Hikers from North Carolina rescued after becoming stuck in Colorado High Country
According to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, one of the hikers called 911 around 8:20 p.m. Tuesday after the pair became stuck at around 13,000 feet while looking for a shorter route down the north face of Capitol Peak. Fortunately, neither of the hikers was injured.
Emergency personnel advised the hikers to stay put while they worked to develop a rescue plan.
At 6 a.m. the next morning, a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk helicopter picked up two hoist-rescue technicians from Mountain Rescue Aspen at Sardy Field and flew them toward Capitol Peak. Authorities said a brief snow shower and lightning only delayed the search by a few minutes.
Capitol Peak can be seen in the distance from the Upper Capitol Creek Trail on September 6, 2017, near the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado.
Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Although the hikers were in black and gray clothing, the Blackhawk crew managed to spot them. They hoisted the hikers up one at a time and returned to Sardy Field, where they were medically evaluated and then released.
Capitol Peak is considered a difficult mountain to climb with numerous exposures and loose, crumbling rock, said the Sheriff's Office. The mountain lies around 14 miles west of Aspen in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness area.
The mountain is no stranger to tragedy. In 2022, a hiker fell 900 feet to her death near the summit. Several search and rescue team members were injured in 2021 when they were caught in a rockslide while looking for a missing hiker. Five climbers died on Capitol Peak in 2017.
"Mountain Rescue Aspen and the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office want to remind the public to be prepared when attempting to climb Capitol Peak. Capitol Peak is not a "walk-up" peak; it is a technical climb," warned the sheriff's office. "Climbers need to carry proper gear, which includes food, water, a helmet, a communication device, and bright-colored, warm clothing. Climbers should be prepared for changing weather conditions. There is not an alternate route down the north face of Capitol Peak. If there was a safe shortcut, it would be the standard route."
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