Wardens, FSAR and others come to aid of injured hiker on Tumbledown

 

Monday evening, the Maine Warden Service called out Franklin Search and Rescue to assist with the rescue of an injured hiker on the Brook Trail at Tumbledown. Members of FSAR and Weld Fire Department were first on scene and assembled a hasty team to hike in and locate the hiker as rescuers from all over the region responded.

 

The hasty team found the woman with a broken tibia and fibula amongst the boulder fields roughly 1/4 mile from the summit of Brook Trail. With daylight rapidly ending, the Warden Service called for helicopter support from the Maine Forest Service. Rescuers made the difficult decision to ascend to the tarn atop Tumbledown for a helicopter extraction of the injured hiker rather than risk the dangerous carry down the boulder-strewn trail in the dark.

 

Fortunately, rescuers encountered a trail maintenance crew from Maine Conservation Corps working the area, and they helped FSAR, Weld Fire, local EMS and the Wardens carry the hiker to the summit. With solid teamwork from all involved, the hiker was safely loaded onto the Forest Service’s helicopter and transported to a local hospital for treatment of her non-life threatening injuries.

 

It was really good to see so many respond to the Wardens’ call for assistance. In addition to those groups previously mentioned, members of Phillips Fire Department and Mahoosuc Mountain Search and Rescue also responded.

All told, the rescue team hiked roughly 7 miles round trip, with numerous scouting trips, and ascended approximately 1,200 vertical feet performing the rescue.

 

 

Spaulding Mountain on the Appalachian Trail

On Wednesday July 14th at 1:10 pm FSAR was notified for an injured hiker just south of the Summit of Spaulding Mountain on the Appalachian Trail. The hiker and about 35 rescuers were back in the comfort of vehicles on the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain at about 11:30 last night. A special thanks to all that helped, especially the ATC crew and Sugarloaf Mountain personnel.

Spaulding Mountain Rescue

 

Farewell to Three FSAR Board Members

You don’t always know how much a person does until they step away from those responsibilities and hand the job over.  I am just beginning to discover how much founding member and past secretary, Steve “Mit” Mitman has done for FSAR as I tiptoe into his shoes.  As I accepted the duty of secretary, he began to gently coach me on how to share documents, where to find and update rosters, and a myriad of other things.  When we attended our ropes team training, he quietly became the anchor as we learned to use mechanical advantage for rigging. When we reviewed using a litter and adding the wheel, Mit became the patient, but even in this last team meeting for him, he still was taking pictures of the team and documenting the experience.  It is with sincere appreciation that we wish him well as he steps away from the team.  

Another quiet leader and founding member,  the team’s president, Steve Yates, has also stepped down.  Being welcoming of newcomers as well as reassuring to those with less experience has definitely been one of the qualities that many have appreciated over the course of his years of service. Those details of planning for training, organizing the team, and communicating with members and agencies are only a few of the many jobs Steve accomplished over the years as president.  Seen here, with incoming president, Barry London, handing off snippets of knowledge, we are thankful for your years of service with FSAR.

Finally, Paul Marcolini, medical advisor, is leaving the board, but will still remain on the team and will be helping with future WFA trainings.  Paul has shared his experiences of so many years of service as a climbing ranger in Denali, as well as teaching NREMT courses for Rainier, and Acadia National Parks.  He is a paramedic and has worked for ground, rotor and fixed-wing EMS programs.  His method of teaching encourages the unsure in a respectful way while challenging all team members to follow the science of first aid as he shares current information from everything from tourniquets to Covid safety.

It is with deep appreciation that we honor these three men and their service to FSAR.   Consider whether you have time or interest in joining our team and learn what you can do to help.

New Hampshire 4,000-Footer Quest!

FSAR team-member Brittany is working on an ambitious hiking goal.  I recently interviewed her about her project.

What is your goal? 

My end goal is to complete the NH48 with my companion Bow to then start working towards an even

bigger goal of completing the NE68, NE115, & the Highest 100th hiking list. 

I also intend to complete each 48, 4,000-footer in each season. I want to experience all of the trails

 that our eastern mountains have to offer.

How long have you been working on it? 

I hiked my first NH48 mountain in November of 2016 on Mount Pierce. 

How many peaks have you completed? 

So far I have completed 25/48 of the peaks. I have re-hiked some of the same peaks several different times for various reasons.

From a SAR perspective, what recommendations can you offer to others who may be considering a similar ambitious hiking goal? 

Coming from a SAR perspective I would recommend having a moderate physical capability at the very least, basic skills such as gps/map navigation, & proper gear to fit the mountain ecosystem to someone who is considering similar ambitious goals. Also, finding a hiking partner and knowing what their physical ability is as well as any medical information would be highly recommended as it is much safer to have someone out in the mountains with you.

What are your favorite pieces of gear you always take with you on these trips?

My ultimate favorite piece of gear is my 3 liter camelbak water bladder as it is so convenient to not have to stop, unzip your pack and dig out a water bottle while hiking. Microspikes would be a top gear item to have as you need them through early fall - late spring here in New England. 

Lastly, I wouldn’t want to go hiking if I didn’t have my leatherman that acts as a multi-tool. Winter conditions on the other hand require double the amount of gear needed.

Have you ever got caught on the trail in bad weather or had an backcountry injury that you had to use your SAR skills on? 

Absolutely. I’ve got caught on the trail several different times in bad weather. Some peaks are more common to have fierce wind gusts, multiple river crossings & socked in summit peaks that are hard to navigate with low visibility. One spring hike that included several water crossings I had gone through three different pairs of stockings and experienced what felt like acute hypothermia as I felt my body slowly wanting to shut down. Also, two winters ago I had my first experience with a backcountry injury that occured from my dog while snowboarding parallel to the Tuckerman's ravine trail where I had to use some basic bandaging skills.

Anything you want to add? 

Make sure to communicate your hiking plans with someone prior to getting to the trail in case of emergencies. Tell someone which trail/route you intend to take and approximately the total outing time. Usually people go by the 1 hr per every 2 miles to get a rough estimate of total time and length of trip. Also, mountain weather is very temperamental and has its own weather patterns.. Make sure to check the mountain weather forecast up to the same day you intend on hiking as it can change dramatically overnight.

NEW: Baxter State Park WInter Ranger Position!

 Baxter State Park WInter Ranger Position!

BSP has just announced a job opening for a live-in Winter Ranger based out of Togue Pond/Abol area. This could be an amazing opportunity if you like to snowmobile, ski, hike, and may even include ia little mountaineering. 

Visit the State of Maine website for more info and to apply:

https://mainebhr.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk0u6br/