SMR Staff

 by SMR Staff

Voices from the Mountains

Voices from the Mountains: A StoryCorps Conversation with Seattle Mountain Rescue

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the world slowed down. Trails grew quieter. Communities stayed home. But for volunteers with Seattle Mountain Rescue, the call to help never stopped.

In a recorded conversation with StoryCorps, teammates Garth Bruce, Raquel Lackey, and Doug McCall, joined by Ruffles, a crisis response resiliency dog, reflect on what it meant to serve their community during an uncertain time. Their conversation captures something deeper than individual missions—it reveals the heart of mountain rescue: teamwork, trust, and the healing power of the outdoors.

This conversation is also part of something much larger. Recorded through StoryCorps, it is preserved in the archives of the Library of Congress, ensuring that these voices, experiences, and lessons from the mountains will be accessible for generations to come.

Search and rescue work is rarely about one person. It’s about a group of volunteers moving together through difficult terrain, solving problems in real time, and supporting one another along the way. For SMR members, that bond became even more important during the pandemic, when isolation and uncertainty affected nearly everyone.

In the StoryCorps interview, the team shares the camaraderie that forms during long missions, the quiet moments shared outdoors, and how being in nature can restore perspective when life feels overwhelming. Their reflections highlight something many people don’t realize about mountain rescue: it’s built on relationships. Volunteers train together, respond together, and look out for one another long after a mission ends. That sense of community—both within the team and with the outdoor community they serve—is what keeps rescuers coming back year after year.

Stories like these are why conversations recorded through StoryCorps matter. They preserve the voices and experiences of people whose work often happens far from the spotlight—on rugged trails, steep ridges, and stormy nights when someone needs help the most.

🎧 Listen to the full StoryCorps conversation:
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/raquel-lackey-doug-mccall-and-garth-bruce/

Whether you’re a hiker, climber, or simply someone who finds peace in the outdoors, this conversation offers a glimpse into the human side of mountain rescue—and the friendships that make it possible.

There is no cost to the person being rescued, made possible by community support and donors like you.  By supporting Seattle Mountain Rescue, you’re not just funding rescue operations — you’re helping save lives and bring loved ones home. Learn more or donate today at www.seattlemountainrescue.org
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 by SMR Staff

Understanding Search & Rescue in King County

How Search & Rescue Works in King County — And Where Your Support Makes an Impact

Search and Rescue (SAR) in King County is a coordinated network of independent volunteer organizations that respond under the authority of the King County Sheriff’s Office.

You may hear both the individual SAR units and the King County Search and Rescue Association (KCSARA) mentioned when a mission makes the news. While they may work together on missions they serve different roles within the system.

Understanding how the entire system works — including the role of local fire departments — can help you decide where to volunteer or direct your support.

Regardless of what team or teams are required for a rescue, the county dispatch center receives the 911 call and assembles the right parties.

How 911 Calls Become Rescue Responses

When someone calls 911 for a wilderness or trail emergency, the call is routed through the county dispatch center.

If the incident involves a medical issue, both the appropriate local fire department and the King County Sheriff’s SAR Deputy are notified.

Fire personnel and the Sheriff’s SAR Deputy work together to determine what resources are most appropriate for the situation.

Depending on the subject’s condition, terrain, and location:

  • The fire department may handle the incident independently.
  • SAR units may be deployed.
  • Or both fire and SAR may respond together.

Fire departments are often able to respond more quickly, particularly when the subject is close to a trailhead or roadway. In these situations, fire crews frequently handle medical-only or short-distance evacuations.

When terrain becomes technical, access becomes difficult, or the subject is deep in the backcountry, SAR units are more likely to be deployed to provide specialized wilderness and technical rescue capabilities.

This collaborative decision-making ensures the right resources are sent — balancing speed, medical care, terrain expertise, and technical capability.

The Role of the SAR Units

The operational SAR units are independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that deploy into the field when requested by the King County Sheriff’s Office, based upon the need of each mission.

There are seven individual and unique all volunteer SAR units:

Mission: A  team focused on providing transportation and logistical support in terrain that conventional vehicles can’t reach. 4×4 SAR aids other SAR units by transporting people, equipment, and supplies, supporting night road searches, traffic control, and radio relay operations.

