EXPLORE! Haystack Mountain
EXPLORE! Haystack Mountain in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness. Instead of being a High Peak, this Haystack offers a panoramic view of the High Peaks.
The Wild West vs. the Reserved North
Let’s compare and contrast the Adirondacks with Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada.
Ode to the Adirondacks
The Adirondacks tell a story beyond words and images, historical data and climate records, provable facts and documented knowledge.
AWA to Attend Adirondack Sports Expo
Join Adirondack Wilderness Advocates at the 2022 Adirondack Sports Expo in Saratoga Springs, NY!
All the Places I Have Never Been
Exploring the Adirondacks often leads to unexpected surprises and discoveries.
Paul Schaefer’s Winter Ascent
Automobiles enabled a new generation of suburbanites from the Mohawk and Hudson valley regions to begin visiting the mountains more frequently. Some of these people acquired rustic cabins built by the early homesteaders and converted them into camps. Paul Schaefer, a contractor from Schenectady, was one such person.
The Era of Referendum and Recall
Bill Ingersoll, in his blog entitled “Have a Little Faith in the Forest Preserve,” argued in favor of turning the land over to the state. He mentioned that in the past when “a river was threatened by a proposed dam,” or if some other forested area was threatened by development, the “preferred method of protection has always been to acquire it for the Forest Preserve.” There has often been a lively debate, over the years, about whether state officials were doing a good job of protecting the Forest Preserve.
The Paint Mine and the Tower
Locals regarded Crane and Huckleberry mountains as places to pick berries—specifically blackberries, raspberries, and huckleberries (blueberries)—as well as a source of paint pigment and other minerals. Outsiders, however, viewed the mountain in terms of its recreational potential. Long before young Julia Oliver began guiding parties up the mountain for a quarter, Crane was a well-known hiking and camping destination.
The Lady of Crane Mountain
Although its summit elevation of 3254 feet falls well short of the Adirondacks’ highest peaks, few mountains present a profile as stunning as Crane Mountain. It rises over 1900 feet above the nearby hamlet of Thurman, with steep, rocky slopes on its southeastern and southwestern faces. Except for Huckleberry Mountain, which huddles nearby like a child following close behind its mother, this peak stands apart from all of its closest neighbors.
VUM Topic of Next Wilderness Webinar
Visitor Use Management (VUM) is getting a lot of attention in discussions about how best to manage and protect the Forest Preserve. But what is it and how can it benefit the Adirondack Park? How does it relate to the recently-released advisory reports for managing the High Peaks Wilderness?
So Much Work to be Done
McMartin was an outspoken advocate for trails….This “Short History” attempts to defend that position by arguing New York State has never developed a master plan for hiking trails, and that the hiking trail network as it existed during her lifetime happened more or less by historical accident….we are debating many of the same topics that occupied much of her career. Thus there is a timeliness in posthumously publishing one of her final essays now.
Join AWA for Second Wilderness Webinar
Ari, who works in public sector data management and innovation, will talk about what we have accomplished so far and discuss how this tool could be used in collaboration with organizations within and beyond the Adirondack Park. He will discuss how this tool fits into an array of efforts that seek to enhance the wild character of the Forest Preserve through better monitoring, visitor education, and rapid adaptation.
Remembering Paul Schaefer: Camp Life at the Cataract Club
Paul Schaefer was perhaps the most famous Adirondack conservation “hero” of the twentieth century, the citizen-advocate who took on Albany on a number of Forest Preserve issues – and won. He hiked, he owned property, and he wrote. He is credited with the first known winter ascent of Crane Mountain in Warren County, and he tirelessly traveled the state to present the top issues concerning the Adirondack Park to civics-minded groups everywhere…
Ecosystems, Diversity, and the Wilderness Experience
If we have any hope of protecting our park and our planet, we need to involve everyone, and we desperately need perspectives that have been historically excluded.
Wilderness in the Presence of History
I can think of no place where this paradox - human vs nature - is more evident than at Sagamore Lake in Hamilton County, where legally-protected wilderness exists in the presence of history.
Public Invited to Join AWA for High Peaks Webinar
In the inaugural Wilderness Webinar, AWA Board member and High Peaks Advisory Group (HPAG) member Pete Nelson will talk about the recently released HPAG Final Report.