Spring snow season strikes again.
Summit County Rescue Group was called recently for a trio of hikers lost near treeline on Quandary Peak, the 14,271-foot mountain south of Breckenridge.
When rescuers arrived the three had managed to find the trail again, but with frozen feet. They lost several shoes post-holing through deep snow.
Around the same time outside of Dillon, a pair of hikers was wading through slushy snow up to their waists. They were exhausted and called rescuers, who arrived with snowshoes to help them out. Luckily, they left with all their shoes intact.
Mission coordinator Ben Butler with the rescue group says post-holing calls are common in springtime, when slushy snow can suck you down like quicksand.
“You may not start your hike with snow travel gear, like a splitboard or skis, but when it warms up the snow surface will change dramatically,” Butler says. “We have seen an increase in these types of calls, where people are not prepared for changing snow conditions and then struggling to get themselves out. We’ll see this until the snow melts.”
Butler also warns of the opposite problem, when a warm, sunny day can turn snowy and cold with little warning.
“Weather may look nice, but it can change very quickly,” Butler says, comparing spring weather patterns to mid-summer rainstorms. “Being prepared for what could happen will ensure you have a good time while you’re out there, but also you’re safe while you’re out there.”