Two Massachusetts hikers were rescued in a multi-hour overnight operation after becoming stuck in whiteout conditions in the upper reaches of Mount Washington.

Kathryn McKee, 51, of Fayville, and Beata Lelacheur, 54, of Westborough – both experienced winter hikers – found themselves in chest-deep snow about 5,000 feet up the mountain just off the Jewell Trail. They called 911, which alerted NH Fish and Game around 6 p.m. Sunday. 

 

Multiple agencies and search and rescue teams worked overnight to rescue the hikers.

A Conservation Officer was able to speak to them via cell phone and directed them towards the trail, which was just over 30 feet away.

Over the next two hours, McKee and Lelacheur fought through the snow and “spruce traps” (holes created in the snow underneath trees) to try to regain the trail. They ended up on the trail several times but could not follow it as it had been erased by wind and snow.

After multiple attempts and calls with Fish and Game, the two needed to huddle up in the snow to keep warm and await assistance.

By 8:30 p.m., Fish and Game began to conduct a full-blown rescue operation. At the time, weather conditions at the summit of Mt. Washington had temperatures of -2 degrees and sustained winds at 50 to 60 mph, gusting significantly higher. Mt. Washington State Park was contacted and readied their snow cat to bring rescuers to the summit. Personnel from Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) and members of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Advanced Search and Rescue Team were called upon to respond to the mountain and attempt the rescue.

By 10:30 p.m. rescuers were arriving at the Mount Washington Auto Road and preparing gear.

The State Park snow cat started up the mountain at 11 p.m. with 9 trained rescuers and arrived at the summit just before midnight. Crews bailed out into whiteout conditions and snow shoed through deep, wind-blown snow toward the top end of the Jewell Trail below the summit of Mt. Clay. By 1:20 a.m. crews were approaching the last known location of the two hikers but had not yet made contact. The only way to locate the trail was through GPS navigation, and the going was slow due to the tremendous effort required to break trail in the deep snow.

At 1:50 a.m. rescue crews successfully located the two hikers. Both were alive and coherent but suffering from cold weather injuries. Crews set up emergency shelters and began to warm both hikers. The warming process took an hour, but by approximately 3 a.m. the hikers had been brought back to a point of being able to move on their own. Once everyone was up and moving, crews continued down the Jewell Trail toward the Base Station of the Cog Railway.

At approximately 4:15 a.m. the rescue party, along with the hikers, safely reached the Base Station of the Cog Railway. Once here, both hikers were evaluated by staff of the Twin Mountain Ambulance. One of the hikers was ultimately transported via ambulance to Littleton Regional Hospital for further evaluation and treatment of cold weather injuries. Authorities then worked with the Twin Mountain Fire Department and State Police Troop F to get transportation for the rescuers back around Mt. Washington to retrieve their vehicles. 

Both hikers were found to be prepared with a variety of gear. In addition, both possessed HikeSafe cards (voluntary hiker insurance) and both rescuers say both were extremely grateful for the efforts put forth on their behalf.

Officials say the incident is an example of the need to prepare for the unexpected. Both hikers were prepared and had winter hiking experience, but ultimately encountered unforeseen conditions.

Had they not had the amount of gear with them that they did, it is unlikely that they would have survived until rescuers reached them.

Fish and Game was assisted by Mount Washington State Park, Mountain Rescue Service, Twin Mountain Fire and Rescue and New Hampshire State Police Troop F Dispatch.