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Trap Dike

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KEENE — Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers on the Trap Dike in the High Peaks Wilderness at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. The pair were no longer able to move in any direction due to the steep and wet conditions. New York State Police Aviation Pilot Brandon Zakris was called in to fly three rangers to the location to perform a technical rope rescue. It was too wet and unsafe to rescue the pair from below, so rangers climbed to the top of the dike and rappelled down to the subjects. At 5:30 p.m., rangers reached the 42-year-old and 43-year-old from Quebec and lowered the pair down the trap dike. Rangers warmed and fed the hikers, took the pair across Avalanche Lake by boat, and hiked them to Marcy Dam. The subjects reached their vehicles at the trailhead at 2:45 a.m. — a hike of about six miles from the Trap Dike’s base.

A DEC Forest Ranger checks their gear before rappelling down as part of the successful Trap Dike rescue effort in the High Peaks Wilderness in the town of Keene on Saturday, Oct. 12. The steep terrain required rangers to be flown in by helicopter and rappel down from above the Trap Dike. (Provided photo — New York state Department of Environmental Conservation)

The Trap Dike is considered one of the most dangerous trails in the Adirondacks — although it is not an officially designated route. While there are many more technically demanding climbing routes in the Adirondack Park, much of the danger is due to Trap Dike’s ambiguity — and subsequent lack of preparedness — from some who attempt it. There is ongoing debate in outdoor communities over whether the Trap Dike is considered a “hike” or a “climb.” It is rated as a Class 4 route, one level below what is considered a beginner’s “climb.”

Despite the rating falling below a “climb,” there are several sections of the route that require climbing skills. While there are an abundance of hand and foot holds, people are subject to exposure, with little room for error in parts that risk long falls resulting in likely injury and possible death, especially if the subject is not wearing a helmet or using rope.

The route’s difficulty can also change drastically with weather conditions. This is because the route follows several waterfalls. During dry periods, people attempting the route have access to more hand and foot holds. Many of those become unusable — they are either under running water or are too slippery — during wet periods, resulting in a significantly more challenging route. Conditions can change quickly and/or unexpectedly.

The Trap Dike also becomes progressively steeper and more challenging the further along the route one goes. This often traps people, as they are no longer able to turn back as it is much harder — and often impossible without falling — to descend what had just been navigated up.

There have been two fatalities in the Trap Dike this century. The most recent occurred in January 2022, when a 63-year-old male from Connecticut was suspected to have been killed in an avalanche. Prior to that, in October 2011, a 22-year-old male Binghamton University student died from a cerebral hemorrhage after falling off of the Trap Dike’s second waterfall, often described as the climb’s most difficult and risky section. The student was not wearing a helmet or using any rope.

Rangers work through the night as part of the successful Trap Dike rescue effort in the High Peaks Wilderness in the town of Keene on Saturday, Oct. 12. The rescue took almost 12 hours, concluding around 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. (Provided photo — New York state Department of Environmental Conservation)

The DEC did not provide the rangers’ names who performed this rescue. The Trap Dike is part of Mount Colden, the 11th tallest mountain in the state at 4,714 feet. The mountain is situated in the middle of the High Peaks Wilderness — between Mount Marcy and Algonquin Peak. Mount Colden has two other official trails — both of which do not require the technical skills demanded from the Trap Dike.

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Ausable Point Campground

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PERU — The Ausable Point Campground Caretaker reported multiple swastikas spray painted on rocks leading into the campground at 12:35 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. Forest Ranger Capt. Jared Booth, the region’s acting manager, removed the graffiti. Ranger Sarah Bode interviewed campground staff and forwarded pictures to the DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crime Investigations Investigator Anthony Panipinto. The DEC is requesting anyone with information about this hate crime to call 1-844-DEC-ECOS. The line operates 24/7.

Late Fall can present highly variable trail conditions based on elevation. This can pose a danger if hikers are unprepared for winter conditions at higher elevations, even as temperatures are mild at the trailhead. Snow is seen on McKenzie Mountain (elev. 3,861 ft.) while fall foliage is still in full bloom around the village of Lake Placid (elev. 1855 ft.) on Wednesday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

The Ausable Point Campground and Day Use Area is located along the western shore of Lake Champlain at the mouth of the Ausable River. The site is seasonal, open from May 17 to Oct. 14 each year.

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Northville-Placid Trail

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HARRIETSTOWN — Ray Brook Dispatch received a distress call from a satellite device indicating a hiker had suffered a knee injury on the Northville-Placid Trail at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. The 46-year-old from Canastota advised she would camp out for the night and requested Forest Ranger assistance the following morning. The next day, rangers Jenna Curcio, Evan Nahor and Jason Scott reached the subject, splinted her leg, and assisted her back to her vehicle. Resources were clear at 4:30 p.m.

The Northville-Placid Trail is a 138-mile route that winds through some of the most desolate areas in the Adirondacks. Having devices that can alert responders using satellites in the event of an emergency can help save lives, especially when traveling through deep wilderness.

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Jay Mountain

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JAY — Forest Rangers Corenne Black and Sarah Bode responded to a call for a hiker with an ankle injury on Jay Mountain at 1:50 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Good Samaritans stopped and splinted the hiker’s ankle while Rangers responded. Rangers helped the 24-year-old from Albany and her dog down the mountain. Resources were clear at 5:20 p.m.

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Bald Mountain

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OLD FORGE — Forest Ranger Dylan McCartney responded to a call for a hiker with a lower leg injury one-quarter of a mile from the Bald Mountain trailhead at 12:46 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. McCartney located the 68-year-old from Fairport and splinted her leg. Ranger Lincoln Hanno and the Old Forge Volunteer Fire Department helped secure the hiker into a wheeled litter and brought her down to an Old Forge Ambulance by 1:16 p.m.

Bald Mountain is a popular peak in the southwestern Adirondacks. It gets its name from its treeless ridgeline near the summit. The mountain has a fire tower that provides 360-degree views. On clear days, Mount Marcy — over 50 miles away — and many other High Peaks can be seen from the tower. The trail climbs 413 feet over nine-tenths of a mile, or 1.8 miles round-trip.

The trail’s beginning is deceivingly flat before a fairly steep rock scramble begins that can be tricky to navigate — where the injury occurred. Hikers should ensure they have the proper footwear and are familiar with the route and conditions prior to leaving the trailhead.

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Giant Mountain

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ELIZABETHTOWN — Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a concerned family member of two hikers overdue on Giant Mountain at 9:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The family had last heard from the hikers at 8:40 p.m. and were advised the hikers’ phones and headlamps were dying. Forest Rangers Sarah Bode and Logan Quinn located the 55-year-old from AuSable Forks and 70-year-old from Keeseville on the trail approximately 1.7 miles from the trailhead. Rangers provided headlamps, warm clothing and water and helped the pair down the trailhead. Resources were clear at 12:15 a.m.

Hikers should always bring spare batteries — that are fully charged — for headlamps in the event that their primary batteries are low on charge or the trip takes longer than anticipated. Batteries lose charge more quickly in cold weather.

Alerting others of their route and expected arrival time — as these two hikers appear to have — helps prevent tragedies by allowing that trusted individual to alert rescuers as soon as hikers are overdue. A quick response, especially in deteriorating conditions, can prevent tragedy.

Giant Mountain stands at 4,627 feet, making it the 12th tallest mountain in the state. Its summit provides expansive views of many other High Peaks, making it — along with the relatively short mileage of two of the mountain’s five primary trailheads — a popular hiking destination.