Almanack Founder John Warren at Saranac Library

John Warren, founder and editor of Adirondack Almanack, will present a talk entitled “Adirondack Media: History and Future” this Thursday, March 3, at noon in the Cantwell Community Room at the Saranac Lake Free Library.

John will discuss the history of media in the Adirondacks, the current media environment and its possible future. A lively discussion is expected to follow. Bring a lunch; enjoy dessert and coffee provided by the Hospitality Committee. For more information, call 891-4190. The event is free and open to the public.

Over 25 years John’s work has ranged from traditional broadcast and print to new media. In addition to Adirondack Almanack, he is also the founding editor of New York History, the author of two books of regional history and a weekly contributor to North County Public Radio. John was the 2010 recipient of the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Eleanor Brown Communications Award for “outstanding talent and journalistic achievement in building an online, independent news source about the Adirondacks.”

John has a Masters Degree in Public History, and holds credits on more than 100 hours of primetime television programming, including documentary projects that have aired on PBS, History Channel, A&E, Discovery, TLC, and Travel Channel. Since 2001 he has carried out documentary program development work for PBS affiliate Maryland Public Television.

He also manages an archival new media project for the New York State Writers Institute at the State University at Albany and teaches documentary studies and media production at Burlington College.

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Local History: A True Story of Sunken Treasure

Recent acts of piracy on the high seas brought to mind stories of what some call “the Golden Age of Pirates” (like Blackbeard, or Henry Morgan). That conjured images of sunken treasure, which in turn reminded me of what might well be the shallowest sunken treasure ever recovered. And wouldn’t you know it? It happened right here in the North Country.

It occurred at the southern tip of Lake Champlain, near Whitehall, already the site of many historic lake-related treasures. Arnold’s Valcour fleet was built there, and it’s also the final resting place of the ships that survived the Battle of Plattsburgh. Most of them eventually sank in East Bay, which is a vast marshy area surrounding the mouth of the Poultney River.

If you’ve never toured the lower part of Lake Champlain, you’re missing a great experience. Besides playing a critical role during centuries of regional history, the scenery is spectacular. South of Ticonderoga, the lake narrows into a 20-mile, river-like channel previously referred to as Wood Creek. It features cliffs, narrows, lush vegetation, and copious wildlife.

Just outside of Whitehall is South Bay, bound in places by high, steep, cliffs that once hosted a historic battle. It also hosts a healthy population of rattlesnakes. The long, high ridge to the west, from here to Ticonderoga, separates South Bay from Lake George. Of all the canoe trips I’ve taken, South Bay is one of the all-time best.

A little further east down the lake is a sharp bend known simply as the Elbow, a shortened form of Fiddler’s Elbow. It was here that a famed member of Roger’s Rangers, General Israel Putnam, led an attack against Marin’s forces in 1758. To the east, just past the Elbow, is the entrance to East Bay, less than a mile from downtown Whitehall, where Lock 12 provides access to the New York State Barge Canal. Like I said, this place is extremely rich in history.

The story of sunken treasure is tied to the possession of Fort Ticonderoga, about twenty miles north. In early July, 1777, General Arthur St. Clair was the US commander at Ticonderoga, but the American troops were far outmanned and outgunned by the forces of Sir Johnny Burgoyne, whose great show of strength prompted St. Clair’s decision to evacuate the fort.

Some of St. Clair’s men crossed Lake Champlain and retreated across Vermont territory. Others went south on the lake to Whitehall. Burgoyne pursued the latter group, taking control of Whitehall (known then as Skenesborough). As the patriots fled, they destroyed many boats and just about anything they couldn’t carry, lest it fall into enemy hands.

Burgoyne’s forces were involved in other battles before finally meeting defeat at Saratoga, but it’s his time at Whitehall that is a vital link to the treasure story. His men at Fort Ticonderoga and elsewhere frequently suffered the same problems as the Americans—exhaustion, hunger, and lack of pay. Many unpaid soldiers voiced their discontent, and mutiny could soon follow.

To alleviate the problem, British authorities in Quebec dispatched a sloop. Manned by a crew of ten, it carried sufficient gold to pay Burgoyne’s thousands of soldiers. After the long trip down Lake Champlain, the sloop reached Fort Ticonderoga, only to find that Burgoyne had traveled farther south. Captain Johnson (first name unknown), in charge of the gold-laden craft, decided to deliver his goods to Burgoyne at Whitehall.

Nearing the village, Johnson was informed that Burgoyne’s men had been victorious at Hubbardton, about 15 miles northeast of Whitehall. East Bay led directly towards Hubbardton, and about 8 miles upstream was a bridge the soldiers would cross as they made their way towards Albany. Johnson entered the bay, planning to intercept the troops at the bridge and give them the gold.

The sloop traveled as far as possible, anchoring just below Carver Falls, not far from the bridge. While waiting for Burgoyne’s men, the sloop came under attack by patriot forces, (possibly men retreating from the loss at Hubbardton). Captain Johnson scuttled his ship, but the men were killed trying to escape, and the Americans quickly left the area that would soon be crawling with British soldiers. The sloop lay on the river bottom.

Years later, it was learned that England’s military had offered a reward for the capture of Captain Johnson, for it was assumed he had made off with the booty, it having never been delivered.

Fast-forward 124 years to fall, 1901. Civil Engineer George B. West, who oversaw construction of the power dam at Carver Falls, learned that raging spring torrents had left part of a watercraft exposed in the riverbed below the falls. Aided by a crew of 30 men, he diverted the river temporarily to further explore the wreck and clear it from the channel. Using tools, and then a charge of dynamite, they managed to free the hull. Inside, they found various glass items, several muskets, and an interesting iron chest in the captain’s quarters.

Imagine the excitement of the moment, opening the lid to reveal 10,000 gold sovereigns, coins that today might fetch between $5 and $10 million!

As the spoils of a long-ago war, the coins were deposited in the Allen National Bank in nearby Fair Haven, Vermont. But ownership of the money was questioned by the New York Times, Boston newspapers, and many others across New England. Some said it should be returned to Great Britain as a gesture of good faith. Others said to keep it. After all, if the soldiers had recovered the gold when the boat sank, it surely wouldn’t have been returned to the Brits.

But it wasn’t that simple. The boat sank in 1777. Previous to that, the battle between New York and New Hampshire over land grants had led to the creation of the Republic of Vermont, located between the two litigants. Neither New York nor New Hampshire recognized Vermont independence, which led to an interesting scenario: in 1777, the site at Carver Falls could have been part of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, or British territory.

Further complicating matters, when statehood was finally settled (and before the gold was discovered), the NYS-Vermont border in that area was placed right down the center of the Poultney River. In the end, it is believed the money remained in Vermont coffers.

There is an interesting side story that was not included in published accounts about the recovered gold. It helps explain how the boat went undetected for more than a century. Above Carver Falls, seven years after the sloop sank, the river’s path was diverted, whether by natural means, man-made means, or a combination of the two. A supposed dispute over water rights may have played a role, or the river may have naturally chosen a new course through a widespread sandy area.

What’s most important is the result of the change in path. Up to 1783, East Bay was navigable by ships weighing up to 40 tons. The course diversion caused massive amounts of sand and sediment to wash over the falls, reducing the channel’s depth dramatically.

In subsequent years, though rumors of sunken treasure persisted, it hardly seemed plausible that a boat of any size could have made the journey to Carver Falls. Who could have known the river was once much deeper? It wasn’t until 124 years later that nature released a torrent strong enough to reveal the truth. And to clear the long-sullied name of Captain Johnson.

Photos: Top, map of key locations; below, sample of a British gold sovereign from the late 1700s.

Lawrence Gooley has authored nine books and many articles on the North Country's past. He and his partner, Jill McKee, founded Bloated Toe Enterprises in 2004. He took over in 2010 and began expanding the company’s publishing services. For information on book publishing, visit Bloated Toe Publishing.

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Dave Gibson: Tupper Lake and the APA Act

It is noteworthy to read local supporters of the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort expressing their full faith in the NYS Adirondack Park Agency’s ultimate review of that proposal. The Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce and ARISE (a Tupper Lake nonprofit) were quoted this week as saying “let the agency do its job.” Meanwhile, these organizations deride the efforts of others – “outsiders” - in the public hearing as obstructing the agency’s work.

