Forest rangers with the state Department of Environmental Conservation answered several rescue calls throughout the Adirondacks, all within the High Peaks Wilderness, over the past week. Calls included a significant hand laceration, an allergic reaction from food, severe leg cramping and a pair of ankle injuries.

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Young hiker badly gashed on Mount Marshall

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NEWCOMB — On Monday, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m., Forest Ranger Jamison Martin and Assistant Forest Ranger Jackson responded to a call for a hiker with a deep hand laceration on Mount Marshall. No exact location was provided, but Martin found the hiker, provided first aid and stopped the bleeding. Martin and Jackson helped the 25-year-old from Rochester back to the trailhead, where she decided to seek further medical attention on her own. Resources were clear at 9:13 p.m.

The farthest south and most remote peak in the prominent MacIntyre Range, which also includes, from north to south, Wright, Algonquin, Boundary and Iroquois peaks; Mount Marshall stands at 4,360 feet. The mountain requires several miles of hiking from the trailhead before reaching its base. While the access trails to the base are marked and maintained, the two routes up Mount Marshall are unmarked and unofficial. With several possible tricky points of confusion, hikers attempting to climb Mount Marshall should be well-versed in navigational skills. They should never rely on cellphones for this. Rather, they should always bring a map and compass and know how to use them.

The more popular of Mount Marshall’s two routes, known as the Herbert Brook Trail, follows the stream for which it is named. There are several crossings as the trail frequently changes which side of the brook it follows. Not only can these be navigationally tricky, but quite slippery as well, as running water and algae that grows along the brook can present dangers to hikers, even if the region has experienced dry weather for an extended period of time.

While it is not precisely known where this injury occurred, hikers should be aware of the trail’s slippery nature, never rush and pay especially close attention during periods of reduced visibility, such as foggy conditions or at night.

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Allergic reaction at Wallface lean-to

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NEWCOMB — On Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10:40 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 about a climber suffering an allergic reaction and having difficulty breathing. The 20-year-old from Canada, who is allergic to tree nuts and peanuts, experienced an anaphylactic reaction while camping at the Wallface lean-to. The individual began hiking out to seek emergency help but started having breathing problems. The subject then self-administered an EpiPen and texted 911 for help. At 12:10 a.m., Forest Rangers Melissa Milano, Logan Quinn and Neilson Snye, as well as members of Newcomb EMS, reached the subject. They gave him diphenhydramine and transported him out via ATV to a waiting ambulance.

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Hiker injures ankle on Lower Wolfjaw Mountain

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KEENE — On Thursday, Sept. 19 at 7:15 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiking party reporting a member of the group had suffered an ankle injury on Lower Wolfjaw Mountain, approximately 3 miles from the trailhead. The caller, an EMT, splinted his friend’s ankle. Forest Rangers Patrick Odell and Logan Quinn met the hiking party as they walked slowly down the mountain and helped the group to their vehicle. The 36-year-old from Columbia decided to seek further medical attention on his own. Resources were clear at 9:30 p.m.

Lower Wolfjaw Mountain stands at 4,177 feet and has several approaches that all become progressively steeper the closer to its summit hikers get. The terrain is rugged and includes several boulder scrambles on its south face above the col between it and Upper Wolfjaw Mountain. Hikers should negotiate these sections carefully to reduce the risk of injury, especially at dusk. Hikers should always bring a headlamp, an extra set of batteries and ensure, prior to the hike, that the batteries have charge and the headlamp is operational. Not only are cellphones unreliable and subject to a rapid loss of battery charge — especially in cold or damp conditions — but attempting to hold it as a source of light can destabilize hikers, who can no longer use that hand for support when climbing technically demanding portions of trail, increasing the risk of injury from a slip or fall.

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Hiker suffers severe leg cramps along Northville-Placid Trail

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NORTH ELBA — On Friday, Sept. 20 at 6:05 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a subject suffering severe leg cramping. The rest of the subject’s hiking party continued on the Northville-Placid Trail to the Moose Pond lean-to, approximately 8 miles from the trail’s northern terminus along Averyville Lane. At 9:47 p.m., Forest Rangers David Corey and Allison Rooney reached the 36-year-old from Massachusetts, provided electrolytes, and helped him hike back out to the trailhead. At 12:05 a.m., they were met by a Lake Placid ambulance for transport to the hospital.

The Northville-Placid Trail is a 138-mile route that winds through some of the most desolate areas in the Adirondacks. Hiking in a group can help save lives in the event of a medical emergency, as other members of the party can seek emergency assistance in the event of a hiker becoming immobilized, or only able to move at an extremely slow rate of speed, due to injury. This is especially pertinent when traveling through deep wilderness that an injury would make it difficult or impossible to get out of without emergency assistance or treatment.

Hiker injures ankle on Mount Jo

NORTH ELBA — On Sunday, Sept. 22 at 11:26 a.m., Assistant Forest Ranger Patnode responded to a call for a hiker with an ankle injury on Mount Jo. AFR Patnode splinted the ankle and helped the 40-year-old from Cazenovia to the trailhead. Forest Ranger Jenna Curcio helped the subject back to her vehicle where she advised Curcio that she would seek further medical attention on her own. Resources were clear at 12:27 p.m.

Accessible from the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Heart Lake location, Mount Jo stands at 2,832 feet. It is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the High Peaks region due to its scenic summit that provides 180-degree views of many prominent High Peaks with relatively, compared to surrounding mountain hiking options, short distance and low ascent.

There are two routes up Mount Jo: the Short Trail and the new Long Trail, which opened in 2023. Ironically, the Long Trail is considered to be the easier approach, as the trail ascends gradually and avoids some steep scrambles near the summit that the short trail encounters. While it is not known where exactly this injury occurred, hikers should familiarize themselves with the differences in routes, and ensure they are adequately prepared, physically and logistically, prior to embarking on the hike.