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Someone was going to have to go out and lead search and rescue back to our remote location. search and rescue. I reached them and was happy to see some familiar snowmobiler faces, but I couldn’t understand why they were just sitting there. I soon found myself detained by the sheriff just as they were. SAR was waiting for a rescue toboggan and doctor to arrive on scene. I was needed to lead the team back to Wyatt, and was therefore a critical piece in their Avalanche victim Wyatt Stasinos jumping the rescue plan. I’ve Baker Road Gap – only 11 months out of surgery. never experienced that level of frustration before, and I’m sure it showed on my face as cal attention at Harborview HosI sat there mumbling obsceni- pital in Seattle. Wyatt now sports ties, watching the last bit of light some permanent high-tech titafade. During the hour and a half nium that enabled an incredibly I waited I came to the conclusion quick recovery time. He returned that counting on someone other to the Baker area last season and than your own party for rescue is charged terrain with absolutely no a mistake I will not repeat. Even- indications of a wounded limb. tually the rescue toboggan and Oddly enough, I ended the day doctor arrived and we started the the same way it began – sleepless 15-mile journey back to Wyatt. in front of a computer staring at Twelve miles enroute we ran into NWAC weather data. Rain and Jeff, Tarek and the rest of the film cool nights continued for another crew heading out with Wyatt se- month, but the sound no longer cured to a snowmobile. lulled me to sleep. Mistakes were Thankfully, all snowboarders made, we know that. The avaworth their salt wear belts to keep lanche was completely avoidable those baggy pants up. Jeff had put as almost all avalanche incidents Wyatt’s leg into traction using tri- are. We walked into the day knowpod legs and belts. They then came ing of the instability and picked a up with the idea to extend the poor line. Communication was snowmobile seat using photo bags. inadequate. Desire outweighed The seat extension created a long, caution. Warning signs were igflat, padded platform. Ratchet nored. Some of us had companion straps were used to secure Wyatt rescue training, some didn’t. Havto the snowmobile, and the end ing backcountry gear isn’t a free result was a highly mobile rescue pass to recklessly recreate. Take device with suspension to cushion your pick, they were all factors that the 15-mile ride through technical made the events possible. terrain. We all still ride together in the I don’t think any other technique backcountry, only wiser and gratewould have gotten Wyatt out, and ful to have a second chance. X we all now know to use it in the future should we need to. Drag- Photography and outdoor recreation ging someone through 15 miles of are the driving forces in Patrick Kenrough terrain on a rescue sled just nedy’s life. When not taking photos or isn’t realistic. A train of 11 snow- recreating outdoors you’ll likely find mobiles escorted Wyatt out to the him at Bellingham REI working as the base of FR 39 where an ambulance Outreach Specialist or at Mt. Baker Ski waited. His injuries proved serious Area in the Mountain Education Center. enough to require advanced medi-
PATRICK KENNEDY
Wild Alaskan Salmon
As quickly as morale tanked it was back, but excavating him revealed another problem – his body was wrapped around a tree with his left femur and arm bent in a terrible position. As we were assessing damage, the rider, Wyatt Stasinos, regained consciousness. I don’t know that I’ve met a tougher person in my life, as he certainly handled a broken femur, elbow and face trauma better than I would. His broken femur was trying to punch through the skin, which made evacuation down the 43-degree slope to the valley floor our next delicate obstacle. We wrapped Wyatt in space blankets and came up with the idea of using his snowboard as a backboard. Six of us slowly and cautiously worked him down the slope through trees to the valley floor. While we had been working on the makeshift rescue sled, the 911 team had found higher ground and made a successful call providing latitude and longitude to SAR. Shortly after reaching the valley floor we heard the sweetest sound any of us have ever heard. A Black Hawk from the Whidbey Island naval base was on approach with its rotors thumping in the air someplace above us out of sight in the clouds. Three times the pilot tried to descend into the tight valley but could not with no visibility, wind and heavy snowfall. After the third try, the bird left with the same sound as arrival, but it wasn’t as sweet this time. With a storm growing in intensity and only 45 minutes of light left morale again hit bottom – hard. We had lost communication with SAR. Latitude and longitude would have worked for a heli-evacuation if weather conditions had allowed, but it was proving to be useless information for whatever ground rescue effort that might be happening. Someone was going to have to go out and lead SAR back to our remote location. I gave Wyatt a thermos of hot soup, promised he would not spend the night out there and left the crew to find search and rescue. Thank God for Jeff Hambelton! As I started on the 15-mile journey back to the trucks, I ran into Jeff. He had heard an avalanche around Heliotrope Ridge and went to investigate. He knew our usual stomping grounds and needed no lat/long; good old-fashioned tracking was working well since I ran into him within a few miles heading out. Jeff had extensive Wilderness First Aid training and work experience as a ski patroller and avalanche educator at Mt. Baker. I relayed the situation to Jeff, and he went on to offer medical aid to Wyatt as I continued out to