Hikers can’t find way after one falls on icy, snow-covered trail, California cops say
A pair of hikers were rescued after they found themselves stranded upon deciding to turn around from their attempt to summit a more than 6,000-foot high peak, California deputies say.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff Search and Rescue team got a call from two hikers who said they were stuck at Black Butte just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
While trying to summit the 6,334-foot high peak, they found the steep trail covered in ice and snowbanks, deputies said.
At one point, one of the hikers slipped and fell, injuring their head, and the pair decided to turn around, deputies said.
However, as they started to descend, they found the icy trail was too dangerous to navigate and called 911, deputies said.
.jpeg "moutnainrescue_fitted (1).jpeg")
The search and rescue team swiftly made its way to the hikers, according to deputies.
Rescuers medically assessed the injured hiker and determined they were in stable condition, deputies said.
After additional volunteers arrived, the rescuers helped guide the hikers back down the trail, arriving at the trailhead “just before sundown,” deputies said.
Deputies said hikers should research the route they plan to take, as well as bring proper gear.
“If there’s even a slight chance that your route may be icy or snow-covered, bring micro spikes, an ice axe or crampons for added traction,” deputies said.
Lastly, deputies said it’s a good idea to hike with at least one additional person.
“The hiker that sustained a head injury had a companion to help him back onto the trail before Search and Rescue volunteers arrived,” deputies said.
Black Butte, about a 10-mile drive northwest from Mt. Shasta, “is a steep, nearly treeless dome of hornblende andesite,” or volcanic rock, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
It was formed about 10,000 years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said.
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Hikers can’t find way after one falls on icy, snow-covered trail, California cops say."
