6th Massachusetts Hiker Rescued On New Hampshire Trail In Just 4 Days
On Monday, April 20th, New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers rescued a lost 56-year-old hiker from the Rocky Branch Trail in Bartlett, marking the 6th hiker from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to be rescued on a trail in New Hampshire in just 4 days.
According to Fish and Game, officers were alerted to the lost hiker at approximately 6:13pm on Monday. the 56-year-old left the Glen Boulder trailhead around 8:45am and got caught in a snowstorm, making a wrong turn and winding up on the Rocky Branch Trailhead to avoid high winds and accumulating snow. The man called for help after realizing that he had made several wrong turns and needed directions to get out.
Conservation Officers and members of the U.S. Forest Service drove up a gated forest service road to within around 2 miles of the hikers location, directing him out of the woods at approximately 7:40pm. He was then driven back to his vehicle at the Glen Boulder trailhead.
This is the 6th Massachusetts hiker rescued from a New Hampshire trail in just a few days. On Friday, April 17th, three Massachusetts hikers wearing only sneakers were rescued from the Falling Waters Trail in Franconia Notch. They called for help around 8:30pm, running out of daylight and feeling that they could not safely cross Dry Brook. The three young women were assisted to the trailhead by 12:05am.
They on Saturday, April 18th, two young men from Plymouth, Massachusetts, called for assistance from the summit of Mount Washington around 7:30pm, seeking shelter from wind-driven precipitation next to a building. One hiker was experiencing significant leg pain. A Mount Washington State Park employee was able to locate the duo around 8pm, bringing them inside and administering first aid while Conservation Officers worked their way up the Mount Washington Auto Road in four-wheel-drive pickup trucks. The two hikers were driven down the road and were off the mountain by 10pm.
While not all of these incidents were due to a lack preparedness, they do highlight how quickly conditions can change on mountains and hiking trails, especially during the spring in New Hampshire. If you’re planning a hike, make sure you pack the 10 essentials, including a map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets and pants, and a knife, and are prepared for any conditions that may occur.
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