Investments Prove Crucial in Pecos Evacuation

On August 4, in a remote area of the Santa Fe National Forest, a lightning strike ignited a small brush fire deep in the backcountry, not terribly far from where the Class of 2030 was making final preparations to launch their journey into the Pecos Wilderness. Just a few days into their trek into the mountains, the boys were enjoying trails and campsites with their classmates as thousands of Marksmen have before them. While still miles away, the small fire was beginning to spread and prompted the base camp leadership team to closely monitor the developing conditions and assess any potential risks. Within days, the fire grew considerably and air quality was becoming an increasing concern. As part of daily communication with school administrators in Dallas, a variety of anticipatory preparations were put into motion to make possible an early departure from the wilderness if necessary. Buses were immediately mobilized from Dallas, drivers were repositioned in Santa Fe, and all of our Pecos groups were moved to lower elevations just a few hours from base camp. And while the fire never posed any direct threat to the safety of our students and adult leaders, the decision was ultimately made, out of an abundance of caution, to mobilize all groups the following morning for an early return to Dallas, several days ahead of schedule.  

It had become clear that conditions were too unpredictable and there was no way to accurately forecast fire developments and potential directional movement. Thus, all of the advance preparations allowed the leadership team to make the quick decision to bring everyone off the trails and to board the assembled charter buses for an early departure. And while there were many moving parts to organize and manage such a complex set of circumstances, it unfolded smoothly because of the extensive training, planning, and resources that have been invested into the Wilderness Program over time.

Careful training for faculty leaders has certainly always been a high priority for the School, including Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder certification. In 2022, the decision was also made to recruit a medical director for the Pecos Wilderness Program. Dr. Christian Dean ’01, a physician with expertise in high-altitude environments, has provided important guidance to the School on a wide variety of safety-related issues, including altitude acclimation, ascent profiles, and advanced training, leading our emergency medics in the field and serving as part of the base camp team during the trip. As a result, there has been a decrease in student evacuations as overall assessment and support capabilities have become stronger. All leaders in the field now earn Wilderness First Aid certification and many complete advanced Wilderness First Responder training. They, along with our EMT and paramedics, provide vitally important health-related support, a practice that has been in place for decades.

Another area of ongoing investment is communication. For many years groups have carried two-way radios and satellite phones, which allowed for ongoing contact between groups and the base camp team. More recently, advanced tools such as GPS texting devices have given leaders even greater communication capacity and redundancy. The base camp team also now deploys multiple mobile Starlink systems to allow for enhanced communication in the field and with administrators back on campus. These tools allowed for close and ongoing communication with the U.S. Forest Service throughout this year’s trip to get the most up to date information possible about all developments in the area, including potential evacuation guidance and changes related to ongoing safety conditions related to the fire.  

In addition to the tools and training, the experience of the program leaders at base camp and in the field with the boys is tremendous. Groups are led by teachers who know them, and many of the group leaders have participated in multiple trips. At base camp, the experience exceeds a combined one-hundred years with Mark and Sherri Sullivan serving the program for over four decades, Scott Hunt and John Ashton each bringing over two decades of experience in the Pecos, and Cameron Hillier ’13 and Scott Ziegler having experience as leaders and currently serving as the program directors. Knowing the area well and having first-hand knowledge of all the trails positions base camp well to support leaders and boys in the field, and we are fortunate to have such longevity in this important program.

While circumstances like this year’s unexpected fire were certainly not ideal, the ability of the Pecos leadership team to respond quickly, thoughtfully, and deliberately is reflective of an ongoing commitment to careful preparation, extensive training, and a constant focus on risk mitigation and student safety. And while boys from the Class of 2030 had their trip cut a few days short, most importantly they returned home safely and began their Upper School careers with positive momentum and stories that will last a lifetime.

“I’m deeply proud of our base camp team, group leaders, and of course the boys for handling the twists and turns of this year’s Pecos Trip in true St. Mark’s style. They didn’t complain or get frustrated.  They simply came together as a team and did what was necessary to get home safely,” said John Ashton, Associate Headmaster and veteran Pecos leader.  

Whether preparing for unexpected adventures in the Pecos or making sure Marksmen traveling around the globe are as safe as possible, the School will continue to invest in the training, resources, and expertise that is necessary to ensure the kind of response that the 2026 Pecos trip exemplified.