. Obviously they suggested "self-rescue" to the greatest extent possible. So when I sent my son down off the mountain, we started the long walk down, just in case they never arrived.
#3, Shovels.
We dug to the point of exhaustion.
Between the altitude, the wind, the snow, the cold, ect., I was beat.
Pure and simple, for all the exercise I had done getting ready for this season, I was NOT in good enough shape when put to the test. I just ran out of air, and even the walk down was HARD work for me.
#4, Fire.
The thought of torching the sleds never crossed my mind.
But I had told the boys that they could go back to the sleds, remove the cowling, start the engines and drap the blanket over the sled to get warm.
With the read exhaust on the Yammi's they could stay toasty warm right next to the sled for many many hours while it idled.