A conservation officer and members of the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team helped two hikers descend Mount Washington after darkness left them needing assistance at Lakes of the Clouds AMC Hut, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
The response began on November 3, 2026, and ended early the following morning. Fish and Game described the completed rescue in a November 4, 2026 release from Sargent’s Purchase, New Hampshire.
Lights and clothing brought to the hut
Conservation officers were notified shortly after 5:00 p.m. that two hikers needed help at the hut. The department said the hikers did not have lights and were directed to wait in an emergency shelter at the hut, which was closed for the season.
At about 7:15 p.m., rescuers from the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team, known as AVSAR, and a conservation officer began hiking toward the hut. The first rescuers arrived at 9:14 p.m., according to Fish and Game.
The hikers were warmed up and given food, lights and extra clothing. At 10:08 p.m., the group began descending the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, the department said.
Fish and Game reported that the rescue party arrived safely at the Cog Railway base station at about 1:45 a.m. on November 4. The department’s account documents a completed assisted descent, not an ongoing search.
A light belongs in the day-hike pack
Fish and Game’s separate October 11, 2024 hiking-safety guidance lists a flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries among its essentials, along with a map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, and rain/wind protection.
That guidance also urges hikers to leave their plans with someone, understand local weather and terrain, and turn back in bad weather or when running out of daylight. These are general preparation recommendations, not a claim that equipment alone makes a particular route safe.
