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Westport, NY – Discover the beauty of the Champlain Valley with Champlain Area Trails (CATS) and their updated Central Champlain Valley Trail Map, now featuring four new trails. CATS has been constructing and maintaining trails, protecting land, connecting people with nature, and promoting economic vitality in the Champlain Valley as an accredited land trust since 2009. » Continue Reading.
Posts Tagged ‘hiking’
Champlain Area Trails Releases Updated Trail Map Highlighting New Routes
Recreationists urged to share trails, Leave No Trace this holiday weekend
Holiday weekends are a convenient time for everyone to explore outside. But with more people on the trail, it’s important to share them properly. Be considerate of others and follow these tips so that everyone has a great time outside this Labor Day weekend.
Adirondack Land Trust Receives $174,300 in Grant Funding for Cobble Hill Trail Improvements
Keene, NY — The Adirondack Land Trust has received a $99,300 grant from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program and a $75,000 grant from the North Elba Local Advancement and Enhancement Fund for a total of $174,300 in funding for trail improvements at Cobble Hill, a popular Lake Placid hiking destination.
“These generous grants support the work of people coming together to solve problems for community benefit,” says Adirondack Land Trust Stewardship & GIS Specialist Becca Halter. “These funds will help to improve this beloved community hike with a beautiful view of the village, Mirror Lake, and the surrounding area.”
Tales of the Adirondacks, Past & Present: First Adirondack Adventure by Heidi Roland
Our next OurStoryBridge, Inc. story share features avid hiker, Heidi Roland, from North Elba Narratives in Lake Placid, NY. In her story titled “First Adirondack Adventure,” she recounts her first hike with her boyfriend (now husband) in the Adirondack High Peaks in 1982, and she also illustrates how she became a 46er. To listen to First Adirondack Adventure in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/c3c58af5eb104c918e46aa6712147f51/
The Ermine and the Hare: A Tale from Couchsachraga
Story and photos by Heather Swartz
It seemed like an Adirondack fairytale at first. I had completed the navigation at dawn from Blue Mountain Lake to the Santanoni Range Trailhead at Upper Works. The sun rose on the tree enveloped horizon as I drove Northeast and spied a single young buck at the roadside in the morning light. I considered these good omens. It was early September. I parked at the trailhead and proceeded solo up Santanoni Road and began the Bradley Brook Trail, full of corduroy, horizontal logs laid out to make an old and well used, wet, roadway.
Recreation Highlight: Leave No Trace on State Lands this Winter
Everyone who recreates on New York’s State lands has a responsibility to adequately prepare themselves and protect natural resources for future generations. Following the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace™, set forth by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, is one-way visitors are encouraged to Love Our New York Lands.
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Proper planning is vital to a safe winter adventure. Know personal limits, set realistic goals, and choose an experience appropriate for everyone in the group. Research trails and routes before setting out and contact DEC or other knowledgeable parties with questions.
DEC Recreation Highlights: Give the Gift of an Adirondack Adventure and #LiveGreenNY
Looking for the perfect gift? Forget wrapping paper and bows. Instead, think outside of the box and gift an Adirondack adventure instead of material things. Need inspiration? If your recipient enjoys outdoor adventure, then they may like to go:
- Hiking – Gift someone a day of quality time spent together on the trail. Pick a hike appropriate for the recipient and the weather, and remember to pack the 10 hiking essentials. Consider a DEC First Day Hike and get ready to enjoy the views.
- Birdwatching – Gift a pair of binoculars or plan on visiting one of the many sites on the New York State Birding Trail. Don’t forget to take photos and log the types of feathered friends you encounter.
DEC Recreation Highlight: Ditch the App, Bring a Map
Knowing the fundamentals of how to read a map and use a compass should be at the core of your outdoor skills. GPS tools or apps are great to have, but they aren’t a replacement for a paper map and compass and the ability to use them. Even if you have top of the line technology for wayfinding, a map and compass should still always be among the essentials in your pack.
Inlet resident, Amanda Miller, shares snapshot of hiking excursions with her pups
The great November thaw has arrived and the day is rainy and grey, what better time to share some picturesque snapshots of an Inlet resident’s frequent hiking excursions and walks about town with her two canine friends, Cornbread and Okra Fritter. Amanda Miller, who moved to the Adirondacks from Texas in 2002, owns and operates the Screamen Eagle restaurant in downtown Inlet alongside her husband, Matt. Amanda also works at the Old Forge and Inlet post offices on a part time basis and has two children, Lorelei who attends the Town of Webb UFSD in Old Forge and Alex who lives in Greenville, SC with his fiance, Hunter.
Recreation Highlight: Low Elevation Hikes for the Shoulder Season
It’s stick season in the Adirondacks. As with any season change, variable conditions can heavily impact the state of the trails. Consider choosing a low-elevation hike or interpretive trail over the next couple weekends to avoid inclement weather and trail conditions.
The Adirondack Day Hikes webpage has plenty of great low-elevation options. Here are a few to consider this coming weekend:
Rock Lake Trail – Just 1.6 miles roundtrip, the shores of Rock Lake provide gorgeous scenery at a very approachable distance and low elevation. This would be a safe hike to fit in before the rain shows up for the weekend.
