Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2017 i Adirondack Explorer

When the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge rehabilitator Wendy Hall captured a small bear in early September, she wasn’t sure it would survive. The thirty-five-pound animal was emaciated and had mange, a skin disease caused by mites. It looked miserable. The bear had been living in a shed in Schroon Lake, living off apples growing on a tree in the yard. But roundworms were ravaging its insides, causing it to lose weight and sapping its strength. The bear posed a danger to the family living in the nearby house, so Hall was contacted. After taking in the cub, workers at the wildlife refuge, located in Wilmington, dubbed it Barnaby, following the suggestion of a boy who is friends with the Hall family. After a few weeks of treatment and proper nourishment, the…

An environmental group that transformed the Adirondack Park over the last twenty years, while redefining the politics of land conservation, is undergoing a sweeping reorganization. The Adirondack chapter of the Nature Conservancy (TNC), headquartered in Keene Valley, is spinning off a subsidiary called the Adirondack Land Trust. TNC has already parted company with its longtime executive director, Mike Carr. The moves raise questions about the future of large-scale land conservation in the Park. During his sixteen-year tenure at TNC, Carr engineered many landmark preservation agreements, culminating in the massive Finch, Pruyn deal and the preservation of Follensby Pond near Tupper Lake. Along the way, Carr, who is fifty-three years old, established himself as one of the Park’s most visionary and effective environmental leaders, once described by Adirondack Park Agency Commissioner…

For years, biologists have been working to improve conditions for the native fish in Lake Champlain. Among other things, they have removed old dams to help spawning salmon migrate up rivers and have reduced the population of sea lampreys that prey on salmon and lake trout. Now scientists are trying to fully understand how salmon are impacted by alewives, an invasive species that has become a main source of food for salmon, a keystone predator that eats smaller fish. Alewives were first discovered in Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay, in Vermont, in 2003. Since then, they have grown in number and replaced native rainbow smelt as the main forage fish for predators in the lake, and they are likely here to stay. “There’s not much we can do to manage alewives,”…

My brother, Wayne, claimed he was allergic to hiking. A decade ago, I coaxed him into climbing modest Baker Mountain by Moody Pond in Saranac Lake, a mile from his home. In a moment of weakness, he agreed, needing to walk his dog. One would think we had scaled Everest. “Want to hike up Ampersand Mountain?” I asked him last spring. Ampersand was close to his home with a fantastic view on top. “If I don’t show up at the trailhead, don’t wait,” he replied. It became his standard comeback every few days when I called him to see if he might join me on Baxter, Giant’s Nubble, Rooster Comb, St. Regis Mountain … I was updating my book Hiking the Adirondacks, hiking three days per week and constantly looking…

The month of May has much to recommend it in the Adirondacks, the merry-making of mayflies included. As for June, there are June bugs. I’ve heard of March hares, but May and June are the only months, as far as I know, that lend their names to insects. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because, when we ponder the abundance of insects at this time of year, it’s far more pleasant to think of mayflies and June bugs than it is blackflies and mosquitoes. These handsome and ecologically important non-biters help distract us from their loathsome but equally significant cousins. Mayflies, if you don’t know them, are primitive winged insects in the order Ephemeroptera. They are, in truth as well as in name, ephemeral. Mayfly adults do not feed. They…

Does the recent uproar regarding overuse of the Adirondacks, especially in the High Peaks, demonstrate a deteriorating situation or just remind us that the more things change the more they stay the same? Perhaps some of both. The guide Alva Dunning complained about the crowds in 1901: “These woods is a-gittin’ too full o’ people fer comfort ... they’re a-runnin’ all over here in summer a-shootin’ an’ a-fishin’ ... an’ they ain’t got no business here disturbin’ the woods.” Fast-forward to the late sixties when interest in the outdoors soars. In 1970 I took my first National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course and heard founder Paul Petzoldt talk of what he called “practical conservation,” which evolved into today’s Leave No Trace principles. In 1974 the Adirondack Park Agency asked the…

Three species of wild felines used to roam the Adirondacks. Tragically, only one of these cats still dwells The most discussed native cat is the cougar (also known as puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount). Clinton Hart Merriam writes in Mammals of the Adirondacks (1882) that the cougar was a “common inhabitant of the primeval forests of the Adirondacks. But since the State offered a bounty [$20] for their destruction, so many more have been killed than born that they are well nigh exterminated.” Thankfully, cougars have an enormous range, from Alaska to the southern tip of South America. Although they have been eliminated in the eastern United States, except for a small population in southern Florida, they occur in many western states. Most of the reliable reports of sightings in…

