As warm temperatures and rain fuel rapid snowmelt throughout the region, rescuers are warning people about rapidly rising water levels and dangerous water crossings.
On Tuesday, the New Hampshire rescue group Lakes Region Search and Rescue shared a photo on social media that showed how a water crossing that was manageable in the morning had become waist deep to hikers by the afternoon. (See the photo above.)
“This is one of the most common hazards we see during spring melt,” stated the post. “A crossing that feels easy on the way in can become fast, cold, and difficult—or even impossible—on the way out.”
They said melting snow is currently pouring into New Hampshire’s mountain streams and drainages, and those streams can swell quickly.
“What starts as a rock hop or shallow crossing in the morning can become thigh or waist deep by late afternoon, especially in the higher elevations where the snowpack is still melting rapidly,” stated the post.
They suggest that anyone hiking at this time of year should routes that avoid unbridged stream crossings. If a hike involves multiple crossings without structural bridges, it may be worth saving that route for later in the season.
Earlier this week, officials in New York issued a warning about rising water levels in the backcountry after the high-water bridge on the Calamity Brook Trail in the Adirondacks washed out due to snowmelt.
