Who: Two 17-year-oldsWhere: Mount Baldy, near Eagle River, AlaskaTheir mistake: Went hiking in whiteout conditionsWhat happened: Two teens set out for a hike when they suddenly got engulfed by whiteout conditions. One of the teens used a cell phone to call for help when they became disoriented and were unable to find the trailhead.

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Who: 42-year-old Anthony BowermanWhere: White River National Forest, ColoradoHis mistake: He somehow got separated from his ski group. He handled the rest of the night like a seasoned vet.What happened: A man became separated from his group while skiing down a mountain to the Peter Estin Hut. He became disoriented and was unable to get [...]

Who: A 35-year-old hikerWhere: Crowder’s Mountain State Park, North CarolinaHis mistake: Slipped on a rock and took a mean tumbleWhat happened: A man hiking through the park slipped and fell 25 from a rock, then rolled an additional 50 feet down a steep embankment. It is unclear if the man was hiking alone or how [...]

Who: A 17-year-old solo hikerWhere: Baldy Mountain, New MexicoHis mistake: He was hiking alone in jeans, a t-shirt, tennis shoes and a light jacketWhat happened: A 17-year-old went on a solo hike and underestimated the time he was going to be on the trail. He was caught in fading light with no flashlight and no [...]

Who: Laura Christensen, a 52-year-old from Santa FeWhere: Raven’s Ridge near Santa Fe ski basin, New MexicoHer mistake: She was lost in her audio book and mistakenly hiked off trail.What happened: A snowshoer set out for a dayhike with little water, no food and light clothing. She planned on being out just a few hours. [...]

Who: 76-year-old Romalice “Sarge” EllisWhere: Appalachian Trail near the Muskrat Shelter in Sassafrass GapHis mistake: He was a diabetic and was running low on food and glucose packs.What happened: A man suddenly became ill when his blood sugar level dropped to dangerous levels. He was cold and shivering in his tent. The man was almost [...]

Who: 52-year-old David Schneider of Berkeley, CAWhere: Andesite Peak, near Donner Pass, NevadaHis mistake: He got lost and couldn’t find his way back.What happened: A man became lost while XC skiing in the backcountry. His wife reported him missing just before 1 p.m. Nevada County Sheriff Deputies called Schneider on his cell phone and he [...]

Who: A couple of lost hikersWhere: Avon Mountain, ConnecticutTheir mistake: They got lost. Not sure if they went off trail or if they just lost it.What happened: Two hikers were forced to call for help when they became lost on Avon Mountain. The call went in about 7:30 p.m. Because of their location, Simsbury authorities [...]

Who: A climber in his 30sWhere: Clear Creek Canyon, near U.S. 6 in ColoradoHis mistake: I can only blame equipment maintenance here. His gear failed.What happened: A rock climber fell 40 feet when his gear failed on a climb. It is not clear if he originally fell or if he was rappelling down the cliff. [...]

Who: 6 foreigners and 1 Japanese guideWhere: Mt. Kurodake on Hokkaido, JapanTheir mistake: Didn’t plan their timing right. They got caught in the dark.What happened: A group of 11 skiers, snowboarders and one guide hiked to the top of Mt. Kurodake for what was supposed to be a one-day trip. Part of the group was [...]