Monday, February 13, 2023

Recreation Highlight: Leave No Trace on State Lands this Winter

Leave no trace graphic

Everyone who recreates on New York’s State lands has a responsibility to adequately prepare themselves and protect natural resources for future generations. Following the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace™, set forth by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, is one-way visitors are encouraged to Love Our New York Lands.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Proper planning is vital to a safe winter adventure. Know personal limits, set realistic goals, and choose an experience appropriate for everyone in the group. Research trails and routes before setting out and contact DEC or other knowledgeable parties with questions.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, February 13, 2023

Tupper Lake BrewSki on tap for Feb. 25

Tupper Lake BrewSki participants

Tupper Lake, NY  – The Town of Tupper Lake is hosting its annual BrewSki event on Saturday, February 25 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Tupper Lake Golf Course.

BrewSki features 17 local and regional breweries that offer samples and the opportunity to learn about regionally produced beers and the breweries that produce them; while skiing, snowshoeing and riding along the trails. Event organizers also arrange fire pits at which to rest along the trail and fat tire bike rental from High Peaks Cyclery. The event culminates with an after party at Raquette River Brewing featuring live music with Mickey and Claire.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, February 12, 2023

Looking Back to a Simpler Time: Being Paid with Food, Gardening & Camping

Valentine Cactus

So many big nature-related events happened this week, it will be hard to fit them all in. Most of you suffered through the two-day, one-night super freeze and way below zero windchill factor that would freeze any exposed skin in a matter of minutes. We had -27 here at Eight Acre Wood that morning and the birds at the feeder were sitting on their feet to keep them warm. [We had] 75 Evening Grosbeaks that morning, and the single White-Throated Sparrow was the first at the feeders, he even ate with the grosbeaks all around him.

 

My daughter, Erin, called me on Saturday, [Feb. 4] at quarter to three from the front porch [of her condo] in Myrtle Beach to say they just shot down the weather balloon. Photos coming via the internet. Well, I couldn’t have gotten that any sooner on the national news. They had been watching it for quite a while behind the building and then over the ocean where four jets had been all around it. Then one shot it down with a rocket. Now when she walks the beach, she will be looking for balloon parts, not shark’s teeth.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, February 11, 2023

DEC Recreation Highlight: Green Staycations

Hiker in the woods during winter time

With its holidays and school breaks, February is a popular time of year for vacations. Luckily, you don’t need to leave New York to enjoy a fantastic green vacation. Whether it’s a day, a week or even longer, enjoy some of the great recreational activities the Adirondacks–and all of New York–has to offer. Need inspiration? Here are some ideas to get started:

  • Visit Camp Santanoni for a Winter Weekend Event. Take in the natural beauty of the Adirondacks with this winter adventure. Upcoming dates include:
    • President’s Holiday weekend, February 18-20.
    • March 11-12

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 8, 2023

2023 Old Forge Winter Carnival set for Feb. 10-12

Cardboard sled race participants

OLD FORGE, NY –  The Central Adirondack Association is pleased to announce the return of the Old Forge Winter Carnival on February 10-12.  This family-fun weekend event will begin with an ice skating party from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, February 10 at the Joy Tract Road rink.  Hot cocoa, music, and a roaring bonfire will be provided for your skating pleasure.  Bring your own skates.


Monday, February 6, 2023

2023 Doc Lopez Run for Health to Feature New 5K Trail Run, Registration Open

The University of Vermont Health Network - Elizabethtown Community Hospital logo.

Elizabethtown, N.Y. – Registration for the 43rd Annual Doc Lopez Run for Health is now open. The event, scheduled for Sunday, April 30, 2023, includes the region’s only spring half marathon and a new 5K trail run.

“We’re thrilled to add a new element this year and hope to draw runners from around the region looking for a fun spring race,” said Sue Allott, race director and daughter of Robert “Doc” Lopez for whom the race is named. “The Doc Lopez race has always been a good excuse to get outdoors and celebrate springtime in the Adirondacks.”

» Continue Reading.


Monday, February 6, 2023

Take Part in the DEC Informational Kiosk Survey

Kaaterskill Falls trail restoration press event.

Interested parties are welcome to provide feedback for a chance to win a gift card to a sporting goods store. The NYS DEC is gathering the public’s opinion on their informational kiosks. Kiosks are small, open wooden structures that provide cover for educational/informational signs. These kiosks are located at various state properties such as state forests, wilderness areas, conservation easements, wildlife management areas (WMAs), boat launches, and more.

Take the survey to let the DEC know what you think and be entered to win a $50 sporting goods store gift card and a free subscription to the Conservationist magazine. Winners will be announced each month from January 2023 through January 2024. A grand prize winner will be announced in January 2024 and will receive a $200 sporting goods store gift card and a free magazine subscription. By providing input, you can help the DEC to help improve your outdoor experience. For prize rules and regulations, please visit DEC’s website.

 

Photo at top: Kaaterskill Falls trail restoration press event. DEC photo.


