Two hikers rescued after snowbound hike in Washington's Alpine Lakes

Two hikers who became lost in unexpected snow on Oct. 19 in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness texted 911 before 11 a.m. and were found uninjured after rescuers hiked roughly five miles through snow to reach them, authorities said. The pair had sheltered under a blue plastic tarp and reported they were wet and cold on a mountainside near Peggy's Pond Trail, about 115 miles east of Seattle.

A cold weather system moved into the high-elevation Snoqualmie region shortly after the hikers began a day trip, dropping snow in an area that had been cold but otherwise passable at the start of the outing. The hikers did not make it off the slope and used text-to-911 to request help, the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office said. Their names were not released.

The sheriff's office coordinated a multi-agency response and requested volunteers from Kittitas County Search and Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, and King County Search and Rescue. Teams traveled and then hiked approximately five miles through snowy, rugged terrain to reach the two hikers, who were helped down from the slope and escorted out of the wilderness area. Officials reported no injuries.

Peggy's Pond Trail is an 11-mile...