Here's a cut and paste from an email message ADK Executive Director Neil Woodworth sent to myself and others about the safe resolution of a rescue of Saratoga HS students and coach for the flood waters of JBL and
Orebed Brook. Neil has been monitoring this thru a radio connection between the ADK Warming Hut crew. The Warming Hut crew stayed on overnight
on Sunday evening so they could stay in contact with the "outside world". The warming Hut folks are to be thanked for their efforts in keeping the hikers from trying to ford the very dangerous brooks.
ADK does lots of things behind the scenes that we are unaware of. This was my idea to post, not Neil's.
Peakbagr
Dear colleagues,
I enclose a news story about a rescue of some young people that were staying
at Grace Camp and Camp Peggy O'Brien this past weekend. Our JBL winter host
crew Gene Reilley, Michael Cashin and Bill Schollenberger performed an
invaluable service and stayed in an extra night to enable the forest rangers
to stay in contact with the two groups of young people and their adult
leaders.
The bridge over Johns Brook, connecting both camps to the Phelps trail
between JBL and the Garden was swept downstream on Saturday and both Slide
Brook and Orebed Brook were at flood stage and unsafe to cross until 10 am
this morning. The only communication between the youth groups and the
outside world was maintained by shouting back and forth across Johns Brook
at the Goodwin Lean-to site to the winter hosts and then by the winter hosts
relaying the message by the JBL radio to Mike Humphries and Holly Brooks at
the base station at Adirondac Loj.
Forest Rangers Jim Giglinto, Charlie Platt and Scott Van Lear did a great
getting into the JBL ranger station Sunday afternoon and arranging the
evacuation of everyone staying at Grace Camp and Camp O'Brien this morning.
In the meantime, I had talked to both the DEC superintendent of Forest
Rangers Andrew Jacobs and DEC region 5 Forest Ranger Lt. Brian Dubay and
various press reporters that were calling. I stayed in contact with the
parents till late last night. The Saratogian article reference to building
a bridge was an error by the reporter, I said that in an emergency, the
rangers and ADK could rig a high line for evacuation if the waters levels
failed to drop in a reasonable time.
Facilities Manager Mike Humphries and Front Desk Supervisor Holly Brooks did
a great job keeping me informed and ensuring that we were in regular contact
with the JBL hosts and the forest rangers.
Kudos to the winter host crew, our North Country staff and the forest
rangers, a great job done. Now, we just have to replace the bridge! See
emails and news article below.
Neil
Neil F. Woodworth
Executive Director
Adirondack Mountain Club
4/4/05 10:15am
Lisa from DEC dispatch in Ray Brook called the Adirondak Loj and relayed a
message from Jim Giglinto that "everyone is accounted for and they are out
of JBL".
04/04/2005
Washed-out bridge strands Saratoga crew team
CHRISTOPHER DIAKOPOULOS , The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Ten members of the Saratoga Rowing Association's boys
crew team spent an unplanned night of wilderness cabin camping in the high
peaks Sunday after the collapse of a foot-bridge washed out plans of
returning home in time for school today.
Neil Woodworth, the executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, said
the boys would be staying an extra night or two at Camp Peggy O'Brien until
park rangers could repair the bridge but stressed that the kids, along with
their coach, were in no danger.
'We're making sure they stay put, right where they are, and that they not
attempt to cross any waterways,' Woodworth said. 'We can get them supplies
if we need to. It's a practice of ours to have winter hosts, who spend
winter weekends in the John's Brook Valley for reasons just like this.'
Woodworth said communication from the crew team and another stranded group
had been passed along to him via radio from the winter hosts, who had been
able to shout across the 30-foot-wide brook to the team.
'All the parents have been notified,' said Dennis De-Jonghe, co-president of
the SRA, whose son, Evan, is one of the kids stuck across the flooded
stream.
DeJonghe said the trip was something the group has done before and that he
wasn't worried about his son's safe return.
'The cabin they stay at is about three and a half miles in from the parking
area,' DeJonghe said. 'They've done a lot of winter hikes. It's good
training for them -- nothing like teamwork on a boat. This is probably an
adventure for them and I'm sure they'll have a good story to tell. I'm sure
they're not complaining about missing school.'
Parent Lynn Schumann, whose son, Jeff, is also stuck, seemed to agree.
'I'm very comfortable with the coach, the kids, the Adirondack Mountain Club
and park rangers and how they're handling things,' she said. 'It sounds like
they're fine.'
Schumann said she heard the news from the team's emergency contact, Russ
Otto, who had been in contact with Woodworth.
Another parent, Mark Sutton, whose son, Jonathan, is also on the trip said
that he wasn't worried either.
'They have a very competent coach and they've been in contact with the
rangers,' he said. 'I don't think there's any problem, just getting across
the creek when the water subsides.'
Woodworth said the bridge was likely to be rebuilt today if the rushing
floodwaters allowed, or on Tuesday. Food isn't an issue he said, because the
AMC has plenty of experience moving gear across streams using highlines.
'We can get them supplies if we need to, and the New York state forest
rangers are on the case, too,' he said.
