Colorado Search and Rescue Association

It was a sunny day in August, and a brother and sister were heading back down to Guanella Pass after having climbed Mount Bierstadt and traversed the Sawtooth.  The Sawtooth is third-class terrain, but they had finished it without incident and were on the middle fork of Scott Gomer Creek when the siblings decided to separate and meet at a spot lower down on the mountain. The ...

By Mark Rackay of Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse

In the many disciplines, sports and careers I have been involved in over the years, I have always been told that everything is based on mental attitude. A perfect example comes from my charter boat d...

By Mark Rackay, Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse

The summer of 2025 was an incredibly busy time for backcountry search and rescue (BSAR) teams around the state, including our posse here in Montrose. With the wildfires at the Black Canyon and several in West End, normal summer missions and duties, and the hunting seasons, teams did not get much time off.

Janice had a moment of hesitation that morning when she chose to ride in the middle of the pack. She was the least skilled rider in the group and she usually tried to ride at the back of the line, but on that morning, she found herself already in the center of the line at the beginning of a narrow trail. Moving back would have necessitated an awkward shuffling of riders t...