72-year-old hiker found dead on remote mountain trail in New Hampshire, officials say

A man found dead along a rugged trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains likely died from exposure, according to investigators.

The identity of the 72-year-old hiker has not been released, but his driver’s license revealed he lives in Virginia, the N.H. Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division said in a news release.

His body was found “lying on the Gulfside Trail” around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, about half a mile below the summit of Mount Washington, the division said.

The mountain is the highest peak in New England at 6,288 feet and notorious for hosting weather extremes.

“It appears the hiker likely succumbed to environmental exposure, but the exact cause of death is pending autopsy results,” officials said.

“Little else is known of the hiker. He was dressed in jeans, and had on a dark navy blue raincoat, with brown hiking boots and a small blue backpack. He was not prepared for the conditions that were and are still currently present in the higher summits of the White Mountains.”

A recovery team traveled by train and then by foot to reach the spot, then carried the body down in a litter, officials said.

Investigators believe the man may have taken a train ride up the mountain Wednesday, “and then decided to try and hike down.”

Temperatures in the area were in the mid-50s during the day on Wednesday, and fell to the mid-40s at night, forecasters say.

“The weather in the higher summits is cold, wet, and windy, which is prime conditions for hypothermia and other cold related injuries,” officials said.

Investigators are looking for other hikers who may have encountered the man Wednesday.