A daredevil hike turned near-tragic for a group from the Boston area when their descent off a New Hampshire peak plunged into darkness, necessitating a late-night rescue by state officials.
The New Hampshire Fish & Game Department fielded an SOS from Jonathan Long, 26, and his teen charges on the Flume Slide Trail, finding the four without flashlights or gear for an unplanned overnight stay stranded after sunset, as reported by NBC Boston. The party began on the Liberty Springs Trail and ascended Mount Flume, but when they attempted to navigate back down via the infamously treacherous Flume Slide Trail, regarded as one of the most difficult in the White Mountains, they were caught unprepared as night fell.
Rescuers wended their way to the imperiled group, located some 3 miles from safety, and reached them at about 11:35 p.m., equipping them with lights and sustenance needed to make the journey down, stated the New Hampshire Fish & Game in information released to The Boston Globe.
With the officers' assistance, Long and the teens touched down at the trailhead by 1:50 a.m. and were chauffeured to their parked vehicle, the group was fortunate to escape more severe consequences, this outcome serving as a pointed reminder of the essential nature of proper hiking preparations—carrying adequate supplies, appropriate clothing and possessing a profound awareness of the trails and weather conditions, which can be unpredictable and dangerous particularly at higher elevations where snow and ice may still lurk.
Officials are pressing hikers to plan meticulously, including having "bailout" strategies, as they continue to confront the challenges inherent in the White Mountains' rugged terrain and fickle climate, and just as this group learned, not every trip into nature promises a safe return without respect for the elements it demands.
