Wyoming—Wind River Range (1): Miss Maltby was one of a number of AMC members attending their summer outing in the Wind River Range. A sizeable party including the leaders of the outing ascended Dinwoody Peak on Sunday, August 18, 1952. In descending the talus slope near the summit of this peak Miss Maltby tripped and fell amongst the boulders. No climbing equipment or technique was involved. She suffered simple breaks of both bones of her right lower leg. The leaders promptly instituted an evacuation program. An ice axe splint was constructed by other members of the party and Miss Maltby was able to proceed in a sitting position belayed over the snowfields below. In an improvised litter she was carried over the moraine and boulder fields to the AMC high camp. This carry entailed much up and down work and was slow and tedious. On the day after the accident the camp physician replaced the ice axe splint with a board and iron strap bent to fit around the foot. A stretcher and horse were obtained on Tuesday and the evacuation was completed through to the road where she was driven to Jackson. In all it took three days to accomplish this evacuation program and approximately 20 individuals were involved.

Source: John de la Montagne who talked with patient in Jackson Hospital and the account in Appalachia XXIX, 267-9, Dec. 1952.

Analysis: The evacuators deserve much credit for the arduous evacuation and the excellent result. Miss Maltby arrived at the hospital with the second splint binding still intact and her fractures and splinting none the worse for the strenuous wear. Though this did not result in a serious accident it emphasizes that even minor accidents which occur in remote alpine terrain present extreme difficulties to those who must carry out the evacuation.