By admin 
The death of a solo trail runner on Mount Sneffels, a fourteener near Ouray, last week is serving as a reminder to backcountry travelers to leave a trip plan with family or friends before setting out into Colorado’s remote backcountry.
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Rescuers with the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team located 32-year-old Bret Bachman-Goldstein on June 11 not far from the 14,115-foot summit via the peak’s standard route called the Lavender Col, after hikers reported finding his body, incident commander Dolgio Nergui said Friday.
Authorities believe he died June 10, but was not found until the following day, said Nergui, who was communicating with rescuers from town and coordinating the mission. Nergui said she had limited information about what happened before Bachman-Goldstein’s death, but noted there was no snow on the standard route where her team found his body.
“The most important thing is just leave a trip plan with somebody so that they can check on you,” Nergui said, recounting the mission to The Colorado Sun. “Leave the time that you will check in with others if you go and recreate solo.”
Traveling into Colorado’s mountains always carries risk, and search and rescue teams recommend hikers tell someone not traveling with you where you plan to park, your intended route, when you expect to be back and what is a reasonable time to call 911 if you haven’t returned.
Bachman-Goldstein was an experienced outdoorsman who had climbed Mount Sneffels several times, alone and with friends, his family said in an obituary. Sneffels was one of his favorite fourteeners.
“Bret found a home and a place where he was truly free among the peaks with a community of wonderful friends that shared a boundless enthusiasm for wild places only the mountains could provide,” his family wrote.
He moved to Montrose from Denver about five years ago, his family said, and enjoyed hiking, climbing, running, mountain biking and backcountry skiing.
The recovery operation offered a glimpse into the challenges rescuers face in the rugged San Juan mountains.
The entire mission to locate and recover the body took about 5 hours, starting at 8:39 a.m. when dispatchers notified the Ouray Mountain Rescue team about the body, Nergui said. Because of the coordinates provided by dispatch showing the proximity of the body to the summit, Nergui coordinated with a helicopter in Montrose to be on standby.
From the Upper Yankee Boy Basin trailhead, two rescuers reached the body in about 45 minutes and confirmed the location, she said. Rescuers used a helicopter and a specialized team trained in long-line operations to recover the body.
As the mission was underway, a deputy with the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office and alpine rangers were near the trailhead notifying hikers about the recovery effort.
Backcountry safety tips
Nergui and her team’s rescues in the San Juan Mountains are often challenging because of the rugged, steep terrain. There’s often spotty, or zero, cellphone coverage, so rescuers must rely on radios, but even then, calls get blocked by canyon walls.
“We usually have somebody at the trailhead and they basically act as a relay into town,” she said.
She recommends hikers bring a two-way satellite communication device. If planning to use the built-in emergency SOS via satellite function on an iPhone, familiarize yourself with the tool before hitting the trail.
Backcountry search and rescue teams in Colorado suggest hikers follow the “three T’s” to stay safe in the mountains: trip planning, training and taking the essentials.
“We know you want to go light and fast, but you can still carry a few survival essentials,” Anna DeBattiste, with the Colorado Search and Rescue Association, said. “You can definitely leave a trip plan with someone back home, and you can make sure you truly have the training for the type of terrain that you’re going to be in.”
The group recommends the following tips:
Trip planning: Make sure to check the weather before heading out, including hourly predictions for where you’re going, not just where you are coming from. On average, the temperature drops four degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain. To reduce your risk of getting caught in a thunderstorm, which are notorious in Colorado’s mountains, start hiking early to get off peaks and ridges and away from trees before noon.
Download a map to your phone while you still have service, or better yet, bring a paper map.
Leave your plan with a responsible person who isn’t going with you. Make sure this person knows where you plan to park, what your intended route is, who is with you, what you’re carrying, what time you expect to be back and what time is reasonable to call 911 if you haven’t returned.
Training: This is key to ensure you have the physical conditioning, knowledge and skill for whatever you’re planning.
Taking the essentials: Deciding what you bring on a hike should be part of your trip planning process. In most cases, the Colorado Search and Rescue Association recommends bringing the “10 essentials” which includes more water that you think you’ll need, food, sun protection, daily medications, travel first-aid kid, headlamp with extra batteries, multi-tool and duct tape, extra clothing layers, navigation tools, a power source, a whistle, emergency shelter like a bivy or blanket, and a lighter or waterproof matches.
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