Tuesday, September 27, 2022

DEC: New fall foliage shuttle begins this weekend, October 1 & 2

fall foliage courtesy roostOctober Shuttle Promotes Public Safety by Providing Free, Convenient Access from North Hudson to Popular Adirondack High Peaks Trailheads

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds visitors to the Adirondacks of the new fall foliage shuttle program starting in October from Frontier Town Gateway in North Hudson to popular trailheads in the High Peaks region. To accommodate visitors seeking fall foliage hikes and views, no-cost shuttles will run the first two weekends in October from the Frontier Town Gateway to the Giant Mountain, Roaring Brook Falls, and Rooster Comb trailheads, as well as the Marcy Field Parking Area.

First announced in July, the new program is a partnership between DEC, Essex County, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), the towns of Keene and North Hudson, and the private owner of Frontier Town Gateway. The shuttle offers hikers the opportunity to experience fall foliage from its best vantage point – on the trail – without the hassle of driving to and parking at busy trailheads.

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Saturday, September 24, 2022

Adirondack Mountain Bike Festival returns to McCauley Mountain, October 1 & 2

OLD FORGE– The annual Adirondack Mountain Bike (MTB) Festival is ready to kick off Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2022 at the McCauley Mountain Ski & Recreation Center in Old Forge. The temperatures are cooling down and the fall colors are heating up in the Central Adirondacks, as hundreds of mountain bike families flood to the festival. The free festival is sponsored by the Central Adirondack Association (CAA), the Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance (AFTA), and the Town of Webb, and features guided rides, races and fun contests, clinics, bike and equipment vendors, food and refreshments, and live music.

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Thursday, September 22, 2022

Fire Tower closures during hunting season

stillwater fire towerFrom the GFS Chapter of the ADK Mountain Club Fire Tower Committee:

Here are the dates for fire tower closures for the hunting season, all dates are inclusive. Please respect these trail closures and private property. Climbs during these closure periods will not count towards the fire tower challenge.

*Swede Mountain Fire Tower trail will be closed from September 10th thru December 16th
*Stillwater Mountain Fire Tower trail will be closed October 11th thru December 20th
*Spruce Mountain Fire Tower Trail will be closed October 22nd thru December 4th

Photo courtesy of Friends of Stillwater Fire Tower


Monday, September 19, 2022

Long Lake Long Boat Regatta set for Sept. 24, paddlers can register online & on-site

Attention paddlers! The Northern Forest Canoe Trail will close out the 2022 Adirondack race series this Saturday, September 24 by partnering with Long Lake Recreation and Tourism to host the Long Lake Long Boat Regatta.  Pre-registration is recommended. The course is a 10-mile figure eight, beginning and ending at the Long Lake Public Beach. We welcome all NYPRA classes and an “anything goes” category. Use the link below to sign up; you can also register in person from 9:30-10:30 am on the front porch of the Adirondack Hotel (boat number pick up will also take place here). Start time on the beach at 11 a.m.

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Sunday, September 18, 2022

DEC: Fall bird migration underway, all regions of NYS Birding Trail completed

Fall Bird Migration is Underway:

Fall migration is an exciting time for birding. With migrants on the move your favorite birding site can change within a few days, with different species traveling in and out. Every spring and fall, thousands of raptors migrate, and birders may see or hear eagles, kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ospreys, Broad-winged Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons among others. The NYS Birding Trail highlights several hawk watches including Bear Mountain Hawk Watch at Bear Mountain State Park, Hook Mountain Hawk Watch, and Mount Peter Hawkwatch Trailway, all within the Hudson Valley segment.

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Saturday, September 17, 2022

Witnessing 90-Miler start, crossing paths with a toad after Woodhull Fire Tower lighting

No hummer seen today [Monday, September 12] but there may be some stragglers coming through, so we leave the feeders up for several days and if we don’t see them for about five days, we call them gone. They sure have been a treat this summer, as they have buzzed around the front porch doing touch and go practice out on our five feeders. Going back to last weekend, my grandson Jake and I went up to the Woodhull Fire Tower on Saturday night to light up the tower. I was glad to have the company, and the sunset was beautiful. As the night sky crept in, we could see that looking east was going to be a problem as haze moved in with the darkness.

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Saturday, September 17, 2022

DEC Recreation Highlight: Plan a Fall Foliage Hike from Frontier Town Gateway

The colors are coming soon, and hiking is one of the best ways to experience fall foliage in the Adirondacks. Enjoy the hikes and views without the hassle of driving and parking. No-cost shuttles will run during peak foliage weekends on Oct. 1 and 2 and again over Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day weekend on Oct. 8, 9, and 10 from the Frontier Town Gateway to the Giant Mountain, Roaring Brook Falls, and Rooster Comb trailheads and the Marcy Field Parking Area. These are the same drop-off locations currently offered by the Route 73 Hiker Shuttle (PDF) from Marcy Field, but from an alternate starting point.

