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Facebook- Paul Smith’s College Hires WCS Staffers
- Lake George Group Targets Road Salt Cut
- DEC Warns Motorists About Moose
- Cascade Trailhead Closed, Shuttle Running
- Lake George Outlets, Exit 20 Study Issued
- Local Medical Pot Limited by Cost, Access
- Jury Acquittal In Placid Drowning Cases
- Questions About Robbery, I-87 Fatal Crash
- New Invasive Waterflea Confirmed
Bear Poaching Case In Clinton County
According to a press release issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation, on September 24, DEC’s Dispatch Center received a tip from a concerned citizen regarding an individual that had shot multiple bears during the early bear hunting season.
The caller reported that a sow and her two cubs were killed on September 22nd. The case was assigned to ECO Chris Lagree, who reported that the bears were taken illegally less than a mile from his own residence. ECO Lagree interviewed the suspect at his home in Plattsburgh, at which time Lagree says the suspect admitted to taking the sow and cubs in addition to another bear, and to having shot the bears over a bait pile. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Outdoor Conditions for Columbus Day Weekend
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.
Cascade Trailhead Closed; Shuttle Information
Important shuttle information for access to Cascade Mountain for Columbus Day Weekend
1. All parking for the Cascade Mountain trailhead along Route 73 will be closed October 4th – October 8th.
2. Parking will be located at the Olympic Sports Complex.
3. Shuttles will pick up hikers at the Olympic Sports Complex.
4. Shuttles will run to and from the Cascade Mountain Trailhead on the half hour beginning at 7am each day.
5. The last shuttle to Cascade trailhead will leave the Olympic Sports Complex at 3pm.
6. The last shuttle to the Olympic Sports Complex will leave Cascade trailhead at 7pm each day.
7. Only the shuttles will be allowed to drop off and pick up people at the Cascade Mountain trailhead. Other vehicles are not allowed to enter the trailhead area.
8. No dogs will be allowed on the shuttle.
9. There is no overnight parking at the Olympic Sports Complex.
The Porter and Little Porter Trail from the Garden in Keene are closed this 2018 hiking season by decision of the private landowner. A reroute is being planned, but will not be completed this hiking season. As this will limit access to Cascade via Porter – further crowding the Route 73 Cascade trailhead – approach Porter Mountain via the trail from Marcy Field until the reroute is complete.
Be Prepared: Properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety webpage and Adirondack Trail Information webpage for more information about where you intend to travel. The Adirondack Almanack reports weekly Outdoor Conditions each Thursday afternoon with closures around the Adirondack Park and other important backcountry information.
Map provided by Adirondack Atlas.
Stillwater Fire Tower, Big Moose Tract, Closed to Visitors
The Stillwater Mountain Fire Tower and the trail to it will be closed to public use beginning from October 8 through December 20th.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has asked the public to respect trail closure dates and do not trespass on the Big Moose Tract Conservation Easement that leads to Stillwater Fire Tower. » Continue Reading.
Willsboro, Peru Boat Launch Work Planned
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced that needed repairs on two boat launches on Lake Champlain – the Peru Dock Boat Launch and the Willsboro Bay Boat Launch – are set to be undertaken during the month of October.
DEC is replacing a culvert under the exit lane of the Peru Dock Boat Launch which is causing problems for boat motors and trailers exiting the boat launch and addressing other water drainage issues at the site. The repairs will begin October 9 and are expected to be completed on October 17. » Continue Reading.
Paul Hetzler: Plant A Tree, or Rent It?
Planting a tree isn’t rocket science, which is good thing. If it were that complex, I’d wager we’d have a lot fewer trees lining our streets. It may not take a scientist to plant a tree correctly, but a lot of money is spent each year to buy and plant trees which may as well be leased, because they will only live a fraction of their expected lifespan.
When trees decline and die after 15, 20, or even 30 years, the last thing we probably suspect is shoddy planting. Although landscape trees like mountain-ash and birch have naturally short lives, a sugar maple or red oak should easily last a hundred or more years. Yet all too often, a long-lived species will expire at twenty because it was planted “fast and dirty.” You can find examples of trees declining as an age-class in housing developments, and especially along NYS routes where DOT low-bid contractors replaced trees cut down for road improvements. One may as well consider such trees rentals, not purchases. » Continue Reading.
Tupper Lake Wild Edibles Program Planned
An encore workshop identifying and sampling the most prominent and tasty edible plants, roots, berries and fungi in the Adirondack Region has been set for Saturday, October 6th, and will be presented by Garrett Kopp of Birch Boys Chaga Tea and the Local Living Venture.
