Missing Hiker - Zealand Falls area

Fish and Game just release the following - if your in the Zealand Falls area, keep your eyes open. With it being such a popular area hopefully he will be found soon.


http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2008/News_2008_Q3/Search_Zealand_Falls_082208.html

Search Underway for Missing Vermont Hiker in Zealand Falls Area of N.H.

CONCORD, N.H. -- A search is underway for hiker Robert Hughes, age 59, of Williamsville, Vermont, who is missing on the Zealand Falls Trail in the Pemigewasset Wilderness area of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is coordinating the search effort. The search is focused on the Zealand Falls Trail, because Hughes was last seen being dropped off at the trailhead by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) shuttle at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, 2008.

Low Flying Helicopter

Hmmm! Yesterday (21-August) there was a very low flying helicopter travelling north to south along the Dry River when I was doing my trek to Mt. Davis. Since this is in a location different from the Zealand Falls area, I wonder if this was related to yet another search, or what?!

1HappyHiker said:

Hmmm! Yesterday (21-August) there was a very low flying helicopter travelling north to south along the Dry River when I was doing my trek to Mt. Davis. Since this is in a location different from the Zealand Falls area, I wonder if this was related to yet another search, or what?!

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Could be the same search, from what I have heard.

I was descending the Bondcliff Trail late morning today and two USFS Rangers stopped me to ask if we I had seen anyone who fit the description. I couldn't and it left an eerie feeling in me for the rest of the hike. I hope they find him and hope the rangers and all SAR personnel get thru it OK.

We were on Mt Eisenhower around 11:30 on Thursday (8/21) when a helicopter made several low passes over us. They were hovering rather close to the ground in places. Someone on the trail suggested it was a training exercise, but it may have been part of the same search and rescue. I am unfamiliar with the logo on the helicopter.

http://northshorewx.com/Balsam/DSC_0440.jpg

http://northshorewx.com/Balsam/DSC_0444.jpg

NorthShore said:

We were on Mt Eisenhower around 11:30 on Thursday (8/21) when a helicopter made several low passes over us. They were hovering rather close to the ground in places. Someone on the trail suggested it was a training exercise, but it may have been part of the same search and rescue. I am unfamiliar with the logo on the helicopter.

http://northshorewx.com/Balsam/DSC_0440.jpg

http://northshorewx.com/Balsam/DSC_0444.jpg

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NH State Police. Your second picture shows the logo of the Old Man (gone but not forgotten).

I met a ranger on Signal Ridge today -- no news yet.

Tim

The search has gone "passive". This article mentions him as being in a despondent state of mind.

Rutland Herald Article

> he was dropped off by an Appalachian Mountain Club shuttle at the
> Zealand Falls Trail in the Pemigewasset Wilderness area.

Zealand Falls [sic] Trail is not in the Wilderness.

He left his car at the Highland Center, sounds like he wanted to spend a night at the hut and walk back A-Z

I was on the western A-Z last month and it was very overgrown and easy to lose, especially if he was turned away by the hut and decided to hike across late

One would hope that they did a thorough search of this route first thing

One would be silly to question the wisdom of F&G tactical strategy.

mtnpa said:

One would be silly to question the wisdom of F&G tactical strategy.

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One would also be silly to assume that the "news" that filters out to the lay reader is either accurate or up-to-date. Recall WMUR's blunder a month or so ago in reporting on the 11 p.m. news that a lost hiker in Franconia Notch had been found. That was not the case.

You mean the news has not been 100% accurate about this story. Like the multiple reports that the man was last seen at the New Zealand trailhead or New Zealand Falls. I have done the 48 but haven't been to either this trail or falls.

AndyF said:

New Zealand trailhead or New Zealand Falls.

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They're just eighty years or so behind the times....the area was called New Zealand until about the time J.E. Henry's men came in, when it was shortened (probably for convenience.) My copy of Mike and Steve's book is in a box somewhere, otherwise I'd have a cite for you

AndyF said:

Like the multiple reports that the man was last seen at the New Zealand trailhead

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You have probably been to the "new" Zealand trailhead, if you look you can see that the parking lot used to be farther N but was moved S across the bridge

You mean I can't second guess F&G, the President of the U.S., or Bill Belichek? Because F&G doesn't have infinite manpower or omniscience, they sometimes guess wrong, I can cite a few instances if you care.

Looks like this is unresolved:

http://www.dps.state.vt.us/vtsp/missing/hughes_robert.html

Someone asked me about the helicopter in a video from that day and it got me to wondering.