North Carolina Hikers Rescued from Colorado’s Capitol Peak

Aspen, Colorado — Two 19-year-old hikers from North Carolina were rescued early Wednesday morning after becoming trapped overnight on Capitol Peak, a mountain known for its dangers, sheriff’s officials said.

The hikers had summited the 14,130-foot peak earlier that day but attempted to take a shorter route down the mountain’s north face. This decision left them stuck, according to a statement from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. “There is not an alternate route down the north face of Capitol Peak,” sheriff’s officials stated.

Capitol Peak is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, west of Aspen, and features numerous drop-offs and loose, crumbling rock. Five climbers died on the peak in 2017, highlighting the risks associated with the climbs. The trail is rated a four out of five for difficulty, according to 14ers.com, a site that rates Colorado’s fourteeners.

At approximately 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, the hikers called for help. They were instructed to stay put until rescuers could reach them the next morning. Fortunately, neither hiker suffered any injuries during their ordeal.

Rescue did not come easy. A helicopter, dispatched from the Colorado Army National Guard High-Altitude Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, flew toward the peak around 6 a.m. Wednesday. Early morning snow and lightning delayed the search momentarily, but the aerial team successfully located the stranded hikers and hoisted them to safety.

“Capitol Peak is not a ‘walk up’ peak; it is a technical climb,” the sheriff’s office emphasized. They reminded climbers to carry proper gear, including food, water, a helmet, and bright-colored, warm clothing, as conditions can change rapidly.