Unprepared hikers keep rangers busy at Acadia National Park
1/2/09 | 16 comments

Unprepared hikers keep rangers busy at Acadia National Park


By Rich Hewitt
BDN Staff

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK — About a dozen people braved gusting winds and frigid weather Thursday morning to watch the sun rise on the first day of 2009 from the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Most of the people were prepared for the cold, but a few were not, and they kept park rangers busy early on New Year’s Day.

Rangers got a call from the Maine State Police about 5:30 a.m. from two hikers from Alabama reporting they were lost. According to park dispatchers, the hikers had parked their car at one of the park’s lots and tried to get to the West Face Trail to hike up Cadillac Mountain.

The hikers were not dressed for the weather Thursday morning and got lost. They told the state police they had no idea where they were and were freezing cold.

Park rangers formed a search party, but when they reached the parking lot, the hikers’ car was not there. When the sun came up, the hikers had figured out where they were and made their way back to the car.

They called in to report they were safe.

In another incident, a man was arrested after he tried to drive over a locked gate to reach friends who were cold on top of the mountain. According to park dispatchers, the group had hiked to the top of the mountain, but were not prepared for the cold weather. They called friends whom they asked to drive to the mountain and pick them up. The dispatchers said the hikers told the friends that the gates were closed but that they should just drive over them.

Although the gates were locked, snow had been plowed up against them forming a ramp of sorts. The friends arrived and Timothy Ratliff, 23, of Kittery Point attempted to drive over the gate at the entrance off Route 233. He didn’t make it, according to dispatchers, who had no further details about the attempt.

Officer Tom Tardiff of the Bar Harbor Police Department arrested Ratliff on charges of driving without a license. Ratliff was released on bail at the Bar Harbor police station.

Rangers drove the cold friends down the mountain.

Rangers also stood by while a group of about 10 people took an early morning dip in the Atlantic Ocean at Sand Beach in celebration of the new year.

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Comments
16 comments on this item
On 1/2/09 at 7:39 AM, musician wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Stupid people!

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On 1/2/09 at 8:01 AM, Sprout wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The State if they don't already should follow New Hampshire's protocol to search and rescue. NH will charge people for being STUPID and now I guess will pull ones driver license for preventable situations in the Whites. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT PEOPLE..........

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On 1/2/09 at 8:14 AM, jaygee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Next Jan 1 they can save themselves a lot of trouble and watch the rising sun on Nantucket. No climbing and an earlier sunrise to boot.

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On 1/2/09 at 8:26 AM, choppahdave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

How do you get an earlier sunrise at Nantucket?

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On 1/2/09 at 8:34 AM, SteveyDee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You have to go 100 miles off shore to get the sunrise before down east Maine gets it. LOL!!!!!!

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On 1/2/09 at 9:27 AM, frostheev wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The rescue team should start asking for a credit card number before any search begins!

Maybe these people will not be as stupid if they have to pay for their rescue!

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On 1/2/09 at 9:35 AM, SteveyDee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Is Lubec where the sun rises first in the continental US?

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On 1/2/09 at 9:47 AM, OldBangor wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Stevey:

First Sunrise? It all depends on the time of year and the

position of the sun. At times, Lubec. Other times, top of

Cadillac. I'm sure someone will tell us which is when....

OldBangor

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On 1/2/09 at 10:40 AM, choppahdave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I see it as a close tie with Eastport but if you want to beat Cadillac Mt. in Nantucket, not only would you need to be around 100 mi. off-shore but you would have to climb about 1500' in the air as well.

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On 1/2/09 at 10:42 AM, choppahdave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Where Eastport is an Island, I guess Lubec has it continentally.

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On 1/2/09 at 11:03 AM, jaygee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

As you will see, Nantucket and Lubec are tied. But this is being kind to Lubec. If you break it down into SECONDS, Nantucket edges out Lubec.

9. What is the first place in the United States where the Sun rises on January 1, local time?

If U.S. territories are included, the first sunrise on January 1 is at at 19:27 (12/31)UT or 7:27 local time at Peacock Pt. (19° 16' N 166° 35' E) on Wake Island. However, aside from the occasional government employee or contractor, Wake Island is uninhabited. The first inhabited land in the U.S. where the sunrise will occur is at 20:44 (12/31) UT or 6:44 AM local time in Guam at Inarajan (13° 17' N 144° 45' E). The Sun will first the peak of Lamlam Mountain, Guam three minutes earlier at 6:41 local time. If the territories are not included the earliest sunrise is nearly fifteen and a half hours later at 12:04 UT or 7:04 EST at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, Maine (44° 21' N 68° 13' W). The earliest sunrise at sea level occurs at 12:06 UT or 7:06 EST at Lubec, Maine (44° 50' N 67° 0' W) and Siasconset, Massachusetts (41° 15' N 69° 58' W) on Nantucket Island. For those who thought it would be the peak of Katahdin Mountain, Maine, the Sun rises there 1 minute later at 12:07 UT or 7:07 EST. The first major metropolitan area in the United States to see the Sun rise is Miami Beach, Florida (25° 47'N 80° 16'W) at 7:07 EST, the same time as the sunrise at the summit of Katahdin Mountain, Maine.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/first_sunrise.php#refraction

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On 1/2/09 at 11:54 AM, Tikitorch wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I always assumed the Mountain and trails were closed this time of year. If it isn't, maybe it should be then, these people could be charged with Tresspassing after they were rescued. Some people have no common sense. I am glad nobody was hurt the hikers or the respoders!

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On 1/2/09 at 12:39 PM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Plan B: the armed park visitors could euthanize the more seriously injured or irretrievable unprepared hikers.

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On 1/2/09 at 2:30 PM, Richard37 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Again we waste our time and resources to rescue morons,many i assume are from out of state as they dont know the trails or mountain well.I say make them pay for their rescue,as with people who get a burn pemit to burn brush,if you loose control you pay the fire suppression cost and damage.make every hiker get a permit and sign that they will be responsible if rescue is needed,at least our tax money will not be used for this nonsense.

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On 1/2/09 at 6:32 PM, MoeBolduc wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Richard37, These people are not MORONS, they are IMBECILES which is the lowest you can go on the IQ scale!

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On 1/2/09 at 7:49 PM, ydnar723 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Pretty soon Maine will be known for the Morons it attracts.

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