New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the backcountry.

“DEC Forest Rangers’ knowledge of first aid, land navigation and technical rescue techniques are often critical to the success of their missions,” said Acting DEC Commissioner Marc Gerstman. “Search and rescue missions often require Rangers to function in remote wilderness areas from rugged mountainous peaks to white-water rivers, and through vast forest areas from spruce-fir thicket to open hardwoods.”

Recent missions carried out by DEC Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks include:

Essex County
Town of Keene – Giant Mountain Wilderness
Injured hiker: On August 11, 2015 at 5:10 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for a 20-year-old woman with a head injury at the top of Roaring Brook Falls. The woman’s companion reported that she was currently resting in her tent but needed help. DEC Forest Rangers responded to Roaring Brook Falls, located the woman at 6 p.m. and carried her down to a waiting Keene Valley Ambulance. The ambulance transported her to Elizabethtown Hospital for treatment. The incident concluded at 7:15 p.m.

Town of Newcomb – High Peaks Wilderness
Distressed hikers: On August 11, 2015 at 12:21 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a woman on a satellite phone reporting she and her group of six people were stuck on Hanging Spear Falls, which they had accessed through the Flowed Lands. The group from SUNY Cortland’s Camp Huntington consisted of three men and three women ranging in age from 21 to 27. DEC Forest Rangers hiked the two miles into Hanging Spear Falls and found the six individuals trapped at the base of the falls. Rangers used a system of rope riggings and harnesses to bring each person out of the canyon and to the top of the falls where they were given blankets to stay warm. Once rescued, Rangers released the group back to their campsite. The entire rescue operation lasted eight hours. The incident concluded at 8:30 p.m.

Town of North Elba – High Peaks Wilderness
Injured hiker: On August 15, 2015 at 1:18 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for an injured 19-year-old man from State College, PA at the Upper Phelps junction. One DEC Forest Ranger, one Assistant Forest Ranger, and a Summit Steward responded to organize a carry out plan. As the carry out was prepared, the weather broke and Forest Rangers decided the best course of action was a hoist evacuation by helicopter. One Forest Ranger was inserted and prepped the man to be hoisted out at 4:00 p.m. He was transported to AMC Saranac Lake for treatment at 5:06 p.m. The incident concluded at 5:30 p.m.

Town of Keene – High Peaks Wilderness
Injured hiker: On August 15, 2015 at 5:15 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from John’s Brook Outpost reporting an injured 60-year-old New York woman located one mile up from the Slant Rock Junction on the Shorty Short Trail in John’s Brook Valley. An Assistant Forest Ranger responded from John’s Brook outpost. The Ranger hiked all the way to the junction of Basin and Haystack but could not locate the injured hiker. Two additional Forest Rangers were dispatched at 6:15 p.m. to travel by ATV to John’s Brook to follow the Assistant Forest Ranger towards Slant Rock Lean-to. Another hiking party later reported that the injured woman was not on the Shorty Short trail but was above the Slant Rock Lean-to on the red trail (Phelps) but before the Little Haystack/Little Marcy Junction. The Assistant Forest Rangers located the woman at 9:35 p.m. Rangers evaluated and stabilized her with a plan to hoist her out by helicopter at first light. On Sunday morning, New York State Police Aviation and Forest Rangers managed to extract the woman and transported her to AMC Saranac Lake without further incident.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety and Adirondack Trail Information webpages for more information.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the backcountry.

“DEC Forest Rangers’ knowledge of first aid, land navigation and technical rescue techniques are often critical to the success of their missions,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “Search and rescue missions often require Rangers to function in remote wilderness areas from rugged mountainous peaks to white-water rivers, and through vast forest areas from spruce-fir thicket to open hardwoods.”

Recent missions carried out by DEC Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks include:

Essex County
McKenzie Mountain Wilderness – Town of North Elba
Lost Hiker: On May 31, 2015 at 3 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 36-year-old female from Syracuse who had lost the trail while descending from the summit at Scarface Mountain. She had bushwhacked down the mountain, but still could not locate the trail. DEC advised her to contact Essex County 911, which could obtain her GPS coordinates. Once her location was established, DEC Forest Rangers determined she was going in the wrong direction, but was close to a seasonal camp road. DEC provided her with a new directional bearing to reach the camp road where she was met by the responding Forest Rangers. The Rangers escorted her down the road and then drove her to her vehicle at the Scarface Mountain trailhead. The incident concluded at 4:30 p.m.

