After nearly three weeks of surviving in California鈥檚 backcountry, Ron Dailey is finally home.

The 65-year-old hunter was supposed to be gone for a day of hunting when he set out on October 13 in the Sierra National Forest on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. But after he took a wrong turn, Daily got lost. And eventually, his 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck broke down, stranding him in the wilderness.

He spent 20 days alone in the California wilderness鈥攊t wasn鈥檛 until November 1 that聽passersby found him. Dailey was found on the off-road vehicle route, Swamp Lake Trail, a high-elevation mountain route located about 100 miles northeast of Fresno, reported the Fresno County Sheriff鈥檚 Office on .

While search and rescue teams canvassed the backcountry for him, he was running out of gas for his car heater.

Dailey didn鈥檛 have a reserve of food, either. He managed to stretch less than a day鈥檚 worth of food across nearly three weeks.

In a video interview with the California television outlet , the 65-year-old Dailey, who hails from the town of Selma, California,聽described his harrowing tale of survival. Because he was planning to be home in time for dinner, Dailey brought just 900 calories of food. To sustain himself, he rationed every day with 鈥渁 little piece of beef jerky鈥� and 鈥渟even to eight nuts.鈥� He drank from a nearby spring, which is what he largely credits for his survival.

鈥淚 think the water is what sustained my life,鈥� he said.

Dailey also described the incident that prompted his predicament. He took a wrong turn, lost his phone, and his truck broke down.

“I went over this thing, and it was scraping bottom. I looked up the tree in front of it [and] it said Diamond Road, jeep road. That means you’d better have a rock crawler. I don’t have a rock crawler,” he told Fox26.

As the weeks ticked by, Dailey said that self-talk and prayers helped him survive.

“You either try to walk out or you’re going to sit here and die,鈥� said Dailey.

Each day, Dailey would leave his vehicle looking for help. On the day of his rescue, Dailey said that he had walked for about eight hours in search of help. When he returned to his truck, which he was using as a shelter amid the聽wintry conditions, he started a fire. It was at this point that he saw the headlights of a suburban pull up near him.

“I can’t hardly walk anymore, Lord, you gotta help me Father God,” Dailey said. “I raised my head up, there was a car with headlights on and I went ‘Oh God, thank you Lord.'”

Two men got out and began shouting his name, eventually driving down to Dailey鈥檚 location and embracing him in hugs.

In response to his successful recovery, Dailey has vowed to quit hunting, saying that he made a deal never to kill another animal.

The post A California Hunter Went Missing Nearly Three Weeks Ago. He Was Just Found Alive. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

To surf Dessert, a standing wave in the middle of the Ottawa River, one must paddle a quarter mile from shore, drift down to a set of rapids, line up the approach perfectly, pivot at just the right moment, and with a burst of power strokes either slide onto the shoulder or catch the foam pile. If you miss the wave, wipe out, or get flushed, it can take half an hour to try again, starting with a cross-current slog back to shore and a long hike upstream鈥攊n my case, lugging a SUP and stewing over what went wrong. Which I did dozens of times over the past few years. Which kind of sucks.

Proficient at riding a much more accessible but short-lived wave that only works when the river is surging with snowmelt, I sought the same feeling on . With absolutely zero success. This made me wonder why some of us spend countless hours learning how to ski or bike down mountains,聽or scrambling back onto paddleboards while dodging rocks in the rapids. Outdoor enthusiasts tend to be meticulous planners, not daredevils, according to Australian adventure psychologist Eric Brymer. So, what exactly are we craving?

Our Brains Like the Challenge

As exasperating as those attempts at Dessert were, the effort itself was probably part of the appeal. Evolutionarily, we鈥檙e programmed to follow the path of least resistance, but in modern urban lives, easy often begets boredom. If it鈥檚 a struggle to do something, the outcome can be more rewarding. 鈥淥utdoor adventure can feel good precisely because it鈥檚 hard,鈥� says psychology researcher Michael Inzlicht, who runs the University of Toronto鈥檚 Work and Play Lab. 鈥淒espite these oversized brains, we鈥檙e still embodied creatures.鈥�

Yet what if there doesn鈥檛 seem to be much ROI from all that floundering? So many swims at Dessert, a couple seconds of surfing. My progress may have been imperceptible, but each wipeout made me slightly less bad, suggests Inzlicht. To him, this is an example of 鈥渆ffortful leisure,鈥� which can be a source of deeper meaning and purpose鈥攐r what he calls 鈥渆udaimonic wellbeing鈥濃�攖hat hobbies such as binge-watching Naked and Afraid don鈥檛 deliver.

