DEC Forest rangers staff a safety checkpoint along the Adirondack Rail Trail near the Union Depot in Saranac Lake on Saturday. (Provided photo — New York state Department of Environmental Conservation)

Forest Rangers with the state Department of Environmental Conservation responded to a pair of wilderness rescue calls in Essex County this week, as well as maintaining a law enforcement and safety checkpoint for some time along the Adirondack Rail Trail over the past week.

–

Wolf Pond rescue

–

MINERVA — Ray Brook ispatch received a report from Essex County 911 about an unresponsive hiker on the Wolf Pond trail at 11 a.m. on Saturday. When Forest Ranger Mark Brand arrived at 11:45 a.m., the Newcomb Volunteer Fire Department and Essex County EMS were already on the scene offering medical assistance. Brand assisted in packaging the 67-year-old from Schenectady in a litter.

Brand and Forest Ranger Arthur Perryman, along with a State Police trooper, assisted other rescuers with the carryout. The subject was transferred to an ambulance at 12:45 p.m.

No details were provided regarding what led to the hiker becoming unresponsive, or the hiker’s post-rescue medical status.

–

Rail Trail safety checks

–

SARANAC LAKE — Forest Ranger Lieutenant Megan LaPierre and Forest Rangers Corenne Black, Patrick Odell, Joseph Ordway and David Russell assisted the Saranac Lake Village Police with security at the Winter Carnival Gala Parade on Saturday. Rangers were assigned to the Adirondack Rail Trail corridor and conducted safety checks on more than 100 snowmobiles.

Rangers arrested one subject from Saranac Lake on charges of snowmobiling while having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Saranac Lake Police transported the subject to the State Police barracks in Ray Brook.

–

Grace Peak night rescue

–

NORTH HUDSON — Forest rangers Andrew Lewis and Jamison Martin responded when Ray Brook dispatch received a call for two hikers off-trail near the summit of Grace Peak at 8:04 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

At 12 a.m., with temperatures falling below zero, the Rangers located the 76-year-old from Waterford and the 57-year-old from Canada around midnight. At that time, rangers said the temperatures had fallen below zero. The rangers escorted the subjects back to their vehicle. Resources were clear at 12:45 a.m.

With an elevation of 4,012 feet, Grace Peak was formerly known as East Dix before being officially re-named in 2014 in honor of the late Grace Hudowalski, the first woman to climb all 46 High Peaks and the longtime historian for the Adirondack 46ers organization. The peak’s exposed summit offers expansive views of the surrounding areas.

It was unclear what caused the hikers to lose the trail the trail. Persistent winter conditions have resulted in a deep snowpack, with several feet reported at higher elevations at press time Wednesday. Gusty winds and exposed areas along trails can quickly cause the snow to blow in and obscure any previous semblance of a path.