• Nancy Ladd-Butz, who was severely injured and paralyzed by a falling boulder at Thacher Park last summer, is seen in her wheelchair at The Crossings in Colonie with her dog, Leo (Provided photo) Photo: Provided Photo
Photo: Provided Photo
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Nancy Ladd-Butz, who was severely injured and paralyzed by a falling boulder at Thacher Park last summer, is seen in her wheelchair at The Crossings in Colonie with her dog, Leo (Provided photo)

Nancy Ladd-Butz, who was severely injured and paralyzed by a falling boulder at Thacher Park last summer, is seen in her wheelchair at The Crossings in Colonie with her dog, Leo (Provided photo)

Photo: Provided Photo
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Nancy Ladd-Butz enjoys skiing with her daughter Kelsey and son Jeremy recently at Jiminy Peak through the STRIDE adaptive program.
Nancy Ladd-Butz enjoys skiing with her daughter Kelsey and son Jeremy recently at Jiminy Peak through the STRIDE adaptive program.
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Kelsey Butz, left, and her mother, Nancy Ladd-Butz, and brother, Jeremy, in her mother's Bethlehem apartment with their dogs, Sydney and Leo.
Kelsey Butz, left, and her mother, Nancy Ladd-Butz, and brother, Jeremy, in her mother's Bethlehem apartment with their dogs, Sydney and Leo.
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Nancy Ladd-Butz, who was left a paraplegic by a falling boulder while hiking on the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher Park on July 2, 2017, sits with her dog Leo at her Bethlehem apartment, which is handicapped accessible for her wheelchair. less
Nancy Ladd-Butz, who was left a paraplegic by a falling boulder while hiking on the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher Park on July 2, 2017, sits with her dog Leo at her Bethlehem apartment, which is handicapped ... more
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A woman was injured at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice. 
A woman was injured at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice. 
Photo: Tom Heffernan
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A woman was injured at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice. 
A woman was injured at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice. 
Photo: Tom Heffernan
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A woman was injuried at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice.
A woman was injuried at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice.
Photo: Thacher Park Trail
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A woman was injuried at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice.
A woman was injuried at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, July 2, 2017, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice.
Photo: Thacher Park Trail
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A woman was injuried at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice.
A woman was injuried at Thacher State Park on Sunday afternoon, closing Indian Ladder Trail until further notice.
Photo: Thacher Park Trail
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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View from under the overhang at a dry Minelot Falls along the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
View from under the overhang at a dry Minelot Falls along the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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Hikers John O'Brien of Seattle and his friend Betsy O'Hare of Menands walk along the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Hikers John O'Brien of Seattle and his friend Betsy O'Hare of Menands walk along the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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Melonie and Paul Axel-Lute of Knox walk past a dry Minelot Falls along the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Melonie and Paul Axel-Lute of Knox walk past a dry Minelot Falls along the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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A lone man looks over the edge of the Indian Ladder Trail as Albany County on Sept. 13, 2013, at Thacher Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
A lone man looks over the edge of the Indian Ladder Trail as Albany County on Sept. 13, 2013, at Thacher Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren, Albany Times Union
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The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher State Park on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren, Albany Times Union
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The Indian Ladder Trail Friday morning, Sept. 13, 2013, at Thacher Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail Friday morning, Sept. 13, 2013, at Thacher Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN
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The Indian Ladder Trail is open on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at John Boyd Thacher State Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union) (Albany Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail is open on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at John Boyd Thacher State Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union) (Albany Times Union)
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The Indian Ladder Trail is open on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at John Boyd Thacher State Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)
The Indian Ladder Trail is open on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at John Boyd Thacher State Park in Voorheesville, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)
Photo: Cindy Schultz
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Times Union Staff Photo by Jonathan Fickies -- Hikers make their way along the Indian Ladder Trail at John Boyd Thacher State Park Saturday, June 30, 2001.
Times Union Staff Photo by Jonathan Fickies -- Hikers make their way along the Indian Ladder Trail at John Boyd Thacher State Park Saturday, June 30, 2001.
Photo: JONATHAN FICKIES, DG
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New Scotland

The last thing Nancy Ladd-Butz remembered as she hiked along the Indian Ladder Trail in Thacher Park on that warm, sunny July day was a loud crack overhead, almost like a gunshot, and a strange look of terror on her daughter Kelsey's face.

And then everything went black.

Her world, as she had known it, was shattered.

Ladd-Butz was struck by a falling boulder and suffered severe spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. She remained in critical condition for 18 days. Doctors told her family she might not pull through. Her name was never released to the media, but she agreed to tell her story for the first time publicly.

Today, she is a paraplegic. Yet her spirit remains unbroken.

"I still go into a dark place every so often, but I refuse to stay there," she said. "I'm trying to adjust to this new me and stay as positive as I can."

