RAY BROOK — Forest rangers with the state Department of Environmental Conservation responded to four wilderness rescues, two wildfires and a report on graffiti in the Adirondacks in the past week.

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Town of Bolton, Warren County

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On April 29 at 4:30 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a 75-year-old man from Gansevoort who became disoriented while hiking on Thomas and Cat mountains and was unsure about which path to take to get back. After obtaining the disoriented hiker’s cellphone number, Forest Ranger Evan Donegan contacted him and gave instructions on how to return to the trailhead on the north side of the mountain.

Meanwhile, Donegan made his way into the woods to intercept the man and assist him the rest of the way out. At 6:28 p.m., Donegan reached the mountain’s summit but had not found the hiker. Forest Ranger Joe Hess also responded to start in from the southern trailhead at Edgecomb Pond.

At 7:09 p.m., the hiker’s daughter called dispatch reporting her father was back on the trail with her husband. Donegan was notified and reached the two men by 7:19 p.m. He escorted the pair back to the trailhead, and all rangers were cleared from the scene.

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Town of Chesterfield, Essex County

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On May 1 at 3:51 p.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting an injured person on Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain. A few minutes later, 911 called dispatch advising that a 19-year-old man from Plattsburgh had fallen on the trail and injured his left leg. The man, hiking alone, believed he had dislocated his knee after falling on his way to the climbing walls. Coordinates obtained by 911 put the man on the trail not far from the trailhead.

Forest Ranger Jared Booth responded to the area first, followed by Forest Rangers Sarah Bode and Scott van Laer, the Keeseville Fire Department, and emergency medical services from Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh. The emergency team carried the injured man back to the trailhead, and EMS transported him to a local hospital for further medical assistance.

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Town of Santa Clara, Franklin County

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On May 2 at 5:05 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers on St. Regis Mountain concerned that they were lost. Dispatch instructed the two women from Hogansburg to call 911 to establish coordinates. The coordinates indicated the pair had been off the trail for more than a mile, and while they were headed in the wrong direction, they were close to a secondary trail at St. Regis Lake.

At 5:44 p.m., Forest Ranger Chris DiCintio arrived at the trailhead and started hiking to the hikers’ last known location. At 6:41 p.m., DiCintio located the hikers and started back out to the trailhead on Keese Mills Road. At 7:18 p.m., everyone was back to the trailhead and heading home.

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Town of Bolton, Warren County

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On May 2 at 9:29 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a concerned family member of two hikers on Cat Mountain. The hikers were not prepared for darkness and were lost on the trail. The caller was instructed to have the hikers call 911 to obtain their coordinates. Dispatch determined that the hikers were just off the east trail.

Forest Ranger Evan Donegan responded to the trailhead south of Edgecomb Pond at 10:45 p.m. and started hiking in to locate the hikers. At 11:53 p.m., Donegan requested a second ranger to respond to the north trailhead to assist with transportation needs once the hikers were located.

At 12:15 a.m., Donegan advised that the two hikers were found off the trail, tired and slightly hypothermic. Donegan assisted the pair north up the trail, where they were met by Ranger Logan Quinn with an all-terrain vehicle. The 66-year-old woman and 67-year-old man from Saratoga Springs were given a ride out to the parking lot. The couple declined medical treatment and departed. All rangers were cleared from the scene at 2:35 a.m.

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Town of Webb, Herkimer County

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Forest rangers in DEC Region 6 are investigating graffiti painted on rocks at the top of Bald Mountain. Hikers said the drawings were located off the main trail near the fire tower and included language making light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rangers, already aware of the graffiti, encourage anyone with information to call DEC’s non-emergency dispatch at 518-897-1300. If caught, those responsible could face a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.

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Darling Mountain, Hamilton County

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On May 3 at 4:27 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Warren County 911 reporting a fire in the Butler Pond area of the town of Queensbury. Forest Ranger Evan Donegan responded to assist the local fire department in locating the fire.

Once on scene, Donegan advised that the fire appeared to be on Darling Mountain and requested another ranger to assist. With the aid of the local fire department’s drone, they located the fire on the mountain, and Forest Rangers Donegan and Chuck Kabrehl spent the evening sizing up the fire and preparing for full suppression efforts. Donegan advised that the fire posed no real threat at the time and requested three additional rangers to help with the suppression of the fire.

On May 4, Forest Rangers Marie Arnold, Art Perryman and Logan Quinn responded to assist. Rangers continued to patrol the area until the evening of May 5, but there is no further impact to the surrounding area.

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Town of Hope, Hamilton County

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On May 3 at 7:11 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Fulton County 911 advising that the Hope Fire Department was requesting forest ranger assistance with a fire in the area of Hope Falls Road.

Forest Rangers Melissa Milano and David Nally responded to the initial call and assisted with suppression efforts until 10:50 p.m., when they were cleared from the scene and declared the fire controlled.

The brush fire led to the loss of an unoccupied cabin of unknown ownership on the property.

Rangers returned on May 4 to patrol and strengthen control lines.