Salt Lake County Search and Rescue (SLCSAR) is warning hikers that fall mountain conditions are turning dangerous after a weekend rescue on Lone Peak took 11.5 hours and required three agencies.

Two hikers called for help at about 10:49 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, reporting they were cold and experiencing altitude sickness near the 11,253-foot summit, ABC4 reported. Sustained winds prevented the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) from attempting a helicopter hoist or shuttling rescuers closer to the peak.

Four SLCSAR teams responded. After the helicopter option failed, SLCSAR moved its command post to the Peak View Trailhead. Draper Fire Department crews used a side-by-side vehicle to shuttle rescuers to Jacobs Ladder, according to Gephardt Daily. Teams hiked the rest of the way on foot.

Other hikers on the peak had already given the stranded pair clothing, food and water. SLCSAR said the two had found a crevice in the rocks to block the wind while they waited.

Rescuers reached them around 5 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, and provided headlamps, extra layers, food and water. A second team set up a handline lower on the mountain to help the group navigate steep terrain on the descent. Draper Fire Department transported the hikers from the trailhead.

Everyone was off the mountain by 10:15 a.m. Sunday. SLCSAR said the hikers were tired but in good condition.

The rescue was the second on Lone Peak in roughly a week. On Aug. 29, SLCSAR used a helicopter to extract another stranded hiker during a severe storm that produced more than 200 lightning strikes across the Wasatch Range, Hoodline reported.

SLCSAR, an all-volunteer unit under the Salt Lake County Sheriff that handles 100 to 140 callouts a year, used the rescue to issue a public safety warning. The agency said temperatures at 11,000 feet can drop into the 30s at night even when the valley sits near 90 degrees. With days getting shorter, SLCSAR advised hikers to carry extra headlamp batteries.

Residents who need to report a backcountry emergency can call 911. Salt Lake County dispatch coordinates with SLCSAR.