Three hikers were rescued by local search and rescue teams Feb. 5 after getting lost on their way to the top of Mount Baldy in Los Angeles County.
The hikers ran out of daylight on their attempt to reach the summit but had left their itinerary with relatives, who notified authorities, according to the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team, one of two teams dispatched to rescue the lost hikers.
Teams from Sierra Madre Search and Rescue and San Dimas Mountain Rescue, which is part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, were alerted to the missing hikers Feb. 4.
“On Sunday night, our team was alerted about three hikers who were lost on the Old Baldy Trail in Bear Canyon,” the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team wrote in a Facebook post.
In perfect conditions, the trail is a “beast,” the team said. Hikers gain 6,000 feet of elevation in the six-mile hike from Baldy Village to the top of Mount Baldy, according to the team.
However, the winter storm that blew through Southern California beginning Feb. 4 made rescue attempts dangerous, the team said.
The lost hikers were prepared with a tent, sleeping bags, food, and water. They camped at 8,200 feet and waited for rescuers to find them the next morning.
At about 7:30 a.m. Feb. 5, Sierra Madre and San Dimas rescue teams began trekking four miles to the camp location. By then, the storm had arrived and rain turned to snow the higher they climbed.
The teams reached the hikers by 1 p.m. and found them sheltered between rocks to block the 50 miles-per-hour winds from the storm.
“We successfully found our three lost hikers, evaluated their condition, and escorted them to safety,” the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team said.
Rescuers assessed their medical conditions and provided care before descending with the hikers.
A second Sierra Madre crew was sent into the field with hot chocolate, tea, and sandwiches for the hikers and rescuers, according to a social media post by the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team.
The lost hikers brought essential hiking gear and were prepared to stay outside, which saved their lives, according to the rescue team.
