Adirondack Bracket 2010: Selection Day

In limited areas of the Adirondack Park, an understated excitement built gradually throughout the day yesterday as selections were made for the 2010 Adirondack Bracket.

Bracket pairings were made by combining the top 28 randomly selected entrants from two lists (a longer list of general Adirondackiana, and a shorter list of 2009's Adirondack headliners). Four more slots were reserved for last year's final four, including 2009 Bracket champion Stewart's Ice Cream Shops. The remaining slots will be filled later this week by a play-in round which sets four randomly selected entrants from a list suggested by our readers, against the Bracket judges' "Hand o' God" choices (our favorites that somehow missed the first cut). A preview of the play-in round follows the jump. . .

So here is how things stack up for this week's play-in round:

Game one pits late 19th/early 20th Century painter Winslow Homer (who spent time throughout his career at the North Woods Club in Minerva—his last visit to the Adirondacks occurring one hundred years ago this summer, shortly before his death), against the frankenpine: that towering synthesis of artifice and nature, and itself a subject of contemporary Adirondack painting (not to mention inspiration for an excellent band).

Saranac Lake's doyens of drill. . . the Idas of March. . . those angels of aluminum and mesh—the incomparable Lawnchair Ladies—sashay into the Bracket against an equally formidable lineup of local adirondack ski hills. This squad of impressive topography (talking about the ski hills, now), once thought to be heading downhill, fast, has made a strong comeback this winter led by Big Tupper and Hickory. The list also includes a couple cross country ski mountains, one of which boasts the only ski mountain palindrome in the Adirondacks: "O! Dewey. Aye, we do!" This match up could go either way, but one thing you can count on: Chairs will certainly be lifted, and might be thrown.

Game three features perhaps the most interesting play-in pairing, with Olmstedville's Pete Hornbeck and his fleet of featherweight canoes taking on Lake George's Winter Carnival, the village's annual string of wintertime events held every weekend throughout the month of February. Any other year this would have been no contest as canoes are not much use on a solid lake surface, especially with a lot of cars and snow machines and dog sleds racing around. This year, however, warm weather forced cancellation of some carnival events, premature demolition of the ice palace and relocation of the dog sled races from the slushy lake top to safer ground inland. The Fund for Lake George reports that the lake failed to fully freeze over this winter (the first time since 2002). Though this might be an advantageous climate for a naval assault, Hornbeck will have his work cut out for him if he is to make it to a much anticipated confrontation with Senator Betty Little in the "Upstate Great Eight" round next week.

The final play-in contest throws New York State's official fish, the brook trout, into the mix with back yard sugarin'. Not a whole lot to say about this one except: that is some mighty fine eating.

Join us later this week for play-in results and a preview of the first round.

Read More......

Wright Peak Avalanche Survivor Tells His Story

The Adirondack Almanack is pleased to have the unique opportunity to present the first-hand experience of Ian Measeck of Glens Falls, who along with Jamie McNeill of Vergennes, Vermont was caught in an avalanche on Angel Slide, Wright Peak on February 27th. The potentially deadly avalanche occurred just a month after Phil Brown wrote A Short History of Adirondack Avalanches. Phil reported a week ago that Angel Slide was still unsafe. What follows is Measeck's story in his own words:

The day had turned sunny with the slightest hint of spring. I pulled in to my driveway and saw my wife and two year old daughter standing in the picture window at the front of the house. My daughter, Charlotte, had nothing but her diaper on and judging by the look on her face it was Christmas morning. I was so happy; I couldn’t get inside fast enough. Earlier in the day, I had almost died in an avalanche. Those were not words that I considered myself likely to write or even think.

On Saturday February 27th, Jamie Mc Neill and I planned to ski the Angel Slide on Wright peak. I had been there before on several occasions and it seemed a reasonable choice this day in order to make as many turns as possible. There had been a significant snowfall earlier in the week but it was wet and heavy. Realizing the potential risk for avalanche, we brought transceivers, shovels, and probes. The day started overcast with scattered flurries but contained a slight promise of sun.

We both felt good so the ski in was brisk and proved a nice warm up for the day. We followed a broken ski track towards the base of the slide. When we were about level with the base of the slide, the ski track continued up and left. Here we turned right to access the slide. At the base I dug a test pit on a slope that I thought was fairly representative of the slide’s average slope. I saw no weak layer or unconsolidated snow that would lead me to believe there was high avy danger, so we headed up and right towards the right “skinny” side, with the intention of digging another pit part-way at a group of trees. We never got the chance. [Since the incident I’ve learned that there were several problems with my test pit. A sobering thought that sometimes we know just enough to get into trouble but not enough to keep out of it.]

A quarter of the way up the slide we heard an unsettling “whoomp” Recognizing its significance, we both said “I’m not too sure about this” nearly in unison. Since we were 30 -40 feet apart and halfway across the slide, the plan was to continue to the trees to dig another pit and reassess. Moments after we uttered the words a wisp of snow caught my eye as if the wind were beginning to blow it around. I glanced up in time to see a cloudy wall of snow speeding down the slide. I turned to try to ski down and left out of the avalanche path but I still had skins on so I was, in effect, immobilized.

I don’t remember any pain when the avalanche struck me. The sensation is best described as almost instant acceleration in a river of wet cement. I was suddenly surrounded by this flowing snow bank. I have no idea how fast it was moving and I don’t remember much aside from the dark, the fear, and the thought that I had to try to stay on top of it somehow. I don’t think I tumbled, and maybe my skis helped to stabilize me. [Although, I’ve been told after that it’s better for the bindings to release because the skis can actually pull you under.] I was strangely cognizant of my surroundings and as I realized I couldn’t stop myself or get out, I tried to keep the area in front of my face clear. I remember the thought crossing my mind that I was most likely going to die, but it was brief and fleeting. Almost like an irrelevant thought that my mind didn’t have time for or was unwilling to process.

