Crews from El Paso County Search and Rescue (EPCSAR) responded to a call for assistance on Friday afternoon, after two hikers got stranded near the summit of Pikes Peak.

“Recent storms had dropped a significant amount of snow and hiking out, either up or down, was determined to be not viable,” the rescue organization said in a Facebook post about the incident.

According to EPCSAR, crews in a Flight For Life helicopter located the stranded hikers, and were able to transport them both to a hospital. No information regarding possible injuries, if any, was made available.

“Another gigantic thank you to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and Barr Camp for helping transport additional members up and hosting them throughout the mission,” the post said.

Given the conditions of the trail, this situation could have had a much worse outcome. Its important to prepare for unexpected situations when entering the Colorado backcountry, even if that means carrying around additional equipment like extra food, water, and layers to keep warm.

A GPS device, like a Garmin inReach, is also a great tool to have with you. Carrying one can help you establish a line of communication with emergency response teams.

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