Less than 48 hours after learning it was one of two search-and-rescue organizations nationwide in the running for a Land Rover 130 SUV and $30,000 in cash, Big Horn County Search and Rescue had a weekend that showed exactly why it needs the help.
Overdue hikers on Cloud Peak. A stranded boater in Bighorn Canyon that caused several volunteers to miss the organization’s community fundraiser. More overdue hikers.
And then, one final call Sunday night involving another hiker on Wyoming's highest mountain in the Bighorn Range.
By the time the whirlwind weekend was over, Big Horn County Search and Rescue volunteers had responded to four calls — each one ending with good news.
But the weekend also reinforced something Search and Rescue Coordinator Jeff Schmidt has known for years: The calls keep coming, regardless of whether the agency has enough money to keep pace.
The final call of the weekend marked the organization's 47th mission of 2026. Last year's 55 calls were already more than four times Big Horn County Search and Rescue's historical average.
At the same time, its county funding has dropped from about $106,000 to $50,000 as property-tax reductions squeezed budgets, Schmidt said.
Additional property-tax reductions debated by Wyoming lawmakers could tighten those finances even further.
From Badlands To Alpine Peaks
Big Horn County has a modest population of 12,000 people, but the search-and-rescue territory is sprawling.
Volunteers cover more than 3,100 square miles of terrain ranging from desert badlands to towering alpine peaks, caves and swift mountain rivers.
The county also receives a steady stream of visitors. Three major highways — U.S. Highways 14, 14A and 16 — cross the Bighorn Mountains, carrying thousands of travelers each year, including tourists headed to and from Yellowstone National Park.
"We run high-risk missions all the time," Schmidt said. "We have to have tons of training."
Big Horn County Search and Rescue is Wyoming's second busiest volunteer rescue organization, Schmidt said, behind only Teton County in the number of calls it receives.
The combination of booming tourism, rugged terrain and remote wilderness means a simple hiking trip or mechanical problem can quickly become a search-and-rescue mission.
And that was exactly what happened over the weekend.
Missing Hiker On Cloud Peak
The first call came Friday after a hiker who had been seen near the summit of Cloud Peak failed to return when expected.
Cloud Peak, which rises to 13,167 feet, is the highest in the Bighorns. It sits deep in the Cloud Peak Wilderness, where steep terrain and a network of trails can make searches particularly challenging.
Schmidt said a search team was already preparing to head up the mountain when, at about 1 a.m., they received what he called "the update we always like to hear."
The hiker had turned up at a wilderness camp and did not need assistance.
Then A Stranded Boater
Big Horn County Search and Rescue had planned a fundraiser for Saturday evening, including a gun raffle and silent auction to raise money for needed equipment.
Then another call came in.
Volunteers were on their way to the fundraiser when they learned of a stranded boater about 18 miles north of Barry Landing in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.
The boater's motor had stopped working.
Two search-and-rescue volunteers deployed a jet boat to reach him. By the time they connected, he had managed to get his motor partially running and had traveled about six miles toward Barry Landing.
Volunteers hooked onto his boat and towed him the rest of the way.
"We had teams out until midnight on that one," Schmidt said.
Meanwhile, the fundraiser went on without them.
By the end of the night, Big Horn County Search and Rescue had raised just under $24,000 through gun raffle tickets, silent auction items and donations from food trucks, two of which gave 20% of their proceeds from the evening back to the organization.
Back To Cloud Peak
Sunday morning brought another call about overdue hikers on Cloud Peak.
The search initially involved multiple teams because of the numerous trails leading into and around the mountain.
"We have to send teams in on all those trails because we don't want to miss them," Schmidt said. "We pretty much just have to cover our bases. It takes a lot of teams to cover all those areas."
They soon learned which trail the hikers were likely using and sent a ground team from the West Tensleep Trailhead.
Volunteers located the hikers and escorted them back to the trailhead.
The hikers were expected to meet family members staying at Bear Lodge on Saturday night. When they had not arrived by Sunday morning, the family contacted search and rescue.
Schmidt said volunteers were preparing to dispatch a helicopter team when they learned the pair was safe.
"It was a lot bigger climb than what they thought, so they spent an extra night up there," he said.
That kind of miscalculation is not unusual in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
"What happens is that the people going hiking maybe underestimate the time it's going to take to climb the mountain," Schmidt said.
Make Yourself Easy To Find
Schmidt said hikers can make search-and-rescue operations easier by taking a few simple precautions before heading into the backcountry.
One is to wear or carry something brightly colored.
Red, in particular, can be visible from a long distance and is easier for searchers to spot than the earth tones commonly worn by hikers, he said.
Another is to let someone know exactly where you are going and when you expect to return.
Schmidt said hikers should leave a basic itinerary with family or friends and, if possible, on their vehicle. It should include the trail they plan to take and where they expect to go.
"Sometimes hikers don't even tell people what trailhead they're going from," Schmidt said.
That can create another challenge for rescuers.
"It can take us several hours just to find the vehicle to know where to start," he said. "We pretty much have to find a vehicle first, so we know where to start looking."
One More Call
Just when the busy weekend appeared to be winding down, another call came in Sunday night involving another overdue hiker on Cloud Peak.
Multiple teams began heading toward the mountain before they learned the hiker was already safely off the mountain.
The hiker's mother had been monitoring his location through his phone, Schmidt said.
It was the fourth call of the weekend and the fourth that ended without tragedy.
For the volunteers who spent the weekend preparing to search for hikers, rescuing a stranded boater and remaining ready to deploy again, the calls were another reminder of how quickly a quiet weekend can change.
And for the people who had spent Saturday night buying raffle tickets, bidding on auction items, donating and simply showing up, the weekend offered a clear picture of what their support helps sustain.
"For everyone who came out Saturday, bought a raffle ticket, grabbed a beer, bid on an auction item, donated or simply showed up: This is what you're supporting," volunteer Morgan Dufort shared on social media.
A Land Rover And $30,000
The hectic weekend came just after Big Horn County Search and Rescue learned Thursday it had advanced to the final two organizations competing for a Land Rover 130 SUV and $30,000 cash award.
The other finalist is Custer County Search and Rescue in South Dakota.
The winner will be announced Sept. 12 at a gala in California. Schmidt said he plans to be there.
A watch party is also being planned locally for Sept. 12. Dufort said details were still being hammered out.
She added she hopes the competition has already accomplished something important by drawing attention to the financial challenges facing one of Wyoming's busiest search-and-rescue organizations.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time, the people we talk to in our communities don't know that the organization is under-funded," she said. "If they don't know, they can't help us."
For Schmidt, the growing number of calls makes the need difficult to ignore.
Big Horn County Search and Rescue is already only eight calls shy of matching all of last year's total.
"We're already at 47," Schmidt said. "And we've got a lot of summer left up there."
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
