Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021 Guide to the Great Outdoors i Adirondack Life

It’s been a long year. This spring, as I look outside, Jay Mountain’s snowy streaks melting to green, I just want to be on that summit. I want to be in the woods, in the river, and sleeping beneath the stars with friends and family. Some of that can happen—solitary hikes and socially distanced swims are safe in a pandemic. But it may still be a while before a return to shoulder-to-shoulder campfires and joining crowds splashing in the rapids beneath Jay’s covered bridge. So like last summer, I’ll change my routine—take more lazy river floats and stick to lesser-known trails, my mask at the ready if I encounter anyone. Change is part of life—in the Adirondacks, it’s a constant. Even our mountains are moving, pushing up every year. In…

Fishing has become a part of my life’s fabric. It wasn’t always—in fact, it’s only been since last spring, when COVID-19 made our family full-time residents of Blue Mountain Lake. (Blue is a place deeply entrenched in our hearts, but had always been a weekend and holiday getaway.) I fished some growing up, and I tried my hand at fly-fishing in college with limited success. More recently, it hadn’t gone beyond reeling in the occasional rock bass while throwing spinners from whatever rod happened to be lying on a friend’s dock. Fishing had simply never been high enough on the priority list, but in our new circumstances, the challenge became how to get outside, stay active and find some sense of normalcy. Soon after the ice went out, my son…

AS A CHILD GROWING UP in the South Bronx in the 1960s and ’70s, I dreamed of one day exploring the outdoors and traveling to scenic natural spaces around the world. Where would an inner-city kid like me get the idea to venture into the great outdoors? All of my friends in New York City were scared of bugs and wide-open spaces, but my father made sure my siblings, George and Priscilla, and I experienced country living. My father was a single parent, the last child and only boy out of 13 sisters in a family of sharecroppers on the Ross Plantation in Alabama. Our father wanted us to know how lucky we were to live up North, but he also wanted us to learn family values and traditions and…

THE NORTHERN FOREST ATLAS project’s Mosses of the Northern Forest: A Digital Atlas is a bryologist-wannabe’s dream come true. And for those willing to look closely, it’s an introduction to organisms that for 350 million years have survived on inhospitable surfaces, creating soil, purifying water and sheltering minuscule invertebrates. Mosses are tiny miraculous worlds. The guide—available at www.northernforestatlas.org and free for personal, educational and nonprofit use—includes about 305 species of mosses, with 1,650 images and 400 diagrams. For more than a decade, Jerry Jenkins photographed mosses in the field and in the studio, and drew their diagrams, and Sue Williams collected the specimens and detailed every point of identification. The result is a meticulous study, revealing complex plants that resemble deep-sea creatures with their otherworldly tendrils and capsules and brilliant…

I have never been a long-distance hiker. Planning and commitment are needed to tackle the big peaks, and if I’m honest I have never shown a particular aptitude in either of these areas. I was always more of a, “Hey, it’s a nice day. Let’s go play in the woods!” kind of person. This trait doesn’t really work for hikes requiring significant preparation, but it is well suited for the shorter trails scattered throughout the Adirondacks. These hikes enable me to experience the tranquility and beauty of the area, but at distances that are more appealing. For many of us, one of the most challenging aspects of life right now is making connections. Connections with family and friends. Strangers. Nature. Hiking with other people of all abilities on shorter hikes…

Early last spring, in places where it was normally loud, it was often nearly silent. There was little automobile traffic and few open businesses. And people, if they left their homes at all, were not stopping to chat. The pandemic locked things down and locked us in. As the snowpack melted and the weeks dragged on, the urge to do something outdoors, away from all of the stress and nothingness, became overwhelming. When the state deemed it safe, the beauty of the Adirondack Park was there, unchanged by COVID-19. But there was a twist: an outdoor escape still brought peace, but not, we now noticed, quiet. Sprung from the muted human-made world into some easy-to-find yet quirky corners near the eastern edge of the park, we could hear, and really…

The wind picked up, turning the Cedar River Flow’s smooth surface into frothy waves and chop. With some effort, I paddled a straight course to Buell Brook, a twisty waterway sheltered by shrub-choked banks. At a cove where the water was as still as glass, I listened to loon calls and watched an eagle soar above. That’s when I noticed four sleek brown shapes swimming toward my kayak. Their whiskered heads popped up and they looked at me with what seemed to be curiosity and wariness. They made snorting sounds as they checked me out. And then they were gone. This was just one of several close encounters I’ve had with river otters during my Adirondack adventures. North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) are web-footed, semiaquatic mammals and members of…

IN 2019, DOZENS OF INTREPID ADIRONDACK LIFE READERS TOOK ON THE inaugural Great Adirondack Life Challenge, completing a series of Blue Line–centric activities. After a year’s pause, we’re back with a whole new set of tasks designed to make the most of our all-too-brief Adirondack summer. Finish them all by Labor Day—and provide photo documentation—to receive the official challenge patch and be entered into a drawing for cool prizes, including two registrations for The Weekender event with BikeADK, passes to the Enchanted Forest Water Safari, Adi rondack Life swag and more! (See page 39 for rules and details.) 1 CHOOSE YOUR TRAIL NAME Follow the custom among long-distance thru-hikers and other outdoorsy types to acquire a backwoods moniker (think Adirondack climber Kevin “Mudrat” McKenzie). Take a trailside selfie holding a…

