Have you ever wondered what would happen to you if you were lost or injured in the wilderness and just who those people are who would come to rescue you at all hours of the day or night?  If you happened to be in the wilds between Denver, CO and Summit County, CO, there’s a high likelihood that it would be the Alpine Rescue Team dispatched to help you out of your situation.  [slideshow]

As I’m sure you will glean rather quickly, Alpine Rescue Team is something about which I’m extremely passionate.  First and foremost, it is a group of about 60-plus, all-volunteer members who train constantly and go out into the elements any time of day or night and in any type of weather to help those having a really bad day in the woods. Since it’s founding in 1959, Alpine Rescue Team has responded to thousands of wilderness emergencies.  In a typical year, Alpine will respond to somewhere around a hundred missions.  Alpine Rescue Team

Alpine Rescue Team’s response area includes Jefferson, Gilpin, and Clear Creek Counties.  This is an extremely large response area with some extremely popular wilderness areas attracting both the avid outdoorsman as well as the tourist who just flew in from some place like Atlanta.  Clear Creek County alone has 4 of Colorado’s most popular 14,000 foot peaks:  Grey’s, Torrey’s, Evans, and Bierstadt.

Alpine is a proud member of the Rocky Mountain Region Mountain Rescue Association.  Rocky Mountain Region MRA  The member teams of the Rocky Mountain Region MRA are the “best of the best” and prove it on a regular basis.  Every five years member teams are tested extensively in 5 areas of expertise:  search, high angle technical rescue, scree evacuation, winter rescue, and avalanche.

Alpine is more to me than the sum of all of these statistics.  Alpine is a bond that connects all of us Life Busers together.  It is how we all met and have become so close over all the years.  We have spent hours together training, out on missions, laughing, attending each other’s weddings, comforting each other, recreating together, and even having to throw modesty out the window when nature calls.  I have had the honor of being part of this group for 8 years now.  It is pretty amazing to find a group of people with whom you would literally trust your life.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you get dispatched in the middle of the night, say 2 AM, when you question what the heck you are doing.  That feeling typically subsides rather quickly as you realize that you are being summoned because someone’s loved one(s) is lost, hurt, or even worse.

Now you know who some of those people are who show up any time, anywhere. Please have fun out there and remember to be safe.  For more information and some safety tips please visit our website or our Facebook page.  Alpine Rescue Team

All member teams of the Rocky Mountain Region of the MRA stand solidly on the principal of “No Charge for Rescue”. Our member teams have never charged for their services.  Alpine exists purely by the time and financial commitment of its members as well as by the charitable donations of others.