New York officials are warning anyone who ventures into the backcountry that recent warm temperatures and rapid snowmelt are creating dangerous conditions.
The warning comes after the high-water bridge on the Calamity Brook Trail in the Adirondacks washed out due to snowmelt.
The bridge is located roughly 1.8 miles south of Flowed Lands in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.
Officials with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation said recent warm temperatures in the Adirondacks are causing “rapid, dynamic, and intense changes in the High Peaks and all across the backcountry.”
Officials also said most of the frozen crossings in the High Peaks have washed out, which means hikers must navigate high banks of snow and ice to get down to the water level. They also said larger crossings will not refreeze this winter.
Water levels at stream crossings can rise throughout the day and become impassable on a hiker’s way out, even if it was passable on their way in. Officials said hikers should be prepared to wait it out, even if it means an extra night of camping.
Check the NYDEC Adirondack Backcountry Information web page for updated conditions.
