An active rescue is underway to locate five missing climbers after an avalanche struck a Himalayan base camp in northeastern Nepal on November 3. The slide is thought to have killed at least seven people in the 15-person expedition.

was the first to report this story.

Unstable snow and fluctuating weather conditions brought on by Cyclone Monica are believed to have caused the avalanche. Five visitors and ten Nepali high-altitude guides set out roughly an hour before the slide occurred at 8:30 A.M. near the base camp of Yalung Ri Peak.

The group had reached the base camp at an elevation of 16,000 feet and was adjusting to the altitude before attempting to summit Dolma Khang peak, which stands at nearly 21,000 feet. Yalung Peak is considered a non-technical beginner mountain, great for those with no previous experience in climbing high elevations.

Officials said that rescuers initially delayed rescue services due to weather conditions.

鈥淭he avalanche buried everyone on the slope. We got the information late, and the difficult weather delayed immediate response,鈥� Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gyan Kumar Mahato, told The Kathmandu Post. 鈥淎s soon as we were informed, we coordinated with the Home Ministry and deployed the Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police from Lamabagar. But due to heavy snowfall and clouds, helicopters couldn鈥檛 be flown, and reaching the site on foot was extremely difficult.鈥�

Rescuers have since recovered two bodies and are searching for the remaining five, which are believed to be covered by snow. Eight others were saved and are receiving treatment in Kathmandu. The bodies of the other five deceased climbers “may be 10 to 15 feet below the snow,鈥� Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, told the . 国产吃瓜黑料 contacted the summit company for an update, but has not heard back at the time of publishing.

Reports vary regarding the nationality of the climbers, who are said to include two or three Italians, two Nepalis, a German, a French person, and potentially a Canadian. NBC News that in an interview on November 3, Mahato had initially stated that three Americans had been killed, but the reason for the discrepancy is not apparent.

国产吃瓜黑料 also contacted the U.S. State Department for further information on whether any Americans were in the group, as well as the Nepal Government for an official count of victims. We will update this article if and when we receive a response.

In late October, heavy snowfall and rain from Cyclone Montha tore through the region, followed by sunnier weather on November 2. Officials speculate that this fluctuation in temperature, paired with heavy rainfall, steep slopes, and unstable snowpack, created prime conditions for an avalanche. It鈥檚 the same storm system that launched several rescue missions, including a helicopter that crashed while attempting to evacuate tourists.

Two other climbers were confirmed dead in a separate avalanche on Panbari Himal in the Manaslu region, reported听.

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For the first time, recently captured video footage shows the dramatic moments when a pod of orcas stun great white sharks, paralyzing their prey along the water’s surface.

Researchers believe it’s the first time this activity has been filmed and described, as reported in a new study听published in the peer-reviewed journal .

鈥淭his is the first time we are seeing orcas repeatedly target juvenile white sharks,鈥� said study author Salvador Jorgensen of California State University. 鈥淎dult white sharks react quickly to hunting orcas, completely evacuating their seasonal鈥痝athering areas and not returning鈥痜or months. But these juvenile white sharks may be naive to orcas. We just don’t鈥痥now yet whether white shark anti-predator flight responses are instinctual or need to be learned.鈥�

Known as Moctezuma鈥檚 pod, this group of orcas has developed a unique strategy for hunting juvenile white sharks in the Gulf of California. Here鈥檚 how they do it: The whales work together to push the shark to the surface, then maneuver the animal upside-down. This induces what鈥檚 known as a state of tonic immobility, where the shark loses awareness of its surroundings, essentially becoming paralyzed.

鈥淭his temporary state renders the shark defenseless, allowing the orcas to extract its nutrient-rich liver and likely consume other organs as well, before abandoning the rest of the carcass,鈥� said marine biologist and lead study author, Erick Higuera Rivas, in a .

Then, the orcas target and eat the shark鈥檚 large, calorie-rich liver.

Video shows two separate hunts, one in 2020 and another in 2022, with multiple orcas pushing sharks to the surface and working together to turn them upside down. Eventually, the pod of sharks resurfaces with the shark’s liver.

They note that the whales鈥� collaborative effort shows a high level of intelligence, social learning, and coordinated strategy that may have been passed down from previous听generations.