Hiking with Grandma Beth: A roundup of fall hikes & walkabouts
Believe it or not, Spooky Season is upon us, which means fall foliage in the Adirondacks is past peak with many of those vibrant leaves now crunching under the feet of those who enjoy hiking during the gorgeous, yet fleeting of seasons. One such hiking enthusiast, Old Forge resident, Beth Pashley, has embarked on several hikes and walkabouts in the Adirondack region this fall, capturing this year’s spectacular fall color in various stages throughout the month of October.The Adirondack Almanack featured Pashley a few times previously, documenting her hiking progress over the last several months, and sharing her serene, eye-catching photographs. In this piece, Pashley shares a roundup of photographs depicting walkabouts and hikes from this month and clues us in on goals she has set to keep motivated while closing out one of her most successful and eventful hiking years to date.
Fueling our bodies: MB’s Energy Bites
“I hate hiking and I’m never gonna do it again.” -me (age 15, yelled to my mom and anyone else within hearing distance on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Mt. Washington, NH)
When I was a child growing up in a regularly food-insecure home, my food preferences were whatever my mom had available for us to eat, whether I liked that food or not (spoiler alert – I usually didn’t like it). Although she did a wonderful job with the frighteningly little she had available, the poor quality of that food – outdated boxed and canned goods, sad and squidgy produce, greenish rinds of cheese, and the bits of meat that no-one else wanted – could not be masked by the spices and creative preparation techniques she employed.
Food, then, became a tool for survival, not something consumed for enjoyment or even with deliberative selection for health.
Long Lake Opens Next Phase of Mountain Biking/Hiking Trails
The Town of Long Lake has opened phase two of the Mt. Sabattis Mountain Bike/Shared-Use Trail system, adding another two plus kilometers of trails to the existing two kilometers of trails. The two new trails include an intermediate climbing trail from the base parking lot up from the Mt. Sabattis Recreation Area Tennis Courts and Geiger Arena leading up to the Pavilion parking lot. The second expert trail leads off from the established Black and Blue intermediate trail and crisscrosses the fields and woods before reaching the Mt. Sabattis Overlook and scenic view of Long Lake.
DEC: New fall foliage shuttle begins this weekend, October 1 & 2
October Shuttle Promotes Public Safety by Providing Free, Convenient Access from North Hudson to Popular Adirondack High Peaks Trailheads
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds visitors to the Adirondacks of the new fall foliage shuttle program starting in October from Frontier Town Gateway in North Hudson to popular trailheads in the High Peaks region. To accommodate visitors seeking fall foliage hikes and views, no-cost shuttles will run the first two weekends in October from the Frontier Town Gateway to the Giant Mountain, Roaring Brook Falls, and Rooster Comb trailheads, as well as the Marcy Field Parking Area.
First announced in July, the new program is a partnership between DEC, Essex County, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), the towns of Keene and North Hudson, and the private owner of Frontier Town Gateway. The shuttle offers hikers the opportunity to experience fall foliage from its best vantage point – on the trail – without the hassle of driving to and parking at busy trailheads.
Latest News Headlines
- Can art encourage stewardship of North Country waters?
- Opinion: Climate Doomism Disregards the Science
- Indian Lake's challenge to raise and release butterflies
- Fall color unfolding across the Adirondacks
- Fall paddle on the Oswegatchie
- Exploring a quiet side of the park
- Bionique testing lab proposes to triple in size
- The Beekeepers Who Don’t Want You to Buy More Bees
- PHOTOS: The 50th annual Adirondack Balloon Festival
- Stefanik demands plan to keep Amtrak Adirondack Line operational
Latest News Headlines
- Can art encourage stewardship of North Country waters?
- Opinion: Climate Doomism Disregards the Science
- Indian Lake's challenge to raise and release butterflies
- Fall color unfolding across the Adirondacks
- Fall paddle on the Oswegatchie
- Exploring a quiet side of the park
- Bionique testing lab proposes to triple in size
- The Beekeepers Who Don’t Want You to Buy More Bees
- PHOTOS: The 50th annual Adirondack Balloon Festival
- Stefanik demands plan to keep Amtrak Adirondack Line operational
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.
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Bella’s Tips for Humans who Hike with Dogs
Bella’s alternative title: Pooping in the Woods with my Human
You may be wondering about the title(s) of this article. My human, who has written for the Adirondack Almanack about public health stuff and dog treats (my favorite!) and recipes (my second favorite!) and the outdoors (my third favorite, especially if there are squirrels and birds to sniff), has been distracted by work. So distracted, that she has become positively boring, and hasn’t written all the stories and things she keeps talking about with me. So, I decided that I should help my human out and write this article for her, so that you other humans could have a dog’s perspective on what makes hiking with our humans one of our best and most favorite things, ever. Especially since I like hiking with my human and hope that my help means more hikes very soon. If all goes as planned, I will see you on the trails soon. I hope that you bring treats to share with me (like the ones my human has shared through the Adirondack Almanack, or that I will be sharing for her if she doesn’t get her act together and start being fun again).
~Signed, Belladonna (Entledoodle Extraordinaire). » Continue Reading.