32 rescues in July with a one being dehydrated at Rainbow Falls

It does sound funny, but if you're already exhausted, and don't know the water quality, and don't have any way to treat water, this is what you get....

Funny,yes and no as Ranger Pete Fish always advises it's better to drink the water available than die!

If needed, antibiotics work wonders, but you have to be alive for them to work!

BlackSpruce said:

Funny,yes and no as Ranger Pete Fish always advises it's better to drink the water available than die!

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Yup. Whatever is on the water likely won't kill you as fast as dehydration, if at all.

And how about those two rescues which took place on August 9:


http://www.lakeplacidnews.com/page/...8/Rangers-rescue-biker--kayaker.html?nav=5005

Rangers rescue biker, kayaker

BlackSpruce said:

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/08/adirondack-search-rescue-highlights-july.html#more-55118

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I wonder if "lower leg injury" is a code phrase for twisted ankle. I didn't count but got an impression that this was the most common cause of rescues. If so, I am glad that I have hiking boots which cover my ankles.

Drinking the water gives you the resources you need to get out. Most places in the Northeast you can make it out to the road well before any waterborne disease will bite.

"Lower leg injury" means "lower leg injury, we don't try to bother with anything more detailed in the backcountry because it won't affect our care." (Also potentially not disclosing details in a public release.) If you think boots that cover your ankles make you immune from ankle injuries, you're potentially setting yourself up for an unpleasant surprise.

jniehof said:

If you think boots that cover your ankles make you immune from ankle injuries, you're potentially setting yourself up for an unpleasant surprise.

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+1. I used to believe this, but I now think stretching and allowing my ankle to move allows it to be more supple and stronger, so I wear low cut boots.

Tom Rankin said:

+1. I used to believe this, but I now think stretching and allowing my ankle to move allows it to be more supple and stronger, so I wear low cut boots.

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I tend to stick with what seems to work for me - over many years of hiking I have never twisted an ankle while wearing high-cut hiking boots despite tripping a number of times. I did twist my ankle more then once wearing sneakers. My hiking boots are not perfect - they are heavier and my feet don't breath enough but these issues are less important to me then ability to walk out of the woods on my own.

I do wish however that my boots had more grip on wet, slippery rocks.

Of course there are many threads with great detail on the "Boots vs. Trail Runners" topic.

I had the opposite experience; once switching to trail runners I rolled my ankles less frequently.

And one of the main reasons for the switch was better grip on wet rocks. In the ancient day, the rock-hard vibram rubber on boots had zero traction on wet or slick rock. Modern trail runners with their softer, stickier more conforming rubber are dramatically better for that.

jniehof said:

Drinking the water gives you the resources you need to get out.

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I've run into people who did not think they were dehydrated. This could have been the situation here. The Ranger or EMT made the diagnosis, w/o the person ever thinking that was the problem.