Summer hiking season might be right around the corner, but don’t head to Colorado’s tallest peaks expecting a lack of ice and snow quite yet. A recent rescue that took place on the state’s highest peak shows that wintery conditions continue to linger.

According to Lake County Search and Rescue, their team was called into the field to rescue a hiker who had fallen 200 feet down an ice field near the summit of 14,438-foot Mount Elbert. Despite the big tumble, the person was not severely injured, but still needed assistance in getting to safety.

Classic Air Medical dropped search and rescue personnel off nearby, with the rescue subject evacuated from the ice field and able to make it back to the trailhead with the rescue team on foot.

As was noted by search and rescue following the incident, snowpack might be low, but conditions remain icy and hazardous on higher stretches of many of the state’s peaks. Microspikes and snowshoes continue to be needed in some areas. It’s also worth mentioning that without the aerial assist, it would have taken significantly longer for rescue teams to reach the rescue subject – in some cases, that can mean hours of waiting or potentially waiting overnight. Because of this, it’s important to always bring gear that will allow survival in cooler nighttime temperatures. Remember, a mountain hike might feel warm while you’re moving, but if you become immobilized, things tend to start feeling cold fast.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)