Mounted search and rescue

[<pennbo@verizon.net>]

We've had a busy year already! Our local SAR units have had MANY call outs 
this year for missing and delayed hikers. Most have had happy endings, but 
sadly not all. 

Got a call at 4PM yesterday for another one. This time they requested mounted 
teams. Considering we live in the middle of a wilderness area and the Pacific 
Crest Trail goes right through here- mounted is often called when the ice is 
gone. 

The last few days the weather has been strange. We were having snow flurries 
all day and the temps didnt' get much above 35F. Not ideal riding weather- 
but hey, searches rarely are! We were able to deploy 8 members within an 
hour. That's from first call to arrival at command post. Pretty good time 
with horses in our rural valley. We've been working hard on reducing our 
call-out time and it seems to be successful. By the time they deployed us to 
trail head (45 min up a rough dirt road) we were losing the light quickly. We 
did a hasty search and covered quite a bit of ground. The fog was rolling in 
and snow flurries continued. Certainly made us all thankful that we are 
prepared for all weather eventualities in our area! 

The subject was found alive and well many miles past where she was supposed 
to be. There is an official detour on the trail through a burned area and she 
missed her turn off. She wasn't found by us but alls well that ends well!!! 
It's ALWAYS pleasant to come back in to a happy ending!!

One thing that was an issue for us was our radio contact. It's pretty steep 
mountainy area and our radios were not functioning correctly. I had my HAM 
with me, which could have hit the local repeater, but Command Post did not 
have one. On more prolonged searches command post sets a repeater for our 
radios AND has a HAM station set up as well. It's just initial/short term 
searches that don't have this capability. 

Anyway-  for those who also have tough terrain. How do you all deal with 
radio contact?

Chris Pennington