Nation IN BRIEF : NEW HAMPSHIRE : Bodies of Avalanche Victims Recovered

Searchers recovered the bodies of two men buried in an avalanche on Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. The avalanche happened in the Gulf of Slides, a popular hiking and skiing area southeast of the mountain’s summit. The Appalachian Mountain Club had warned of the possibility of avalanches and falling ice on the 6,288-foot-high mountain. The slide struck three people, one of whom escaped, Fish and Game Maj. Ronald Alie said. He said the victims, whose identities were not disclosed, had skis but were hiking when the avalanche hit at an elevation of about 4,500 feet. The three were swept about 500 feet down the mountain by the 250-foot wide avalanche. Mt. Washington is in the center of three major storm tracks. Sunny weather can be quickly replaced by overcast skies, fog, snow, rain or bitterly cold wind.