MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s hiking trails are packed and officials are urging people to be prepared when they venture onto the trails in the White Mountains and elsewhere as more calls have come in for help.

“They’re definitely on the increase,” Lt. Adam Cheney of New Hampshire Fish and Game told WMUR-TV. “Every night our lieutenant is up there, and sergeants are getting calls for either people lost off the trails or minor injuries or some medical.”

Two people have died on trails in the state recently: one at Rumney Rocks, the other at Arethusa Falls.

In some locations trail parking areas are being overwhelmed with vehicles.

Cheney said hikers should choose trails they can handle.

“I wouldn’t suggest people out of shape to be starting with Mount Lafayette right off the bat for the first hike with the family,” Cheney said, referring to one of the state’s more challenging hikes. “There’s plenty of other smaller mountains within the state.”

When people are injured after hiking several hours it takes rescue crews the same amount of time to reach them.

“We don’t have people up on the mountains just waiting to get called to accidents on the mountain,” Cheney said.

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