December 6, 2021 |  By Jilli Cluff

A casual Thanksgiving Day hike up Mount Marcy, New York’s tallest peak, turned into a lesson in winter preparedness.

On the afternoon of Nov. 25, three sneaker-wearing hikers found themselves atop a snow-capped Mount Marcy, and they were lost.

The party had reached the highest summit in the Adirondack range, but they hadn’t expected the terrain and temperature to change with the elevation gain, and they weren’t dressed for the occasion. The sun was waning, and the temps were dropping quickly.

So, they phoned forest rangers at the local Department of Environmental Conservation. But what might have been an easy up-and-back operation morphed into a 5-hour-long search, according to the rescue report, published last week.

“The hikers could not read a map properly, making it more difficult for rangers to pinpoint their location,” it read.

Rangers finally located the group at 10 p.m. local time and subsequently exited the party back to their cars.

The hikers expressed discomfort and extremely cold feet but were found in good general health.

Though the cast of characters and details are unique, the moral of the Mount Marcy rescue story is all too frequent and familiar. Under slightly worse weather conditions, the consequences could have been dire.

The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is a nonprofit organization that works with New York state to promote responsible outdoor recreation in Adirondack Park. The site offers an extensive collection of free educational resources, including comprehensive guides for every season.

For many, it can feel far less natural to head out for a backpacking trek in the depths of winter. Still, for those who can stand a bit of cold air and brisk winds, the snow-capped peaks and open trails await. Read more…

Below is a condensed list of tips taken from the ADK’s guide to winter hiking.

For the organization’s complete library of safety tips at adk.org, and check with local parks and conservation departments for resources before heading out into unfamiliar territory.

The right gear in your backpack can literally save your life. But what survival gear should you bring? Read more…

Jilli grew up in the rural southern Colorado mountains, later moving to Texas for college. After seven years in corporate consulting, she was introduced to sport climbing. In 2020, Jilli left her corporate position to pursue an outdoor-oriented life. She now works as a contributor, gear tester, and editor for GearJunkie and other outlets within the AllGear network. She is based out of Austin, Texas, where she takes up residence with her climbing gear and one-eared blue heeler, George Michael.

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