Photo Gallery

• Teaching Students

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  CCSAR's outreach program, Hug-a-Tree, teaches students how to stay safe in the wilderness. We reassure them that we will come if they get lost (more below).

• Wilderness First Aid

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  Team members learn to respond to lifethreatening medical situations in remote settings. Treating injuries includes dealing with harsh weather and difficult terrain.

• Training Academy

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  Patient extractions from the wilderness require stamina and teamwork. Volunteers practice their skills using obstacle courses at Training Academy.

• Swift Water Rescue

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  CCSAR provides first response for swift water emergencies. The Stanislaus and Mokelumne Rivers provide white water challenges to a wide range of enthusiasts.

• Swiftwater Entry

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  Swift-water rescue is physically demanding and adrenaline pumping. Rescuers never enter the water without back-up and always know the hazards downstream.

• Personal Protective Gear

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  Swift water rescue is hazardous and life-threatening. Safety depends on proper training and gear. Dry suits, helmets and flotation devices are standard for these operations.

• Patient Packaging

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  Injured patients must be packaged so that litters can be lifted, lowered, inverted and turned. Back-country extractions may require all these movements.

• Cave Rescue

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  Tight spaces and narrow passageways make Cave Rescue challenging. Rescuers use modified gear and ropes to move their patient to safety.

• Canine Fashion

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  Eye protection is mandatory when sun and snow combine. The sun's reflection can cause snow blindness. TAZ sports the latest in canine fashion accessories.

• GPS for Navigation

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  Team members carry GPS devices, but skill with a compass is fundamental for effective navigation. GPS systems won't work in heavily forested areas and steep canyons.

• Winter Rescues!

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  Travel in winter can be complicated by terrain difficulties. Rescuers rapel these icy cliffs to ensure a safe descent with their heavy pack loads.

• Searching for Victims

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  Rescuers use probes to search for avalanche victims during this mock search. Survival rates decrease rapidly with time so rescuers must act quickly.

• All Terrain

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  This all terrain vehicle goes anywhere in the snow, making it vital for transporting rescuers, gear and injured parties.

• High Angle Descent

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  Trainer, Matt O'Donnell, preps a rescuer for a high angle descent. Steeper rock requires additional gear and training.

• Rope Work

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  One fifth of our rescues involve technical rope work. These rescuers prepare for a "low angle" training scenario above the Stanislaus River.

• Learning while Playing

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  Learn about rescue systems by playing tug-o-war! We construct a 3:1 rope system and use the game to demonstrate the concept of leverage. A little physics, a lot of fun.

Calaveras County is bordered by two wild rivers, the Mokelumne and the Stanislaus. Both carve their way through deep canyons, surrounded by a visual drama that will reset your benchmark for beauty.  The Mokelumne Canyon is one of the last remaining pristine wilderness canyons. Spring snow-melt creates spectacular whitewater and the wildflower bloom continues throughout the summer as it follows the retreating snow into higher elevations. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, there is no better place to come and play.

Because the terrain is diverse and rugged, our volunteers develop a broad range of search, survival and rescue skills. They prepare for operations in extreme terrain and weather conditions. If you get lost or hurt in this wilderness country, it’s serious and frightening. We train as if it could happen to one of us.

The photo gallery above illustrates the diversity of our county. When you travel this back-country, do as we do, take THE TEN ESSENTIALS.  To learn more, read The Ten Essentials by Steve Shields, first published in the Calaveras Chronicle.

DID YOU KNOW?

Calaveras Search & Rescue teaches wilderness survival to youngsters and school aged children through its Hug-a-Tree program. The Sheriff’s Office awarded the prestigious Lifesaving Award to this program after it met a milestone of training 13,000 students. It is taught using hands-on activities at county schools and recreational areas like Big Trees State Park. A local principal called the program “Outstanding!” and added “This should be mandatory for all our school aged children.”

Using the Hug-a-Tree program, youngsters learn how to “play it safe in wild places.” Join us Monday nights at the Campfire, 8:30PM, Big Trees State Park.  For a history of Hug-a-Tree, visit NASAR Hug-A-Tree or “Contact Us.”

For more on Hug-a-Tree and Calaveras County Search & Rescue, listen to Joel Metzger’s interview with Jay and Jan Brethauer on YouTube’s “Inside View.”