鈥淥utdoor adventure can feel good precisely because it鈥檚 hard.鈥�

Inzlicht was right, because this past summer, I finally began to figure out the wave. I locked in during the approach, kept my balance while turning, and committed to digging in with my blade. My rides were fleeting and butterflies set up camp in my stomach, but I had an inexorable urge to drive through rush-hour traffic to the put-in every day after work.

Unfragmented Consciousness

To understand what was brewing inside my head, as a water-logged proxy for what extreme athletes feel, I contacted Susan Houge Mackenzie, who moved to New Zealand from California in her early twenties and became a wilderness guide, leading clients on river surfing trips with bodyboards and fins. (Or as she describes it: rafting without the raft.) 鈥淭here鈥檚 a tension between anxiety and excitement when you鈥檙e getting close to the wave,鈥� says Mackenzie, now a sport psychology researcher at New Zealand鈥檚 University of Otago. 鈥淒uring activities like this, we鈥檙e almost always flipping back and forth.鈥�

Fluctuating between these telic and paratelic states is common in whitewater. In the former, people are serious, goal-oriented, and arousal avoidant; in the latter, we鈥檙e playful, spontaneous, and game for a thrill. Individual personalities differ, but the multiphasic nature of these types of pursuits, plus a dash of fear, could be 鈥渁 precursor to optimal experiences,鈥� says Mackenzie. What鈥檚 more, the trajectory of emotions people typically go through while river surfing, from nervous anticipation to stimulation, relief, confidence, peace, and a sense of accomplishment, is derived from the ability to display expertise in a challenging situation and the creativity we feel while immersed in the activity鈥攁 buzz that persists long after we鈥檙e off the water.

鈥淭he skills required to navigate rapids,鈥� Mackenzie says, 鈥渉elp you tune out other aspects of your life and focus on what鈥檚 right in front of you.鈥� Circa 2025, this 鈥渦nfragmented consciousness鈥� is rare and precious.

Even though she鈥檚 9,000 miles away, it鈥檚 like Mackenzie is peering into my skull. In mid-August, on my birthday, I picked up an oversized sandwich at an Italian deli and spent the day at Dessert (named thusly, I鈥檝e been told, because it鈥檚 a treat to be consumed after Ottawa鈥檚 spring surfing season is finished). On my second attempt, I paddled out, pivoted, and slid into a supersensory harmony. I was in synch with the wave, shifting my weight slightly and stepping back and forth to carve and glide on its short, steep face. My body seemed to move on its own鈥攆lying, floating鈥攁s if powered by the river, roaring over a limestone shelf toward the sea.

Later, sitting in the shade to eat that sandwich, all of my worries had evaporated. Problems morphed into possibilities. Small stuff was not sweated.

Flow State

Researcher Eric Brymer, from Australia鈥檚 Southern Cross University, tells me this wasn鈥檛 a cognitive leap. Looking at outdoor sports through the lens of ecological psychology, which revolves around the relationship between humans and the physical environment, he says that when we鈥檙e 鈥渄ancing with nature,鈥� we鈥檙e scanning and exploring with our bodies, trying to make sense of the world. Surfing is not necessarily an augmented process in the brain; distance and time might be directly perceived, catalyzing our rapid-fire actions. In this context, emotions we label as fear or anxiety are not negative, simply information to absorb as our bodies wobble and bounce and settle into energized focus. Basically: flow.

We鈥檙e on top of the world during and apr猫s surf, Brymer suggests, because activities like this, surrendering to the moment, failing and grinding, playing at the edge of our comfort zones in dynamic outdoor environments, are 鈥渁 fundamental way to be human.鈥� They shut down cognitive chatter, our haptic senses fully alive.

I confess to Byrner that I can鈥檛 stop thinking about river surfing. 鈥淭iger in a cage,鈥� he replies.

Confined in an artificial space, a tiger feels suppressed, unwell. Bogged down in cities and cubicles, that鈥檚 us. 鈥淓ssentially, we鈥檙e locking ourselves in a cage,鈥� Brymer says. 鈥淪ome of us don鈥檛 realize there鈥檚 a door, and even if we see it, a lot of us are afraid to open it. But if you open it and step outside, you鈥檙e where human beings feel most at home.

