Woman Clings to Spruce Sapling All Night to Survive Deadly Fall in Adirondacks’

A lone spruce tree barely bigger than a Christmas decoration saved a hiker's life after she fell hundreds of feet down a steep, icy mountainside. Clinging to the tiny tree all night long in below-freezing temperatures, the woman miraculously survived until rescuers arrived at dawn.

The harrowing saga unfolded in New York's rugged Adirondack Mountains just days ago. The 46-year-old woman had set out to hike solo up South Dix Mountain, one of the range's tallest peaks. Though an experienced hiker, she decided to blaze her impromptu trail up part of the mountain rather than follow marked paths. This would prove to be a fateful decision.

About halfway up the 4,000-foot mountain, the woman reached a steep, rocky slope covered in snow and ice. The unconventional route she had chosen was proving treacherous. Carefully picking her way up the roughly 200 feet of 45-degree incline, disaster struck without warning.

She lost her footing on the slick, snow-covered rocks. In an instant, she began sliding uncontrollably down the precipitous face. The woman plunged downward, violently slamming against boulders and thick trunks of trees growing out sideways from the slope.

Miraculously, none of these collisions knocked her unconscious or caused debilitating injury. The snow and brush provided just enough cushioning as she careened hundreds of feet in mere seconds. Still, the brutal fall certainly left its mark with cuts, gashes and deep bruises.