By Doug La Rocque
The five hikers left the parking area at the top of the Petersburgh Pass on Route 2 about 10:30 am on Tuesday, June 19, planning a day of hiking with their primary goal to visit the famed “Snow Hole.” According to Bob Saltz, he and his party realized about noon, they where lost.
About 2:30, they came upon a lean-to on a hiking trail, and from there “we decided to stay put.” Bob says they found a spot where his cellphone worked, and called for help. Rensselaer County 911 Dispatch called out the Petersburgh Fire Department and Ambulance Corp. They soon realized this was not going to be an easy search and rescue and called for Environmental Officers, along with a Forest Ranger and the Grafton Fire Department for their “six by six” an all terrain vehicle that could transverse the heavily wooded area, along the Massachusetts and Vermont boarders.
Fire sirens were blown at the top of the pass, as well as from the Williamstown fire station to see if the hikers could hear them. Very vaguely at times was the answer to 911 Dispatch. Their phone was “pinged” and showed they were very near the Massachusetts line, just south of Vermont, but it turns out the lean-to they took shelter in, wasn’t on any map. The rescuers kept searching, entering the woods from three points, Petersburgh, Williamstown and Pownal, Vermont. Shortly after 5 pm the hikers were found and brought out of the woods literally on the Massachusetts and Vermont boarder. Paramedics from Village Ambulance’s Northern Berkshire unit checked them out and pronounced them none the worse for wear.
Mr. Saltz, his wife Lee, along with Patrick Mateer and his younger sisters Anne and Maureen were soon to be on their way back home to Stephentown, expressing their deep appreciation to their rescuers. Anne telling The Eastwick Press she was not scared, but admittedly very anxious. Patrick says the experience will not stop him from hiking in the woods again, his sisters in agreement. But Patrick says, next time they will be better prepared and had a word of advice. “Don’t trust Google Maps.”
Besides the law enforcement and EMS personnel previously mentioned, also involved were the Williamstown and Pownal Fire Departments, as well as the NYS Police.