Four years after it was ordered to adjudicatory public hearing by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), the proposed subdivision and second home development known as the Adirondack Club and Resort encompassing 6400 acres near Tupper Lake may finally get the close scrutiny it merits. The hearing, encompassing a dozen interrelated issues and over three dozen parties, should begin this spring. The group I work with, Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve, is one of those parties.

The Chamber’s apparent embrace of the APA Act and its implementation through this public hearing is both interesting and gratifying: interesting because Tupper Lake rejected sharing local land use controls with the APA in the early 1990s because it might lend legitimacy to the APA legislation that the Chamber now apparently embraces; gratifying to hear because the APA Act mandates the very statewide concerns that “outsiders” can help to bring to the table.

The APA Act states “continuing public concern, coupled with the vast acreages of forest preserve holdings, clearly establishes a substantial state interest in the preservation and development of the park area. The state of New York has an obligation to insure that contemporary and projected future pressures on the park resources are provided for within a land use control framework which recognizes not only matters of local concern but also chose of regional and state concern” (Section 801, APA Act)

Reflecting as it does 150 years of statewide concern for the Adirondacks, the Act and its regulations anticipate statewide interest in the upcoming ACR public hearing, and mandate that the APA take those interests into account in its review. One of the biggest statewide concerns is that two thirds of the ACR proposal involves large second homes across Resource Management lands “where the need to protect, manage and enhance forest, agricultural, recreational and open space resources of paramount importance because of overriding natural resource and public considerations” (Section 805, APA Act)

That public can come from Tupper Lake and from anywhere else within the boundaries of the state, or beyond. Adirondack Council, Adirondack Wild, Protect the Adirondacks and others seek to help represent the broader public’s interests to “protect the delicate physical and biological resources, encourage proper and economic management of forest, agricultural and recreational resources and preserve the open spaces that are essential and basic to the unique character of the park” (Section 805).

There are still many others who want to focus on the local benefits and burdens of this proposal. The proposal if permitted and carried out to its full extent would carve out a new, sprawling development hub miles from current service providers in the village.

All need to bear in mind that whatever comes out of the hearing and agency review will have an effect on the entire Adirondack Park. This may be a precedent setting decision, and hundreds of thousands of people around the state will watch and examine its results carefully. The last time such a large subdivision and second home development was proposed in 1972, APA was a new and untested agency. I suspect the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce back in 1972 viewed the Agency as “outsiders.” Judging from the Chamber’s news release this week, the Agency and local perspective on the Agency from Tupper Lake has matured since then. The local and regional economy is rough today, but it was also rough in 1972. Second home subdivisions consume more of the environment, demand far more services and draw far more energy than they did in 1972. Meanwhile, one big thing hasn’t changed since that year – the APA Act, which has been amended just once in 38 years.

Photos: Hearing parties at the ACR field visit, May 2007; and visiting the beaver dam holding back Cranberry Pond.

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More than 4,800 people get Adirondack Almanack each day via RSS, e-mail, or Twitter or Facebook updates. It's a convenient way to get the latest news and information about the Adirondacks.

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Essential Guidebooks: Adirondack Rock

When it comes to sheer number of routes one can take through the Adirondacks, rock climbing has got to have more opportunities than any other outdoor sport. Any guide that hopes to cover every single one is going to be a tome, and coming in at more than 670 pages, the newest edition of the seminal Adirondack climbing guide, Adirondack Rock, meets that description.

Adirondack Rock includes 242 cliff areas, many of which have never before been documented, and nearly 2,000 routes and variations. The guide's authors, Jim Lawyer and Jeremy Hass, spent years visiting new and seldom visited climbs around the Adirondacks. Among the regions they turned their focus to was the Lake George basin, long neglected by regional climbing guides.

Because climbing around Lake George had not yet come to prominence, Don Mellior's classic guide Climbing in the Adirondacks limited its coverage to the lake's west side climbs at places like Rogers Rock, Deer Leap, and Tongue Mountain. But the Lake George's east side has been attracting climbers in larger numbers in the past 15 years, to the point of playing host to the Southern Adirondack Rock Climbers Fest in 2010.

Adirondack Rock's chapter on the Lake George is impressive covering newly discovered and rediscovered areas like Pilot Knob (Stewart's Ledge, The Brain), Buck Mountain (Upper Buck, New Buck), Sleeping Beauty, Gull Pond Cliff, Pharaoh Mountain, Barton High Cliffs, and more. Directions, warnings, access, accommodations are all included. There are full route descriptions in an easy-to-read, comprehensive format, aerial photos with route lines, approach maps, and cliff topos. GPS coordinates of every cliff and parking area are provided. Boulderers are not neglected, with six bouldering areas with 350 problems included.

Supporting all the technical aspects are short histories of the routes, an Adirondack climbing chronology and geology notes, almost 200 photos, drawings and paintings and 21 essays written by prominent Adirondack climbers. The forward is by Don Mellor, with a French foreword by Loïc Briand.

You can get a copy of Adirondack Rock online.

Almanack contributor Alan Wechsler wrote about climbing at Shelving Rock in October 2010. Alan also wrote a piece in 2007 while the guidebook was being written for Adirondack Explorer [pdf].

You can read all of Adirondack Almanack's coverage of local climbing by writers like Jay Harrison, Phil Brown, and Alan Weschler here.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers.

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This Week's Adirondack Web Highlights

• Brian Mann: Empire State Games Website Snafus
• Planet Change: Warming Winters Threaten Ice Fishing
• NY Flora Assoc:: Adirondack Flora and Fungi Video
• Gadling: 10 Hiking Essentials
• Amy Ivy: Starting Seeds Indoors
• Profile: Saranac Lake's Music Teacher Helen Demong
• Left on Land: Adirondack Trail Crew
• MoFYC: Taxpayer Funded LGRB Misrepresents Members
• Leader Herald: ADK Club Profile
• Dan Ladd: The Allure of Ice Fishing

On Friday afternoons Adirondack Almanack compiles for our readers a collection of the week's top weblinks. You can find all our weekly web round-ups here.

Subscribe! More than 4,800 people get Adirondack Almanack each day via RSS, E-Mail, or Twitter or Facebook updates. It's a convenient way to get the latest news and information about the Adirondacks.

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Benedict Arnold’s Retreat from Valcour: A Revisionist’s Version

When it was reported in the summer of 1997 that the wreck of a Revolutionary War vessel had been discovered at the bottom of Lake Champlain, most newspaper accounts included some information about the battle in which she was lost – the Battle of Valcour –and how Benedict Arnold, in command of the remains of the New American Navy, eluded the British fleet and sailed up Lake Champlain toward Fort Ticonderoga.

To quote from the article in the New York Times, “Oars muffled with greased rags, his men rowed between blockading British vessels.” This account of Arnold’s retreat has been accepted by almost every historian I have read, even those whose common sense tells them to question it. “Incredibly, no alarm was raised by the watchers,” writes one. Incredible indeed.

“Is there a shadow of probability, that a squadron of hostile vessels would have effected undiscovered a transit through a victorious fleet, guarded by an organized and vigilant foe? Such a movement would have been a moral and physical impossibility.” Thus writes Winslow C. Watson, the nineteenth century historian of Essex County, in an essay for a magazine which I found by chance in a second-hand bookstore.

Watson took issue with the received version of events and offered in its place one that he believed to be the true account of Arnold’s escape.

The source of Watson’s account was his own father, Elkanah Watson. Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1758, the elder Watson had been apprenticed to the Providence ship owner, John Brown. Most of the officers who took part in the Battle of Valcour had been recruited from the commercial fleets of New England, and Elkanah Watson had heard stories of the battle from them. Later in life he was an intimate of George Clinton, New York’s wartime governor, and General Philip Schuyler. At the time of the battle, Schuyler was in command of the Northern Department of the continental army, and may be presumed to have known a thing or two about battles in northern New York. “I often listened to Father’s conversations with those, whose years enabled them to recur to scenes of revolution, and among those other reminiscences I recall their discussion of the circumstances of Arnold’s escape,” Winslow Watson wrote.

