Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP / Getty Images
Two hikers from Salt Lake City were rescued after being stranded for 36 hours on Mount Shasta in northern California. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported that the hikers, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, faced freezing temperatures as low as 14 degrees while descending from 11,000 feet. This marks the third rescue in the area this month, according to ABC News.
The hikers had planned a day hike while their friend summited the mountain and were not equipped with adequate supplies. They contacted the sheriff's office at 10:20 p.m. on Monday (October 12) to report their situation. Officials advised them to keep moving downhill to stay warm. Their phones died after a final call at 2 a.m. on Tuesday (October 13), when they reported reaching Helen Lake at 10,400 feet.
Search and rescue teams, along with California Highway Patrol Air Operations, began their efforts on Tuesday morning. At around 4 p.m., searchers heard shouts in Cascade Gulch and found the hikers at the bottom of the gulch, trapped between 30- to 50-foot cliffs. The hikers were uninjured and climbed out with assistance, as reported by KRCRTV.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reminded the public that the Avalanche Gulch route is not recommended due to deteriorating conditions, rockfall, and winter weather. They emphasized the importance of researching routes and choosing safe objectives for the season to avoid dangerous situations in the high country.