Authorities say two experienced hikers were rescued from the highest mountain in the northeast to the highest mountain in the northeast, and a blizzard was stranded around 5,000 feet on Sunday.
Kathyrn McKee, 51, of Southborough, Massachusetts, and Beata Lelacheur, 54, of Westborough, Massachusetts, were trekking the Washington Mount Trail in New Hampshire when the weather got worse.
The temperatures dropped, the wind kicked up, snow blowing, and all the trails my friends were following were completely erased. The pair plunged through the deep snow on their chests and lost in the mountains.
One of Mackie's snowshoes was stuck in a “sprue strap,” a hole made in the snow under a tree.
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This photo was provided by Katyrun Mackie, a hiker, as he climbs the West Side Trail, hours before he needs to be rescued in Washington, New Hampshire, on Sunday, February 2, 2025. (Photo of Kathyrn McKee via the AP)
“It took me 20 minutes to get out of it,” she recalled in an interview with The Associated Press. “And that's going on and it's going to happen. And we've literally reached a point where we're trying to raw our belly and try to get to the next point, and we're struggling to the point that's not working.”
On Sunday, February 2, 2025, hiker Beata Lelacheur was shown hours before he needed rescue in Mount Washington, New Hampshire. (Photo of Kathyrn McKee via the AP)
After about an hour of hardship, the hiker called 911 just after 6pm and arrived at NHFG conservators.
“They ended up on the trail a few times, but were unable to follow it because they were wiped out by the wind and snow,” Sgt. Matthew Holmes of the Fish and Games division said in a news release.
There was no 73-year-old North Carolina hiker.
After multiple calls with conservation officers, Holmes, who was unable to find the trail, said “we're gathering in the snow, waiting for warm assistance.”
Temperatures at the summit dropped to -2 degrees, with sustained winds exploding at 50-60 mph. In many cases, the gusts of wind were significantly higher by the time the agencies began rescue operations at 8:30pm, Holmes said.
The image, provided by the New Hampshire Fish and Games Division, shows rescuers departing on foot from the Mount Washington, New Hampshire summit on Sunday, February 2, 2025. (Photo of the New Hampshire Fish and Games Division via the AP)
Mackie said her “hands were frozen” despite wearing gloves with Reiner. Friends used their bags as wind guards, and sat in the mountains for the next six hours waiting for rescue, when the wind blows them up, buried under the snow, insulated but not moving.
“I was afraid that my friend might die in front of me. “And how did you get here? So you'll think about it, but you won't kick you out So you can't stay in that thought process.
Just before midnight, nine rescuers arrived at the summit at a snowcat in Mount State Park, Washington. The crew snowshoes across the snow with deep winds blowing towards the trail, officials said.
This image, provided by the New Hampshire Fish and Games Division, shows a snowcat heading for a rescue mission in Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on Sunday, February 2, 2025. (Photo of the New Hampshire Fish and Games Division via the AP)
The team approached the last known location of the two hikers at 1:20am on Monday, but had not yet been in touch.
“The only way to find the trail was through GPS navigation. Progress was slow due to the effort required to break the trail in deep snow,” Holmes said.
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Half an hour later, rescuers found that the two hikers were alive and consistent, but both suffered from cold injuries. Rescue personnel set up emergency shelters and began warming both hikers who were able to move on their own about an hour later, officials said.
This image, provided by the New Hampshire Fish and Games Division, shows rescue hikers along the COG Railroad during a rescue mission in Mount Washington, New Hampshire, Sunday, February 2, 2025. (Photo of the New Hampshire Fish and Games Division via the AP)
At 3am, rescuers and hikers headed down the Jewel Trail towards the Cog Railway Base Station and safely reached the base by 4:15am
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeast at 6,288 feet and is known for its extreme weather conditions.
The summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukati, File)
Holmes said both women were prepared for winter hikes, had emergency equipment and had winter hike experience. But they didn't expect to lose the trial. Mackie and Lelature were trained in hiking from the Appalachian Mountain Club branch in Worcester, Massachusetts.
“We feel really bad about having to call it (911) but it saved our lives and we are forever grateful,” Mackie said. He spoke about the people.
Both told The Associated Press that they'll add a small pop-up tent to their gear in case they're going on a hike again in White Mountain and needing to ask for shelter.
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“You either go back to the horse or not,” Mackie said. “I'm not going to have any issues getting back to the horse. I'm going to be as safe as possible, but I know there's a risk to what we're doing.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
