A group of Colorado office workers on a hiking retreat abandoned one of their party on a mountaintop, leaving him lost and stumbling alone during a stormy night.
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The incident began on Friday, Aug. 23, on Mount Shavano, in the Rocky Mountains about 80 miles west of Colorado Springs. The report by Chaffee County Search and Rescue noted the circumstances “might cause some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks.”
The 15 hikers had left the trailhead (Point 1 on the map above) around sunrise. One group reached the 14,231-foot Shavano summit (2), and another stopped their ascent on the saddle below it.
The man left behind was apparently the last to reach the summit, around 11:30 a.m. When he began to descend, he reportedly discovered that his co-workers had picked up the items they had used to mark the route.
He got off course, descending a steep rockfield (3) above Shavano Lake, then sent a pindrop to his co-workers. They told him he needed to climb back up the slope.
Around 4 p.m., he sent another pindrop: He was close to the ridge (4) between Shavano and Tabeguache Peak.
“Shortly after that message, a strong storm passed through the area with freezing rain and high winds,” the search-and-rescue team’s report said. The hiker again became disoriented, and he also lost his cellphone signal.
The search team was notified of the overdue hiker at 9 p.m. Search efforts through the night, including a drone and a helicopter, found no sign of the man.
As a larger operation involving about 10 agencies began on Saturday morning, the hiker was able to get a signal and call 911. It was determined he was on a steep slope below Esprit Point (5) — an area low on the list of search objectives. “He reported being very disoriented on his descent, and falling at least 20 times,” the report said.
A technical rope rescue recovered the man from the slope, and he was taken to a hospital.
The search team’s report emphasized the importance of hiking with a partner and wearing bright clothing (the overdue hiker was in all black). “This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did, and to still have enough consciousness and wherewithal to call 911,” it added.
