PART 1 OF A MULTI-PART SERIES
Note: The following is a retelling of events from the 2022 Cuchara Trail Runs. Information provided has been pulled from Human Potential’s Incident Report; factual info gathered from participants, volunteers, HPRS staff, and race directors. The names of the individuals involved have been removed out of respect and for their protection. The purpose of this is not to denigrate, denounce, or embarrass the runner’s involved; but instead to provide a “teachable moment” to encourage all good decisions moving forward.
BACKGROUND
The Cuchara Trail Runs is a first-year trail and ultramarathon running event that is part of The Human Potential Running Series (HPRS). It is the sixth scheduled event of the fourteen on HPRS’ calendar in 2022. The event is permitted by Huerfano County, and The USDA United States Forest Service – San Carlos Ranger District. The trail running event is held at Cuchara Mountain Park in La Veta/Cuchara, CO and features distances of 50-Miles, 60k, 17 Miles, and 5-Miles. The event officially started at 05:00 on Saturday, June 25, 2022 with the 50-Mile and 60k distances, followed by the start of the 17-Mile at 06:00, and the 5-Mile at 06:30. A combined total of 92 runners started the event.
INCIDENT REPORT
In this event, the 50-Mile run had a final time cutoff of 18-Hours, or 23:00 on Saturday, June 25, 2022. From the event’s finish line at the base lodge of dormant Cuchara Mountain Park, race staff and volunteers were able to see the headlamps of runners descending the mountain in their final mile. At 23:00, two runners in the 50-Mile event were still unaccounted for at the finish line, which is not entirely unusual for an event like this but concerning given the weather conditions.
At 16:00, a torrential “monsoon season” rainstorm moved over the Culebra Range mountains dumping close to a half inch of rain during the first few hours of the storm. Temperatures dropped from the mid to upper 50s, into the mid to lower 40s. At the 23:00 hour cutoff, light rain and drizzle continued to fall on the race site, with a temperature of 43 degrees at the finish line, and upper 30s at elevation.
At 23:15, the race director took his personal vehicle and drove halfway up Cuchara Mountain via the ski resort access road, which is part of the course, looking for the two runners. The mountain had become so saturated with rainwater that upon his decent of the ski area access road his truck fish-tailed and slid down one of the many steep slopes at an angle, coming precariously close to steep ski runs. During his 45-minute drive, the runners were not located nor were their headlamps seen higher up on the mountain.
Over the course of the 11 o’clock hour, remaining HPRS staff and volunteers continued to wait at the finish line for the arrival of these final two runners. There were a few moments where headlamps were allegedly spotted on the mountain near the top of Cuchara Mountain lift number 4, with no verification of life following those sightings. The alleged lights were never spotted again, nor did either of the two remaining runners appear at the finish line over the course of this hour leading up to 12:00am/00:00 on Sunday, June 26, 2022. From where the lights on the headlamps were allegedly spotted, these two runners would have crossed the finish line within 30 minutes time or seen by race director John Lacroix while on his vehicle search.
“Runner A” is a 47-year-old female trail and ultrarunner from Aurora, CO. She has been running ultras since 2017, primarily within the state of Colorado with other finishes in Arizona and Arkansas. She has run in fourteen events with HPRS, and forty-three ultra-distance events overall, since 2017. Even with her vast experience in running these types of events over the last 5 years, she has a history of getting lost on numerous occasions, more than once requiring HPRS race staff and volunteers to search for her and return her to the course. She even got lost while performing the duties as a volunteer course sweep on one occasion. Two weeks prior to this race, she ran in another HPRS event where she missed one of the aid station’s cut-offs but chose to ignore HPRS volunteer’s efforts to cut her from the course, which is customary when a runner misses a cut-off.
HPRS events tend to have smaller participant fields than those of other companies that she has run with, which ultimately allows for our participants to spend hours and/or miles alone, rather than in groups. This has become a challenge for Runner A, whereas in events with higher participation numbers she is more likely to have a runner to follow in leading to her staying on course. When running alone is when she tends to veer off course. A few runners of this event had mentioned observing her running off course, or taking a wrong turn, a couple of times over the course of the event, requiring them to yell for her and keep her on track verbally.
“Runner B” is a 49-year-old male runner from Colorado Springs, CO. He has been running in trail events since 2009, with his first and only previous ultramarathon in New Mexico in 2015. This was the furthest distance he had ever taken on, and his first event with HPRS, leading to HPRS having no experience with this runner and unaware of his skill set or any lack in skill set. Throughout the event there were no other reported issues with Runner B, and no cause for concern.
