Rescue operation saves hikers stranded by blizzard at 5,000 feet on Northeast’s highest peak

Two hikers with a lot of experience were saved from the tallest mountain in the Northeast after a sudden snowstorm left them stranded at around 5,000 feet on Sunday, according to authorities.

Kathyrn McKee, aged 51, from Southborough, Massachusetts, and Beata LeLacheur, aged 54, from Westborough, Massachusetts, were making their way through a difficult trail on Mount Washington in New Hampshire when the weather took a turn for the worse, reported the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG).

The temperatures fell and the winds picked up, causing the snow to blow so intensely that the trail the hikers were following completely disappeared. The two friends continued on through snow that was chest-deep, finding themselves lost on the mountain.

One of McKee’s snowshoes became stuck in a “spruce trap,” a hole created in the snow underneath trees.

A half hour later, the rescuers found the two hikers alive and coherent, though both were suffering from cold weather injuries. The rescue crew set up emergency shelters and began to warm both hikers, who were able to move on their own after about an hour, officials said. 

This image provided by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department shows rescue hikers along the cog railway during a rescue mission on Mount Washington, N.H., Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department photo via AP)

At 3 a.m., the rescuers and hikers made their way down the Jewell Trail toward the base station of the Cog Railway, reaching the base safely by 4:15 a.m. 

Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast at 6,288 feet, and is known for its extreme weather conditions. 

The summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Holmes said both women were prepared for a winter hike, had emergency gear and had winter hiking experience. But they didn’t expect they would lose the trial. McKee and LeLacheur had received training on hikes from the Appalachian Mountain Club’s chapter in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“We feel really awful about having to make that (911) call, but it did save our lives, and we’re eternally grateful,” McKee said of their rescuers.

Both told The Associated Press they’d go out hiking again in the White Mountains and add a small pop-up tent to their gear in case they need to seek shelter.

“You either get back on the horse, or you don’t,” McKee said. “I’m not going to have a problem to get back on the horse. I’m going to do it as safe as I can. But I recognize there are risks in what we do.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.