Missing hikers found after full-scale rescue effort on Colorado's 2nd-tallest peak
A scene from the rescue mission. Photo Courtesy: Lake County Search and Rescue.
Members from Lake County Search and Rescue, Summit County Rescue Group, and Chaffee County Search and Rescue North were sent into the field to search the 14,421-foot Mount Massive after two hikers were reported missing.
Lake County Search and Rescue received the report of hikers in distress on Sunday night at about 8 p.m. The hikers had said they needed help, but their phone died before any additional information could be communicated.
A mission was planned overnight, involving the Colorado Search and Rescue Association, with the decision made to launch a full-scale effort the following morning. Because the subjects' phones were dead, narrowing down a specific location proved difficult. Cell phone forensics only delivered partial success.
On Monday morning, a full-scale, multi-team effort was launched. More than 20 searchers scoured large areas of Mount Massive seeking the missing hikers. Flight for Life Colorado assisted with an aerial search, as well as with inserting crew members at higher points of elevation.
At about 11 p.m., both subjects were found after spending 34 hours in the backcountry without shelter. Neither subject was injured, though they were cold, hungry, and thirsty, likely also faced with some level of exhaustion. They were ultimately found in the Halfmoon Lakes Basin.
In total, the ground search lasted from 7 AM to 11:30 PM, resulting in roughly 250 personnel hours logged by crew members.
The Halfmoon Lakes Basin, where the hikers were found, is located south of the summit. Though this is not where the standard route up the peak travels, a popular route up the peak does travel through this area – shorter, but requiring a longer drive on a rugged road.
The summit of Mount Massive can be seen in this image, as well as one of the lakes in the Halfmoon Lakes Basin. Image Credit: @2021 Google Maps.
Which route the hikers were intending to travel and whether or not they were found near a trail was not included in the press release about the search and rescue effort. Established routes on Mount Massive are rated from class two to difficult class two, taking hikers up the second-highest peak in the state to 14,421 feet of elevation.
Images from the scene show that winter conditions are present on parts of the peak, with higher elevation areas covered in some snow. The ground can be seen in lower elevation points on the mountain. While Colorado has seen sparse snow in recent weeks, there's a good chance that's about to change.
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