It never stops ! Despite the many warnings, unprepared hikers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire continue to get lost, cold, wet and immersed in darkness without a flashlight. NH Fish and Game and other rescuers were forced to hit the trails of Mt. Lafayette on two separate missions on the evening of June 19, 2026. One of the rescued hikers was hypothermic and unconscious when located, and a volunteer from a rescue squad suffered a serious injury during the operation. When will this end ? The many rescues and body recoveries are almost always preventable when responsible hikers prepare for weather variables such as wind, rain, snow, darkness and colder temperatures as they climb to the peaks.
May is normally unofficial "Moose Month" in Northern New Hampshire, but not so in 2026 . I live in the northern tip of the state and have found that the month of May normally results in the most sightings of the gigantic creatures. Moose in my driveway In the late 1990s and early 2000s, moose were everywhere . At that time, the estimated population was roughly 7,000-8,000 animals . On my walks in the woods, I would often have to change my path due to a moose blocking my way. Dodging them while driving on the roads was always a contest trying to avoid a collision. The huge animals would often walk down my driveway, and a cow moose came after my wife and I in one frightening encounter. I once spotted 11 young bull moose together by the side of Route 16 in the nearby Rangeley, Maine area. They were particularly visible in numbers on the sides of the roads in May, usually appearing somewhat ragged as they shed their winter coats. Even as their numbers declined significantly...