A mountain biker was rescued from Colorado’s Palisade Plunge earlier this month after a mechanical failure left them unable to continue along the demanding mountain bike route. According to Mesa County Search and Rescue, crews received a call for assistance on August 3rd, with the rider making their way to a shade structure located along the route to wait for rescuers.
Mesa County Search and Rescue deployed a Polaris vehicle and traveled up the trial to reach the stranded rider. They asses the rider’s condition and provided water, giving them a chance to rehydrate before bringing both the biker and their bike back to the staging area. The rescue ended without incident, but the structure where the rider waited rescue adds a deeper significance to the overall incident.
Memorial Structure Provided Shelter During Rescue
The shade structure that the biker waited under was part of a community memorial project built in memory of Jeff Higgins who, in 2022, died of heat exposure and dehydration at the age of 52. His family and members of the public raised funds for the project, developing it iun partnership with the Town of Palisade, the Bureau of Land Management, and COPMOBA.
That structure provided shade and a place for the mountain biker to wait for assistance while crews made their way up the Palisade Plunge. Without that memorial space, this situation could have ended a lot worse, especially given the high heats Colorado has seen this summer.
Palisade Plunge
The Palisade Plunge is a gnarly singletrack mountain biking course that runs for 32 miles from the alpine groves of the Grand Mesa to the shore of the Colorado River. It is not a beginner ride, and even intermediate/advanced riders could find it difficult. It features over 6,000 feet of descending and 1,700 feet of climbing over the full 32 miles, though shorter portions of the ride are available and recommended for newcomers.