New York City Hiker Falls 50 Feet into Crevice at Minnewaska State Park

A hiker taking in the views in Ulster County was airlifted to a local hospital over the weekend.

The Hudson Valley experienced perfect fall weather this past weekend, which made for great hiking conditions across the region. As we know, this time of year visitors flock to all the trails attempting to catch a glimpse of the peak foliage conditions.

However, a day out hiking for one hiker turned dangerous after a scary fall.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, a 54-year-old hiker from New York City fell 50 feet into a crevice while hiking at Minnewaska State Park on Saturday, October 22nd. More specifically, the hiker fell near the area of Gertrude's Nose.

The DEC writes:

New York State Police requested Forest Ranger assistance at Minnewaska State Park to hoist a subject who fell approximately 50 feet into a crevice near Gertrude's Nose. Staff from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and local responders raised the 54-year-old with a high angle rope rescue. The subject from New York City suffered a significant head injury and was in and out of consciousness.

When the Rangers first initially found the hiker, they carried him a half a mile to Gertrude's nose where they were then met by Ranger Lieutenant Slade and Ranger Jahn who then loaded the injured hiker into an aviation litter.

Hike The Hudson Valley gives Gertrudes Nose a 9-out-of-10 difficulty rating. Explaining the Ulster County trail is a "long hike with many rocky, rolling climbs." Gertrude's Nose trail is about a 7.5-mile loop that should take hikers about 5 hours to navigate.

If you're looking for fantastic views, but less difficult, take the loop around Lake Minnewaska. It's a 1.9-mile hike that should take about an hour to complete according to All Trails.