Rescuers take another injured hiker off Mount Pilchuck

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 4, 2017

GRANITE FALLS — Rescuers on Monday responded to an emergency call on Mount Pilchuck for the seventh time in less than a month.

A woman called 911 around 2:30 p.m. after slipping and injuring her knee.

A helicopter dropped rescuers at the lookout. They hiked down to aid the woman, who was flown from the mountain.

The hiker wasn’t prepared for trail conditions, said Shari Ireton, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

The recent incidents on Mount Pilchuck have been at or above the snow line. Most of the hikers lacked the equipment or experience to traverse ice and snow. They lost the trail, slipped or fell through the snow.

There have been three leg injuries, a dislocated shoulder and mild hypothermia. Two people found their way back after calling 911 reporting they were lost.

“That snow is really treacherous, and the snow line is really low this year,” Ireton said.

Those who aren’t prepared to handle mountain snow should stay clear, she said.