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.
Black Bear Mountain Ski trails are in the part of the Moose River Plains Complex which lies West of Route 28, between Fourth and Eighth Lakes in the Fulton Chain of Lakes.
Black Bear Mountain Lower Ski Trail extends 3 miles from private land along State Route 28 to the Bug Lake Trail. The trail follows for 0.4 miles along an easement over private land and continues easterly for 2.6 miles. Wet areas make portions of the trail unsuitable for use during non-winter seasons. » Continue Reading.
Tupper Lake is combining my love of skiing with a micro-brew experience and I don’t even have to leave the trail. It isn’t an après ski experience, but more “pendant” skiing. I’ll be experiencing sampling of various local beers during a cross-country ski or snowshoe.
On Saturday, February 23, Tupper Lake Cross-Country Ski Center is grooming their trails for two events, Brew-Ski and its annual Ice Golf Tournament. Both activities sound fun, but my family is going to be hitting the Brew-ski trail. » Continue Reading.
The Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce is set to hold their annual Brew-Ski on February 23rd, from noon to 4 pm, at Tupper Lakes Groomed XC Trails, 141 Country Club Rd.
The event will be held simultaneously with the Lions Club Annual Fire & Ice Golf Tournament. Brew-Ski will transform cross country ski trails into a local brew tasting trail. Distributors and breweries are invited to set up sample stations along the trails. » Continue Reading.
Every winter there are conflicts between backcountry hikers and skiers. While skiing I try my best to educate hikers on the trail, but it isn’t a time when people tend to be very receptive.
I realize there are many hikers who are naïve to the world of backcountry skiing. While there are those who will never alter their behavior, I believe that with considerate education most will realize that there are a few simple things they can do that will improve trail use for all users.
I thought a quick summary of the backcountry downhill skiing situation in the High Peaks Wilderness in particular might be helpful. » Continue Reading.
When I’m skiing or skating across a pond, I observe the shoreline, surrounding hills, islands, maybe a woodpecker or blue jay winging its way to the opposite shore. I look up at the sky, the clouds, swirling snowflakes. But there is a world beneath my feet that I don’t see, in what Henry David Thoreau called “the quiet parlor of the fishes.”
Beneath a layer of ice up to three feet thick, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and tiny invertebrates are going about their winter business. For most of these creatures, this means slowing their metabolism down to survive with reduced light and oxygen. They move less, eat less, and breathe more slowly than in warmer months. » Continue Reading.
Dewey Mountain Recreation Center and Mt. Van Hoevenberg have announced an introduction to skate ski clinic with Marijke Ormel-Cook, Randy Young, and other special guests, set for January 25-27, 2019.
Participants can learn the skills and techniques necessary to skate skiing through a three session instruction course. Equipment will be made available for participants courtesy High Peaks Cyclery. Previous cross country ski experience and pre-reregistration is required. » Continue Reading.
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 freezing 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.
Three Winter Weekend events will be held for the sixth consecutive year at Camp Santanoni in Newcomb.
The events will take place during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, January 19-21; Presidents Day holiday weekend, February 16-18; and the weekend of March 16-17.
These Winter Weekends have grown in popularity in recent years as cross-country skiers and snowshoers access the historic great camp property to rest, tour the buildings, and view interpretative displays. » Continue Reading.
The 39th running of the Empire State Winter Games is being run from January 31 through February 3, 2019 with over 2,300 athletes of all ages expected to participate in more than 30 sports. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have announced they are holding a joint public comment period to solicit comments regarding proposed guidance for ski touring trails in the “forever wild” Adirondack Forest Preserve and their conformance to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan.
The proposal adds to existing standards and guidelines for cross-country ski trails as currently defined in the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan and the Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Preserve Policy Manual. The joint public comment period will conclude on February 1, 2019.
The Backcountry Ski Trail plans can be found here. What follows is an unedited APA press release describing the proposed changes: » Continue Reading.
Peavine Swamp Ski Trail is an 8.5-mile ski trail located in the Western parcel of the Cranberry Lake Wild Forest.
This trail begins on the south side of Route 3 east of Peavine Swamp. It presently contains three loops. The last half of the trail passes through lands that have never been significantly harvested. Large specimens of hardwoods, red spruce, and eastern hemlock are common. » Continue Reading.
Centennial Recreational Ski Trails (4.9 miles), part of the Independence River Wild Forest, are designated for cross country skiing and can be accessed from the South Trailhead on Steam Mill Road or the North Trailhead on Partridgeville Road. » Continue Reading.
Wilcox Lake Wild Forest is located in the southeastern area of the Adirondack Park and is made up of approximately 125,000 acres of Adirondack Forest Preserve lands in Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga and Warren counties.
The DEC managed Wild Forest unit offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking to the fire towers on Hadley Mountain and Spruce Mountain, camping on Wilcox Lake, and ice fishing on Garnet Lake. The area includes 92 miles of marked trails, four lean-tos, 63 primitive campsites, and multiple parking areas. » Continue Reading.
The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Nordic ski center, in Lake Placid, is scheduled to open for the 2018-’19 season, Saturday, November 17, weather and conditions permitting. The center’s earliest-ever planned opening comes after members of the U.S. para-Nordic ski team held their week-long training camp at the center. » Continue Reading.
Latest Adirondack News
Latest Adirondack News 
General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to Almanack founder and editor John Warren.
To advertise on the Adirondack Almanack, or to receive information on rates and design, please click here. 
Help us keep bringing you the Adirondack information you value.
Email
Twitter
RSS
Facebook
Recent Almanack Comments