The two skiers were rescued in waist-deep snow and had no warm gear or light.
Crews trudged through “extremely deep” snow, thick trees, and blizzard conditions to rescue two skiers who became lost on Mount Moosilauke in New Hampshire on Saturday.
According to New Hampshire Fish and Game officials, conservation officers received a report at 4:55 p.m. on Saturday, January 17 of two skiers who were lost in deep snow and blizzard-like conditions on the summit of Mount Moosilauke.
At the time of the call, the two skiers said that they had lost the trail due to strong winds and no visibility, and they were now stuck in a drainage in waist deep snow.
The skiers said their cell phone had 2 percent battery life left, and they had no warm gear or light to continue.
Conservation Officers and volunteers from Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue team staged in Warren and then used snowmobiles on the Old Carriage Road to get four miles up Mount Moosilauke.
Rescuers hiked another 1.5 miles to a drainage on the north side of the mountain. They then fought through what officials described as “extremely deep snow” and thick trees, locating the skiers at 11 p.m.
Officials said that due to the deep snow and rugged terrain, it took more than an hour to get the skiers back up and onto the trail.
Once on the trail, the skiers and rescuers were able to hike the 1.5 miles back to the snowmobiles where everyone was relayed back down the mountain.
Resources were clear by 2 a.m.