As quick as it began, everything stopped and my face was out of the snow. I was buried lying on my back. I couldn’t move my legs or arms…but I was alive! I could see the sun, the sky, and I could breathe! I was alive! Everything in me wanted out of that hole, but I was alive! Panic and fear had coursed instantly and fully through my body. It was then I remembered Jamie, and screamed his name. I heard no reply, only the mountain silence. I became frantic. I could move my left hand and after much struggle, managed to free it. My pack was holding me down and I had a difficult time loosening the straps.

What seemed like an eternity passed but was probably only a few minutes? I had snow packed in everywhere but I didn’t hurt. I screamed for Jamie again. At that moment my sole focus was on him. I switched my transceiver to receive and spastically tore at my pack to get the shovel and probe. No signal on the beacon so I started back up the slide. He started above me so I could only hope he had stopped above me. I screamed again and heard nothing, but I began to get a signal. As I scrambled up the slide I heard a call. I stopped, yelled, and listened. Jamie returned my call –he was ok- but stuck. The wave of relief was indescribable. Just over a small rise he had been stopped by a rotten stump. He was alive, and uninjured. Alive! I didn’t spend time thinking about what if he’d been buried. That thought passed as quickly as the death thought had earlier. We were alive.

I had slid more than the length of a football field, and I hadn’t hit anything. I stopped with my face above the snow. Jamie had stopped with his legs wrapped around a tree stump, yet no broken bones. All we had to show for this experience was a couple of nasty bruises and scrapes, a broken pole and one less ski. It was unbelievable considering what could have happened. And people say God doesn’t exist.

The following day, I spent the most of my waking hours playing with my daughter. The furthest away from the house I got was the corn field across the road. I couldn’t shake the flashbacks of getting swept away in the slide and the panic that ensued. That evening, I received my first phone call from a reporter. I was offended at first. I saw it as audacious to tell thousands of people about my intimate brush with death. I began to soften and the logical part of my brain took over to convince the crazy part that Adirondack avalanches are rare. Even more of a rarity are survivors that walk away to talk about it. People could learn from my experience and mistakes, and if that kept someone else alive then I was more than willing to let my ego take a hit.

Work was nice to return to, if only to occupy my mind with a sense of normalcy. I continued to have flashbacks of getting swept away followed by a wave of panic. The incident, as I now like to call it, only lasted a few moments but living with the memories and constant retellings has, perhaps, been the more difficult part. Everyone wants to talk about it, and I can understand that so I try to be patient. The trouble is I relive it slightly every time I tell the story. But more, it’s the shame. I feel ashamed that I got into a situation that I wasn’t smart enough, or I didn’t know better, to avoid. I almost died because I was wrong; because I was stupid.

Two weeks have passed now and I’ve stopped having flashbacks. The questions, comments, and jokes have subsided at work. Life seems to be back to normal, but I still remember. For most, the almost complete lack of physical injury diminishes the severity of my experience. Only I really know how close I came to death. I have noticed small changes in my psyche. I’m certainly content moving slower and certain things don’t really seem as important as they used to. But most importantly, my family is without a doubt the most beautiful thing in the world, and I am a blessed man to be here to see that.

Photo of Angel Slides on Wright Peak from Wikipedia.

Read More......

Follow Adirondack Almanack on Twitter, Facebook

More than 1,600 people get Adirondack Almanack each day via RSS and e-mail subscription services. It's a convenient way to get the latest news and information about the Adirondacks.

There are a number of ways you can subscribe:

Get The Almanack By E-Mail

RSS Feed - Subscribe!

Follow us on Twitter

Friend us on Facebook

Thanks to one of our readers there's also a LiveJournal feed: adk_almanac

Read More......

State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change

Climate change threatens to further imperil hundreds of species of migratory birds, already under stress from habitat loss, invasive species and other environmental threats, a new report released today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar concludes.

The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change, follows a comprehensive report released a year ago that argued that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline. The report is available online at http://www.stateofthebirds.org/

“For well over a century, migratory birds have faced stresses such as commercial hunting, loss of forests, the use of DDT and other pesticides, a loss of wetlands and other key habitat, the introduction of invasive species, and other impacts of human development,” Salazar said in a press relase issued last week. “Now they are facing a new threat–climate change–that could dramatically alter their habitat and food supply and push many species towards extinction.”

According to the reports authors, which included the collaboration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and experts from some of the nation’s leading conservation organizations, climate changes will have an increasingly disruptive effect on bird species in all habitats, with oceanic and Hawaiian birds in greatest peril.

Key findings from the “State of the Birds” climate change report included in the media release include:

• Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable species because they don’t raise many young each year; they face challenges from a rapidly changing marine ecosystem; and they nest on islands that may be flooded as sea levels rise. All 67 oceanic bird species, such as petrels and albatrosses, are among the most vulnerable birds on Earth to climate change.

• Hawaiian birds such as endangered species Puaiohi and ’Akiapōlā’au already face multiple threats and are increasingly challenged by mosquito-borne diseases and invasive species as climate change alters their native habitats.

• Birds in coastal, arctic/alpine, and grassland habitats, as well as those on Caribbean and other Pacific Islands show intermediate levels of vulnerability; most birds in aridlands, wetlands, and forests show relatively low vulnerability to climate change.

• For bird species that are already of conservation concern such as the golden-cheeked warbler, whooping crane, and spectacled eider, the added vulnerability to climate change may hasten declines or prevent recovery.

• The report identified common bird species such as the American oystercatcher, common nighthawk, and northern pintail that are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.
White-tailed Tropicbird chick by Elena Babij

Birds are considered indicators of the health of our environment. The reports offers suggestions such as conserving carbon-rich forests and wetlands, and creating incentives to avoid deforestation and reducing emissions.

The report is the product of a collaborative effort as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, between federal and state wildlife agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations including partners from American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Read More......

Tests Show Lake George Clearest of 113 NY Lakes

Lake George received the best reading on a measurement for clarity among 113 New York lakes in 2009, according to a press release from the Lake George Association, which follows.

Peter Leyh, an LGA member, was one of several LGA volunteers to participate in the 2009 Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP), coordinated on Lake George by the Lake George Association.

