Man dies in fall from Cathedral Ledge, NH
June 2002
A 56-year-old Massachusetts man fell to his death while hiking by himself on the popular Cathedral Ledge trail in Conway, NH. Robert Siegel of Carlisle tumbled 300 feet off the ledge, according to news reports.
Man charged in 1996 murders of two women hikers on AT
April 2002
A 34-year-old Maryland man was charged with capital murder for the 1996 deaths of two women hikers on the Appalachian Trail.
While the crime occurred in Virginia, news of it had sent a chill through all hikers along the AT that year, as far north as the White Mountains.
The man has actually been in prison since 1997 for trying to abduct a female bicyclist in Shenandoah National Park. While he was locked up for that crime, authorities built their case against him in the 1996 slayings of Laura Winans and Julianne Williams.
Federal officials say they may seek the death penalty because the man allegedly murdered the women because of their "actual or perceived sexual orientation."
Canadian hiker found stabbed to death near Pinkham Notch
November 2001
PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. --- A 52-year-old marriage counselor was found stabbed to death near the Glen Boulder Trailhead just south of the Appalachian Mountain Club's Pinkham Notch headquarters.
Louise Chaput, an experienced hiker from Sherbrooke, Quebec, was on a solo day trip during a long weekend in the Mount Washington area.
Her murder is the first in the area since the 1977 strangulation of a 22-year-old college student who was hiking alone on the other side of Washington, near Bartlett.
Chaput's death is being investigated by New Hampshire and Canadian authorities.
Two Mass. hikers survive night by digging snow cave
November 2001
FRANCONIA NOTCH, N.H. --- Two Massachusetts men frantically dug a snowshelter to survive a night after being swamped in a whiteout on Mount Lafayette.
The two 30-year-old men, who were only planning a day hike on the mountain on a Sunday, became disoriented and lost the trail.
The Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team and state wildlife officials looked through the night for the hikers.
The two men, from Somerville and Medway, hiked out Monday during a break in the storm and were found by searchers.
Boston news reporter lost in woods
October 2001
BARTLETT, N.H. --- Boston reporter Ted O'Brien never expected to become a symbol of the perils of hiking unprepared.
On Labor Day weekend, O'Brien, 60, went for what he planned would be a six-hour hike on the White Mountains. He ended up getting lost and spending two nights in the woods without a tent or proper food or clothing.
A longtime television and radio newsman, O'Brien is now heralding the importance of hiking with the right food and equipment. (But he has sparked controversy among some experienced hikers with his recommendation that people bring cell phones into the woods.)
During his fateful hike, O'Brien took only a sweatshirt, blue jeans, two peanut butter sandwiches, four cheese sticks and water.
Luckily, after a couple of nerve-wracking nights, O'Brien again found a trail and ran into searchers. O'Brien's absence sparked a massive rescue attempt.
Mount Jefferson peakbaggers lost in whiteout find way off
October 2001
MOUNT JEFFERSON, N.H. --- An early October snow storm left two young New Hampshire hikers stranded overnight near Mount Jefferson. A top fish and game official said the two were lucky to survive.
According to the Associated Press, the 19-year-old and 21-year-old hikers made the summit of 5,715-feet Mount Jefferson, but were stunned to get caught in a whiteout. The two stayed alive by talking and moving all night. They walked safely off the trail the next day.
New York man spends two nights snowbound on Mount Washington
October 2001
PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. --- An unprepared New York hiker spent two nights trapped in snow at 4000 feet elevation deep in Mount Washington's woods. The 46-year-old man wore only light clothing and had few supplies. He was rescued at 4 a.m.
Synagogue manager dies of heart attack while hiking
August 2001
FRANCONIA, N.H. --- After a massive search by hundreds of volunteers from the Orthodox Jewish community, the body of Abraham Hauer of Brooklyn was found near a trail by Lafayette Brook.
He was hiking with his wife on a relatively easy path to Artist's Bluff, but had left her to rest and went on alone. The 53-year-old man suffered a heart attack soon afterwards.
Hauer, 53, was well-known in the community for managing a synagogue in nearby Bethlehem, a summer retreat for Orthodox Jews from New York.
Bay State man dies near Mount Hancock
June 2001
LINCOLN, N.H. --- A Massachusetts man died when he was hiking near Mount Hancock in the White Mountains. The 51-year-old North Shore man was on the Hancock Loop Trail with his friends, who tried to resuscitate him. Rescuers worked for eight hours to carry him out of there, according to news reports.
