CONCORD (NH) MONITOR • December 27, 2022
The news out of Franconia Notch this weekend was sadly familiar: A hiker set off in the morning, eagerly climbing the Old Bridle Path up Mt. Lafayette to experience one of the world’s greatest day hikes, but never returned. This time it was Guopeng “Tony” Li, 28, of Salem. Last month it was Emily Sotelo, 20, of Westford, Mass. Both hikers badly underestimated winter in the White Mountains, and did not carry extra clothing, multiple sources of light, and enough food and water and winter protection to survive if things went wrong. Both were hiking alone. Both missed a trail – easy to do amid deep or blowing snow as darkness falls – and ended up lost in the woods, eventually succumbing to the cold.