Thursday, January 5, 2023

SUNY ESF: Adirondack Interpretive Center announces roundup of winter events

Nature trail in winter

The Adirondack Interpretive Center at SUNY ESF’s Newcomb Campus has recently announced a lineup of winter activities such as guided snowshoeing excursions, bird walks, a winter tracking workshop, a Cross-Country Ski to Forestry Demonstration Cuts activity, and more. Please see below for details on each event. Interested parties may register for an event by clicking on the provided links.

Winter Bird Walk
Saturday January 7th, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Guest birder, Miok Salz, will start the morning identifying the winter finches visiting the AIC feeders. This will be followed by and easy snowshoe on the trails to look for more birds.
Snowshoes provided. Preregistration required – click here to register via email.

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Thursday, January 5, 2023

Recreation Highlight: Camp Sagamore Trail System

sagamore trailsWithin the 47,000-acre Blue Ridge Wilderness lies the Camp Sagamore Trail System. Located near and around the grounds of Great Camp Sagamore, a registered National Historic Landmark and one of few Adirondack Great Camps still in existence today, this trail system provides an immersive nature experience.

The system consists of four interconnected trails. At 3.8 miles, the Sagamore Lake Trail is the longest, looping around the shores of Sagamore Lake and briefly passing the camp itself. Though the trails are not part of the historic Great Camp Sagamore complex, reminders of the Gilded Age can still be found in the surrounding woods. Along the Powerhouse Trail lies the remnants of an old gatehouse and a powerhouse that once used natural water energy to create electricity for Great Camp Sagamore. Please use caution around these historic sites and help preserve these landmarks by leaving what you find for others to enjoy.

Trailhead Locations:
All trailheads can be found on Sagamore Road in Inlet, NY. Turn onto Sagamore Road off Route 28 in Raquette Lake. The first trailhead will be for the Cascades Trail, the next for the Powerhouse Trail; you can find parking for the Sagamore Lake Trail just before the Great Camp itself. (N 43.771987°; W 74.637854°).

DEC photo


Monday, January 2, 2023

Cascade Welcome Center: Free weekend programs to begin Jan. 6

January 2, 2023 — Lake Placid, NY — Starting this Friday, January 6, the Adirondack Mountain Club’s (ADK’s) Cascade Welcome Center will be hosting free weekend nature and recreation programs throughout the winter season. Led by ADK naturalists, each program is open to all ages and aims to connect locals and visitors to the natural wonders of the Adirondacks.

Snowshoe rentals can be provided free of charge for all programs. Participants should come prepared with warm layers to spend at least an hour outside in subfreezing temperatures. Details about each program are listed below.

 

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Saturday, December 31, 2022

Looking back at first days as a Ranger, keeping feeders stocked for over 50 Evening Grosbeaks

Male party evening grosbeaks

The first day of winter was very nice, but the next few days right through (and past) Christmas Day were wild in many parts of the country. The worst being right in our backyard in Buffalo where the snow is still falling and the wind [is] still blowing off Lake Erie. [It has been] reported that 55 people have died so far [as of December 26] as a result of the storm, many found dead in their snow-trapped cars and some [were found] out on the streets frozen to death.

 

The quick change in temperature from in the forties down to below zero in just a few hours and winds up to (and over) 70 MPH off the lake brought the snowfall of over five feet in some places again, and drifts of over 16 feet. Many people didn’t heed the warnings and they had to get out and do that last minute Christmas shopping, which could have been their last trip. We missed most of that here in the North Country, but just north of us in the Tug Hill area they had over four feet of snow, and it is still falling there as of this writing [December 26.]

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Thursday, December 29, 2022

Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games Info Session Set For Jan. 5

FISU World Games participant

LAKE PLACID, NY (December 23, 2022) –  The Lake Placid Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism will host a Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games public information session on Thursday, January 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the North Elba Town Hall. Area residents and business owners are encouraged to attend.

Presenters include officials from Adirondack Sports Council along with the NYS Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), community event planners and the Lake Placid Police Department.

Information about local and regional businesses, community impact, and visitor engagement during the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games will be discussed. Topics will include village and business-related information, venue information, volunteer opportunities, updated and finalized schedules, traffic impacts, and local celebration venues and activities. There will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about the games and related events.

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Sunday, December 25, 2022

Assisting with loon rescues on First Lake, Brantingham Lake

You skiers and snowmobilers can stop praying for snow, because we have it. [Or at least,] enough to ski and snowmobile on. Looking at the temperatures [ahead,] the bottom is going to go out on the thermometer (except for one day [with temps in the] forties before Christmas with some rain.) [People are] paying more for heating fuel oil or propane, and I hear you can hardly even get kerosene. Not many people heat with kerosene anymore, but tractor trailer drivers cut their fuel with it to keep it from jelling in cold temperatures.

 

Another thing that must be jelling is some local septic tanks, as I see the Egan sewer pumper on the road around here most every day. If you just put a couple packets of yeast down the toilet when you leave it inactive for a few months (or even when you are using it regularly,) you shouldn’t have to call the pumper. The yeast keeps the system working perfectly. Mine hasn’t been pumped in 20 years of use. I heard that at the Fulton Chain of Lakes meeting thirty years ago, stated by a couple local sewer pumpers, Chip Sauer and Rick Hunkins. They had all the work they needed, and they were just trying to save some camp [owners] and homeowners a few bucks. The old wise tale was to throw in a road-killed cat or woodchuck to start the system working when you first put in your septic tank, but you don’t have to do that… just a packet of yeast will do the trick.

