August 9, 2017 | Categories: Mission Reports

Mission Reports: August 2017

We at Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery would like to take a breath … and look back at the last 10 days in our organization. It was amazing in every way. In the last 10 days CO4x4RnR deployed on 7 recoveries and staged on an 8th we didn’t end up deploying to.

July 29th was our membership meeting where we got to make several exciting announcements and finally meet so many of our members face to face and thank them directly. We had our monthly Board of Directors meeting in the two hours before that and as so often happens, we got a call on our 24 hour emergency line in that meeting.

The week started with a roll over recovery in Vail the next day. This was going to be a major undertaking so Carleen S put together a team right there in the meeting. Art E , Bryan L, Eric R, Gunnar H, Jason S, Matt S, Rich M, Todd B, and Carleen herself all deployed on this recovery. We were not able to complete it due to … a wedding … but we shall return to finish the job. Carleen S assembled the team and Reed N monitored.

Our volunteers next tacked the longest recovery we have done, in distance. 100 yards off the trail on Yankee Hill. This took almost every winch extension and tow strap the team had. Chris V, Matt B, Matt R, Jeff S and Ryan B and Nick spent all day and climbed many vertical feet to bring it back up. Carleen S. dispatched and monitored that recovery.

We got a call for a mired truck on Shrine Pass and they weren’t kidding. Mike B and his 15k winch were the work horse as he, Norman D and Dan C brought the truck back to hard land. Carleen S. dispatched and monitored that recovery.

Also that night we were called to recover a rolled over Cherokee on Storm Mountain. We built a team and had them ready to roll when some Good Samaritans came by and managed to get the Cherokee righted. Our weekly radio net was postponed for about 20 minutes while we ensured this would not require our team.

Next came our big day. Sunday the 6th brought three recoveries overlapping and several members doing two in one day. The early morning recovery was Longwater Gulch. This involved swimming! A JK had lost its battle with the St Vrain and had to be brought to land and towed all the way out. Adam N, Bill A, Derek G and Keegan F handled the long day with ease and made a very difficult water recovery look professional. Carleen Dispatched and monitored that recovery.

Also that morning David C, Mike B and Talbot W headed out to recover a Ram mired in very deep mud near Camp Dick. In the process, Mike B had a dramatic moment for photos just getting into the recovery but he was never really stuck. This was only the morning for this crew, the day was long from over. Dan C built the team and Carleen S monitored.

The second half of the day for this team added Norman D and Gunnar H to the team for a high elevation shelf road recovery near McClellan Mt. This one was a very hard one that had all on their toes. It went beautifully and although most of their equipment was used for the recovery, all came home safe. Carleen dispatched the team and Glenn monitored.

Above Fall River Rd on the side of Yankee hill is one of our most common recovery locations. Derek G, Lucas P, and Tony A handed that one with ease on Monday morning. Carleen S. Dispatched and monitored that recovery.
You undoubtedly notice that some names appear very often. All of our volunteers do an amazing job but some seem to be everywhere. Our reputation is built on our amazing volunteers and the work they do for people they have never met. Weeks like this past one are what CO4x4RnR are so proud of and cannot speak often enough in regards to our volunteers.

No one in our organization gets paid and all of our expenses are paid by donations. The professionalism and determination of our members are surpassed by no one. We cannot be more proud of our members. But we know they will continue to impress us still. To all of our volunteers listed above and those who have and will help out, we thank you. The 4×4 community cannot thank you enough.

Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery
“We Recover the Rockies”