What’s your favorite hike in these parts? I have been asked that question occasionally since the Explorer published my guidebook 12 Short Hikes Near Old Forge a few years ago. My answer: it depends—on whether I’m looking for a short hike, a long hike, a hike to a summit, or a hike to water. Although I’m reluctant to pick just one favorite, I will say that the four hikes described below are among the best in the book. I chose a variety of outings in the hope that every reader will find one that suits his or her taste. Highest summit Bald Mountain may be the region’s most popular summit, but I prefer Black Bear Mountain located between Eagle Bay and Inlet. At 2,445 feet, Black Bear is the tallest…

The Champlain Valley sometimes seems like a forgotten part of the Adirondack Park. Instead of big mountains and valleys, it offers rolling vistas of farms, fields, and forests stretching to the shores of Lake Champlain. There’s no denying the beauty of the bucolic scenery, but outdoor recreationists such as hikers, paddlers, and backcountry skiers tend to gravitate toward other parts of the Park. Yet the Champlain Valley’s many quiet, country roads are ideal for cycling, so it’s no surprise that the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) chose the region for a new annual event called Bike the Barns. A nonprofit dedicated to growing the Adirondack economy, ANCA sponsored the first Bike the Barns last September, when about eighty cyclists signed up to ride from farm to farm. This year’s event…

The Adirondacks is blessed with lovely waterfalls. A number of them can be found along the Grass River. And the best of those is Lampson Falls, which can be reached by a short walk or a longer paddle. On a gorgeous day last fall, Carol and I opted for the paddle. I had done this trip several years earlier, while researching my guidebook Adirondack Paddling: 60 Great Flatwater Adventures, and was curious to see if things had changed. As it turned out, the river and the falls were pretty much the same—that is, beautiful. Our journey began on the Middle Branch of the Grass and ended on the Main Branch just above the falls. Thus, some kind of shuttle was called for. We first drove to the Lampson Falls trailhead…

In my observation, there’s been steady increase in the popularity of outdoor recreation. As I travel through the Adirondacks, hiking trails and canoe launches that were once empty are now constantly flooded with cars and people heading out into our great state park. The most obvious spot to see this change is the parking lot at the Adirondak Loj in near Lake Placid; only a few years ago it seemed impossible that the lot would be almost full. This summer and fall, not only was the lot full, but the road leading up to it was lined on both sides for almost a mile. It is hard to say what is driving this rapid increase in popularity, but hopefully it can be parlayed into a greater good. The positive that…

YES By Brendan Wiltse Drones are fascinating specimens of modern technology. They allow us to gain a different perspective on the world around us. As a photographer, I use a drone to take aerial images of the Adirondacks. My goal is to show people the complex landforms in the Park, especially those associated with rivers and lakes. I have also been exploring the use of small recreational drones to collect data on Adirondack rivers. The technology is exciting and offers many new opportunities to view and understand the natural world. When new technology is under development, there comes a point when as a society we need to reflect on the ethical uses of that technology. There has been a lot of discussion on drones at the national level lately. The…

TRAILBLAZERS features Adirondackers working to make a difference in the Park and one place they want others to know about, whether a hike, a vista, a body of water, or a favorite place to eat. At the end of each interview, we ask the Trailblazer to choose the next. Pete Nelson is credited with inspiring the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, which is looking for solutions to the lack of diversity in the Park. Despite his love for the Adirondacks, one of the concerns for Nelson as he decided to move here from Madison, Wisconsin, and after stays in other urban hubs was it was lacking in cultural diversity. In short, he said, “it was a bit too white for me.” And he saw that as a hindrance to the area’s survival.…

In today’s world of social media, mountaintop tweets can spread across the planet at the speed of light to people who have never heard of the forty-six High Peaks or even the Adirondacks. You can send a message within moments of arriving at a summit if you’re lucky enough to have cell reception. But the original social media for Forty-Sixers were notebooks in canisters on the trail-less peaks. It was a different kind of social networking, allowing you to read about yesterday’s triumphs, look for the names of friends or acquaintances, and leave a message for future hikers whom you’d never meet. For me, the pinnacle of canister networking occurred many years ago in the Santanoni Range. My hiking partner, Doug Miller of Saranac Lake, aimed to climb Santanoni to…

According to author Dan White, Under the Stars is “a hike through the history of American camping from the nineteenth century onward,” but this informative and amusing book is actually part history, part memoir, and part goofy reality show. As a veteran of the Pacific Crest Trail and many other long-distance hikes, White is certainly qualified to write on this topic, and he’s no slouch with his research. He lists over one hundred sources and has many pages of endnotes but never veers into a dry discourse. In fact, Under the Stars kept me snorting with laughter. White begins his book with a chapter on Henry David Thoreau, perhaps the best-known American camper. As he does for the rest of the book White combines history with his own camping experience,…

