Searches keep troopers hopping

WILLOW — After rescuing a pair of snowmachiners stuck on Willow Mountain Saturday, a pair of Alaska State Troopers loaded up their sleds and went to rescue a third snowmachiner in trouble.

All three men were returned home “cold and wet but in good health,” according to a pair of AST press statements.

The saga began at 4:08 p.m., when Scott Howe, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colo., called to say he and his friend, Douglas Thompson, 70, of Willow, were stuck in deep snow at around 2,500 feet on the mountain.

“Neither of the men were prepared to stay overnight in the poor weather conditions,” AST reports. “Howe and Thompson went riding for the day and were caught in heavy snowfall as they tried to return to their vehicle.”

Trooper spokeswoman Elizabeth Ipsen wrote in an email that the troopers Dan Valentine and Scott Lanier were joined in their search for Howe and Thompson by a pair of Willow-area volunteer searchers.

“They were able to maintain cellphone contact with the two stuck men as they searched for them. When the pair called for a rescue, they reported blowing snow and white-out conditions on Willow Mountain,” Ipsen wrote. “Once they got up to a certain elevation, the weather cleared and the visibility was reported to be 20 miles. They were able to find the men, dig them out and guide them back to their vehicle.”

The operation wrapped up at 7:30 p.m., but the second call for help came in at 5:51 p.m. when Santiago Lara, 31, reported that he and Joseph Travis, 24, both of Anchorage, had become separated while out snowmachining along the upper Kashwitna River in the Willow area.

“Lara searched for Travis while troopers wrapped up the first search,” Ipsen wrote.

With Howe and Thompson back at their vehicle, Valentine and Lanier loaded their equipment and went right back out. Judging by Ipsen’s account, this second search was the more harrowing.

“They didn’t really have GPS coordinates. They had a 25-acre parcel of private land to search for Travis. Travis was reportedly a novice at snowmachining. The area is littered with snowmachine trails that loop around. Valentine and Lanier followed every snowmachine track they could find. The loops were about five miles long,” Ipsen wrote.

Valentine and Lanier at one point stopped on a small lake and yelled Travis’ name.

“Then Valentine spotted some footprints. They followed them until Lanier spotted a snowmachine headlight,” Ipsen wrote.

Arriving at the snowmachine, they found Travis asleep on top of the machine, which he had running to keep him warm.

“He was wearing jeans and a pair of skater shoes. He had gotten off the main trail and got the snowmachine stuck. Luckily, the temperatures were in the 20-30 degree range,” Ipsen wrote.

In press releases, Ipsen’s email and quotes she included from Valentine, troopers reiterated that none of the people lost were properly prepared to spend a night outside.

“Wear proper winter clothing. Don’t wear cotton and bring extra clothing or warmer clothing, plus something you can start a fire with,” Ipsen quoted Valentine as saying.

He also suggested bringing a shovel. Both parties were stuck in deep snow. As always, be prepared for the weather to suddenly change and possibly keeping you in the wilderness overnight.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.