Sunday, June 26, 2022
At 00:15 on 6/26/2022, after unsuccessfully spotting the runners on his drive up and down the mountain, race director John Lacroix made the decision to call 911 and activate the HPRS Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for the two missing runners. He identified himself to dispatch, identified the event and reason for the call, and requested the assistance of Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel at Cuchara Mountain Park.
John also assembled a hasty team of HPRS staff and volunteers to begin searching the area on foot and via vehicle. HPRS Assistant Race Director Emily Royal grabbed a headlamp and climbed the 2+ miles to the top of Cuchara Ski Area, and along the mountain’s social trail to where it runs into the USFS Indian Creek Trail 1300. She called the missing runner’s names the entire time and did not see or hear any trace of them in her journey. She returned to the mountain base at 02:45.
Runner A’s significant other continued to scan the mountain for headlamps from the base lodge area, intermittently driving in his personal vehicle to the Spring Creek Trailhead and back. The Spring Creek trailhead in Cuchara was used as an aid station during the event, where runners checked in for safety monitoring and for sustenance. We continued to check this station location, and highway 12, if the runners had descended the trails into these areas for any reason.
Runner B’s significant other walked about a half mile up the El Diablo ski run on Cuchara Mountain with a headlamp, also calling both runner’s names, searching for any glimpse of a headlamp or evidence of their passing through. Upon her return to the mountain base at 01:00, she got in her personal vehicle and drove up USFS Road 422 to Blue Lake and back. She did not locate either runner nor did she spot their headlamps on either journey.
The responding SAR personnel was Captain Gabriel Moreno from Huerfano County SAR and Trinidad Ambulance District. He called John at 01:45 at which time they spoke on the phone. This phone call was to gain further information about the evolving incident, understanding what resources may be needed, and to begin devising a SAR plan to locate the missing runners.
Between 00:15, when 911 was called, and 02:45, John began gathering all known facts about each runner’s last known whereabouts. The aid station runner tracking sheet for Spring Creek Aid Station indicated that Runner A never checked in to this aid station a final time, meaning she ran past the station without bothering to check-in. Runner B had checked into the station his final time, but an errant time of 17:58 was recorded by volunteers, which would have been 58 minutes past the stations final 17:00 cutoff. This ultimately led to considerable confusion about the runner’s whereabouts until his check-in time at Bonnett/Forbes could be verified.
The Bonnett/Forbes runner tracking sheets were not found with the returned aid station equipment and supplies, so not readily available. At approximately 03:00, Assistant Race Director Emily Royal walked down to the race’s parking lots to wake the Bonnett/Forbes aid station captain who was asleep in a camper. Upon waking this volunteer, she requested the tracking sheets which he still had in his possession. The sheets were promptly provided. John then instructed Assistant Race Director Emily Royal and HPRS Volunteer Coordinator Stephen Wilfong-Oliphant to get some rest in the event their help may be needed with a search at first light.
In investigating the Bonnett/Forbes runner tracking sheets, it was verified that both Runner A and B had checked in to that station a final time. Quick math of check-in times indicated that the last time recorded at Spring Creek for Runner B was an error. John then called HPRS Advisory Board Member Miguel Isaza to verify that Runner A never checked in to Spring Creek, and that Runner B had passed through at 16:58 and not 17:58. At Bonnett/Forbes, Runner A was last recorded at 18:32, and Runner B at 18:58; their last verifiable whereabouts.
Captain Moreno arrived on scene at 02:45. He and John entered the Cuchara Mountain Base lodge where they began going over all information related to the event, the missing runners, and all information compiled by John in the hours between calling 911 and Captain Moreno’s arrival.
It should be noted that during the collection of information about each runner’s last known whereabouts, the significant other of Runner A provided information that was not factual, and hearsay. At first, he reported that he had heard from Runner A personally, and that she was on her way in with another group of runners. Upon pressing further about this information, the significant other heard from another runner who said they last saw Runner A in a group around 7:30pm, indicating that he had not indeed heard from her directly. This misinformation lead to considerable confusion and a delay in being able to assess her potential whereabouts.
The significant others of each runner remained in the lodge to assist Captain Moreno and John Lacroix with information about each runner including clothing they were wearing and had on their person during the run, recent photographs of each runner, articles of clothing from each runner so that scent bags could be made for search dogs, and any pertinent medical history. Captain Moreno began making calls to assemble resources for a 06:30 search effort. Resources compiled included two flight for life helicopters, one in Walsenburg and one in Trinidad, in the event that conditions allowed for an aerial search. Also included were calling in 50 SAR personnel, ATVs for traversing trails associated with the event, and search dogs.
