At the trail head the altitude was 7,100 ft.  Subject was 600 ft below this with a severely broken ankle. It was determined it would be easier to lower subject to the bottom for a helicopter ride to the hospital. The trail was very steep so rescue members tied a rope to the litter and wheel to belay the subject with a Munter hitch. 

The Munter hitch is simply a set of wraps using a rope or cord around an object, generally a round object like a pipe, pole or more commonly, a carabiner. Its main use is as a friction device for controlling the rate of descent in belay systems.


This was a good effort by all who assisted in the rescue.