New Hampshire

Welcome to New Hampshire, The White’s Introduction, and other Observations – The Trek

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2024

Welcome to New Hampshire, The White’s Introduction, and other Observations – The Trek

As we take our first steps in Maine, we look back on our journey through New Hampshire. This portion of the trail was easily the most challenging. Our last days in Vermont included three 20 mile days. Soon after entry into New Hampshire these big mile days all but ceased and continued to drop until we were regularly in the single digits.

Just as rocky as Pennsylvania sometimes – Yes, this is the trail.

Just as muddy as anything in Vermont and I never did find the bottom – Yes, this is the trail.

The trail is steep – Yes, this is the trail.

New Hampshire describes their trails as rugged. I tend to use more colorful terms, which are best left out of print. The views were often spectacular though, easily some of the best we have seen on the entire AT.

Mount Madison

Franconia Notch

Welcome to New Hampshire

Weather Welcome

Within a couple of days of entry, we found ourselves on Smart Mountain on some rock ledges near the ridge. We knew there was a small chance for rain, so were unsurprised when the shower started. The lightning, however, was most unwelcome. We began to move quickly to get off the ridge, what we thought was our safest bet. This process was slow as the rocks were very slick. Things started to get ridiculous though when the winds and the hail started. Pea sized hail is awful but once it got to quarter sized, it was time to run.

Moving to the tree line, we found shelter under a large tree with a low branch near the trail. Within a few minutes, it was over, but we were soaked. We headed to the summit and found an old fire warden’s cabin, completely enclosed. This allowed us to dry out and plan our immediate future. Ma Wampus found that we could have a hostel pick us up nearby or we could go an additional 25 miles. I voted hostel.

Meeting a Legend

We arranged to meet the hostel’s driver at the trailhead. On our arrival, we found the driver to be none other than “Miss Janet”, probably the most famous trail angel on the Appalachian Trail. Miss Janet has helped thousands of hikers with everything from providing actual resources or services, like a ride or a stay, to advice on safely completing the trail.

Miss Janet agreed with our plan to “slackpack” Mt. Moosilauke to get an idea of the challenges the White Mountains presented. Generally used in combination with a multi-day stay, slackpacking allows the hiker to carry less on their actual hike. In my case, my pack goes from 35lbs to somewhere around 8lbs because I can discard my tent and a bear can filled with several days worth of food.

Introduction to the Whites

Mt. Moosilauke

Our “slack pack” began on the South side of Mt. Moosilauke in the rain. Immediately, we noticed that the trail is rugged and steep, but beautiful. Much of the trail up sided a waterway full of cascading waterfalls.

Once we reached the summit, at 4795ft, we noticed a general lack of trees, major decrease in temperature and increase in wind, and many stone cairns. The stone cairns replaced the white blazes as the physical direction for those attempting to follow the AT. We walked 9 miles in approximately 8 hours.

Advice Not Taken

Miss Janet advised us to carry 4-5 days of food and provided an itinerary to get through the White Mountains in approximately 11 days. She also advised to avoid a slack pack plan offered by other hostels that involved a 16 mile hike in one day.

We moved on and found, as Miss Janet stated, a plan to hike 16 miles in one day. On review, it looked doable. In weighing our options, carrying a 35-40lb pack for the next 5 days at 9-10 miles per day or carrying a lighter pack again, we decided to go with the lighter pack. The 16 mile plan would be difficult but, barring any difficulties, entirely possible. The AT is funny though. There are always difficulties.

The Kinsmans

Our hike up the Kinsmans began without issue. Soon after our arrival to the trailhead, it began to rain. It never stopped. The trail turned into a creek.

On the crest, the rocks were slick and wet and the going was slow. By the time we reached the bottom again, we had been hiking 11 hours. The entire plan called for a 10 hour day. We were almost home though and a nice hot chocolate and a warm shower awaited. A little brook with a rock hop and a paved section of state park was all that stood in our way.

Difficulties

11 hours of fairly heavy rain had turned the babbling brook into a roaring cascade. Ma Wampus and I had to yell to each other over the noise of the rushing water. Fortunately, there were five of us, one of which was a Southbounder. The Southbounder had completed Maine, which involved multiple river crossings. “I’ll find the way”, he said, as he stepped into the roaring cascade.

The Southbounder yelled instructions as he tapped his way forward to the middle of the brook, the water reaching almost to his chest. It was like watching a DIY Youtube video. “Here, we can cross here”, he yelled. The water was a good four feet high where he stood. I looked at my 5’2” wife and thought “No @&($@&$ way”. Shaking my head no, I pointed over to Ma Wampus. I walked upstream. The cascades were stronger but I could see the rock bottom and it looked to be a little higher than my knee.

I tapped my way toward the cascade, surprised of the force of the water. I braced against a rock to stabilize myself. Once secure, I motioned for Ma Wampus to cross. While it did get to thigh level for her, she managed to cross without incident. As she touched the shore on the other side, I turned and saw that the Southbounder had stayed in place the entire time. I waived but he had already started walking as well. Ma Wampus and I agreed we would avoid climbing these mountains in heavy rain.

Our journey through the Whites had just begun.

Other Observations

With a state whose motto is “Live Free or Die”, one could expect a few stories. We were not disappointed. Here are but a couple that provide some flavor of this magical place.

Sarah and the Bear

1783 Warren NH – about 3 miles from the AT. Four year old Sarah begs her parents to let her go with them to visit her uncle on the mountain. Sarah’s father declines. The parents visit the uncle and then return a day or so later. On their return, Sarah’s siblings ask the parents why they left Sarah at her uncle’s place.

The parents freak out, as one would do, and get together a search party from Warren. Eventually, a famous tracker comes down from the mountain some four days later and helps with the search. He is the one that finds Sarah’s bloody footprints some distance from the house and that of the large bear that was clearly following her. The search turned into a somber recovery mission.

The next day men of the search party heard firing – Sarah had been found. The rest of the story was relayed by…..Sarah. The bear had indeed found her. She had cut her feet on the rocks and was crying. The temperature had dropped and she was cold – freezing, probably. The bear licked her and then layed down, affording her a very warm place to lay as well, which she did. The bear watched over her, only leaving when the search party got close.

This story is famous in New Hampshire and has been featured in several regional books. Sarah went on to marry and have children of her own but was often asked to retell the story, which apparently she happily did.

Going Ballistic

1971 Warren NH – 3 Miles from the AT. The United States used the Redstone Missiles as nuclear weapons, space launch rockets, and sounding missiles in the late 50’s and early 60’s. As with all weapon systems, they have a shelf life and by the early 1970s the missiles were mainly in a field with their engines, guiding systems, and weapon capability removed, slowly rusting away. Enter Army Sergeant Ted Assalin.

Assalin loved the history of the rocket, and thought it would be a swell idea to put one up in a public park in the metropolis of Warren NH, population 900. The rocket would be an educational memorial to the Cold War and the early US Space Program. He gave his plan to the Army. He told his plan to the town of Warren. Nobody said no. He got a 60ft trailer and put the 8 ton rocket up in the park, where it sits today.

Next Chapter

The next days would be the most challenging we had seen on the trail. Fortunately, several unexpected allies helped us through. More on them and these challenges in the next issue.

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New Hampshire

Bedford man barred from conducting any securities business in New Hampshire

Published

5 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Bedford man barred from conducting any securities business in New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire employment law in 2026 – NH Business Review

Published

17 hours ago

March 2, 2026

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New Hampshire employment law in 2026 – NH Business Review

What employers are getting wrong, and how to fix it before it becomes a claim

New Hampshire’s employment law landscape heading into 2026 may not be dramatically different from last year, but the real risks lie in implementation missteps. From the initial setting of wages, to calculating and distributing wages, employers will likely find a specific statute and/or labor regulation governing the transaction. Failure to follow these detailed wage and hour laws can result in significant back wages and other penalties being imposed by the state or federal Department of Labor following an audit. Fortunately, however, this area of employment law is relatively easy to master, once you are familiar with the basics.

Notice compliance

One of the most common pitfalls for employers in New Hampshire is misunderstanding the wage and hour notice requirements under RSA 275 and the related New Hampshire Department of Labor Administrative Rules.

At the time of hire, employers must notify employees in writing of their rate of pay and the day and place of payment. This notice is traditionally delivered to employees by way of an offer letter or some sort of “New Hire Rate of Pay” form. (A sample form is available from the New Hampshire Department of Labor website.) What surprises most employers, however, is that Lab. 803.03(f)(6) also requires employers to request and obtain their employees’ signatures on this written notification of wages, and employers must keep a copy of the signed written notification of wages on file. Further, employers must notify employees in writing during the course of employment of any changes to wages or day of pay prior to such changes taking effect, and the employer must obtain the employee’s signature on this subsequent notification as well. (See RSA 275:49; Lab. 803.03.)

Employers are further required to notify employees in writing, or through a posted notice maintained in a place accessible to employees, of:

• employment practices and policies with regard to vacation pay, sick leave and other fringe benefits.

• deductions made from the employee’s payroll check, for each period such deductions are made.

• information regarding the deductions allowed from wage payments under state law. (RSA 275:49; Lab. 803.03.)

Policies regarding vacation and sick leave should inform employees whether or not the employer will “cash out” unused time at year end or at the end of employment, and if so, under what terms. Again, if any changes are made to vacation pay, sick leave and other fringe benefits during the course of employment (all of which are considered “wages” under New Hampshire law), employers must request and obtain their employees’ signatures on the written notification of the change, and must keep a copy of the signed form on file. (Lab. 803.03.) Importantly, notification by way of pay stub alone is not sufficient, and, these requirements apply to both increases and decreases in pay.

Two-hour minimum (reporting pay)

Another frequently overlooked obligation is New Hampshire’s two-hour minimum reporting pay requirement. Under RSA 275:43-a, non-exempt employees who report to work but are sent home early must generally be paid for at least two hours. Weather-related closures, client cancellations or operational slowdown days can trigger this rule. Employers should also note that the New Hampshire Department of Labor currently applies this law to remote-based employees. Consequently, employees who “report to work” at an employer’s request from a home office may likewise have a right to two hours of pay, depending on the circumstances.

Salaried vs. hourly employees

Misclassification of employees as exempt from overtime remains a significant source of compliance exposure. The position’s job duties — not the titles or label such as “salaried” — determine whether an employee qualifies for an overtime exemption.

Employers, particularly in nonprofits, health care and small businesses, unintentionally misapply exempt classifications to roles such as administrative staff, office managers, executive assistants, program coordinators or hybrid jobs that involve significant non-exempt tasks. Over time, as organizational needs evolve and employees take on broader responsibilities, job duties can drift outside of an exemption’s scope.

Best practice is to periodically review job descriptions and actual job duties to ensure continued compliance with exemption criteria, particularly following any significant restructuring or job redesigns.

Peg O’Brien is chair of McLane Middleton’s Employment Law Practice Group. She can be reached at margaret.o’brien@mclane.com.

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New Hampshire

New photo released in unsolved 1997 homicide of a N.H. woman

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

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New photo released in unsolved 1997 homicide of a N.H. woman

Local News

“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” said the family of the victim.

A new photo has been released of the victim in a nearly 30-year-long unsolved murder case, in the hope of finding any new potential witnesses in the cold case, New Hampshire officials said.

“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” the family of Rosalie Miller said in a press release. “We miss her and want to give her peace.”

Miller was last seen on December 8, 1996 at her apartment in Manchester. At the time of her disappearance, Miller had plans on meeting friends in the Auburn, New Hampshire area, officials said.

Her body was found on January 20, 1997 in a partially wooded spot on a residential lot along the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn, officials said in the release.

The autopsy report declared Miller’s death a homicide by asphyxiation due to ligature strangulation, N.H. officials wrote.

As part of a new effort to garner public help with the case, an “uncirculated” photo of Miller, 36, is being distributed “in hopes it may jog the memory of someone who saw or spoke with her in the winter of 1996,” Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall announced on behalf of the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit in a joint press release.

Investigators are especially hoping to talk to anyone who was in contact with Miller in December of 1996 or anyone “who may have seen her in the vicinity of the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn during that time,” officials said in the release.

The newly released photo of Rosalie Miller, 36, who was strangled to death nearly 30 years ago. – Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall

“We are releasing this new photograph today because we believe someone out there has information, perhaps a detail they thought was insignificant at the time, that could be the key to solving this case and bringing justice for Rosalie and those who loved her,” Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles, New Hampshire Cold Case Unit Chief said in the release.

The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit encourages anyone with any amount of information to contact the group at [email protected] or (603) 271-2663.