Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Inlet: Loon program featuring Gary Lee set for July 1

Loon enthusiasts are encouraged to join retired NYS DEC Forest Ranger, and avid naturalist, birder, and photographer, Gary Lee, as he shares stories during an informational session about banding loons in the Adirondacks.

The presentation will take place on Friday, July 1 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of Inlet Town Hall located at 160 State Route 28. The program is free and open to the public. For more information about this event, call (315) 357-5501.

Gary lives with his wife, Karen, at Eight Acre Wood in Inlet where he was the Forest Ranger for 35 years, working in the Moose River Wild Forest Recreation Area and West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area. Now retired, Gary works summers for the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, observing, catching and banding loons.

The author of a column Daybreak to Twilight in local papers from 1986 to 2019, he now writes his Outdoor Adventures in a weekly blog, which can be seen on The Adirondack Almanack and View Arts Center websites. In 2008, Gary coauthored a book with John M.C. “Mike” Peterson, “Adirondack Birding- 60 Great Places to Find Birds.”

Photo at top: Gary Lee with loon. (Town of Inlet website photo.)


Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Warren County: Up Yonda Farm to hold 25th birthday celebration

BOLTON, NY — Save the Date! Warren County’s Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center is turning 25 this year and you’re all invited to the party on Saturday, July 30.

The idyllic 75-acre hillside property in the town of Bolton will host a birthday party featuring fun activities involving Up Yonda staff, volunteers and numerous local organizations, including Adirondack Mountain Club, Lake George Land Conservancy, Friends of Up Yonda Farm, Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Southern Adirondack Beekeepers, among others.

There will be something for the whole family, with Tres Mijas Food Truck on site and special programs, exhibits, and booths from partner organizations to mark the occasion.

11 different organizations have committed to being part of the event, featuring a variety of outdoor recreation, environmental and educational topics to go along with Up Yonda’s offerings.

“Up Yonda Farm is a great place to spend a day with the family, get some exercise and learn about our region’s environment. We hope our residents and visitors can join us on July 30th for a fun day commemorating this 25-year milestone for Up Yonda as a resource for all of Warren County,” said Kevin Geraghty, Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors.

Admission is free, no reservations are needed, and there will be food, vendors and activities on site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, including a full list of organizations that will be part of the event, check out the attached flier or log on to upyondafarm.com.

About Up Yonda Farm: Located on Route 9N just west of Lake George’s western shore, Up Yonda Farm was donated to Warren County by Alice and John Scott of Bolton in 1993, and opened to the public in 1997. The Scotts also set up a trust fund that helps fund its operations. Up Yonda features an auditorium, museum, sugar house, and a butterfly exhibit during the summer months, and hosts many types of educational programs for all ages. The property’s farmhouse has an educational space, live turtle exhibit and a small gift shop area featuring locally produced honey and maple syrup as well as field guides. There are natural history exhibits and wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the property and series of hiking and snowshoeing trails provide access to a scenic vista of Lake George. Warren County Department of Parks, Recreation and Railroad oversees the property.

 

Photo at top: Up Yonda Farm view. (Photo provided by Don Lehman, Director of Public Affairs for Warren County)


Monday, June 27, 2022

This Summer, Visit Tourist Destinations that are Close to Home

Summer’s here. And people are getting back to traveling. However, in recent weeks, tens of thousands of travelers have found themselves stranded at airports due to flight delays and cancellations. And for almost everyone else, rising gas prices and travel costs in general, have become a major barrier to taking that dream vacation.

Fortunately, families in northern New York can escape to budget-friendly vacation spots that aren’t so far away that they’ll devastate an already dwindling bank account. There are many extraordinary and some truly world-class places to visit locally. Whether you crave an adventurous getaway, a relaxing lakeside beach, unrivaled fishing, great entertainment, or a few days of luxurious living, you can have just about any summer vacation you want right here. And you can improve your travel experience by researching local destinations ahead of time.