Here, according to Winslow Watson, is the true sequence of events. “Arnold withdrew to a cove, connected with the strait, and the British, by occupying the upper (or southern) entrance, were interposing between him and the refuge at the South he proposed to reach. The northern gate to the strait was unimpeded, and through that, it is my entire conviction, Arnold effected his escape.”

In other words, rather than sailing through the British fleet (which was arrayed in two lines, forming an impenetrable barrier), Arnold dropped back, edging his way north between Valcour Island and the mainland, and then, with the island separating the two fleets, headed south.

A local legend indirectly corroborates Watson’s version. East of Valcour Island, near the Vermont shore, lies an island known as ‘Carleton’s Prize.’ The British, reportedly, mistook it for an American Vessel, and launched a heavy bombardment against it before realizing that it was a rock and not a ship. The island, of course, is far to the north of the southern outlet through which modern historians believe Arnold escaped.

Watson has a theory to explain why the inaccurate version passed into history. Arnold himself, he says, never claimed that he slipped through the enemy fleet. Rather, “the idea was derived from a letter to John Hancock, written by General Waterbury, the second in command, in evident haste… the gallant subordinate writes: ‘we went through them entirely undiscovered .’ We may conceive, that in framing the letter, the mind of General Waterbury contemplated the result and not the specific means by which it was accomplished.”

About the rest of the story, there is, on the whole, agreement. Once the British realized that the American flotilla had escaped, Arnold was pursued up the lake. Of the fifteen ships Arnold had at the start of the Battle of Valcour, only a few reached Crown Point safely. The historians also agree that the battle was an element in Britain’s decision to postpone the invasion of New York for a year, just enough time, perhaps, for the Americans to assemble the political and military strength that defeated General Burgoyne at Saratoga.

Russell Bellico, the author of Sails and Steam in the Mountains, Chronicles of Lake George, Chronicles of Lake Champlain, and our foremost authority on things having to do with the history of Lake Champlain and Lake George, is aware of Winslow Watson’s version of events at the Battle of Valcour. He finds the revisionist version unpersuasive.

Here’s his response to my rendition of Watson’s story.

“Winslow Watson was a fine nineteenth century regional historian who added a great deal to the heritage of the lake valleys. However, many original accounts were not available to him when he wrote his magazine article in 1881. Today there is sufficient evidence from both American and British sources to indicate that Arnold’s fleet followed the New York shoreline and passed the British fleet in the dark. Thirteen days after the Battle of Valcour Island, Brigadier General David Waterbury, Arnold’s second-in-command, made the path of retreat very clear n his long letter to John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress: 'We immediately held council to secure a retreat through their fleet, to get to Crown Point, which was done with so much secrecy that we went through them entirely undiscovered.’

"Similarly, Pascal Charles Joseph DeAngelis, a young sailor aboard the American galley Trumbull, noted “that night we ran through the British fleet.” Ensign John Enys, serving on the British radeau Thunderer, suggested that the deployment of the British fleet “in a Semicircle round the mouth of it (Valcour Bay), in Such Manner that it might well be thought they could not have escaped, which however they did in the course of the night by passing between us and the shore unperceived by anyone.”

"British officers later criticized the British naval commander, Thomas Pringle, for mooring the British fleet “at least one mile from the western shore” which allowed the Americans to retreat unnoticed.

"Although Winslow C. Watson’s speculation on the retreat of Benedict Arnold’s fleet is interesting, the actual story may be more fascinating.”

I regret that Russ finds Watson’s version unpersuasive. It is true that Elkanah Watson, as readers of his memoirs can attest, is not the most reliable witness to the events of his time. He has, for instance, a propensity to exaggerate his own importance and the degree of his intimacy with great men. Still, I like to think of him, sitting in the library of his mansion in Port Kent, gazing out across Lake Champlain, entertaining his company with the tale of Benedict Arnold’s retreat from Valcour, and boasting that he alone among the living knows the true story. History, however well documented, is still gossip.

Illustrations: 19th century woodcuts of Elkanah Watson, Benedict Arnold, an American vessel at the Battle of Valcour and Valcour Island, from private collections. The Battle of Valcour, courtesy of Russell Bellico.

For more news and commentary from Lake George, subscribe to the Lake George Mirror or visit Lake George Mirror Magazine

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This Week's Top Adirondack News Stories

• Winter Weather Warning In Effect
• 3 High Peaks Rescues Over Weekend
• Local Planned Parenthood Funding Jeopardized
• Betty Little Task Force Issues Recommends
• Sayward Wants Law to Reopen Mtn Roads
• Charges in Ethan Allen Insuarnce Fraud
• Fight On to Preserve Stone Barracks
• Obama Speaks on Great Outdoors Initiative
• Rural Airport Funding Bolstered
• LGRB Tries to Reverse Town Votes

Each Friday morning Adirondack Almanack compiles for our readers the previous week's top stories. You can find all our weekly news round-ups here.

Subscribe! More than 4,800 people get Adirondack Almanack each day via RSS, E-Mail, or Twitter or Facebook updates. It's a convenient way to get the latest news and information about the Adirondacks.

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Current Conditions in the Adirondack Park (Feb. 24)

This announcement is for general use - local conditions may vary and are subject to sometimes drastic changes.

Listen for the weekly Adirondack Outdoor Recreation Report Friday mornings on WNBZ (AM 920 & 1240, FM 105 & 102.1) and the stations of North Country Public Radio.

The Adirondack Almanack publishes occasional Forest Ranger incident reports which form a stern reminder that wilderness conditions can change suddenly and accidents happen. Be aware of the latest weather conditions and carry adequate gear and supplies.

SPECIAL NOTICES FOR THIS WEEKEND

** indicates new or revised items.

** WINTER STORM WARNING
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning. Up to a foot of snow is expected across parts of the Adirondacks Thursday night through Friday.

AVALANCHE CONDITIONS
Snows have accumulated to sufficient depths on Adirondack Mountain slopes to create conditions conducive to avalanches and DEC has issued an Avalanche Warning. Avoid traveling on open areas with slopes between 25 & 50 degrees and no vegetation. Never travel alone, carry proper safety equipment; and inform someone where you will be traveling.

** WINTER CONDITIONS AT ALL ELEVATIONS
Winter conditions exist throughout the area with 20-25 inches of snow on the ground, more in higher elevations. Recent warm weather and rains have added considerable moisture to the snow pack, resulting in a reduced but denser snowpack which have hardened with more recent cold weather. Trails are hard and may be icy in some places. Ice may be found on summits and other open areas. National Weather service is forecasting up to a foot of snow Thursday night through Friday. These conditions will require snowshoes or skis at all elevations and crampons on exposed areas. The Lake Colden Interior Caretaker reports 3 feet on the ground at the cabin. Snow cover is good on all trails.

Snowmobiles
All the regions snowmobile trails are open snowmobiles are operating on designated snowmobile trails. Skiers and snowshoers using designated snowmobile trails should keep to the sides of the trail to allow safe passage. See the weekly snowmobile trails report below for more information about the condition of local snowmobile trails.

Thin Ice Safety
Always check the thickness of ice before crossing and at several points along the way. Ice that holds snow may not hold the weight of a person. Be cautious of ice near inlets, outlets and over any moving water. Remember, ice that holds snow may not hold the weight of a person. Each year a number of people fall through thin ice. One has already died and many more have gone through the ice. Use extreme caution with ice.

Carry Extra Winter Gear
Snowshoes or skis can prevent injuries and eases travel in heavy snow. Ice crampons should be carried for use on icy trails and mountaintops and other exposed areas. Wear layers of wool and fleece (NOT COTTON!), a winter hat, gloves or mittens, wind/rain resistant outer wear, and winter boots. Carry a day pack complete with ice axe, plenty of food and water, extra clothing, map and compass, first-aid kit, flashlight/headlamp, sun glasses, sun-block protection, ensolite pads, a stove and extra fuel, and bivy sack or space blankets.

Know The Latest Weather
Check the weather before entering the woods and be aware of weather conditions at all times -- if weather worsens, head out of the woods.