I fell in love with the Adirondacks around five years old at my family cabin on Lake Eaton in Long Lake. I got to know the region the same way many of you have, through hiking, paddling, swimming, looking for bears at the town dump, getting an ice cream at (name your local stand), and living in awe of the beauty of the mountains, lakes, and streams. Somewhere along the way, it became part of me, the place I wanted my two daughters—and someday their kids—to enjoy the way I did. My new job as publisher of the Adirondack Explorer gives me the opportunity to live in this place I love and do work that makes a difference. Letter from the Publisher What we have here is special, the result…

For years, environmental advocates have lobbied for changes in state law that would require developers of large subdivisions in the Adirondacks to adhere to conservation-design principles to minimize ecological impacts and preserve open space. They are hoping it will finally happen through a bill introduced this year by Assemblyman Steven Englebright, a Democrat from Long Island. It would require certain developers to cluster homes, prepare an ecological study of the property, and set aside open space. If the bill becomes law, the Adirondack Park Agency would enforce it. “It’s a good bill; it’s long overdue,” remarked Peter Bauer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks. “And it deserves a hard look by the legislature.” Observers said the bill had a good chance of passing the Democrat-controlled Assembly this spring, but its…

In early April, twelve more businesses in the vicinity of the former Finch, Pruyn lands received a total of $500,000 in Upper Hudson Recreation Hub Microenterprise grants backed by the Nature Conservancy. The money pays for businesses to capitalize on recreational opportunities, such as hiking, rafting, canoeing, and fishing, on the newly protected lands, including the Essex Chain Lakes, Boreas Ponds, stretches of the upper Hudson River, and the two MacIntyre Tracts near Tahawus. The state acquired the Finch, Pruyn lands—sixty-five thousand acres, in all—from the conservancy over the past several years. There is a long history in the Adirondacks of a push and pull between environmental groups focused on protecting wilderness and local residents and businesses trying to eke out a living in the Park. In his book Contested…

I miss Richard Nixon. I really do. Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) forty-six years ago. Since then, the EPA has been at the forefront of issues that have improved the environment and public health. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Adirondack Park. Remember acid rain? In the early 1970s, air pollution from fossil-fuel plants had made rain and snow so acidic it killed wildlife in hundreds of Adirondack lakes and streams. Ironically, the water looked crystal clear, but the pH balance could not sustain healthy fish and plant populations. EPA came to the rescue. EPA adopted new clean-air rules that required fossil-fuel power plants to reduce the pollution belching out of its smokestacks. The results were dramatic. From 1970 to 2012, national emissions of particulates, lead,…

As I put the spotting scope into my car after leading a bird walk along the West River Trail at the Ausable Club, a couple I guessed in their forties and their twelve-year-old son hurried toward me clumsily, obviously slowed by the weight of their full packs. “Are you birdwatchers?” the man asked, breathing heavily, his eyebrows arched up to the top of his head. Soon as I nodded yes he blurted out, “We heard this bird every day of our backpacking trip and twice at night singing like crazy; it just went on and on, and we thought it’d never stop and …” I cut him off, saying, simply, “You heard a winter wren.” They looked at each, baffled, then back at me, the man asking, “How big is…

On March 9, Stefanie Bishop set out to hike all forty-six of the High Peaks in hopes of setting a women’s record for the fastest round. She started out strong. Then a nor’easter dropped more than forty inches of snow on the region, turning a difficult feat into a herculean challenge. “I knew the blizzard was going to be the end of it,” Bishop said. “The snow was chest deep at some points. I was like, let’s turn around, this is ridiculous.” She gave up after having climbed twenty-seven of the High Peaks. “I wouldn’t call this effort unsuccessful,” she said. “I learned so much from it.” It became clear early on that she didn’t have much chance of breaking the overall winter record set in 2013 by Cory Delavalle.…

Algae buried in the mud under lakes and ponds are providing scientists with data about past precipitation patterns in the Adirondacks, which may in turn offer clues about what to expect in the future as a result of a warming earth. Paul Smith’s College Professor Curt Stager and fellow researchers are looking at diatoms (a type of alga) found in sediment cores from lakes and ponds to determine past water levels, an indicator of droughts and floods. Different types of diatoms reside at different depths in the water, enabling Stager to estimate the water levels. For example, if he finds shallow-water diatoms in sediment under a deep part of a lake, he infers that water levels were once lower. In the study, published last year in the scientific journal The…

In the summer of 2015, while driving my beat-up Toyota truck through the back roads of northern Clinton and Franklin counties documenting the Great Dannemora Prison Break, I kept thinking that I had been swallowed whole by a tabloid news story, or maybe a trashy pulp novel, that refused to end. The setting was the rainy, gloomy Gothic woods of the northern Adirondack foothills. The characters all seemed to come straight from central casting. There were the two brutal killers, David Sweat and Richard Matt, who had pulled off an escape that instantly drew comparisons with the film The Shawshank Redemption, digging and cutting their way out of one of the toughest prisons in the world. There was a brash, swaggering Governor Andrew Cuomo, who barnstormed through an active crime…