Sometimes we forget that we live in an area with literally millions of acres of publicly accessible land. We have incredible parks, recreation areas, and tracts of state land nearby, many with inexpensive campsites, and a few that still offer free backcountry camping.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, June 27, 2022

Shamanic Journey Workshop set for June 29 at the Old Forge Library

A Shamanic Journeying workshop will take place at the Old Forge Library, located at 220 Crosby Blvd., on Wednesday, June 29 at 3 p.m.
Doug Davis will lead participants on a journey of wisdom, healing and knowledge. Shamanic Journeying involves traveling within oneself. It is a process by which one shifts out of our ordinary way of thinking and into a more open and accepting way of communicating with our own inner wisdom.
The Shamanic Journey uses a different kind of meditation in which participants allow the sound of the drum to assist in visualizing and receiving images of nature, including animal messengers. The experience is enjoyable, and the drumming is peaceful and helps participants to focus on the “journey.”
 “I’ve been practicing Shamanic Journeying since 1995…so 27 years. A very knowledgeable friend introduced me to it…and it has given me a broader and more positive perspective about life,” said Davis about his history with the practice.
Davis also leads the popular Meditation with Trees workshops at the Old Forge Library several times a year. These workshops are scheduled monthly throughout the summer and fall of 2022. Interested parties are welcome to reference the library’s website for dates and times.
The Shamanic Journeying workshop is free for all to attend. Although walk-ins are welcome, registration is recommended. Call (315) 369-6008 or e-mail oldforge@midyork.org to register.
Photo at top provided by Beth Pashley of the Old Forge Library.

 


Monday, June 27, 2022

Old Forge Library to host “My Brush, My Adirondacks” exhibit by artist Ron Rakowski

“My Brush, My Adirondacks,” an exhibit by watercolor artist, Ron Rakowski, will be on display July 1 through July 30 at the Old Forge Library, 220 Crosby Blvd. The exhibit will showcase a selection of Rakowski’s Adirondack-themed paintings.

As part of the townwide First Friday Art Walk, the exhibit’s opening reception will be held 5-7 p.m. on Friday, July 1. The reception is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.

Rakowski has lived in the Mohawk Valley and Adirondacks his entire life, and has been painting for over 30 years.

A mostly self-taught artist, Ron credits much of his skill to classes and workshops he has taken with watercolor artists such as Ralph Murray, Willard Sauter and Edward Cristianna. Rakowski said he favors watercolor because it’s simple and compact and “despite its simplicity you can get a great many complex effects with various techniques.”

He draws inspiration from natural scenes such as battered rocks, rushing water, gnarly trees and his favorite — snow.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, June 27, 2022

Recent DEC Hunting and Trapping News

DEC Seeking Reports of Moose Sightings:

DEC asks the public to report moose sightings via an online form as part of ongoing efforts to monitor moose distribution across New York. While the Adirondacks are home to most New York moose, some live in the eastern part of the state along the Vermont and Massachusetts borders. Moose can also occasionally be found in southeastern New York and the Catskills, but these are usually individuals that have dispersed from other areas.

Moose are the largest land mammal in the state. In the summer, when most sightings occur, moose typically spend a lot of time in ponds and wetlands feeding on submerged aquatic plants. During the rest of the year in cooler weather, they browse on leaves, twigs, and buds of trees and shrubs. Favored browse species include willows, birches, maples, balsam fir, viburnums, aspen, and mountain ash. Bulls weigh up to 1,200 pounds and stand up to six feet tall at the shoulder. Cows weigh anywhere from 500 to 800 pounds and usually give birth to one or two calves in late May or early June.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 26, 2022

Adirondacks for all

Gwen in acadia

After about a year of reporting and a summer of travel, our initial series on solutions to increasing visitor use is complete. My last two stories ran in our May/June issue and are now up on our website. Of course this story never ends. This was our first crack at exploring what other outdoor destinations are doing to balance natural resource protection, accessibility and inclusivity.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 26, 2022

Adirondack History Museum hosts Artist Talk/Open-Air Disco, July 3

ELIZABETHTOWN: Artist Randi Renate will be speaking about her current sculpture, “blue is the atmospheric refraction I see you through,” which is now on view outside the Adirondack History Museum. The sculpture is a large participatory installation open to the public since August 2021.

“Blue is the atmospheric refraction I see you through” is a sculptural encounter in which two viewers have similar yet distinct experiences of climbing twin spiraling staircases recessed into a larger dome. Its twin staircases require mirrored movement, activating mirror neurons. Shared movements trigger these neurons, which enhance human empathy. The passage culminates in an exposed meeting point that maintains a distanced perspective—from one another as well as from the surrounding landscape.

The event will begin with an outdoor artist talk moderated by the museum’s director Aurora McCaffrey starting at 5 pm on Sunday, July 3.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 26, 2022

Weekly news round up

A collection of interesting reads:

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 25, 2022

Hiking Excursion Results in Rare Find: Loon Family with 3 Eggs

Thunderstorms rumbled all around us the other night and even shut off the TV dish for a while, but we only got a quarter inch of rain that night. One mostly-wet day was Thursday, June 16, but then it was only light rain that fell and didn’t even keep me out of weeding in the garden. The wind has been the big thing, with white caps on most of the big lakes most all week into the weekend. Even some of the smaller ponds were tough to travel on in a small craft like a Hornbeck boat.

