YOUR COMMENTS

this story has it all wrong. One of the hikers is my cousin. They left for the hike at 2 not 5, and a park ranger told them that that trail was a loop that would be a couple hour hike.
- Mitchell, Lanesborough MA

Yea these fools definetly made a terrible decision. Leaving at 5:00 pm for a hike of that length was their first mistake followed by no food, water, packs, lights, or BRAINS!
- Jon, Lincoln

I think it is a stretch to call these four "hikers." I don't think wandering into the woods makes you a hiker any more than wandering into a city makes me some kind of urban hipster. I stay out of the city places because it is not what I know.

Everybody who spends time in the woods knows it gets dark fast at the end of the day and the woods change when it does.

I'm glad they are okay, maybe they'll be smarter next time, or at least think a little bit before they go out for some "fun" in the woods.
- Matt F., Center Barnstead

I am the aunt of one of the girls who was lost. I too have been lost in the woods and it is very scary. I'm just sooooo thankful she and her friends are okay. Everyone lighten up! You've never made a mistake? If you are not an outdoors type of person, a nice beautiful trail in the woods on a nice day is very enticing and seems very innocent until you get lost and realize all that can go wrong.
- Cheri, Connecticut

I hope when you come to Boston and can't find your way, we'll will be more friendly. I hope you can forgive and forget.
- Brittany Collins, Boston, MA

Oh looky... the relative is chiming in again. Actually, I'm not a parent, but the sister of one of the girls that stayed up til 1in the morning worrying sick about her sister until I received the phone call that she was alright... AND better yet, someone that actually got the true and full story.

Ever heard that the media may portray things in a different way and that the full truth isn't always presented?

Apparently the world IS full of people who don't understand sarcasm ... (CURT)...

And as for the failed parents, I'm wondering who failed the people that are so awful that they can write such rude comments to people that they don't even know, about a situation that they don't even know the full truth on.

How about trying something like...
"THANK GOD THOSE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT. "
- Alison, Stoughton MA

Alison, it's hard to sing the praises of a group of hikers who started up an unknown trail at 5 pm totally unprepared simply because they brought along a cell phone. Just because they brought a cell phone along doesn't make what they did smart, funny or otherwise worthy of any praise. I think your comment would be quite a bit different if they had died from exposure.
- Brian, Farmington

We are all tourists and strangers at some point in our lives. If we only pursue activities at which we are experts, we would all lead very boring lives. Many of the folks posting here may some day get lost in NYC or Boston and wander into a dangerous neighborhood after dark. Locals in those cities may consider them stupid and negligent. They would not likely argue that basic safety services should be withheld, however.

Lighten up, folks. There will be mountains in NH for thousands more years and thousands more inexperienced hikers will become lost in them. Let's promote safety and education by all means. Maybe require young people like this group to give an address to their school or church group.
- DL, Easton

Oh looky--we have one of the relatives chiming in to somehow justify the actions of the careless quartet. Do you realize Allison that the temps were in the 20s in parts of NH last night? Having a good time is great, until the risk of life and death come into play due to poor decision-making skills. Tell me Allison--are you one of the parents that failed here?
- JB, NB, NH

Paul - It is the media. The UL puts every lost hiker situation at the top of its webpage.

A truly valuable story would be a year to year comparison of how many lost/injured hikers are reported each year over, say, the last ten years.
- Art, Portsmouth

Apparently the world is not full of people who realize sarcasm.

However, Alison, bringing their cell phones to save them from the results of being unprepared is not "smart", nor was it "smart of them to actually call the police for help when they realized they needed assistance" AT 9:00PM, an hour after sunset, and four hours into their little expedition.

I love how people think that having a cell phone is the answer to the tiresome chore of having to use their brain.

There was nothing "smart" in what they did. Those four kids are just ignorant tourists from Mass., who come to New Hampshire, treat it like a playground, and lose their mind. Can't say that they didn't bring us entertainment though... 8 mile loop hike over two mountains? At 5:00pm? I'm still laughing.

Besides, everyone knows that animals would eat the breadcrumbs. And who knows Morse Code these days?
- Curt, GIW

2 conservation officers @ ~$65/hr (including overhead costs) x 4 hours. That's only $520, not much when spread out 4 ways. A lot cheaper than say, being treated for hypothermia at the hospital if they waited till next day to hike back out.

Certainly a lot less than the 'Use Tax' amount Mass tax officials are trying to extort out of County Fair Tire. Turn about is fair play, right?
- Jim, Manchester

Yes. And the world is just full of boy/girl scouts who would think to bring bread crumbs and flash a cell phone light into the mountains like morse code. PLEASE. Be realistic. And find something better to do with your time than make ridiculous comments about 4 adults that were trying to have a good time on a weekend off. People make mistakes and I know that they know what theirs were. Don't make them feel worse than they already do by leaving comments that have no relevance now.

Why not say that it was smart of them to have their cell phones... smart of them to actually call the police for help when they realized they needed assistance than to just try and fix the problem on their own?

Or you could all just continue to search the internet for things that do not directly concern YOU and comment on them. Way to go scouts.
- Alison Batchelder, Stoughton, MA

The cost gets picked up by the F&G Search and Rescue Fund. $1 from every hunting/fishing permit and boat/ snowmobile/OHRV registration goes into the fund.
Whether a rescued party is billed or not is dependent on many factors. Preparedness being one, but not the only factor.
- John Edward Mercier, Belmont

Do all of you screaming for lost hikers to foot the bill for their rescue also support sending 911-happy people the bill for unnecessary police response? It's the same thing.
- Kate, Manchester

I do agree with everyone here this time, bill them, and make them give the two officers certificates for dinner at a nice restaurant for screwing up their night! And maybe make them volunteer a weekend to do trail maintenance. Just a fine for those four is letting them off too easy.

I'm wondering if they headed into the woods with just sneakers and tee shirts too.
- Dave K, Sandown

"They set out about 5 p.m.""the hikers did not have a trail map, backpacks or any lights with them."

Send them the bill!!
- GW, WILTON,NH

Dark Happens! Be prepared!
- John, Strafford

If Tim had been a boy scout he would have known to turn the cell phone around and point the glow of the screen outward and he could of seen the light switches along the mountain trail, if the 3 ladies had been girl scouts they would have known to drop bread crumbs as they walked up the mountain at 5pm without knowing where the trail went. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
- J, Loudon

These people are not hikers. They are foolish tourists and should not be lumped in with the rest of us.
- Joan, Lincoln

and let the comments about hikers not being prepared begin....

now!
- tim, canaan

Start hiking at 5pm, brilliant. The only thing these 4 did correctly was stay in one place by a landmark. Thankfully nobody hurt and all came back safe. Bill them accordingly
- Craig McIntosh, Allenstown

Who pays for this? Just goes to show how STUPID this generation is!
- FreddyD, Goffstown

Is it me or is anyone else noticing an increase in lost hikers this year?
- Paul, Merrimack

Definitely pay-for-play on this one. How dumb can you get?
- Sue Hunt, Alexandria