Hikers survive overnight bivouac on La Plata Peak

Two hikers emerged exhausted but unscathed Sunday after surviving an unplanned overnight bivouac on La Plata Peak.  Israel Valdovinos, 33, and Danial Schreither, 32, were helped off the fourteener Feb. 1 by search and rescue volunteers.

“They were lucky,” said Clinton Bellingar, incident commander at the scene for Chaffee County Search and Rescue-North.  The incident started after the pair reached La Plata’s 14,336-foot summit Saturday afternoon. On their descent, the weather took a “bad turn,” according to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office. Blasted by snow and heavy winds, the men were forced to take shelter in a small grove near treeline.

The Colorado Springs-area men had planned for emergencies, and had adequate supplies to survive the night without dying of hypothermia or exposure.  “They basically had all their 10 essentials,” Bellingar said, referring to a standard list of recommended supplies. “They planned really well, considering. They also knew how to use what was in their pack.”

As the men waited out the storm, their families began to worry. The pair had called family members earlier that day, reporting they would return to their vehicle at the trailhead by 10 p .m. Saturday night, according the the sheriff’s office. When the hikers failed to check in, a call went out to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.  Bellingar and his team got the call around 3 a.m. Sunday. They hit the ground at daybreak with two Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers on snowmobiles, six volunteers from CCSAR-North and four volunteers from CCSAR-South. The team found the pair’s base camp at 10,500 feet, but the hikers weren’t there. Later, a pair of snowshoes was found on a ridge, but still no hikers.

“The situation seemed to get darker and darker,” Bellingar said.  Needing to marshall more resources, Flight for Life was called for air support. The helicopter crew spotted the hikers below La Plata’s summit around 1 p.m. and were able to direct rescuers to their location.  “When we figured out they were the right people, it was a huge relief,” Bellingar said. “We weren’t expecting that outcome at all.”  Search and rescue volunteers helped the hikers walk out. The sheriff’s office described Valdovinos and Schreither as “extremely fatigued but other than that found to be in sound physical condition.”

Search and rescue teams only get state reimbursement for missions if the victim is covered by the Colorado Search and Rescue Fund. Those with a hunting license, fishing license or registration for a boat, snowmobile or ATV are covered by the fund, as are those who purchase a Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue card. Bellingar reported one of the victims had a fishing license, so CCSAR-North should be able to recoup costs associated with the mission.