A key comment from the ARRL article: "It was very good propagation that allowed the signal to reach Woodland Park from Guinn Mountain -- and is was good luck that someone was listening."

Plus I would add that it was sheer luck that an untoned repeater was on a pair that he had programmed. If you're going to the trouble to take a ham HT with you into a remote area, why not take the time to program in the local repeaters?