On September 2, Peter was sampling water near Gull Bay on the north end of the lake, and sank a measuring disk for clarity, called a Secchi disk, into the lake. He was
able to see the disk in the water at a depth of 13.55 meters, or almost 44 and 1/2 feet. No other lake participating in the CSLAP program last year could match it.

“This is great news for Lake George,” said Walt Lender, Executive Director of the Lake George Association, “but by no means does it mean we are free to relax our efforts to protect the Lake and keep it clean. In fact, it is just the opposite. This reading shows what a unique treasure we have in Lake George, and how diligently we must work to keep it that way. People need to know that this reading was taken at the north end of the Lake on a dead calm day. The clarity and cleanliness in the south end of Lake George, near West Brook, is not anywhere close to this. The water in Lake George flows from south to north, and it takes eight years for a drop to flow from the south to the north. Our challenge is to ensure that in eight years at Gull Bay our Secchi disk reading will remain at or beat 13.55 meters.”

Every summer since 2004, the Lake George Association has coordinated volunteers to assess water quality and clarity through the CSLAP program. The data gathered is used to help manage and assess trends in New York’s many lakes. The program is sponsored by the New York Federation of Lake Associations. In addition to CSLAP, the Lake George Association actively encourages adults and children to learn more about lake monitoring and stewardship aboard its Floating Classroom, a specially equipped catamaran which takes groups out on the Lake from May through September.

To learn more about CSLAP or how you can help Lake George, contact the LGA at (518) 668-3558 or visit the website at www.lakegeorgeassociation.org.

Illustration: 2006 graph showing Secchi depths for various locations around Lake George; from the Fund For Lake George website.

Read More......

Forest Economies: It’s Maple Sugaring Season!

It’s bright sunny days like we’ve had for most of this month that bring maple sugaring to mind. There’s just something about the quality of the light that says it’s sugar season. And sure enough, Wednesday morning I heard the first newscast from a sugar house. So, I thought I’d jump in with the best of ‘em and write a post about the sweetness of spring: maple syrup.

Maple sugaring and natural history go hand-in-hand. At least it has seemed that way to me, for most places where I have worked have operated some sort of sugaring operation. One ran a small scale commercial operation (see photo), but the majority were simple demonstration set-ups, where visitors walked a “sugaring trail”, each stop featuring a different time in the history of sugaring, from the Native hatchet in a tree with a wooden bowl on the ground to catch the dripping sap, to high tech tubing that brought the sap directly to the sugar shack.

My favorite, however, was the final stop on the sugaring trail we had in New Jersey. The guys on the staff built a device called a "lazy man's balance", consisting of a long arm (log) balanced across the fork of an upright log, with a kettle suspended from one end and a heavy rock tied to the other end to act as a counter-balance. The kettle was filled with sap and dangled above a fire, which boiled off the water. What made this set-up so fascinating to me, however, was the simplicity of the engineering: as the water evaporated, the kettle lost weight. As the kettle lost weight, it would rise a bit higher from the fire. This ingenious device would allow the syrup to condense without scorching.

One of the best things about visiting a sugar bush is getting to sample the merchandise, so to speak. While commercial outfits provide samples in hopes that you will buy some syrup or sugar to take home, nature centers have a different take on it: they just want you to try the stuff. The best sample tables not only give you a taste of maple syrup, but they also test your tasting skills. For example, one place where I worked had samples from sugar, red and Norway maples, Vermont Maid and Golden Griddle (the former has something like 3% real maple syrup, while the latter has none), and a syrup we made from potatoes. Visitors would spear a chunk of Italian bread on a toothpick and dip it into a cup of syrup to taste it. The goal was to pick out which was the real maple syrup. I grew up on the real stuff, so it always amazed me when people couldn’t pick out the real from the fake. And, just for the record, the potato syrup was often picked as the real McCoy.

Which brings us to sugar versus red versus Norway versus black maple. All maple trees produce a sweet sap that can be tapped and boiled to make a sweet golden syrup. So why the hoopla over sugar maple? Because sugar maple (Acer saccharum) has the greatest quantity of sugar per gallon of sap. In other words, you need a lot less sap from a sugar maple to produce a gallon of syrup than you would from a red, black, or Norway maple. And how much is that? The general rule of thumb is 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to produce one gallon of sugar maple syrup. For red maple, you need upwards of 80 gallons of sap to get that single gallon of syrup. On the other hand, red maples (Acer rubrum) are a lot more common across a larger portion of the US than sugar maples, so for many folks they are the tree of choice.

Sugar production doesn’t start and end with maple trees, however. If one travels to Alaska, or Siberia, one will find syrup produced from birch trees. Birch syrup has a different flavor, so don’t dump a bunch on your pancakes and expect it to taste the same. It is described as being a bit more spicy and reminiscent of sorghum or horehound candy. And if you think maple syrup is expensive, birch syrup is even more so. This is because it requires almost 100 gallons of sap to produce a single gallon of syrup, there aren’t many people producing it, and it is therefore considered a gourmet item.

March is the time to visit a sugar bush near you. And you might want to take in more than one, because each sugar operation may offer something a little different. Here in the 21st century you can see the whole spectrum of a sugaring operation from a sugar shack that’s deep in the woods and uses horses and sledges to haul the sap from the trees to the evaporators, to a high tech operation that uses a vacuum set-up to suck the sap out of the trees, and then applies reverse osmosis to remove water before the sap even sees the glint of an evaporator pan. A perusal of maple operations in the Adirondacks will turn up outfits at both ends of the scale. So get out your mud boots, grab a road map, and hit the woods – you won’t want to let this springtime tradition pass you by.

Read More......

Snofest 2010 in Old Forge this Weekend

Major snowmobile dealers Ski Doo, Yamaha, Polaris and Arctic Cat premier 2011 models this weekend and offer demo rides (weather permitting). Thousands of snowmobile enthusiasts take advantage of this opportunity to be the first to preview next year’s sleds and gear. There will be Freestyle Snocross Shows both days, with a Back-Flip Fireworks Finale on Saturday at 7pm.

