14ers.com

I don’t know much at this point but this morning someone fell on the standard route. From what I am told SAR is trying to keep people off the peak for the next day or two to perform a recovery.

My boyfriend texted me from Capitol Lake an hour ago. He was also told no more summits allowed today. Possibly tomorrow, if recovery mission is completed today. Prayers to the family and loved ones.

terrible news.

All I have found so far is a report of a woman who was injured only a mile and a half up the trail from the trailhead. There's no mention of Capitol Peak. She was flown out yesterday afternoon. Possibly a different incident?

Pitkin County, Colorado – September 2, 2022 – The Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a phone call on Friday, at 12:19 p.m., notifying them of a medical emergency on the Capitol Ditch Trail. This call was transferred to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, who learned that a 75-year-old woman had slipped and fallen on rocks at a stream crossing approximately a mile-and-a-half up the Capitol Ditch Trail...

That is copied from the press release at the following link. I found the link on the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14gZ ... obilebasic

It looks like they finished the recovery. Helicopter flew out with a dangling litter.

Candace66 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 3:14 pm All I have found so far is a report of a woman who was injured only a mile and a half up the trail from the trailhead. There's no mention of Capitol Peak. She was flown out yesterday afternoon. Possibly a different incident?

Yes, different incident.

Recovery Complete

Thanks to all who stayed off or helped others to stay off during this event

Awful. So very sorry.

Edit: Removing comment here and placing in a new thread intended to correct earlier statement.

My buddy and I were on capitol today. We were one of only 6 climbers to make the summit before they were turning climbers away. We didn’t hear about the accident until we were back off the face and on the ridge (past where the fall occurred). A large number of folks on the ridge saw her fall and were very shaken, as were we. Slow and somber return off the mountain with planes and choppers buzzing. We saw the chopper with the recovery as we neared the TH later in the afternoon as well.

The presser linked above matches our understanding of the situation surrounding the accident except that according to other climbers who witnessed the fall, she might have been slightly off route, trying to get back to the route via some looser/sketchier terrain. Also according to other climbers, this was her 14er finisher.

Breaks my heart.

Terrible. Makes me sick.

My deepest condolences to all who knew the climber

Very sad indeed.
RIP, and prayers for friends and family.