Hikers stuck on snowy mountain after they veer off trail, slide 100 feet, rescuers say
.png "Two hikers were rescued after veering off trail and getting stuck on a snow-covered mountain, Colorado rescuers say.")
Two hikers were rescued after veering off trail and getting stuck on a snow-covered mountain, Colorado rescuers say.
The hikers were trekking Quandary Peak, “a popular hiking destination,” on Wednesday, May 22, when “they veered off trail” and “lost their footing,” sliding about 100 feet, the Summit County Rescue Group said in a May 24 Instagram post.
As the hikers could not make their way back up the mountain, rescuers said the duo tried to go down and found themselves stuck “in a steep snow-covered couloir.”
“While the rescued hikers were adequately equipped for the weather, they deviated from their planned route, leading them into a challenging situation,” rescuers said.
Summit County deputies quickly spotted the duo using a drone, according to rescuers.
Rescuers said they often respond to similar calls on the peak, but the “time of year” coupled with the hikers’ “precarious position” required a carefully coordinated plan.
The rescue included help from 17 field rescuers, other logistical staff, a National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, Flight For Life, and the Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District, according to the nonprofit.
The hikers could not be hoisted from the mountain, as “rescuers deemed it unsafe,” the nonprofit said.
“The location of where these individuals ended up really contributed to how long and how hard it was to access them,” Benjamin Butler, the rescue’s president, told Summit Daily.
For more than eight hours, rescuers worked to reach the hikers and lower them from the couloir.
Butler told Summit Daily that if others trekking the backcountry also find themselves in a troublesome situation, it’s best to do as these hikers did and call for help right away.
“If we had to find these folks at dusk, it would have been a much different situation,” Butler told the newspaper.
There are a number of routes to reach Quandary Peak, which sits about 100 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, according to the travel website GoBreck.
With a 14,265-foot elevation, it “is one of Colorado’s most popular 14ers, due to its dramatic views, accessibility, and relatively easy climb,” the website says.
This story was originally published May 27, 2024 at 9:03 AM with the headline "Hikers stuck on snowy mountain after they veer off trail, slide 100 feet, rescuers say."
