Neil, I think you won the proverbial "chicken dinner", I think the bus was marked Detour Nature. I didn't see the group get into or out of the bus so it may not be the group I have encountered on the trail in the past. Surprisingly the parking lot wasn't full (very rare for spring weekends). I didn't count seats but expect it was 20 passenger but believe I have seen larger versions in the past.
I checked the Hike Safe NH website and there doesn't appears to be any attempt to posting a french language version and if I remember correctly the green sign posted at trailheads is in English only so it may be that NH is dropping the ball in educating the French speaking portion of the tourist base. This was flagged as an issue previously after a few high profile incidents on the east side Mt Washington and there are no French language warnings. Of course, I find it quite rare to find a French Canadian that doesn't have at least a limited ability to read English.
Here is their translated required gear list for an upcoming April 27th loop (repeated in May) from their website
http://www.detournature.com/
Equipment
•Passport if U.S. destinations
•Valid proof of insurance in the United States
•First aid kit basic
•Body clothing made of synthetic fabrics (Cotton forbidden!)
•Fleece jacket
•Waterproof windbreaker (style 'Gore Tex') or breathable
•Your lunch and 2 liters of water
•Flashlight (preferably front)
•Boots or walking shoes (preferably boots)
(please note, no mention of traction)•Two walking sticks, 1 or 2 (optional)
•Backpack Day
•Clothes for the return trip (you can leave the bus)
•Whistle, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, a few U.S. dollars for trips to the United States
And now the hike safe ten essentials from Hike Safe NH website . (items in bold are my emphasis as lacking on the detour nature list). I expect the guides are expecting they will supply bold items
Map
Compass
Warm Clothing :: Fleece and/or Insulated Jacket, Long Pants (wool or synthetic, NOT cotton),
Hat (wool)
Extra Food and Water
Flashlight or Headlamp
Matches/Firestarters
First Aid Kit/Repair Kit
Whistle
Rain/Wind Jacket & Pants
Pocket Knife
Please note NHF&G has a far more extensive winter list, but I believe that the 10 essentials list is probably more applicable given the use of guides and the loop itself.
Would anyone fluent in French care to point out to Detour Nature the inconsistencies in their gear list compared to the recommended gear list ? I realize that on spring weekends, poor gear decisions are the norm on the loop but if they are running these hikes at $79 (Can) a pop it would make sense that they would require a USFS outfitter guide permit, which most likely would preclude group sizes over 10 and follow the state of NH recommendations for gear as it would most likely expose them to additional liability.
Do note outfitter guide does not inherently require sub 10 group sizes but generally as a condition of issuance, there are conditions attached. For many years commercial entities were severely limited in access to the Pemi at all and the ones that did get allowed in were held strictly to group size. I would be seriously surprised if a group size of over 10 would be allowed on the Lincoln Lafayette route via an outfitter guide.