Two wet, unprepared hikers were rescued on Sunday, December 21st, from the Giant Ledge Trail in Ulster County, New York. Ulster County 911 called the Ray Brook dispatch requesting assistance from Forest Rangers at around 5:50pm.
According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the windchill temperature was 0 degrees at the time of the rescue. One hiker was wearing jeans and uninsulated boots, while the other was wearing cotton athletic pants and running sneakers. They did not have traction devices or headlamps to hike in the dark.
While descending, the hikers found themselves lost in low-light conditions and wound up around a quarter mile west of the trail. The two attempted to bushwack directly from their location toward where they believed the parking area to be, forcing them to cross two small streams resulting in wet and cold feet.
The hikers texted 911 alerting that they were lost and gave dispatchers their coordinates. Rangers Jeffery and Rusher hiked up the trail to locate the tracks of trail. By around 7:15pm, the rangers had made their way to the 36- and 38- year old hikers from Congers, New York.
The duo was given hot tea, headlamps, and dry socks and led back to the trailhead before being educated on winter hiking safety. By 8:30pm, all resources were clear of the scene. Hiking with the 10 hiking essentials, including proper footwear and moisture-wicking synthetic fabrics, is vital, no matter the time of year or whether conditions.