Mission: Dedicated to saving lives through search and rescue activities in King County and Washington State, ESAR provides wilderness and technical ground search capabilities and offers continuous wilderness and leadership training for its youth and adult members.

Mission: Provides highly trained volunteer support in incident planning, logistics, documentation, communications, and administration for SAR missions and large events under the Incident Command System.

Mission: Specialists in mobile search and rescue using all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, or dual-sport motorcycles to access areas that even 4×4 vehicles cannot access. RSVU assists in remote searches, subject transport, and brings SAR teams and gear into hard-to-reach terrain.

Mission: To find and aid people in distress and assist law enforcement with evidence searches through specialized canine search disciplines, including air scent, trailing, and human remains detection.

Mission: A team of experienced alpinists dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue, and mountain safety education in steep, mountainous, and hazardous terrain throughout Washington. SMR specializes in supporting missions within technical backcountry terrain, searches any time of the year, so that everyone comes home from the backcountry.

Mission: A team of backcountry volunteer ski patrollers dedicated to helping people and saving lives by providing emergency medical/trauma care, avalanche safety and rescue, and wilderness mountain travel support year-round.

Each organization brings specialized skills and training to the field. Together, these units form a comprehensive volunteer response system serving King County.

And importantly, there is no cost to the person being rescued, made possible by community support and donors like you.  By supporting Seattle Mountain Rescue, you’re not just funding rescue operations — you’re helping save lives and bring loved ones home.

Learn more or donate today at www.seattlemountainrescue.org

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 by SMR Staff

When Things Go Wrong in the Backcountry

WTA Highlights Seattle Mountain Rescue: When Things Go Wrong in the Backcountry

Outdoor recreation in Washington is thriving. Every year, more people discover the joy of hiking, climbing, skiing and exploring the incredible landscapes that surround the Puget Sound. But as anyone who spends time in the mountains knows, even a well-planned adventure can take an unexpected turn.

That’s why we were honored to be featured recently by the Washington Trails Association in their article:
“Seattle Mountain Rescue Is There to Help When Things Go Wrong.”

👉 Read the full article here:
https://www.wta.org/news/magazine/features/seattle-mountain-rescue-is-there-to-help-when-things-go-wrong

A Community Effort to Keep People Safe

The Washington Trails Association works every day to maintain trails, advocate for public lands, and help people enjoy the outdoors safely. But when incidents happen in remote terrain, specialized search and rescue teams step in. Seattle Mountain Rescue is one of those teams, providing volunteer technical search and rescue services throughout the region. 

Founded in 1948, Seattle Mountain Rescue is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through search and rescue operations and mountain safety education. The team responds to a wide range of missions—from searching for lost hikers to performing complex evacuations in steep or remote terrain. 

And importantly, there is no cost to the person being rescued, made possible by community support and donors like you.  By supporting Seattle Mountain Rescue, you’re not just funding rescue operations — you’re helping save lives and bring loved ones home.

Learn more or donate today at www.seattlemountainrescue.org

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 by SMR Staff

Seattle Mountain Rescue: Everyone Comes Home

Outdoor recreation in Washington state continues to grow, drawing residents and visitors of all ages into our mountains, forests, and waterways. With more people exploring wild places than ever before, the need for skilled backcountry rescue has never been greater.

No one sets out on an adventure expecting it to go wrong. Yet nearly every experienced outdoor enthusiast can recall a moment when an unforeseen accident, rapidly changing weather, or a simple misstep could have turned serious. Emergencies often arise from a combination of factors — some completely beyond our control. That’s when Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR) is called into action.

When things go wrong — when daylight fades, weather turns, or an injury strikes — a call or text to 911 can set in motion one of the Pacific Northwest’s most capable rescue responses. The King County Sheriff’s Office can deploy SMR within minutes to help bring people home safely — with no charge for services.

