As Christmas began to wind down for most folks in Colorado, Custer County Search and Rescue lept into action when members received a call from a hiker concerned about a lurking mountain lion. Naturally, the experts knew just how dangerous the situation could be for the man if the big cat really was stalking him.
By 9:30 p.m., the SAR team arrived to at Humbolt Peak’s east ridge and began searching for the man. According to the hiker, when he realized that there could be a mountain lion in the vicinity, he no longer felt safe descending the treeline. Coupled with the fact that his headlamp light was dying, the man very well could have been in a life-or-death situation.
Luckily, for him, Custer County SAR was able to locate him using an SMS locator on CalTopo and deployed two teams to the site.
“One team of four began hiking toward the subject from the Rainbow Trail/S. Colony Road intersection,” Custer County reported on Facebook regarding the possible mountain lion-related rescue. “The other team of two staged with the Command Trailer and 2 tracked ATVs at the 2WD lot in case conditions changed and more assistance was needed. The team of four made contact with the subject at tree line and began working their way back down.”
Thanks to their diligence and expertise, the SAR team members were able to help the man back down to his car and had him safely out of the field by 8:00 a.m. on December 26. It is unclear if there were any other signs of mountain lion activity in the area or if it ceased when crew members arrived.
Search and Rescue Officials Caution Hikers of ‘Abundance of Wildlife’ in Sangre de Cristo Mountains Following Mountain Lion Suspicions
At the very least, we can commend the hiker for carrying the proper equipment with him at the time of the rescue. According to Custer County SAR’s report, the man was ready for an extended stay should he lose his way. Although, it didn’t appear that he had any necessary gear for warding away a mountain lion.
“This subject carried appropriate gear to stay overnight if needed, coordinated well with Incident Command, preserved his phone battery by using airplane mode, and stayed at his location until Search teams arrived,” Custer County SAR shared.
Ultimately, the hiker made the appropriate decision to call for help as night fell and his headlamp light and cellphone battery dwindled. Still, hikers can learn from this incident by educating themselves about local wildlife, like mountain lions, and carrying the proper equipment.
“The Sangre de Cristo mountains are wild and remote. Even busier areas like South Colony are frequented by an abundance of wildlife,” the department reminded. “There are many layers to a successful adventure in the backcountry and understanding what to do with a wildlife encounter is one of them. Be sure to take the time and research wildlife in the area you plan to visit!”