A Canadian hiker stranded on an icy ledge above the Mount Colden Trap Dike in Keene, Essex County, waited about seven hours before forest rangers reached him for an overnight rope rescue, according to New York's Department of Environmental Conservation.
The Oct. 21 rescue was among the incidents detailed in DEC's Friday forest ranger report, which also described helicopter evacuations, lost hikers and wildfires across the state, plus airboat training on the Susquehanna River in Broome County's town of Union.
Overnight rescue above the Trap Dike
Ray Brook Dispatch received the 60-year-old hiker's satellite beacon alert at 6:22 p.m. He was stranded near the upper north edge of the slide used to exit the Trap Dike in Keene, Essex County.
The hiker stood on an iced-over ledge roughly one foot by three feet, about seven feet from the forested edge. He had dropped his crampons while trying to put them on and did not know whether his beacon was working.
Rangers reached him at 1:16 a.m. and set up a high-angle rope system. Ranger Jeffery belayed a rescuer while Rangers Engel and Jansen provided a backup belay, helping move the hiker to the woods. The group then bushwhacked toward the summit and trail before descending to Marcy Dam Outpost. Rangers Holdridge and Quinn met them before ATVs took the group to the trailhead. The response ended at 8 a.m.
Rangers returned to the Mount Colden area Oct. 25 for two hikers from Paul Smiths stuck above the Trap Dike. After the 10:56 a.m. call, a State Police helicopter transported a ranger team and a climbing volunteer to the entrance at 1 p.m. Rescuers reached the pair, and everyone was clear of the Trap Dike by 5 p.m. The hikers were escorted to Marcy Dam and their vehicle, with the response ending at 6:55 p.m.
Helicopter rescues and hikers caught after dark
On Cascade Mountain Oct. 20, a 16-year-old from Mountaindale rolled an ankle above the tree line. The call came at 9:15 a.m. State Police Pilot Sgt. Beck flew Ranger Lt. Praczkajlo and Ranger Adams to the scene. Adams was lowered to the teenager, splinted the injury and secured the patient for a hoist. The helicopter took the hiker to a hospital, and the response ended at 10:09 a.m.
At 4:10 p.m. that day, Essex County received a 911 text from a Schenectady hiker who had fallen near Mount Marcy's summit and become hypothermic. Ranger Jeffery urged the hiker to get out of the wind. A State Police helicopter brought three rangers to the area, and Adams and Jeffery were inserted to help. They warmed the hiker and walked to Marcy Dam, where Jeffery provided an ATV ride to the vehicle. The rescue ended at 10 p.m.
Another call came at 9:04 p.m. for four hikers, ages 18 to 23, from New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. After hiking Phelps Mountain, they had tried a shortcut across Marcy Brook while running low on phone and headlamp power. They called 911 shortly before their phones died.
Jeffery returned to the woods after the earlier rescue and found the group. Rangers Adams, Donegan and Morehouse met them with ATVs on Truck Road and took them to their vehicle at the Adirondak Loj trailhead. The response ended at 10:42 p.m.
At Kaaterskill Falls in Hunter on Oct. 19, a 69-year-old hiker from Fresh Meadow became dehydrated and developed cramps severe enough to prevent walking. Assistant Forest Ranger Zeleznik provided water and electrolytes after requesting help at 2 p.m. Ranger Dawson assessed the hiker, who rested but continued cramping. Rangers drove the hiker and spouse to their vehicle; they declined further medical attention. The response ended at 3:20 p.m.
Angler and overdue hunter brought to safety
Rangers responded to Mud Pond in Indian Lake at 7:14 p.m. Oct. 21 after an angler's spouse reported the 62-year-old overdue. An app placed the angler in the middle of the pond. Rangers Miller, Morehouse and Nahor located the person and helped them ashore. The angler was cold but had no other reported medical issues and was assessed by Long Lake Ambulance. The response ended at 9:15 p.m.
In Brasher State Forest, family members reported a 38-year-old Potsdam hunter overdue Oct. 24 after an expected 6:30 p.m. return. Rangers Ellis and Hanno joined State Police, U.S. Border Patrol and the Helena Fire Department after the 9 p.m. request for assistance. Searchers used UTVs and a drone.
The hunter called 911 at 11:10 p.m. Rescuers used the call's coordinates to locate the hunter at 11:30 p.m., and the response ended at 12:26 a.m.
Rangers contain fires and conduct training
Four rangers and the Indian Lake Fire Department responded Oct. 24 to a fire estimated at 21 acres, spotted from the Indian Lake Overlook and believed to be east of Center Pond. Crews were called at 8:30 p.m. and worked overnight, bringing the fire under control at 2:30 a.m.
Other fire responses included:
- A 1.2-acre fire in Sharon Springs on Oct. 20 involving full-length trees cut by a landowner. Ranger Seeley and the village fire department responded at 3:07 p.m. A bulldozer operator hired by the owner completed a containment line by 4:36 p.m. Rangers continued checking hot spots, and Ranger France declared the fire out Oct. 23.
- A 375-square-foot fire on Piercefield Flow in Tupper Lake on Oct. 21. Rangers Engel and Jansen and the Tupper Lake Fire Department contained it. DEC attributed it to an illegal campfire.
- A 1.9-acre leaf fire on Chicken Farm Road in Butternuts, Otsego County, on Oct. 22. Rangers Dill, Laymon and Seeley responded at 6:35 p.m. and contained it by 8:41 p.m.
Rangers also helped conduct prescribed burns on 11 acres at Big Bend Preserve in Moreau Lake State Park on Oct. 19 and 87 acres at Albany Pine Bush on Oct. 19, 21 and 24. Partners included DEC staff, State Parks, the United States Wildland Fire Service and Albany Pine Bush staff. DEC said prescribed burns can improve habitat, control invasive species and reduce accumulated fuels; they require trained crews and suitable conditions.
In Broome County's town of Union, Ranger Oldroyd led eight rangers in airboat training on the Susquehanna River on Oct. 22. On Oct. 24, Rangers Cowart and Lupole joined Smokey Bear at the Pleasant Valley Fire Department's Fall Fest to discuss fire prevention and ranger careers.
Through September, rangers had conducted 277 search-and-rescue missions, extinguished 93 wildfires covering more than 224 acres and participated in 54 prescribed fires covering 1,355 acres. DEC urged visitors to review its Hike Smart guidance, prepare for backcountry conditions and carry reliable lighting and supplies.
For urgent assistance, call 911. Forest Ranger Dispatch can be reached at 833-NYS-RANGERS to report wildfires, request ranger assistance or report illegal activity on state lands and easements.
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