It was a very snowy July, summer of 2017, in the Northwest. We were beginning the second half of our 40 day backpacking trip that included some climbing and mountaineering. To play it safe and smart, we always carry a SAT Phone and a PLB, along with a rather hefty medical kit. We were still in the lower elevation trees that we’d been in for the past few days, but today we planned to begin the trek up a talus riddled creek drainage for a few miles with significant elevation gain.

As we began winding our way up, one student suddenly stopped and quickly drops her pack, in obvious respiratory distress. Recognizing this as anaphylactic shock, with a team effort we grabbed her Epi-pen from her pack and let the WFR’s took over. After a dose of epinephrine her condition did not greatly improve.

We called in on the SAT phone and were advised to press the PLB after determining that the 10 mile hike out plus the drive to town would be too much exposure, risking another reaction. So we fired up the PLB and within an hour the helicopter arrived. Our team wished her farewell and she was off to receive the care she needed.