The manhunt for Richard Matt and David Sweat is now in its 19th day. Over the weekend there was a rush of hope after investigators found DNA evidence in a seasonal cabin in Franklin County. With more than 1,000 searchers in pursuit, including helicopters, tracking dogs, and deeply experienced New York State Forest Rangers, it seemed like the two convicted murderers would soon be back behind bars. So what happened?

What we found during our day spent exploring the perimeter of the latest “hot zone” was that this is vast territory, some of the wildest and most remote terrain in the eastern U.S. We began by driving a long stretch of Wolf Pond Road, entering the search area from the direction the inmates might have followed around Lyon Mountain and Dannemora.