鈥淚 believe that orcas that eat elasmobranchs鈥攕harks and rays鈥攃ould eat a great white shark, if they wanted to, anywhere they went looking for one,鈥� said Rivas. 鈥淭his behavior is a testament to orcas鈥� advanced intelligence, strategic thinking, and sophisticated social learning, as the hunting techniques are passed down through generations within their pods.鈥�

Climate change events, such as El Ni帽o, may have altered white shark nursery areas, resulting in more juvenile sharks being found in the Gulf of California. Each new generation of young sharks brings more hunting opportunities for the whales.

But the researchers note that their video is just observational. Next, the team plans to survey the pod鈥檚 diet to determine how often they hunt and what percentage of their diet consists of white sharks.

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Barred owls are notoriously aggressive and territorial, and have been , even when seemingly unprovoked. Now, the federal government plans to authorize killing up to 450,000 barred owls across the western United States under a finalized in 2024.

The management plan is not a new proposal, but it follows a long tradition of hikers in the Pacific Northwest reportedly being attacked by the flying predator.

Reports of aggressive owls are well-documented and longstanding. Multiple runners in the Portland area have reported being and left with wounds throughout the years. Stolen hats, visible puncture marks, and advisories to wear hard hats in certain parts of the city have all been associated with the owl attacks. And after a Washington woman was by an owl while walking in the woods near her house in 2022, biologists report that the occurrence is becoming more frequent.

As most true crime fans will recall, the “owl theory” was one hypothesis put forward to explain the death of Michael Peterson’s wife in the Netflix documentary The Staircase.听That’s right, some argue that Kathleen Peterson may have died after .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) management plan, however, is designed not to save humans from barred owls but to save other, less dominant species of owls, such as the northern spotted owl and the California spotted owl. Barred owls, which are native to the eastern seaboard but only appeared west of the Mississippi in the early 1900s, are classified as invasive to the West and Northwest. In total, the FWS says in its that no more than 15,600 invasive barred owls per year could be killed under full implementation of their approved strategy.

Stretched out over the proposed 30-year management period, this would mean a total of 468,000 barred owls would be euthanized throughout the western United States. However, the FWS added that 鈥渢his is an upper limit that may be removed assuming maximum implementation of the strategy,鈥� adding that, even if reached, 鈥渋t would result in the annual removal of less than one-half of one percent of the current North American barred owl population.鈥�

Tom Wheeler, executive director of the California-based nonprofit , told 国产吃瓜黑料 that a coalition of conservation groups supports the management plan. Wheeler cited a letter co-signed by groups including the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and the Center for Biological Diversity, that stated the “strategy is a necessary conservation action to stop the extinction of the northern spotted owl and to protect other native species impacted by the barred owl鈥檚 invasion.”

“Barred owl removal is also a habitat protection strategy. Barred owls outcompete spotted owls and are driving the species to extinction. BO removal is likely to provide both long- and short-term habitat protection,鈥� Wheeler told听国产吃瓜黑料.

In addition to attacking humans, the FWS notes that barred owls are one of two primary threats to the continued survival of the threatened northern spotted owl, along with habitat loss, because barred owls are 鈥渓arger, more aggressive, and have a wider prey base.鈥� Unlike northern spotted owls, California spotted owls are not yet classified as threatened but 鈥渘ear threatened.鈥� However, this species, too, faces severe displacement from barred owls.

At least 14 national parks are included in the areas where barred owls could be killed, including the Washington national parks Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades, Oregon鈥檚 Crater Lake, and the Sequoia and Kings Canyon, as well as Yosemite, Redwood, and Lassen Volcanic National Parks in California.

Some environmental and animal welfare groups are not pleased by the plan. Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy against the FWS over the plan last year. Last week, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (CPANP), a nonprofit, published a letter to Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, urging him to vote against implementing the management strategy. The letter鈥檚 author, wildlife biologist Elaine Frances Leslie, called the planned culls an 鈥渦nprecedented and deeply troubling course of action鈥� and one that 鈥渧iolates the spirit of the National Park Service鈥檚 mission.鈥�

Leslie noted that although barred owls are not native to the Northwest and West, 鈥渞ange expansion is a well-documented ecological process鈥� and 鈥渨hile we agree that some of the range expansions are due to climate change, fragmentation, and other human-caused disturbance, the rate of range expansion is inevitable. We have considered policy, but we must also consider moral and ethical concerns. To massacre barred owls to protect the spotted owl in this matter is unethical.鈥�

