This time it was three hikers on Mt. Lafayette caught on the mountain at night without a flashlight. The lack of preparation continues, and it isn't even Memorial Day yet.
New Hampshire Fish and Game once again, on May 11, 2026 were contacted to locate the three hikers in Franconia Notch, NH, after they were unable to follow the trail after dark, as temperatures dipped into the 20s. A proper flashlight might cost a few bucks and weigh only a few ounces. Why did they not have one?
Fish and Game in New Hampshire are understaffed and overworked. Their prime duty used to be ensuring that fish and wildlife were protected, but hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire has become extremely popular over the past few decades. And many who take to the hills assume incorrectly that the weather on the peaks will be quite like what they experience as they leave their cars at the base. And they are unprepared for what they encounter.
Search-and-rescue and body recoveries require manpower, time and money. And in the extreme, rescuers sometimes put their own lives on the line to extricate lost hikers, or their bodies, from the mountainsides. Hiking season is now in full swing. Properly prepare if you are heading to "The Whites".
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