Gates to the North Street Recreation Center will be open Saturday 9am–9pm, and Sunday 10am–4pm. Admission is free. Signage will indicate parking and shuttle buses will transport event goers. Snofest 2010 is sponsored by the Central Adirondack Association.

For more information, contact the Old Forge Visitor Information Center at 315-369-6983 or visit the website www.SnoFestNY.com.

SPECIAL SNOFEST DEAL - Buy your 2010-2011 Seasonal Permit for the Towns of Webb & Inlet Snowmobile Trails for $65 per snowmobile (expires April 1, 2011) and ride the rest of this season for FREE. This special offer is good ONLY for Snofest 2010 weekend, March 11-15, 2010 and must be purchased in person, no mailed applications will be accepted.

Read More......

This Week's Adirondack Web Highlights

• Long Lake, NY: Last Vintage Sled Race of 2010
• The In Box: Is Saranac Lake Dying?
• New York Traveler: Life On the Ice In Raquette Lake
• NY History: ADK Fire Tower Plan
• YouTube: Hitler and Mountain Lions in the Adks
• Knowville News: Post-Star Starts Leaving the Web?
• NYCO'S Blog: Where's the CCC?
• North Country Gardener: Gareden Chores For March
• NCPR: Hornbeck Speaks About APA Confirm
• Farmers' Museum: The Syrup Dispute of 1956

Read More......

Conservationist Picked for Lake George Park Commission

Dr. Dean Cook, a Ticonderoga dentist, has been selected by New York State Governor David Paterson to become the newest member of the Lake George Park Commission.

If confirmed by the State Senate, Cook will replace Tom Morehouse, also of Essex County, whose term has expired.

The Senate's Committee on Environmental Conservation voted on February 24 to forward Cook's nomination to the Senate Finance Committee, which must also approve the Governor's choice before it is brought before the Senate as a whole.

"I've devoted forty years to the protection of Lake George and serving as a member of the Lake George Park Commission is an opportunity to continue that work," said Cook.

"I've been heartened by the Commission's efforts to tackle such important issues as stream corridor protections, and I know it has a great potential to contribute to the health of the lake," he added.

Cook's family is one of the oldest on northern Lake George. An ancestor settled in the area in 1796 and the family's property once extended from Baldwin to Hague.

Today, Cook helps maintain the family's 250 acres near Heart Bay that were until recently part of a working farm.

That property, which includes eight guest cottages, has been hailed as a model of sustainable development.

Since returning to Lake George to join his father's dental practice in the 1970s, Cook has served on the boards of the Adirondack Council, the High Peaks Audubon Society, the Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks and the Lake George Land Conservancy.
"Dean Cook will be an excellent addition to the Lake George Park Commission," said Peter Bauer, the executive director of The Fund for Lake George. "He holds Lake George and its communities near and dear to him.”

Walt Lender, the executive director of the Lake George Association, noted, “Dean Cook will be a passionate member of the Lake George Park Commission. He’s a dogged steward of the lake.”

Cook is a 1962 graduate of Ticonderoga Central School. He attended the State University of New York at Buffalo and Seton Hall before entering the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received his degree in Dental Medicine in 1971. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

The Lake George Park Commission is composed of nine members from each of the three counties in the Lake George basin and a representative of the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation.

If his appointment is approved by the Senate, Cook will serve a term that ends in 2017.

Photo: Dr Dean Cook and Terrina Russell-Cook courtesy of the Lake George Land Conservancy.

For more news from Lake George, subscribe to the Lake George Mirror

Read More......

Thurman Maple Days Begin This Weekend

March 13th and 14th begin a three-week celebration of all things maple in the town of Thurman. Pancake breakfasts, free sugarhouse tours, maple shopping, and sawmill demonstrations highlight Thurman Maple Days, and the weekend’s seminal event is the annual Thurman Maple Sugar Party, a dinner which for over fifty years had raised money to fight cancer.

Early birds may begin their outing at Valley Road Maple Farm with pancakes with pure maple syrup at 9 a.m., and the rest of the tour sites open at 10 a.m. and remain open until 4 p.m. Froggy 107.1 will broadcast from Adirondack Gold Maple Farm on Saturday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., and on all days Adirondack Gold will offer maple tours and feature Adirondack Suds and Scents chandler Sally Feihel, who will offer soaps, lotions and soy votives, explain her craft and show a soap-making video. Travel on to Martin's Lumber to see beautifully grained slabs of maple and watch sawmill demonstrations. Stained glass stepping stones, quilted wares and hand-crafted jewelry will be on display, as well. Toad Hill Maple Farm, Warren County's largest, will welcome guests on Charles Olds Road.

The Maple Sugar Party, held only March 13th, begins at Thurman Town Hall, 311 Athol Road, Athol, at 4 p.m. with live music and food, topped off by old fashioned "jackwax," also known as "sugar on snow." The dinner continues until all have been served and costs $10 for ages 12 to adult and $5 for kids 5 to 11. Children under 5 are served free. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Thurman tours, demonstrations and breakfasts will be offered again as part of NYS Maple Weekends on March 20-21 and 27-28. Find more information at www.Thurman-NY.com or phone 518-623-9718. Brochures with maps are available around the area and online, you may request that one be emailed (ThurmanInfo@aol.com), or you may just follow signs through Thurman to the sites. Thurman is just six miles from Adirondack Northway exit 23 by way of routes 9 and 418.

Photo: Listening for the sap to run, photo by Amy Manney.

Read More......

This Week's Top Adirondack News Stories

• Wilmington Beach Project Moves Forward
• Protests Give Lift to State Parks
• DEC: Record Year for Falcons
• NYS Seeks New Reservoir Near Hinckley
• Lake George Icon Charles Hawley, 86
• Olympic Oval Closed for the Season
• Hoffman Announces Run for NY-23
• Three Vehicles Go Through Schroon Lake Ice
• Judge Orders Trial in Tour-Boat Tragedy
• Local Unemployment Rates Highest in Years

Read More......

Adirondack Music Scene:Soul, Folk, Jazz, Country & Bluegrass

The coming week offers a wide variety of live-music options.

