On December 24, 2016 at approximately 2:00 p.m., a 24-year-old female began hiking Picket Post Mountain. Weather conditions worsened due to rain, snow, and hail as she was nearing the top.
The hiker became stranded and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office was unable to get a helicopter to her location, so Pinal County Search and Rescue ground team started hiking from the trailhead. After two hours of hiking and crossing a running wash the ground team was able to locate the distressed hiker.
The hiker was assessed and given dry clothing. After starting down the mountain, it was determined that the trail was too icy to descend safely.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office contacted the DPS Ranger Helicopter to extract the hiker along with the ground team. At approximately 9:30 p.m., the DPS Ranger was able to perform a one skid landing and extract everyone off the mountain. The hiker refused medical attention.