FWS that the culling will be performed by professional removal specialists who meet training, experience, and competency requirements, which include 鈥渢he ability to accurately identify spotted owls and barred owls using both visual and auditory means, and confidently distinguish between the two species.鈥� The agency notes that no public hunting of barred owls is permitted under the strategy, and that it is unlawful for anyone to kill a barred owl without authorization under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Leslie and the CPANP argue that, among other issues, it will be challenging to ensure that the owls killed are exclusively barred, not spotted, and claim that the plan 鈥渋s a pretext to open up old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, and to allow for incidental killing of threatened northern spotted owls.鈥�

鈥淭here is no way that there will not be incidental 鈥榯ake鈥� (killing or capturing) in a project of this size and scope,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that this plan will be detrimental to both barred and spotted owls.鈥�

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A hiker was evacuated by air on October 29 from the rugged and remote Kalalau Trail in Hawaii after he was 鈥渦nable to hike out due to a rapidly worsening infection from an apparent spider bite,鈥� wrote the Kauai Fire Department (KFD) in a .

The hiker, a 57-year-old local from Kauai, survived the ordeal.

The is a challenging 22-mile round-trip trek from Ke鈥檈 Beach to Kalalau Beach, offering the only access to the rugged coastline of the renowned Napali Coast. Characterized by emerald-hued cliffs, towering waterfalls, and dramatically lush valleys, this region is difficult ot access and even more testing to hike through.

KFD said the department received a text-to-911 message from the hiker, who reported that an infection from a spider bite had spread. He was experiencing fever and weakness, and couldn鈥檛 be safely evacuated.

L墨hu鈥榚 Fire Station responded just after the text came in at 9:45 A.M. Rescuers evacuated the hiker from Kalalau trail, which is located on the northern side of the island, to a softball field located in Waimea, on the southern half of the island. First responders, who arrived at Kalalau Beach, said the hiker could walk but was 鈥渋n visible distress.鈥�

After a medical assessment, the hiker was transported to a local hospital for further medical care.

Meghan Wright, public information officer for the Office of the Mayor, told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the Kaua’i Fire Department conducted the rescue and initial medical aid before transferring the patient to American Medical Response for further care. The patient鈥檚 condition is currently unknown.

Although there are many types of spiders in the Hawaiian Islands, there are two species that can be particularly dangerous to humans: the brown widow and southern black widow, according to the .

鈥淭hough rare, spider bites do occur. Your risk of being bitten increases if you live in areas where there is clutter and debris or if their habitat has been disturbed. Widow spiders prefer warm climates and dark, dry places,鈥� writes the department on its website.

When bitten by the southern black widow, the spider鈥檚 venom attacks the nerve endings in muscles that can cause severe pain and muscle cramps at the source of the bite, which can then spread throughout the body. However, only females can bite鈥攎ales are too small, writes the .

Named for their coloring, the less-aggressive brown widow spiders are considered by the in California to be minor compared to the black widow. It鈥檚 theorized this is because the brown widow isn鈥檛 able to inject as much venom as its larger relative.

Brown widow and bold jumping spiders, which measure only a half-inch in size, also have painful bites that can produce redness, swelling and blistering.

If bitten by a spider, the Hawaii Department of Health advises hikers to remain calm and identify the spider, if possible. Bites should be cleaned with soap and water, and cool compresses can help to reduce swelling. If an infection appears to persist, contact your healthcare provider.

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A helicopter crashed while landing on a helipad in the settlement of Lobuche, near Everest Base Camp, amid a snowstorm on October 29. It was one of several that were evacuating foreign tourists from Nepal鈥檚 Khumbu region due to severe rain and snowstorms.

It鈥檚 the latest in a string of ongoing emergencies听atop the world鈥檚 tallest mountain.

Law enforcement officials stated that the helicopter lost traction while attempting to land at 7:43 A.M. local time, skidding in snowdrifts and overturning on the helipad. The only occupant at the time of the crash was the pilot鈥攊dentified by as Vivek Khadka鈥攚ho escaped unharmed.

A video of the crash was shared on by AccuWeather, a global weather company.

The crash occurred amid severe weather caused by Tropical Cyclone Montha, which made landfall on the southeastern coast of India on October 28, bringing heavy snowfall to the high-elevation regions around Mount Everest and severe rainfall to lower elevations. Meteorologists anticipate further severe rains and snow today and into the weekend. In response, officials on both the Nepalese and Chinese-Tibetan sides of Everest have closed their respective regions to tourists. They are also recommending that travelers postpone any plans to trek other high-elevation circuits, such as Manaslu, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri.

Over the past few days, several high-profile evacuations have occurred in the Nepalese Himalaya as a result of the snowstorms. Over 1,500 people, including approximately 200 foreign tourists, were rescued from the area around a high-elevation lake on Wednesday. Yesterday, a group of 72 trekkers was from Annapurna Base Camp.

