Lost hiker asked for help in Colorado. Rescuers told her to ‘hunker down for the night’

A hiker told rescuers she was lost and unprepared to spend the night on a Colorado peak. They told her to “hunker down for the night,” deputies said.

The hiker sent a signal for help using a Garmin InReach location device at about 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said. The 24-year-old reported she was lost on Castle Peak and needed help.

“It was learned that the subject was planning to traverse from the Castle Peak area down to the Conundrum Hot Springs, but had lost the route in the darkness,” deputies said in a Sept. 27 news release. “The subject was concerned that she was cliffed out and might not be adequately equipped to stay the night, depending on weather conditions.”

Rescuers determined that the hiker would be safe overnight because of the terrain, time of night and the weather conditions that were expected. The hiker also had enough equipment to make it through the night, officials said.

“(Rescuers) advised the subject to hunker down for the night, and to prepare for a morning reassessment,” deputies said.

In the morning, rescuers got in contact with the hiker and gave her route information. The hiker followed the route and made it down the mountain.

No rescuers entered the field. Deputies did not disclose the hiker’s name or condition.

“Mountain Rescue Aspen would like to remind backcountry users to be familiar with their intended route, be cognizant of the time required to complete the route, and to have adequate equipment for inclement weather,” officials said.

Castle Peak is a 12.3-mile out-and-back trail that treks up the 14,274-foot peak near Aspen. It’s considered difficult and typically takes nearly 9 hours to complete, according to hiking website AllTrails.

This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Lost hiker asked for help in Colorado. Rescuers told her to ‘hunker down for the night’."