A Mt. Hood Mountain Locator Unit or a PLB would have aided her rescue. Although you can't initiate rescue with an MLU, if someone knows you are past your return time Portland Mountain Rescue can run a trace and most times determine where you are and if you're moving. Its older tech and a PLB is better, you press the button and help comes, but an MLU rents for only $5 at FS and REIs, so not much of an excuse not to carry one. Unfortunately she may pay with her toes, sorry about that.

Climbing permits are only required after May 15 so its possible she registered remotely, or possibly incorrectly - I've seen climbers on Mt Rainier actually drop their climbing registrations into the overnight hiker boxes, which the FS tends to collect and correct the climbers for afterwards - trail capacity is always an issue around Rainier and they will do daily counts to make sure campsite reservations are respected and properly filed. Since it came before the climbing permit season, I would speculate some snafu might have happened such that her registration was overlooked by FS staff. In these times of Congressional sequestration, the FS is hampered with staff issues and struggling to keep the parks open (NO political comment whatsoever, just stating the budgetary facts and outfalls).

The usual number of cascading errors leading to her being a lost hiker, and the usual amount of good luck and grit leading her to being found and alive. Could have turned the other way easily. Treating any mountain like a solo walkup before you actually have experience on the hill seems to be a common theme these days.