Rescuers save hiker after 100-foot slide

A hiker in her late 60s was rescued on June 1 after sliding about 100 feet on a steep patch of lingering snow near Kendall Katwalk on the Pacific Crest Trail near Snoqualmie Pass, according to King County Explorer Search and Rescue. The woman suffered significant upper-body injuries, KOMO reported, citing the rescue unit. Passing backcountry travelers helped her back to the trail, wrapped her to keep her warm and provided first aid before rescuers arrived, according to Teton Gravity Research and KOMO. The incident is the latest early-season rescue tied to snow hazards that remain on higher-elevation sections of the trail near Snoqualmie Pass. ### Where did the slide happen? Kendall Katwalk is a well-known section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Snoqualmie Pass area, and the rescue happened near, though not directly on, that stretch of trail, according to reports citing King County Explorer Search and Rescue. The Trek identified the location as around PCT mile 2396 in northern Washington. (komonews.com) Snoqualmie Pass sits in terrain where snow can linger into early summer, and King County Search and Rescue says its member units respond in mountain areas year-round. The association’s Ski Patrol Rescue Team says it provides emergency medical and trauma care in wilderness environments, including mountain rescues and avalanche-related incidents. ### How was the hiker first helped? (thetrek.co) Passing hikers were the first people to reach the injured woman after the fall, according to Teton Gravity Research and follow-up reports. Those bystanders helped her scramble back to the trail, treated her for cold exposure and began first aid while waiting for organized rescue teams. Just before 2 p.m., King County Explorer Search and Rescue was deployed to the scene, KOMO reported. (kingcountysar.org) The outlet said rescuers then treated the woman on scene and evacuated her for further care after managing the snowy slide area. ### What injuries were reported? KOMO reported that the woman suffered significant upper-body injuries in the slide. (tetongravity.com) Teton Gravity Research described her as injured and said rescuers stabilized and evacuated her after securing the site. Neither report identified the hiker by name. The available reports did not specify the medical facility where she was taken or provide an update on her condition after the evacuation. (komonews.com) Based on the reporting, the rescue agency and media accounts focused on the terrain, the fall distance and the on-scene response. ### Which rescue teams were involved? (komonews.com) King County Explorer Search and Rescue was the named unit in the response, according to KOMO and The Trek. Explorer Search and Rescue is described by the King County Search and Rescue Association as the county’s primary ground search-and-rescue unit and says it includes EMTs and a technical rescue team. (komonews.com) King County Search and Rescue is an umbrella association for nine member units, according to its website. The association says it supports cooperation among units and directs people in emergencies to call 911. ### Why are snow hazards still an issue in June? June 1 is early enough in the season for steep snow to remain on exposed mountain trail sections near Snoqualmie Pass, and the reports on this rescue specifically cited a steep patch of lingering snow. (komonews.com) The hazard in this case was not a winter storm but residual alpine snow on a popular hiking route. (kingcountysar.org) King County Search and Rescue’s wilderness safety page advises hikers to carry first-aid supplies, shelter and other essentials. KOMO reported that the injured hiker had microspikes, a traction device for snow travel, though the report still described the terrain as steep and hazardous. ### What comes next for hikers using this stretch? King County Search and Rescue says current wilderness safety information and emergency guidance are posted on its website. (komonews.com) The Pacific Crest Trail section near Snoqualmie Pass remains accessible terrain used by hikers, but the June 1 rescue shows that snow-covered traverses are still present near Kendall Katwalk at the start of June. (kingcountysar.org)