鈥淲e call this adventure,鈥� he continues, 鈥渂ut really, it should be considered normal.鈥�

The post The Psychology Behind Why Outdoor Sports Are So Much Fun appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ever heard of the TransAmerica Trail? No surprise if you haven鈥檛. The under-the-radar route stitches together backroads and dirt tracks, creating an epic journey from coast to coast. The route is a national treasure, but reliable info about it has been hard to find, and for years the TransAmerica Trail has remained an experts-only affair. Until now. Ford and Google Maps decided to flip the script, making it something every off-roader can plan, preview, and take on themselves.

To do that, Ford joined forces with Google Maps on an ambitious mission: capture the entire journey in Google Street View. The team tackled the rugged terrain with a three-vehicle convoy: a 2025 Ford Bronco庐 Badlands庐 聽equipped with Google鈥檚 new Street View camera and an Expedition庐 Tremor庐 聽and Ranger庐 Lariat庐 to carry the crew and tools that made it all possible.

Like any big adventure, the TransAmerica Trail has plenty of unpaved challenges: loose sand, sucking mud, and jagged rock, plus route variations that can make it longer or shorter. The adventurous route crosses 13 states over 5,900 miles with some of the best hiking, camping, biking, climbing and paddling in the country along the way. And now it鈥檚 easier than ever to discover it all for yourself.

Learn more about and how you can easily follow this under-the-radar route.

is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company鈥檚 Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty.

The post Exploring the TransAmerica Trail appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

A 29-year-old snowboarder was rescued on October 26 from Cinder Cone, a steep summit near Mount Bachelor in Oregon, after he fell and hit a rock. Officials on social media that 15 search-and-rescue volunteers responded to the injured snowboarder, whose name and condition have not been released.

It鈥檚 the latest in a string of snow-related rescue scenarios that have occurred in October, prompting the question: Is all the winter weather appearing earlier than normal, or were these people just poorly prepared?

, executive director of the , says that this uptick in rescues is typical during the fall transition to winter, and is due to a combination of factors.

鈥淭he weather is changing, and people forget it gets dark earlier, that the weather can change quicker, and they are not as prepared for those things,” Boyer told 国产吃瓜黑料. “In some places, winter can sneak up on you, especially at altitude. Hikers get used to summer weather patterns and temperatures and forget to check the weather in advance.”

That was the case on October 19 when two hikers lost their way during an unexpected snowstorm in Washington鈥檚 Snoqualmie region. Soon after the duo began hiking, a cold-weather system moved over the area, dumping snow. Both were successfully rescued.

But other people requiring lifesaving are simply venturing into the backcountry unprepared. More than 20 hikers needed to be rescued from the flanks of Mount Washington in New Hampshire after wintry conditions swept across the famed peak on Saturday, October 25. Officials told local media that many of the hikers were not prepared for the 鈥渇ull winter conditions鈥� that they encountered.

鈥淧eople should be weather aware, properly equipped, and know their limitations. They should also have an emergency plan and let others know where they are going and when to expect them back,鈥� said Boyer.

Climate change is also playing a role, making backcountry conditions more unpredictable and dangerous for everyone, including rescuers, Boyer added.

鈥淲inter is coming earlier in some places and later in others. Outdoor recreation patterns are disrupted, in the summer and winter,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he shoulder seasons are shorter, giving folks less time to acclimate to snow or heat.鈥�

The latest example of this comes from the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. On October 23, the Hinsdale County Search and Rescue team responded to two motorists who were stranded high on the side of Engineer Pass in Colorado鈥檚 San Juan Mountains. A snowstorm had blown in that afternoon, and despite the weather report calling for a blizzard, the jeepers had continued up the route and gotten stuck in two-foot snow drifts.

Putting further strain on rescue efforts is the government shutdown. According to Boyer, 99 percent of search-and-rescue groups in the U.S. are composed of volunteers. Compiling the shutdown are layoffs in the National Park Service and the Forest Service, which are placing more pressure on those volunteers.

All this doesn鈥檛 mean people should avoid the backcountry entirely. As government funds remain tied up in the shutdown and federal agencies are limited in resources, it鈥檚 essential to follow the rules and do your due diligence before heading out. And be sure to come prepared for any weather, no matter what the forecast calls for.

