Sunday, July 31, 2022

Hiking with Grandma Beth: Old Forge resident shares coverage of Loon Census, Moose River Plains

As another extension of our initial post about an Old Forge grandmother, Beth Pashley, avid hiker and talented photographer, The Adirondack Almanack will be featuring snippets of Pashley’s hiking adventures on a year-round basis including her visually-striking and artistic nature photographs. Pashley was inspired to embrace the great outdoors with her grandchildren starting at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, dubbing the family bonding time as “The Grandma Chronicles.”

 

Our last Hiking with Grandma Beth post was published in April, so we thought it was high time to reintroduce her photography to readers, this time by covering her recent excursion to Moose River Plains, as well as to highlight her involvement in the 2022 NY Loon Census.

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Saturday, July 30, 2022

DEC announces Next Step Hunter Education Courses set for early August

The NYS DEC’s Hunter Education program has recently announced pilot “Next Step” courses for those who have already completed a hunter education or bowhunter education certification course, and are currently seeking more hands-on experience before the upcoming season.  Each four-hour Next Step course focuses on safety, techniques, and hands-on field instruction. There is no certification offered with these courses.

Students will need their Hunter Education certificate number to register for a Next Step course. The minimum age is 12-years-old, and there are still spots left in upcoming Next Step Bowhunting and Crossbow courses slated for early August.

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Adirondack High Peaks Hiker Shuttle Pilots Multi-Day Transport Option

 

LAKE PLACID, NY (July 27, 2022) – An overnight shuttle program for hikers seeking multi-day excursions in the High Peaks Wilderness region of the Adirondacks will be offered on August 8 and August 15 as part of the Essex County Route 73 Hiker Shuttle program. The multi-day shuttle allows visitors to easily hike and camp for up to four days and three nights in the High Peaks Wilderness region, without the cumbersome vehicle logistics required for a through-hike.

This special schedule gives easy access to the most popular trails in the region and allows for multi-day “through-hikes” beginning at one location and ending at another, without the need for hikers to drive their vehicle to a regional trailhead. Overnight and multi-peak excursions often require multiple trips and multiple vehicles left at trailheads so that hikers can access their vehicles at the beginning and end of their trip. The multi-day shuttle alleviates this requirement.

The shuttle transports visitors from the Frontier Town Gateway parking lot in North Hudson (Exit 29), often referred to as the ‘A-frame,’ to the Adirondak Loj in North Elba, where hikers can access some of the most popular hiking trails to the most remote peaks, including Marcy, Haystack, Colden, Panther Gorge, Wallface, and Indian Pass.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Raquette Lake: Great Camp Sagamore offers guided history hikes

Hiking enthusiasts of all ages and abilities are encouraged to take advantage of a unique opportunity to embark on an educational guided hike where participants will venture into the great outdoors at Great Camp Sagamore and learn about the area’s rich history.

Great Camp Sagamore once had a farm, a 100,000-gallon covered reservoir, and a hydroelectric powerhouse, all hidden away in the surrounding forest. These historic structures were located conveniently close by for the workers who operated them, but hidden from view for the Vanderbilt’s distinguished guests.

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Monday, July 25, 2022

ADK, The Nature Conservancy improve access at Silver Lake Bog Preserve

 

July 25, 2022 — Black Brook, NY — The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Lake Bog Preserve’s nature trail is now more safe, sustainable, and accessible after a month of work by ADK’s professional trail crew. Part of a multi-year effort to make the Silver Lake Bog Preserve more accessible to all, The Nature Conservancy in the Adirondacks contracted with ADK to rebuild a bridge, reroute unsustainable trail sections, and establish a formal trail to the bluff viewpoint, which includes wooden ladders to increase safety.

The Silver Lake Bog Preserve is a publicly accessible 98-acre property that features a boardwalk that winds through an ancient peatland bog, the unsung hero of carbon capture, hardwood forests, and spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The improved trail travels 1.5 miles through the Preserve and features a 200-foot bluff overlooking Silver Lake and Whiteface Mountain.

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Sunday, July 17, 2022

What’s in a Name: O.K. Slip Falls

OK slip falls

One of the most popular destinations for those who seek out waterfalls is O.K. Slip Falls in the Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County.  From the parking area on State Route 28 between North Creek and Indian Lake, it is just over a 3-mile hike over a well-maintained, marked trail to get to a viewing area where one can gaze upon this natural wonder.  O.K. Slip Falls is considered one of the tallest waterfalls in New York State, having a 250-foot drop.  On several occasions I have seen or heard the following inquiry:  how did O.K. Slip Falls get its name?

