I can't believe it!!!

[RoySwkr]

We were not crazy about parking our two cars alongside the road, but we didn't see many other options. There were not any 'no parking' signs that I can recall.
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When we approached the police officer he explained that we just made it because he had just called two tow trucks to pull away our cars. He indicated you cannot park alongside the road during a snowstorm. I know better not to argue with the authorities so we hopped in our cards and drove off.
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It seemed to us that we would have been placed in greater danger if our cars had been towed.
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As we got near the Highland Center, we saw cars parked alongside the road for the Mt. Jackson trailhead and they were not being towed.
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But realistically, this should be plowed at all times since this trailhead does get a lot access for hikes to Ripley Falls, Ethan Pond and Mt. Willey.

No parking signs only relate to parking on the side of the road, you are never allowed to park with wheels in the travel lane. Your other option of course was to dig out a space which with everyone digging could probably have been done in 15 minutes.

You are lucky that the tow trucks hadn't left as you could have been asked to pay a fee once they were en route even if you weren't actually towed.

Of course there is an extra risk to hikers who find a car missing, just as there is an extra risk to drivers coming down the notch and finding someone parked partially in a travel lane.

Someone in the know can tell us where the plow trucks turn around, it's possible the upper notch is plowed from the shed near Bretton Woods and the lower notch from Bartlett.

My guess is that as always roads will be cleared first and parking areas later, if you want to hike during or right after a storm bring a shovel! Some folks may remember that in budget discussions last year there was talk about not plowing at all between midnight and five am or somesuch and the state financial crunch will be worse this year.

 

[RollingRock]

No parking signs only relate to parking on the side of the road, you are never allowed to park with wheels in the travel lane. Your other option of course was to dig out a space which with everyone digging could probably have been done in 15 minutes.

Our wheels were never in the travel lane to be clear. They were in the breakdown lane. Maybe they both mean the same thing but our cars were not blocking traffic. It is no different than parking alongside I-93 when the Lafayette Place/Lonesome Lake parking spaces are no longer available. [I noticed in another thread that 'no parking' signs have been posted there now.]

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Read the RSA. You cannot park with the wheels on the pavement and be assured of not being towed. Here is a link to the RSA. 262-32 III is probably the most applicable. Park with your wheels completely off the pavement and you probably will not get towed.

262:32 Reasons for Removal and Impoundment. – An authorized official may cause the removal and storage of a vehicle if he has reasonable grounds to believe that:
III. A vehicle is obstructing any way or the access thereto, or access to a public building, or is or will be a menace to traffic if allowed to remain, or is obstructing snow removal or highway maintenance operations;

Tim

 

[RollingRock]

Read the RSA. You cannot park with the wheels on the pavement and be assured of not being towed. Here is a link to the RSA. 262-32 III is probably the most applicable. Park with your wheels completely off the pavement and you probably will not get towed.

262:32 Reasons for Removal and Impoundment. – An authorized official may cause the removal and storage of a vehicle if he has reasonable grounds to believe that:
III. A vehicle is obstructing any way or the access thereto, or access to a public building, or is or will be a menace to traffic if allowed to remain, or is obstructing snow removal or highway maintenance operations;

Tim

I agree. The law is the law is the law...however an idealist like me would hope they are enforced with the circumstances at hand put into the decision making process. Who is at greater danger? The snowplow or the hikers left stranded in the cold?

It's not like we were parking just anywhere. We were parked at an established trailhead that is "usually" plowed in winter. From the looks of it, it had not been plowed at all from the two or more previous winter storms.