The post What鈥檚 Going On with All These Winter Rescues? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Update, October 28: It happened again! On Monday, October 27, the Hinsdale County Search and Rescue had to save two more motorists who had become stranded on Engineer Pass by the snowdrifts.聽

According to Hinsdale County SAR, a couple from Texas, along with their two dogs, became stranded on the west side of the pass. Two SAR team members drove up the pass, and then proceeded on foot to reach the stricken vehicle. Officials located the two individuals and their dogs, and then hiked with them back to the SAR vehicles, which drove them back to Lake City.

“Hinsdale SAR would like to remind everyone to check current road and weather conditions before heading into the backcountry,” the team wrote on Facebook.

Original story, October 27: We interrupt your pre-Halloween planning for this very important news flash:

Despite the prevalence of sunshine and unseasonably balmy conditions in many corners of the country, it is, indeed, late October. This means that Mother Nature can kill you with one wave of her magic wand.

High on the side of America’s tallest mountains, there’s wind, rain, ice, and yes, lots of snow. And alas, a number of Americans are learning the hard way that sunshine and mid-fifties in the high country can quickly become a life-and-death situation.

The latest example of this comes from the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. On Thursday, October 23, the Hinsdale County Search and Rescue team received a call that two motorists were stranded high on the side of Engineer Pass. A snowstorm had blown in that afternoon, and , the jeepers had continued up the route and gotten stuck in two-foot snow drifts.

For those unfamiliar with Colorado’s geography: Engineer Pass is a gorgeous if extremely rugged ATV route connecting the towns of Ouray and Lake City. Jeepers, overlanders, and pickup truck enthusiasts drive their four-wheel drive vehicles up and over Engineer Pass throughout the summer while completing the so-called Alpine Loop.

This corner of the state is known for the occasional mishap on four wheels. Let’s just say that the tourists keep the local sheriff and towing companies busy throughout the summer.

Anyway, Engineer Pass tops out at 12,800 feet above sea level. This is not the elevation you want to be at when a late-October blizzard rolls through.

Luckily for the motorists, rescuers sprang into action and were able to reach them. They got to the duo鈥攁 father and son鈥攁t about 10 P.M., and were able to bring both of them to safety. But only after they snapped a few amazing photos of the beleaguered jeep stuck up to its axles in snow.

Look, I get it, it’s still sunny out and we all want to go drive over high mountain passes, and climb high peaks. It’s still worth reminding everyone that the scorching rays and summer vibes this time of year can change at the drop of a hat. Just ask those 20 hikers who were rescued from the flanks of Mount Washington on October 25.

According to the Colorado SAR teams, the jeep drivers on Engineer Pass were from Florida. I’m sure it was plenty warm there.

The post Look at This Jeep Stuck on a Colorado Mountain Pass appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The post Exploring America’s Longest Off Road Trail appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

More than 20 hikers needed to be rescued from the flanks of Mount Washington in New Hampshire after wintry conditions swept across the famed peak on Saturday, October 25.

Officials that many of the hikers were not prepared for the 鈥渇ull winter conditions鈥� that they encountered. The hikers, whose names have not been released, were taken to lower elevations aboard the Mount Washington Cog Railway, a rack-and-pinion railway that runs along the mountain and offers tours.

Rescuers say the hikers鈥� lack of preparedness serves as an important reminder of the dangers and unpredictability that can arise in the backcountry.

鈥淢any [of the hikers] were hypothermic and without gear, even near suitable for the conditions. Most had no idea that summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season. A few indicated it was their first hike ever,” Andy Vilaine, railway assistant general manager, on Facebook. Vilaine is also a conductor and was part of the Mount Washington rescue.

Mount Washington sits at an elevation of 6,288 feet, and because the surrounding region is very low-lying, it is one of the most topographically prominent summits in the country. This, along with a range of climatic and geographic factors, means that temperatures and winds on the peak are frequently extreme, and weather conditions can change rapidly. For nearly a century, Mount Washington鈥檚 summit held the world record for the strongest wind ever recorded at 231 miles per hour.

