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Sam Penrod Reporting The peak time for being in the mountains is running out, because up in the high elevations fall is in the air. One of the most popular hiking areas in Utah is Mt. Timpanogos, where a volunteer group who has been helping to keep hikers safe all summer.
It's known as the TERT team, for Timpanogos Emergency Rescue Team, a group of volunteers who spend every weekend from May to September camped near the top of Mt. Timpanogos. Over the years, having trained rescuers in place has really paid off when someone needs help.
Volunteers Eric Allen and Jared Madsen are gearing up for a weekend stationed near the top of Mt. Timpanogos.
Jared Madsen, TERT Volunteer: "Just kind of listen what's going on around us, pay attention to the areas where we know people do get hurt."
Equipped with ham radios and first aid supplies, the team members can provide quick response to any hikers who need help-- from treating blisters and sprained ankles to calling for a rescue helicopter.
Eric Allen, TERT Volunteer: "90 to 95 percent of our injuries are things people can walkout with and we'll help them up there, we'll help bandage team up and help get them on their way."
At the Aspen Grove trail head, Jim and Irene Manookin are stationed, welcoming the hikers and staying in radio contact with the team members near the peak as well as the Utah County sheriff's office.
Irene Manookin, TERT Volunteer: "At times there may be three or four hundred people, but on a holiday weekend there is always more people."
Last weekend more than three thousand hiked the trail.
The TERT Team has been around for more than twenty years. Team members must spend at least two weekends a summer helping, but volunteers like the Manookins spend many more.
Jim Manookin, TERT Volunteer: "It's a fun opportunity to serve and get in the outdoors and just relax, usually relax on a weekend; but sometimes there is the exhilaration of treating an injury or being involved in a rescue, or something like that, that adds excitement to the weekend."
The TERT team treats an average of 50 injuries a year. Overall, more than seven thousand man hours are logged every summer.
