TRACKING

The Team utilizes tracking and sign cutting techniques to locate lost and injured hikers in remote areas. By studying the environment and the tracks left behind, the team can determine the direction of travel and make informed decisions on how to proceed with the search.

Shoeprints

Locating a shoeprint of a missing person significantly improves them being located by Search and Rescue. By using only a single footprint the tracking team can determine the direction of travel. Having a pair of footprints will determine stride length, which helps find following footprints that ideally will ultimate lead to the person.

Clues

The ability to read the terrain and identify subtle clues often leads to critical information that helps locate a missing person. Besides shoeprints, teams will look for disruptions in the natural environment, such as broken branches or twigs, grass thats been stomped down, along with pieces of ripped clothing on branches or food droppings like peels and seed shells.