鈥淪ummits at or certainly above 4,000 feet have full winter conditions. This should come as a surprise to no one,鈥� Vilaine said.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway typically runs year-round, but after mid-October, the peak鈥檚 summit facilities, which are part of , are shuttered. From this point until mid-May, the railway carries visitors to a lower point, Waumbek Station at 4,000 feet, instead of continuing to the summit. According to the railway鈥檚 dedicated , 鈥渂y the last week of October, sub-arctic conditions make the summit inhospitable to casual visitors.鈥�

鈥淢ultiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance. Be 鈥榳ildly Responsible鈥� and please do some research on current higher summits weather and bring everything needed to hike in winter conditions or just hike another day,鈥� writes the New Hampshire State Park on Facebook.

Even in the summer months, Mount Washington sees extreme weather. In June, 国产吃瓜黑料 reported that a hypothermic woman was rescued from the summit, also by the Cog Railway. At the time of the rescue, the summit was recording winds upwards of 120 miles per hour and temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 150 hikers have died on Mount Summit since record-keeping began in 1849.

New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) officials have begun levying fines on rescued hikers deemed to have entered the wilderness unprepared. Rescuers responded on October 19 to a hiker near the summit of Little Haystack, which is 4,760 feet high, who did not bring water, food, or a headlamp. The hiker will be charged for the rescue costs, according to the publication, . Another hiker who in May failed to bring a map or other navigation device, and later 鈥渁dmitted to rescuers that he was unprepared for the hike and failed to do proper research. They, too, will likely face similar charges.

Just one day after the mass rescue on Mount Washington, another hiker was saved on the peak, according to in New Hampshire. The individual called for help at 7:00 P.M. from just below the summit, telling rescuers that 鈥渉is phone and headlamp were dying and that he was unprepared for the low visibility, single-digit windchills, and snow he encountered above treeline.鈥�

The New Hampshire fines stem from a piece of legislation called , which states that 鈥渁ny person determined by the department to have acted negligently in requiring a search and rescue response by the department shall be liable to the department for the reasonable cost of the department’s expenses for such search and rescue response.鈥�

There are ways to avoid these penalties, however. New Hampshire is one of several states that sells annual , which hikers can purchase for $25 per person and $35 per family. According to the NHFG, 鈥減eople who obtain the cards are not liable to repay rescue costs if they need to be rescued,鈥� but 鈥渁n individual may still be liable for response expenses if the actions that created the need for the emergency response meet criteria set forth by legislation.鈥� Rescued parties deemed negligent are also exempt from charges if they possess a hunting or fishing license or an off-highway recreational vehicle, snowmobile, or vessel registration.

“Please don鈥檛 become a statistic and do your research before venturing out,鈥� Vilaine said. “Hike Mount Washington like it is any one of the other 48 peaks,鈥� wrote Vilaine, referring to New Hampshire鈥檚 48 peaks over 4,000 feet. 鈥淒o not assume services or a ride down. The summit is halfway.”

The post A Snowstorm Blew Over Mount Washington. More than 20 Hikers Were Trapped. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

A pair of Arizona hikers were rescued on October 22 after being struck by lightning near the summit of Mount Humphreys, the state鈥檚 highest peak with an elevation of 12,637 feet, just outside of Flagstaff. The two men, who did not know each other before the incident, both survived the strike.

Rescue personnel received an emergency call shortly after 10:50 A.M. and were immediately deployed to the trailhead near Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said in a statement obtained by local news station聽.

One man鈥檚 phone was thrown nearly 100 feet away from him, according to local outlet . The second hiker鈥檚 phone was still operating, and he used it to call for rescue.

Severe weather conditions, including lightning, hail, and heavy rain, grounded aircraft that would have otherwise been used for the rescue. Because the upper half of Mount Humphreys is above treeline, it鈥檚 a precarious place to be in an electrical storm. The describes the 5.5-mile section as 鈥渟teep and long and extremely rocky in its higher reaches,鈥� and notes that 鈥渁bove the tree line it exposes you completely to the whims of nature.鈥� Lightning struck a trio of teenagers atop the mountain in 2016,

鈥淏e prepared to turn around and head for lower ground if a thunderstorm is brewing,鈥� warns the Service.

One of the hikers, who was from nearby Flagstaff, descended nearly 3,000 feet, where he met rescuers at 2:45 P.M. The second hiker, a Canadian, was more severely injured and had stopped hiking at 11,800 feet. He was reached by responders an hour later.

