New England Hikers Are Lucky To Be Alive

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00:00New England hikers are lucky to be alive.

00:03More than 20 hikers were rescued from the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire

00:06over the weekend after becoming stranded in whiteout conditions.

00:10Officials say most of them were inexperienced and dangerously unprepared for the extreme weather.

00:16Standing at 6,288 feet, Mount Washington is New England's tallest peak,

00:21and notorious for its unpredictable climate.

00:24Known as the home of the world's worst weather,

00:26the mountain regularly sees winds over 100 mph and sub-zero temperatures, even outside winter.

00:34Despite repeated warnings, many hikers underestimate the risks.

00:38Andy Villain, assistant general manager of the Mount Washington Cog Railway,

00:42said most of the stranded hikers didn't realize the summit was closed for the season

00:46and had no services available.

00:49The summit is halfway, he reminded,

00:51noting that inexperienced hikers often focus on reaching the top without preparing for the descent.

00:57Some hikers admitted it was their first time ever on a trail.

01:01Several suffered hypothermia and wore clothing nowhere near suitable for the conditions, Villain said.

01:07Fortunately, rescue teams reached the group in time and everyone survived.

01:11But the outcome could easily have been tragic.

01:14New Hampshire State Parks later posted a warning on Facebook.

01:17Multiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days, very unprepared for winter and required assistance.

01:23Be wildly responsible, and please do some research on current higher summit weather

01:27and bring everything needed to hike in winter conditions or just hike another day.

01:32The post read,

01:33The incident highlights a growing national issue,

01:36unprepared hikers putting themselves and rescuers in danger.

01:39Experts urge anyone heading into the wilderness to check forecasts,

01:44dress in layers,

01:45carry food, water, and fire starting tools,

01:48and no personal limits.

01:50The hikers on Mount Washington were lucky.

01:52As Villain said,

01:53The summit is halfway.

01:55The true challenge is making it there and back safely.