The difficulty of these operations was highlighted again on October 31, when a trio of British and Irish tourists, along with a dozen Nepalese porters and guides, were rescued from Nepal鈥檚 Hidden Valley after spending three days stranded in subfreezing temperatures. Helicopters were unable to fly due to the weather conditions, so a rescue team had to trek in to evacuate them on foot.

鈥淭hey were barely able to walk, but were really happy when they saw us,鈥� Nepalese army officer Gaurab Dhoj Khand Thakuri said to . Nepalese officials told the outlet that 鈥渁valanches, landslides and road blockages could continue to affect the area until at least Saturday.鈥�

These latest storms are the second bout of heavy snowfall to hit the Everest area this month. Hundreds were rescued from around Everest in early October after another powerful storm dumped several feet of snow across the region.

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Yosemite Search and Rescue saved a climber who had fallen off , a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation known for its sheer face and challenging climbing routes. Rescuers deployed a specialized technique to save the injured climber on October 20.

Neither the climber’s name nor their condition has been released.

Responders used what鈥檚 known as the toss-across rescue technique, a precision, high-angle rescue maneuver designed by Yosemite rescue personnel in the early 2000s, specifically to help climbers stranded on rock faces.

A video posted by the rescue team shows a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter used to insert a National Park Service rescuer on El Capitan.

CHP flight officer and responding paramedic Noe Gonzales told that the technique is specific to Yosemite, and it鈥檚 unknown if it鈥檚 conducted anywhere else.

This is how it works: A helicopter is used to insert a rescue ranger on the cliff face above the stranded climber. A weighted beanbag, which helps in high-wind situations, is then attached to a line that鈥檚 tossed to the injured climber. The climber can use this line as a lead that can attach to and pull a stronger rope to them that can then be connected to their rescue equipment.听

High winds initially delayed the operation, requiring the helicopter to make multiple trips to the wall until it was deemed safe to continue.

鈥淩anger McGahey provided emergency medical care and coordinated the helicopter evacuation from the wall. Thanks to the team鈥檚 swift response and expertise in high-angle rescue, the injured climber received urgent surgical care and is now recovering well,鈥� wrote the rescue team on .鈥淵osemite Search and Rescue鈥檚 skill and innovation in mountain rescue save lives every year.”

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American ski mountaineer Jim Morrison made history earlier this month when he became the first person to drop into a harrowing ski descent of the Hornbein Couloir, an infamously steep, narrow chute on Mount Everest, via the Super Direct route. Now, the first footage of the 50-year-old鈥檚 novel attempt has been released.

After five years of logistical听planning and three expedition attempts, National Geographic described in a press release the 9,000-foot vertical line descent from Everest’s summit as representing 鈥渢he most significant achievement in ski mountaineering history.鈥� Morrison can be seen as he jump-turns down the steep, rocky terrain. His entire ski line is considered a no-fall zone鈥攕kiing鈥檚 equivalent of free soloing鈥攚here one mistake or slip can result in an uncontrolled fall and certain death.

The video, courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films鈥� 鈥淓verest North,鈥� shows Morrison ascending, summiting, and making history as he descends the most challenging route on the biggest face of the tallest mountain in the world. Long coveted by elite skiers, the route is a notoriously dangerous, technically challenging line with a climb that begins at 20,000 feet and ends at 29,032 feet. Anything over 26,000 feet is considered the 鈥淒eath Zone鈥� in mountaineering because of the low levels of atmospheric oxygen.

鈥淪urviving in this zone is extremely difficult, with climbers typically recommended to spend no more than 16 to 20 hours there due to severe physical deterioration, impaired cognitive function, and increased risks of stroke, edema, and heart failure,鈥� writes National Geographic in a statement sent to 国产吃瓜黑料.

Morrison鈥檚 descent wasn鈥檛 just to achieve a world first, either. He was also there to say a final goodbye to his late partner, Hilaree Nelson, the famed ski mountaineer who died on Mount Manaslu in 2022. Atop the highest mountain in the world, Morrison spread her ashes, then fastened on his skis.

Skiing the Hornbein wasn鈥檛 the only record-setting that took place during the 2025 expedition. Only five other climbers had completed the route Morrison followed on the ascent, the Super Direct, the last of which was made in 1991. Certain points of the climb are completely vertical.

Morrison was joined by 11 other climbers, including Jimmy Chin and Erich Roepke.

