On Wednesday, March 22 at about 5:30 pm, Forest Ranger Franceschina responded to a call from a hiker on Ashokan High Point in the town of Olive, Ulster County, who was worried they would not return before dark. Ashokan High Point is a 3,061 feet summit in the Catskills.
The 50-year-old from New York City didn’t realize how deep the snow would be and was exhausted from post-holing (hiking without snowshoes in deep snow) on the trail. The hiker was three miles from the trailhead in thigh deep snow and did not have a light source.
Ranger Franceschina reached the hiker and helped them back to the trailhead by 8:30 p.m.
While it is Spring, the weather conditions in the mountains are still more like winter. Hikers are encouraged to check local forecasts, dress appropriately for the weather, and consider that temperatures will be lower, winds will be stronger, and the snow will be deeper on mountain summits.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. 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.
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