On Sunday at 5am, 32 year old Manhattan resident Kate Matrosova was dropped off at the base of Mt. Madison in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Matrosova was hoping to concur the North Presidential Range by hiking to Mt. Madison, then across the ridge through Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, and ending on Mt. Washington. Most likely, she was looking to follow the Appalachian Trail.

Even for an avid hiker, this is an extremely ambitious winter route.

After sending out an SOS call from her personal locator beacon at 3:30 pm on Sunday, search and rescue teams were foiled due to -30 degree temperatures and 100+ mph winds. To make matters worse, Matrosova’s beacon was sending out erratic signals, some pings a mile apart from the previous.

Matrosova’s body was recovered on Monday by Star Lake, between Mt. Madison and Mt. Adams, at an elevation of just under 5,000 feet. She had died from exposure in the extreme weather conditions.

Mt. Washington is said to be ‘Home of the World’s Worst Weather,’ previously holding the record for the fastest ground speed winds of 231 miles per hour.

“If you are going to hike in this type of weather, you need to be in a more sheltered area, not on an open, exposed ridgeline,” said Lt. Jim Goss of New Hampshire Fish and Game. “There’s just no room for error in a place like that.”