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A hiker died on Mount Whitney, California’s tallest peak, on October 25 after toppling down the 99 Switchbacks section of the route and sliding over a cliff.

The 99 Switchbacks is a 2.2-mile section of the route that gains 1,800 feet of elevation as it quickly zig zags upwards. Recent snow made this part of the mountain particularly perilous over the weekend. In addition to the peak鈥檚 recent precipitation, earlier weather conditions also featured hazardous winds.

Wes Ostgaard also attempted to hike Mount Whitney on Saturday. After encountering the new snowpack and windy conditions, he posted on Facebook that his team decided to turn around. Shortly afterward, he of the hiker who had fallen. Ostgaard contacted his father, who subsequently reached out to rescue officials, prompting the multi-day operation.

Inyo County Search and Rescue attempted to reach the fallen hiker on Saturday, but the peak鈥檚 inclement weather prevented a helicopter landing, forcing them to postpone the rescue. On Monday, Inyo County and Mono County Search and Rescue members hiked seven miles to the base of the switchbacks and confirmed the fatality, but inclement weather again prevented the rescue team from carrying the hiker鈥檚 body off the mountain. On October 27, a helicopter team managed to extract the hiker鈥檚 body after weather conditions improved.

While some shoulder season hikers pack microspikes to navigate deteriorating mountain conditions, high country endeavors like Mount Whitney often require the use of crampons and mountaineering equipment to cross the peak鈥檚 steep and unforgiving terrain safely.

鈥淭here are several turns on that section, near Trailcrest, when you could literally walk off an edge,鈥� hiker Chris Lombardo, who said he had previously retreated during his own climb of Whitney, wrote in a comment to Inyo County鈥檚 Facebook post.

Despite rigid permitting requirements and the mountain鈥檚 remote location, thousands of adventurers set out to hike Mount Whitney every year.听The peak鈥檚 allure as the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, paired with its majestic views, often draws听ill-prepared hikers.听As a result, the mountain claims a handful of lives every year. (Inyo County SAR didn鈥檛 note what gear the fallen hiker was carrying, and wrote that 鈥渋t is best not to make assumptions regarding the events leading to the recovery.鈥�

In the wake of the recent fatality, SAR officials are urging hikers and climbers to prepare for winter conditions in the Sierras. Inyo County SAR that 鈥淢ount Whitney is already experiencing winter conditions, including snow and ice, very low temperatures, and frequent windstorms. The Main Trail is no longer a casual hike but a mountaineering endeavor. The 99 Switchbacks are especially icy and slippery and should not be attempted without proper equipment, experience, and preparation.鈥�

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Cowboy boots and ski pants go together about as well as Gore-Tex bibs with a fur coat. It鈥檚 an unlikely combo鈥攖hat is, unless you plan to go skijoring. (And trust me, you鈥檙e going to want to ride this trend.)

Skijoring is a high-adrenaline, low-temperature sport that involves a horse and its rider pulling a skier through a snow-packed obstacle course at full speed. For most Rocky Mountain towns, skijoring is a familiar winter activity typically accompanied by hot apple cider, slushy walkways, and crisp breaths. But in a post-Beyonc茅 cowboy core world, it should come as no surprise that wild western winter sport has joined the mainstream crowds.

I鈥檝e spent many a cold Montana winter day bundled from head to toe in my backcountry kit, accessorized with my otherwise out-of-place Western round hat and bedazzled pink-lens sunglasses. Watching a similarly kitted-out skier as they full-send jumps, glide through gates, and reach for rings is an exhilarating experience deeply rooted in western mountain culture. Typically, ranching and front-country skiing represent two separate, yet equally important, economic sectors. Skijoring marries the two, bringing together people of different backgrounds and professional paths whose wintertime hobbies may vary dramatically.

Now, the once-niche sport is taking the national stage with the debut of , North America鈥檚 first professional skijoring series. Although PRO Skijor will be the first to bring the sport to a national stage, the sport has a long history in the United States and beyond. The North American Ski Joring Association (), for one, is a national alliance that promotes individual events through its extensive network and represents the riders, skiers, horses, and organizers.

Individual, small-town communities like those in听听and听 today host skijoring competitions to promote local tourism and provide a stage for competitors.听But the sport itself has been around for centuries, according to the . In Scandinavia, people traveled during the harsh winter months by being towed behind a reindeer on long wooden skis. At the second Olympic Winter Games in 1928, held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, competitors demonstrated skijoring. It wasn鈥檛 until the late 1940s that skijoring as a sport was conceived, and the first competitive skijoring event in the U.S. was held in Leadville, Colorado, in 1949. There is also an ongoing push to include it in a future Winter Games, such as the 2030 or 2034 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Now, skijoring鈥檚 latest evolution involves a much more expansive national audience.

