October 3, 2024

Injured Mountain Biker on Buffalo Pass

RCSAR was paged to assist a mountain biker with a lower leg injury on Buffalo Pass. Team members were able to drive a UTV to within about a quarter mile of the injured biker. The team then used a wheeled litter to transport the biker down a short access trail to the UTV for the ride down to a friend’s car in the Dry Lake parking area. Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue (SSFR) assisted with this call.

October 13, 2024



Lost Hunter in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness

RCSAR responded to a report of a missing hunter in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area. A 6 member team traveled by ATV to the hunter’s camp and the wilderness boundary. They proceeded on foot, located the hunter, and accompanied him back to camp.

October 16, 2024



Medical Emergency at Fish Creek Falls

RCSAR was paged to assist SSFR with the rescue of a hiker suffering a medical emergency. SSFR paramedics provided medical care to the injured hiker, and RCSAR transported the injured hiker in a wheeled litter to a waiting ambulance.

October 30, 2024



Stranded Hunter in the Flat Tops

RCSAR was paged to assist Garfield County Search and Rescue with the rescue of a hunter caught in a significant winter storm in a remote area of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. The hunter’s tent was getting buried in the snow, he was low on food, and becoming wet and cold. RCSAR and GCSAR team members traveled by ATVs to within approximately 1.5 miles of the hunter, and then two RCSAR team members snowshoed to the hunter’s location. The hunter was provided food and water and was accompanied out of the backcountry to staging where a family member was waiting. Severe weather, terrain, darkness, and snowpack conditions were just some of the factors slowing the team’s progress to the hunter. The total mission time was over 14 hours.  

December 13, 2024



Injured Snowmobiler on Buffalo Pass

RCSAR responded to the area of Summit Lake on Buffalo Pass to rescue a snowmobiler with a leg injury. With the assistance of a paramedic from SSFR, the RCSAR team packaged the patient for transport. The patient was transported in a patient sled back to the parking area at Dry Lake Campground, where an SSFR ambulance was waiting.

We Love You, Routt County! Thank You for Your Continued Support

As we reflect on 2024, we want to thank our community for the incredible support we’ve received over the years. RCSAR is an all-volunteer, non-profit agency. RCSAR has significant operating expenses each year to provide services 365 days/year, 24 hours/day. Our services include search, rescue, agency assist, and recovery calls covering most of Routt County’s 2,368 square miles and mutual aid for Jackson, Grand, Garfield, Rio Blanco and Moffat Counties for a total response area of over 3,000 square miles. 

RCSAR relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and other organizations for over 50% of our operating expenses. Without you, RCSAR’s ability to respond quickly and help those in need in the backcountry would be very limited. We receive the other half of our operating expenses in funding and grants from the city, county, and state (via the Keep Colorado Wild parks pass and OHV/hunting/fishing licenses).  

During the annual Colorado and Yampa Valley Gives Day events, RCSAR received approximately $22,300 from generous supporters. We also receive donations throughout the year from individuals and businesses who value the services provided by our highly skilled team. In 2024, Three Forks Ranch also hosted a fundraiser to benefit RCSAR that raised $30,000. 

RCSAR is very appreciative of a number of local businesses that created annual fundraisers to support us. These include The Barley, NineSevenZero, Mountain Tap Brewery, and Corner Slice. If you haven’t been to one of these events in the past, watch for them in 2025. They are fun and unique ways to support RCSAR. In 2024, Ohana also held a fundraiser and screen printing for RCSAR at Mountain Tap Brewery. Thanks to everyone who came out for that!

Also thanks to Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation for donating every year a percentage of uphill pass fees to RCSAR. In 2024, this was $12,000. We appreciate their support and all of you who buy a pass and climb Mt Werner. 

Honey Stinger donates waffles, bars, and chews to fuel the team during training and missions. Additionally, many other local businesses provide RCSAR and individual team members with discounts for food and gear, or allow their employee to leave work at a moment's notice to respond to a call. We’re incredibly grateful for all of this support.

So where does all this money go? In addition to standard business expenses associated with keeping the lights on, RCSAR incurs significant expenses for its equipment, including equipment purchases, fuel, maintenance, repairs, and insurance. We also provide regular and consistent training for all members to keep their skills fresh and updated. In addition to our internal training programs, team members attend external professional training programs to enhance their knowledge and skills. 

RCSAR is currently raising money for two significant upcoming expenditures:

• RCSAR is planning to improve the building on Yampa Street where we hold training, manage missions, and store equipment. Our training space needs to be bigger to accommodate our growing team and our equipment bays require expansion to fit the equipment required for rapid deployment. 
• RCSAR will be getting a new rescue truck to replace an aging truck that struggles to tow heavy trailers up the passes, e.g., Rabbit Ears and Buffalo Pass, where we respond to many calls for service. 

Thank you, Routt County, for your continued support!