Following the rescue of a 75-year-old man from Bond Cliff in The White Mountains safety officials are warning that while it is beginning to look like spring around the state it can still be winter in the mountains.
The man, David Humphrey of Falmouth, had had planned to cover 21 miles from the Crawford Notch to the Lincoln Woods trail on Sunday.
That would require following the Bondcliff Trail which crosses several 4,000 footers but he was only equipped for a day hike.
“He got up there and ran into heavy snow and rain at times,” said Fish and Game’s Lt. Heidi Murphy. “There is still almost two feet of snow on the ground.”
He called 9-1-1- Sunday night saying he was cold, wet and tired.
But he was almost nine miles from the nearest trail. Fish and Game rescuers reached him early Monday morning, kept him warm and then called in a National Guard helicopter.
It plucked him from the mountain around noon, suffering from “some symptoms of hypothermia,” according Fish and Game.
There is still snow on many of the mountains and the lesson, Murphy says, is to check the weather and bring proper clothing.
“Be prepared for the worst-case scenario."