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Saturday, December 24, 2022

DEC Announces Third Year of Ice Fishing Creel Survey on Lake Champlain

On December 15, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the annual ice fishing creel survey will resume for its third year on the New York waters of Lake Champlain from January through March 2023.

“Anglers are important partners when it comes to the management of the Lake Champlain fishery,” said Commissioner Seggos. “By participating in programs like the ice fishing creel survey, anglers provide us with information that ultimately benefits both our environment and the future of quality fishing in New York State.”

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Thursday, December 22, 2022

DEC to Hold Annual ‘First Day Hikes’ throughout New York State

Celebrate the new year in the outdoors with a First Day Hike at one of the many events across the state and nation. DEC, State Parks, and the Canal Corporation invite New Yorkers to kick off 2023 by participating in one of the many hikes being held at state parks, historic sites, wildlife areas, trails, and public lands across the Empire State on January 1, 2023. DEC Region 6 staff will lead free family-friendly hikes in St. Lawrence and Lewis counties that will help connect with nature on the first day of the New Year.

“Getting outdoors and connecting with nature is the perfect way to start the New Year,” said Randall Young, DEC Region 6 Director. “First Day hikes across the state and in the region bring together outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities, creating opportunities to create lasting memories in the process.”

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Saturday, December 17, 2022

Graduation of 38 NYS Forest Rangers brings back memories of becoming a Ranger in 1965

Graduating Forest Rangers

We had a trickle of winter white, but we could use more. I believe the ground froze, as we had a few nights around twenty [degrees] before this little snowfall. Some loons forgot to leave, and three were frozen in First Lake yesterday [Sunday, December 11]. Two flew out during the day, and I have not heard about the other one. There were [also] a couple Bald Eagles keeping watch and waiting for a snack. Please remind your children to stay off the ice until we have some really cold weather [for the sake of their safety]. This on-and-off warm then cold weather hasn’t made the ice safe yet, so stay off [it] as a fall through the ice can be life threatening.

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Monday, December 12, 2022

DEC Recreation Highlights: Give the Gift of an Adirondack Adventure and #LiveGreenNY

Looking for the perfect gift? Forget wrapping paper and bows. Instead, think outside of the box and gift an Adirondack adventure instead of material things. Need inspiration? If your recipient enjoys outdoor adventure, then they may like to go:

  • Hiking – Gift someone a day of quality time spent together on the trail. Pick a hike appropriate for the recipient and the weather, and remember to pack the 10 hiking essentials. Consider a DEC First Day Hike and get ready to enjoy the views.
  • Birdwatching – Gift a pair of binoculars or plan on visiting one of the many sites on the New York State Birding Trail. Don’t forget to take photos and log the types of feathered friends you encounter.

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Saturday, December 10, 2022

Reminiscing about the search and rescue of young Inlet hunter Charlie Mitchell

This up-and-down fall weather is not good for the little critters that live just under the snow searching for food. The rain comes and takes most of the snow away, the ground freezes, and leaves them without a home until the snow comes again. Most winters in this area, there is hardly ever frost in the ground when it is covered with snow. The year of the 1980 Olympics, we had a big washout just after Christmas which bared up the ground, [and] then [we had] a deep freeze for a few days.

 

There were a few natives who had waterlines just under the ground a few inches and they froze for the first time ever, with no snow cover to protect them. We [got] some snow, but up in the Lake Placid area they got no snow and had to make and move snow for the whole cross-country track…which was quite an effort. I remember going up to get our ID passes as Forest Rangers, and the ground was bare two weeks before the Olympics.

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Saturday, December 10, 2022

Keeping young kids active during winter

By Kat Harkins

Physical activity and healthy play are critical to the development of young children, but keeping them active when it’s cold outside can be tough. The Heart Network’s Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (CHSC) program works to enhance nutrition and physical activity for kids by working with childcare providers across Franklin County to promote adoption of policies that ensure young children can thrive. With winter settling in across the North Country, we’ve partnered with Play ADK — a Saranac Lake-based nonprofit working to establish a children’s museum and family resource center serving the Adirondacks — to provide families with tips for keeping kids active.

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Saturday, December 10, 2022

Audubon’s 123rd Christmas Bird Count Set For December 14 – January 5

All are welcome to participate in the Audubon’s 123rd Christmas Bird Count slated for December 14, 2022 to January 5, 2023. The community science-centered event occurs each year during the same time frame. Interested parties are encouraged to sign up to receive information and results about all of Audubon’s community science programs through their American Birds newsletter by email. Click here for a  map view of the circles expected to be included in the 123rd CBC.

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Monday, December 5, 2022

DEC Recreation Highlight: Ditch the App, Bring a Map

Winter hiking

Knowing the fundamentals of how to read a map and use a compass should be at the core of your outdoor skills. GPS tools or apps are great to have, but they aren’t a replacement for a paper map and compass and the ability to use them. Even if you have top of the line technology for wayfinding, a map and compass should still always be among the essentials in your pack.

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Sunday, December 4, 2022

Old Forge to kick off snowmobile season with Snodeo on December 9 – 11

 

OLD FORGE, NY – The Central Adirondack Association (CAA) will be kicking off the 2022-23 snowmobile season with the annual Snodeo event at the George T. Hiltebrant Recreation Center on the weekend of December 9, 10, and 11. The North Street pavilion in Old Forge will be filled with sleds, gear, and accessories that no snowmobile enthusiast will want to miss. All four major manufacturers (Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski Doo, and Yamaha) will be on hand, plus other vendors including, Hudon’s Sled Salvage & Power Sports, Guaranteed Traction Solution, Northland Trailers, RPM Apparel, Mack Studs, Curve Industries, Patriot Trailers as well as many more new and repeat vendors.

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