鈥淎fter medical evaluation, rescuers determined that the patient was unable to walk out due to the steep terrain and his condition,鈥� said CCSO. 鈥淎 litter carry-out was conducted using low-angle rope techniques in sections of the trail requiring additional safety measures.”

By 6:45 P.M., both lightning-strike victims were turned over to medical personnel.

While the rescue teams were on the mountain responding to the lightning strike, a second distress call came in about a pair of teenagers also on the peak. The two had become lost, they said, after they encountered a bear near the trail. Part of the rescue team split up to find these teens, who were located safely and returned to their parents.

Being struck by lightning is rare; the odds of it in a given year are less than one in a million, according to the (CDC). Nearly 90 percent of all lightning strike victims survive, but deaths do occur.

Arizona is among the states with the highest number of lightning deaths and injuries. Overall, the CDC says that the Southeast is the most dangerous region of the country for lightning strikes, noting that Florida is the 鈥渓ightning capital鈥� with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the last 50 years. Last month, two elk hunters were killed by lightning in Colorado, which also has a high incidence rate, after sheltering under a tree during a storm.

If caught outside during a thunderstorm, the CDC recommends seeking shelter as quickly as possible, but avoid waiting out a storm under trees. (Being underneath trees is the second-leading cause of lightning deaths.) If you are in an exposed area with no shelter, do not lie prone on the ground under any circumstances. A lightning strike sends electrical currents into the ground that can still be deadly over 100 feet away from the strike itself.

鈥淚f there are no safe shelters in sight, crouch down in a ball-like position: put your feet together, squat low, tuck your head, and cover your ears,鈥� says the CDC. 鈥淏ut remember, this is a last resort. Seek safe shelter first.鈥�

For more on how to survive a lightning strike, check out this 国产吃瓜黑料 guide.

The post Two Hikers Were Struck By Lightning on Arizona’s Tallest Peak appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It was past midnight when I woke up to movement. Matt was awake. I could barely make out his shape sitting in the tangle of the sleeping bag.

鈥淢att,鈥� I whispered. 鈥淢att, what鈥檚 wrong?鈥�

He groaned between gritted teeth, something about the sickness coming back.

My heart sank. Maybe he just has to puke one more time. Maybe he needs some electrolytes. Maybe he鈥檒l be fine in the morning.

But as he crawled in and out of the tent, laid down, sat up, grimaced, burped a sickly sweet stench into claustrophobic tent space, the situation solidified. He was very sick, and we were out in the national forest, very far from town.

Four weeks earlier, as Matt and I dragged our cycling gear through the Greyhound terminal in El Paso, Texas, my mind looped through everything that could go wrong in the upcoming 2,700 miles. We were about to start the Great Divide, a biking route that follows the Continental Divide from the U.S.-Mexico border, across five states, and up into Canada.

Despite the endless uncertainties of a long-distance bike trip, one thing I wasn鈥檛 concerned about was the remoteness. The Divide shares many of its miles with ATVs, dirt bikes, and campers. Towns dot the map and road crossings are frequent.

Once we began riding, my other fears seemed largely unfounded. We had some bike repairs in New Mexico, ran the gauntlet of snarling dogs on the outskirts of towns, and Matt had to perform minor surgery on his broken seatpost. Nothing that wasn鈥檛 easily fixed and nothing too far from a road crossing.

Early Signs of Distress

What didn鈥檛 resolve was my exhaustion and discomfort biking 12 hours a day鈥攁nd how this effort ended up impacting Matt鈥檚 body. By the time we鈥檇 cycled 1,300 miles to Wyoming鈥檚 Great Basin, I weighed the same as when we started, while Matt looked absolutely skeletal.

His weight loss came into focus as we parked our bikes at a diner in Atlantic City, Wyoming. His shoulder blades cut lines under his shirt, his face pulled taut over sharp cheekbones.

I gaped. 鈥淵ou look really skinny. How much weight have you lost?鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 fine,鈥� he said, grabbing his Ziplock travel wallet. 鈥淚 just need to eat more in town.鈥�

I inhaled my double cheeseburger in five bites, but Matt pushed his plate away.

The 100 miles from Atlantic City to Pinedale, Wyoming was the first time Matt rode behind me. At one point, he fell so far back I thought I鈥檇 taken a wrong turn. In town, he faceplanted onto the motel bed and slept for the rest of the day.

