A forest ranger saws off the remaining portion of a burned tree as part of the effort to fight a wildland fire near Bear Lake in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness in the town of Morehouse. (Provided photo — New York state Department of Environmental Conservation)

Forest rangers with the state Department of Environmental Conservation responded to several calls for lost and injured hikers in the High Peaks region throughout the last couple weeks, as well as fighting a fire in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness. The fire was in a remote area, and rangers had to be flown in to reach the fire.

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Sick hiker helped out of woods near Chapel Pond

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ELIZABETHTOWN — Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for a 41-year-old who was vomiting all night and could not hold down food or water as they hiked with a 13-year-old out from Marie Louise Pond at 1:46 p.m. on Sunday. The pair stayed the night after hiking from Chapel Pond. The subject started feeling lightheaded at Blueberry Cobbles. Forest Rangers Charles Foutch and Patrick Odell responded with an Essex County Paramedic. Rangers met the pair approximately 0.75 miles up the trail. They provided fluids, and assisted them to the trailhead for pickup up by a family member. Resources were clear at 3:45 p.m.

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Separated hikers treated for hypothermia

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NORTH HUDSON — Essex County 911 dispatched an ambulance to the Elk Lake trailhead for two subjects complaining of hypothermia at 2:35 a.m. on Sunday. The subjects finished their hike, but the other two members of their party had not returned yet, and they had the keys to the car. Schroon Lake EMS warmed the subjects. As Forest Ranger Logan Quinn and the North Hudson Volunteer Fire Department prepared to search for the other two hikers, the overdue pair reached the trailhead. Resources were clear at 4:30 a.m.

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Hiker rescued after seeing the light

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KEENE — Forest Rangers Patrick Odell and Allison Rooney responded to a call from Ray Brook Dispatch for an overdue hiker on Big Slide Mountain at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. Last contact with the hiker was six hours earlier when the 38-year-old from Clifton Park stated they were off trail. At 4:40 a.m., rangers cleared the summit without any signs of the subject. At 7:15 a.m., rangers found the hiker in good health approximately half a mile from the trailhead. The hiker spent the night far enough off trail that they didn’t hear rangers calling. Early in the morning, however, the hiker saw headlamps and continued towards the trailhead.

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Inexperienced bushwackers rescued after getting lost

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KEENE — Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers who were lost and unable to move on the south side of Bear Den Mountain at 4:08 p.m. on Saturday. They were attempting to hike/bushwhack Dial Mountain via Gravestone Brook. The hikers had no experience bushwhacking and were hiking without a map, compass, headlamp or extra layers. They also had not planned the return to their car after hiking to the summit. They called dispatch after getting stuck in thick spruce. At 7:40 p.m., Forest Ranger Charles Foutch hiked up the H.G. Leech Trail and bushwhacked to the hikers. Foutch provided the 32-year-old from Syracuse and 36-year-old from Irondequoit with food, water and headlamps. Foutch then assisted them to the Round Pond trailhead. Resources were clear at 10:15 p.m.

Rangers suggest planning for your hike before heading out, including finding out how long the hike could take, but to also pack enough that you can survive the night in case things don’t go as planned. DEC’s website has information about the 10 Hiking Essentials and other details to help plan your trip at tinyurl.com/495sm7z6.

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Rangers flown in to fight remote wildland fire

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MOREHOUSE — A member of the public contacted Forest Ranger Nicholas Caswell about a fire near Bear Lake in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness at 4:16 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15. Due to the remoteness of the fire, Forest Ranger Jason Scott went in with hand tools and stayed overnight. The following morning, State Police Aviation flew in Forest Rangers Gary Miller, Evan Nahor and Michael Thompson to the scene. They worked to control the fire and stayed overnight. On Sept. 17, rangers contained the fire and State Police aviation flew the crew out of the fire area by 3:30 p.m. The fire was declared out on Sept. 22.