Twenty-seven first responder volunteers and personnel worked for 6 hours on the night of Jan. 9 to extract an injured backcountry skier from the La Sal Mountains.
The 26-year old Moab woman was skiing a west-facing slope off the north ridge of Dorry Canyon when she injured her leg just after sunset. She was unable to exit under her own power and called for assistance. Moab’s Volunteer Winter Rescue Team, Grand County Search and Rescue, Classic Air Medical, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, and Grand County Sheriff deputies all responded.
Four responders were flown by helicopter to a location close to the woman. From their drop off point they skied about a quarter of a mile to her and her companion. They used a foldable stretcher to transport the woman to the Trans La Sal Trail, where they were met by more rescue personnel on skis and snowshoes. The woman was transported on a rescue toboggan to the trailhead where an ambulance was waiting to assess her. After being warmed up, she was released.
“Temperatures were in the teens and the entire operation took place above 9,000 feet in elevation,” a GCSAR Facebook post about the incident noted.
