Rangers Rescue Hikers on Bad Trip in Slide Mountain Wilderness

SHANDAKEN – A hiking trip in the Slide Mountain Wilderness took a perilous turn for a group of four people who became lost after consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms, prompting a rescue by state Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers and local firefighters.

The incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 29, when the group contacted 911 via a satellite text message at approximately 5 p.m. According to the DEC, the caller admitted the group had taken “magic mushrooms” and that one member was experiencing a “debilitating high” near Giant Ledge.

Three forest rangers located the hikers at 6:45 p.m. and, with the assistance of local firefighters, guided the group back to the trailhead. The hikers were evaluated by personnel from the Shandaken Ambulance squad.

The group’s difficulties were compounded when they realized they had lost their car keys along the trail. Rangers provided the hikers with a courtesy ride to their rental property.

A ranger returned to the area the following day and successfully located the lost keys, which were found in a sling bag under a log.

A ranger involved in that rescue described the incident as "a bad trip, not a good trip,” according to the Times Union.