(Anna Stonehouse/The Aspen Times via AP)
Four people spent the night on Maroon Peak and had to be rescued by helicopter early Thursday morning after they became “cliffed out” and could not get off the mountain, according to the Pikin County Sheriff’s Office.
Two men and two women from the Front Range first called the Mount Crested Butte Police on Wednesday after they became tired and ran out of water, according to a news release Thursday from the Sheriff’s Office. No one was injured.
Pitkin County and Mountain Rescue Aspen were alerted late Wednesday night of the stranded party on the southwest side of Maroon Peak and they made a plan to use a helicopter for the rescue Thursday morning. Maroon Peak is at an elevation of 14,156 feet.
Just before 8 a.m. Thursday, a HAATS (High Altitude Aviation Training Site) helicopter left Sardy Field with two MRA hoist rescue members aboard, according to the news release.
Four MRA members went en route to the Maroon Bells parking area to assist the helicopter in landing with the rescued parties, and a total of 19 volunteer Mountain Rescue Aspen members were involved, the Sheriff’s Office said.
MRA and the Sheriff’s Office “would like to remind individuals venturing into the backcountry to always be prepared with enough gear and provisions to stay the night and to be aware of proper route choices when descending from Peaks,” the news release stated.