Outdoor Recreation Archives - Page 3 of 189 - The Adirondack Almanack Archive - The Adirondack Almanack

North Creek, NY— It’s nearing peak fall colors in the Adirondack Park. There are many places to see the leaves as mountainsides and valleys turn bright orange, yellow, and red. Protect the Adirondacks has put together hiking guides to 25 hikes that are easy, moderate, and challenging, but lead to terrific locations to see the fall colors in all corners of the Adirondack Park. These guides include maps, information about hiking conditions, and pictures.

This list includes short, easy hikes of one mile or so, such as Azure Mountain, north of Paul Smith’s, Coney Mountain outside of Tupper Lake, Cook Mountain in Ticonderoga, Balm of Gilead outside of North Creek, the Bloomingdale Bog outside of Saranac Lake, Cobble Lookout in Wilmington, or Black Bear Mountain near Inlet and Old Forge.

Moderate hikes of 2 to 4 miles include Poke-O-Moonshine, Catamount Mountain and Silver Lake Mountain south of Plattsburgh, Haystack Mountain outside of Lake Placid, Owl Head Lookout near Elizabethtown, Goodnow Mountain in Newcomb, Moxham Mountain in Minerva, Hadley Mountain outside of Lake Luzerne, Five Mile Mountain north of Bolton Landing, or Owls Head Mountain in Long Lake.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Recording birds in two counties while away for Grandson Jacob’s wedding

by Gary Lee

Fall weather has finally hit here in the North Country, with the first frost on Thursday, [September] 21, but it was light enough that my wide leaf plants didn’t get hit. My bed of nasturtiums, which have very big leaves and hundreds of flowers, wasn’t touched. Not too many bees (or other bugs) doing any pollinating this time of the year to make seeds for next year. I did see my last hummingbird on Friday morning [September 22] which gave us a new record for Eight Acre Wood by seven days longer than ever before. We were down Rochester way [on] Saturday and Sunday, [September 23 and 24,] so that record will have to stand for now. Maybe they have adapted to global warming faster than we know, staying this late.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

DEC Urges Fall Hikers to Avoid the Adirondack Rail Trail During Ongoing Construction

by NYS DEC

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Find Alternate Trails to Enjoy and Prevent Safety Concerns and Construction Delays

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging community members, visitors, and recreationists to avoid the Adirondack Rail Trail, to ensure the protection of public safety and assist in timely completion of the project. There is ongoing construction to complete Phase 1 of the project spanning from Lake Placid Depot to Saranac Lake Depot. While some sections of the trail between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake may appear complete, crews are still working on the trail surface, parking areas, fencing, intersections, and more. The area is closed for use and should be avoided until the project is complete.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Saranac River projects impact access for paddlers, other users this fall

Several projects along the Saranac River section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) will impact access for paddlers and other users this fall. The projects include construction on Casey Road, a dam removal near Indian Rapids, and a fish ladder being installed at Imperial Mills Dam.

“Our community partners have done great work to inform us of the impact these projects will have on users,” said NFCT Stewardship Director Noah Pollock. “We want to be sure that paddlers, anglers and other outdoor recreationists know about this work and adjust their plans accordingly — the goal is to keep people safe and informed. Ultimately, these projects will enhance these sections of the Saranac River and we’re excited to see them come to fruition.” » Continue Reading.

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Moose on the Loose in the ADKs, Moose Fest happening this weekend

by Gary Lee

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Hurricane Lee hit mainland, but it was in the Canadian Maritimes (still as a hurricane) with 80 MPH winds. The coastal areas of Massachusetts and Maine suffered some damage from the wind and waves putting out power and flooding water to the areas near the ocean. This area has been hit with every storm coming up the coast and storms coming across the nation, so they didn’t need any more water. It is still raining there today, September 18.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Paul Smith’s VIC to host Circular Jazz Trio concert, Leave No Trace training course

Paul Smiths, NY- Paul Smith’s College VIC has announced a slew of upcoming events to suit a wide variety of interests, including a free jazz concert featuring The Circular Jazz Trio set for tomorrow, Saturday, September 23, as well as an informative and interactive training course focused on the seven principles of Leave No Trace. This two-day event is slated for Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1.