BIG THINGS ARE WORTH DOING. They create defining moments of your life. That’s why, when I heard about the 240-mile Trans Adirondack Route, I knew I had to do it. I’m an impatient person. I never seriously considered taking on a months-long thru-hike like the Appalachian Trail, but the idea of a two-week trek seemed right for me. Long ago I hiked sections of the Northville–Lake Placid Trail, but going from one end of the Blue Line to the other, down through the middle of the park, would bring me to places that I’d never seen. I’m a landscape photographer—the only way to get great pictures is to “be there.” This would be a great opportunity. The Trans Adirondack Route was created and first completed by Erik Schlimmer in 2013.…

REMEMBERING THE TRIO OF TRIPS THAT make up the Tupper Lake Paddling Triad, photographer Nancie Battaglia says, “It was pretty special when we paddled into Stony Creek Pond and spotted two bald eagles gazing down on us. That doesn’t happen every day.” Maybe not. But wildlife encounters and scrapbook-worthy scenery do happen regularly on these low-impact outings. Take on all three for a fun challenge that’s more sweet than sweat. STONY CREEK POND on Coreys Road, to Axton Landing This flat-water paddle is 3.25-mile one-way, but the route’s easy current makes out-and-back tours a cinch. Keep an eye out for bald eagles, otters and other wildlife. RAQUETTE RIVER BOAT LAUNCH (“THE CRUSHER”) on Route 3, to Big Tupper Boat Launch This leisurely one-way trip of 7.75 miles has plenty of twists…

The world may be inching toward normalcy, but you might not be ready to dive into a massive organized event like, say, the 40-mile Black Fly Challenge, in Inlet, or the Wilmington-to-Utica Peak 2 Brew ADK Relay. (If you are, no worries—those races are still happening, on June 12 and August 13–14, respectively.) For those looking for a little more flexibility this year, there are ample ways to enjoy the woods and waters at your own pace and on your own schedule. Below are just a handful of options—be sure to check an organization’s website for up-to-date COVID protocols and reservation requirements. Biking You can make a day of it at one of the many mountain-biking hubs in the region—including the actual Hub (518-494-4822, www.thehubadk.com), a homey café/bike shop. Brant…

If you’re on the hunt for peaks that are perfect for pups, then this is the challenge for you. Finish all nine hikes and you and your fur-pal will qualify for snazzy new patches for your day packs. Check out adk-9.com for details, hike prep and dog safety tips. Bartonville Mountain, Brant Lake Elevation: 1,380 feet Distance: 1.3 miles round-trip The trailhead is behind the Hub bike shop and café, at 27 Market Street. Baxter Mountain, Keene Elevation: 2,440 feet Distance: 2.3 miles round-trip The trailhead is on 9N between Keene and Elizabethtown, at the top of the hill. Buck Mountain, Lake George Elevation: 2,333 feet Distance: 7 miles round-trip From 9L, turn left onto Pilot Knob Road. The trailhead is 3.5 miles on the right. Castle Rock, Blue Mountain…

The shiny, clean Subaru pulled over and a friendly voice from behind a surgical mask asked, “Everything OK? You need a ride to the next stop?” Was it the fact that everything in my too-heavy backpack was strewn along the berm lining the side of the road? Was it the panicked look on my friend’s face as she double-checked my mini–stuff sacks full of first-aid items and toothpaste? Was it the despair on my face as the reality set in—after a successful three-day, 35-mile first backpacking trip in 40 years—my car keys were gone. Last summer, the pandemic surging, my friend Lori called and suggested a modest backpack trip in the Adirondacks. What? Forty years ago, I had been an avid hiker, but not a single trek since then. The…

Section One: Far North Northern Blue Line to Union Falls Pond Distance: 43.2 miles Climbing: 2,300 vertical feet Section Two: Northern Mountains Union Falls Pond to Route 86 Distance: 27.8 miles Climbing: 7,000 vertical feet Section Three: High Peaks Route 86 to County Highway 25 Distance: 30.6 miles Climbing: 4,300 vertical feet Section Four: Cold River Country County Highway 25 to Tirrell Pond Distance: 40 miles Climbing: 3,900 vertical feet Section Five: Lake Country Tirrell Pond to Cedar Lakes Distance: 25.2 miles Climbing: 2,300 vertical feet Section Six: Big Wilderness Cedar Lakes to Spy Lake Inlet Distance: 31 miles Climbing: 2,300 vertical feet Section Seven: Foothills Spy Lake Inlet to Southern Blue Line Distance: 38.6 miles Climbing: 2,600 vertical feet…

Autumn leaves created a kaleidoscope on the muddy trail as I slogged up Owls Head Mountain in Long Lake, in October 2015. I was 49 years old and facing major changes in the coming year. In February I would turn 50, and I was less than thrilled about the milestone. Age had never really mattered to me, probably because I had been blessed by good health. But 50, I realized, is half a century, and by doing some simple math, I concluded I could no longer say I was “middle aged.” In addition to turning 50, I knew in the next few years my three children would leave for college. After they left, I planned to sell the home where I had raised them to move to a town 40…