Hippie Hole Trail marked

The Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department (RVFD) has installed trail markers at Hippie Hole. The news was shared on a Facebook post by the department itself and confirmed in a separate interview with department chief Gail Schmidt of the RVFD.

Schmidt said the move took place after numerous conversations with the United States Forest Service (USFS). 

Markers were placed  Saturday, Sept. 6, with help from the Pennington County Search and Rescue (PCSAR) and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).

The Hippie Hole trail is technically an unsanctioned trail by the USFS and has thus remained previously unmarked. But while Schmidt said some locals might not be fond of the markings, the “secret’s out” about the popular summer spot. 

“It feels good,” Schmidt  said about marking the trail. “It’s the right thing for the community.”

By community, Schmidt  means both hikers and first responders. 

This season RVFD has been paged to four rescues, which included one fatality, and at least one lost person, at Hippie Hole. 

“It’s not just us” that responds, Schmidt said, noting often Keystone Ambulance Service and PCSAR are also on site. She estimated about 30 personnel, many of whom are volunteers,  come to each rescue. Most rescues take at least four hours. 

Logistically, Schmidt said, it is a lot.

“They have to carry in all the gear. Most times it’s a rope rescue, which means hooking up ropes,” she said.

Schmidt estimates volunteers are carrying in 50 to 60 pounds of gear, risking their own potential for  injury in doing so, since the Hippie Hole area involves cliffs, rocks and water. In the event of a water rescue, dive gear and bottles also have to be brought in and out.

Once a patient is reached, he or she undergoes assessment and stabilization.

A Stokes basket is used to move a patient. If more than one rope system is set up, the patient in the basket needs to be moved from one rope system to another.  Once on the flats, the patient is then wheeled out.  Some rescues are so challenging the South Dakota National Guard or Life Flight have to be called in.  

There’s also the issue of  poor communication. This is true for both reporting parties, those who are calling in about an injured person, and for first responders. 

“We don’t have good communication down there,” Schmidt said. “We can’t talk to dispatch from Hippie Hole.”

Schmidt said first responders have to set up a communications relay with a truck radio at the parking  lot, communicating to responders down at the hole.

“It’s a lot to coordinate.” she said.

Since cell phone coverage is spotty at Hippie Hole, the reporting person usually has to get to the parking lot to call for help, meaning the injured party’s condition may change by the time a call is made and responders reach the victim. This adds an additional layer of challenge. Last summer Schmidt said the RVFD was paged for one lost party and encountered  three lost parties, none of which had made their way to the correct parking lot. 

“It boiled down to we’re not going to keep people off the trail,” Schmidt said about the need to mark the trail and the correct parking lot. Schmidt began to have conversations with Mystic District Ranger Jim Gubbels, who ultimately gave RVFD permission to put up trail markers. She called the USFS a “key partner,” adding, “We could not have done this without them.”

RVFD paid for the markers and nail. Department members, along with PCSR and PCSO, moved through the area slowly and deliberately as they placed markers, being certain to look and relook as they approached trail spurs to help keep people on the correct trail. 

“Someone came up with the brilliant idea of marking the markers with numbers,” which the department then mapped, Schmidt said. 

“If someone gets injured and says they are by marker eight, I know where they are,” Schmidt said.

Matt Thompson, ambulance director for the Keystone Ambulance Service Inc., reminds hikers that the markers will help, but being prepared for the conditions is still imperative. 

“Overall we continue to ask everyone that ventures down there to make sure they are adequately prepared for the hike. While it is short, it is very strenuous so adequate footwear, plenty of water and preparation will go a long way in preventing issues,” Thompson said. “We ask if someone is injured, attempt to call or text 911 from where the injury occurred and to stay in one place so it is easier for rescuers to find them. If they do have to find cell service, again stay in one place once in contact with 911 so we can easily find them.” 

Schmidt reiterated that  she is super grateful to the USFS and while the markings are not a “perfect answer,” they are “absolutely huge.” She also reminds hikers to, “be smart when you’re hiking. Wear solid footwear and bring plenty of water. Be aware of your surroundings.”