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Wilderness First Aid

Essential first aid knowledge for when help is hours away. This is not a substitute for formal training.

Get Trained

Nothing replaces hands-on training. Take a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or at minimum a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course before heading into the backcountry regularly. NOLS Wilderness Medicine, SOLO, and the Wilderness Medicine Institute all offer courses in Colorado.

Backcountry First Aid Kit Essentials

Wound Care

  • Nitrile gloves (2-3 pairs)
  • Gauze pads (4x4) and roller gauze
  • Adhesive bandages (assorted)
  • Steri-strips or butterfly closures
  • Medical tape
  • Irrigation syringe
  • Antiseptic wipes

Trauma & Stabilization

  • SAM splint or improvised splint materials
  • Elastic wrap (ACE bandage)
  • Triangular bandage / cravat
  • Hemostatic gauze (for severe bleeding)
  • Emergency blanket (2x)
  • Chest seal (for penetrating chest injuries)

Medications

  • Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory / pain)
  • Acetaminophen (pain / fever)
  • Diphenhydramine (allergic reactions)
  • Epinephrine auto-injector (if prescribed)
  • Any personal prescriptions

Tools

  • Trauma shears
  • Tweezers
  • Safety pins
  • Pencil and waterproof paper (for patient notes)
  • CPR pocket mask

Scene Assessment: First Steps

When you come upon an accident or injury in the backcountry, follow this sequence:

  1. 1
    Scene Safety. Is the area safe for you? Avalanche terrain, rockfall, traffic, exposure. You cannot help anyone if you become a victim. Do not rush in.
  2. 2
    Number of patients. Look around. Is there more than one person injured? Triage if needed.
  3. 3
    Mechanism of injury. What happened? This tells you what injuries to expect (fall, tree strike, burial, etc.).
  4. 4
    Primary assessment (ABCs). Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Address life threats first. Check for responsiveness, open the airway, check for breathing, control major bleeding.
  5. 5
    Secondary assessment. Head-to-toe exam. Look, ask, feel. Check vitals. Get a patient history (SAMPLE: Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past history, Last food/water, Events leading to injury).
  6. 6
    Plan. Treat, monitor, and decide: can they walk out, do you need a carry-out, or do you need helicopter evacuation? Activate your emergency plan.

Common Backcountry Injuries

Hypothermia

The biggest threat in Colorado's mountains year-round. Wet, windy conditions at altitude accelerate heat loss.

  • Signs: Shivering, confusion, slurred speech, clumsiness, apathy
  • Treatment: Get out of wind/wet. Remove wet clothing. Insulate from ground. Add heat sources (warm water bottles in armpits/groin). Warm sweet drinks if conscious. Gentle handling — no rubbing extremities.
  • Prevention: Layers, stay dry, eat and hydrate regularly, monitor your partners

Fractures and Dislocations

Common from falls while skiing, biking, or scrambling.

  • Signs: Deformity, swelling, pain, inability to bear weight, crepitus
  • Treatment: Splint in position found (or position of comfort). Pad well. Check circulation below the injury (pulse, sensation, movement) before and after splinting. Manage pain.
  • Evacuation: Most fractures require professional care. Splint, manage pain, and evacuate.

Altitude Sickness (AMS)

Common above 8,000 ft, especially for visitors. Crested Butte sits at 8,885 ft; many tours go to 12,000+ ft.

  • Signs: Headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, poor sleep
  • Treatment: Descend. Even 1,000-2,000 ft helps. Hydrate. Rest. Ibuprofen for headache.
  • Serious signs (HACE/HAPE): Severe headache, vomiting, confusion, ataxia (can't walk straight), gurgling breathing, cyanosis. Descend immediately. This is life-threatening.

Severe Bleeding

  • Direct pressure is the first and most effective step. Press hard with gauze or clothing.
  • Pack the wound with gauze if pressure alone isn't working (push gauze into the wound).
  • Tourniquet for life-threatening limb bleeding that won't stop. Apply 2-3 inches above the wound. Note the time. Do not remove.

Avalanche Burial

Time is critical. Survival drops to ~50% after 15 minutes of burial.

  • Search: Switch to receive, visual scan for clues, beacon search, probe, dig
  • Dig: Approach from downhill. Strategic shoveling (V-shaped conveyor) is faster than digging straight down.
  • Treat: Clear airway first. Assume spinal injury. Handle gently — hypothermic hearts are fragile. Begin CPR if no pulse and you can maintain it until rescue arrives.
  • Take an AIARE course for proper companion rescue training

Calling for Help: Satellite SOS

Cell service is unreliable to nonexistent in most of the Elk Mountains. A satellite communicator (Garmin inReach, SPOT, or PLB) should be in your pack on every backcountry trip. When someone is seriously injured and can't self-evacuate, it's the difference between a quick rescue and hours of uncertainty.

When to activate SOS: Life-threatening injury or illness, a missing person you can't find, or conditions that threaten survival and you cannot self-rescue. Don't hesitate — search and rescue would rather respond to a call that turns out less serious than not be called at all.

See the full Satellite SOS Guide for device details, step-by-step activation, and what to expect after you press the button.

Crested Butte Area Emergency Contacts

Add your personal emergency contacts to your profile so trip partners know who to reach on your behalf.

911 (Emergency)

Cell service is limited — know your location (GPS coordinates) before calling

Gunnison County Search & Rescue

Activated through 911 dispatch

Gunnison Valley Hospital

(970) 641-1456

Colorado Poison Center

1-800-222-1222

Disclaimer: This guide provides general reference information only. It is not a substitute for formal wilderness first aid or wilderness first responder training. Take a certified WFA or WFR course before heading into the backcountry.