The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Reminding people that the hike to Aspen is a backcountry experience — not Disneyland!
[ By Mark Reaman ]So far this summer, the Crested Butte Search and Rescue (CBSAR) team has been “moderately busy” but the most surprising thing for locals might be that the focus of the last month or so has been on the world-famous West Maroon Pass trail hike between Crested Butte and Aspen.
The most serious call for the summer was the case of an unresponsive kayaker in Oh Be Joyful Creek. (See June 14 issue of the Crested Butte News). The kayaker survived but that, along with high spring water levels, led to the cancellation of the Oh Be Joyful kayak race.
“One constant for us is the amount of calls we get from lost and/or overdue hikers hiking between Crested Butte and Aspen via West Maroon Pass. It is unreal how many people hike that high alpine trail totally unprepared and with unrealistic time frames,” said CBSAR president Randy Felix. “Maybe it is from internet accounts of a perceived easy hike to just not knowing the hike or what to bring in an alpine environment. Not everything out in the wilderness is clearly signed. It is the responsibility of the people hiking to take the hike seriously and be prepared.”
Felix recommends that anyone doing the hike should have an InReach satellite communicator, proper clothing, extra food, a small water filter, first aid kit, a map and respect for the mountains.
Felix said hikers should be aware there is no cell service and hikers would be wise to have a means of navigation that does not rely on cell service. He noted that it is extremely easy to download a map that can be viewed with no cell service and tell you exactly where you are located.
“Just having the electronic map with your location would eliminate almost all of the calls we receive for West Maroon,” Felix said. “Most of this sounds obvious but Crested Butte Mountain Rescue, Aspen Mountain Rescue and West Elk Mountain Rescue teams all spend a disproportionate amount of time on these calls in this area. If you are prepared, you can spend a night out in the wilderness. It may be a little uncomfortable but very survivable and a good character builder.”
Felix said that ideally, a good summer for CBSAR would be to have some great training and never be needed on an emergency. He confirmed that given the moderately busy summer thus far, the team has been doing a good amount of training.
“Please know that Crested Butte Mountain Rescue Team, like almost all other rescue teams in Colorado, is comprised of all volunteer members,” he emphasized. “Our members receive calls at all hours of the day and night and leave our beds and jobs at a moment’s notice to help strangers in the backcountry. That being said, get out there and enjoy the backcountry and know that CB Mountain Rescue will be there when you need us.”
