CONTACT:
CO Jonathan Demler
603-744-5470
603-271-3361
October 29, 2024

Waterville Valley, NH – At 2:30 p.m. on October 28, 2024, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of an injured hiker on the Mt. Tripyramid Trail. The hiker, Sarah Yawata, 33, of Lancaster, PA, had fallen and injured her leg while descending the North Slide, an extremely steep and dangerous section of the trail. Conservation Officers with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department responded to Waterville Valley to provide assistance.

Fortunately, Conservation Officers were able to access the Mt. Tripyramid Trail by driving out the Livermore Road for 3.5 miles. A Conservation Officer reached Yawata’s location at 4:49 p.m., approximately 0.75 miles from the Livermore Road Trailhead. Yawata, whose injury did not prevent her from hiking but made it more complicated, had been attempting to descend the slide and had traveled 100 yards since her fall. The conditions made the trail extremely hazardous with a light dusting of snow on bare rock slabs. Using traction devices, such as microspikes, would have been futile because of the lack of accumulated snow or ice. Yawata and Conservation Officers worked down through the thick trees that lined the slide as a precaution against additional falls.

The group made it to the Livermore Road at 6:50 p.m. without any further issues and drove back to the Livermore Trailhead on Tripoli Road. Yawata was transported by a friend to a medical facility for treatment.

Yawata had experience hiking and had spent summers working in the White Mountains. She was prepared with winter equipment, including microspikes, but the conditions of the North Slide still resulted in a serious fall. Conservation Officers want to remind hikers that trails present many additional hazards this time of year and below-freezing temperatures are present at higher elevations. Please visit www.hikesafe.com for more information.