Hiker rescue in darkness on Mt. Hunger

September 29, 2026  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Members of Waterbury Backcountry Rescue Team carry an injured hiker down from Mount Hunger on Monday night. Photo courtesy of WBRT

Waterbury Backcountry Rescue Team mobilized on Monday afternoon to assist a hiker who had fallen and injured an ankle on Mount Hunger.

The call came in at 4:41 p.m., according to a report from team member Brian Lindner.

The hiker, a 36-year-old woman from Wisconsin, was unable to continue down the trail and needed to be carried to safety.

In light rain and fog, 15 members of the rescue team responded to the trailhead on Sweet Road in Waterbury. The team worked in continuing rain and darkness to reach the hiker just over a mile up the trail and carry her down the mountain using a Stokes litter.

Just before 9 p.m., they arrived with the hiker at the base where she declined further medical care and had a friend drive her to UVM Medical Center, according to the report.

Two calls for Stowe Mountain Rescue

After a recent quiet spell for rescue calls, Stowe Mountain Rescue on Tuesday reported that their crew responded to two incidents on Friday to assist with an injured hiker and mountain biker.

The rescue team shared some details in a social media post. The first call was from the Long Trail near Sterling Pond, where a northbound thru-hiker slipped on a natural deposit of talc, which is a feature along that section of the trail. Despite being well-prepared and even carrying hiking poles, the hiker had a mishap.

“Even on a dry day, they are slick,” the report noted. “Sadly, this gent had three weeks of hiking behind him and just 60 miles left to go – so frustrating for him.”

The second call was for a child who had suffered a serious mountain bike injury. “His helmet with a breakaway visor potentially saved his life,” the rescue team reported. “Thank you to the other mountain bikers who stayed to help manage traffic, protecting us in the blind corner that we were working in.”

The team noted that “helping a child is one of the most rewarding things we do, but our hearts go out to his father, who had to stand by and watch. That must’ve been hard.”