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Sunday, July 17, 2022

YouTube Personalities, Singletracks Writer Bike in the Adirondacks

LAKE PLACID, NY (July 12, 2022) – The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is promoting the growing network of mountain bike trails in the region by arranging for travel writers and video content producers to visit the area. YouTube personalities Mo and Hannah, along with a writer from Singletracks, visited the region at the end of June.

Mo Assoum and Hannah Binder, also known as Awesome MTB, produce travel-related mountain biking and paddling videos that they share on their YouTube channel, blog and social media accounts. They visited the region from June 27 – July 2 to ride trails in Lake Placid, Wilmington and Elizabethtown. They also spent time paddling, exploring the communities and speaking with local residents to learn what makes this area special.

The mountain bike duo rode the Hardy trails in Wilmington with a group of local mountain bikers and the Blueberry Trail System in Elizabethtown a few days later with riders from that community. “I think the Blueberry trails are our favorite in this part of the Adirondacks,” Mo said. “But the Hardy trails were incredible, too. The entire mountain bike community here is pretty special.”

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Saturday, July 16, 2022

Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance Awards 12 Grants to Improve Recreation Amenities

The Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance (ACRA) has awarded 12 grants to help communities create new biking and skiing trails, improve ice skating rinks, enhance terrain parks, and more.

The grant program is part of the Alliance’s work to enhance and develop recreation assets, increase region-wide stewardship, and advance policies to secure long-lasting community and economic benefits for Adirondack towns and villages.

The Northern Forest Center facilitates and participates in the Alliance and raised funds for this round of grants. The Alliance awarded close to $40,000 to help communities from Caroga to Vermontville improve recreational assets for residents.

Grants include funding to strengthen ice skating facilities and resources in Newcomb, Inlet, Ticonderoga and Elizabethtown, support pump tracks in Vermontville and Saranac Lake, create new or expanded mountain biking in Caroga, Chestertown and North Creek, enhance hiking opportunities in Long Lake, expand the terrain park at Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake, and strengthen a volunteer network dedicated to backcountry avalanche safety education.

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Saturday, July 16, 2022

Great Brant Lake Canoe Race set for August 13

Horicon, NY – The North Warren Chamber of Commerce is happy to announce the third annual Great Brant Lake Canoe Race is set for Saturday, August 13 at 9:30 a.m. The race is open to canoes, kayaks, and SUPs with categories for each.

The 6 mile race will begin at the north end of the lake and take paddlers down the length of Brant Lake’s picturesque shores and into a channel, finishing on the town beach on the Mill Pond in Horicon, NY.

There will be an award ceremony at 12:30 p.m. after the finish at the Horicon Community Center. This year, organizers are working to add events after the race to give paddlers and spectators more opportunities to get on the water, and to provide an access to paddlesports for newcomers to the activity.

The event will feature live music, food, a kids’ race, canoe demos, instructional clinics, and several not-for profit and other organizations joining in to engage and educate participants and spectators.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Classic 1929 Chris-Craft Wooden Boat to be Auctioned by LGA

LAKE GEORGE – Jeff Killeen has adoringly and meticulously cared for his rare 1929 Chris-Craft Cadet wooden powerboat for 25 years. Now he’s donating the award-winning vessel to a cause he cares about even more deeply – the long-term protection of Lake George. The 22-foot, triple-cockpit boat, christened “The Laker,” will be auctioned off by the not-for-profit Lake George Association at its July 23 Summer Gala, with all proceeds benefiting the LGA’s Lake-protection programs.

 

The appraised value of the boat is $40,000 and bidding will start at $25,000. Mr. Killeen, a retired information services and digital media executive who serves as volunteer chairman of the board of the LGA and lives year-round on the Lake, said he is downsizing his wooden boat collection and hopes to find a home for the beloved vessel with another Lake George wooden boat enthusiast. “The Laker” features a six-foot beam and is equipped with the original 1929 Chrysler Imperial 100-horsepower, straight-6 engine and all original parts.

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Monday, July 11, 2022

Boaters required to obtain certification before launching motorized watercraft in ADK waterways

PAUL SMITHS  – A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law was recently enacted that requires boaters operating any kind of motorized watercraft in the Adirondack Park and within ten miles of the Park’s boundary to obtain and possess a certification that confirms their motorboat is free of harmful aquatic invasive species.

