On Saturday, October 11th a hiker stranded in Little Cottonwood Canyon during a snowstorm was rescued by Salt Lake County Search and Rescue crews and is now recovering in the hospital.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call at 7:04pm to aid a hiker stuck on the South Ridge of Mt. Superior. The hiker had ventured off-trail while attempting to summit the mountain earlier that day but a snowstorm blew in and temperatures dropped into the 20s. Due to poor visibility from the blowing snow, the hiker decided to hunker down and call for help.
Rescue teams assembled near the base of Alta Ski Resort and deployed two groups to ascend the mountain, reaching the hiker after about 90 minutes. A break in the storm enabled a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter to perform a hoist rescue. By midnight, the operation was complete, and the hiker was safely off the mountain.
The hiker was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition.
Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Statement:
Rescue #53, Mt. Superior LCC
Date: October 11, 2025
Duration: 4 hours
On October 11th at 7:04 pm, Salt Lake County SAR was called to assist a stranded hiker who was cliffed out on the South Ridge of Mt. Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
The hiker had set out earlier in the day, attempting to summit the mountain, and went off-trail when a snowstorm rolled in.
As temperatures dropped into the 20s and blowing snow limited visibility to a few feet, the hiker called for help.
Rescue teams gathered near the base of Alta Ski Resort and sent two teams up the mountain from the canyon road. The rescuers broke trail through several inches of snow on a technical, steep ascent for about 1.5 hours before making contact with the hiker.
As rescue teams assessed a cliff-edge traverse through a waterfall to the subject, a break in the storm occurred, which allowed a Utah DPS helicopter to perform a hoist rescue.
The now-hypothermic hiker was then hoisted from his stranded location to a waiting ambulance and taken to the hospital in stable condition.
All teams were off the mountain around midnight.
Related: New Hampshire Fish & Game Encourages Safe Hiking As Temperatures Fall
