The Ouray Mountain Rescue Team celebrates 50 years of rescue service this coming summer, and while the organization once had to take out a short-term loan from a local bank to purchase the food and supplies for its annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast fundraiser, times are better now and the team is offering a number of educational and social opportunities this year.
“Our [current] positive fiscal standing comes solely from the generous support and donations from people in our county, and the numerous visitors who come here to enjoy our fabulous outdoor/alpine recreation,” said David Mullings, who has been on the team since 1999 and is currently its first public information officer.
“Another factor,” said Mullings, “is that the all-volunteer OMRT has never cut a paycheck.”
Twice a month, 12 months every year, in rain, sun and snow, members of OMRT gather to train so they’re prepared individually and as a team for rescues that happen in the region in any season. The 30-member team also holds organizational meetings monthly and answers around 30 calls each year.
“We are so lucky to have a generous donor base,” said Jenny Hart, who is a fundraiser for the team and has been working as a rescuer since 1998.
She added that, as of 2023, “We are supported in small part by the city of Ouray, the town of Ridgway and Ouray County.”
Hart said this year, the team is “making a concerted effort to focus some of our energy on citizen education.”
Chris Dickson, avalanche educator and Host of the “San Juan Snowcast” podcast, will speak at the first event on Feb. 17. The free evening includes food, brews and door prizes.
“Whether you are a backcountry skier or rider, snowmobiler, ice climber, or commuter on Highway 550, it’s critical to be able to recognize the warning signs of unstable snow and adjust your plan accordingly,” said the team on their Facebook event page.
In April, the team will show the film, “Where the Rope Ends,” which Hart said is “about the rescue of a woman who fell 60 feet off of a waterfall.”
This summer, she added, “We plan to host several tours of our rescue barn and include some education on how to be prepared to spend time in the backcountry in the summer.”
June will bring events to celebrate the team’s 50th anniversary, starting with a reunion and community celebration on a June 15. The time and location will be announced later. On June 18, the team will be the feature of the Ouray County Historical Society’s “Evenings of History” program, and on July 4, the team will “have a larger than normal presence in the parade” and will also be selling 50th anniversary OMRT T-shirts.
For a time, said Mullings, T-shirt sales were the core of OMRT’s budget, but in 2015, he and Hart teamed up to create the first annual report that they emailed to the community.
“The newsletter report generated a surprising response,” he said, and “that reliable support … has allowed the team to start each calendar year with money in the bank, so we no longer have to wait for a summer influx of T-shirt and flapjack revenues.”
Now, Hart said, the funding pays for “training our members in a wide variety of skills, purchasing and replacing equipment and maintaining our rescue facility.”
Another source of revenue is the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card, which outdoor recreationists can purchase at Ouray Mountain Sports and online at https://dola.colorado. gov/sar/cardPurchase.jsf. The cards are $3 for a year or $12 for five years, and the funds are distributed by the state to rescue organizations who request reimbursement for search and rescue missions.
The Avalanche Safety Talk takes place on Feb. 17 at the Ouray Community Center. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the talk begins at 6. Donations may be made online at ouraymountainrescue.com/donate.