 

The new measure to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species went into effect in June 2022 and is meant to complement the existing Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program operated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.

 

The public can learn more about this regulation via a new informational video and fact sheet, and can find locations around the region to get a courtesy inspection and a free boat wash at adkwatershed.org/clean-drain-dry.

 

The mission of the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute is to protect clean water, conserve habitat and support the health and well-being of the people in the Adirondacks through science, collaboration, and real-world experiences for students.

Photo at top: The easiest way for the public to ensure their boat meets the “Clean, Drain, Dry, Certify” standard is to visit a Watercraft Inspection Steward at a boat decontamination station. There are several located across the Adirondack region and a boat wash is free. Photo credit: Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute. Photo provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director of the Adirondack Watershed Institute.


Monday, July 11, 2022

“Go Before You Go” Campaign Underway For Second Year

Lake Placid, NY- Stewart’s Shops and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) are continuing their partnership to educate visitors about the importance of being prepared before beginning their Adirondack adventure. The campaign encourages people to visit a Stewart’s Shop to help prepare for their outing.

The “Go Before You Go” campaign comprises videos, along with audio messages and print materials. Video and audio will be seen and heard by those who visit Stewart’s Shops throughout the Adirondacks.

Campaign videos explain the importance of being prepared, encouraging people to stock up with supplies and to visit the restrooms at trailheads or other public spaces before accessing the trails. Audio recordings, played on the Stewart’s Shops outdoor speaker system, share similar messages for those filling their tanks at the gas pumps.

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Monday, July 11, 2022

ADK launches free naturalist programs in Lake Placid

Lake Placid, NY – Starting July 2, ADK will resume its popular naturalist-led walks and programs in the Lake Placid area. This includes all-new, one-hour interpretive walks at the Cascade Welcome Center, which will be offered every Saturday at 1 pm until mid-August.

Walk participants will meet inside the Cascade Welcome Center. All walks and programs are free, open to the public, and do not require advanced registration.**

Additionally, ADK will resume its popular summer naturalist series at the Heart Lake Program Center.

Guests and visitors are welcome to explore the natural world of the Adirondacks through hands-on activities by attending one or all of the following programs:

Naturalist Guided Walks  

Join an ADK Naturalist and learn about the natural history of the Adirondacks. Interpretive walks run at 10 am daily all summer long through mid-August. Meeting place is outside the Adirondak Loj.

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Friday, July 8, 2022

AdkAction to Transfer Saranac Lake Whitewater Park DRI Grant to Village of Saranac Lake

AdkAction and the Village of Saranac Lake recently announced that AdkAction is transferring its $411,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant awarded in 2018 for a new Whitewater Park in downtown Saranac Lake to the Village of Saranac Lake.

The transfer comes following several years of work by AdkAction on the Whitewater Park project. After suspending work on the project in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project team–Steve Maikowski of AdkAction, former AdkAction Board member Scott McKim, Tyler Merriam of the Ausable River Association, and past AdkAction Executive Director Brittany Christenson–resumed work on the project in 2021.

A Request for Proposals for Design and Permitting of the Whitewater Park was issued, and a company with extensive experience in whitewater park design and construction was selected for the project.

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Thursday, June 30, 2022

DEC seeks public input to address adverse impacts of informal trails on Catskill High Peaks

On June 29, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that DEC is working to help protect natural resources by identifying management solutions to address the adverse impacts of the expansion of informal trail networks on Catskill High Peaks (over 3,500 feet) previously considered to be ‘trailless.’ Informal trails created over time are having an impact and consistent with the Catskill Strategic Planning Advisory Group’s (CAG) preliminary recommendations to address increased public use in the region, DEC is seeking public input in this preliminary stage of management plan development.

“DEC is conducting a multi-year monitoring effort that is already identifying management concerns on many of these Catskill High Peaks,” said Commissioner Seggos. “DEC will be working outside of the conventional unit management planning process to develop a single document that will outline intervention strategies to help address adverse impacts in multiple areas as quickly as possible. We will be providing a variety of opportunities for public participation, including a public information session in the fall once the 2022 field monitoring season is complete.”

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The Adirondack Almanack

The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities

We publish commentary and opinion pieces from voluntary contributors, as well as news updates and event notices from area organizations. Contributors include veteran local writers, historians, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the Adirondack region. The information, views and opinions expressed by these various authors are not necessarily those of the Adirondack Almanack or its publisher, the Adirondack Explorer.

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