Authorities in the Catskills mountains responded to a unique call-out late last month, when four hikers became intoxicated after taking hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Local rangers and firefighters in the Slide Mountain Wilderness came to the rescue after the hikers misplaced possessions and complained of a "debilitating high."
"The original caller admitted the group had consumed psilocybin mushrooms and one of them was experiencing a debilitating high," reads a statement from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers.
The hikers were quickly located and escorted "to the trailhead where they were evaluated by Shandaken Ambulance," before they were taken back to their lodgings by authorities.
Psychedelic mushrooms on the trails
Psilocybin mushrooms are otherwise known as magic mushrooms or 'shrooms, and found in wilderness areas throughout the US. They're especially common in mountainous areas due to the varied terrain and diverse habitats of high-altitude environments.
Because of their regularity in the wilderness, incidents with hikers are more common than you might expect. In May, authorities in New York's Adirondack Mountains were left bewildered after two hikers reported the death of a surviving companion while high on magic mushrooms.
Nearby rangers found them in "an altered mental state," with their reportedly dead friend actually alive and well.
Despite their occasionally comical nature, hallucinogens present several dangers if taken on the trails.
In 2022, a 25-year-old trekker drowned near Washington's Wallace Falls after allegedly eating mushrooms. Multiple varieties of mushrooms can also be deadly if ingested.
Psilocybin and psilocin mushrooms are illegal for recreational use in New York and most other US states. They're legal for therapeutic use in Oregon and for personal use in Colorado.
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