Four snowmobilers from Idaho Springs were rescued Monday after their snowmobiles bogged down a day earlier in extremely deep snow on the Jones Pass road.
“They were in the bottom of a valley, got stuck, built a fire and ate a little bit of food,” said Maj. Rick Albers of the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.
“They were a little cold, had no medical issues, just a little tired,” he added.
Rescuers found the four at an altitude of about 10,500 feet, just below tree line.
Albers identified the four as Andrew Jeffrey, 35; Bill Hill, 41; Cody Morris, 16; and Chad Morris, 15.
Albers said the snowmobiles remain stuck.
“I don’t know how they are going to get them out,” he said.
Albers said that the group started the fire using twigs that they dipped in their gas tanks.
“I thought that kind of ingenious,” said Albers.
Bill Barwick, spokesman for the Alpine Rescue Team, said his group was called out about 10 p.m. Sunday after the four were reported missing.
Five law-enforcement agen cies also were involved.
The Jones Pass road starts near U.S. 40 next to the entrance gate for the Henderson Molybdenum Mine Complex near Berthoud Falls.
“It is a beautiful, beautiful area,” said Barwick.
Albers said that the four had registered with Colorado State Parks, which means that any searchand-rescue operations involving them are covered without a fee.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz @denverpost.com
