Ranger helps hiker injured on Adirondack high peak

KEENE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Last week, an Adirondack Forest Ranger responded to a report of an injured hiker near the summit of a mountain near Lake Placid. On Wednesday, Aug. 31, Ranger Lewis of the DEC Forest Ranger Service responded to a call at Giant Mountain, one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks.

The call reported an injured hiker near the mountain's summit. The hiker, a 42-year-old from New York City, suffered an ankle injury near the mountain summit. Ranger Lewis came into contact with the victim's husband by phone, and the husband reported having wrapped the victim's injured ankle. Despite pain from the injury, the couple began to make their way down the 7.4-mile trail.

After responding to the call at around 2:50 p.m., Ranger Lewis found the couple at around 5 p.m. along the trail. The victim's ankle injury was re-splinted, and the ranger guided the couple down the rest of the trail, reaching the Giant Mountain trailhead on Route 9N at around 9:30 p.m. After arriving, the injured hiker was taken to Adirondack Medical Center by their husband.

Giant Mountain is a 4,627-foot peak, and the 12th-highest Adirondack High Peak. Located near Lake Placid, its summit trail reaches 7.4 miles in each direction.

The Adirondack High Peaks region is considered the ultimate challenge of the Adirondack Park, with its highest peak (Mt. Marcy) topping out at 5,344 feet. Hikers attempting any of the peaks' great climbs should plan ahead, bringing proper camping and hiking equipment and respecting wildlife.