Rescued hiker: 'I realized I'm out here alone tonight'
»Play Video
SEATTLE -- Despite being lost in snow 4 feet deep on Mt. Adams, cardiologist Peter Baciewicz found a way to stay warm and dry.
He was wilderness skiing at 6,000 feet at Mount Adams when he took a bad turn and got separated from his friend.
He had no phone signal, map or compass, but his climbing experience -- which includes Mt. Kilimanjaro -- told him it was best to conserve water in his bottles and hoard food in his pack.
"Then I realized I'm out here alone tonight, so I gotta find a comfortable, warm place to camp," Dr. Baciewicz said.
Baciewicz walked until he found a small trail -- he knew rescuers would be looking for him.
Finally, Tuesday afternoon, his instincts paid off.
"They know where to look for people," Baciewicz said. "I was coming down a path. They were coming up the path. We bumped into one another."
He may have been rescued, but his feet paid the price from the frigid temperatures, showing a few scars.
He'll gladly take the pain though.
"I realized I'm better as a cardiologist than I'll ever be a wilderness expert," he said.
The doctor wasted little time getting back into practice, returning to work at The Polyclinic Wednesday afternoon.
He was wilderness skiing at 6,000 feet at Mount Adams when he took a bad turn and got separated from his friend.
He had no phone signal, map or compass, but his climbing experience -- which includes Mt. Kilimanjaro -- told him it was best to conserve water in his bottles and hoard food in his pack.
"Then I realized I'm out here alone tonight, so I gotta find a comfortable, warm place to camp," Dr. Baciewicz said.
Baciewicz walked until he found a small trail -- he knew rescuers would be looking for him.
Finally, Tuesday afternoon, his instincts paid off.
"They know where to look for people," Baciewicz said. "I was coming down a path. They were coming up the path. We bumped into one another."
He may have been rescued, but his feet paid the price from the frigid temperatures, showing a few scars.
He'll gladly take the pain though.
"I realized I'm better as a cardiologist than I'll ever be a wilderness expert," he said.
The doctor wasted little time getting back into practice, returning to work at The Polyclinic Wednesday afternoon.