Sunday, February 5, 2023

Born with a gun in one hand and a fishing pole in the other, remembering Brother Bob

Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon

Winter just doesn’t want to happen this year. We get a little good snow for skiing and then it rains on top. This makes a hard crust and [doesn’t allow for] much control on cross-country skis unless you have steel edges, as some do. I never had any, mine are just no wax, but I still rub a candle on mine. I once went up for in-service training at Whiteface Mountain for telemark training. I only had one pair of skis, the same pair I still have with no edges and toe bindings.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, February 5, 2023

Recreation Highlight: Winter on the Adirondack Rail Trail

Portion of the Adirondack Rail Trail

This past fall, ground was broken on the future Adirondack Rail Trail, a 34-mile multi-use recreation trail that will stretch from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid, connecting communities of the North Country and providing a world-class outdoor destination to locals and visitors alike. In December, construction on the Lake Placid to Saranac Lake segment of trail paused for the season, allowing for interim winter recreation until construction resumes in the spring. This provides an exceptional winter recreation opportunity for snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, birders and other winter users, and a glimpse at what the rail trail will offer year-round once it is fully completed in 2025.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, February 4, 2023

Moonlight snowshoe walks at John Brown Farm State Historic Site on Feb. 5

snowshoesAll are welcome to enjoy moonlight snowshoe walks at the John Brown Farm Historic Site tomorrow, Sunday, February 5 beginning at 8 p.m. Participants of this moonlight snowshoe party will have the opportunity to walk the fields and forests of the John Brown trails under the light of the full moon. Folks are asked to bring their own showshoes and poles. This event is free and open to the public.

The John Brown Farm is located at 115 John Brown Road, a half mile north of State Route 73, in North Elba (2 miles east of the village of Lake Placid.) This event is sponsored by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Saratoga/Capital District – 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866.

For further information, contact the park office at (518) 523-3900 or email Brendan.mills@parks.ny.gov.

Photo at top: Snowshoes. Richard Monroe photo, Adirondack Almanack archive photo.

 


Saturday, February 4, 2023

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival on tap through Feb. 12

Fireworks at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.

The 2023 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is underway with a wide array of events for the whole family planned through Sunday, February 12. The carnival theme this year is “Roman around Carnival.” The Winter Carnival has grown into a 10-day festival that includes sports, performances, two parades and three sets of fireworks. The Carnival, organized by an all-volunteer group called the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee, is a community-driven festival made possible by the efforts of several volunteers and sponsors.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Registration open for Adirondack Paddling Symposium set for June 16-19

Adirondack Paddling Symposium participants.

SARANAC LAKE, NY — Registration is open for the 2023 Adirondack Paddling Symposium, June 16-19 in Saranac Lake.

 

Presented by NRS and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, the Symposium is a comprehensive weekend of paddling instruction for beginners and intermediates, and includes course tracks for kayaks, pack boats, stand-up paddleboards and canoes. This year’s headquarters will be located at the Harrietstown Town Hall in downtown Saranac Lake.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, January 30, 2023

DEC: Free Lifeguard Qualifying Procedures to Begin Feb. 4

dec logoOn January 24, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that its free lifeguard qualifying procedures begin Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Individuals 15 and older interested in lifeguarding positions at DEC facilities this summer are eligible to register. Candidates who qualify will be considered for employment. The qualifying procedure consists of two parts: a Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills component; and a water skills evaluation. Candidates may attend the qualifying location most convenient to them and the results will be forwarded to their preferred work location.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, January 30, 2023

World Cup Ski Jumping Competition Returns to Lake Placid Feb. 10-12

lake placid ski jumpingLAKE PLACID, NY – The New York Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) will host the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Ski Jumping World Cup on February 10-12, 2023, at the Olympic Jumping Complex.

Who:  

The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup field features the best men’s ski jumpers in the world vying for podium finishes and points in the overall World Cup standings in two individual competitions and a Super-Team event. Jumpers from Poland, Austria, and Norway have dominated the top of the World Cup standings this season, with Olympic gold medalist Ryoyu Kobayashi of Japan and Olympic medalist Karl Geiger of Germany not far off. Poland is led by Dawid Kubacki, Piotr Zyla and Kamil Stoch. Kubacki is a three-time Olympian who won bronze medals at the Pyeongchang and Beijing Games. Halvor Egner Granerud, Marius Lindvik, and Robert Johansson lead the way for Norway, while Stefan Kraft, Manuel Fettner, Michael Haybock, Jan Horl, and Daniel Tschofenig top the Austrian contingent. Lindvik soared to the large hill Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2022. Erik Belshaw, an 18-year-old from Steamboat Springs, Colo., has been the top World Cup jumper for the United States team this season, with Andrew Urlaub and Olympians Decker Dean and Casey Larson also on the U.S. National Team.

 

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 28, 2023

Spring-Like Weather Confuses Birds, 2023 Duck Count Results

Ravens on a trail cam

The inch of snow we got here was just about enough to cover the ground. With all the rain we had before the snow, it sure made for an icy mix out in the woods to walk on. I found out the hard way, as I was out back on the ski trail cutting beech stubs that I left last winter…cutting them in deep snow. While walking back in, I took a slip down a little hill and rolled over my right ankle, which hurt pretty bad. I [was] a mile from the house and I said to myself, “This is going to be a long mile walk.” I got to the house just before Karen came home. We put ice on it until I went to bed, and it only swelled a little…but still not good.

» Continue Reading.



Conditions
Conditions

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.

General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor Melissa Hart. To advertise on the Adirondack Almanack, or to receive information on rates and design, please click here.
Web Services & Search Engine Optimization By: Suloff Designs

Wait! Before you go:

Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox