Injured hiker rescued on Ute Trail

Shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a report of an injured hiker on the Ute Trail, according to a press release. The Ute Trail is a popular trail that ascends the east side of Aspen Mountain. The initial report confirmed a 28-year-old hiker had sustained moderate, yet non-life-threatening injuries from a small fall. 

The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office along with Aspen Ambulance, Aspen Fire Department, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, City of Aspen Park Rangers, and the all-volunteer group Mountain Rescue Aspen deployed to the Ute Trailhead, according to the press release. Shortly after noon, a team of six were on their way to the patient. 

By 12:15 p.m., a second team consisting of six rescuers began their ascent to the hiker, according to the press release. At approximately 12:35 p.m., rescuers made contact with the hiker and began a patient assessment.

Mountain Rescue Aspen (MRA) then began the tedious descent back to the trailhead with the hiker in their care. At 2:46 p.m., MRA and Aspen Ambulance paramedics took the hiker into an awaiting ambulance for transport to the hospital, according to the press release. By 3:21 p.m., all rescuers from all five agencies were out of the field.

The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office thanks the all-volunteer team from MRA, along with Aspen Ambulance, Aspen Fire Department, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, and city of Aspen Park Rangers for their coordination of efforts to access and extricate the injured hiker quickly and safely, the press release states. The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all hikers that accidents can happen at any time. Proper footwear and hiking poles are recommended to help navigate loose and treacherous sections of trail.