Aspen Rescue Team Struggles With Drug Calls At Conundrum Hot Springs

Aspen —The wind cuts through the aspen grove, whipping leaves against hikers’ legs as they push up the final stretch of trail. Below, the valley floor disappears into a haze of summer heat, but up here, the air is thin and cold. At the top of the ridge, the water steams violently, the 102-degree springs bubbling with a mineral-rich fury that has drawn thousands of visitors since the Forest Service opened the area. It is a place of supposed tranquility, a natural spa hidden in the wilderness of the White River National Forest. But this season, the steam seems to carry a different kind of tension.

Mountain Rescue Aspen is seeing it. The organization’s chief rescue leader, Jeff Edelson, told The Aspen Times that the group has responded to a rising number of calls involving drug and alcohol use this summer. Conundrum Hot Springs, accessible via a grueling 17-mile roundtrip hike near Aspen, has become the epicenter of these incidents. On a typical day, David Boyd, the public information officer for the White River National Forest, estimates between 50 and 60 visitors make the trek. Once they arrive, the scene shifts. Fifteen to 20 people crowd into the water, beers often in hand, turning a remote wilderness spot into a backcountry party hub.

The frustration for rescuers is palpable. This summer, the organization handled a particularly harrowing mission after a satellite device pinged from a backpacker whose companion was suffering from "difficulty breathing and involuntary muscle spasms." With stormy weather grounding helicopters, a team of 16 crew members hiked into the field for a nighttime carryout. When they reached the springs, the 29-year-old hiker was stable and alert. Bystanders reported he had been consuming alcohol or drugs. Edelson noted this was the third such incident this summer, a number he couldn't recall seeing in prior years.

"It’s really frustrating for us and our volunteers that our folks took six hours, eight hours away from their families to go help somebody who ultimately didn’t need it," Edelson said.

The Forest Service introduced a permit system in 2018 to limit crowds, capping campsite capacity at 64 people. Yet there is no limit on day-trippers who simply soak and leave. The ease of access — no technical climbing required — makes it a magnet for casual hikers who may not account for the altitude or the isolation. As the sun sets over the ridgeline, the springs continue to steam, a constant reminder of the wildness that remains just beyond the reach of the trailhead.