At the end of November, forest rangers Rob Praczkajlo, Hannah O’Connor and Andrew Lewis rescued Joe Gutch from the top of Algonquin Peak. The 19-year-old was stranded for hours, waist-deep in snow and hypothermic.

A winter hiker, Gutch said there were "almost 20 times where I was in and out of consciousness, and I'd wake up and, you know, I would call the ranger."

Thankfully, Gutch survived.

In 2021, there were 426 search-and-rescue missions throughout the state. Gutch's rescue has rangers such as Praczkajlo feeling the need to educate people about winter hiking and the dangers that can come with it.

“Obviously, when the temperatures are below freezing...You need to have proper mountaineering boots, not just hiking boots, but mountaineering boots," said Praczkajlo, a New York state forest ranger.

Many of the rescues Praczkajlo works on happen because a hiker had some sort of accident. In that situation, hikers need to be able to use their phones to call for help.

“It's very important for them to actually have a paper map and also to have two headlamps, not just one, in case the batteries die on that headlamp. And then they can use their phone to contact people if they need to," Praczkajlo said.

He said hikers have to do their research and wear insulated clothing. But the most important thing is you can never be too prepared.

“Best piece of advice that I have for people is be prepared to spend the night. Even though you plan to only hike for the day, if something happens, you need to have the proper equipment that you can stay there and be warm for the entire night," Praczkajlo said.

Winter hiking can be fun, but you have to be prepared.

“Don’t be as ambitious as you would be in the summer. I would really encourage people to drop their standards in the winter, not cheap out on gear and overpack if anything," Gutch said.