Capitol Peak is known for the adventure it offers, seeing as it is often referred to as “one of the most technical hikes in Colorado.” It is one of Colorado’s ubiquitous 14er’s, mountains that summit above 14,000 feet. Perhaps the appeal of this hike is the 4th class traverse to the summit, which can become especially dangerous when bad weather moves in because it is insanely exposed to all elements.
It is by no means an easy hike, however, the views at the top, overlooking Capitol Lake, are said to be stunning. It is truly an accomplishment to check this 14er off the list and so many people do every summer. But this season was different than any recorded in previous history because Capitol took the lives of 5 individuals.
The first fatality happened on Saturday, July 21, when Parker Resident, Jake Lord was crushed by a boulder. The only witness to the incident was Lord’s climbing partner, Peter Doro. Apparently, the men were not far from the trail when a large boulder rolled on top of Doro. The men were using climbing equipment and ropes on a very non-standard route.
The second incident happened to yet another Parker Resident, Jeremy Shull, on Sunday, Aug. 6. He was 35 and said to be a very experienced climber. Mountain Rescue noted that it was “the hardest rescue they’ve had in the past decade, because of the body’s location.”
The accident occurred on what is said to be the hardest part of the climb, Knife edge. The name is meant to be taken literally, Knife Edge, a 150-foot jagged rock edge on the way to the summit. Both sides of the Edge have a steep vertical drop. If you miss a hold, you’re looking at a 2,000-foot drop. Shull tumbled 200 feet below the cliff before his body finally landed. Mountain Rescue Aspen was finally able to recover his body after a nine-hour search the following Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Aug. 2 the bodies of a couple that had gone missing a few days previous were found near the base of the summit. They were identified as Ryan Marcil and Carlin Brightwell, both in their mid-twenties. Investigators believe the couple made it to the summit and fell quite some ways down.
Just a few days after the couple’s bodies were recovered, Capitol took the life of another young man, Zackaria White. Many officials imagine that he took a very similar route as the couple from Aspen, considering his body was only found 100 feet away. It is believed that White fell at least 600 feet to his demise, after splitting up with his partner. Apparently, he took an extremely dangerous shortcut and dropped.
According to hikingproject.com “there are couloirs on the climb between the Knife Edge, an intimidating 100-foot section of ridge with precipitous drops on either side and the Capitol Peak summit, that offer glimpses of Capitol Lake below. One couloir, essentially a steep, rocky drainage on the peak side of the Knife Edge appears to lead down to the lake, however, you cannot see that the couloir ends at a cliff band on the north face of Capitol Peak, which is not climbable.”
Before this summer, there had only been three recorded deaths on Capitol Peak. In order to keep these numbers down, hikers need to be responsible and stay on the trail. It is important to be prepared and check the weather before any hike, especially one with so much exposure. Hike with a clear head and don’t let one small mistake take your life.
