Published on September 21, 2017

 

Midas Gold Team Helps Hunters

Early in the fall, it is always hard to predict what type of weather we will see up at the Stibnite Gold Project site. This week was no exception. Rain early in the week quickly changed to snow flurries and by the end of the day on Wednesday there were seven-foot snow drifts above Stibnite at Monumental Summit. This unexpected storm blanketed the roads and trapped two groups of hunters in the backcountry near our site. Fortunately, we were able to help them make it down from the mountains safely.

Late on Wednesday, a hunter stopped at the core shed on site after running into town to get snow chains and not being able to get back up to his hunting party. He was part of a larger group hunting on Mule Ridge when the storm hit. As soon as we learned they were stuck, we fired up our Cat dozer and backhoe and offered to open up the roads so they could get back home. It took us 20 staff hours in the deep snow but eventually everyone got down safely. You can see just how deep the snow is from the photos below.

Thursday morning, we learned of another group of four hunters who were trapped on the back side of Monumental Summit. One of the men had texting GPS device and was able to contact his wife. She was directed to contact our office by the Valley County Sheriff’s Office and see if we could help them. After 13 staff hours, our team cleared a path for the group and we just learned that everyone is on their way home to their families.

In Idaho, especially in the backcountry, we all have to help take care of one another. We care deeply about our neighbors and are always happy to lend a hand. The amount of snow took everyone by surprise and we are grateful we played a small part in getting everyone home safely.