Maroon Bells rescue by Vail local serves as a stark reminder of backcountry risks

Maroon Bells rescue by Vail local serves as a stark reminder of backcountry risks

Sawyer Blair didn’t expect to spend his day on the Maroon Bells saving a life. He also didn’t realize how one decision would affect the outcome of it all.  Early in the morning, on Aug. 16, Blair and his hiking partner set out to hike the popular and iconic Aspen destination, reaching South Maroon Peak around 8:30 a.m. before doing the traverse to the 14,022-foot North Maroon Peak just two hours later.  Originally, the plan was to head back down…