Freezing Temps Prompt Multiple Rescue Missions for Colorado Backcountry Skiers

Multiple rescues were made for a group of Colorado backcountry skiers on a hut trip suffering from frostbite on Sunday night and Monday morning.

The Pitkin County Regional Dispatch Center received a medical SOS call Sunday evening about two backcountry skiers who were attempting to travel to the Goodwin Greene Hut, south of Aspen, Colorado. 

The call came in around 9:40 pm after the skiers, who were in a party of seven, were unable to make it to the hut due to extreme cold injuries. The call was forwarded to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, which then notified Mountain Rescue Aspen (MRA). 

Temperatures at the time were -22 degrees with wind, making for challenging rescue conditions. MRA assembled and mobilized a team of snowmobiles and contacted CareFlight of the Rockies in Rifle, Colorado. Following multiple attempts due to the weather, a CareFlight Paramedic and Mountain Rescue Paramedic were able to reach the ridge and find the two skiers. 

At the time of rescue, both were hypothermic. One was non-responsive and in critical condition. Initial care was provided on scene, and both patients were loaded into the helicopter and transferred to Aspen Valley Health. 

The rescue concluded with all team members out of the field by 3:45 am on Monday.

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Following the rescue of the first two skiers, Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received another medical SOS at 11:53 am on Monday from the Goodwin Greene Hut. All five remaining members of the party were reporting cold-related injuries of varying degrees, including one person who had lost eyesight. The call was forwarded to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, who again notified MRA. 

CareFlight of the Rockies accepted the mission with a helicopter based out of Montrose, Colorado, southwest of the hut. Snowmobile teams from MRA were mobilized. CareFlight was able to land approximately 500 feet from the Goodwin Greene Hut. 

Two more patients with serious cold injuries were flown to Aspen Valley Health for additional care. MRA provided on-scene care to the remaining three hut users who had minor injuries and were then left behind per their own request.

In a social media post about the second rescue, MRA reminded the public about the importance of being prepared in the backcountry. 

“When embarking on a hut trip, your group must be prepared and equipped for a bivouac, self-rescue, evacuation, or handling of other challenges and misfortunes that may be encountered in the backcountry. If a member of your group is injured or becomes ill at a hut or along the trail, or doesn’t make it to the hut, you cannot rely on immediate outside help,” read the post. 

“About half of all search and rescue incidents within the hut system are searches for overdue skiers or snowshoers who get lost or underestimate travel time and don’t arrive at the hut as planned. Avoid mistakes that can lead to emergencies and a need for rescue,” the post continued.

The post also noted common pre-trip mistakes, such as not researching the route, weather, or avalanche conditions, not downloading relevant navigation files so they can be accessed without service, not knowing how to use GPS files, or not fully charging devices to reference them. 

Overestimating the group’s abilities, not knowing what to do in case of accident or illness, unreliable group communication, not having a text-enabled satellite communication device, and choosing to go on a hut trip with a known injury or illness were also cited as common mistakes. 

Common mistakes during the trip also include getting a late start, poor packing choices such as overpacking non-essentials or underpacking emergency gear, underestimating travel time, intentional group separation, and dead batteries in critical communication devices.

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