That night, he was so violently ill there was no way we were riding out the next day. He spent all night on the bathroom floor, and in the morning looked even more gaunt. I could see every rib, the hollows above his collarbone, all fat leeched from his body.

We took a full day off to let him recover, but he got up the next morning and started packing his bike bags.

鈥淎re you sure you鈥檙e good to leave?鈥� I asked, studiously ignoring my own exploded stuff sacks.

鈥淲e need to keep going,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e taken almost two days off.鈥�

I鈥檓 tempted to say the spiral started in this Pinedale motel room, but realistically, it had been going downhill for a while. Matt had been getting sicker for hundreds of miles, and my confidence from my perceived underperformance had eroded to the point where I鈥檇 stopped trusting my instincts. It was a frog in boiling water scenario, happening slowly enough that we didn鈥檛 notice our poor positioning. If I鈥檇 been in a better headspace or felt better on the route, I might have demanded we stay another day or see a doctor. Instead, we rode out of town.

We biked side by side past fields of cows with the Wind River Range rising in the distance. We rode through an RV campground and onto the rutted Union Pass Road, which straddles the Continental Divide. Matt kept up, and I felt cautiously optimistic. We pulled over 50 miles later at Mosquito Lake, deep in Bridger-Teton National Forest. We hadn鈥檛 seen anyone in hours and were surprised by the tidy tow-behind parked on the other side of the lake. We waved hello and unloaded our bags.

I read a book while Matt chatted with the tow-behind’s owner near the water. I told myself to calm down, that his illness was a short-but-violent stomach bug. Sometime after dark, I fell asleep.

A Sharp Pain in the Middle of the Night

That night, I awoke to the sounds of Matt groaning and thrashing in his sleeping bag. The hours dragged and he continued to deteriorate to the point of delirium. Any hope that he would feel聽well enough to bike out faded.

My brain spiraled. I wish we hadn鈥檛 left Pinedale. I wish we were in a motel. I wish I weren’t in charge. I wish I didn鈥檛 have to figure out what to do. I wish we weren鈥檛 here.

Valid wishes, but not helpful. Think about how to get out of here, I told myself.

I snapped the map open, scanning for the next major road crossing. We had no cell service, but had passed a Forest Service cabin the day before (empty), and I saw a paved road ahead (far away). Pinedale was 50 miles behind us, the last populated campground at least 30. We were pretty stuck.

My mind didn鈥檛 go to calling search and rescue. Matt was sick, not injured, so I fixated on my thru-hiker instincts of hitchhiking. We just had to get to a road.

I laid out the options: I could bike back to the campground, or wait on the deserted road in hopes of a ride. We could wait out the sickness at Mosquito Lake, or see if the family could give us a ride in their truck.

If Matt had wrecked his bike, broken his collarbone, or been whacked by a car, the decision would be easy. Call for help, get to a hospital. Our situation felt muddier. He was so sick he couldn鈥檛 sit up, but still I doubted my instincts. Was I being dramatic? Could I just roll him back down Union Pass Road?

I vibrated with stress for three hours until dawn broke gray over the lake and I crawled out of the tent, peering through the trees. I stumbled through the wet grass into the adjacent campsite, a disheveled ghoul in Crocs and saggy base layers. The camper looked up, mouth agape.

I鈥檇 envisioned retaining some dignity, but any semblance of composure vanished and what came out of my mouth was a garbled, pleading explanation between hiccuping sobs.

The man, whose name was Mike, looked startled and confused. Then he shook his head.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 get you out of here鈥� my family is in the camper, the truck is entirely full.鈥�

I sank onto a log and put my face in my hands.

鈥淗ang on one second.鈥� Mike went to his truck and returned with an orange plastic brick. It was the same Garmin inReach Matt and I had decided to leave home the month before. Populated route, lots of road crossings, bulky device, small bike bags. Hindsight is 20/20.

鈥淟et me message my mom,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he might be able to call the Forest Service to get you a ride.鈥�

I thanked him profusely and hurried back to our tent.

Calling for Rescue in the Middle of Nowhere

Matt nodded at my update, eyes glassy. It was around 6 A.M. I sat down to grind my teeth and wait.

Mike came to our campsite a half hour later. They鈥檇 connected with Pinedale, but the Forest Service couldn鈥檛 help.

