Help us keep bringing you the Adirondack information you value.
Email
Twitter
RSS
Facebook
The Open Space Institute (OSI) recently awarded Lake Placid Land Conservancy (LPLC) a capital grant in the amount of $50,000 to support LPLC’s acquisition of a community forest preserve in Wilmington. LPLC acquired approximately 100 acres in Wilmington between Hardy Road and Quaker Mountain Lane on April 19, 2017, and plans to create a community forest preserve that will include approximately two miles of scenic, recreational trails. The new trails are expected to create a connection between the Hamlet of Wilmington and existing public lands and trails on the Beaver Brook tract of the Wilmington Wild Forest located on Hardy Road. » Continue Reading.
Posts Tagged ‘Wilmington’
The Unusual Life of Barnabee Bear
Wendy Hall, my wife and co-director of the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and Rehab Center in Wilmington, rescued Barnaby the bear with a Have-a-Heart trap last September.
Skinny and gaunt, starving and mangy, riddled with internal and external parasites, and less than thirty five pounds, Barnaby was in real tough shape. For a black bear more than a year old, these conditions could be potentially fatal, and we weren’t sure he would live.
Two months later, Barnaby had not only put on 100 pounds, but somewhere between the two months when he began to hibernate in November, and mid-January, Barnaby turned into Barnabee, and gave birth to two cubs. How did this happen? » Continue Reading.
Crowded Wilmington Whiteface Bike Fest Splits Events
A new Tour of Wilmington Whiteface, a two-day mountain and road bike event, will be held June 3rd and 4th, and features both the 7th annual Wilmington Whiteface 100K mountain bike race (WW100) and the 16th annual Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race.
The Saturday and Sunday event is expected to bring hundreds of cycling enthusiasts to the Wilmington region to race in both the 69-mile long mountain bike race and the 11-mile road race to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, New York State’s fifth highest peak. » Continue Reading.
Visiting the North Pole’s Village of Lights
It’s always with great excitement that my family gets to tell visitors that we live near the North Pole. I have photos of Rudolph on my phone and my Christmas cards are all postmarked with the North Pole seal. There are not many places in the Adirondacks that celebrate Christmas all year long.
Since 1949, Santa’s Workshop has been keeping the Christmas spirit alive year-round. Designed by Arto Monaco (Land of Make Believe) Santa’s Workshop, near Wilmington NY, provides us with a direct portal to “the jolly o’ elf.” Though Friday, December 23rd, from 4:30- 8 pm, Santa’s Workshop Village of Lights is open to the public for those last visits to Santa and his friends. The buildings are covered in twinkle lights while holiday music surrounds the tiny village. Elves, large and small, prepare the sleigh and reindeer for their annual Christmas ride. » Continue Reading.
New Preserve, Wilmington-Hardy Road Bike Corridor Planned
The Lake Placid Land Conservancy (LPLC) plans to create a community preserve in the Town of Wilmington that will include two miles of recreational trails open to the public.
The project will create a connector trail between the hamlet of Wilmington and the existing public land and trails on the Beaver Brook Tract of the Wilmington Wild Forest located on Hardy Road.
LPLC anticipates closing on the properties to create the preserve by the end of March, 2017. » Continue Reading.
BETA Builds New Bike Trails In Wilmington
So this is the shoulder season. The leaves are gone. It’s chilly outside, wet and gray. You don’t feel like hiking. You’re looking forward to skiing, but you don’t want to sit inside until the snow comes.
It’s a great time for mountain biking. You don’t need views, fall colors, or sunshine to enjoy riding on a well-designed trail through the woods. As for that chill in the air, you’ll warm up soon enough.
That was my thinking when I drove to Wilmington last weekend to check out some new trails off Hardy Road.
The nonprofit Barkeater Trails Alliance maintains a network of mountain-bike trails on both sides of Hardy Road, some easy, some not so. I have ridden there more than once. After Keith McKeever, a BETA volunteer, told me the group recently created two new trails, both for beginners, I drove over as soon as I had a free day.
Science, Natural History Lectures At Whiteface Field Station
The Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) has announced their 2016 Falconer Science/Natural History Lecture Series, at the ASRC Whiteface Field Station in Wilmington.
The lectures will take place every other Tuesday at 7 pm, from July 12th, to August 23rd. All lectures are free and open to the public. » Continue Reading.
Community Paddling Programs Planned For Lake Everest
The Ausable River Association (AsRA) will be offering free guided community paddling programs on the Ausable Paddling Nature Trail in Wilmington this summer.
The paddling program will introduce people to flatwater paddling skills, safety, and the natural history of Lake Everest (an impoundment of the West Branch of the Ausable River), and the Ausable River Watershed. » Continue Reading.
The US National Fly Fishing Championships Kicking Off
The US National Fly Fishing Championships begins Wednesday, June 1st, when some of the best anglers in the country check-in at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center at 7 pm. There will be three days of competition for spots on the National Fly Fishing Team.
