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More than 20 "ill-prepared" hikers were rescued from the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire over the weekend after they got stuck in whiteout conditions, officials said.
The hikers had reached the mountain's 6,288-foot summit, but "most had no idea that summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season," Andy Vilaine, the assistant general manager for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, said in a statement.
"The summit is halfway," Vilaine said.
Vilaine said that many were hypothermic and without gear "even near suitable for the conditions."
More than 20 "ill-prepared" hikers were rescued from the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire over the weekend after they got stuck in snowy and windy conditions, according to the New Hampshire State Police. (New Hampshire State Parks)
HIKER SUFFER HYPOTHERMIA DURING TREK ON NEW ENGLAND'S HIGHEST PEAK AMID EAST COAST HEAT WAVE
Some of the hikers even admitted it was "their first hike ever," Vilaine said.
"Please don’t become a statistic and do your research before venturing out," he said.
Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak, is known for its extreme and severe weather, earning it the nickname "Home of the World's Worst Weather."
NH Fish and Game reached out to the Cog Railway for assistance in relaying rescuers up the train tracks to where the Westside Trail crosses the tracks known as Skyline, the department said. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)
HIKER FOUND DEAD AFTER DAYSLONG SEARCH IN NOTORIOUS MOUNTAIN RANGE
The hikers, whose names have not been released, were taken to lower elevations aboard the Mount Washington Cog Railway, a rack-and-pinion railway that runs along the mountain and offers tours.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway typically runs year-round, but after mid-October, the peak’s summit facilities, which are part of Mount Washington State Park, are shuttered. From mid-October until mid-May, the railway carries visitors to a lower point, Waumbek Station at 4,000 feet, instead of continuing to the summit.
The summit of New Hampshire's Mount Washington, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
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According to the railway’s winter information page, "by the last week of October, sub-arctic conditions make the summit inhospitable to casual visitors."
"Multiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance. Be ‘wildly responsible’, and please do some research on current higher summit weather and bring everything needed to hike in winter conditions or just hike another day," the New Hampshire State Park wrote on Facebook.
