Teen loses shoes in snow near Willow; rescue group walks party out safely

A 17-year-old lost his shoes in snow near Snowbird Hut outside Willow on July 4, leaving his hiking party unable to walk out on its own.

Alaska State Troopers received an SOS at 6:18 p.m. through the iPhone Emergency Relay Center. A member of the party had to hike to a location with cell service before troopers could get a full account. Troopers then contacted the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, a nonprofit volunteer search and rescue organization based in Anchorage. The group located the hikers and walked them to the parking area. No injuries were reported.

The incident points to a recurring pattern in Alaska: warm conditions in town can coexist with lingering snow and route hazards at higher elevations.