Hiker lost for 24 hours after ignoring calls from search and rescue in Colorado

Winter view of Mount Elbert in the Sawatch Mountain Range. — A winter view of Mount Elbert. Photo Credit: RobertWaltman (iStock).

Lake County Search and Rescue reports that an overdue hiker was able to self-rescue after spending 24 hours on Mount Elbert. A team was called out to find the hiker, but was unable to connect as the hiker ignored calls from the search crew.

At roughly 8 PM on October 18, Lake County Search and Rescue was called out on a mission to find an overdue hiker that had left the South Trailhead of Mount Elbert at about 9 AM that morning. After multiple attempts to reach the party were unsuccessful, a crew entered the field and searched until 3 AM, unable to locate the subject. A team started a new search at 7 AM the following morning, but by 9:30 AM, news was received that the lost hiker had made it back to their place of lodging.

According to the hiker, they lost the trail as night fell and spent the night searching for the trail. Once they found the trail, they bounced around between trails as they tried to find the trailhead they came from. They finally reached their car in the morning and had no clue that search and rescue teams had been looking for them.

Search and rescue teams had been attempting to call the subject, but they ignored the calls because they did not recognize the number.

Lake County Search and Rescue used this incident to point out the importance of answering phone calls when overdue on a hike. They also noted that the trails on Mount Elbert may be difficult to follow due to snow in the area, especially when wind covers prior tracks.

If you're headed into the mountains, especially in snowy conditions, bringing along a GPS communication device along is never a bad idea. Though expensive, a Garmin inReach is a great option that is reliable and often used by search and rescue crews.

Colorado's search and rescue missions are reliant on volunteers. If you'd like to help support this effort, consider purchasing a CORSAR card or making a direct donation