“Generations of families and friends come together in a festival atmosphere to make memories around real athletes and beautiful horses,鈥� PRO Skijor co-founder Brian Gardner tells 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淎nd if they want to join the race and click into a pair of skis or saddle up to try out the course themselves, all are welcome. Skijoring is for everyone.”

The 2026 PRO Skijor Frontier Tour, a six-city professional league, will visit cities across the western U.S., including Bozeman, Montana, and Boise, Idaho. League representatives tell 国产吃瓜黑料 that each stop on the circuit will deliver an all-day celebration of snow, speed, and Western spirit, complete with live music, local food trucks, and family-friendly fun. Next year鈥檚 season is slated to wrap up in Salt Lake City with the 2026 Championship Weekend, where the best riders, skiers, and horses in the country will compete for the title and a serious cash purse.

鈥淚t鈥檚 rodeo energy meets ski-town attitude,鈥� says PRO Skijoring co-founder Joe Loveridge. 鈥淓very run is different, every crowd鈥檚 louder than the last, and we can鈥檛 wait to bring that rush to fans across the Mountain West.鈥�

Loveridge says skijoring needs to be Utah鈥檚 sport, but I鈥檇 have to disagree. Heck, maybe I鈥檒l even strap on my skis and hop in the obstacle course to prove that skijoring is, indeed, for Montanans. (Stay tuned on that one.)

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A 29-year-old snowboarder was rescued on October 26 from Cinder Cone, a steep summit near Mount Bachelor in Oregon, after he fell and hit a rock. Officials on social media that 15 search-and-rescue volunteers responded to the injured snowboarder, whose name and condition have not been released.

It鈥檚 the latest in a string of snow-related rescue scenarios that have occurred in October, prompting the question: Is all the winter weather appearing earlier than normal, or were these people just poorly prepared?

, executive director of the , says that this uptick in rescues is typical during the fall transition to winter, and is due to a combination of factors.

鈥淭he weather is changing, and people forget it gets dark earlier, that the weather can change quicker, and they are not as prepared for those things,” Boyer told 国产吃瓜黑料. “In some places, winter can sneak up on you, especially at altitude. Hikers get used to summer weather patterns and temperatures and forget to check the weather in advance.”

That was the case on October 19 when two hikers lost their way during an unexpected snowstorm in Washington鈥檚 Snoqualmie region. Soon after the duo began hiking, a cold-weather system moved over the area, dumping snow. Both were successfully rescued.

But other people requiring lifesaving are simply venturing into the backcountry unprepared. More than 20 hikers needed to be rescued from the flanks of Mount Washington in New Hampshire after wintry conditions swept across the famed peak on Saturday, October 25. Officials told local media that many of the hikers were not prepared for the 鈥渇ull winter conditions鈥� that they encountered.

鈥淧eople should be weather aware, properly equipped, and know their limitations. They should also have an emergency plan and let others know where they are going and when to expect them back,鈥� said Boyer.

Climate change is also playing a role, making backcountry conditions more unpredictable and dangerous for everyone, including rescuers, Boyer added.

鈥淲inter is coming earlier in some places and later in others. Outdoor recreation patterns are disrupted, in the summer and winter,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he shoulder seasons are shorter, giving folks less time to acclimate to snow or heat.鈥�

The latest example of this comes from the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. On October 23, the Hinsdale County Search and Rescue team responded to two motorists who were stranded high on the side of Engineer Pass in Colorado鈥檚 San Juan Mountains. A snowstorm had blown in that afternoon, and despite the weather report calling for a blizzard, the jeepers had continued up the route and gotten stuck in two-foot snow drifts.

Putting further strain on rescue efforts is the government shutdown. According to Boyer, 99 percent of search-and-rescue groups in the U.S. are composed of volunteers. Compiling the shutdown are layoffs in the National Park Service and the Forest Service, which are placing more pressure on those volunteers.

All this doesn鈥檛 mean people should avoid the backcountry entirely. As government funds remain tied up in the shutdown and federal agencies are limited in resources, it鈥檚 essential to follow the rules and do your due diligence before heading out. And be sure to come prepared for any weather, no matter what the forecast calls for.

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