My 17- foot canoe had all it wanted on the Cedar River Flow on Friday, June 17, with three-foot swells and white caps, which the wind blew the tops off. I stayed along the north shore, and it wasn’t too bad as the wind was strong out of the NW. I saw an older fella (actually he was younger than me) in his rehabbed canoe he found at the dump out on the flow. He kept close to shore on the north side and made it back to the landing just as I got there on my return trip.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 25, 2022

ADK Park: Recent Environmental Conservation Police News

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State. In 2021, 282 Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to 26,207 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,562 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

Drone Training – Oneida County

From June 2 to 5, members of DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement drone team, along with New York State Police and the Town of Colonie Police Department, presented at the 2022 New York State Technical Rescue Conference at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany. ECOs presented on the critical role of drones during investigations. ECOs demonstrated scenario-based and hands-on drone training, ranging from hazmat responses and emergency operations, to structural collapse situations and flooded environments. This is the first time drones were a topic of discussion at the conference.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 25, 2022

Prisons in the wilderness

dannemora prison

June 28, 2022, 7 – 8 pm, Free but registration requested.

For nearly two centuries, the remote forestlands and high mountain peaks of the Adirondacks have provided opportunities for middle-class recreation, wilderness adventure, and scientific research. At the same time, those natural characteristics led state and federal authorities to look toward the North Country as a convenient location for a network of prisons. Towns and villages across the Adirondacks have since come to rely on prisons as a source of economic development, employment, and state funding.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 25, 2022

Lake Protectors Volunteer Training Scheduled for June 28

The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) is inviting volunteers to join its Lake Protectors program and is kicking off summer with its first (of three) Lake Protectors training sessions from 9-11:30 a.m. on June 28.

“Being a Lake Protector is fun, easy and a great way to help Adirondack lakes,” said Brian Greene, APIPP’s Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, hundreds of volunteer Lake Protectors have surveyed more than 460 lakes in the Adirondacks, of which more than 75-percent do not have invasive species present.

Participation in the program is simple. After taking a training course, every volunteer is encouraged to adopt a waterbody of their choice and commit to surveying that pond or lake at least once during the summer. Many Lake Protectors, like Saranac Lake author Caperton Tissot, view the program as a way to spend time on a favorite waterbody while also helping to protect it from the threat of invasive species. Tissot has been a volunteer Lake Protector since 2009. In an interview last summer, she said her favorite place to survey is Barnum Pond in Paul Smiths because there are no buildings nearby, she rarely sees another boat and the shoreline varies from rocky outcrops to forests and bogs.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, June 24, 2022

Every dollar counts

coins

Money jar filled with American currency. Savings and donations concept.

We’re living in a time when you think a little longer about every dollar you spend—cutting out some of the extras in order to fill the gas tank. We hope you still see value in the work we’re doing with the Adirondack Explorer and our community forum on the Adirondack Almanack,  to bring you news you need about the Adirondack Park.

Our dedicated journalists work hard to bring you comprehensive coverage of the Adirondack Park, from stories about its spectacular natural beauty and inspiring outdoor adventures, to information about the threats and opportunities facing its wildlife, fresh water, and rural communities. Tracking and reporting on policy decisions that impact all of these irreplaceable assets is central to our mission—and it costs money to produce.

Will you help us keep the momentum going?

» Continue Reading.


Friday, June 24, 2022

Outdoor Conditions (6/24):Customizing a first aid kit

outdoor conditions logoThe following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information web pages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.

New This Week:

High Peaks Wilderness: Expect muddy conditions above 3,000 feet in elevation. Expect poor traction and slow progress on steep sections of trail with wet rock. Due to recent rains, high elevation water sources are available to replenish water supplies – bring and use proper filtration devices. Water crossings may be high and fast-moving.

Silver Lake Wilderness: Working with our partners at the Adirondack Mtn Club, a volunteer trail crew recently helped close and relocate two primitive tent sites from the south shore of Woods Lake to the north shore. The objective of the project was to spread out use and improve camping opportunities for NPT thru-hikers. This project was part of a larger trail work effort that ADK Mtn Club organized on June 4, National Trails Day.

» 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.
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