Thursday, March 11

Another big show in Albany: Elton John and Billy Joel at the Times Union Center 7pm.

Sirsy is a rock & roll duo with a female vocalist / guitar player and a drummer. They are at Gaffney’s in Saratoga at 9pm.
http://www.sirsy.com/
http://www.gaffneysrestaurant.com/

Solo singer / guitar player Michael LaPoint at Trapper’s Tavern in North Creek from 7-10pm.
http://www.copperfieldinn.com/events.asp

Friday, March 12

Bluegrass mandolin player Sam Bush at the Swyer Theatre in The Egg in Albany at 7pm.
http://www.sambush.com
http://www.theegg.org

The Horseshoe Lounge Playboys describe themselves as “Backwoods Americana Old Timey Country and Bluegrass” and they are at the Waterhole #3 in Saranac Lake at 9pm.
http://www.myspace.com/horseshoeloungeplayboys
http://www.myspace.com/saranacwaterhole

Keyboardist/producer/composer Jeff Bujak is at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs at 9pm. This place has 9 bathrooms. I know the owner used to run The Red Square in Albany and the bathroom situation there is always a bottle neck. I guess she wasn’t going to have that at her new place.
http://www.jeffbujak.com
http://www.putnamden.com

Saturday, March 13

One man band Keller Williams at Northern Lights in Clifton Park at 8pm. He plays a combination of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, and funk.
http://www.kellerwilliams.net
http://www.northernlightslive.com/

Sunday, March 14

Sisters In Soul Tour—Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball & Bettye LaVette—at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall at 7pm.
http://www.troymusichall.org/

Wednesday, March 17

Steve Herubin, formerly of New Hampshire-based Folk / Jazz band The Buskers, at Trapper’s Tavern in North Creek 7-10pm.
http://www.copperfieldinn.com/events.asp

Tony Jenkins Jazz Trip at barVino in North Creek at 7pm.
http://www.barvino.net

Photograph courtesy of the Horseshoe Lounge Playboys

Read More......

Northern Forest Canoe Trail Improvements, New Guide Book

Kayakers and canoeists will find improved portage trails, new and rehabilitated campsites, and new information kiosks for the 2010 paddling season along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) between New York and Maine.

Trail staff and volunteers completed projects last year on the historic 740-mile waterway in New York, Vermont, Québec, Canada; New Hampshire and Maine. The first official guidebook to the trail will be released by the end of the month and will include 320 Pages, 100 black and white and 35 color photos, and six maps. Here are the improvements made for 2010 in New York:

Overgrowth was cleared from the Buttermilk Falls and Deerland portage trails. The trails were signed and a 25-foot stone causeway was built.

A 20-step stone staircase was built on the Permanent Rapids portage trail just south of Franklin Falls Pond. Eight campsites were rehabilitated in the Franklin Falls area, and 100 saplings were planted at locations of impact and erosion in the region.

A dilapidated cabin was removed and two new campsite areas were installed on Upper Saranac Lake.

A kiosk was installed at the Green Street boat launch on the Saranac River in Plattsburgh.

The NFCT now has more than 150 public access points in four states and Canada, and more than 470 individual campsites on public and private land. An interactive online map gives paddlers a detailed look at the 13 sections of the trail and nearby accommodations, services and attractions.

Other resources include the new Official Guidebook to the NFCT and water resistant trail section maps. These can be found on the NFCT Web site, at specialty outdoor retailers, outfitters along the trail, and at booksellers.

Read More......

Farmers Market Sellers Pre-Season Training Offered

Local farmers interested in selling locally-grown and processed products at farmers markets in 2010 can take advantage of little-to-no-cost tips at pre-season trainings offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension at five Northern New York sites.

Topics for the workshops include making your farmers market display work with hands-on opportunities to create displays, direct market selling of meat products, and how to comply with current food sales regulations and inspectors.

Workshops are scheduled for:

Saturday, March 13, 10am to 1pm - Lowville, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Saturday, March 20, 10am to 1 pm – Chateaugay, Knights of Columbus Hall
Thursday, March 25, 7-9 pm – Watertown, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Saturday, March 27, 10am to 1pm – Canton, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Saturday, April 3, 10am to 1pm – Keeseville, Ausable Grange Hall.

Those interested in registering for the workshops may call the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) office for the county hosting the workshop:

Keeseville - CCE Essex County: 518-962-4810 x404
Chateaugay - CCE Franklin County: 518-483-7403
Watertown - CCE Jefferson County: 315-788-8450
Lowville - CCE Lewis County: 315-376-5270
Canton - CCE St. Lawrence County: 315-379-9192.

For more tips on selling food locally, go online to the Regionall/Local Foods section of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Read More......

Ellen Rathbone: Tracking Adirondack Firsts

As spring works its way northward, at about sixteen miles a day, we start to take note of the changes around us: birds absent since last fall return, buds swell on trees, the first flowers push through the thawing ground and begin to open. Many nature enthusiasts keep lists of these seasonal events, recording the arrival of the first robin, the opening of the first pussy willows, the songs of the first frogs. This study of seasonal events, whether formally or informally done, is known as phenology.

The word phenology comes to us from the Greek word phainomai, which roughly translates as “to appear” or “to come into view.”

Now, some of you might think that keeping track of when the first dandelion blooms, or when the first swallows cut across the sky would become pretty dull after a while, but just the opposite is true. For us dyed-in-the-wool naturalists, taking note of these harbingers of the seasons is like greeting old friends at the bus station. Each return after a cold grey winter brings a smile to our lips. Our friends have come back; the next season is on the way.

2010 marks the tenth year that I have kept phonological records here in Newcomb. It isn’t long enough to note significant changes in many of the seasons’ firsts, but for those who’ve kept records for many more years, patterns are becoming clear. Change is in the wind. Up in the Arctic Circle, areas of permafrost are no longer so “perma” – seasons of melt are arriving sooner and lasting longer. In more tropical climes, changes have been less significant – after all, they don’t have the seasons that those of us closer to the poles experience, so changes are difficult to note.