The October shuttle will operate in a loop from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis. Dogs are not permitted on the shuttle, and masks are required. The gateway shuttle stop is conveniently located near the DEC Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian, and Day Use Area.

For more information on planning fall foliage hikes in the Adirondacks, including a list of family-friendly trails ideal for hiking in the spring, summer, and fall, click here. Due to their lower elevation, these hikes are great alternatives during transitions between seasons like mud season in the spring and colder, shorter days in the fall.

Photo at top: DEC photo.


Sunday, September 11, 2022

ADK releases new edition of winter outings guidebook

snowshoe and ski guidebookADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) has released a new edition of its winter guidebook, Ski and Snowshoe Trails in the Adirondacks, by Tony Goodwin. 

First published in 2003, the second edition of ADK’s winter guidebook is a comprehensive collection of fifty popular and lesser-known adventures for all ability levels throughout the Adirondack Park. It includes the iconic trips like Mount Marcy and the Whiteface Mountain Toll Road, as well as lesser-known destinations, such as Hoffman Notch, Berrymill Flow, and Moxham Mountain.

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Saturday, September 10, 2022

Reminiscing about Loon stories, serving on the NY firefighting team in ’89

We got plenty of rain in the last week and it is still falling. One storm brought us over an inch and a half overnight, and the next one gave us nearly two inches in a couple hours. This wet down the woods in good shape, as not much of it ran off. My pond drain is flowing again, and that made the trout happy enough to start feeding again. For a few days they didn’t want to surface into the warmer water for food. Some folks as close as Forestport never got a drop out of the bigger storm. There was very little wind (just rain) so the power didn’t go out, but some folks lost their telephone service. The big storm shut off our dish signal for over half an hour one time, and then on-and-off for the next hour.

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Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Summit stewards see rebound in hiker numbers 

summit stewards

In its 2022 midseason report, the Adirondack High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program reported a modest rebound in hiker contacts between May and July. The program stated that summit stewards spoke to an average of 81 hikers per day over that time period on Marcy, Algonquin, Wright, and Cascade, the four peaks with the most coverage by stewards. By comparison, the 2021 average was 62 hikers a day.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, September 5, 2022

Adirondack Interpretive Center September/October Events

Here’s a glimpse of what is planned for SUNY-ESF’s Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) for the remainder of September, heading into October. Programs include a variety of walks, hikes, and a Halloween-themed educational program called Skull Skills. Pre-registration is required for all programs.


Saturday, September 10th – 9:30 to 11:00 am
Black Bear Woods Walk
Come along for an easy guided walk as we learn about black bears in the Adirondacks. We’ll look for signs of bears on our trails, discuss the implications of a changing climate on black bears, and learn about bear safety. Bring your trail shoes and your best bear stories.
click here to register

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Updated RMP Continues Public Recreational Access Within Edinburgh & Corinth Conservation Easement Tracts

dec logoOn August 30, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the finalization of an updated management plan that will continue public recreational access and protect natural resources within the Edinburgh and Corinth Conservation Easement Tracts in Saratoga County.

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Saturday, September 3, 2022

Paddlers to converge Sept. 9-11 for 39th annual 90-Miler

The 39th annual Adirondack Canoe Classic — the 90–Miler — will take place Sept. 9-11, with nearly 600 paddlers competing in 250 boats.

The race is hosted by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) with support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, dozens of businesses, nonprofits and communities, as well as countless volunteers. It takes paddlers on a three-day journey from Old Forge to Saranac Lake — the first 90 miles of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

This event includes a full contingent of solo, tandem, four-person, and eight-person canoes as well as solo and tandem kayaks, one- and two-person guideboats, and stand-up paddle boards.

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Saturday, September 3, 2022

Final Three Segments of NYS Birding Trail Completed

On August 25, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the grand opening of the final three regions of the New York State Birding Trail, highlighting the state’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities. The Adirondacks-North Country, Catskills, and Southern Tier segments bring the total number of birding trail locations across the state to more than 300, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy.

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Friday, September 2, 2022

Ausable River Association to Auction Adirondack Guideboat

 

WILMINGTON, NY – It’s a rare opportunity to own and row a piece of Adirondack history. The Ausable River Association (AsRA) is holding a silent auction for a ca. 1900 Adirondack guideboat in excellent condition. The guideboat was donated to AsRA by an anonymous local donor to raise funds in support of AsRA’s innovative, science-based programs that protect the freshwater of the Ausable watershed and beyond.

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