Helen Rowe / Courtesy of Summit County Rescue Group
FRISCO — The Summit County Rescue Group rescued a woman Friday who had lost her way while hiking up Buffalo Mountain.
Charles Pitman, spokesman for the rescue group, said the hiker had gotten separated from her party while hiking up Silver Couloir on Friday afternoon.
Pitman said the hiker had come across snow, which still remains in pockets at altitude, and had gotten exhausted while trying to navigate it. The weather also turned, creating concern about the risk of hypothermia. The rescue group got the call to help the woman make her way down the mountain at about 2 p.m.
Three teams of three members each were dispatched, and they found the hiker at about 7 p.m. near the bottom of the east face of the mountain, not too far off a trail.
Pitman said the woman was soaked and near hypothermic but otherwise uninjured. The rescue group provided her with food, hydration and dry clothes and escorted her off the mountain. She did not require medical attention.
Pitman said the incident is a good reminder to hikers and climbers that snow is still on the ground at higher elevations and that the weather can turn quickly. Hikers should wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather and environment at higher elevations.