A Hiker Is Lucky to Be Alive After Getting Stranded on a Colorado Peak Without a Jacket

A hiker wearing just a cotton hoodie narrowly escaped death after becoming lost in a snowstorm on one of Colorado’s high peaks late last week, prompting local rescuers to warn would-be adventurers about the importance of preparing for winter conditions.

According to Chaffee County Search and Rescue North (CCSAR-N), the unidentified hiker had attempted to climb a 13,000-foot ridge near Mt. Princeton in west-central Colorado.  While the hiker reached the top, the weather soon turned, and they found themselves high on the mountain with no shelter, food, water, or extra layers. With darkness descending, the hiker attempted to make it back to the car quickly by taking an alternative route down an avalanche chute, where they became stuck. 

At about 7:00 p.m. the hiker called for a rescue, prompting a team of 25 SAR members from CCSAR-N and Chaffee County Search and Rescue South to race the snow storm to find the hiker. While the hiker was unable to provide GPS coordinates to rescuers, they were able to tell responders that they were located near Cottonwood Lake. While the hiker attempted to move downslope at rescuers’ suggestion, search teams began to comb several avalanche chutes in the area, one of which was extremely steep and icy. At about 1:00 a.m., SAR found footprints in the freshly-fallen snow, which had piled to a depth of roughly 6 to 8 inches. 

“This team continued to follow the footprints until they came upon an unusual looking rock at approximately 2am,” CCSAR-N officials wrote. “Upon further investigation it was determined it was not a rock but the subject sitting upright in a fetal position covered in snow. The subject was assessed and found to be alive but very hypothermic.” It took the team about 3 hours to warm the hiker enough to begin the descent.  

Rescuers began using a rope system to lower the hiker. Soon thereafter, the hiker regained some mobility and aided the rescue by walking. About 12 hours after the initial rescue call, the hiker made it to an ambulance. 

Despite an overall reduction in traffic on Colorado’s high peaks, this isn’t the first time this year that an unprepared outdoorsperson has had to call for a rescue due to poor preparation. In one case, rescue teams plucked two climbers off of the Diamond on Longs Peak after they were unable to complete their climb and didn’t have sufficient gear to spend a night on the summit. In another, two hikers required rescue from Lake Como after becoming too cold and tired to hike out on their own. 

In response to most recent rescue, CCSAR-N encouraged adventurers to ensure that they pack the ten essentials any time they’re headed into the backcountry, and to consider bringing a GPS-enabled device with two-way communication and an SOS button, since this type of device gives rescue officials much more information about a user’s location.