April 3, 2005 2:38 p.m. email from Loj front desk supervisor Holly Brooks
Orebed Brook. Neil has been monitoring this thru a radio connection between the ADK Warming Hut crew. The Warming Hut crew stayed on overnight
on Sunday evening so they could stay in contact with the "outside world". The warming Hut folks are to be thanked for their efforts in keeping the hikers from trying to ford the very dangerous brooks.
ADK does lots of things behind the scenes that we are unaware of. This was my idea to post, not Neil's.
Peakbagr
Dear colleagues,
I enclose a news story about a rescue of some young people that were staying
at Grace Camp and Camp Peggy O'Brien this past weekend. Our JBL winter host
crew Gene Reilley, Michael Cashin and Bill Schollenberger performed an
invaluable service and stayed in an extra night to enable the forest rangers
to stay in contact with the two groups of young people and their adult
leaders.
The bridge over Johns Brook, connecting both camps to the Phelps trail
between JBL and the Garden was swept downstream on Saturday and both Slide
Brook and Orebed Brook were at flood stage and unsafe to cross until 10 am
this morning. The only communication between the youth groups and the
outside world was maintained by shouting back and forth across Johns Brook
at the Goodwin Lean-to site to the winter hosts and then by the winter hosts
relaying the message by the JBL radio to Mike Humphries and Holly Brooks at
the base station at Adirondac Loj.
Forest Rangers Jim Giglinto, Charlie Platt and Scott Van Lear did a great
getting into the JBL ranger station Sunday afternoon and arranging the
evacuation of everyone staying at Grace Camp and Camp O'Brien this morning.
In the meantime, I had talked to both the DEC superintendent of Forest
Rangers Andrew Jacobs and DEC region 5 Forest Ranger Lt. Brian Dubay and
various press reporters that were calling. I stayed in contact with the
parents till late last night. The Saratogian article reference to building
a bridge was an error by the reporter, I said that in an emergency, the
rangers and ADK could rig a high line for evacuation if the waters levels
failed to drop in a reasonable time.
Facilities Manager Mike Humphries and Front Desk Supervisor Holly Brooks did
a great job keeping me informed and ensuring that we were in regular contact
with the JBL hosts and the forest rangers.
Kudos to the winter host crew, our North Country staff and the forest
rangers, a great job done. Now, we just have to replace the bridge! See
emails and news article below.
Neil
Neil F. Woodworth
Executive Director
Adirondack Mountain Club
4/4/05 10:15am
Lisa from DEC dispatch in Ray Brook called the Adirondak Loj and relayed a
message from Jim Giglinto that "everyone is accounted for and they are out
of JBL".
04/04/2005
Washed-out bridge strands Saratoga crew team
CHRISTOPHER DIAKOPOULOS , The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Ten members of the Saratoga Rowing Association's boys
crew team spent an unplanned night of wilderness cabin camping in the high
peaks Sunday after the collapse of a foot-bridge washed out plans of
returning home in time for school today.
Neil Woodworth, the executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, said
the boys would be staying an extra night or two at Camp Peggy O'Brien until
park rangers could repair the bridge but stressed that the kids, along with
their coach, were in no danger.
'We're making sure they stay put, right where they are, and that they not
attempt to cross any waterways,' Woodworth said. 'We can get them supplies
if we need to. It's a practice of ours to have winter hosts, who spend
winter weekends in the John's Brook Valley for reasons just like this.'
Woodworth said communication from the crew team and another stranded group
had been passed along to him via radio from the winter hosts, who had been
able to shout across the 30-foot-wide brook to the team.
'All the parents have been notified,' said Dennis De-Jonghe, co-president of
the SRA, whose son, Evan, is one of the kids stuck across the flooded
stream.
DeJonghe said the trip was something the group has done before and that he
wasn't worried about his son's safe return.
'The cabin they stay at is about three and a half miles in from the parking
area,' DeJonghe said. 'They've done a lot of winter hikes. It's good
training for them -- nothing like teamwork on a boat. This is probably an
adventure for them and I'm sure they'll have a good story to tell. I'm sure
they're not complaining about missing school.'
Parent Lynn Schumann, whose son, Jeff, is also stuck, seemed to agree.
'I'm very comfortable with the coach, the kids, the Adirondack Mountain Club
and park rangers and how they're handling things,' she said. 'It sounds like
they're fine.'
Schumann said she heard the news from the team's emergency contact, Russ
Otto, who had been in contact with Woodworth.
Another parent, Mark Sutton, whose son, Jonathan, is also on the trip said
that he wasn't worried either.
'They have a very competent coach and they've been in contact with the
rangers,' he said. 'I don't think there's any problem, just getting across
the creek when the water subsides.'
Woodworth said the bridge was likely to be rebuilt today if the rushing
floodwaters allowed, or on Tuesday. Food isn't an issue he said, because the
AMC has plenty of experience moving gear across streams using highlines.
'We can get them supplies if we need to, and the New York state forest
rangers are on the case, too,' he said.
April 3, 2005 2:38 p.m. email from Loj front desk supervisor Holly Brooks
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