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Help Protect New York’s Bat Populations During Bat Week
Bat Week is a an internationally recognized weeklong focus to raise awareness about the important role bats play in our environment and is a great time to appreciate New York’s nine bat species. Bat Week is observed October 24 through 31 and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the United States and Canada.
AsRA Brings Wild & Scenic Film Festival to Home Screens
Join the Ausable River Association (AsRA) for an evening of visual storytelling through inspirational films as they host the virtual on tour Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Friday, October 29, from 7-9 p.m. This event celebrates the beauty and significance of wild places throughout the world, and the important work being done to protect them.
APA back to public comments and more updates
The Adirondack Park Agency met last week for the first time since July. Board members had quite a bit of business to attend to while back in virtual format due to increasing concerns over the coronavirus. They approved a 20-megawatt solar farm in Ticonderoga, approved updates to the management plan for Fish Creek Pond Campground and Day Use Area and heard a presentation from the Olympic Regional Development Authority on proposed updates to Whiteface Mountain.
To top it off, this was the first virtual meeting in the last year-and-a-half of the pandemic that the APA allowed for live, public comment. Dave Gibson, managing partner of Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve, was the only person to make use of the comment period time afforded at the beginning and end of the meeting. In meetings prior, the agency collected public comments through an email address. It’s good to have the public be able to directly address board members again. This also coincided with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plans for all state agencies and departments to draft transparency guidelines, something the APA will have to do soon.
Fall hikes
On another note, I’ve received quite a few phone calls from folks asking me how to get a permit or reservation to hike in the Adirondacks. There is still clearly some confusion over the reservation system for the Adirondack Mountain Reserve, a gateway to a number of popular hikes, but certainly not the only spot to see beautiful views. Most of the people who have called me say they have trouble using a computer and wish to book a reservation over the phone. I’ve also gotten quite a few phone calls asking about the status of our autumn foliage colors in the Adirondacks.
For those curious, we have a webpage with some answers on the reservation system for the Adirondack Mountain reserve here. You can also keep track of the fall colors through the I Love NY’s fall foliage reports, which we’ve been running on the Adirondack Almanack.
Photo from Rooster Comb in Keene on Oct. 11.
Editor’s note: This first appeared in Gwen’s weekly “Adirondack Report” newsletter. Click here to sign up.
Outdoor conditions (10/22): Elk Lake off limits to hikers
The following are the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information web pages for comprehensive and up-to-date information on seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
Brian Mann, Julia Goren part of last week of VIC’s fall lecture series
Temperatures have dropped at the Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smith’s College along with most of the fall leaves. This is the perfect time to attend the Adirondack Lecture Series. The weekly lectures are held in our mountaintop theater and we even provide hot coffee! Brian Mann and Julia Goren are the last speakers of the fall lecture series. The lecture series was a success thanks in part to our sponsors; the Adirondack Council and the Paul Smith’s College Center for Sustainability.
Fall foliage report: Past peak, with uneven change in some places
This is the seventh 2021 I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Report for New York State. Reports are obtained from volunteer field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon. I LOVE NY urges travelers to follow all COVID-related public health and safety guidelines while enjoying the foliage this season. Visitors should call ahead and check websites and social media to make sure attractions are open and available. More information on New York State travel and COVID-19 is available here.
Smart Philanthropy in 2021: Strategic Giving as Tax Rules Change
Philanthropy drives so much good in the Adirondack region. Join Adirondack Foundation on Thursday, November 4 at 10 am for “Smart Philanthropy in 2021,” a special webinar that will highlight charitable giving strategies and expected tax law changes ahead. During the session, you’ll hear from the following experts:- Lea Paine Highet, Adirondack Foundation Trustee, CFP® professional and Principal, Douglas Winthrop Advisors, LLC
- Jeff Hamond, Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates, a government relations practice focused on philanthropy
- Jill Beier, Attorney, Founder of Beier and Associates – Estate Planning, Tax Matters, Charitable Giving
Here are three reasons to attend:
The Phoenix Rises! Celebrating a restored lean-to
From the ashes of our beloved Bull Rush Bay lean-to’s old cedar logs, life rises anew!
