In the inaugural installment of AWA’s “Wild Thoughts Podcast”, some of our founding members discuss one of the most important attributes of wilderness: Remoteness.
EXPLORE! John & Clear Pond Loop
Today, John Pond and its valley are the setting of a relatively short and easy hike. The lean-to near the pond’s outlet provides views of the rocky ridge that snuggles against the western shore, and the trail follows the course of the road that once led through the Little Canada settlement.
EXPLORE! Second Pond near Gore Mountain
Second Pond is a little-known body of water tucked away behind Gore Mountain. Given its proximity to a popular tourist destination, it is surprising that relatively few people know of the pond’s existence.
The Forces of Nature
Black River Wild Forest, Blue Ridge Wilderness, Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness, High Peaks Wilderness, Hoffman Notch Wilderness, Round Lake Wilderness, Sentinel Range Wilderness, Siamese Ponds Wilderness, Silver Lake Wilderness, West Canada Lake Wilderness, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, William C. Whitney Wilderness
No commentary. No words. Just images of places in the Adirondacks where the only forces at work are natural ones.
The Hunter of Frogs
She was a pit bull, a tough dog by her own estimation and not one to pass up an adventure. The Hunter of Frogs, the Chewer of Sticks, the Champion of Tug-of-War, a dog with an 0-for-3 score to settle with the porcupines. But here she was being undone by half a mile of ice.
The Glory of Fall in the Adirondacks
If there is one time of the year that I wish would last much longer, it’s the period from mid-September through mid-October. The lack of bugs, the cool days and cooler nights, the brilliant sunshine and the crisp moonlit forests — these are all the things that form the roots of life’s deepest pleasures.
So Much Work to Be Done
Ferris Lake Wild Forest, Giant Mountain Wilderness, Hammond Pond Wild Forest, High Peaks Wilderness, Hoffman Notch Wilderness, Hudson Gorge Wilderness, Hurricane Mountain Wilderness, Jay Mountain Wilderness, North Country National Scenic Trail, Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Shaker Mountain Wild Forest, Siamese Ponds Wilderness, Silver Lake Wilderness, West Canada Lake Wilderness, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
Part 4 of 4 I believe that it is important to know the history of Adirondack trails in order to participate in the public process of creating plans for the units of the park. So, I have written this to give perspective to those who will do the planning.
An Advocate for Trails
Part 3 of 4 Here this account takes on a new perspective, because I view what happened during the past quarter century as one who was actively involved. In the early 70s I completed my graduate work, started hiking again, and became an advocate for trails. As an advocate for dispersing hikers throughout the Park, I was frustrated from the start in ways I never expected.
A Short History of Adirondack Trail Building
Part 1 of 4 Hindsight is wonderful! With what we know about the Adirondacks today and what we know about building trails, we could devise the most wonderful trail network, one that would protect the fragile slopes of the High Peaks, take hikers to mountaintops all around the Park, and ameliorate problems of overuse and under-use.
Remembering Paul Schaefer: Camp Life at the Cataract Club
The Cataract Club was not a formal organization with charter members and bylaws. There was no tar-paper cabin standing on a paper company lease. The camp was a surplus Army squad tent erected each season on the same campsite located high in a valley on the back side of Eleventh Mountain.
South Pond
I might have abandoned the idea of reaching South Pond had I not caught a glimpse of it through the trees, right at that critical moment of decision. There it…
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