A Montezuma County man was rescued from Bolam Pass Saturday in the San Juan National Forest after being injured in a snowmobile crash.
While snowmobiling with friends, the man pitched over his handlebars and broke his leg, said Capt. Keith Keesling, of the Dolores County Search and Rescue.
The group used a cellphone to call for help. DCSAR, Rico Volunteer Fire Department and Flight for Life of Durango responded.
Two Rico Fire Department rescuers snowmobiled up Barlow Creek Road to the incident at 11,400 feet elevation near the Bolam Pass backcountry hut.
They administered medical aid and packaged the man for extraction by Flight for Life.
“There is a good landing zone in that area,” Keesling said.
After landing, the helicopter had to take off briefly to burn off some fuel to accommodate the patient, he said.
The man was flown to Mercy Medical and the injury was not life-threatening.
“Awesome job by all,” Keesling said. “The entire rescue was over in about two hours.”
He said the group was snowmobiling in a “pretty safe area” from avalanche danger when the crash occurred. But he warned backcountry users of a persistent weak layer in the snowpack that has been triggering avalanches on steeper slopes in the area.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center recorded five naturally occurring slides in the Sheep Mountain area north of Bolam Pass on March 10-12.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
