A hiker who New Hampshire Fish and Game officials described as “woefully unprepared” will reportedly be billed for the cost of his rescue on Mount Washington after he forced his way into a state park Sno-Cat and caused a disturbance at the summit.
Fish and Game officials said Tristan Murrin, 27, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, hiked up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the summit of Mount Washington with his dog on the morning of Tuesday, November 26. However, he did not want to hike back down due to poor weather conditions.
Officials said Murrin had called park staff the day before to discuss his plans to climb the mountain, but he was advised against it because a storm was in the forecast. However, he decided to do the hike anyway.
Murrin reached the sumSmit at 11 a.m., and officials said he was “woefully unprepared for the summit conditions.”
He reportedly forced his way into a state park Sno-Cat and refused to get out, leading to what officials described as a “brief altercation.”
After the situation de-escalated, park staff decided to drive Murrin to the base of the mountain. Officials said the fact he had a large dog with him had to be factored into the rescue situation.
After reaching the base of the mountain, officials said Murrin refused to cooperate any further and walked back to his vehicle parked at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.
Officials said that due to all the “applicable information provided, lack of preparedness, and unwillingness to initially cooperate” with state park personnel, Murrin will receive a bill for the cost of this rescue.
The expected amount of that bill was not released.