In general, scientists have determined that spring and summer are both arriving about two and a half days earlier every decade. Some birds are arriving at their nesting grounds up to three weeks sooner than they did historically. This can lead to catastrophic population problems. You see, when nature is in balance, migrating animals show up at their breeding grounds in perfect time for the food to be there for lactating mothers (who need more food in order to produce milk for their young), and hungry newborns (think of how many insects a robin, for example, must find to feed its nestlings). When these animals arrive too soon, due to warmer temperatures which have cued them to migrate, the food they need may not be available. The end result: offspring die from starvation.

On the other hand, some animals migrate based on daylength (photoperiod). If warming temperatures are causing plants to bloom (and fruit) earlier, and the animals who depend on them for food arrive at the traditional time, there may not be food around when the young arrive – the food already came and went. Again, the offspring die. Populations start to fall.

What we are seeing is synchronization thrown out of whack.


But we don’t live in the Arctic Circle. These things don’t affect us here in New York. The planet has gone through temperature cycles before - it’s nothing new. And really, what difference does a couple degrees make anyway?

I’ve heard these arguments before, and in some cases I can see the logic. Yes, Earth has had cyclical climate changes before. Some years are naturally colder, and others are naturally warmer. And a couple degrees may not seem like a whole lot. But what we have to keep in mind is that the changes we are seeing today are happening a lot more quickly than they did in the past. Plants and animals are having to deal with changes on a time scale never before encountered. In the past, they had time to move and adapt. Not so now. And it is phenological records, kept by amateurs and professionals alike, that have brought these changes to light.

Yesterday morning I went out to fill my birdfeeders before going to work, and discovered the tulips and daffodils had already broken through the ground along the side of the house. It’s early March! These plants should still be snuggled beneath the ground, storing up energy for April, the traditional time for the sun to melt the snow next to the house and thaw the ground. According to my records, I don’t usually see daffodils in bloom until mid-April. It should be interesting to see when they flower this year.

Change is coming, and you, too, can witness it. All you need to do is start keeping track of the year’s firsts. A notebook and a pencil will do, or you can go high-tech and keep track on a computer spreadsheet. Starting this month, take note of what is happening around your house. Did you see a bluebird? Have the maple tappers put out their buckets yet? Are the deer shedding? Soon these occurrences will become dear friends, and like the rest of us phenologists, you will look forward to greeting them year after year.

Read More......

Wilderness Travel: In Praise of Humanity's Footprint

Yesterday, I climbed Allen Mountain.

At 4,340 feet high, Allen is the state's 26th tallest peak (this is a view of Marcy and Haystack from the top). Its summit is wooded, though thin enough to afford a number of tantalizing views, especially in winter. But its reputation has been formed not by its height or its aesthetic qualities, but by its remoteness: it's considered one of the hardest of the 46 High Peaks of the Adirondacks to reach.

To get there, you have to follow a trail for about five miles to Twin Brook, site of a former lean-to, from a parking lot near Upper Works. From there, you follow a herd path marked by occasional ribbons and homemade markers through the woods and up a steep slide to the top. By my reckoning, the round-trip distance is around 18 miles.

Allen appealed to me on this day because I had just read on the web site Views from the Top (a great place to learn about trail conditions) that a large group of peak-baggers had blazed a trail through deep snow to the summit, which would make things easier for me.

I could follow their route on cross-country skis for at least six miles, then bareboot the trail -- now as firm as concrete -- to the base of the slide without fear of postholing, and then slap on snowshoes for the final, steep ascent to the top. Which is what I did, making the summit after 5 1/2 hours of moderate exercise (and some huffing and puffing toward the end).

When I got to the top -- this was the first "trailless" high peak I've climbed in many years -- I saw the wooden sign that said "Allen." And that got me thinking.

For decades, the summits of these trailless peaks (that is, no official trail, though most have herdpaths) were marked by metal canisters, eventually replaced by plastic ones. These canisters contained notebooks, which peak-baggers would sign. It was always fun to read the observations of those who passed before you, and add your own to the mix.

Then, nine years ago, the state demanded their removal. Canisters, the bureaucrats said, were a non-conforming structure. But a wooden sign was OK. The decision outraged dozens of hikers at the time, but the canisters were eventually removed.

So there I was on this beautiful day on this beautiful summit, contemplating the logic of this declaration. I had just traversed the woods, following the snowshoe prints of a dozen hikers, crossing two man-made bridges, along snow-covered dirt roads and trails cleared by man, following trail markers nailed to trees by man, past wooden signs pointing the way, up a route made by thousands of hikers over many decades, to a summit, where a wooden sign told me I had reached the top.

And according to the state, this was a wilderness experience because a canister had been removed.

Looking back a decade, it all seems rather silly. The notebook would have been fun for me to read -- although, given the distance I had to traverse to get back to my car before sunset, I barely had time to eat lunch. But the summit was just as thrilling either way.

What can we learn from all this? Well, I've always found it silly to say what's "conforming" and what isn't in a wilderness. If we don't want any signs of mankind in the woods, we should not have trails, bridges, markers or anything else.

But if we want to hike safely -- and reach a remote site in a reasonable amount of time -- we should accept the fact that wilderness can't be entirely "pure." We need trails and bridges, markers and arrows, so folks don't get lost. And those who think such contrivances will ruin a wilderness experience? Go bushwhack something.

All I know is I would not have dared this hike if others had not stamped the route out for me. And I got back to my car by sunset, too. Where I remembered to sign the trailhead register before leaving.

Read More......

APA to Meet Thursday:Batchellerville Bridge, Invasives, Boathouse Regs

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting this Thursday March 11 and Friday March 12, 2010 at APA Headquarters in Ray Brook, NY. Among the topics to be discussed will be amendments to the Batchellerville Bridge replacement project permit, a discussion of proposed "boathouses" and "dock" definitions, Terrestrial and Aquatic Invasive Species, amendments to the Town of Queensbury's Approved Local Land Use Program, and a discussion of sustainable forest certification programs.