Fire Danger: LOW

** Central Adirondacks Lower Elevation Weather
Friday: Snow, heavy at times, high near 30. Wind gusts to 30 mph. 5 to 9 inches possible.
Friday Night: Snow, low around 0, wind chill to -13, wind gusts to 30 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 17.
Saturday Night: Chance of snow, cloudy, low around 5.
Sunday: Chance of snow, cloudy, high near 28.

The National Weather Service provides a weather forecast for elevations above 3000 feet and spot forecasts for the summits of a handful of the highest peaks in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. [LINK]

** Snow Cover
There is currently 1 to 2 feet of snow at lower elevations across most of the Adirondack Park, but the National Weather service is forecasting up to a foot of new snow Thursday night through Friday. The Lake Colden Interior Caretaker reports 3 feet on the ground at the cabin. Snow cover is good on all trails but recent warm weather and rains have added considerable moisture to the snow pack, resulting in a reduced but denser snowpack which have hardened with more recent cold weather. Trails are hard and may be icy in some places. Ice may be found on summits and other open areas. Snow cover is good on all trails, and all trails are broken open and packed down, however with up to a foot of snow forecast over the next 24 hours, skiers and snowshoers should be prepared to break trails this weekend. These conditions will require snowshoes or skis at all elevations and crampons on exposed areas such as summits. The latest snow cover map from the National Weather Service provides an estimate of snow cover around the region.

** Downhill Ski Report
All mountains will be open this weekend and the skiing should be outstanding on a two to four foot base. Up to a foot of new snow expected Thursday night through Friday could mean some nice powder conditions this weekend.

** Cross Country Ski Report
All cross country ski areas will be open this weekend with an 12 to 18 inch base. The Jackrabbit Trail is skiable its entire length, with about two foot base. Up to a foot of new snow expected Thursday night through Friday could mean some nice conditions this weekend. Complete and up-to-date cross-country conditions are available [here].

** Backcountry Ski Report
Snow cover is suitable for skiing on all trails with about 3 feet at Lake Colden and 4 to 5 feet over 4,000 feet. Snow cover is good on all trails, and all trails are broken open and packed down, however with up to a foot of snow forecast over the next 24 hours, backcountry skiers should be prepared to break trails this weekend. Snows have accumulated to sufficient depths on Adirondack Mountain slopes to create conditions conducive to avalanches and DEC has issued an Avalanche Warning. Avoid traveling on open areas with slopes between 25 & 50 degrees and no vegetation. Never travel alone, carry proper safety equipment; and inform someone where you will be traveling. The Avalanche Pass Slide is closed to skiing and snowshoeing during the winter months.

** Ice Climbing Report
Most climbing areas are sporting at least some ice in good shape, but breaking trails to get to lesser used climbs could take some time after an expected foot of snow Thursday evening and through Friday and lower angled climbs like Chouinards, the Slab, Multiplication Gully and others will be dangerous now due to the threat of Avalanche. No climbing yet reported on the north face of Gothics and Palisades on Lake Champlain is reoprted to be out. Additional Adirondack ice climbing conditions are supplied by Adirondack Rock and River Guide Service.

Municipal Ice Skating Rinks Are Open
Most municipal outdoor skating rinks are now open. Call ahead for specific opening days and times.

** Ice Fishing Report
Ice fishing is officially open, and ice conditions have improved substantially. Expected heavy snow Thursday night through Friday will make for difficult movement. Slush may become a problem again in southern areas were mixed precipitation is expected. Practice safe ice crossing. Tip-ups may be operated on waters through April 30, 2010. General ice fishing regulations can be found in the in the 2010-11 Fishing Regulations Guide.

** Snowmobile Trails Report
All of the region's snowmobile trails will be in good condition with about a a one foot base following snow expected Thursday night through Friday. Conditions throughout the region vary depending on elevation, nearness to large lakes, and latitude. So far this year one sledder has died in Washington County, one in Franklin County, one in Jefferson County, one in Herkimer County, and four in Lewis County. Avoid riding on lakes or ponds, and excessive speed. Ride safely. More Adirondack snowmobiling resources can be found here.

** All Rivers Running At Or Above Normal
Waters in the region are running at or above normal levels for this time of year. The Sacandaga and Raquette rivers are running above normal. Ice has formed on all waters. Use care and consult the latest streamgage data.

Hunting Seasons
Some small game hunting is underway. Hikers should be aware that they may meet hunters bearing firearms or archery equipment while hiking on trails. Recognize that these are fellow outdoor recreationists with the legal right to hunt on Forest Preserve lands. Hunting accidents involving non-hunters are extremely rare. Hikers may want to wear bright colors as an extra precaution.

Furbearer Trapping Seasons
Some furbearer trapping seasons remain open. This would be a good time to keep pets leased and on the trails. A reminder that body gripping traps set on land can no longer use bait or lure.

ADIRONDACK LOCAL BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS

NORTHVILLE PLACID TRAIL

The Northville Placid Trail (NPT) is the Adirondack Park's only designated long distance hiking trail. The 133 mile NPT was laid out by the Adirondack Mountain Club in 1922 and 1923, and is now maintained by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Up to date NPT trail condition information can be found online.

Upper Benson to Whitehouse: Just north of the Mud Lake lean-to there has been significant blow-down in several areas across the trail that happened sometime in early December that requires several bushwhacks to get around.

West Canada Lakes to Wakely Dam: The bridge over Mud Creek, northeast of Mud Lake, has been washed out. Wading the creek is the only option. The water in Mud Creek will vary from ankle deep to knee deep.

ADIRONDACK CANOE ROUTE / NORTHERN FOREST CANOE TRAIL

Ice: Ice has formed on all waters.

Personal Flotation Devices Required: Users of small boats are reminded that state law requires all occupants of boats less than 21 feet in length are required to wear personal flotation devices (aka PFDs and life jackets) between November 1 and May 1.

HIGH PEAKS

Avalanche Conditions: Snows have accumulated to sufficient depths on Adirondack mountain slopes to create conditions conducive to avalanches. Avoid traveling on open areas with slopes between 25 & 50 degrees and no vegetation. Never travel alone, carry proper safety equipment; and inform someone where you will be traveling. DEC has issued an Avalanche Warning.

Snowshoes Required: Snowshoes are required in the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness.

Avalanche Pass Slide: The slide is closed to skiing and snowshoeing.

Western High Peaks Wilderness: Trails in the Western High Peaks Wilderness are cluttered with blowdown from a storm that occurred December 1st. DEC has cleared blow down in most areas accessed from the Corey's Road, although not along the Northville-Placid Trail.

Ampersand Mountain Trail: There is heavy blowdown on the Ampersand Mountain Trail as far as the old caretakers cabin - approximately 1.7 miles in. Finding the trail may be difficult after fresh snows. Skiing will be frustrating as there are so many trees down. Past the cabin site the trail is good but snowshoes are needed. There is aprox 3 feet of snow near the summit.

Elk Lake Conservation Easement Lands: The Clear Pond Gate on the Elk Lake Road is closed and will remain closed until the end of the spring mud season. This adds 2 miles of hiking, plan trips accordingly.

Bushnell Falls: The high water bridge at Bushnell Falls has been removed, the low water crossing may not be accessible during high water.

Opalescent River Bridges Washed Out: The Opalescent River Bridge on the East River / Hanging Spears Falls trail has been washed out. The crossing will be impassable during high water.

Caulkins Brook Truck Trail/Horse Trail: Much of the blowdown on the Caulkins Brook Truck Trail/Horse Trail between the Calkins Brook lean-tos and Shattuck Clearing has been removed. The trail is open for hikers but remains impassable to horses and wagons. DEC crews continue to work to open the trail.

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS

Chimney Mountain / Eagle Cave: Eagle Cave near Chimney Mountain will be closed to the public from Nov 1 till March 31. The cave is a bat hibernacula with white nose syndrome present. It is being closed to recreational spelunking to avoid disturbance of hibernating bats. DEC is closing all bat hibernacula caves on state lands and easments to protect the bat population.

