Texas Scouts Rescued

By JULIETTE RULE

A rented helicopter, airplane, 24 horses and a satellite telephone were required Thursday to locate a group of Boy Scouts from Texas and their guide near the east gate of Yellowstone.

The group of 13 near Flora Lake included six Scouts ages 14-16, six adults and a hired guide from Casper, S&R liaison Kirk Waggoner says.

The Scouts were on day three of a 50-mile hike, which began July 9, when their guide began to suffer from fatigue and dehydration in the upper area of Cloudburst Creek, he said.

The Scouts and the guide, whose name was not released, camped on Eagle Nest Mountain south of Pahaska Tepee at about 10,000 feet Wednesday night.

The group was not traveling on established trails.

The guide was complaining of leg cramps, which suggested dehydration, Waggoner said.

They were about 1,000 feet into the drainage of Cloudburst Creek, west of Flora Lake from which Kitty Creek flows, when they realized they were in trouble.

"That's a high-alpine meadow and they were in slide rock and heavy timber and rimrock," rescue worker Lee Livingston said. "They really couldn't go any further up or down."

Lee and Laurie Livingston Outfitting provided three guides and horses to assist in the rescue, he said.

Four of the strongest members of the hiking party walked out to get help at mid-day Thursday, and volunteer mountain rescuers were flown into the area by helicopter to assist the group.

The S&R plane dropped a note to the scouts about 12:30 p.m. telling them help was on the way and also found a safer route for them.

"Some of the younger Scouts knew right where they were," Livingston said. "They remembered walking up that trail two days before."

Most of the Scouts were guided out on foot by emergency workers. Some of their gear was left behind, but arrangements were made for an area troop to retrieve it, Waggoner said.

Rescue workers helped the guide over the ridge and to the trail so he could meet the horses, which took him down the trail, Waggoner said.

All members of the group were at Eagle Creek Trailhead by 12:30 a.m. Friday, according to Waggoner.

The guide was brought to West Park Hospital, but no injuries were reported, Waggoner said.

He said he "may send someone a bill for the helicopter rental fees," which typically cost about $650 per hour depending on the size and type of helicopter used.

The airplane is owned by Park County, Waggoner said.

Despite the danger of the situation, Waggoner said the Scouts did many things correctly.

"They recognized when they were in trouble and when their guide was in trouble," he said. "They stopped right then."

The Scouts also put out markers, making it easier for the pilot to see them.

"The pilot told me it made spotting them much easier," Waggoner said. "In fact, he wasn't sure he would have seen them if it hadn't been for the markers."

Scouts called the trip a "learning experience," noting they picked up many tips from the S&R workers.

The group headed home to the Dallas area Saturday.