Ladd-Butz, 61, battled through nine months of surgeries, rehabilitation, speech and occupational therapy. As she has slowly regained full cognitive function, she has come to terms with the fact that she is paralyzed from the chest down and relies on a wheelchair to move about.

"The gravity of the situation has slowly sunk in," she said. "I had no idea until recently that they said I might not make it."

On a recent afternoon, Ladd-Butz sat in a wheelchair in the living room of her new ground-level apartment in Bethlehem, chosen for its handicapped accessibility, and recounted the harrowing ordeal. Her children, Kelsey, 29, and Jeremy, 32, sat on a couch and helped her fill in gaps of memory. They offered emotional support when her eyes welled up with tears as she contemplated a life robbed of the ability to walk.

That fateful day began hopefully. Mother and daughter loved to hike together, from the Catskills to the Adirondacks. They always brought their two small dogs, Leo, a black poodle mixed breed belonging to Nancy, and Sydney, a white cattledog mix belonging to Kelsey. They chose one of their favorite short hikes, the Indian Ladder Trail along the Helderberg escarpment in Thacher Park, on July 2, a Sunday, at the start of a long Fourth of July weekend.

The trail was packed on a glorious summer afternoon and they took a leisurely pace. Each of them held a dog on a leash. They set off from the trailhead in the main parking lot, headed in their usual northerly direction. They paused at the base of a waterfall to take a few pictures. They resumed hiking and slowed as they reached a family with two small children and a baby in an infant carrier, a short distance from the waterfall. It was almost noon.

"There was this really, really loud cracking sound," Kelsey Butz said. "I'd never heard anything like it before. I had a millisecond to realize the cliff above us was breaking apart. It happened so fast, I remember I covered my head and ducked down and there was a shower of rocks."

After a moment, the echoing crackle of falling rocks subsided and the daughter slowly raised her head. She saw her mother a couple feet away, flat on her back. Her mother was not moving, but her eyes were wide open. "I thought my mom was dead," she said.

"Someone call 911," she screamed. The daughter frantically tried tapping her mother's cheek in an attempt to rouse her. There was no response.

Other hikers rushed to them. Kelsey was about to begin CPR when her mother began gasping for air. "It was a horrifying sound, but at least I knew she was alive," her daughter said.

Emergency crews arrived from the New Salem and East Berne fire departments, as well as EMTs from the Albany County Sheriff's Department and state police. A dozen people helped haul Ladd-Butz up the steep embankment. She was strapped into a Stokes basket, a hard plastic and metal rescue litter. As she was rushed to Albany Medical Center Hospital, she lost consciousness again and was intubated.

Injuries from the boulder that struck her in the back and side of her head included traumatic brain injury, spine fractures, severed spinal cord, two broken shoulder blades, 11 broken ribs and a broken ankle. She was bleeding internally and tubes were inserted in her chest to drain the blood. She spent 18 days in the neural intensive care unit at Albany Med. She underwent spinal fusion surgery.

"I couldn't conceptualize how bad she was," said her daughter, who works in communications and marketing at the University at Albany.

She was transferred on July 20 to Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady where she received intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. "It was the worst pain I had ever felt," she said. After nearly three months at Sunnyview, she moved to Atria, an assisted living community in Guilderland where she stayed for one month before moving to her current apartment in Bethlehem. Her memory has improved, but she still struggles with word recall sometimes. She is tormented by the thought of what might have become of the family with the baby and small children, mere yards away, if the boulder had struck them instead.

She has a home health aide who comes each day to help her with her morning routine, but she lives mostly independently. "I'm thankful that my family provides an incredible support system too," she said.

The injuries forced her to retire from her job teaching English as a New Language at Myers Middle School in Albany. She previously taught Spanish for many years at Mohonasen High School.

She has resumed playing rummy with her brother and sister and friends. "I knew she was coming back when she started winning at cards again," her daughter said.

She is shopping for a custom van with wheelchair ramp and hand controls. "It's not the Mazda Miata I pictured myself in," she said. "But I can't just rely on getting rides. It's another step toward independence."

Her son and daughter brought her to Jiminy Peak this winter to ski as part of the STRIDE Adaptive Sports program. "It was so much fun to be outdoors again," their mom said.

The family has retained an attorney, who has filed a lawsuit alleging negligence on the part of state parks officials and seeking undisclosed damages.

"My mom is very resilient and she has shown incredible strength," said her son, who will graduate this spring from the Albany College of Pharmacy.

"We want to make the best of a horrible situation," said her daughter, who conceded she is sometimes wracked by survivor's guilt because she was not injured.

"I want to stay upbeat," their mother said. "I won't let this defeat me."

Paul Grondahl is the director of the New York State Writers Institute and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com