Avalanche warning issued for Adirondacks

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is warning Adirondack back country visitors to be aware of the danger of avalanches.

Recent snowstorms have brought a significant amount of new snow to the region, and that has created conditions conducive to avalanches -- especially on steep, open slopes.

Two skiers triggered an avalanche on Wright Peak near Lake Placid on Saturday. Neither was injured, but the incident underscores the risk of current conditions.

The DEC says the threat of avalanche typically increases during and immediately after major snowfalls, as well as during thaws.

Back country skiers and climbers should know avalanche rescue techniques, carry safety equipment including a transceiver and shovel, and never travel alone.

-The Associated Press, 3-3-10

 

Hunters kill a near-record number of bears

Hunters killed a near-record number of bears in 2009, with the harvest second only to that of 2003.

The Department of Environmental Conservation says that statewide, hunters took 1,487 black bears in 2009. That's a 15 percent increase from the 1,295 taken in 2008.

Officials say the 2009 increase is principally due to a strong surge in bear harvest in the Adirondack region, where the 814 bears taken in 2009 was a 40 percent increase over 2008.

In 2003, a record 1,864 bears were harvested statewide.

-The Associated Press, 3-3-10