Pigeon Lake Wilderness: DEC Forest Rangers and trail crew have been working to clear blowdown from trails. The following trails are cleared and ready for skiing and/or snowshoeing: Shallow Lake Trail (well-marked with some minor blow down), West Mountain Trail (well-marked, some blowdown remains on section east of the summit), and Sucker Brook Trail

SOUTHEASTERN ADIRONDACKS

Hudson River Recreation Area: Gates on the Buttermilk Road Extension in the Hudson River Special Management Area (aka the Hudson River Recreation Area), in the Town of Warrensburg remain shut and the roads closed to motor vehicle traffic.

Hudson Gorge Primitive Area: Ice has formed on all waters. Paddlers, hunters and other users of small boats are reminded that state law requires all occupants of boats less than 21 feet in length are required to wear personal flotation devices (aka PFDs and life jackets) between November 1 and May 1.

NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS

Santa Clara Tract Easement Lands (former Champion Lands): All lands are open to all legal and allowable public recreation activities beginning January 1. The gate to the Pinnacle Trail remains closed until after the spring mud season.

Santa Clara Tract Easement Lands: Due to logging operations the Madawaska Road and Conversation Corners Road will be closed to snowmobiles and the Snowmobile Corridor C8 has been rerouted.

Whitney Wilderness / Lake Lila: The gate to the Lake Lila Road is closed. Public motorized access to the road is prohibited until the gate is reopened after the spring mud season. Cross-country skiers, snowshoers and other non-motorized access is allowed on the road. Trespassing on lands adjacent to the road is prohibited.

NORTHEASTERN ADIRONDACKS

Sable Highlands Conservation Easement Lands: Numerous cross country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities exist on the Public Use Areas and Linear Recreation Corridors open to the public. Skiers and snowshoers are asked not to use the groomed snowmobile routes. Signs on the trails and maps of the snowmobile routes instruct snowmobilers on which routes are open this winter. Portions of these routes may be plowed from time to time so riders should be cautious and aware of motor vehicles that may be on the road. These route changes are a result of the cooperation of Chateaugay Woodlands, the landowner of the easement lands, and their willingness to maintain the snowmobile network. The cooperation of snowmobilers will ensure future cooperative reroutes when the need arises.

Sable Highlands Conservation Easement Lands: A parking area has been built on Goldsmith Road for snowmobile tow vehicles and trailers. The southern terminus of Linear Recreation Corridor 8 (Liberty Road) lies several hundred feet to the east of the parking area and connects to the C8A Snowmobile Corridor Trail (Wolf Pond Road) via Linear Recreation Corridor 7 (Wolf Pond Mountain Road). Construction of the parking area was a cooperative effort of the landowner, the Town of Franklin, and DEC. The Town of Franklin donated time, personnel and equipment from their highway department and will be plowing the parking area.

Sable Highlands / Old Liberty Road / Wolf Pond Mountain Road Snowmobile Trail: Due to planned logging operations by the landowner on lands north of Loon Lake, the western portion of the snowmobile trail (Old Liberty Road/Wolf Pond Mountain Road) that connected with the C7 Snowmobile Corridor Trail (the utility corridor) just north of Loon Lake near Drew Pond and lead to the C8A Snowmobile Corridor Trail (Wolf Pond Road) has been closed this winter. The eastern portion of that snowmobile trail (Wolf Pond Mountain Road) now connects to Goldsmith Road near the parking area. Snowmobiles planning to travel between Franklin County and Clinton County using the C8A Snowmobile Corridor Trail must access C8A at the junction with C7 or use Goldsmith Road and the trail from the Goldsmith Road to C8A (Wolf Pond Road).

Sable Highlands / Mullins Road: The Mullins Road has been opened to snowmobiles to connect County Route 26 (Loon Lake Road) to C7. The road is located approximately halfway between the intersections of Route 26 with C8 (Debar Game Farm Road) and Route 26 with C7. (12/23)

Norton Peak Cave / Chateuagay Woodlands Conservation Easement Lands: Norton Peak Cave will be closed to the public from Nov 1 till March 31. The cave is a bat hibernacula with white nose syndrome present. It is being closed to recreational spelunking to avoid disturbance of hibernating bats. DEC is closing all bat hibernacula caves on state lands and easments to protect the bat population.

GENERAL ADIRONDACK NOTICES

Accidents Happen, Be Prepared
Wilderness conditions can change suddenly and accidents happen. Hikers and campers should check up-to-date forecasts before entering the backcountry as conditions at higher elevations will likely be more severe. All users should bring flashlight, first aid kit, map and compass, extra food, plenty of water and clothing. Be prepared to spend an unplanned night in the woods and always inform others of your itinerary.

Personal Flotation Devices Required
Paddlers, hunters and other users of small boats are reminded that state law requires all occupants of boats less than 21 feet in length are required to wear personal flotation devices (aka PFDs and life jackets) between November 1 and May 1.

Cave And Mine Closings
White nose syndrome, the fungal disease that’s wiping out bat populations across the northeast has spread to at least 32 cave and mine bat hibernation sites across the New York state according to a recent survey. Populations of some bat species are declining in these caves and mines by 90 percent. White nose was first discovered in upstate New York in the winter of 2006-2007 and is now confirmed in at least 11 states. DEC has closed all bat hibernacula caves on state lands and easements to protect the bat population including Norton Peak Cave in Chateuagay Woodlands Easement Lands and also Eagle Cave near Chimney Mountain. Please respect cave and mine closures.

Practice 'Leave No Trace' Principles
All backcountry users should learn and practice the Leave No Trace philosophy: Plan ahead and be prepared, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others. More information is available online.

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Warnings and announcements drawn from DEC, NWS, NOAA, USGS, and other sources. Detailed Adirondack Park camping, hiking, and outdoor recreation and trail conditions can be found at DEC's webpages. A DEC map of the Adirondack Park can also be found online [pdf].

The new DEC Trails Supporter Patch is now available for $5 at all outlets where sporting licenses are sold, on-line and via telephone at 1-866-933-2257. Patch proceeds will help maintain and enhance non-motorized trails throughout New York State.

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DEC Region 5 Forest Ranger Report (Jan-Feb)

What follows is the January and February Forest Ranger Activity Report for DEC Region 5, which includes most of the Adirondack region. Although not a comprehensive detailing of all back-country incidents, these reports are issued periodically by the DEC and printed here at the Almanack in their entirety. They are organized by county, and date. You can read previous Forest Ranger Reports here.

These incident reports are a stern reminder that wilderness conditions can change suddenly and accidents happen. Hikers and campers should check up-to-date forecasts before entering the backcountry and always carry a flashlight, first aid kit, map and compass, extra food, plenty of water and clothing. Be prepared to spend an unplanned night in the woods and always inform others of your itinerary.

The Adirondack Almanack reports current outdoor recreation and trail conditions each Thursday evening. Listen for the weekly Adirondack Outdoor Conditions Report on Friday mornings on WNBZ (AM 920 & 1240, FM 105 & 102.1) and on the stations of North Country Public Radio.

Essex County

Town of Keene, Private Land (Adirondack Mountain Reserve Easement)

On Sunday January 2, 2011, at approximately 4:28 pm, DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a call from Essex County Emergency Dispatch. They transferred a call from a hiker who reported that his hiking partner had slipped and fallen on the ice on the Lake Road. Katie Pangia, 36, of Ticonderoga, NY had twisted her leg and was unable to bear weight on the leg. The gate was locked and Ms. Pangia was two and a half miles in on the road. Adirondack Mountain Reserve was contacted to unlock the gate and DEC Forest Rangers responded by vehicle. Ms. Pangia was transported out by vehicle and stated she would seek medical attention on her own. The incident was resolved by 7:30 pm. Accidents can happen, always carry a first aid kit and know how to obtain assistance in emergency situations. The DEC Forest Ranger emergency phone number is 518-891-0235.

Town of Wilmington, Whiteface Mountain Intensive Unit

On Thursday, January 20, 2011, at approximately 6:20 pm, DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a call from State Police reporting Francisco Varoli, 20, of Lake Placid NY, as overdue from his day on Whiteface Mountain. Mr. Varoli’s mother stated that he called from the summit of Whiteface Mountain at 4:30 pm saying that he was out of energy and could not feel his hands. Mr. Varoli had sprinted up the mountain as part of a training mission for a mountaineering expedition. Four DEC Forest Rangers were dispatched to pick up snowmobiles and respond to the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway. Before the rangers arrived at the highway, State Police attempted to go up the unplowed highway with their 4WD Tahoe. State Police made it up the highway about a mile before encountering Mr. Varoli. He had abandoned his equipment on the summit and was close to giving up. He was turned over to his mother at 8:30 pm, who was waiting at the toll gate of the highway, and she brought him to the emergency room for further evaluation and treatment. Know your abilities and the conditions you will be facing. When training begin easy and progress your training as your physical abilities improve.

Town of Keene, Dix Mountain Wilderness

On Sunday, February 6, 2011 at approximately 12:26 am, DEC Central Dispatch received a phone call reporting that two people had not returned from skiing the slides on Dix Mountain. Christopher Yankee, 35, of Slaterville Springs, NY, and John Armstrong, 21, of Olive Bridge, NY were last seen by the caller around 2:00 pm heading up into the slide area before the caller decided to turn around due to the snow depth. A DEC Forest Ranger responded and searched the possible exit routes from the Dix area but did locate the two skiers. At 2:00 am, resources and plans were developed for the morning’s search operation. At 7:00 am four forest rangers started to break trail into the Dix slides while another ranger checked the local trail heads. At 9:00 am, the two men were located at the South Forks trail head, 3 miles from their vehicle. Both men were in good shape. According to Mr. Yankee and Mr. Armstrong, they skied off Dix Mountain late in the afternoon and ended up going down the wrong side of the mountain. When darkness and heavy snow arrived, they built a snow cave and spent the night. In the morning they skied down the drainage to South Forks. Know the conditions and the weather - turn around if the weather changes. Fortunately, these two men were prepared with the right equipment and knowledge to spend a winter night in the woods.

Town of Keene, High Peaks Wilderness

On Saturday, February 19, at 6:36 pm DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a short phone call in which the dispatcher heard noise but no voice before the call was disconnected. Moments later another similar call was received. The dispatcher dialed *69 and obtained a cell phone which she called, this time a voice was heard but not clearly. After a number of attempts by both parties a clear signal was obtained and the dispatcher was able to learn that Kent Stephens, 40, of Broadview Heights, OH; Justin Parks, 27, Cleveland, OH; and Calin Pop, 28, of Lakewood, OH were stuck in the Trap Dyke on the side Mt. Colden in the High Peaks Wilderness. The three men had left from the Adirondack Loj trailhead around noon to climb the Trap Dyke and summit Mt. Colden. Darkness, single digit temperatures, winds and exhaustion overtook them and they could no longer proceed. The call was transferred to a DEC Forest Ranger who explained to the three climbers that, due to the winds, a helicopter was not able to fly and their only options were to climb up or climb down. After convincing the three men to begin climbing down, the forest ranger and a second forest ranger used snowmobiles to travel to Avalanche Lake. The DEC Interior Caretaker at Lake Colden was dispatched to the base of the Trap Dyke to get visual contact on the climbers. The forest rangers arrived at 10:09 pm expecting to find the climbers at the base of Trap Dyke. However, the men had descended to the top of an ice/waterfall and stopped there. The forest rangers, using ice climbing gear, ascended to the base of the ice/waterfall and instructed the men on how to rappel down. The group then descended to the base of the Trap Dyke and onto Avalanche Lake at 12:48 am. Forest Rangers transported the three men by snowmobile to the Adirondack Loj parking lot. All parties were out of the woods at 2:22 am. Know your abilities and the conditions you will be facing. Start long distance and technically challenging backcountry trips early – especially in the winter.

Town of Keene, High Peaks Wilderness

On Sunday, February, 20, at 3:07 pm DEC Dispatch received a call from a person at the Adirondack Loj stating that one of his group of hikers was missing after a hike up Mt. Marcy in the High Peaks Wilderness. Katherine Chen, 36, of New York, NY and the rest of the group had left that morning from the Adirondack Loj trailhead to climb Mt. Marcy. However at the junction of the VanHovenberg Trail and the Phelps Trail, approximately 0.6 miles below the summit, Ms. Chen stated she was tired and couldn’t proceed. The rest of the group continued to the summit. When the group returned and didn’t find Ms. Chen they assumed she had returned to the Adirondack Loj. Upon arriving at the Loj trailhead they were unable to locate Ms. Chen and called for assistance. DEC Forest Rangers responded and assumed Ms. Chen had taken the Phelps Trail down the northeast side of the mountain. A forest ranger starting in from the Garden trailhead in Keene Valley received information from others on the trail that they had indeed seen Ms. Chen. At 4:21 pm a radio communication from Adirondack Mountain Club volunteers at John’s Brook Lodge informed the forest rangers that Ms. Chen was at the lodge warming and hydrating. The forest ranger continued to Johns Brook Lodge and escorted Ms. Chen back to the Garden Trailhead. He transported her to Noonmark Diner in Keene Valley where she was reunited with her group at 7:11 pm. Never leave an inexperienced hiker alone. Remain together or at least have an experienced hiker remain to assist the inexperienced hiker.

Franklin County

Town of Harrietstown, High Peaks Wilderness Area

On Thursday, December 30, 2010, at approximately 2:57 pm, DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a call from Bob Meyer, 65, of Cortland Manor, NY, stating that he was very close to the summit of Ampersand Mountain and that he felt very nauseous and weak. Mr. Meyer stated he would start hiking down, but requested assistance because he felt he might not be able to continue. Three DEC Forest Rangers responded with a sled style litter and chainsaws to cut blowdown. The subject was located approximately 1.25 miles from the trailhead. He was given food and fluids and assisted out to the trailhead. The subject was able to walk out under his own power, but very slowly. All personnel were out of the woods by 5:30 pm. Carry plenty of food and water especially in the winter. Eat and drink often to maintain your strength.

Town of Harrietstown, High Peaks Wilderness Area

On Monday, February 21, at 12:10 am DEC Central Dispatch in Albany received a call from a friend of Scott Molnar, 26, of Doylestown, PA, stating that he had not returned from spending a day snowshoeing in the Adirondacks. Mr. Molnar had planned to spend Saturday hiking the Seward Range in the western portion of the High Peaks Wilderness and was expected to return home by 4:00 pm Sunday. At 5:30 am, nine DEC Forest Rangers met to begin their search for Mr. Molnar. At daylight two additional forest rangers were sent to assist State Police Aviation and serve as spotters in a helicopter. At 8:24 am Mr. Molnar was located coming out of the woods onto Corey’s Road near the Raquette Falls Trailhead. A forest ranger drove him to the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, where he was delivered for further evaluation and treatment at approximately 9:15 am. Mr. Molnar reports that he had climbed to the summit of Mt. Emmons on Saturday but the winds and blowing snow were so bad he became disoriented and began descending the west side of the mountain. He followed a drainage area down the mountain, intending to reach his car which was parked on the Corey’s Road. At one point he fell into a brook, becoming wet almost to his waist. Unable to start a fire he spent Saturday night under a tree covered only by an emergency space blanket. On Sunday morning, using a compass, he once again began hiking towards Corey’s Road. He hiked all day and through the night until he was located Monday morning. Know the expected weather conditions and plan accordingly, turn back if conditions warrant. Carry a sleeping bag or bivy sack even on day trips, you never know when you will spend a night in the woods. Fortunately the hiker was in good shape and did have a map and compass that he used to get back.

Hamilton County

Town of Lake Pleasant, Perkins Clearing Conservation Easement Lands

On Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at approximately 10:20am, a DEC Forest Ranger overheard Hamilton County 911 report that there was a snowmobile accident on a snowmobile trail on the Perkins Clearing Conservation Easement Lands. When the forest ranger arrived he learned that it wasn’t a snowmobile accident, but actually one of Lake Pleasant’s trail groomers had run over Randy LaVarnway, 41, of Lake Pleasant, NY, while he was working on the machine. According to Tom Germain, an eye witness to the accident, Mr. LaVarnway was trying to get the groomer started when Mr. Germain hit the starter. When the machine started it rolled over the lower half of Mr. LaVarnway’s body. Four DEC Forest Rangers responded and assisted the ambulance squad with packaging and transporting the subject. Mr. LaVarnway was transported to a helicopter and flown to Albany Medical Center for treatment at 12:30 pm.