The meetings will be webcast live via the Agency's website. Meeting materials are available for download at http://www.apa.state.ny.us/Mailing/2010/03/index.htm.

Here is the full text of the APA's meeting announcement:

The Full Agency will convene on Thursday morning at 9:00 for the Executive Director's report.

At 9:15 a.m., the Regulatory Programs Committee will consider amendments proposed by the NYS Department of Transportation for the previously agency approved Batchellerville Bridge replacement project. The requested amendments involve the installation of temporary access roads and crane pads, an alternate bid option in the pier construction details and a proposal for removal of bridge piers. The Batchellerville Bridge spans the Great Sacandaga Lake in the Town of Edinburg, Saratoga County. The committee meeting will conclude with a staff briefing on the status of Adirondack bridge projects.

At 10:30, the Legal Affairs Committee will meet to discuss the proposed regulatory revision hearing record for "boathouses" and "dock" definitions. The committee will review the record, public comment and consider how to proceed based on the State Administrative Procedure Act process. This is an informational meeting and no actions will be taken during this month's deliberations.

At 1:00, Barbara Delaney and Russell Dunn will brief the State Land Committee on their new trail guide "Trails with Tales: History Hikes through the Adirondack Park and the Lake George, Lake Champlain & Mohawk Valley Regions." The new guidebook provides descriptions for hikers, paddlers, mountain bikers and cross-country skiers on trails made famous by Adirondack guides, writers, artists, colonial settlers and historic sites from the French and Indian and Revolutionary. It includes trips to abandoned iron mines, ruins of tanneries, Adirondack Great Camps, lost villages and other important historic sites.

The committee will also consider adopting an APA-DEC Memorandum of Understanding regarding Inter-agency Guidelines for Implementing Best Management Practices for the Control of Terrestrial and Aquatic Invasive Species on Forest Preserve Lands in the Adirondack Park. At 3:00, the Local Government Committee will act on proposed amendments to the Town of Queensbury's Approved Local Land Use Program. The town prepared amendments to replace their existing subdivision law.

Agency staff will also demonstrate a new electronic file system which provides staff from all divisions searchable electronic documents to answer many questions related to project review and compliance with local land use laws. At 4:00, the Full Agency will convene to take action as necessary and conclude the Thursday session with committee reports, public and member comment.

On Friday, March 12 at 9:00 a.m., the Park Ecology Committee will hear a discussion of Sustainable forest certification programs, such as the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and American Tree Farm System (ATFS), which require systematic compliance with environmental laws and regulations. The program is called "Promoting Systematic Forest Management Compliance."

The March meeting will conclude at 10:00 with a Community Spotlight presentation by Town of Inlet Supervisor John Frey. Supervisor Frey will overview his community and highlight important community issues facing this Hamilton County town.

The next agency meeting is April 15-16, 2010 at the Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters.

May Agency Meeting: May 13-14, 2010 at the Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters.

The mission of the Adirondack Park Agency is to protect the public and private resources of the Adirondack Park through the exercise of the powers and duties of the Agency as provided by law. With its headquarters located in Ray Brook, the Agency also operates two Visitor Interpretive Centers, in Newcomb and Paul Smiths. For more information, call the APA at (518) 891-4050 or visit www.apa.state.ny.us.

Read More......

Adirondack Family Activities:Pendragon Theatre Subscription Deals

Pendragon Theatre is once again offering its year-round subscriptions with some bonuses added in celebration of their 30th year anniversary. The line-up is expansive and for anyone who wants more live theatre in his/her life there are discounts available to make that possible.

Between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011, Pendragon will offer 11 productions. Productions that are set are an adaptation of Jungle Book, Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, Constance Cogdon’s adaptation of The Imaginary Invalid, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff, a return engagement of Orson's Welle's Moby Dick Rehearsed, and a return engagement of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged). The annual holiday show and fall production are still in the process of being finalized.

Another facet of the 30th anniversary, Adirondack only year-round professional theatre, is a "Pendragon Alumni" staged reading for one night only, July 17, 2010 with a reception. There will also be Cabaret Evenings - songs from past Pendragon productions and the New Directions Series - showcasing up-and-coming directors and playwrights.

“We wanted to offer these subscriptions as a celebration of our 30th year and as a thank you to the community, a payback for all the support over the last 30 years,” says Managing Director and Pendragon Co-Founder Bob Pettee. “We hope that people will also be able to come to more performances and understand the variety we have.”

“We feel like you don’t get the full effect of what we do unless you see a range of performances. Some people ask or want to know what the one ‘best’ show is to see. I want people to know that all the shows are well crafted and together offer the audience diversity.”

Pendragon is a repertory theatre, showcasing a range of musical, dramatic and comedic material with a professional resident cast. There will be six different performances happening continuously throughout this upcoming summer season along with various other special events.

“Being a repertory allows us to perform a variety of plays. A full-length play is just that full length [with different acts and usually an intermission] while something like Jungle Book is considered a one-act as New Directions is a series of one-act plays,” says Pettee. “We also have an alumni event and about five different cabarets throughout the season.”

“The 3 for $30 subscription is for three events so you can use it see whatever you want throughout the year. People are only allowed to purchase one of these so if they want to see that fourth play, it would be full price. The year-round subscriptions save people money. If someone wants to see all 11 productions the subscription ticket price is almost half price, about $10 a ticket from the regular $20 adult price. A subscription gives people an inexpensive way to experience all that we have to offer.”

“What we want most of all and the reason why we made the subscription price so reasonable is we really want people to come in and understand the breadth of the stuff that we do at Pendragon.” Pettee says. “Seeing more than one event is critical to that understanding and the cheapest way is to buy a subscription.”

Pettee acknowledges all the Pendragon supporters, “The only reason we are still here is because of our supporters and the community. People have shown us they want live theatre by coming to the theatre for all these years.”

