Monitor staff

Officials are looking for a  Massachusetts man whose car has been parked at the Crawford Path parking lot for roughly two weeks, although they’re unsure whether he went hiking into the White Mountain National Forest.

William Neal Donovan, 65, of Cambridge, Mass., “appears to be an avid hiker, but a search of his vehicle revealed several pieces of hiking gear that would have been beneficial if he was planning a hike in the White Mountains. It is assumed he went for a hike, but has not yet been confirmed,” the NH Fish and Game officials announced this week.

Starting Sunday, a search was conducted by conservation officers and members of a volunteer UAV (drone) Team who searched in and around the Crawford Path Trailhead and around the drainages and trails including Crawford Path, Edmands Path, Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Pierce and the ridgeline connecting them.

“No evidence or clues of Donovan’s whereabouts was located,” although there is still several feet of snow in the higher elevations “which hampered search efforts,” the department reported.

Donovan likely arrived on April 16, but his intention or itinerary is unknown. The Cambridge Police Department, which had conducted a welfare check of his residence, located a handwritten note indicating his desire to possibly hike Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams. Donovan lived alone. 

“The area between the Crawford Path parking lot and the summit of Mt. Adams is huge and vast with several hiking trails and miles of dense forest,” Fish and Game said.

 The NH Fish & Game Department is asking the hiking community and anyone who might know William Donovan or have any information as to his whereabouts to contact State Police Troop F at (603) 846-3333, or email Lieutenant Mark Ober at mark.w.oberjr@wildlife.nh.gov.