Two hikers injured their ankles one day apart while climbing Rondaxe Mountain recently, each requiring rescue from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers.
On the morning of July 15, a 53-year-old from Pennsylvania injured her ankle on Rondaxe Mountain. Seven rangers and members of three fire departments reached the injured hiker and secured her in a wheeled litter. Rangers then used rope techniques to lower her through several steep sections along the trail. They got her to an ambulance in little over an hour.
The next day, a 51-year-old hiker from Avon fractured her heel while climbing Rondaxe Mountain. Five rangers and members of Old Forge EMS splinted her foot, then used similar rope techniques to get her down steep trails.
Rondaxe Mountain, also known as Bald Mountain, is one of the most popular hikes in the Adirondacks. A fire tower sits atop the mountain’s relatively modest 2,349 summit, offering excellent views of the Fulton Chain of Lakes
The following reports are excerpted from DEC:
Rangers joined DEC Emergency Management staff on July 18 to assist with cleanup efforts after a tornado touched down in Rome.NYSDEC
Rangers joined DEC Emergency Management staff on July 18 to assist with cleanup efforts after a tornado touched down in Rome. All city roads were reopened the next day, and by July 20 all crews from the Incident Command Post at Griffiss Technology Park were clear.
A hiker got dehydrated on the trail between Upper and Lower Wolfjaw Mountains on the evening of July 15. Rangers harnessed the hiker and hoisted them into a state police helicopter, which flew the hiker to a hospital.
A 62-year-old woman from California injured her knee on July 15 about 1.5 miles from Marcy Dam on the Mount Van Hoevenberg trail. The Marcy Dam caretaker helped the hiker to the outpost and a ranger came by and helped her to her vehicle.
Two hikers from Schenectady went off trail on Buck Mountain on the afternoon of July 18. Coordinates placed the pair approximately 1.5 miles from the trailhead. A ranger located the hikers and helped them back to the trail and down to their vehicle.
On July 18, five rangers assisted the Monroe County Sheriff’s Dept. with a missing person last seen June 20, performing searches of densely covered marshes. They didn’t find anything.NYSDEC
On July 18, five rangers assisted the Monroe County Sheriff’s Dept. with a missing person last seen June 20, performing searches of densely covered marshes. They didn’t find anything. Monroe County Sheriff’s Dept. continues their investigation.
Another hiker injured her ankle on July 19, this time while climbing St. Regis Mountain. Rangers reached the 50-year-old from New Jersey, wrapped her ankle, then helped her down the mountain.
Two campers from Canada got lost on the night of July 20 near the Second Pond boat launch after wandering down the shoreline from the campsite. Two rangers found the campers about 1/4-mile from their campsite and escorted them back.
A 31-year-old from Baldwinsville injured her ankle on Cascade Mountain recently. Four rangers carried her back to the trailhead.NYSDEC
On July 20, a 31-year-old from Baldwinsville injured her ankle about 0.8 of a mile from the trailhead on Cascade Mountain. Four rangers carried her back to the trailhead where she sought further medical attention on her own.
A 40-year-old suffered a head injury and potential concussion while playing volleyball at the Ausable Campground beach on July 20. The volleyball player reported having a previous concussion. A ranger kept the patient comfortable until Peru EMS arrived to evaluate the player’s injuries.
Around midnight on July 20, rangers ticketed rowdy campers at the Mongaup Campground for failure to follow campsite quiet hours rules.
A 29-year-old hiker from Syracuse injured her ankle while climbing Ampersand Mountain in the Adirondack high peaks on July 19. Rangers splinted her ankle and helped her back to the trailhead.NYSDEC
A 29-year-old hiker from Syracuse injured her ankle while climbing Ampersand Mountain in the Adirondack high peaks on July 19. Rangers splinted her ankle and helped her back to the trailhead where she declined further medical attention.
A camper at Fish Creek Campground reported a bear had opened a cooler and refused to leave the area shortly after midnight on July 21. Rangers arrived hours later but the bear was already gone. The camper was ticketed for leaving a campsite in unsanitary conditions. The bear caused no damage.
Two paddlers overturned their kayaks on the Moose River on the afternoon of July 21. The 44-year-old from Webster and 47-year-old from Leroy were both safe and out of the water when rangers arrived to help, so rangers retrieved a stuck kayak and helped both paddlers back to their vehicle.
A woman went on a hike with her brother on July 21 then passed out in her car in the parking lot at Adirondack Mountain Reserve. When a ranger found her, she was unconscious and breathing. The ranger checked her vitals and stayed with her until EMS arrived.
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Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors.