Wednesday, May 16, 2012

High Peaks Happy Hour: Recipe Day!

Having conquered, or at least challenged, a fair number bars (80, to be exact) within an hour-and-a-half’s travel, most that remain involve overnight trips and both exhausting and exhaustive pub crawls. We have arrived at the beginning of the selection process as we continue the final push for finding the 46 best bars inside the Blue Line. For those of you who have recently begun following our bar reviews, there is indeed a purpose. Our goal is to find the 46 “High Peaks” from among the pubs and taverns located inside the Adirondack Park, as well as 46 Adirondack-themed cocktails for inclusion in our book, Happy Hour in the High Peaks.

As sometimes happens, we were unable to travel this weekend, but found some time to don our lab coats and Happy Hour in the High Peaks hats for some » Continue Reading.


Categories: Food, Pubs - Bars - Taverns, Recipes

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Dan Crane: Constructive Backcountry Convalescence

Hiking injuries happen from time to time.  That is one of the many risks of journeying into the Adirondack backcountry while carrying a heavy, bulging backpack.  The only thing worse than a hiking injury, is an unexpected and unrelated injury preventing one from the opportunity of getting a hiking injury.  Despite the source of the injury, the recovery period can be very difficult.

How should an outdoor enthusiast spend their convalescence?

Although it is easy to descend into an abyss of negative feelings, avoid this at all costs.  Instead of closing the window blinds, watching hours of Game of Thrones episodes, and listening to psychedelic Pink Floyd music, make the most of this down time and do something positive. Like preparing for future adventures, or at the very least, revisiting previous trips in an » Continue Reading.


Categories: Adirondack Mountain Club, backpacking, Bushwhacking, hiking, Outdoor Recreation, Pepperbox Wilderness

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

APA to Meet, Honor Edwin Ketchledge

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at its Headquarters in Ray Brook on Thursday, May17, 2012 at 9:00 AM. The meeting is one day only and will be webcast live. The Agency will plant a tree in honor of Dr. Edwin Ketchledge in honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day.

The Full Agency will convene at 9:00 AM for Executive Director Terry Martino’s monthly report. The Executive Director will review monthly accomplishments and program highlights.

At 9:30, the Regulatory Programs Committee will review two previously approved projects. Agency staff will provide a status overview of permit 2004-31 which authorized the 21-lot Stickney Bridge Subdivision project in the Town of Franklin, FranklinCounty. The Committee will also hear a » Continue Reading.


Categories: APA, development

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Land Use and Ethics Symposium in Newcomb

Balancing individual and community priorities with land use is the focus of a symposium of interdisciplinary scholarship in land use and ethics to held by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s (ESF) Northern Forest Institute. The event will be held June 1-3 at Huntington Wildlife Forest at ESF’s Newcomb campus and all are welcome.

The symposium will highlight research from across professions and disciplines on topics related to balancing individual and community priorities with respect to land use, and the associated expectations for human and ecosystem stewardship and social and environmental ethics.

Bill Vitek, professor of philosophy and chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Clarkson University in Potsdam, is the keynote speaker. His research focuses on the substantial » Continue Reading.


Categories: development, education, environment, Events, Newcomb, Philosophy - Ethics, SUNY-ESF

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Adirondack Family Activities: Adirondack Kids Art Exhibit

For the past twelve years, The Adirondack Kids father and son author team of Gary and Justin VanRiper have been bringing Adirondack stories into our homes, libraries and schools through their middle reader chapter books.  Opening this May 19th at The View in Old Forge is an art exhibit focusing on 40 pieces of original artwork from the pages of those familiar books.

“We are excited about this exhibit,” says Gary VanRiper. “The Adirondack Kids books have received a lot of attention. This time the focus is going to be on the wonderful artwork on the covers and within the pages of our books.”

According to VanRiper, illustrator Susan Loeffler has illustrated all 12 of the book covers, posters and even a coloring book with the interior drawings completed by Carol VanRiper, making these books truly a family affair.

» Continue Reading.


Categories: Arts, Events, Old Forge, Old Forge Arts Center, The View

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Shannon Houlihan: Farm Fresh Eggs and Frittata

Adirondack Farm Fresh EggsTake a drive through any little town or along the back roads in the Adirondack Park and you are sure to encounter handmade signs bearing the words “FRESH EGGS HERE”. As people have become more interested in eating healthy locally-grown food, raising chickens for fresh eggs has exploded, and it is truly a welcome change to our food landscape.

I won’t launch into a diatribe here about the evils of factory-farm eggs, as I am sure most people are already aware of the horrific conditions in which large-scale producers keep their chickens, the nasty chemicals and antibiotics which these “farmers” use and the incredibly detrimental effects large-scale farming has on our environment.

Suffice it to say that fresh free-range chicken eggs are jam-packed full of nutrients and simply taste better. Not to mention many egg farmers » Continue Reading.


Categories: Food, Local Farms, Recipes

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Dave Gibson: 50 Years of Upper Hudson Stewardship

Rivers policy and history, stewardship of our Forest Preserve, and positive interactions with young people from Albany came together on Arbor Days, April 27-28, north of Lake Luzerne. Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve was pleased to play a role. First, let’s review some history.

The role of Paul Schaefer’s Adirondack Hudson River Association: Many years ago, the utility giant Niagara Mohawk power company owned land along the upper Hudson River in Luzerne, Warrensburg and North Creek. One of their goals was to create large hydroelectric dams at Hadley-Luzerne, and the shoreline was considered flowage, where water levels would fluctuate up and down 50 feet or more during power generation, and reservoir filling. Other mega-dams on the Upper Hudson were being planned by the Army Corps of Engineers, which would flood the river as far north as Newcomb.

» Continue Reading.


Categories: Adirondack Wild, environment, Forestry, Hudson River, Paul Schaefer, politics

Monday, May 14, 2012

Adirondack Amphibians: The Spotted Salamander

The recent series of rain events that has occurred over the past several weeks has elevated the level of streams and rivers, reduced the threat of wildfires, and brought trail conditions back to a more typical spring muddy state.

This wet period has also helped greatly in rejuvenating vernal pools that are critical breeding areas and nurseries for many forest dwelling amphibians and has created the damp soil conditions essential to these wet-skinned animals. Among these moisture loving vertebrates that commonly occurs in stands of mature forests throughout the Adirondacks is a sizeable dark colored creature known as the spotted salamander.

Averaging between 6 and 7 inches in length, the spotted salamander is one of the longest terrestrial amphibians that exist in the Park. The bright yellow circular spots that form an irregular row on each side of » Continue Reading.


Categories: Natural History, Reptiles - Amphibians, Wetlands, wildlife

Monday, May 14, 2012

Genealogy: Fecund Families From the North Country

Few mothers as a group have seen more Mother’s Day celebrations than my own mother and her immediate ancestors. My mom turned 90 last September 5, an amazing milestone. Her mom, Mary Franklin Lagree, of hardy Churubusco farm stock (as they all were), lived to 96. Mary’s mom, Julia Toohey Franklin, was 93. And Mom’s paternal grandmother, Matilda Lagree, was 92. Those four women collectively saw close to 300 Mothers Day celebrations. For good measure, I could include my mom’s Aunt Alice Silver (her father’s sister), who died in 2007 at 103, and was still active.

Both lines of my mom’s family were prolific, which got me to thinking about other fecund families from the North Country. There are some that put up startling numbers.

In late 1931, Jeanette Lee of Port Leyden (southeast of Lowville) died in her late » Continue Reading.


Categories: Demographics, gender, genealogy, history

Monday, May 14, 2012

Jeff Farbaniec: 2011-12 Ski Season Worst in 20 Years

Skiing the Essex trail at Whiteface, December 14, 2011It’s official.  The 2011-12 ski season was the worst in 20 years.  That’s according to the National Ski Areas Association’s (NSAA) preliminary end-of-season survey released last week.  Nationwide, skier visits were down by more than 15%, to their lowest levels since the 1991-92 ski season.  The season was characterized by low snowfall and mild winter weather across nearly the entire U.S.

All this comes as no surprise to skiers or anyone who enjoys winter outdoor recreation in the Adirondacks.  Natural snowfall was sparse, and a lack of cold temperatures hampered snowmaking operations all season long.  By the end of March, every ski area in New York State had closed for the season, casualties of the month’s record-setting warmth. Jon Lundin, Public Relations Coordinator for the Olympic Region Development Authority (ORDA), which » Continue Reading.


Categories: Gore Mountain, ORDA, Outdoor Recreation, skiing, Travel-Tourism, Whiteface, winter sports

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