Safety @ MRS

Please review all safety documents on this page prior to you day visit or overnight stay.  It may save your life!

Field Safety Guidance Slides and video - An overview of Niwot Ridge, safety resources on Niwot Ridge, field safety planning, gear essentials, and all things to consider for mountain safety.

 (including evacuation route and location); updated March 2022

Field Safety Plan Template - Required for all researchers using Niwot Ridge.  (other templates are fine, but similar content required)

- We recommend all researchers take a NOLS wilderness first aid course.

 - know how to respond if caught in a lightning storm.

Altitude Sickness; To minimize risk, we recommend....
* if arriving from a much lower elevation, an overnight stay at lower elevation - i.e. Denver or Boulder
* good hydration
* keeping activity low key during their first few days
* no alcohol or sleeping pills
 
Heat Exhaustion / Heat Stroke - due to high intensity sun at altitude coupled with high exhertion, heat illness is a real concern even on a 70 degF day in the mountains

Wildlife Information Brochures

 - know how to prevent bear encounters and how to react if you do encounter a bear.

 - moose are the most dangerous large animals in ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥, know what to do during a moose encounter.

 - know how to prevent or react to a mountain lion encounter

Rodents and Hantavirus - common deer mice, other rodents, and their feces can carry Hantavirus.

Ticks - ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ has multiple ticks species that carry disease and ticks range up to 10,500ft in elevation (MRS is at 9,500ft).  Tick checks and preventative measures should be practiced at the MRS.