According to event organizer Ken Crane, this is the first year the nationals have come to the area. Two regional qualifiers were held in the area last June. “We have 55 anglers: 11 teams of five guys, at five venues: three rivers and two lakes,” says Crane. “The competitors each get a beat, a section of the river or lake and have a three-hour catch and release session.” » Continue Reading.
More Trail Development Sought For Wilmington Wild Forest
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is accepting public comment for proposed amendments to the Wilmington Wild Forest Area Unit Management Plan (UMP) Amendment.
The Wilmington Wild Forest Area is located in the Towns of Wilmington, Jay, Keene, and Saint Armand in Essex County and the Town of Black Brook in Clinton County. The UMP covers about 17,000 acres across several detached Forest Preserve parcels. The core area is located on the east-facing slopes of Whiteface Mountain between the Whiteface Mountain Ski center and the Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway. The APA will accept public comment regarding Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan conformance for this amendment until June 10, 2016. » Continue Reading.
Wilmington Whiteface Bike Fest Set For June 3-5
The annual Wilmington Whiteface Bike Fest will be held on June 3-5, 2016 with a mix of competition and family fun.
The events begin Friday, when Montreal’s Krushers Stunt Team will preform in the free jump and trials exhibition at the Wilmington Bike Park. Other events Friday evening include Sam Perkins and Carsinn Wilson performing bike acrobatics. These will be followed by the annual welcome party featuring music, raffles, prizes and a Best Calves contest. » Continue Reading.
New Mountain Bike Flow Trail Opening At Whiteface
The Whiteface Mountain Bike Park in Wilmington opens on June 4th with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Flow Trail, True Blue, at noon. Phase one of True Blue starts at the current Wilmington Mountain Bike Shuttle drop-off location, near the top of Fox Trail. High Peaks Cyclery will be bringing their entire fleet of Salsa Fat Bikes for free demos.
Throughout the season work is expected to continue on phase two, which tops out at the Facelift, and is expected to be completed by the end of the season. » Continue Reading.
Women’s Division Returns To Ausable Two-Fly Challenge
The 17th annual Ausable Two-Fly Challenge, a catch-and-release trout tournament, is taking place May 20-21 with a reintroduced a women’s division.
A portion of registrations will be donated to Casting for Recovery, which seeks to enhance the quality of life of women with breast cancer through a combination of education, support and fly fishing. Casting for Recovery’s retreats are open to breast cancer survivors of all ages, in all stages of treatment and recovery, and are free to participants.
The Two-Fly Challenge begins Friday, May 20, with a day of fishing followed by a Fly Tyer’s Reception where anglers can share the day’s experiences on the river while learning new fly tying skills, or taking part in the fly casting competition; the Seth Warden Duo will perform live music.
Counting The Miles While Skiing The Toll Road
There aren’t many Nordic ski routes where you can gauge your progress by mileage markers. The exception, I learned last weekend, is the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway.
When the state repaved the highway recently, it installed highway reference markers along the shoulder. These are the small rectangular signs on metal posts that you see along state-maintained roads every tenth or two-tenths of a mile. Usually they’re green, but those on the Whiteface highway are brown. » Continue Reading.
More Development Planned For Wilmington Wild Forest
The Wilmington Wild Forest management plan was completed in October 2005. The plan provided for the design and construction of multiple-use recreational trails. Over the past 10 years these trails have been built.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is now planning to amend the Wilmington Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (UMP) to reroute some trails, add others, build two more parking lots and more. Public comments are being accepted through January 22, 2016.
The Draft Plan Amendment and a copy of the presentation made to the Adirondack Park Agency by the DEC are available online.
Among the proposals in the new management plan are: » Continue Reading.
Latest News Headlines
- APA's proposed comment policy changes draw criticism
- Lake George village hall pays homage to past leaders
- Aurora displays light up the night
- What are PFAS and are they in Adirondack waters?
- Urging a solution to Jackrabbit Trail access
- Appreciating kinship on a trip to Great Camp Santanoni
- Gov. proposes crackdown on unlicensed cannabis storefronts
- Jones: State needs to do more for fire departments
- U.S. and Canada Reach an Agreement on Diverting Asylum Seekers
- 20-megawatt battery installation proposed in Raquette Lake
Latest News Headlines
- APA's proposed comment policy changes draw criticism
- Lake George village hall pays homage to past leaders
- Aurora displays light up the night
- What are PFAS and are they in Adirondack waters?
- Urging a solution to Jackrabbit Trail access
- Appreciating kinship on a trip to Great Camp Santanoni
- Gov. proposes crackdown on unlicensed cannabis storefronts
- Jones: State needs to do more for fire departments
- U.S. and Canada Reach an Agreement on Diverting Asylum Seekers
- 20-megawatt battery installation proposed in Raquette Lake
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.
To advertise on the Adirondack Almanack, or to receive information on rates and design, please click here.
Wait! Before you go:
Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox
Recent Almanack Comments