Feldspar Brook – Town of North Elba
Missing Hiker: On May 31, 2015, several DEC Forest Rangers assisted in the search and recovery of a missing female hiker in the Feldspar Brook area. Information on this incident is available at: New York State Police website.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety and Adirondack Trail Information webpages for more information.

Visitors to the High Peaks Reminded to Fully Prepare for Winter Conditions

On January 20th at 1:33 a.m., State Police advised the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Central Dispatch of two overdue hikers in the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness in the Town of Keene, Essex County. The 21-year-old hikers, a male and a female from Quebec, Canada, had signed in at the Adirondack Loj to hike Mt. Marcy for the day but did not return as scheduled.

Fourteen DEC Forest Rangers responded to the incident. One team traveled through more than three feet of snow and reached the tree line of Mt. Marcy just before 7 a.m. Additional teams approached the area from the Panther Gorge, Johns Brook Valley and Newcomb entrances.

At 8:25 a.m., the Forest Rangers on Mt. Marcy located fresh tracks leading from the south side of the Marcy bowl into Panther Gorge, a remote, steep, crag-filled area of the High Peaks where overnight temperatures had dropped below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Based on this information, a helicopter from the State Police Aviation Unit in Lake Clear was called in to assist with the search. Half an hour later, the helicopter crew, which included a Forest Ranger, spotted the hikers walking in the direction of Marcy Swamp. The helicopter inserted the ranger to the location to assess the hikers’ well-being. The Ranger determined both were in good health.

The hikers reported they had become disoriented on the summit of Mt. Marcy. They then bushwhacked into Panther Gorge, where they spent the night with a fire to keep warm. At first light, they followed a drainage and eventually crossed the Elk Lake-Marcy trail.

Forest Rangers escorted the hikers to Elk Lake, where they were reunited with family members at 2 p.m.

The pair of hikers did not have skis or snowshoes, a map, compass or GPS unit with them. DEC strongly urges all hikers and backcountry recreational visitors to the High Peaks and other areas to carry this equipment and follow the safety guidelines below.

Wear proper clothing and equipment for snow, ice and cold to ensure a safe and enjoyable winter experience. Also, be aware that snow depths range from 6 to 20 inches or more. The deepest snows are in the eastern Adirondacks with thinner depths in the western portion. Snow depths are deeper in the higher elevations like the High Peaks and other mountains over 3,000 feet.

Visitors to the Eastern High Peaks should use snowshoes or cross-country skis for their safety when snow is 8 inches or deeper. Visitors to other Adirondack lands are encouraged to do so for their safety and the safety of other backcountry users. Snowshoes or skis ease travel on snow and prevent “post holing,” which can ruin trails and cause sudden falls resulting in injuries. Ice crampons also should be carried to use on icy mountaintops and other exposed areas.

In addition, backcountry visitors should follow these safety guidelines:

• Dress properly with layers of wool and fleece (NOT COTTON!) clothing: a wool or fleece hat, gloves or mittens, wind/rain resistant outer wear, and winter boots.
• Carry a day pack with the following contents: Ice axe, plenty of food and water, extra clothing, map and compass, first-aid kit, flashlight/headlamp, sun glasses, sun-block protection, ensolite pads, stove and extra fuel, and bivy sack or space blankets.
• Carry plenty of food and water. Eat, drink and rest often. Being tired, hungry or dehydrated makes you more susceptible to hypothermia.
• Check weather before entering the woods – if the weather is poor, postpone your trip.
• Be aware of weather conditions at all times – if the weather worsens, head out of the woods.
• Know the terrain and your physical capabilities – it takes more time and energy to travel through snow.
• Never travel alone and always inform someone of your intended route and return time.
• Traveling through snow takes more energy and time than hiking the same distance, especially in freshly fallen snow. Plan trips accordingly.

Call the DEC Forest Ranger Emergency Dispatch at 518-891-0235 to report lost or injured people or other backcountry emergencies.

Prior to heading out, people are encouraged to consult the DEC Adirondack Trail Information web page, which provides current trail condition information and links to current weather, snow cover and other important information to help ensure a safe and enjoyable Adirondack backcountry winter experience.