While many Summit County residents spent Tuesday sheltered from the winter storm indoors, two Utah men spent the night in a makeshift snow cave after becoming stranded near the Evanston side of the state line.
Summit County Search and Rescue received an SOS alert from a SPOT satellite communication device around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning about two snowmobilers who were stranded near Bear River Ranger Station due to the storm, according to Summit County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Felicia Sotelo.
The men, who are both in their 30s and do not reside in Summit County, departed around 8 a.m. Tuesday to go snowmobiling and planned to return before nightfall. However, the men dropped into a steep bowl while recreating through the forest and were unable to get out. The group was also low on fuel.
Experienced in the backcountry and aware of the imminent weather, the men came prepared with sufficient gear, avalanche equipment and tools to help them create a rudimentary shelter out of the snow as well as a fire to keep warm.
“I think it could have gone a lot differently. The forest is a big place, especially with a major storm like we just had. The snow is going to eliminate a lot of tracks and things of that nature. Them being prepared really helped us help them,” Sotelo said.
Around seven Search and Rescue members were dispatched to locate the group early Wednesday morning. The men were a significant distance from the trailhead and the terrain was difficult, which caused the rescue effort to take several hours, Sotelo said.
Search and Rescue finally found the men around 9:30 a.m. in good health. They were exhausted but did not need any other medical assistance. It wasn’t until noon that crews were finally off the mountain.
Sotelo praised the men for their preparedness. She said anyone heading into deep snowy areas like the Uintas should always carry extra food and water, carry a GPS communication device and always let someone know where they’re going.