Crested Butte Search & Rescue - Mountain Rescue Team

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Crested Butte Search & Rescue - Mountain Rescue Team

CBSAR’s all volunteer team manages emergencies on 4,000 sq miles in Gunnison County’s North valley Crested Butte Search and Rescue, Inc.

(CBSAR) operates under the authority of the Gunnison County Sheriff and is responsible for handling backcountry emergencies within the approximate 4,000 square miles of the National Forest and wilderness surrounding Crested Butte, Colorado. CBSAR maintains expertise in high angle rescue, avalanche, and wilderness search operations. We are fully accredited by the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA).

12/10/2025

Join the CBAC at the MSP Lounge in the Elevation Hotel for our first Fireside Chat with a presentation by Crested Butte Mountain Rescue Director Randy Felix. The Fireside Chat series is made possible through funding from MetRec, NFF and STOR.

11/15/2025

Memorable night for CB Mountain Rescue and CB Fire with the grand opening of our new buildings! Thanks Eric Phillips Phillips_photo for the pics.

09/18/2025

Sad news on the outcome of the search in Coejos County for the two missing hunters Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko. Good work to all those involved for bringing closure. Our thoughts are with their families.

07/09/2025

Crested Butte SAR initially received this call and Aspen Mountain Rescue along with the Army National Guard / HAATS graciously took over this call since it was in their back yard. Thanks to all who helped with a safe and successful rescue. These are high risk rescues at high altitude. We wish the injured climber a speedy recovery.

04/28/2025

Boaters,
River wide strainer on the East River. This happened today. No injuries and the raft was recovered without incident. There is a separate post about this hazard on the Gunnison Valley Paddlers FB page from a different group as well. This strainer is on private land. Hopefully high water or a stealthy maneuver gets rid of it. Be heads up out there and get after it!

03/17/2025

IT'S AMOST SHOWTIME!

Crested Butte Search and Rescue's hosting of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is coming to the Crested Butte Center for the Arts this Friday and Saturday, March 21 & 22. Please help to support CBSAR by attending this amazing event. Get your tickets at cbsar.org or search for the event on Eventbrite. Each night showcases a different selection of films. We hope to see you there!

03/03/2025

Gunnison Valley friends,
Tickets are now on sale for Crested Butte Search and Rescue's 32 annual showing of the the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour! Please join us Friday, March 21 & 22 at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts from 7-10pm. CBSAR is an all volunteer non profit organization providing backcountry emergency medical and rescue services free of charge. This is an annual fundraising event for CBSAR. Tickets are available online through Eventbrite. Tickets can be purchased from a link on our website at cbsar.org or by the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1228261957579?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please consider coming out to support CBSAR and join us for two nights of amazing outdoor adventure and mountain culture films.

02/09/2025

Crested Butte,

Do you have a new iPhone? Her's how to use Apple's satellite text-to-911 during an emergency.

This is a post from Teton County Search and Rescue that we wanted to share to our community. Big thanks to Teton County SAR for making this post.

Apple’s satellite text function was introduced in the iPhone 14, released in 2022, and is available in all new iPhones with the IOS 18 update. When activated outside of cellular range, the device connects the user to the nearest satellite in order to send an emergency text message, which is then routed to the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center. Apple encourages iPhone users to set up a Medical ID and emergency contacts that are included in a SOS text message.

But if you’ve ever used a Garmin inReach or SPOT, you know that messages via satellite are not automatic. Transmission depends on the location of the user in relation to the satellite, and relaying a message often takes longer than what we’re all used to with standard text messaging while in cell range. During the chaos of an emergency, it’s easy to appreciate how complicated this procedure can be, especially if you’ve never used it before.

It’s also important to know that someone outside of the original text thread—such as a SAR member at Incident Command—will not be able to contact you directly with this technology. Contact with the reporting party must be done through dispatch. In other words, the reporting party must initiate the text in order to receive a response.

For those equipped with this capability, Apple recommends going through the demo available on your phone. Familiarize yourself with its functionality, and then remember to include the following info during an emergency:

When Texting 911 Via Satellite With Your IPhone, Please Provide The Following:

Nature of emergency and number of people in party.

Mechanism of activity (ski, snowmobile, etc.)

Anything SAR should know (previous medical history, allergies, other hazards, etc.)

And Please Remember:

Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the sky and horizon.

Satellite transmission is not automatic.

SAR response may take some time.

Watch for additional questions or instructions via text from the 911 dispatch center.

01/19/2025

Today CBSAR got in some toboggan training with CB Ski Patrol. We often ski injured patients out of the backcountry in toboggans and most times in very challenging conditions.

01/15/2025

CBSAR had our first Rapid Avalanche Deployment team training today with CB Professional Ski Patrol, and St. Anthony’s Flight For Life. We are always there when needed!

Big News: CBSAR is once again hosting the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour March 21 and 22, 2025. Tickets will go on sale in February. Mark your calendars!

12/04/2024

Hey CB,
Favor the Kind retail store is hosting a shopping fundraising event for CBSAR. Stop by, buy some awesome goods and gifts, eat some food, drink some drinks, and help to support Crested Butte Search and Rescue. We hope to see you there.

10/10/2024

Our new mountain rescue headquarters building is looking amazing. The construction crews are working very hard on our building and the new Fire Station building. Big thanks to CBFPD, and everyone else who has helped to make our dream a reality! We are so grateful. See the pics of our current home and you will understand why. We have been in our current tiny cache building for many years and this new building will give us garage, training, storage and mission planning space. We will finally have our own bathroom! Stay tuned for more updates. After completion, CBSAR will host a community open hose. Looking forward to seeing you all there in about 9 months!

Address

827 Butte Avenue/PO Box 485
Crested Butte, CO
81224

Telephone

+19705964704

Website

http://www.cbsar.org/

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Crested Butte Search and Rescue, Inc. (CBSAR) Mountain Rescue Team operates under the authority of the Gunnison County Sheriff and is responsible for handling backcountry emergencies within the approximate 4,000 square miles of the National Forest and wilderness surrounding Crested Butte, Colorado. CBSAR Mountain Rescue Team maintains expertise in high angle rescue, avalanche, and wilderness search operations. We are an Associate member of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA).