Mountain rescue team members—'The Lone Wolves'

Author Benjamin A. Gochberg, Vail Mountain Rescue Group (VMRG)

It was nearly Christmas, and we were grateful it had been a relatively quiet rescue season thus far. 

The Vail Mountain Rescue Group had decided to hold a party at one of our members’ home. 

Watching mountain men, ex-Marines, river runners, guides, patrollers, paramedics, truckers and, yes, even the one-off CPA, pastor or banker crowd into a single kitchen can be quite an interesting experience.

Mountain Rescue was once described to me as an organization made up entirely of lone wolves. This is damn accurate. 

It requires strong personalities and strong will to step into some parts of the backcountry — a will that must often be used for less romantic purposes, like holding your tongue when you want to speak, or standing in the rain waiting for your next set of instructions, or hiking in 12 miles to the backside of Holy Cross to save unwise people that believe you are obligated to come get them. 

It’s a volunteer organization, but few people realize how much of themselves must actually be volunteered. 
I’m proud to stand among these lone wolves on this particular night,...read more here.

Source: Mountain Rescue Association