Two friends, seasoned in hiking, ventured to take on New Hampshire’s difficult Mount Washington trail once more, having completed it a month earlier. They had already traversed neighboring peaks in the White Mountains when they began their descent on a Sunday evening. Although both hikers were an hour behind schedule and the fading daylight presented a challenge, they were equipped with appropriate clothing, headlamps, and other essential gear.
However, conditions quickly deteriorated as strong winds arose, plummeting temperatures, and they found themselves stranded in waist-deep snow amidst a whiteout. This was particularly alarming as Mount Washington is notorious for its rapidly changing and extreme weather conditions. Amy Cotter, a weather observer at Mount Washington Observatory, commented on the unique characteristics of the snow on the mountain, stating, “That snow has nothing to stick to. That snow gets whipped up very easily.”
The situation escalated when one of Kathryn McKee’s snowshoes got caught in a “spruce trap,” which is a void created beneath trees due to accumulated snow. McKee recalled the experience, saying, “It took like 20 minutes to get out of that. And that kept happening.” This forced the two to crawl on their stomachs in a desperate attempt to move forward, struggling greatly with their progress.
After an exhausting hour without success, McKee, 51, from Southborough, Massachusetts, along with her companion Beata LeLacheur, 54, from Westborough, decided to call for help by dialing 911. New Hampshire Fish and Game officers quickly received the call and began pinpointing their GPS location, guiding them toward the trail, which was only 34 feet away.
Despite being on the trail multiple times, they couldn’t maintain their direction, as visibility had dropped significantly due to the wind and snow, explained Sergeant Matthew Holmes from the Fish and Game Department. After several attempts to locate the path and numerous calls made around 6 p.m., the friends had to huddle together in the snow to conserve warmth while they awaited rescue. At this point, temperatures at the summit were recorded at 2 degrees below zero (approximately -19 degrees Celsius) with fierce winds sustained at 50 to 60 mph (80 to 96 kph). McKee and LeLacheur were stuck at roughly 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) elevation.
McKee reported that she was wearing gloves but still lost dexterity in her hands due to the severe cold. “I went into my first aid kit to grab the emergency blanket and extra hand warmers, but I couldn’t open the chest because my hands were frozen,” she shared. For around six hours, the duo endured the harsh winds at their location.
During this time, McKee expressed her fears, concerned both for her friend’s safety and her own, stating, “I was terrified that my friend may pass away in front of me … you do think about that, but you can’t stay in that thought process because that’s not going to get you out.” The two remained determined, focusing on the next steps rather than succumbing to fear.
To combat the cold, they utilized a bag as a wind barrier, with McKee wrapped in a covering usually reserved for sleeping mats. “I was buried in snow at that point, so it was basically an insulator,” she explained, although it restricted her movement.
As the night progressed, a snowcat equipped for the mountain journey, along with nine rescuers, began the ascent up the auto road of Mount Washington. They arrived at the peak shortly before midnight. The rescuers, equipped with snowshoes, navigated through the tough conditions to reach the hikers’ last known position around 1:20 a.m. Monday, but still had yet to make contact.
Sgt. Holmes noted that GPS navigation was the only means to locate the trail, but their progress was slow due to the conditions. Eventually, McKee and LeLacheur were discovered about 30 minutes later, suffering from frostbite, especially on their hands. Emergency shelters were set up, allowing the hikers to regain some mobility by 3 a.m. on Monday, and by 4:15 a.m., they descended with their rescuers toward the base of the Cog Railway.
Holmes added that while both women were adequately prepared for a winter hike and possessed survival gear, the unexpected loss of the trail came as a shock. Their experiences had been informed by training sessions with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Worcester chapter. McKee reflected on their decision to call for help, expressing gratitude by saying, “We feel really awful about having to make that (911) call, but it did save our lives, and we’re eternally grateful.” Both affirmed their enthusiasm to hike again in the White Mountains and mentioned they would include a small pop-up tent to their gear for emergency shelter in the future.
McKee concluded with a resolute outlook: “You either get back on the horse, or you don’t. I’m not going to have a problem getting 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.”
