In the fall of 2019, I was hiking up Cascade Mountain for a story about High Peaks crowds, when I noticed something unusual on the way up. There were orange blazes painted on rocks and logs.
At first, I thought it was related to trail work, but the markings seemed too random for that.
This spring, when New York State was in a lockdown due to the pandemic, it was unclear what that meant for the Adirondacks. Would the outdoor tourism industry thrive or falter? Would people still be hitting the trails? Would small businesses survive?
There are experiences that can add a wild and magical element to a backcountry trip.
I recall as a child coming across the first impressively large beaver dam I had ever seen in the backwoods. It was on a brook trout fishing trip in a canoe in the northern Adirondacks. The structure must have been 6 feet tall and 100 feet wide. After I climbed up the dam and stood on top, it felt like I had entered a new world. As I looked out over the calm pond full of fish and vegetation, I remember being in awe that beavers could have such a drastic impact.
During the pandemic this spring and early summer, hiking has continued to be an activity that people have engaged in to stay healthy and find respite.
One indication that people are out and about is the weekly search-and-rescue bulletin issued by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The most recent one contains nine incidents in the Adirondack region, indicating that forest rangers have been keeping busy.
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