Hiker in Distress Near Boundary Peak, Mutual Aid, Esmeralda County, NV — Tuesday–Wednesday, May 13–14, 2025, 25-231, Op #8 On Tuesday evening at 1930, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office received a mutual aid request from neighboring Esmeralda County, NV, for a hiker in distress in the Morris Creek Drainage off the 13,147-foot Boundary Peak. The Team was called out after a 45-year-old hiker made a 911 call and reported that they had lost the trail after departing the summit, around the area of the Trail Canyon Saddle. The hiker was in very complex terrain at an elevation above 10,000 feet and was not prepared to spend the night out. They also reported being cold, wet, and disoriented. Given the unknown terrain, Rescue Operations advised the hiker to stay put. A cold weather band was moving through the area throughout the day, bringing snow and high winds, with the temperature hovering around 10ºF. Rescue Base was established at the intersection of Queen Canyon Road and US Hwy 6. The Team deployed from Mono County with rescue vehicles, including one of our off-road vehicles, Ranger 1. Rescue Operations tasked a team of four—a "high team"—to attempt access from the upper trail, similar to the subject’s suspected entry. Another team of four—a "low team"—was tasked with making entry from the base of the Morris Creek Drainage. Both teams carried team medical equipment, cold weather gear, and technical rope rescue equipment. As the high team departed in the Ranger, Rescue Operations reported that the subject’s location had moved considerably further down the canyon since the last 911 call. The high team was rerouted to the base of the Morris Creek Drainage to begin their ascent. The low team continued up the road to the base of the drainage with Rescue 2, standing by. The high team made slow progress upward through thorny thickets, eventually making contact with the hiker approximately 0.5 miles up the drainage. The subject reported that as darkness approached and the cold deepened, he feared for his life and decided to continue descending through the unknown terrain. He was not injured and required no assistance to exit the canyon. The team drove the subject back up Queen Canyon Road to the trailhead to retrieve his vehicle. The operation was terminated at 0200 hrs on Wednesday morning, May 14. Our 501(c)(3) team is made up entirely of unpaid community members volunteering their time and, primarily, their own equipment. We rely on donations to fund team equipment, advanced rescue and medical training, and facilities maintenance. To learn more about our all-volunteer team and to support our efforts, please visit https://www.monosar.org/donate IC: Rhoads Operations: Haugh Responders: Anderson, Brownlee, Creager, Haugh, Kaufman, Quiring, Romanova, Senior, Zila Volunteer Hours (estimated): 58.5 Mono County Sheriff's Office (fb)

Lost PCT Hiker Near Donohue Pass // Monday–Tuesday, May 12–13, 2025 | 25-227 Op #07 On Monday, May 12th at 1358, the Team was called out for a lost PCT hiker in the vicinity of Donohue Pass via a 911 call. The 50-year-old male reported that he was on the PCT and had been navigating by alternating between traveling with other parties and following the footsteps of other parties ahead of him in the snow. When he called 911, the subject was approximately 1.5 trail miles from the pass at an elevation of 10,700 feet. He was traveling alone and had lost track of the footprints in the snow ahead of him. The subject reported having minimal overnight/cold-weather gear and no topographical map. He was advised by the SAR Coordinator to shelter in place while the team mounted a rescue. Rescue Base was established at the Rush Creek Trailhead/Silver Lake Campground. Aiming to beat the worst of the incoming winter storm, Rescue Operations deployed a team of four on foot up the Rush Creek Trail with overnight and medical equipment. This effort was supported by two additional team members who shuttled gear up the trail for the overnight team. Air resources were unavailable due to a combination of high winds, darkness, and intermittent snow. The team of four split early on into two teams and continued their trek toward the subject through mixed terrain, high-flow water crossings, adverse weather, and rotten snow. Team 1A reached the subject around 2255 hours and assisted him in packing up camp and beginning a retreat from the backcountry. Team 1A reunited with Team 1B at Waugh Lake and the team members and subject slept for a few hours before resuming their exit at sunrise. At dawn, two additional field teams were dispatched up the trailhead to meet the outgoing crew and provide assistance with their heavy overnight packs. All parties exited the backcountry without further incident, and the operation was terminated at 1044 on Tuesday, May 13th. The Team would like to commend the hiker for calling for help soon after realizing the gravity of the circumstance, and not continuing to worsen an already precarious situation. We also admire this hiker’s enthusiasm for adventuring outdoors. However, we feel it’s important to share that even though this hiker made it this far along the PCT, much of that progress relied on the skills of others and luck. His lack of preparation and inadequate equipment placed him at significant risk in an unforgiving environment. We are grateful for a successful outcome and hope that he will be back someday more prepared and equipped for a successful and safe hike! IC: Belcher Ops Leaders: Haugh, Beck Responders: Salay, Quiring, Wilson, Romanova, Irving-Ruffing, Kelly, Dickau, Lipman, Huizingh, Carlson, Tardy, Buchanan, Brownlee, Wallace, Senior, Case (18 total) Volunteer Hours (Estimated): 172.3 Our 501(c)3 team is made up entirely of unpaid community members volunteering their own time and primarily their own equipment. We rely on donations to fund team equipment, higher level rescue and medical training, and facilities maintenance. To learn more about our all-volunteer team and to support our efforts, please visit https://www.monosar.org/donate Mono County Sheriff's Office CalTopo (fb)