Backcountry skier tumbles hundreds of feet down New Hampshire mountain

A 37-year-old backcountry skier tumbled hundreds of feet down a Mount Washington ski run before being rescued by onlookers, New Hampshire officials reported.

Kirsten Hugger, of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, fell while skiing on a ski run known as Airplane Gully, the state Department of Fish and Game said in a news release.

Hugger tumbled several hundred feet, striking rocks, in the 2:50 p.m. accident Saturday, May 21, the release said.

Onlookers and other skiers called 911, then carried Hugger 700 vertical feet to the Great Gulf’s rim, officials said. They flagged down a passing train to take her to a ranger station.

Hugger, an experienced backcountry skier, had injuries that were not considered life-threatening but prevented her from leaving the ravine on her own.

She and her companion had switched to the Great Gulf for a last run down the mountain after skiing earlier on the East Snow Fields, the release said.

At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington is New Hampshire’s highest peak.

This story was originally published May 23, 2022 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Backcountry skier tumbles hundreds of feet down New Hampshire mountain."