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State officials warn: Hike safely

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Rescue at Bingham Falls

Stowe Mountain Rescue carries a 62-year-old woman who, while hiking with her husband, injured her right ankle at Bingham Falls. See the police blotter entry for March 19.

Incidents this week underlined the importance of warnings for hikers to stay safe on the trails, no matter how accommodating the weather at the trailhead.

Five Burlington hikers found themselves stuck in the ice Sunday at Underhill State Park. They set out at around 2 p.m., Vermont State Police say. The weather conditions changed as they climbed, and the group found themselves separated and then stuck between patches of ice, unable to turn back or move forward.

The group called police to report that they weren’t dressed for icy weather and didn’t have food or flashlights with them. When they called, at about 6:45 p.m., they were already cold and wet.

It took three hours before the Burlington group was safe and accounted for at the trailhead.

Neil Van Dyke of Stowe, search and rescue coordinator for the Vermont Department of Public Safety, says several similar search-and-rescue incidents last spring involved hikers who were not prepared for the conditions they found at higher elevations.

A rescue earlier this month in Fayston highlighted those concerns. Hikers called 911, reporting that they were stuck in extremely icy conditions while trying to hike the Long Trail from Lincoln Gap to Appalachian Gap. Fortunately, the hikers were able to provide first responders with GPS coordinates, but it took several hours for rescuers to reach them and guide them safely down the mountains.

These situations can be avoided by having appropriate winter hiking gear, or simply turning around when snowy, icy conditions are encountered.

As the weather improves this spring, the Vermont State Police and Department of Public Safety remind hikers that they can encounter ever-changing conditions this time of year, especially at higher elevations. Warm weather and green grass at the trailhead can give way to snow and ice higher up, and spring showers at the base can become a wintry mix on high.

Trails on state land above 2,500 in elevation remain closed until Memorial Day. That’s because long-lasting snowpack up there keeps the air temperatures cool, soaks boots and can make trails difficult to follow.

Spring hikers need waterproof boots, not sneakers, plus traction devices, extra layers of warm clothes, a headlamp, map and compass. And, if they run into conditions they’re not prepared for, turn around.

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