Four Persons Rescued From The Top Of Maroon Peak

The four people were rescued Thursday morning.

Four persons from the front range had to be rescued from Maroon Peak. The hikers, two men, and two women had become stuck on the southwest side of the mountain and called for help. Luckily one of the group had an InReach satellite communication device and was able to contact the Mount Crested Butte Police Department.

It wasn't until about 11:30 PM Wednesday evening when the police department was able to alert the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office and the Mountain Rescue Aspen crew to the hiker's situation. Given that it was dark, the search couldn't get underway until early Thursday morning meaning the hikers had to spend the night on top of the mountain.

Thursday morning a helicopter left the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport with Mountain Rescue Aspen team-members on board. Along with the helicopter crew, and team on the ground, a total of 19 volunteers were used to bring down the hikers.

Before 9:00 AM all four stranded hikers had been rescued and delivered safely to the Maroon Bells parking lot. Fortunately, none of them were injured but they were dehydrated, tired and sore

At 14,156 feet, Maroon Peak is one of the more challenging 14ers in Colorado. If you're thinking about an attempt to climb the peak, remember that this year's avalanche damage has made the trail difficult to navigate. Remember too, venturing into the Colorado back-country is dangerous and preparation is the key. While summer may be here, because of this winter's record-setting snowfall many of the state’s peaks are still covered in ice and snow and can be very treacherous.

Credit: The Denver Channel