Missing hiker spends 23 hours on trail after taking ‘shortcut,’ Colorado rescuers say

A hiker decided to take a “shortcut” and ended up on the trail for 23 hours, Colorado rescuers said.

The man and his dog were hiking with another person on Saturday, June 11, on the Missouri Gulch trail, the Chaffee County Search and Rescue North said. The hikers got separated before completing their summit.

The man’s hiking partner made it back to their starting point, but after 10 hours of waiting, the hiker reported the man missing. He called 911 and rescuers hiked to help the missing man on the early hours of Sunday, June 12, officials said.

Rescuers spoke with campers in the area and discovered the man had been seen in the area. That report led teams to scour the area.

They spotted the man near a creek with his dog near a rushing creek, rescuers said.

“Both were uninjured, just exhausted, having been on the trail for almost 23 hours,” the Search and Rescue team said in a news release. “The creek was impassable due to high water.”

The man and rescuers hiked back out of the trail after “a long night for all involved,” officials said.

The man told rescuers he “decided to take a shortcut to save time” before he got stuck on the trail.

“He descended the Belford Gulch drainage (where there is no established trail/route), arriving at the base of the basin late evening,” rescuers said. “However, due to the high water levels, he couldn’t cross the creek, and had to bushwhack back through rough terrain to try and regain the route.”

Rescuers said hikers should always stay with their group and stay on their original route. If hikers have a dog with them, they should “consider the endurance of your furry friends.”

This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Missing hiker spends 23 hours on trail after taking ‘shortcut,’ Colorado rescuers say."