By Charlotte Staats, Adirondack Council
The overuse crisis is no secret in the Adirondack Park. While it has been building for years, the global COVID-19 pandemic sent residents and visitors to the woods in unprecedented numbers, seeking exercise, solace, and connection to nature. The physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors have been well documented; and generally speaking, a growing hiking community is a plus for public health, local businesses, and our collective societal wellbeing.
Here’s the drawback – trails in the Adirondacks were not built with a sustainable design in mind, nor to withstand current levels of use. As a result, Adirondack trails are suffering from trail degradation that impacts natural resources, human safety and the wilderness experience. There’s a solution, and it requires state action and dedicated resources.
Grandson Nathan shares tech-savvy skills, glimpsing Beaver Brook bridge project
Winter keeps trying to put a white coat on our landscape, but it melts the next day. The cloud cover made for some nice sunrise and sunset photos. The waxing moon is just a slice of itself which may be hidden in the clouds tonight [Nov. 19]. It was beautiful right out our upstairs windows last night [Nov. 18]. Don Andrews caught one of those nice sunrises over [the] Old Forge Pond one morning. My grandson, Nathan, got a super sunset over Utica the night before. That shot will probably be his screensaver for a while until a better one comes.
» Continue Reading.