SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah — The official start of fall is almost here, which typically means a busier time of year for search and rescue teams in Utah.
Milder weather and colorful foliage draw more people to the mountains, and, with that, there's an uptick in injuries and other outdoor accidents.
Barbara Garrett knows first-hand just how dangerous mountaineering in Utah can be.
She caught the hiking bug later in life and has spent the last six years exploring different trails across the state, including Angels Landing.
Since then, the hobby has brought her a lot of joy until April of 2020, when she set out to walk Indian Trail in Ogden with her hiking partner.
"On the way back, as we were going along, we got to an area where I didn’t recognize the trail anymore," Garrett explained.
"I pointed that out, but my partner said, well, if we keep going, if we just get up to the top, then we could go down the other side.”
They eventually reached the top after slogging through tough terrain for several hours.
However, their plan to go down the other side was not feasible or safe because it was frozen over by snow.
Garrett's hiking partner said they'd have to go down the path they came up, but Barbara knew her body couldn't physically handle it.
"I had this feeling come over me that I can’t do it," she said.
That's when exhaustion quickly turned into fear for her life.
"All I could think of was, I need help," Garrett explained while holding back tears.
Thankfully, her cell phone had enough power and service, so she called Weber County Search and Rescue for help.
Within hours, Weber SAR had helped her make it down the mountain safely.
While reliving that moment still makes Garrett somewhat emotional to this day, it doesn't dictate her life. In part, she attributes that to making it through that traumatic incident without injury.
However, others aren't as fortunate.
"Grief and trauma reaction show up in a lot of different ways," said Trevor Davis, a Therapeutic Manager for the Climbing Grief Fund.
Davis says The Climbing Grief Fund is part of the American Alpine Club.
The non-profit created the online, educational resource hub three years ago to continue the evolution of and reduce the stigma surrounding conversations on mental health issues in the mountaineering community.
It includes educational articles about grief and trauma, a mental health directory of therapists, and workshops that help people heal emotionally and psychologically.
" In a way, it's kind of befriending ourselves, befriending our nervous systems, and understanding why after this big thing has happened, why am I feeling this way?" Davis said.
To learn about The Climbing Grief Fund and how to help yourself and/or loved ones through trauma and grief, click here.
