A fall hike ended in a rescue for a Boston woman after she suffered an injury on a New Hampshire mountain as winds gusted to 80 mph over the weekend, officials said.
Conservation officers responded to the Old Bridle Path Trailhead in Franconia Ridge on Saturday around 3 p.m. and learned that 33-year-old Anna Meier had injured her leg after slipping between Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette, 4.2 miles from the trailhead, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division.
NH Fish and Game say Meier was having difficulty staying warm with winds at 60-80 mph and temperatures in the 30s, creating a single-digit wind chill. They say passing hikers called 911 to report the incident because Meier’s phone also had spotty service.
A 25-person rescue team got to the hiker at around 6 p.m., and after taking a break along the way, they returned to the trailhead at 1:20 a.m. Sunday. NH Fish and Game say Meier then took a personal vehicle to get her injury evaluated.
The state is using this rescue as a reminder to other hikers to purchase a Hike Safe Card. They also say hikers should be prepared with ten essential items: a map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, a headlamp, a fire starter, a first aid kit, a whistle, rain/wind jackets & pants, and a knife.