Who We Are
Seattle Mountain Rescue is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under Mountain Rescue Council. We are run by dedicated, highly trained volunteers who respond under the authority of the King County Sheriff’s Office and collaborate with other units through our association memberships with MRA (Mountain Rescue Association) and KCSARA (King County Search and Rescue Association). We do not charge for our services.
Founded in 1948, SMR is one of the oldest volunteer mountain rescue teams in the United States and a trusted partner in the region’s emergency response system.

A Vital, 24/7 Lifeline in the Backcountry
Seattle Mountain Rescue responds to more than 100 missions every year, in every season, at any hour, and across some of the most rugged and remote terrain in the region. Whether it’s a hiker stranded on a cliffside, a backpacker injured on a steep trail, a skier hurt deep in the backcountry, or a climber caught in a sudden storm, one thing remains constant:
Our mission — Everyone comes home from the backcountry.

Training, Skill, and Commitment
SMR is a 100% volunteer organization made up of experienced alpinists, search specialists, medical professionals, communications experts, and support volunteers. These individuals donate countless hours both on missions and in preparation.
Each year, SMR volunteers collectively invest thousands of hours in training — honing advanced rope and rigging techniques, wilderness medicine, navigation, communications, and physical conditioning. This deep commitment to preparation, teamwork, and safety makes SMR one of the most capable and experienced volunteer mountain rescue teams in the nation.

Beyond Rescue: Safety Through Education
SMR believes the best rescue is the one that never has to happen. We are deeply committed to outdoor safety education, helping outdoor enthusiasts make informed decisions before they ever need to call for help. From trip planning and weather awareness to backcountry risk management, our outreach helps strengthen the entire outdoor community.

Our Funding, Your Support
As a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, SMR depends on community support to remain ready, equipped, and trained for every mission. For every $1.00 donated, 85¢ goes directly to program expenses — keeping rescuers prepared with the gear, training, and technology needed to respond safely and effectively, no matter the conditions.

We Need Your Support
By supporting Seattle Mountain Rescue, you’re not just funding rescue operations — you’re helping save lives and bring loved ones home.
Learn more or donate today at www.seattlemountainrescue.org
We gratefully accept:
Cash and checks
Donor Advised Fund (DAF) contributions
Appreciated stocks
Estate plan gifts
Every contribution sustains our mission of saving lives so that “Everyone comes home from the backcountry.” Make a donation now.

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 by SMR Staff

Cold Water, Quick Thinking, and Community Ensure Snowshoer Made it Home Safely

Winter travel in the mountains is beautiful — and unforgiving.

A mission near Source Lake shows how quickly things can change, and how preparation, fast action, and teamwork make all the difference.

About The Mission

A snowshoer set out alone on the winter route from the Upper Alpental Parking Lot at Snoqualmie Pass while other family members skied nearby. Spending time alone in nature gives our mental health a boost, we have recommended safety tips for traveling in the back county on our website. Along the trail, she reached a creek crossing — a log buried under several feet of snow.

Halfway across, she lost her balance and fell!

She landed flat and was fully submerged, soaking all of her clothing in freezing water. Although she was able to stand up, she couldn’t climb the seven-foot snow wall lining the creek. Standing in the water, she made a critical decision:

She called 911 immediately.

Even though her phone displayed “SOS only,” the call connected to dispatch. Her location data came through — a key factor in speeding up the rescue.

A member of Seattle Mountain Rescue was skiing at Snoqualmie Pass when the page from the King County Sheriff’s Office came out. Luckily he had his rescue gear in his car and arrived first to the command post. A passing backcountry skier stopped, helped her out of the creek, gave her a warm jacket, and stayed with her. By then she was violently shivering, an early and serious sign of hypothermia. Cold water immersion can lead to hypothermia much faster than people expect, even in otherwise mild winter weather. The Good Samaritan began helping her walk toward the trailhead, which is where the SMR team member met up with them. When the command vehicle arrived at base, the base operations leader kept it running to be able to provide the snowshoer with a warm environment. Shortly thereafter family arrived with dry clothing to change into.

