A 23-year-old skier sustained serious injuries after crashing into a tree during harsh weather conditions in the remote backcountry outside of Lake Wenatchee, Washington.
KPQ reports woman was staying at the Alpine Lakes High Camp east of Stevens Pass and was skiing in the Coulter Creek area when she hit the tree on a 40° slope. The woman was able to call for help on a cell phone but first responders had a difficult time getting to her.
It took crews 5.5 hours to get the woman into to an ambulance after receiving her call at about 3 pm Sunday. The woman has not been identified, but deputies says she is from out of state.
Hats off to the all the first responders involved in this difficult rescue operation including Cascade Ambulance, Lake Wenatchee Fire & Rescue, Chelan County Search and Rescue, Chelan County Mountain Rescue and employees from Scottish Lakes High Camp.