Search for hikers lost in Wilderness called off after they find way out on own
May 2001
LINCOLN, N.H. --- After getting lost in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, encountering snow drifts up to their chests and becoming subject of a search, two hikers found their way out of the woods on their own, according to news reports.
The hikers, a 21-year-old from Warwick, R.I., and a 22-year-old from Arundel, Maine, started their overnight trip on the popular Wilderness Trail off the Kancamagus Highway, with plans to visit Bond Cliff and Mount Guyot. But when they didn't come out in the town of Bethlehem as planned, friends reporting them missing to officials.
The two men were just bruised and tired when they came out, and refused medical treatment. After losing the trail, the men used maps and a compass, and then began following a brook to find their way out, according to news reports.
Three Mass. hikers stranded for hours on snowbound Wildcat
March 2001
PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. --- Three Massachusetts men who hiked up Wildcat Mountain with plans to ski down were stranded near the summit by deep snow and had to be rescued, according to news reports.
New Hampshire officials, who described the men as lacking experience and preparation, have considered charging the hikers for the rescue as allowed under state law.
The three men, in their late 30s and from the Attleboro and Rehoboth areas of southeastern Massachusetts, had only two pairs of snow shoes and two sets of crampons between them, no overnight gear and no headlamps, according to news reports.
They gave up their hike in the evening and started a fire within a half mile of the summit and only 80 yards from one of the ski trails, although they did not know how close they were. Rescue crews brought the men down in a snow grooming machine after midnight.
Ice climber dies in fall off Mount Washington
February 2001
MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. --- An experienced ice climber fell to his death when an ice dam was accidentally let loose by his climbing partner as the two were scaling Mount Washington's Huntington Ravine.
Ned Green, 26, was caretaker of the Harvard Mountaineer Club cabin at the base of the ravine.
Cold night in the White Mountains provides painful lesson for hikers
December 2000
LINCOLN, N.H. --- Be prepared for a "whiteout" if you go for a hike in the White Mountains during the late fall or winter.
In December 2000, a sudden snow storm blinded several wilderness instructors and their students from Vermont when they hiked into an area famous for the phenomenon -- Little Haystack, Liberty and the biggest peak in the immediate area, Mount Lafayette, at 5,260 feet.
According to news reports, the group went up one of the mountains with no sleeping bags, only lightweight clothes and a sketchy map. Fortunately, they did carry a small tent. When a blizzard struck, they ended up praying for their lives during an awfully cold night on the mountain. All made it off alive the next day, but several suffered frostbite. The incident also sparked a massive air and ground search that wouldn't have been necessary if the group had taken the right precautions.
Crawford Path almost claims another life
October 2000
CHANDLER'S PURCHASE, N.H. - Watch out for bad weather on Mount Washington, even if you're planning only a short day hike.
That's the lesson one New England man learned in October 2000 when he hiked along Crawford Path, an exposed trail that has taken the lives of many ill-prepared hikers. The man had only cotton outerwear and a small pack and almost was done in by hypothermia when the wind and rain arrived.
Luckily for him, he was found above the treeline by a couple of experienced hikers from Michigan. The heroes set up their tent, warmed up the man and walked him off the mountain. Otherwise, he might have perished or spent a very cold night near Mount Eisenhower, according to news reports.
Rescues are costly and mostly unnecessary
May 1999
FRANCONIA, N.H. - And don't think it's easy -- or cheap -- to save stranded hikers.
Rescues in the White Mountains are agonizing, risky and expensive. Although state law allows New Hampshire Fish and Game wardens to criminally charge negligent hikers and file a lawsuit to collect damages, that isn't easy or even practical in many instances, authorities say.
Volunteers help in rescues. But why should they even have to do it in the first place absent a serious injury? When you hike in the White Mountains, it's astonishing to see the number of people who just aren't properly prepared. Even if it's a beautiful day during the fall or early winter, make sure you have a day pack stuffed with jugs of water, wind jackets, food and especially a head lamp or two. Much of the time, you won't need the extras. But it's definitely better to be safe than sorry in the White Mountains.
Cell phones can be helpful. But authorities are finding that they also can be a pain. Cell phones provide a false sense of security and lull people into thinking they can always just call for a rescue if they get lost. Cell phones also take away a lot of the fun and adventure that comes with being in the wilderness.