Search & Rescue Crews Ready To Enter Busiest Month Of The Year

EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Search and rescue crews are receiving numerous calls this summer, and say they're preparing for the busiest time of the year as tourists and locals head up to the high country.

Two teenagers had to be rescued from Torreys Peak earlier this month after being ill prepared for the terrain. The 10-hour mission was made worse by rain and the threat of lightning.

Members of Evergreen-based Alpine Rescue Team were able to get them to safety.

A 13-year-old girl was rescued at Rocky Mountain National Park in the middle of the night on July 20.

In Grand County, another hiker got lost and was able to use a mirror to signal search crews.

Alpine Rescue Team spokeswoman Dawn Wilson said they're expecting the number of calls they get to go up, as summer mountain traffic peaks in August. She calls it their busiest month, and it's when more inexperienced hikers hit the trails.

Alpine Rescue Team, which generally handles rescue calls in Jefferson County, Gilpin County and Clear Creek County, were called out to five missions over the weekend. In addition, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office responded to six rescues. All hikers in those rescues survived.

Wilson said both beginners and seasoned hikers can get in trouble.

"They get lost, or they get injured," she said.

The key to safety, Wilson said, is to tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back. And if you get into trouble, call right away for help.

"If you wait too long and then it's dark, and then maybe it's cold in the wintertime, it's really hard to find somebody if they are indeed lost," Wilson said.

Responses by Alpine Rescue Team are free to anyone in need of help. Hikers can also pick up a Colorado Search and Rescue card, which helps reimburse rescue crews across Colorado, and costs just $3 for the entire year.