At about 03:00 a volunteer firefighter with La Veta Fire, who is also a local Cuchara resident, arrived on scene to check in and offered help with loaning an ATV if needed. A firefighter with Weston fire arrived with his young son to operate a drone with rfd camera technology attached. After describing the course to the Weston personnel, they were dispatched to the Spring Creek Trailhead to begin drone operations to try and locate a heat signature of either runner near that location.
At 03:45, the drone had identified heat signatures in the forest near the Spring Creek Trailhead. Captain Moreno and John immediately drove to the Spring Creek Trailhead arriving at 04:00 and began hiking up trail to beneath where the drone was hovering over those signatures. John bushwhacked up and down the rain-soaked landscape to numerous locations where heat signatures had been identified by the drone, each time verifying that the signature was that of bedded down deer. At 04:45, Captain Moreno and John left to return to Cuchara Mountain Park while the Weston Crew continued their drone search at Spring Creek.
While driving up Panadero Avenue towards Cuchara Mountain Park at 04:50, pedestrians were spotted on the left-hand side of the road coming out of the campground assembled for the event. John Lacroix quickly identified the pedestrians as the two missing runners, and a friend of Runner B. Captain Moreno stopped his vehicle, they both exited, and verified that the two missing runners had been found.
Upon instructing both runners to enter Captain Moreno’s vehicle, Runner A attempted to enter the driver’s seat, while Runner B successfully got into the back seat of the driver’s side. John took Runner A’s hand and personally guiding her into the passenger’s seat of the vehicle. Both runners were driven to the finish line area, while John and the friend of Runner B walked the remainder of the distance up the hill.
Runner B went inside of the Cuchara Mountain base lodge where he was assessed and treated by Captain Moreno. He had a cut on the bridge of his nose from being whacked in the face by a branch while on his journey through the dark. Captain Moreno helped him clean and dress the wound, while his significant other brought him warm/dry clothing to change into. Runner B remained in the lodge until about 06:00, at which time he left under his own volition. He was fed, provided with warm tea to warm up his core temp, and ensured he was in satisfactory health.
Runner A was obviously suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion and was observed in a state of shock. Runner B reported that Runner A had been drinking straight from area creeks throughout, resulting in her vomiting for hours on end. Her significant other ushered her into his vehicle immediately following her arrival at the base lodge then proclaimed, “Thanks, I’ve got it from here boys!”. She was not assessed, or treated, and was escorted from the premises by her significant other.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
No report or information has been collected from Runner A or her significant other regarding what happened. HPRS has not been able to ascertain why she skipped the Spring Creek Aid Station her final time, or where she went wrong on her journey to the finish line from Bonnett/Forbes the final time. She was initially off course on her own, and not with Runner B until later in the night.
Screenshots of a conversation between Runner A and another HPRS runner indicate that Runner A believes that the wind had blown course marking ribbons off of the trees, and not that she had failed to locate and follow the ribbons that remained present as marked. She equates her misadventure to “bad luck” perhaps indicating a lack in understanding of the seriousness of what just transpired. Course sweeps on the Tuesday following the event were able to verify that all ribbons and course markings were still 100% intact.
Runner B provided a GPS track of his run and a recollection of what transpired. He reported reaching the left hand turn off Indian Creek 1300 to Cuchara Mountain Park but spotted a headlamp up ahead. He ignored his turn and continued down Indian Creek 1300 heading south to investigate. It is then that he found Runner A. She was walking toward him having realized she overshot the turn. Together, they continued north on Indian Creek 1300 and turned right at the proper location.
The runners were able to identify the first two ribbons on the route back to Cuchara Mountain but missed the third. He didn’t realize that the route veered to the left (northeast) and thought that if they kept going on their current trajectory that they would simply hit the service road, or a ski run, and find their out way from there. They entered into a valley/drainage on the mountain and assumed that it would ultimately lead them back out onto one of the ski runs.
Unfortunately, they had veered too far off course, and away from the ski area, that they were in a drainage that did not empty out onto the ski runs or onto the service road. Runner B knew that should they have continued down the drainage, they would eventually run into a road. Runners A and B would bushwhack, off trail, downhill through a seldom traveled drainage until they emerged from the woods at Higher Grounds Coffee at the corner of Panadero Avenue and Highway 12. Both of their cell phones had died, and when still operational lacked service to call for help.
