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Category Archives: Search and Rescue
Take the Extra Minute: Listen to Your Adrenaline
Years ago, one of my medical instructors said something that completely changed how I view high stress situations. He was talking about responding to emergencies and stepping straight into the kind of chaos most people spend their lives avoiding. “We … Continue reading
Take the Extra Minute to Respect the Dark
We have reached that magical point of the year in the northern hemisphere when daylight feels almost infinite. Summer solstice brings us the longest days of the year and with them, an irresistible urge to squeeze every drop of adventure … Continue reading
Take the Extra Minute: Search and Rescue as a Tourist Recovery Service
Every Memorial Day the mountains fill with hikers, campers and road-trippers eager to escape the city and start summer outside. And every Memorial Day search and rescue teams quietly brace for impact, because the patterns of who gets into trouble … Continue reading
Take the Extra Minute: An Imperial Safety Briefing for the TK-Trooper
As search and rescue volunteers, we live by the creed of preparedness, planning and visibility. We preach the gospel of readiness, the wisdom of planning and the essential need for high-visibility gear. The Empire, on the other hand, apparently skipped … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Humor, Search and Rescue
Tagged armor, Dark Side, Galactic Empire, May the 4th, New Order, Rebel Alliance, safety, search and rescue, Star Wars, stormtroopers, TakeTheExtraMinute
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When Winter Doesn’t Come: A Look at Wildfire Risk
When it comes to search and rescue messaging, I usually talk about twisted ankles and lost hikers, but in a year where winter simply didn’t show up, search and rescue has a different battlefield: the wildfire. Members of search and … Continue reading
Posted in Search and Rescue
Tagged draught, fire safety, rural living, search and rescue, snow drought, TakeTheExtraMinute, wildfire, winter
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Spring is a Lie (at Elevation)
The Deception of March in the Mountains The trailhead is a tease. It’s 15°C (60°F) at the parking lot. The birds are chirping. The pavement is dry. The sun is warm. The air is soft. The snow is melting. It … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Search and Rescue
Tagged backcountry safety, ice, outdoor safety, recreation, search and rescue, seasons, snow, TakeTheExtraMinute, winter, winter safety
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Take the Extra Minute: The Invisible Edge
The Deception of the Freeze-Thaw Cycle February is prime time for the snow–melt–freeze cycle. It is the month when the sun starts to stay out just long enough to suggest warmth, but the shadows still hold the power of a … Continue reading
Take the Extra Minute: Frostbite Is Still a Real Winter Threat
The days are stretching longer and the lure of a bluebird winter day is strong, but as any seasoned outdoor enthusiast knows, January and February often bring the most biting winds and the deepest freezes. Cold temperatures, wind and moisture … Continue reading
Posted in Search and Rescue
Tagged frostbite, frostnip, outdoor safety, recreation, search and rescue, TakeTheExtraMinute, winter, winter safety
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National Lost & Found Day: The Other Search and Rescue Mission
Every December 12, while search and rescue teams across the country gear up for winter missions in the backcountry, a different kind of operation quietly unfolds in households everywhere. No avalanche beacons. No helicopters. No GPS tracks. Just you, a … Continue reading
Take the Extra Minute: Hypothermia Is Winter’s Silent Threat
Winter has a talent for trickery. One moment, you’re enjoying crisp air, sparkling snow and a trail that looks like it was ripped straight from a greeting card. The next, the sun has dipped behind a ridge, the wind picks … Continue reading