A Reminder for Winter Travelers – Even short outings require preparation:
Carry the 10 Essentials, including extra insulating layers
Be cautious at snow-covered creek crossings
Avoid traveling alone when possible
Call for help early if something goes wrong

What Made The Difference
She called early
A Good Samaritan helped
Location data from cell phone
Warm vehicle near by
Dry clothes

When in doubt reach out

Seattle Mountain Rescue is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit SAR unit that responds under the authority of the Sheriff’s Office providing rescue services free of charge, thanks to community support and donors — and the best rescue is the one you never need.

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 by SMR Staff

Anatomy of a Search and Rescue Mission

As you’re planning your time outdoors, whether exploring the beautiful backcountry via hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, camping, trail running, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, etc. – Even when you carry the 10 Essentials, emergencies can still happen. Here’s what typically occurs during a mountain rescue: 

  • An injury or emergency happens in the backcountry.
     If something feels wrong or unsafe and you can’t turn around, don’t wait — reach out for help. Early calls make rescues safer and faster.
  • Call or text 911.
     Your information is relayed to the local Sheriff’s Office, which coordinates all search and rescue missions.
  • The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Deputy contacts Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR).
  • The mission is quickly evaluated and launched.
     Within minutes, volunteer rescuers begin mobilizing. Leaders assess:

    • Location
    • Weather and terrain
    • Nature of the injury or emergency
    • Resources needed
  • Teams respond to the trailhead and deploy into the field.
     Rescuers travel to the closest access point and then hike or travel overland to reach the person(s) in need. Team size varies. Sometimes a full team is needed; other times, a single highly qualified rescuer may be sent ahead if speed is critical.
  • Rescuers locate, assess, and treat the patient.
     Care is often provided on scene, and a safe evacuation plan is made.
  • Evacuation to safety.
     Depending on conditions, evacuation may occur by:

    • Helicopter
    • Ground transport (litter carry, assisted walking, or other methods)
       All patients are brought to the trailhead or a safe transfer point for further medical care.

It is important to note that a typical rescue mission can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. It may take an hour or more before rescue teams can reach you.

SMR’s rescue services are provided free of charge, made possible by community support and donors like you.

What to Do While You’re Waiting for Help

If you find yourself in the mountains with an injury, whether yours or someone in your party, be sure to follow the below recommendations:

  • Stay calm and stay put.
     You’ve contacted the Sheriff’s Office and rescue teams are on the way. The best thing you can do now is conserve your energy and avoid unnecessary movement.
  • Do NOT try to hike out or “meet” rescuers.
     Stay where you are — even if you think help might be nearby. Moving makes you harder to find and can make injuries worse.
  • If someone is injured, stay with them.
     Do not leave an injured person to look for help. Rescuers are coming to your reported location.
  • Make yourself easy to see.
     Help rescuers spot you:

    • Move to an open area if it’s safe
    • Lay out items on the ground to create contrast, preferably brightly colored and/or reflective
    • If you can, wave or use reflective items when you hear aircraft or voices
  • Assess the situation.
     Take a moment to calmly figure out:

    • Who is injured or unwell
    • What supplies you have
    • Immediate risks (weather, falling rocks, water, etc.)
  1. Give first aid if needed.
     Treat serious bleeding, keep injured people still, and make everyone as comfortable as possible.
  2. Protect against the environment.
     Exposure is one of the biggest dangers.

    • Stay warm, dry, and out of the wind
    • Put on extra layers
    • Use insulation from the ground
    • Ration food and water, but do drink fluids
  • Listen and signal.
     Rescuers may approach on foot, by helicopter, or with drones.

    • Listen carefully for voices, aircraft, or equipment
    • Respond by shouting, waving, or signaling
  1. Keep a whistle ready.
     Every person — especially children — should have a whistle within reach.
     Three short whistle blasts = signal for help. Repeat as needed.

These simple actions can make a critical difference—for both the person in need and the volunteers responding.  

Seattle Mountain Rescue is an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization under “Mountain Rescue Council” with EIN 91-6049880. We are run by dedicated, highly trained volunteers that respond under the authority of the King County Sheriff’s Office and collaborates with other units through our association memberships with KCSARA and MRA.  SMR’s rescue services are provided free of charge, made possible by community support and donors like you.

