A hiker who injured her leg while hiking on Mount Washington’s notorious Huntington Ravine Trail on Saturday hopped and crawled for roughly three quarters of a mile to minimize her rescue.
According to New Hampshire Fish and Game officials, they received a report of an injured hiker along the Huntington Ravine Trail on Mount Washington, roughly a half-mile up from the Harvard Cabin, at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 22.
The 30-year-old hiker from New Hampshire had reportedly suffered a lower leg injury, which prevented her from being able to hike out without assistance.
The hiker said she had been hiking up Huntington Ravine Trail with a hiking companion when she injured her lower leg in the boulder field at around 9 a.m. Determined to make it out without calling for help, she reportedly crawled, hopped, and shuffled roughly four-tenths of a mile before it became too much to continue without assistance. She ultimatley made a 911 call for help.
Conservation officers and volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue responded. Volunteers hiked up Tuckerman Ravine Trail to Huntington Ravine Trail, while conservation officers used ATVs to haul up rescue gear and a litter up the Sherburne Ski Trail.
While rescuers were responding, the hiker didn’t stay where she was and wait. She continued crawling and hopping down the trail another three-tenths of a mile before meeting up with rescuers at around 1:30 p.m.
Officials said the progress she made reduced the carryout from roughly 1.25 miles to around 0.5 miles.
The hiker was evaluated and had her injured leg placed into a vacuum splint. She was then placed in a litter and carried approximately a half mile down to the ATV. Once at the ATV, the hiker was able to get out of the litter and was placed on the back of the ATV, and driven down to the bottom of the mountain.
She arrived at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at 3:20 p.m. She was assessed by EMS personnel from Gorham Ambulance, but ultimately refused transport via ambulance and instead was driven to a hospital by her hiking comanion.
Officials said she was an experienced hiker, having completed 35 of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000 footers. She reportedly had all the necessary gear and equipment for a hike of this caliber and was well prepared with the 10 essentials recommended by the Hike Safe program.
