During an afternoon lunch at the Adirondack Mountain Coffee Café in Upper Jay with Ruth Kuhfahl, there is hardly a face in the place she doesn’t recognize, though, she tells me, at 95 she often has to say to some, “Now, help me remember where our paths have crossed.” » Continue Reading.
I know snowmobiles are controversial here, but I don’t know much about them. Back in the Mid Atlantic, I think one guy in our entire county had a snowmobile, and once every winter it might precipitate enough for him to pull it out and lap his house a few times before putting it away for another year. It worked for him.
But I do know a lot about all-terrain vehicles and their big brothers that seat multiple people and have enough cargo space to haul the entire Imelda Marcos Memorial Shoe Collection. (Imelda, if you’re not dead, my apologies; I didn’t have time to look it up.) » Continue Reading.
The Grand Opening of the Sophie’s Lair and Florence Hathaway Trails in Willsboro, the newest additions to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) network of trails in Florence Hathaway Park, has been postponed until January 2018. The event was originally scheduled for Sunday, October 29, but changed due to weather.
The Florence Hathaway Trail is a one-mile loop trail and leads to Sophie’s Lair Trail which provides for easy hikes of up to five miles on a variety of paths through a lovely forest with stone walls and beautiful old oak, hickory and pine trees. There are small creeks, seasonally wet areas, and gentle hills. Come winter, the trails will be available for cross-country skiing. » Continue Reading.
A new trail is being added to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) network, thanks to the efforts of 13 volunteers who recently visited the area. The Volunteer Vacationers came from Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey and New York in an American Hiking Society program that links people who want to spend their vacation building and maintaining trails for organizations like CATS. This is the fourth year CATS has hosted Volunteer Vacationers.
The group stayed at Camp Dudley while working under the supervision of CATS Trail Steward Bill Amadon to build a new trail. They spent a free day during the week exploring the Lake Champlain area from Ticonderoga to Rouse’s Point, including travels in Vermont to Middlebury and Burlington. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the Department of Environmental Conservation are holding a joint public comment period to solicit comments regarding proposed management guidance for the siting, construction and maintenance of single-track bike trails on New York State ‘Forever Wild’ Forest Preserve land in the Adirondack Park.
The APA and DEC will accept comments until September 29, 2017. » Continue Reading.
On July 31, 2017 final papers were submitted in the trial in state Supreme Court in Albany over management of the Forest Preserve. The trial ended in early April. The trial focused on management of the public “forever wild” Forest Preserve by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and Adirondack Park Agency.
These agencies are currently building a network of 9-12 foot wide class II community connector snowmobile trails (Class II trails) on the Adirondack Forest Preserve that require cutting thousands of trees, extensive grading.
The lawsuit was filed by Protect the Adirondacks (PROTECT) against the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and Adirondack Park Agency in 2013, and alleges that these trails violate Article XIV, Section 1, the forever wild provision of the NYS Constitution. » Continue Reading.
Trails in the eastern High Peaks, to the Dix Mountains, and to Giant Mountain are extremely crowded on summer weekends. The following dozen hikes are recommended for those who want to have a hiking experience similar to a High Peaks hike, including great scenic views, with much fewer people. » Continue Reading.
More than 1.5 miles of bike trails, including a new loop opportunity, have been added to the Beaver Brook Trail Network in the Adirondacks. The trails are part of the Wilmington Bike Trail Network located on Forest Preserve lands in the Wilmington Wild Forest in the town of Wilmington, Essex County.
The new trails were built under contract or agreement with and supervision of DEC. The new 1.0-mile Ante Up Trail was constructed by Adirondack Mountain Club Professional Crew (ADK Pro Crew) and Barkeater Trail Alliance (BETA) volunteers. The new 0.25-mile Beaver Brook View Trail and a new 0.3 mile section of the Lost Farm Trail were both constructed by BETA volunteers. DEC also contracted with the ADK Pro Crew to construct a bridge over Beaver Brook that completes the loop on the Lost Farm Trail. This summer an Excelsior Conservation Corps work crew will improve the Beaver Brook View Trail to meet accessible trail standards to provide access for people with mobility disabilities. » Continue Reading.
DEC is seeking volunteers to maintain trails in the towns of Peru and Black Brook in Clinton County and town of Chesterfield in Essex County.
You can be part of a one-day work group, a three-day once a year effort, or a few hours on numerous days throughout the year – during the week or on weekends – whatever works best for you. » Continue Reading.
Champlain Area Trails will formally open the newest addition to the CATS trail network on Sunday, June 25 in Willsboro, with a hike starting at 1 pm. All are invited to celebrate the grand opening of the “High Point Trail” which goes to the highest point on Willsboro Point.
The High Point Trail is on the property of Marsha and Bill Harbison, who developed the trail and have opened it to the public for hiking. CATS completed trail work, marked the trail, and created a small parking area trailhead. » Continue Reading.
ADK has released the fifth edition of its Adirondack Mountain Club Northville-Placid Trail in time for the Northville-Placid Trail’s 95th anniversary. The newest edition in ADK’s Forest Preserve Series of Adirondack and Catskill guides, this volume marks the relaunch of the series.
Edited by Jeff and Donna Case of Mattydale, Onondaga County, the volume has been revised and redesigned, including a return to a smaller, more convenient size. When they conclude this year’s trip on the NPT in May, the authors will have hiked the trail twenty-eight times.
The new edition’s arrival is a celebration of another sort as well: the text includes a detailed description of the long-awaited reroute of the Northville-Placid Trail’s (NPT’s) southern approach completed in 2015 that eliminated about 10 miles of road walking. Originally 132 miles long, reroutes and trail changes have extended the NPT to 138.6 miles. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Community-based Trails and Lodging System Tuesday advanced its “demonstration project” to build a spur trail in the Town of Long Lake offering hikers on the Northville Placid Trail the opportunity to get off the trail and go into the town for a hot shower, meal, and place to sleep for the night. Leaders of the project visited the potential site.
They hope to have the trail finished by fall and ready for use next year. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Hamlets to Huts project, which incorporated in November, received its 501c3 status in April, making it an official nonprofit, Joe Dadey announced at the Adirondack Community-based Trails and Lodging System advisory committee meeting Tuesday. The organization’s mission is to create, manage and promote a world-class Adirondack hut-to-hut system that advances sustainable communities, conservation, and wellness.
This opens up new grant opportunities for the project, and once a website is developed and the group is registered with the New York Charities Bureau, it can begin reaching out for memberships, gifts and donations, Dadey said.
“It will help us advance our mission,” he said. » Continue Reading.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has created a new 5-person trail crew for the High Peaks.
According to DEC spokesman Delamater Benning, this is the DEC’s “first five-person trail crew in more than 20 years, and they are going to focus on high priority High Peak projects.”
Benning said the new trail crew was created after DEC Region 5 staff said there was a need to upgrade some high priority trails in the High Peaks. » Continue Reading.
It’s time to start planning out what you’re going to do in the Adirondacks this summer and beyond, right? We at the Adirondack Explorer offer plenty of inspiration with our upcoming 2017 Annual Outings Guide. » Continue Reading.
Latest News Headlines
Latest News Headlines
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.Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox
Help us keep bringing you the Adirondack information you value.
Email
Twitter
RSS
Facebook
Recent Almanack Comments