PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 26, 2022
Game wardens rescued two New York men from Spaulding Mountain on Tuesday, saying the hikers weren’t prepared for winter conditions in northwestern Maine. Game wardens led Jacob Haisley, 36, of Red Hook and Wayne Gage, 70, of Schenectady off the mountain early Tuesday night. The two set out around 8 a.m. on Tuesday, planning to cover a 15-mile portion of the Appalachian Trail, including Mount Abraham, Spaulding Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain, the warden service said. But the pair were slowed by deep snow and had made it only about halfway through their intended hike when the sun set. They found shelter at the Spaulding Mountain lean-to, but lacked food, water and proper equipment. After temperatures dropped to the single digits, the two called 911.