On Dec. 21, with windchill temperatures hovering around zero, a winter hike in the Catskills took a dangerous turn.
At 5:50 p.m., Ulster County 911 contacted Ray Brook dispatch seeking forest ranger assistance after two hikers became lost near the Giant Ledge trail in Shandaken. The hikers - ages 36 and 38, from Congers - had started their descent as daylight faded and soon strayed roughly a quarter mile west of the trail.
Neither hiker was equipped for winter conditions. One wore jeans and uninsulated boots; the other cotton athletic pants and running sneakers. They carried no headlamps or traction devices. Attempting to bushwhack toward what they believed was the parking area, they crossed two small streams, soaking their feet and compounding the cold.
Using a text message to 911, the hikers transmitted their coordinates, allowing dispatchers to pinpoint their location. Forest Rangers Nathan Jeffery and John Rusher ascended the icy trail and eventually spotted tracks veering off route. At 7:15 p.m., they reached the hikers, providing hot tea, headlamps and dry socks before escorting them safely back to the trailhead.
The rescue concluded at 8:30 p.m. Rangers later used the incident to underscore a familiar warning: winter hikers should carry essentials, wear proper footwear, and avoid cotton in favor of moisture-wicking synthetic layers that help regulate body temperature in cold, unpredictable conditions.