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 by SMR Staff

Learning to Lead, and Staying Safe in Winter

Seattle Mountain Rescue Welcomes University Prep

Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR) recently welcomed 15 Upper School students from University Prep (UPrep) for an outreach education visit that connected classroom learning to real-world winter travel, leadership, and safety in the mountains.

An Intensive Snow School Experience

This year’s cohort enrolled in UPrep’s Intensive Snow School, participate with a program designed to build strong foundations in outdoor leadership and risk awareness. As part of the course, all students will complete an AIARE 1 Avalanche Course as well as spend multiple days at Mount Baker with a Pro Guide, where they’ll deepen their understanding of avalanche awareness, decision-making in winter terrain, and the responsibilities that come with recreating in snow-covered mountains and environments.

The visit to SMR offered a local, community-centered perspective—showing students how education, preparation, and teamwork extend beyond the classroom and into the broader outdoor ecosystem.

Getting to Know Seattle Mountain Rescue

During their visit, students received a brief introduction to SMR—who we are, what we do, and how we support the outdoor community across Washington. Volunteers shared how SMR partners with local sheriffs’ offices and other search and rescue (SAR) teams to respond when people need help in the backcountry.

Students were especially excited to explore the rescue truck, learn how equipment is organized for rapid response, and see how technology, such as drones, is helping bring everyone home from the backcountry faster than ever before. They also had the chance to meet Ruffles, SMR’s crisis response canine, whose calm presence and specialized training sparked plenty of curiosity and smiles.

Building the Next Generation of Outdoor Leaders

SMR is grateful for opportunities like this to connect with students who are actively learning how to head out on a hike, recreate responsibly and lead with awareness in winter environments. Programs like UPrep’s Intensive Snow School help cultivate thoughtful decision-makers—people who understand not only how to enjoy the mountains, but how to care for themselves, their partners, and the broader outdoor community.

We wish the UPrep snow school students a safe, inspiring experience at Mount Baker and beyond, and we’re proud to be part of their journey into winter leadership.

Seattle Mountain Rescue is an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization under “Mountain Rescue Council” with EIN 91-6049880. We are run by dedicated, highly trained volunteers that respond under the authority of the King County Sheriff’s Office and collaborates with other units through our association memberships with KCSARA and MRA.  SMR’s rescue services are provided free of charge, made possible by community support and donors like you.

Infrared Image using SMR’s Thermal Drone

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 by SMR Staff

Where We Want To Be

At Seattle Mountain Rescue, we often meet people who are having a bad day –potentially the worst day of their lives. Unfortunately, for Anna Fisher, a casual trail run through Melakwa Lake ended up being that kind of day.

Anna Fisher is no stranger to the backcountry. As a North Face sponsored ultra runner, Anna spends most of her time running trails, either training or racing distances up to 100km. This July, she and her boyfriend Jimmy traveled from their home in Midway, Utah to Snoqualmie, WA to visit friends and continue her training for an upcoming 100K mountain race in France.

The Melakwa Lake trail is a challenging, moderately used trail connecting the Pratt Lake with Melakwa Lake within Alpine Lakes Wilderness. You’re traversing through forest and open slopes with great views 10 miles down the Pratt River Valley to the Middle Fork River.

No one sets out on an adventure expecting it to go wrong, but nearly every long-term outdoor enthusiast has been in a situation where disaster was just one unforeseen accident away. Many times, an accident is a combination of several factors, some that are impossible to control.

Anna has spent a lot of time reflecting on the days leading up to her accident. There were a lot of coincidences leading up to that day”, Anna says. “The night before, my friend took us to a local brewery – Volition. We ordered “The 11th Essential”, a beer that benefited Seattle Mountain Rescue. My friend knew a member of SMR, and we had just been talking about what missions are like the night before.” Anna says she didn’t really know much about mountain rescue. She had seen the Utah SAR out on trails at home but was unsure about how they operated.

“I run by myself a lot, but at the last minute my boyfriend Jimmy decided to join me on the run (he is an ultra-runner as well). Everything was going fine, we had just stopped at Melakwa lake and were heading back towards our car at the trailhead. In a particularly technical and overgrown section, I slipped on a wet rock, and lodged my foot. I fell and heard a loud snap. Then the pain kicked in.”

“Both Jimmy and I have taken wilderness first aid, so we did our best to assess the situation. I struggle asking for help, so I tried walking out, but it was clear that I was in too much pain, and I was going to make my injury worse. We were also worried about making it out before nightfall. I had food, my water filter, but no headlamp and no jacket.”

Anna and Jimmy didn’t have cell service and were 8 miles from their car. “He ran ahead to get cell service to call Search and Rescue and told hikers along the way to look out for me. Strangers refilled my water bottle and gave me Tylenol.” Even though she knew she should stay where she was, Anna kept hobbling as far as she could go.

For Seattle Mountain Rescue, this would be the third mission that day. Earlier, SMR was called to Mailbox Peak for a hiker suffering from heat cramps. A team was heading up the Mailbox trail when the call came in for a trail runner with an ankle injury. The trail leading to Anna is extremely rough and takes a large team to get a loaded litter down this mile long section. SMR had packed a climber out of this section of trail with a broken ankle about two years ago and it was an all-night affair. When the team learned that Anna was slowly making her way, limping on the bad foot, they knew it would be an easier evacuation but that she would also be in a great deal of pain.

SMR and King County Explorer Search and Rescue (ESAR) headed in with the litter and first aid equipment and found Anna sitting on a rock at the top of the Olallie Lake trail. It took her several minutes to recover from the shot of pain from touching her foot, so the team knew she would need to be transported in the litter. The team assembled the litter, installed a full vacuum splint on her leg, loaded her in, secured her and soon were off rolling down the trail on the wheel under the litter.

As much as Anna was relieved to see the team, and as much as she knew she needed support, she felt conflicted about needing to be rescued. Often, the more experienced outdoor enthusiasts struggle to make the call for search and rescue. There’s a common misconception that only unprepared and inexperienced people need search and rescue. Seattle Mountain Rescue is called on missions for every level of experience and more times than not we are rescuing someone who knows what they’re doing. Accidents happen.

“I was embarrassed. On top of the pain, it was a hard pill for me to swallow that I was this hurt and that these people were out here for me on a Saturday night.” Anna says that despite her grumpiness, everyone was extremely kind, efficient, and even told her, “This is where we want to be.”

After the team made it back to the trailhead, Anna and Jimmy were ready to head to the ER in Snoqualmie. “I asked if they needed my insurance card or how I needed to exchange information. I was taken aback that they spent all this time helping me and were doing it as volunteers with nothing in return.” The ER confirmed Anna’s fibula was broken and back in Utah, she met with an orthopedic team that told her surgery was needed. If she had continued to walk out on her own it could have been a lot worse. She’s on the road to recovery and is managing the disappointment of not being able to race this summer. Anna is spending the time healing and mentally training for what lies ahead. In addition, she is still processing everything that happened on the day of her injury. “All of the coincidences leading up to it are so interesting. My friend knowing someone in SMR, the beer at Volition, and even Jimmy joining me that morning when I normally go alone.”

Anna is also grateful for the people who came to help her when she needed it most. “They were seeing me at my worst and spending their entire day rescuing me.” Once Anna was back in Utah, she emailed Seattle Mountain Rescue to thank the entire team. If she had not made the call for search and rescue, she could have caused irreparable damage to her ankle. Everyone at SMR appreciates how hard it can be to ask for help, but at the end of the day it’s why we’re here and it’s what we love to do. As the SMR Field Member told Anna that day, “this is where we want to be.”

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 by SMR Staff

When Things Go Wrong

Seattle Mountain Rescue volunteers have been helping hikers and other people who love the outdoors for decades.

WTA works every day to get people out on trail. We build and maintain trails, advocate for making them more accessible and create resources to help hikers to stay safe. But WTA can’t do it all – it takes a wide range of groups to care for the outdoors and the people who love being outside. And sometimes, things do go wrong. When they do, it’s nice to know that search and rescue organizations are there to help.

Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR) is one of those groups that can help hikers or other outdoor recreationists when something goes wrong. Their motto: “Everybody comes home from the backcountry.”

Read the complete article from Washington Trails Association staff writer Tiffany Chou
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