Two teens missing in the White Mountains found

[Stephen]

Two teens missing in the White Mountains found

LVERMORE, N.H. (AP)— Two Massachusetts teenagers who were lost for a day and a half in the White Mountain National Forest hiked to safety Thursday after they were found not far from where they got lost, the Fish and Game Department said.

Lt. Todd Bogardus said that Garrett Hoppe, 15, and Nathan Lampros, 18, were "cold, wet and tired, but otherwise OK" when they were found on Redtray Ridge, a quarter mile from a trail. They were out of the forest by 10:45 p.m.

"They had traveled quite a distance, but from where they were located, they were about a half-mile from where they left the trail," Bogardus said.

The teens disappeared on a day hike to 4,352-foot Mount Osceola north of Waterville Valley.

They were attending a Plymouth State University wrestling camp in Livermore, an unincorporated place, and were among nine people, including two adults, who headed out on the hike Wednesday.

The group split up and Hoppe, of Acton, Mass., and Lampros, of Boxboro, Mass., were last seen around 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Officials had searched throughout the night and all day Thursday for the pair in wet, cool weather.

 

[MichaelJ]

The article on www.wmur.com stated that the teens were last seen leaving the trail to bushwhack over to West Peak.

I don't know whether to smack them, or the adults who let them go, but will reserve judgement until I know how equipped they were (map, compass, etc.)

 

[SilentCal]

It's ironic how we were chatting about this route about a month or so ago and how tough it was to follow. Sometimes people just need a slap for Stupidity's sake. If they had no equipment then maybe two slaps.....

People like this make our hobby seem like a reckless adventure. My Mom reads these articles and always figures I'm the next idiot to get lost. Sure you may need a rescue one day if you break an ankle on the trail, But stupidity is not classified as a physical injury last time I checked.....

 

[Stephen]

It's ironic how we were chatting about this route about a month or so ago and how tough it was to follow. Sometimes people just need a slap for Stupidity's sake. If they had no equipment then maybe two slaps.....

Where do I sign up? (To give, not to recieve, of course!)

People like this make our hobby seem like a reckless adventure. My Mom reads these articles and always figures I'm the next idiot to get lost.

I'm always tempted to grab my mom's newspaper and cut these articles out before she sees them, for the same reason.

Sure you may need a rescue one day if you break an ankle on the trail, But stupidity is not classified as a physical injury last time I checked.....

Depends... if you are hiking in tivas, flip-flops or heels when this happens, you deserve the slap at every change of the rescuers carrying you down.

-Stephen

 

[MtnMagic]

Yes sir Cal, that sure was you and I on that West Osceola bushwhack. And J was with us too. Keep the slaps down, the trail education up and lets just keep truckin' those trails.
_________________
What do you say!!

 

[Mike P.]

Just back from Vacation, from what I read over on the AMC site from people reading all the different stories, (Boston Globe, Union Leader, Concord Moniter, etc., ) is that they have not have been heading to West Osceola but instead were just trying to take a short cut so they could be first to the top. (Or Bottom if descending, as I said, I'm just back from the beach so I skimmed all the gossip & was glad all were okay)

(Seems like an odd type of group to try & bushwhack W. O. unless they got up to Osceola first & wanted tobrag to other they went over there too, where you can see WO it looks pretty close)

Should they pay for the rescue effort???? I'm thinking yes as it would be less expensive than a winter trip (unless they had the choppers up in the air) & maybe a better lesson to others about being prepared to travel off trail or to stay on the trail & not take short cuts. Maybe just a donation to Fish & Game to buy some gear.

Mom has done some hiking with me so the get lost part does not concern her, it's the winter trips & whether or not I know to come in from the rain, snow, sleet, 90 MPH winds, avalanches, cliffs in the dark....