LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Two hikers were rescued via helicopter on Monday after they couldn’t finish the trek and were unprepared to spend another night in the area.
The hikers — a 31-year-old Utah woman and a 35-year-old California woman — were reported to be overdue in the Enchantments area near Leavenworth at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, according to Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison.
The women started their hike at the Snow Lakes Trailhead on Friday, Mar. 15, and planned on finishing the through hike at the Bridge Creek parking area on Sunday.
The person who reported the hikers overdue said she got an InReach message from her friends at 9 p.m. Sunday saying they had been stuck and would be spending one more night in the area.
She said they were unprepared to spend another night there, and the location provided by the InReach device showed they were only about halfway through the hike at that time.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was then called in to fly into the area to search for the hikers.
By around 4:45 p.m. on Monday, the chopper crew spotted the hikers about 100 yards from Colchuck Lake, about 8 to 10 miles from the lot where their car was parked.
Once the helicopter was able to land near the hikers, the crew spoke with the women and found they were unhurt, but were unequipped to spend another night on the trail.
The crew decided that the best plan was to fly the hikers to the parking lot.
“The Enchantments through hike is approximately 24 miles this time of year and although it is warming up in the lower elevations, it is still very much winter through most of the hike. It is important to know your limitations and prepare for unexpected delays,” a news release from the Sheriff’s Office said.
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