New Hampshire authorities came to the aid of a mother and daughter out hiking who became stranded at a mountain summit due to whiteout conditions.

The pair, Nathalie Beaudet, 54, and Catherine Courtemanche, 24, from Sherbrook, Quebec, hiked a familiar trail up Mount Lafayette in Franconia on Thursday. But they were unable to descend from the summit in high winds and blowing snow.

A team of Fish and Game conservation officers and volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Service responded. They hiked 4 miles from a trailhead and reached the women in about three hours. The women showed early signs of hypothermia. The group made it safely back to the trailhead.

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Conservation officers said the pair were well equipped with winter clothing and equipment but lacked some of the navigational equipment such as a compass or GPS that would have assisted them in navigating through the whiteout conditions.