The Wild Edible Adirondack Salad workshop will be held from 11 am to 1 pm at the Birch Boys storefront at 123 Park Street in Tupper Lake. The event is indoors, with the option of a foraging hike afterwards if weather permits. Reservations are appreciated in order to plan the “menu” and coordinate carpooling for those interested. » Continue Reading.
Pieces of Eight: Curiosities From Fort Ti’s Collections
Fort Ticonderoga has announced a new museum exhibit, ‘Pieces of Eight: Curiosities from the Collection,’ featuring objects from the bodies of famous or interesting characters from early American history.
The exhibit was conceived following the overwhelmingly positive response to Fort Ticonderoga’s display of extremely rare locks of Benedict Arnold’s hair in May. Curatorial staff began extensive research and identified eight intimate artifacts that compromise the new exhibit. Many involve human hair, which was trimmed, saved, mailed, and even made into jewelry where it was carried across the world. » Continue Reading.
World War I: New Yorkers Get Behind the Liberty Ball
Endless commentary and opinions across various media reveal such modern political divisiveness that sometimes it makes you wonder: “Was it always like this?”
The answer is no: sometimes it was worse and sometimes it was better. Without going into detail, worse would be the Civil War, the Prohibition Era, two world wars, and the 1960s (daily televised scenes of police dogs and fire hoses used against civil rights and war protesters, daily gore and body counts from Vietnam, multiple assassinations). » Continue Reading.
Recent Adirondack Forest Ranger Missions
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks.
» Continue Reading.
$150k Supporting Staff Training at Adirondack Experience
Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), has received a $156,573 grant from the Museums for America program of Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency.
This year, IMLS received 472 funding requests from across the U.S. and made grants to only 28% of the applicants. In recent years ADKX has received a total of $694,837 in IMLS funding, including the new award. Past funding has supported the installation of new exhibitions, the conservation of ADKX’s unique collections, and other projects. » Continue Reading.
Tony Goodwin: A Railroad To Lake Placid Is Not Sustainable
To date, much of the rail vs. trail debate has touted the potential benefits of the possible uses of the Adirondack Rail Corridor. The supposed benefits of a trail include increased local recreational opportunities both summer and winter plus economic benefits from those who will travel to the area to use the trail with bicyclists and snowmobilers to be the greatest users.
Rail supporters question whether those benefits are greater than the benefits of a fully restored railroad that would supposedly bring greater economic benefits by transporting more visitors to the area.
Mostly left out of the debate is any discussion of just who and in what numbers would actually ride a restored railroad running 140 miles from Utica to Lake Placid. » Continue Reading.
French and Indian War Shipwrecks of Lake George, Oct 12
A free program focusing on the French and Indian War Shipwrecks of Lake George has been set for Friday, October 12th, at 7 pm at the Hancock House at 6 Moses Circle in Ticonderoga.
Featured speaker Joseph Zarzynski, part of the original discovery team for many of these ships, will lead the discussion.
Included will be a discussion of The Land Tortoise, built as a floating gun battery by the British in 1758. This 52-foot-long gunboat is North America’s oldest intact warship. It was deliberately sunk in l00 feet of water by British forces on October 22, 1758 to prevent it from falling onto the hands of French raiders. » Continue Reading.
22 Grants Awarded in Gore Region
The Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region, a component fund of Adirondack Foundation, has awarded $18,027 in grant funding to benefit a variety of local initiatives in Schroon, Minerva, Horicon, Chester, and Johnsburg.
This year’s grant recipients were honored at a ceremony at Seagle Music Colony on August 28. » Continue Reading.
Latest Adirondack News
- Sanders Raises $4M in 12 Hours
- Tick Monitoring Funding Threatened
- Moxham Purchase to Provide New Access
- Gov Seeks to Close 3 More Prisons
- Locals Protest Trump Power Grab
- Bill Would Ban Massive Corporate Handouts
- Tedra Cobb Plans To Run Again
- Ray Brook Guard Beaten
- Health Center Reopens After Lock-Down
- Climber Dies on Mount Washington
Latest Adirondack News
- Sanders Raises $4M in 12 Hours
- Tick Monitoring Funding Threatened
- Moxham Purchase to Provide New Access
- Gov Seeks to Close 3 More Prisons
- Locals Protest Trump Power Grab
- Bill Would Ban Massive Corporate Handouts
- Tedra Cobb Plans To Run Again
- Ray Brook Guard Beaten
- Health Center Reopens After Lock-Down
- Climber Dies on Mount Washington
The Adirondack Almanack
The Adirondack Almanack's contributors include veteran local writers, historians, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the Adirondack region. The Almanack is the online news journal of Adirondack Explorer. Both are nonprofits supported by contributors, readers, and advertisers, and devoted to exploring, protecting, and unifying the Adirondack Park.
General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to Almanack founder and editor John Warren.
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