This book of true stories from Colorado are universal cautionary tales of mountain dangers and mishaps. Readers will find accounts of volunteer rescuers' ingenuity, teamwork and bravery. Colorado-based, award winning author Kent Nelson writes with an authentic regional voice. His own rescue is included in the collection. www.mountainrescuestories.com

1. Rescues and Tragedies
in the San Juan
Mountains
True Stories from the
Region

2. Get Ready for Adventure in the Mountains…
What follows are
17 story titles,
a picture from each
and a quote…

3. Introduction
“People flock here to
get into wilderness, but
they’re sometimes
unknowing, unprepared,
and encounter
circumstances they
hadn’t imagined or
planned for.”

4. Ordeal on
Mount Sneffels
“Some people, though,
want even more
excitement and adventure.
“They aren’t content to get
to the top the easiest or
fastest way. They’d rather
take a more arduous path,
the road less traveled.”

5. East riverside slide
“On the morning of Friday,
February 10th, avalanche
specialists were on their way
with howitzers to shoot
down the dangerous slides
on Red Mountain Pass.
“But by the time they
reached marker 88, East
Riverside had already run,
and Highway 550 was
blocked with eight feet of
hard-packed snow.”

6. Jeepers Creepers
“No one in the vehicle
was wearing seat belts
– they were going so
slowly – and, on the
terrible bounce-and-
roll down several
hundred feet, all four
people and the dogs
were ejected.”

7. A cautionary tale
“Bears are wild animals,
imbued in legend for their
fierce and unpredictable
behavior.”

8. A million dollars of
death and
destruction
“As one local man and
former rescue team
member said, ‘You wouldn’t
believe the car parts that
are down there in the river.
You could start a
business.’”

9. Life is only once, if
you hurry
“Rick also ran down an
elk. Indians used to do
this on the plains, but Rick
did it in the mountains.
The elk was so tired, Rick
walked up and put his
hand on the elk’s back.
But that’s another story.”

10. Airways
“Small planes, though,
have different issues. At
higher altitudes they are
more vulnerable, and bad
weather isn’t a ripple but a
major jolt.”

11. A walk in the park.
“Why she got scared, why
she sat down, and what
she knew remains a
mystery. But she would
not move from where she
sat down.”

12. A Sneffels anthology
“A hoist operation at
thirteen thousand feet is
practically unheard of,”
said Ouray Mountain
Recue Team Lieutenant
Cory Jackson, who was
still up on the mountain
with Simpkins.”

13. When it rains, it
pours.
“Skyrocket Creek went
crazy, too, and rocks and
gravel washed across and
closed Highway 550. In
the morning there was
shock and awe.”

14. Shooting the trees.
“Later that afternoon, the
boys decided their
comrade shouldn’t be
moved and someone
should go out to Ridgway
and get help.”

15. Make mine with ice
“Whoever imagined a
successful business
venture that would
encourage people to risk
their lives climbing ice?”

16. Black Bear Road
“Black Bear Road is the
scariest four-wheel-drive
track, the biggest bully,
and has the most
accidents of any jeep
road in the San Juans.”

17. Footloose
“There are, of course,
dozens of stories about
lost hikers.”

18. Ski Sneffels
“And falling is a bad idea.
As one guy said about
skiing the couloir, ‘You
fall, and it’s your only
fall.’”

19. Where are you?
“Each of the dogs lost
Janice’s trail at the head
of Winchester Gulch.
Several men rappelled
down the cliffs there, but
because of the heavy
snow cover, they saw no
colors, no sign of Janice.”

20. Thanks to the
Ouray Mountain
Rescue Team
“Since its inception, the
team has performed over
400 rescues. Rescues might
take an hour or up to a few
days. ‘You don’t know what
you’re getting into,” said one
member, “until you get on
the scene.’ “

21. Rescues and Tragedies in the San Juan Mountains
Illinois Residents $30
Send check for $30 (includes shipping and IL tax)
payable to Twain Publishers
Non-Illinois Residents in US $27
Send check for $27 (includes shipping - no tax) payable to Twain
Publishers
Send Order to:
Paul LeRoux
Twain Publishers
505 N. Lake Shore Drive #5306
Chicago IL 60611-3410
(312) 467-2120
ta@twainassociates.com
www.mountainrescuestories.com