Pendragon Theatre is located at 15 Brandy Brook Lane, Saranac Lake. 518-891-1854. Regular ticket prices are $20.00 for adults, $17.00 for seniors and $10.00 for those under 18 years of age. Other productions: Jungle Book, New Directions, The Holiday Show: ages 15 and up/$10.00, under 15/$8.00. All Full Length Matinees are $12.00 (also Cabarets and Alumni Readings)

Subscription only apply to Pendragon Productions at the Pendragon Theatre location, not tour locations or special events. Subscriptions are prepaid admissions, non-transferable and do not assure you a seat. Reservations are required.
Year Round: All 11 events (including Moby Dick and Shakespeare) $120
Year Round: All 9 events $100
The 5 Show Summer Full-Length: $70
Special 30th year deal: "3 for $30" = 3 events for $30 (restrictions do apply. Only one/person/season) Good for any combination of full length, cabaret, alumni event, etc…but just three events.

*As a matter of full disclosure I am a board member of Pendragon Theatre but also a parent on a budget. If you have never attended Pendragon Theatre before the "3 for $30" would be a good opportunity to save some money and see three shows. If you attend or wish to start attending more frequently, a year-round subscription will benefit your pocketbook.

Read More......

The Almanack Welcomes Local Food TraditionsFrom Adirondack Museum Chief Curator Laura Rice

This summer the Adirondack Museum will be offering a special exhibition focused on Adirondack food traditions and stories. I'm happy to report that beginning next week, Almanack readers will be getting a regular taste of the exhibit "Let's Eat! Adirondack Food Traditions" served up by Laura Rice, the Adirondack Museum’s Chief Curator.

The region has rich food traditions that include fish, game, cheese, apples and maple syrup; old family recipes served at home and camp, at community potlucks and around campfires. Laura Rice will be preparing stories drawn from the exhibit that focus on the region's history of cooking, brewing, eating and drinking. Look for her entries to begin March 16 and continue every other week into October.

The exhibit, a year in the making, will include a "food trail" around the museum's campus that will highlight food-related artifacts in other exhibits. The number of artifacts in the exhibit itself is between 200 and 300 including everything from a vegetable chopper and butter churn to a high-style evening gown. There's a gasoline-fueled camp stove the manufacturer promised "can't possibly explode"; a poster advertising the Glen Road Inn ("one of the toughest bars-dance halls in Warren County"); an accounting of food expenses from a Great Camp in 1941 that included 2,800 California oranges, 52 pints of clam juice, and 90 pounds of coffee; and an Adirondack-inspired dessert plate designed for a U.S.
President.

Chief Curator Rice along with Laura Cotton, Associate Curator, conducted most of the research and writing for the "Lets Eat!" exhibition. Assistant Curator Angie Snye and Conservator Doreen Alessi helped prepare the object and installation. Micaela Hall, Christine Campeau and Jessica Rubin from the museum's education department weighed in designed the interactive components. An advisory team was also formed made up of area chefs, educators, and community members and two scholars, Marge Bruchac (University of Connecticut), and Jessamyn Neuhaus (SUNY Plattsburgh) also weighed in.

“Let’s Eat!” is sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities and Adirondack Almanack is happy to have the opportunity to share stories from the exhibit with our readers.

Read More......

Commentary: National Grid Gouges Adirondackers

What would happen if a pizzeria tacked on a $50 delivery charge to a $15 pizza? It would go out of business faster than you can snap your fingers. That's because pizzerias are subject to competition. National Grid power company can get away with such outrageous billing practices because it has no competition in the energy delivery business.

While New York state has legalized competition in the energy supply market, National Grid remains the monopoly energy deliverer in the areas it serves, which includes much of the Adirondacks.

You can buy energy from another provider but it's still delivered via National Grid power lines, and the British-based conglomerate milks this distinction for all it's worth.

National Grid's bill includes two major charges: supply cost and delivery cost. The supply costs (the part the ordinary consumer can control) are typically reasonable. The delivery costs (the part the consumer can't control) are invariably outrageous.

Last December, I used $41.14 worth of electricity, but they charged me $84.76 to deliver it.

Last September, I used a mere $9.45 worth of electricity. My reward for such energy efficiency was a whopping $33.08 delivery charge.

In what world is the delivery charge for a product three and a half times more than the actual value of the product?

National Grid is nominally regulated by the state's Public Service Commission- though gouging like this makes you wonder how much regulation is actually going on.

National Grid has claimed that sky-high delivery charges are designed to 'stabilize' rates. Yet even in February, invariably my highest energy usage month, delivery charges were still higher than supply charges.

These dubious billing practices have no doubt padded the conglomerate's bottom line: National Grid made profits of $1.43 Billion in its most recent fiscal year.

But gouging New Yorkers' wallets was not enough to prevent the company from outsourcing jobs from central New York.

A Syracuse Post-Standard article noted that:

National Grid’s electric prices consistently rank among the handful of highest-priced major utilities in the country. In 2008, the company’s residential rates were 37 percent above the national average and its commercial rates were more than 60 percent higher, according to the latest statistics available from the U.S. Department of Energy.

This was primarily because of the expense National Grid incurred when it bought Niagara Mohawk. Once that expense was paid off, New Yorkers were told, rates would go down.

Wrong!

The company now wants to raise rates another 20 percent... that's delivery rates, where the real gouging occurs. This would generate the monopoly another $390 million a year. Would this go to infrastructure upgrades? Improved service?

According to the Post Standard: Tom King, president of National Grid in the United States, said the company needs to make higher profits in order to attract money from shareholders and lenders to invest in the Upstate electric grid. Shareholders earned a 5 percent return on their Upstate electric investment last year, down from 10 percent in 2005.

Quite clearly, New Yorkers were duped.

In the mid-1990s, officials in the city of Glens Falls pushed for the creation of a municipal power company, like the one run successfully by the similarly-sized town of Massena. Nearby localities like Queensbury and Lake George could also have hooked up to the system.

Not surprisingly, the then-Niagara Mohawk saw this a threat to their lucrative business and waged a massively expensive and somewhat deceptive PR campaign which succeeded in defeating the project in a referendum.

I suspect Glens Falls residents regret the vote each time they open up their National Grid bill.

Read More......