AFTER ACTION
John Lacroix followed up with Runner B via phone on Monday June 27, 2022. He reported being sore from his adventure but no other negative effects. He also provided a brief email explaining what had occurred during his adventure, including screenshots of his GPS tracks before his tracking device battery died. He also provided insight into Runner A’s condition during their time together. Runner B has expressed immense gratitude for our search efforts, a complete and total understanding of what went wrong, an understanding of the seriousness of the event, and provided a plan of action for himself moving forward.
The HPRS Advisory Board met virtually to discuss Runner A and her track record of getting lost at HPRS events, her ignoring checking in to aid stations, and her leaving stations despite arriving after cut-off. She has been placed on a temporary “pause” from running HPRS events until a face-to-face meeting can be had to discuss safety measures for her participation in our events moving forward. No injury or other has been reported by her significant other in ongoing email communications with him.
HPRS finally got in touch with Runner A, through email communications, on July 3rd. In her email she acknowledged it being her fault for getting lost and acknowledged getting “lost a lot” at our events. She has purchased a Garmin inReach for future adventures which we hope she will learn to use with expert precision. She did not report any injuries and did not provide any further information as to what transpired at Cuchara. She did provide information about what transpired at South Park, where she continued beyond an aid station passed the cut-off. We hope to meet with her in the future to discuss appropriate safety measures for her to be able to participate with us, her significant other has been banned from HPRS due to his needlessly violating our code of conduct in email communications.
Prior to each event, HPRS provides runners with the following tools for navigation of our courses: GPX files of each route, pdf files of all course maps, course routes on the Colorado Trails Explorer App (Free to use), course routes on the HPRS App (Free and for iOS only), and course routes on the GaiaGPS app, and detailed instructions on how to use all of the apps. HPRS relies on volunteers to mark each course with surveyor’s tape and laminated signs at junctions where multiple courses intersect.
HPRS also provides a document titled “Responsibilities of the Runner” where-in it states: “Navigation: Familiarize yourself with the course map, aid station locations, crew/pacer rules, and all available navigational tools at your disposal (Apps, Maps, gpx files, etc.). While we will mark the course, it is always up to the runner to know the course.” Runner navigation and the responsibility for the runner to know the course is also discussed in each event’s Participant’s Manual.
For this event, HPRS was forced to implement major course changes following the discovery of a 500-acre area of blowdowns on the originally planned route. This is because the United States Forest Service (USFS) closed the area associated with the blow downs due to it being a significant safety hazard. HPRS submitted course changes to all land managers, and runners, 1 week after learning of the closures, which was at the end of May. The CoTrex and Gaia apps were updated, as were provided pdf and gpx files.
During course marking on the Friday of race weekend, it was determined that some of the reroutes were not viable due to significant safety hazards on course including blow downs, washed out roads in the Spring Creek Fire Area, and the forecast for flash flooding in burn scars on race day. Therefore, race director John Lacroix made the decision to alter the course once again with the health and safety of runners and volunteers in mind. Due to the proximity of this decision to the start of the races, gpx files could not be updated in time. CoTrex and Gaia apps were also not able to be updated in time. RD John Lacroix provided a verbal description of course changes during Friday night’s packet pick-up.
During the event, RD John Lacroix and Asst RD Emily Royal both dispatched out onto the course to the two major intersections where course modifications would need to be navigated. They both sat in their location for 10 hours on race day to ensure that all runners knew where to go each time they arrived at one of these junctions. Once all runners passed through these areas, and were once again running the intended route given in the weeks leading up to the event, John and Emily vacated their posts. The 50-mile route was then run as changed (at the end of May) from mile 41.75 to the end. Therefore, all course changes were not a factor in this situation and all supplied tools could have been used by either runner for personal navigation.
Neither runner in this incident utilized the tools provided them by HPRS to navigate the course in their final hours out there. The apps provided for runner navigation work even when there is no cell service, provided the runner open and access the maps within the apps during a time when service/wifi is available to them, and their phone have ample battery life. Runners in our events should place their phones on airplane mode and use phone technology for self-tracking as appropriate. Being in airplane mode will save the runner a considerable amount of battery. Not making videos, Instagram posts, TikToks, or texting others while in the event (neither of these runners were doing excessive amounts of either… this is merely for conversations sake) also saves considerable battery life in the event of an emergency. Neither runner had a paper map on their person, neither runner had loaded the gpx files onto their watch or phone.