A hiker stranded on Mauna Loa after a snowstorm was rescued by park rangers Thursday.
Rangers conducting a helicopter search found Alex Sverdlov, 36, sunburned and wind-whipped at 9 a.m., according to a news release from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Sverdlov, a New York resident and experienced hiker, began his ascent Sunday from an elevation of about 6,660 feet at the top of Mauna Loa Road. He reached the 13,677-foot summit Tuesday, after dropping his gear at a lower elevation, according to the news release.
The storm struck as he was on his late-afternoon descent.
Unable to find his pack, Sverdlov hunkered down in the snow until daylight — protected from the elements only by the clothes he was wearing.
The park’s management closed the mountain to visitors Tuesday because of the dangerous weather. Sverdlov was the only registered hiker, and park rangers were unable to reach him by phone.
They found his car still parked on Mauna Loa Road on Wednesday afternoon.
The hiker found his pack Wednesday morning, but deep snow made it impossible for him to gain much ground in his descent, and he spent a fourth night on the mountain.
Park Ranger John Broward spotted Sverdlov during Thursday morning’s helicopter search.
"Even the most experienced and prepared hikers can get into trouble in the park," he said in the release. "What saved Alex is that he had a backcountry permit, so we knew he was up there; he is extremely fit; and he stayed calm. We’re all fortunate this had a happy ending."
Sverdlov told park officials Thursday that he we was worried that he would die on Mauna Loa and was astonished when he heard the helicopter.
"I’ve done many crazy hikes, but this one pretty much tops the bill," said Sverdlov, who completed the 18-mile trek to Mauna Loa’s summit last winter.
Sverdlov applied for another backcountry permit Thursday afternoon for the park’s remote coastal area.
"This time I’m going to the sunny part of the park," he said.
