ALAMOSA COUNTY—A 22-year-old female hiker was rescued today at about 11:00 a.m. after becoming lost and spending the night alone in an abandoned cabin along the South Zapata Lake Trail #852 in the Rio Grande National Forest.
Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson said the hiker separated from her hiking partner and was reported overdue at about 9:30 a.m. on Monday.
According to Jackson, rescuers from the Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue (AVSAR), searchers from Saguache County, drones, and a helicopter from Reach 29 were all deployed in the search.
The lost hiker was outside the initial search perimeter, Jackson said, and after she had a very close encounter with a black bear, she hiked uphill instead of walking down the trail. She "was about seven feet from the non-aggressive bear, who ran off," said Jackson.
The hiker found refuge in an old cabin about two miles up the trail. Tuesday morning, the Reach 29 helicopter detected an individual near the cabin and after AVSAR ground crews made contact, they determined she was the lost hiker. With the assistance of the SAR personnel the hiker walked out and was transported by ground ambulance to San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa.
Jackson extended his thanks to all who assisted, especially the entire volunteer team at AVSAR.
The South Zapata Lake Trail is 4.8 miles long. It starts at the popular Zapata Falls Trail and ends at an elevation of 11,900. The trail is popular with hikers to the lake or those climbing nearby 14ers, including Ellingwood Point.
The AVSAR team has been dispatched to Ellingwood twice in recent weeks and successfully transported two distressed hikers to medical treatment.
In May 2023, AVSAR helped a lost hiker who wandered off the trail and became lost.
