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Hah! You thought I was going to tell you about how Chaffee County Fire & Rescue got busy rescuing me off a mountain!
No, but this story is almost as good.
After a fairly non-eventful hike on Mt P (report elsewhere), we returned to the car at the antenna farm just as the rain and lightning suddenly hit us. Half the folks on the mountain were already down; half were still up there on slick rocks. Plenty of folks head up here late and unprepared, perhaps visiting from the camp at the bottom -- if you see them, please alert them to the risks from weather and terrain.
Anyway, halfway down the road to the bottom, we hit a roadblock ... many cars already there ... a huge pine tree had fallen and blocked the road!
Two feet in diameter, probably 10‘ remaining on the roots so it was propped up in the air; only enough room on the upper embankment side (from which it had fallen) to allow motorcycles and ATVs.
And how many of us had a chainsaw? zero.
The first car‘s occupants said they arrived at 3pm and the tree must have just fallen, because dirt was still falling off of the roots.
On top of that, one vehicle back above the antenna farm had a dead battery.
How many cars had jumper cables? one (not us).
Since we were last in the line of cars at the tree on a one-lane road, and there was absolutely zero cellphone service in this canyon, it was our duty to back up the road quite a ways to a turnaround spot, head up to the antenna farm with jumper cables (thanks to some kind ladies in the Explorer), and call 911 to dispatch somebody to come up from Nathrop or BV to clear the tree -- er, does anyone know a better consistent number to call for a not-quite-emergency? -- and try to jumpstart the dead vehicle.
Also, we asked to motorcyclists to head down and call in, and to call us up top with the results. They did both; thanks, folks!
Simultaneously (and probably faster), somebody from the cars at the tree ran down the rest of the road to the Young Life camp at the bottom of the road to call for help.
Bad news -- the car was not restartable, at least not long term. But they did get hold of some friends over the phone to come up and help them eventually.
Good news -- several got thru to Chaffee County, including a Castle Rock F&R guy who relayed thru his dispatch to Chaffee‘s, to make sure somebody was coming up the road to help.
End result, by 5:15 the CC crew had cleared the tree -- with much macho posturing and some muscle-power help by the male onlookers -- and everyone got to continue on their journey.
Jeers to the Qwest employee on the ATV waiting from below to head up and check out their tower at the antenna farm which had likely been hit by lightening, for scratching and breaking a taillight while impatiently passing at least one of the stranded vehicles.
Jeers to the Denver onlookers who acted as if CC were at fault for a fallen tree on a backcountry road.
Cheers to the runner down the road; you probably beat all calls to Chaffee County F&R!
Cheers to the CC wildland crew with the transportation, training, time, and tools to do the job quickly.
Even during the Broncos game!
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Great story and kudos to all those who pitched in. There always seems to be those who feel entitled and no matter what the circumstances, will blame some poor shlup.
Let's hope your drive to/from the next climb will be less eventful!
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