I felt myself crumble.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to clear out the truck,鈥� Mike said, 鈥淚 think we can fit you in there.鈥�

He came back after a few minutes. Pinedale had contacted Teton County Search and Rescue; they were sending a crew from Jackson Hole.

During all those hours, calling search and rescue hadn鈥檛 occurred to me. With that clarity came a flash of regret and shame: Even if I鈥檇 wanted to call, we didn鈥檛 have our own satellite messenger.

The rest of the morning was a waiting game that tested my shattered nerves to the breaking point.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e coming,鈥� Matt said weakly at one point. I feigned confidence, but this wasn鈥檛 Uber Eats; I couldn鈥檛 track their progress.

Finally, around 11 A.M., a faint hum came through the trees, growing louder as I jogged to meet Teton County鈥檚 tricked-out, emergency-emblazoned Polaris.

Any doubt that search and rescue was the right call vanished. The rescuers, named Ed and Andrew, listened as I explained the situation. They gave Matt a field evaluation and filed a report with Mike as I helped load our bikes onto the rescue vehicle鈥檚 rack.

Twenty minutes later, we began the multi-hour extraction to Jackson Hole. I stared at the trees we鈥檇 biked past the day before as Matt now lay pale and clammy across the back seat. It鈥檚 over, I thought. We鈥檙e getting out.

At the hospital, Matt was given IVs, a vague diagnosis of “something wrong with your stomach,鈥� and a $7,000 bill. He鈥檇 spend the next four weeks continuing to deteriorate at home before getting additional bloodwork and tests that showed three severe gastrointestinal infections: Giardia, campylobacter, and a viral infection. Along with this impressive triple threat, his body was deep in ketosis, burning any remaining fat stores and resulting in the sickening 鈥渒eto burps鈥� I鈥檇 smelled in the tent by the lake.

Any complex situation like this鈥攅specially with traumatic elements鈥攚ill have lingering effects. Our choice to leave and our lack of inReach made me question my complacency in the backcountry. Our relationship and communication also struggled. He was convinced I鈥檇 pressured him to leave Pinedale. I remembered him being impatient, saying we had to keep riding.

All I know is that Matt was severely ill and we needed an extraction. We are forever grateful to Mike and his family, along with Ed, Andrew, and everyone at Teton County Search and Rescue, for their skills, time, and kindness.

You go into the backcountry any number of times鈥�as I have before鈥攏othing happens. Then one day, you head out for a night that will end up completely falling apart. Some events are the ones that test you. We got lucky this time.

The post What It鈥檚 Like to Call Search and Rescue on Your Partner appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Colorado rescue personnel conducted 鈥渟imultaneous high altitude, high acuity, rescues鈥� across the Centennial State on October 18 when a hiker fell 100 feet from the Citadel, a dramatic 13,000-foot peak located on the Continental Divide. Alpine Rescue Team responded to the call and deployed six rescue flights, as well as additional ground teams from the Herman Gulch Trailhead, about an hour from Denver.

The rescue occurred in technical Class 4 terrain, further complicated by high winds, making landing zones near the summit unsuitable, the responding group, Alpine Rescue Team, said in a Facebook . Rescue technicians hoisted the patient despite these conditions. Further details about the individual or their injuries are unknown.

The Citadel is a technical 13er鈥攁 classification of mountains that exceed 13,000 feet鈥攁nd is considered to have a standard Class 3 approach with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. Also known as scrambling, a Class 3 route is a moderate level of mountaineering over exposed, steep terrain. A fall can also result in serious injury or death. The summit is聽nicknamed 鈥淪noopy鈥� because it resembles the classic Peanuts character.

Photos shared by the team show a sunset rescue, a helicopter, and rescuers climbing up the steep, rocky face.

The same day, rescuers also responded to a person who had injured their lower leg near the summit of Mount Bierstadt, a Rocky Mountain Front 14er, and conducted two searches in nearby Jefferson County.

鈥淒ue to the complexity of the Citadel rescue and the number of resources required, we requested assistance from Summit County Rescue, Park County Search and Rescue, and Arapahoe Rescue for the call on Mt Bierstadt. Teams performed a carry out and finished late last night,鈥� wrote the Alpine Rescue Team on Facebook.

The post Amid High Winds and Rough Terrain, Rescuers Saved a Person 100 Feet Off a 13,000-Foot Peak in Colorado appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.