Please see below for more details on these events and a link to keep tabs on other upcoming VIC events, such as a Mushroom Foray event set for tomorrow, and several opportunities to take a beginner-level canoe paddle on Barnum Pond with VIC staff.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Remsen Falls Motorized Access Route for Persons with Disabilities Closed Temporarily

by NYS DEC

Closure to Support Upgrade of ADA-Picnic Area and Increase Accessibility

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a temporary closure of the Remsen Falls Motorized Access Route for Persons with Disabilities (MARPWD) in the hamlet of McKeever, town of Ohio, Herkimer County, as this popular destination in the Black River Wild Forest undergoes construction.  The 0.6-mile route will be resurfaced and hardened with gravel and the accessible features at the picnic area will be upgraded to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Wolf Lake Landing Road, which provides entrance to the Remsen Falls access route will remain open, however, the public can expect to encounter construction vehicle traffic during weekdays. Construction is anticipated to be complete later this year. DEC will issue an announcement when the access road is reopened.

Questions regarding this project can be directed to Supervising Forester Scott Healy by phone at (315) 866-6330, or by email to scott.healy@dec.ny.gov.

Photo at top courtesy of the NYS DEC.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Adirondack Route 73 Shuttle Season Starts Sept. 23

by NYS DEC

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Free Shuttle for Popular Fall Weekends

On September 14, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Essex County, town of Keene, and Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) announced the Route 73 shuttle system launched in 2021 will return on Saturday, Sept. 23. The shuttle system helps manage safe, sustainable visitation along the busy Route 73 corridor in the Adirondack High Peaks region. The free shuttle system will operate on Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 23 through Oct. 8, and will also run Monday, Oct. 9.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Long Lake Boat Regatta Set for Sept. 23

LONG LAKE, NY— The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) will close out its 2023 Adirondack Race Series with the Long Lake Long Boat Regatta on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Hosted in partnership with Long Lake Recreation and Tourism, the Regatta features the North American Voyageur Canoe Championships, the Adirondack Kayak Championship and the Northeastern College Cup race for co-ed (two male and two female) C-4 Stock teams along with the “Everything Goes” race. The race is a 10-mile figure eight course beginning and ending at the Long Lake Public Beach. » Continue Reading.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

The Adirondack Canoe Classic, local plant sale, and roaming moose

by Gary Lee

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Morocco has killed over 2,100 people so far, with 2,500 more people injured. It has been hard for many of the mountain villages to get help with recoveries, buried in the rubble. Aftershocks have been happening, which is keeping people out on the streets and in open parks (away from buildings.) Then closer to home, the southern United States ducked a bullet when Category 5 Hurricane Lee turned north. [It stayed] out over the ocean, when it could have slammed the coast a terrible blow. It went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 [hurricane] in less than 24 hours, then swerved north. The wind from this storm will batter the east coastline all the way up into the Canadian Maritime provinces all week, with high waves and strong undertow currents.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

DEC: Fall Fishing Tips

by NYS DEC

The weather may cool off in the fall, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the fishing does too. Gamefish often become more active as they feed in preparation for winter. Forage is plentiful for gamefish in the fall as young-of-the-year yellow perch, sunfish, gizzard shad, and alewives reach desirable sizes. Gamefish will often follow these species around, so it can sometimes be challenging to locate fish.

Friday, September 15, 2023

Temporary Trail Closure: Cobble Hill in Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The Cobble Hill trail in Lake Placid will be closed Monday, September 18, through Thursday, September 21, to allow a professional trail crew to do rock and drainage work. The trail will re-open Friday, September 22.

The work is part of a multi-year project to make the hiking path safer and more enjoyable for hikers of a wide range of ages, experience and ability. » Continue Reading.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Buck Mountain Fire Tower Ribbon Cutting

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Long Lake, NY – The Town of Long Lake in collaboration with Hamilton County, NY is excited to announce the opening of the Buck Mountain Fire Tower located in Long Lake, NY. This 1.2 mile (one- way) hike with 500 feet in elevation gain is located on South Sabattis Circle Road off NYS Route 30, eight miles north of the Long Lake Town center. There will be a ribbon cutting on Friday, September 15, 2023 at 1pm at the Buck Mountain Fire Tower Trail Parking Lot located on South Sabattis Road.

Monday, September 11, 2023

Paul Smith’s College VIC Announces New Sound-Focused Attraction