Ah, the mountains. We love them. No matter what the season, getting out into the backcountry is an ‘escape’ that more and more of us take advantage of. Whether it’s heading in to a pristine mountain lake for the peace and solitude, or gaining a summit with a view that seems to go on forever, there’s fun and enjoyment to be had at every turn. However, when folks in the backcountry wind up needing help, there are resources available to provide assistance.

In Washington State the County Sheriffs are responsible for coordinating search and rescue (SAR) within their counties. Your first thought might be of law enforcement (cops and robbers) or urban, ‘front-country’ SAR (someone missing in the neighborhood or at a park). And your thinking would be correct. But the Sheriff also gets tagged with backcountry responsibilities.

In addition to paid law enforcement personnel (i.e. deputies) there are a number of volunteer organizations available to the Sheriff to provide support for the SAR side of the show: Trackers, search dogs, 4X4 Rescue, Explorer Search and Rescue and more. Each organization brings a particular skill to the table. Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR) is one of those organizations. The primary skill that we embody is the ability to handle high-angle situations: to search areas and execute rescues on steep, high-angle terrain. Our primary talent is climbing and rope work.

	Highline

Mountain Rescue evolved from an informal group of 1930s climbers who helped folks in trouble in the mountains. In 1948 this group became the Mountain Rescue and Safety Council. Over the years the name, and the organization itself, has changed and evolved into Seattle Mountain Rescue. SMR is an independent group of volunteer climbers that assists the King County Sheriff in SAR efforts. We’re larger than most other mountain rescue organizations. So whereas our ‘home turf’ is King County we do get called out to assist other counties and jurisdictions or even out of state. We also educate the public about how to have a safe backcountry experience.

Whereas our ‘home turf’ includes all of King County, the majority of our missions occur along the I-90 corridor between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass. There are plenty of popular trailheads along I-90 and you’re probably familiar with many of them: Snow Lake, Denny Creek, Annette Lake, Tiger Mtn. and Mt. Si. We wind up executing ‘plenty of missions on Mt. Si and Tiger Mtn. But we may end up going into the backcountry anywhere along the way.

	“The primary skill that we embody is the ability to handle high-angle situations: to search areas and execute rescues on steep, high-angle terrain.”

SMR usually averages about 50 missions a year. Some days we get multiple missions. And then there’ll be periods when we won’t get called out for weeks at a time. A mission may be completed in a few hours (for example, sprained ankles on Mt. Si). Or it may take all day, or several days (that is, stranded climbers on Glacier Peak). Conditions may be sunny and warm, or snowy and cold, or anything in between. The 2002 season was unusually intense: over 80 missions. When do we get called out? Anytime of the day or night. Whenever the Sheriff needs us.

How can anyone possibly handle such a load and still have a life? In reality, not all SMR members respond to all missions. You respond if you can. After all, if you have a job and a family you have other claims on your time. There is an expectation that you’ll respond to several missions each year. And because SMR has a fairly large membership we manage to get a good response on most missions.

As you might imagine, you need to be a lead climber to belong to SMR. And you need to be comfortable on a variety of media: rock, ice, glacier and Cascade slime. In the end, what we’re looking for are alpinists: climbers who not only can climb in the mountain environment but who can also take care of themselves for extended periods of time, possibly under adverse conditions. The Sheriff calls us out not only for high-angle situations but also when conditions are less than favorable, if you catch my drift... Hope to see you in the mountains soon (and not because I’m rescuing you!)