For the second year in a row, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to conduct rope training from the Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls. The monthly trainings are crucial for the all-volunteer SAR group based in Hood River County, where terrain usually means roped rescues for those in need of help. Diane Noxon, of Portland, is the unlikely matchmaker here. “Part of my thing when I'm hiking, I always bring…a trash bag with me just to pick up a little bit of trash as I go that's left behind. Just to make it better, cleaner,” she said. With over one million visitors per year, trash tends to pile up at Multnomah Falls, so as PNWSAR conducted training they also removed trash from spots almost impossible to reach without ropes. “Some interesting stuff this year from a digital camera, a drone, some sunglasses, a cane,” said Rachael Penchoen-Lind of the PNWSAR general team and rope team. “A driver's license, and then you know lots of just random little pieces of trash.” 19 members in all scoured the falls and the trail to the top of the falls, picking up several bags full of litter. If you are interested in getting involved with PNWSAR, applications open on Dec. 1 and they only recruit once a year. Penchoen-Lind hopes you’ll consider it. “I think a lot of people think that search and rescue is just like, ‘I could never do it, it’s this mythical thing.’ But you know, if you can hike and you like the outdoors, you can do search and rescue,” she said. “The biggest thing is a willingness and eagerness to learn…and willingness to work within a team because you know you're always working with other people.” Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/KGWNews8 Watch the latest KGW newscast: https://www.kgw.com/watch Get the KGW app: https://kgw.com/appredirect