~ Useful Links ~

  • Emergency phone number: DEC Dispatch: 833-NYS-RANGERS (833-697-7264).
    If you have an emergency where a forest ranger is needed, call 911 and ask for DEC Forest Ranger assistance or call DEC Dispatch directly. Though there is no cell service in many places we go, DEC can often ping a phone to determine its location, helping rangers and emergency services to respond quickly, so it can be worthwhile to carry your cellphone on outings.
  • Wilderness First Aid & Survival
    Each participant in a Canes outing should carry a first aid kit with basic supplies and an emergency kit that would enable him or her to survive a night out, including a flashlight, knife, fire starting tools and an emergency mylar blanket. Here is a useful link to wilderness first aid basics. Wilderness first aid training courses are offered by the Red Cross. Survival info is available on many websites.
  • Adirondack Backcountry Conditions
    Conditions of trails, bridges and parking are updated by DEC weekly at Adirondack Backcountry Conditions and Adirondack backcountry info by region
  • Black Fly Season & Bites
    This blog article lays out the essential facts on black flies, their bites and treatments. Other articles on the website describe the author's favorite Adirondack and Catskill hikes.
  • Current Weather Conditions
    NYS Mesonet is a network of weather stations across the state that measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, pressure, solar radiation, snow depth, and soil information.
  • Weather Forecast
    The National Weather Service publishes 7-day forecasts for any location in the Northeast (and the entire US). To select a location, find the map on our default forecast page. You can zoom or drag the map and then click on the location of interest to get the forecast. The link to the Forecast Discussion under Additional Forecasts and Information will provide detailed information about temperature, rainfall, snowfall and winds for the area that includes the selected location.
  • Winter Precipitation
    The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center publishes a map showing probability of winter precipitation over the next 24, 48, and 72 hours.
  • Mountain Summit Forecasts
    The National Weather Service publishes short-term weather forecasts for mountain summits in NY and Vermont, including hourly forecasts of temperature, wind chill, precipitation and sky cover.
  • NY Hunting Seasons
    DEC publishes links with full information about all the rules and season dates for hunting in NY as well as maps.
  • Vermont Hunting Seasons
    The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department publishes season dates for hunting in Vermont
  • NY Water Levels
    All stream gages in New York State.
High Peaks of the Adirondacks is where many of the Crooked Canes outings take place.