Catskills Hikers on Bad Mushroom Trip Rescued by Forest Rangers

Four hikers had a little more adventure than they bargained for last Friday evening in the Catskills. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the group needed rescuing after admitting they had consumed mushrooms while hiking near Giant Ledge in the Slide Mountain Wilderness.

Too High to Hike

Ulster County 911 received a satellite text from one of the hikers asking for help. The message revealed that the group had eaten “magic mushrooms” and that one member was experiencing a debilitating high that left them unable to continue safely on the trail.

Rangers Step In

Three DEC Forest Rangers, along with members of the Pine Hill Fire Department, tracked the group down by 6:45 p.m. The hikers were safely guided back to the trailhead, where Shandaken Ambulance staff evaluated them.

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But, somewhere between the mountain and the trailhead, the group managed to lose their car keys. Rangers ended up giving the stranded hikers a courtesy ride back to their rental lodging for the night.

The following day, a ranger went back up the trail to search for the missing keys. Sure enough, he found a sling bag tucked under a log in tall ferns. Inside: the lost keys.