Warren County

Town of Johnsburg, Siamese Ponds Wilderness

On Saturday, February 12, 2011, at approximately 4:20pm, a DEC Forest Ranger received information at the Old Farm Road trailhead about two potentially overdue skiers. Theadore Wright Jr., 85, and Susan Wright, 75, both of Niskayuna, NY, were part of an Adirondack Mountain Club outing group skiing the Botheration Loop Trail, but they had not returned as expected. While on routine ski patrol in the area earlier that day, the Forest Ranger had seen the two skiers at the north end of Botheration Pond, approximately 4 miles into an 8 mile round trip. They had been moving, although slowly. The Forest Ranger began searching by skiing from the Old Farm Road trailhead to the Garnet Hill intersection to no avail. He then proceeded to search the William Blake Pond trail where he located the two Wrights traveling without light and falling frequently. The forest ranger provided the two skiers with headlamps and assisted them out of the woods. They reached the trailhead safely at 7:50 pm. Stay in your group, always have experienced people leading and following the group. Carry a flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries.

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Springfest Events Announced for Whiteface

There’s more than 160-inches of snow at Whiteface, in Wilmington, N.Y., and you know what that means. More great skiing and riding for the entire family well into March at the Olympic mountain, not to mention the longer days, more sunshine and warmer weather.

Celebration activities have been planned to welcome spring at Whiteface Mountain. the events kick off with Mardi Gras, March 5-6 when visitors can ski, ride, collect beads and enjoy food and drink specials and live music from the funk, R &B and soul group Jocamo at the Cloudspin Lounge.

Kids will have the chance to play in the snow with Curious George, March 4-6. The PBS character can be found at Kids Kampus each day and parents who enroll their children in a full day kids Kampus program with Curious George will receive a $20 discount off a one day lift ticket. More information about Curious George and the Whiteface Kids Kampus can be found online.

On March 12 and 13 Whiteface will celebrate St. Patty’s Day including Super Shamrock Sunday, March 13 when visitors can ski and ride all day for just $35 for adults, $30 for teens and $25 for juniors. Afterward there will be a party in the Cloudspin Lounge with live music by Trenchtown Oddities.

It’s Reggae Weekend, March 19-20, with music in the Cloudspin Lounge from the Big Take Over, Saturday, March 19, and the following weekend, March 26-27, it’s a Pirate Party at Whiteface, featuring music from Y Not Blue.

Every Wednesday it’s Coca-Cola Why Not Wednesday’s?, Present any empty Coca-Cola product and get a one-day adult lift ticket for only $38. Offer not valid with any other offers, programs, promotions, discounts, or frequent skier products. Limit one ticket per can.

There will be free mountain tours each Saturday and Sunday and on March 5, Lake Placid’s own Andrew Weibrecht, the 2010 Olympic Super G bronze medalist, will be at the mountain to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

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Camping: Hang Your Food or Lose Your Lunch

Hanging food is one of the greatest annoyances while camping in the backcountry of the Adirondacks. It requires finding a suitable tree, locating an adequate rock, tying a rope onto the rock and making multiple throws attempting to hang the rope on a specific branch in a precise location. At any stage in the process a number of things can wrong requiring starting the whole process all over again.

Unfortunately, not hanging one’s food can easily result in losing all your meals and ruining an entire trip.

Hanging food is necessary in the Adirondacks to keep it out of the clutches of ravenous wildlife. The high-calorie treats carried by the typical backcountry explorer represents a smorgasbord of delights to most wild animals that have to struggle to obtain a comparable amount of calories in the wild.

Some of the animals eager to make a meal of your meals in the Adirondacks include but are not limited to mice, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, and bears. Most of these animals pose little danger but they can do serious damage to your equipment if it happens to stand between them and the precious delights they covet.

Although hanging food protects your provisions from many of these creatures the primary reason for going to great lengths to hang your food up in the tree canopy is to prevent black bears from gaining access to it. Unfortunately, not only do bears appear to relish human food but they are often intelligent enough to figure out how to effectively obtain it.

Finding a suitable limb for hanging one’s food bag can be a challenge, especially after a long day of slogging through the backcountry or hiking many miles by trail. It is essential to give yourself enough time by stopping early in the afternoon so as not to be hanging by headlamp.

With all the tree limbs available in the Adirondacks it can still be difficult to find a suitable branch in which to hang your food. The branch needs to be large enough to support your food bag but not sturdy enough that a bear can climb out onto it. In addition, the branch needs to roughly parallel to the ground so the rope does not slip toward the trunk as you pull the food up into the canopy. Typically hardwood trees are better for hanging food as their branches are thicker and they grow further out from the tree trunk.

Avoid hanging your food over your shelter though unless you are prepared to be woken in the middle of the night when a bear uses the shelter as a trampoline.

All methods for hanging a food bag require placing a rope over a tree branch using a rock. A rock is preferable to a piece of wood or a small stuff sack of dirt as these can be easily snagged up in the tree canopy. If the rope does get snagged on a branch take great care when tugging on it as you may find the rock slamming you in the head or somewhere much worse.

Finding a rock can range from trivial to exceedingly frustrating depending on the immediate vicinity where your campsite is located. Often the shores of water bodies and along streams are the best places to locate rocks although these are often smooth and round making trying a rope around them more challenging.

Since many Adirondack ponds have an indistinct shore and streams are not always available nearby I usually begin to search for tip-up mounds well before where I plan to make camp for the night. Often rocks are ripe for the picking in these tip-up mounds where a tree has been blown over. The more recent the tip-up the better as less leaf litter will have accumulated underneath making the rocks easier to locate.

Once a rock (or two just in case) and an adequate branch have been located it is time to actually hang the food bag. There are at least four different methods for hanging food bags. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages with some methods requiring more specialized equipment and training than others.

Typically, the food bag should be at least ten feet off the ground and four feet from the nearest tree trunk regardless of the method used to hang it. Using a dark colored rope is preferable since it is harder for bears to locate. To avoid having difficulty finding the rope yourself during the twilight hours following your dinner tie a small piece of florescent colored flagging on the rope until you are ready to hang your food for the night.

The traditional method for hanging a food bag requires simply throwing a rope over a single branch and hanging the food bag on one end and tying the other end off on another object, usually another tree. The rope should be tied off as high up on the object as possible. This method is simple but has the disadvantage of only being able to foil the most inexperienced bruin.

A similar method is to throw both ends of the rope over two different suitable branches with the food bag tied to the middle of the length of rope. Then pull both ends of the rope until the food bag is hanging equidistant from each of the branches. This method is a little more difficult requiring two suitable branches an acceptable distant from each other and then hanging the rope on each of them. The advantage is this method is more affective in thwarting a bear’s attempt.

The counter balance is one of the most affective methods to preventing even an experienced bear from getting your food but it requires two food bags. Your food must be separated into the two different bags each having approximately the same weight. The first bag is hung as in the traditional method but the second bag is then tied as high as possible along the opposite end of the rope. The remaining rope can then be placed in the second bag. The second bag can then be released so the two bags act as a counter balance to each other. A stick may be required to raise the second bag and to retrieve the bags. This method is one of the most difficult and can be harder to use as your food weight dwindles near the end of your trip.

The PCT method requires a single rope, a key chain carabineer and a twig. Once the rope is hug over the branch, the carabineer is attached to one end and the drawstring of the food bag is clipped into the carabineer. The food bag is pulled up all the way to the tree branch and the twig tied onto the rope as high as possible (using a two-loop clove hitch). The rope can then be released and the twig will catch on the carabineer and the food sack will hang from the branch. The rope can then be left to hang freely from the branch.

For most of my backcountry camping experience I have used the traditional method of hanging my food. I have never lost my food to a bear and only twice has my food been harassed by wildlife with only one of these in the Adirondacks. This single Adirondack incident involved a red squirrel in the High Peaks Wilderness.

