Multiple teams joined forces to rescue a dizzy hiker in Colorado's Pitkin County this weekend, with officials reminding visitors to the state's high country to make sure they're taking proper precautions related to activities in high-elevation terrain prior to hitting the trail.
Members of the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, Mountain Rescue Aspen, and Pitkin County Trails and Open Space responded to the call from help on Saturday morning, making contact with the hiker at about 9:30 a.m. on Ute Trail.
The hiker, who reported being short of breath, was ultimately able to walk down the trail with the assistance of rescuers, turning down an option for additional medical care.
According to AllTrails , Ute Trail is rated as 'hard.' While it only travels about 5.3 miles round-trip, it gains a steep 3,198 feet throughout the out-and-back route, with almost all of that gain coming in the first 2.7 miles and the second half being a downhill return to the trailhead.
The steep nature of the trail is likely a key reason why the hiker was impacted to such an extent, with the steep trail meaning more strenuous climbing and more strenuous activity at a high elevation often being a key factor in symptoms of altitude sickness popping up.
A key way to prevent altitude sickness when visiting Colorado is to take time to acclimate to the higher elevation prior to exerting oneself.
Those on a hike who start to experience altitude sickness should know that the only true cure is to return to a lower elevation immediately. Ignoring symptoms and 'pushing through' typically only means that the symptoms will get worse. Remember, altitude sickness can be fatal in some of the more rare and extreme cases – it has killed in Colorado before.
If you're interested in supporting Colorado's volunteer-powered search and rescue operation, one way to do so is through the purchase of a CORSAR card . It's cheap, at only $5 per year.
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