Two hikers rescued at Snowmass Lake after attempting Four Pass Loop 

Mountain Rescue Aspen rescued two hikers that were stranded after attempting to complete the Four Pass Loop.

The Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center was alerted at about 9:27 p.m. Sunday, June 30 that two hikers who attempted to complete the 25.7-mile trail were stranded near Snowmass Lake. The hikers had lost their gear, had no shelter, and were cold and wet. 

Dispatch was alerted by the Garmin Company of a Garmin InReach SOS activation in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area.

Mountain Rescue Aspen was contacted at about 9:48 p.m. and a team of four rescuers went into the field on foot at about 11:20 p.m. Sunday. A helicopter rescue mission was not possible due to hazardous weather conditions.

Rescuers found the two hikers at about 5:04 a.m. Monday, July 1, and were able to escort them down the Snowmass Creek Trail. The hikers were uninjured and reached the trailhead at about 10:17 a.m. Monday.

“The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office and Mountain Rescue Aspen would like to remind hikers that when entering the backcountry areas in early season to prepare for various trail conditions due to lingering snow and high water, estimate longer hiking times, and dress accordingly for the ever-changing climate,” a sheriff’s office news release states.

The Four Pass Loop is a challenging 25.7-mile trail near Aspen that gets its name from the four 12,000-foot passes it traverses: Buckskin, Trail Rider, Frigid Air, and West Maroon. Hikers often take three-four days to complete the loop, with optional side trips to Geneva Lake and Willow Pass.