Over the weekend, more than 20 hikers found themselves stranded in whiteout conditions at the peak of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, prompting a rescue operation. Authorities described the group as “ill-prepared” for the harsh weather they encountered.

The adventurers had successfully ascended the mountain’s 6,288-foot summit, unaware that the state park was closed for the season and summit services were unavailable. Andy Vilaine, the assistant general manager of the Mount Washington Cog Railway, emphasized this oversight in a public statement.

“Reaching the summit is only halfway,” Vilaine remarked, highlighting the common misconception among hikers.

He noted that several individuals in the group were suffering from hypothermia and lacked appropriate gear for the severe conditions they faced.

The New Hampshire State Police confirmed the rescue, reiterating that the hikers were caught in snowy and windy weather. These adverse conditions were exacerbated by the hikers’ inexperience and lack of preparation.

Shockingly, Vilaine mentioned that some members of the group confessed this was “their first hike ever,” underscoring the critical importance of preparation and awareness when undertaking such endeavors.

“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)

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)

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.