Meet “The Phoenix”
Rangers respond to lost, injured hikers and hunters
Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:
Town of Lyonsdale
Lewis County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 11 at 3:13 p.m., Forest Ranger Hanno overheard radio traffic about an injured hiker along the Moose River. Ranger Hanno responded to the location and assisted the Port Leyden Fire Department and Lewis County Search and Rescue with packaging the 65-year-old woman from Port Lyden into a litter. The subject fell and injured her right wrist, ankle, and head while hiking. At 4:31 p.m., the injured hiker and rescue personnel were out of the woods and a Port Leyden Ambulance transported the hiker to a local hospital for treatment.
Outdoor conditions: Check the weather before you go out
The following are the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for comprehensive and up-to-date information on seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
High Peaks Wilderness:
- The bridge at the start of the Klondike Trail is currently unsafe. A reroute has been marked that starts on the South Meadows Trail, goes to the Mr. Van Ski Trail, and then reconnects with the Klondike Trail. The reroute will add approximately a half mile each way.
- Per the conservation easement agreement with Elk Lake Lodge, from the evening of October 22 until the morning of December 6, no hikers may enter the Elk Lake Conservation Easement.
Independence River Wild Forest (Stillwater Reservoir, Big Moose & Three Lakes Conservation Easement Tracts): The Stillwater Mountain Fire Tower Trail is closed until December 20. This closure is due to terms of the conservation easement on which the fire tower is located.
OurStoryBridge Celebrates One Year Anniversary
September 29, 2021 marked the one-year anniversary of OurStoryBridge, the free online resource and tool kit for producing crowdsourced, web-based community story projects. And with this anniversary comes the launch of several oral history projects OurStoryBridge has inspired across the United States, with even more to follow.
The tool kit, posted on www.ourstorybridge.org, has received national interest from librarians, historical societies, teachers, and other organizations beyond the original expectations of its creators.
Great Pumpkins
Precocious, blanket-toting Linus from the Peanuts comic strip awaited the Great Pumpkin each Halloween night from 1950 to 1999. If anyone else had been stood-up that many times, they’d have thrown in the blanket for sure. Perhaps Linus’ resolute faith that the mythical pumpkin would show up was because every year brings the world a greater pumpkin.
In 1900 the world record was 400 pounds. By 1990 it was up to 816 lbs., but that wouldn’t even get you in the door these days – you need a 2,000-pound entry just to qualify for international judging. Pumpkins have gotten so great they’ve been used as boats, and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn somebody had moved into one. I suppose a pumpkin house would be a nice upgrade for the old lady who lived in a shoe (though the kids would eat the poor lady out of house and home).
Latest News Headlines
- An updated trail for a popular hike
- Hochul closing in on appointing delayed road salt task force
- In Inlet, a shuttered school is reborn
- OSI deepens connections between Saratoga County, Adirondacks
- A true sanctuary
- A different kind of fish hatchery
- Cheney Mountain: A hike with charm and grit
- Visitor management: Has any park gotten it right? Can we?
- Behind the Loon: Meet Megan Phillips
- Moriah Shock: More than a prison
Latest News Headlines
- An updated trail for a popular hike
- Hochul closing in on appointing delayed road salt task force
- In Inlet, a shuttered school is reborn
- OSI deepens connections between Saratoga County, Adirondacks
- A true sanctuary
- A different kind of fish hatchery
- Cheney Mountain: A hike with charm and grit
- Visitor management: Has any park gotten it right? Can we?
- Behind the Loon: Meet Megan Phillips
- Moriah Shock: More than a prison
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.
Adirondack gold
A relatively quiet summer hiking season in the High Peaks wrapped up with a zany holiday weekend that, according to Town of Keene officials, included jammed trailheads, full shuttles, lost children, a dog bite and, why not, a group that wanted to parachute from a helicopter onto Marcy Field (they were told this might not be the best weekend for it).
Being fortunate enough to live here year ’round, I got out on a couple of trails this week after the crowds had gone, feeling a bit like a cockroach coming out after the lights have been turned out for the night. A favorite of mine is Clements Pond, a slip of a trail scarcely 15 minutes from the popular Cascade but worlds away in terms of use.
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