A Massachusetts man had to be rescued after he got lost and stuck in waist-deep snow while hiking in New Hampshire's White Mountains on Friday.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department received a report around 8:45 a.m. Friday of a hiker in distress off the Twinway Trail between Mount Guyot and South Twin Mountain in Lincoln. The hiker had no cell service in the area but was still able to text 911 from his iPhone reporting that he had lost the trail and was in deep snow without snowshoes.
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The solo hiker reported that his phone was about to die and he had set up a shelter, but would need assistance to find the trail. The hiker was located in a remote section of the Pemi Wilderness, and rescuers determined the best access would be from Gale River Road in Bethlehem, requiring a 6.5-mile hike.
As state conservation officers and volunteers from the Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team responded to the area, a call was put out to the New Hampshire Army National Guard to see if they would be able to transport rescuers closer to the area or fly the hiker off the mountain. But due to weather conditions, they weren't able to fly.
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Instead, two conservation officers and two volunteers set off from Gale River Road. The first rescuers arrived at the hiker's location at 5:20 p.m. His gear was packed and he was provided with snowshoes, and at 5:45 p.m., the group started the hike back to Gale River Road. Shortly after 10 p.m., they arrived back at the trail head.
The hiker, identified as 52-year-old Gary Sullivan, of Acton, was not injured. Officials said he was prepared for a 2-day excursion and had a tent, sleeping bag, extra clothing, food, water and a Hike Safe card. But he did not have any snowshoes, having read reports that said they were not needed.
That was true for most of his hike, officials said, until he reached the area of Mount Guyot, where he encountered waist-deep snow. He took shelter Thursday night west of Mount Guyot and started toward Galehead on Friday morning but lost the trail soon after, which is when he texted 911 for help.
