About Us
Our Mission
Chelan County Mountain Rescue is a nonprofit volunteer organization of experienced climbers dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue, emergency medical care and mountain safety education in Chelan County Washington and surrounding areas. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is legally mandated to come to the aid and rescue of those in need in the backcountry, however like many regions of the U.S., law enforcement cannot be expected to provide emergency medical care in the backcountry, navigate complex mountain terrain and objective hazards in all seasons, or undertake technical rock or ice rescue. Chelan County Mountain Rescue fills this gap providing personnel for technical mountain rescues beyond the capacity of the Sheriff's staff and ground local search and rescue.
Who We Are
We are comprised of climbers, backcountry skiers, hikers, and medical professionals with a passion for our local mountains and experience navigating them. We work in conjunction with and under the direction of the Chelan County Sheriff's Office and the Chelan County Emergency Management, including Sheriff Morrison, Emergency Management Sergeant Jason Reinfeld, and many deputies and emergency management specialists.
We differ from most search and rescue organizations in that we are willing to provide pre-hospital emergency care to the best of our abilities. In the past we have been less involved with "search" than with "rescue" of backcountry travellers.
We meet monthly on the second Tuesday of each month and include skills training and practice in most meetings. We also schedule training events in the field during which we practice such skills as technical rock rescue, navigating avalanche terrain, companion avalanche rescue, patient packaging and evacuation, and team communication. We train with the Sheriff's High Angle Rope Rescue Team (HARRT) and with Chelan County Volunteer Search & Rescue as opportunities arise.
We currently have an all volunteer team of over 20 members and are governed by a board of directors. All member of CCMR abide by a set of bylaws governing team conduct.
Where We Respond
Examples of common areas within Chelan County where CCMR responds to rescue callouts include:
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, including the Enchantments (Stuart Range)
Glacier Peak Wilderness, including the Pacific Crest Trail and areas around Lake Chelan
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest lands within Chelan County
Stevens Pass - Highway 2 corridor
Blewett Pass - Highway 97 corridor
Where requested in nearby jurisdictions (King, Snohomish, Okanogan, Douglas, Kittitas Counties)