Occasionally I use two branches with the food bag hanging in the middle but usually only when I have an abundance of time to kill at the campsite and there is ample evidence of bears in the vicinity. I have never actually tried the counter balance method but I imagine it would take an exceptional amount of patience something I typically have in short supply at the end of a long day of bushwhacking. I have never used the PCT method either but I look forward to doing so this summer.

The traditional method is typically adequate for anyone bushwhacking far from the trail system. Typically while bushwhacking one does not stay in the same campsite for more than a single night so animals have not become acclimated to presence of humans in the area. The infrequency of human activity greatly reduces the likelihood of any animal encounters.

And if you find hanging food to be too much of a chore then you can always carry a plastic bear-proof food canister. These are required in the eastern part of the High Peaks Wilderness now. I find the extra one to three pounds to be too much to carry except where essential or required.

Properly hanging your food in the tree canopy is essential for a safe, pleasurable and nutritious trip in the backcountry of the Adirondacks.

Photo: Bear claw marks.

Dan Crane blogs about his bushwhacking adventures at Bushwhacking Fool.

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Adirondack Birds: The Crow

To the people that study birds, the crow is something of an enigma. While it is often regularly seen in the Adirondacks, its wary temperament makes close-up observations a challenge. Additionally, each crow’s individual pattern of behavior may be either slightly, or vastly different from that of the other members of its flock. This creates difficulty in developing general statements regarding the crow, such as what do crows do during the winter. In some ways, the crow is a bird that is more like a human than any other feathered creature.

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Green Building Expert to Speak at Paul Smith's

An expert in developing energy-efficient buildings will speak at Paul Smith’s College this Friday, Feb. 25, at 10:10 a.m.

Greg Pedrick, a project manager in the Building R&D Sector of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), will give a talk in the Pine Room of the Joan Weill Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Pedrick will discuss sustainable energy use and green construction, including residential construction techniques for both new and existing buildings.

Pedrick developed and runs NYSERDA’s Advanced Buildings Program, which focuses on the development and demonstration of high-performance residential buildings and helps the building industry incorporate those advances in the real world.

An engineer with more than 23 years of experience, Pedrick has designed and managed the construction of a high-efficiency, 1,600-square-foot timber-frame home in the Adirondacks. His recent work has focused on high-performance building shells and dehumidification systems that do not require compressors.

The talk is sponsored by the college’s Natural Resources Sustainability program and the School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

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Adirondack Park Agency Issues Annual Report

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) has issued its 2010 Annual Report. The report summarizes yearly accomplishments and includes links to key documents such as the Citizen Guide, Jurisdictional Form, telecommunication sites, broadband coverage and Unit Management Plans. In addition, embedded in this year’s report is a link to the 2010 Agency Board Highlights. The Board Highlights link details Board activity, projects approved and presentations received. The Annual Report is available from the Agency’s website [pdf]. Information about the 2009 Annual Report can be found here.

During 2010, the Administration Division worked to meet budget mandates by reducing the work force. This was accomplished in part through retirements and the closure of both the Visitor Interpretive Centers.

The Economic Services Division participated in the review and approval of 42 projects which are believed to have retained or created jobs in the Park. In addition, staff coordinated with the Town of Brighton on reuse opportunities for the former Camp Gabriels prison site and provided guidance on the Lake Champlain Bridge project which expedited project approval.

Regulatory Programs staff issued 392 permits and processed 167 pre-application requests. 59 economic development and 28 cellular projects were approved. In addition, 73 general permits were issued. APA staff responded to the sudden closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge by issuing permits for bridge demolition, the development of a temporary ferry and the construction of the new tied-arch bridge. Regulatory Program staff helped develop new general permit applications for a change in use for existing commercial, public/semi-public or industrial buildings and the installation of new or replacement cellular equipment.

Planning staff worked with local governments such as the Towns of Westport and Tupper Lake which sought successfully sought planning map amendments. Planning staff also worked with the Towns of Crown Point, Essex and Bellmont on local planning and mapping initiatives. Staff prepared base maps for the Hamlets 3 Smart Growth project and assisted in the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the APA and the Department of EEnvironmental Conservation (DEC) that defines a process for review of projects on lands in which the State owns a conservation easement.

Local Government Services staff responded to 570 inquiries from local officials on land use issues and participated in twenty-six meetings with town officials providing information on Agency jurisdiction and land use law. In addition, staff reviewed 99 variances from towns with approved local land use programs.

State land staff prepared four State land classification packages which were approved by the Governor in 2010. Actions included were the creation of a new Little Moose Mountain Wilderness Area, establishment of a new Intensive Use Camping Area in the Moose River Plains, and the reclassification of the fire towers on Hurricane and St. Regis Mountain to Historic. Staff also provided advice on five new unit management plans which were determined compliant with the SLMP by the Agency Board.

Resource Analysis and Scientific Services staff completed 271 wetland delineations, advised on 242 wetland jurisdictional determinations and evaluated 81 deep hole test pits. Staff conducted educational workshops on stormwater management and the impacts of invasive species.

Regulatory revision was a significant focus for Legal staff. During the year, staff implemented regulatory revisions related to boathouses. The Legal Division also continued to work on advancing three bills in the legislature: 1) to create a community housing incentive; 2) to create a local planning grant program; and 3) to streamline the Agency’s permit process and enable development rights transfer. Legal staff were also responsible for executing Executive Order 25, which required State agencies to conduct a review of their rules and regulations.

The Jurisdictional Inquiry Office wrote 856 jurisdictional determinations, (560 non-jurisdictional and 186 jurisdictional) handled 510 referrals from other agencies and answered nearly 4,820 general inquiry phone calls. The average response time for jurisdictional determinations was 16 days. In addition, staff processed 233 Freedom of Information requests.

Enforcement staff opened 380 cases and successfully closed 372 cases, including 189 signed settlement agreements and 112 cases closed with no violations. Ongoing outreach with code enforcement and local government officials has dramatically reduced the number of subdivision violations. In 2010, of the 98 subdivisions undertaken within the Park, only one resulted in a violation.

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. For more information, call the APA at (518) 891-4050 or visit www.apa.state.ny.us.

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Empire State Games, Jack Shea Sprints in Lake Placid

Winter sports of all kinds are taking place in Lake Placid this weekend when the 2011 Empire State Games kick off on Friday February 25th, giving New York State athletes the opportunity to compete in their winter sports. The Olympic Style Opening Ceremonies, in which the athletes march into the arena with their respective sport teams, will be on Friday at 6 pm in the Olympic Center 1980 Herb Brooks arena.

The fun continues on Saturday February 26^th with a Festival of the Games at 4 pm. The band Barefoot Truth will be performing starting at 5 pm, and the parade of athletes at the toboggan run will commence at 6 pm. The parade will be followed by more music by Barefoot Truth and fireworks. This event will take place on the Lake Placid Public Beach. The Empire State Games are a great opportunity for spectators to watch amateur athletes compete in winter sports including alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross country skiing, figure skating, luge, skeleton, ski jumping, ski orienteering, snowshoe racing, short track speed skating, women’s ice hockey, and skier/boarder cross. For more information, visit the Empire State Games website at www.empirestatewintergames.com.

Also happening this weekend, the Lake Placid Speed Skating Club will be hosting their last long track speed skating race of the season, the Jack Shea Sprints. Named after Lake Placid Native and Olympic Gold medalist Jack Shea, the race consists of a 500 meter (1 lap and a straightaway) and 1000 meter (2 and a half laps) on Saturday and the same distances on Sunday. Skated on the 400 meter Olympic Oval, this is a great race for spectators because the distances are shorter “sprint distance” races and can provide an idea of what Olympic style racing is like. Although not included in the Empire State Games this year, the Lake Placid Speed Skating club hopes to have long track speed skating included in the Games next year. For more information on the race, visit the registration site at www.lakeplacidoval.com.

Christie Sausa is a figure skater and speed skater writing about winter sports from Lake Placid, NY. Her internationally recognized blog Lake Placid Skater is a leading source of competitive Lake Placid ice skating news and information.

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