How an Injured Hiker’s Pack List Saved Her on Broken Hand Pass

On July 12, an experienced hiker found herself in a situation that most people fear. After successfully summiting two peaks, and completing a high-alpine traverse in Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, she slipped on loose rock about 400 feet below the summit of 12,585-foot Broken Hand Pass.

The hiker, whose identity has not been released, then endured a 13-hour rescue that required a helicopter and 24 responders from two volunteer teams. But rescuers told Outside that the hiker brought a collection of gear with her that likely saved her life.

“We’re never in control of what happens out there. A rock can slip under our foot. Unexpected things happen, and we have no control over that,” Melissa Harth with responding agency, Custer County Search and Rescue (CCSAR), told Outside.

When accidents strike, a well-prepped daypack can make the difference in life-or-death scenarios.

Authorities say the hiker was adequately prepared to wait out a long rescue. Although she had planned only a day trip, she carried warm, brightly colored clothing layers, food, water, a phone, a battery bank, a headlamp, a helmet, an emergency bivy sack, and a Garmin inReach satellite communicator. Luck also played a factor in her rescue—she just so happened to be in a spot with cell service.

After injuring herself, she called the CCSAR at 4:45 P.M. A Flight For Life Colorado helicopter flew four technical team members and 125 pounds of gear to the area in about five minutes. By road, the same trip from the team’s search base would take nearly two hours on a rough four-wheel-drive track.

“The helicopter was a time-saving measure, and they had the capacity to also carry in our gear, which makes it easier for rescuers to get there faster if we’re not carrying as heavy packs,” Harth said.

In all, 19 Custer County members and five from CCSAR responded, with ground crews hiking roughly two miles from the parking area to reach her.

“Transporting a non-ambulatory patient through this terrain is challenging in the dark. It’s challenging in the light. It’s just challenging,” Harth said. Rescuers set up a technical rope system to safely lower her in a litter, and nearly all of the operation took place in darkness.

While rescuers worked their way to her, the hiker continued to communicate with responders over her cell phone, and her headlamp proved especially important.

“She could start signaling,” Harth said. “We could see where she was because she had her headlamp on. She could see us because we had headlamps on.”

The night was clear and calm, with wildfire smoke drifting in from nearby burns, and temperatures dropped into the upper forties Fahrenheit despite it being mid-July. Those on scene were cold, and it serves as an important reminder that even in the heat of the summer, packing a little layers can go a long way.

“I had every layer that I had in my pack on, and a beanie,” Laura Matthewson, CCSAR responder, told Outside. “It’s a combination of you’re sweating a little bit, and then you come to a stop, and then it’s cold. And the wind wasn’t even blowing, thank goodness.”

“Here we are in the middle of summer, and cold is a factor,” Harth added. “It’s hard to convey how long it takes for us to get to you and how cold you can get when you’re not moving. You could be two miles from the trailhead, but if you can’t walk, that’s still a big deal.”

The mission wrapped at 6 A.M.—more than 13 hours after the call came in.

For Harth, the mission underscores a core message of her team: Preparation is not just for beginners.