CONCORD, N.H. – A 61-year-old woman who got lost while hiking was reported in good condition Sunday after enduring a night of high winds and frigid temperatures on New Hampshire’s Mount Jackson.

An Army National Guard helicopter crew spotted Julie Horgan of Milton, Mass., around 10 a.m. Sunday more than 16 hours after she was reported to be in trouble, said Lt. Douglas Gralenski of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

The helicopter crew gave directions to ground searchers, who located Horgan and walked her to safety. She was in good condition and able to walk out with only minimal assistance, Gralenski said.

Horgan started from a ski lodge at Crawford Notch and called a friend by cellphone Saturday afternoon saying she lost the trail about 15 minutes from the summit. Mount Jackson has an elevation of more than 4,000 feet.

Members of the Fish and Game’s search-and-rescue team and Appalachian Mountain Club staff searched the mountain Saturday evening, but were hampered by high winds that limited visibility and hearing and swept away any evidence of tracks.

Winds at the time were gusting from 70 to 90 mph, with wind chills far below zero, officials said. Horgan was adequately dressed for a winter hike and found refuge from the wind while on the mountain, but a day hiker who was not prepared could have died in the extreme conditions, officials said.

 


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