The Annual Thurman Fall Farm Tour has been set for Saturday, October 6th from 9 am to 4 pm.
This year nine Thurman farms will open their doors. Their wares are varied and the self-guided tour offers something for everyone. This free event is a day of sales and samples, animals and activities. » Continue Reading.
On September 23, the National Park Service announced the latest round of grant funding under its Save America’s Treasures program and Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the private nonprofit historic preservation organization for the Adirondack region, received an award of $370,000 for conservation and restoration work at Camp Santanoni in the Essex County town of Newcomb.
This was one of only nine historic building conservation grants awarded nationally in this round, according to an announcement made by AARCH. » Continue Reading.
As a boy, I was exploring the loft of my grandmother’s barn when I disturbed a bumblebee nest among the moldering hay bales. In my memory, I leap stuntman-like from the haymow and hit the ground 10 feet below running flat out, rounding the corner of the barn then glancing back to see if anyone is in pursuit. There is an angry bumbler coming up fast. I vault the rusty ornamental fence and am steps from the screen door and safety when … I get nailed in the neck. Ow!
When we lived in Louisiana, I scalped a fire-ant nest while mowing the lawn and got stung a few hundred times as the ants swarmed up my legs. Vivid memory. I’ve been stung by several varieties of wasps and, as a beekeeper, I periodically get stung by my honey bees. Yes, it still hurts. » Continue Reading.
A Prayer for the Adirondacks
Divine partner, grant
That I may respect
These mountains.
Where there is pollution,
Let me plant wildflowers.
Where there is extinction,
Let me spread conservation.
Where there is toxic rain,
Let me share purified water.
Where there are forest fires,
Let me bring regeneration.
Where there is fear, let
Me be a calming voice in the storm.
O divine partner, grant that I may
Raise from the dead all that is wasted.
Rock Lake Trail, part of the Blue Mountain Wild Forest, extends 0.8 miles from the trailhead on State Route 28/30 to the shore of Rock Lake, dropping only 80 feet in elevation in that distance. Rock Lake is not only scenic, but provides paddling and fishing opportunities as well. The lake contains brook trout, smallmouth bass, and panfish. » Continue Reading.
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in conjunction with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) has announced a Request for Technical Pre-Proposals for services to further the goals and objectives of the Lake Champlain management plan, Opportunities for Action. The total request for each project may range from $20,000 to $300,000 for projects anticipated to begin in early 2020. » Continue Reading.
The leaves have begun changing and are expected to change dramatically over the next several weeks. Autumn leaf color is already happening at higher elevation areas of the central Adirondacks. Color will broadly widen through the rest of the Adirondack Park in the next few weeks, ending along the Lake George and Lake Champlain valleys.
If driving on busy roads, do not slow down to look at the leaves. This is unsafe for traffic behind you. Find a safe pull over to view the leaves.
If you are headed into the woods or onto the waters, help protect the Adirondacks by learning and practicing the seven Leave No Trace principles.
This weekly report of outdoor recreation conditions in the Adirondacks is compiled each Thursday afternoon and fully updated by Friday afternoon.
Contribute Your Knowledge: Add a comment below, or send your observations, corrections, updates, and suggestions to adkalmanack@gmail.com.
Learn and practice the seven Leave No Trace principles. Carry out what you have carried in. Do not leave gear, food, or other items at lean-tos and campsites. Do not litter. Take the free online Leave No Trace course here.
BE PREPARED! Start slow, gain experience. Always carry proper safety equipment – including plenty of food, water, flashlights, space blanket, emergency whistle, first aid kit, fire making tools, extra clothing layers and socks, and a map and compass – inform someone of your itinerary, and be prepared to spend an unplanned night in the woods in cold temperatures. Just before entering the backcountry or launching a boat check the National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories here. Follow Adirondack weather forecasts at Burlington and Albany and consult the High Elevation, Recreation, or Lake Champlain forecasts.
The leaves are just starting to change colors, which always gets my family thinking about autumn activities and ways to share the Adirondacks with visitors, family, and friends. One of our favorite things about those cool nights and crisp days is making comfort food, which usually means cheese.
For the fifth year, three local cheese farms are welcoming cheese lovers, cheese likers, or even those (gasp) who have never tried cheese, for a self-guided local tour of the farmstead operations into the daily cheese.
In the passages below, excerpted from a 1942 article appearing in a regional newspaper, there is a glaring error. Can you spot it?
“Dr. Orra A. Phelps, Fort Plain School Physician, was the principal speaker at the initial meeting of the Burroughs Nature Study Club…. He spoke on Guide to Adirondack Trails. In his talk, Dr. Phelps outlined various trails leading to the most picturesque spots in the upper Adirondacks from information gleaned first-hand by the speaker, who is an enthusiastic mountain climber.
“He called particular attention to Mt. Colden, located between Mt. Marcy and Mt. McIntyre, one of the few points, he said, that has been preserved in its original state and which he characterized as the heart of this wilderness of nature. Dr Phelps also described the scenic beauty discovered on a visit to the Ausable Club in the vicinity of Keene Valley. The speaker is chief author of the book, Guide to Adirondack Trails.” » Continue Reading.
Once again it is time to celebrate the diversity of all people here in the Adirondack North Country. In the past two years we’ve seen an outpouring of hate, attempts at overt discrimination, and attempts to roll back human rights protections on the federal level.
We are facing a potential crisis in a U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn settled law in the areas of women’s health, abortion, marriage equality, and LGBTQI civil rights protections. We’ve seen attempts to ban members of the transgender community from serving openly in the military as well as prohibiting their use of public accommodations. We’ve seen the lies and fear mongering of homophobic and transphobic hate groups bent on the elimination of trans people from society. » Continue Reading.
Gore Mountain’s 2018 Harvest Fest has been set for October 6-7, and will display an array of premier Adirondack artisans, peak scenic foliage views, autumn-themed food and drink, and a wide variety of recreational activities. There is live music and free admission for all.
Harvest Fest presents an Adirondack slope-side shopping village of 90+ artists featuring: handcrafted items such as furniture made of locally reclaimed wood; NYS wines and spirits; up-cycled book origami; original paintings and photography; all-natural bath and beauty products; Adirondack decor and primitives; hand-painted fabrics, knit scarves and accessories; handmade jewelry and pottery; locally produced specialty foods and more. » Continue Reading.
The Cuomo Administration is searching for a new Chair for the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). The Governor appointed Karen Feldman, an attorney from Columbia County, who also has a home on Schroon Lake, as a Temporary Chair in July at the time the APA Chair Sherman Craig (Wanakena) resigned. Feldman is campaigning for her temporary status to be made permanent and she is currently Team Cuomo’s top candidate for the job.
The APA Chair is one of eight appointed Board seats where an individual is nominated by the Governor and approved by the State Senate. Under state law, five APA Board members must be full-time Park residents and three must reside in counties outside the Adirondack Park Blue Line. There can only be a maximum of five Board members from one political party and Board members serve 4 year terms, two of which expire each year and run in a continuous cycle. Under NYS law Board members can continue to serve in “expired” terms. New Board members are often appointed to partial terms. » Continue Reading.
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