20 hikers rescued from frigid, snowy conditions on NH’s Mount Washington

Dozens of unprepared hikers were rescued from frigid, snowy conditions on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington over the weekend.

Andrew Vilaine, the assistant general manager of the Mount Washington Cog Railway told the Boston Globe that he and several other Cog Railway employees found several groups of hikers in need of assistance on Saturday.

He said many of the hikers had hypothermia and were not wearing the right gear, despite temperatures around 20 degrees at the time. Temperatures at the summit were even colder — in the single digits.

“Had we not been able to assist the hikers with the one way ride, there is little doubt in my mind that several more complex rescue efforts may have been needed to be undertaken,” Vilaine said.

New Hampshire State Parks posted a warning on Facebook on Sunday, saying “It’s winter on the summit of Mount Washington,” with sub-freezing temperatures and blustery winds. In addition, the Sherman Adams building at Mount Washington State Park is closed for the season, meaning there is no shelter.

“Multiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance,” they said. “Be ‘Wildly Responsible’ and please do some research on current higher summits weather and bring everything needed to hike in winter conditions or just hike another day.”

Just one day later, on Sunday night, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said they had to rescue yet another hiker who had been caught in windblown snow from atop Mount Washington.

At 7 p.m., fish and game conservation officers said they received a 911 call from a Rhode Island man who was on the upper reaches of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, about 0.3 miles below the summit of Mount Washington.

Through a broken cellphone connection, authorities learned that the man, 20-year-old Owen Strommer, was on the trail but both his headlamp and cellphone were rapidly dying and he had no backup equipment. Strommer said he was OK but unprepared to spend the night, especially if he had to stop moving.

Conditions at the summit at the time included windblown snow with limited visibility, an air temperature of 21 degrees and a wind chill of 3 degrees. Given the circumstances and the weather, a rescue effort was immediately initiated.

Conservation officers and a volunteer form the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team were dispatched to the Moutn Washington Auto Road. A staff member from Mount Washington State Park also responded from the summit with a fully chained up truck and parked with his lights on at the top of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to watch for Strommer.

Following his initial call, Strommer was able to slowly keep picking his way up the trail with the aid of his dying healamp. He eventually saw the headlights of the state park pickup truck and scrambled p to it.

Around 8:30 p.m., Stromer was rescued by park staff and driven to the summit to be warmed and evaluated. He was uninjured and was eventually driven to waiting conservation officers for a trip to the base of the mountain. All parties were clear by 10 p.m.

Fish and game officials said Strommer had done some research on his hike, but was “absolutely unprepared” for the conditions he encountered above the treeline and the situation could have had a far worse outcome.

“While it may be fall in most of New Hampshire, it is absolutely the start of winter on the high
peaks of the White Mountains,” fish and game officials said in a statement. “Everyone venturing to these areas are highly encouraged to plan for winter conditions; your life may depend on it.”