INSPIRE SAFETY
Every episode of Back From Beyond turns a real rescue into a lesson, one carried home by every listener who hears it. That lesson shapes more than curiosity: listeners who understand the risks Moab's backcountry can hold are more likely to prepare, more likely to turn back when conditions demand it, and more likely to come home safely. By investing in these stories now, we're not just entertaining an audience, we're building a culture of preparedness that echoes into every trip still ahead.
BACK FROM BEYOND
PODCAST
Steward Moab, Grand County Search and Rescue (GCSAR), and KZMU Moab Community Radio have partnered to create Back From Beyond, a Moab search and rescue podcast that showcases the courage, skill, and teamwork of one of Utah’s most experienced search and rescue teams.
Hosted by Molly Marcello, Back From Beyond delivers a comprehensive podcast experience by going beyond the headlines. Each episode features in-depth conversations with members of the Grand County Search and Rescue team and the adventurers directly involved in the rescues, offering firsthand perspectives that help recreate the events as they unfolded in Moab’s rugged backcountry.
Together, these voices provide listeners with a deeper understanding of the challenges, decision-making, and collaboration required to bring people safely home from some of the region’s most remote and demanding terrain.
Improve Visitor Preparedness
PODCAST GOALS
Help visitors understand the real risks of Moab's backcountry so they arrive better equipped, informed, and ready for the terrain ahead.
Decrease Search and Rescue Incidents
Reduce preventable rescues by turning real stories into lessons that shape safer decision-making on the trail.
Showcase Execptional Search and Rescue Team
Honor the skill, dedication, and teamwork of Grand County Search and Rescue by giving their work the recognition and visibility it deserves.
CASTLETON
Two climbers reach the summit of Moab's iconic Castleton Tower - but getting down proves far more dangerous than getting up.
Castleton Tower is one of Moab's most celebrated desert climbs, a striking sandstone monolith rising from the canyon country of Castle Valley. In this episode, two climbers make it to the top — but then the situation unravels. Unexpected challenges on the descent put them in a race against sunset, stranded on an exposed ledge hundreds of feet above the ground. Grand County Search and Rescue's Technical Rope Rescue Team responds, staging a helicopter dropoff 300 feet up the tower in near-total darkness. Firsthand accounts from the climbers and rescue team reveal why Castleton is both an iconic objective and one of GCSAR's most frequent callout locations.
A FAN
FAVORITE
Back From Beyond earned three standout recognitions in the 2025 Spotify Wrapped for Creators: it debuted as an Instant Hit Show, outperforming 96% of all new shows right out of the gate; became a Marathon Show, with listeners tuning in longer than 93% of other podcasts, meaning sponsorship messages aren't just heard, they're listened to; and stood out as the Most Shared Show, landing in the top 7% for listener retention and top 2% in shares, proof that Back From Beyond doesn't just find an audience, it builds one.
TWO AWARDS
ONE TEAM
ACRES
Grand County Search and Rescue services over 2.3 million acres within Grand County, Utah, home to the world-renowned adventure hub of Moab. Public lands make up 87% of the county, including two national parks, two state parks, and multiple recreation areas. Tourism drives the local economy, with visitation exceeding 3 million people annually.
FEET
From river to mountain, Grand County Search and Rescue is skilled in responding to emergencies across multiple landscapes and in challenging, year-round weather conditions. The team navigates the region's rivers for water-based rescues, operates in the La Sal Mountains, a highly technical range with limited access and no ski lifts, and conducts operations on high-consequence cliffs and canyons requiring technical rope skills and specialized equipment.
MEMBERS
With only 40 members on the team, Grand County Search and Rescue still responds to over 130 pages year after year. The GCSAR team handles a wide variety of missions to find, access, and help people who are lost, stuck, or hurt, responding to emergencies stemming from diverse recreational activities, across multiple landscapes and in challenging, year-round weather conditions.
ALL
RECREATION
TYPES
The GCSAR team handles a wide variety of missions to find, access, and help people who are lost, stuck, or hurt, responding to emergencies stemming from diverse recreational activities, across multiple landscapes and in challenging, year-round weather conditions. From navigating below-freezing winter storms in the high desert to operating on the Colorado River's Class V rapids in Cataract Canyon, the team is equipped to reach people wherever trouble strikes.
Rescues often require patient transport using specialized equipment, safely moving people from remote terrain like mountain bike singletrack back to care, while more complex incidents, like a vehicle rollover on a technical OHV/4x4 trail, demand coordination across multiple agencies and vehicles capable of navigating extreme terrain while still transporting a patient safely.
COMMITMENT
GRATITUDE
DEDICATION
"Thank you for this amazing podcast. I hope you are able to secure funding for a second season."
Listener
Disclaimer While the podcast dramatizes real events for storytelling purposes, it does not provide professional medical, safety, or legal advice. The stories featured in this podcast depict real incidents involving outdoor activities. The podcast is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Listeners should not rely on the podcast for personal safety guidance or emergency response planning. Always follow official safety recommendations and local laws when recreating in the outdoors.