Adirondak Loj Renovations

By Ed Juckett

Adirondak Loj Lobby Renovations

Spring has always been a favorite time of the year for my family, well, everyone but me.  While they eagerly anticipate planting the garden and the imminent end of the school year, I have trouble seeing past the mud and spend too much time lamenting the end of another ski season.  But this year was different.  As the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Loj Manager, I had been anticipating and planning for a series of renovations at the Adirondak Loj this spring. I found myself energetically getting my girls off to school and excitedly rushing in to the Loj to see if another part of the renovations had been completed.  This spring felt different to me.  I was excited about it and truly felt part of something special.

Protecting the Hemlock and Canadice State Forest from Gas Drilling

Canadice Lake

By Neil Woodworth

In the Northeast, the current hotspot in the battle to keep public lands from being exploited for natural gas production is 7,000 acres comprising the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest (H-C SF).  About 24 miles south of Rochester, NY, the H-C SF is one of the most valuable and unique public properties in New York.  The area encompasses the only two undeveloped Finger Lakes left of the original 11 lakes.  The cold, deep waters of Hemlock and Canadice lakes provide pure fresh drinking water for nearly a quarter million people in the greater Rochester area.

A Bear Can: Use it or Lose it

By Mike Heekin

Bear resistant food canister

If you have ever been to the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness, you have probably heard about the infamous black bears and the bear resistant food canister that is used to protect your food.  Since 2005, these containers, or “cans” as most people call them, have been a mandatory item for a backcountry camping experience in the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness.  New York State law states that, "during the period April 1 through November 30, no overnight camper in the Eastern High Peaks Zone shall fail to use bear-resistant canisters for the storage of all food, food containers, garbage, and toiletries." To some backpackers, this regulation is a cause for consternation because of the added weight and bulk a canister brings to their pack.  Believe me though, the proper use of a bear can, along with proper camping techniques leads to a much more pleasant camping experience.

Wes Lampman: Man of the Trails

Wes Lampman

By Seth Jones

I first met Wes Lampman in 2008 during my phone interview for a seasonal position as a Summit Steward with the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK).   At the time, Wes was ADK’s Field Programs Director, in charge of hiring and overseeing the Summit Stewards and the Professional Trail Crew.  When I finally met him in person, he was very professional, clean cut with Dansko clogs and a collared Patagonia shirt.  He gave me a firm, confident handshake and welcomed me to ADK. Wes was, in every way, a picture of the outdoor professional. Later that day, I was in the Weizel Trails Cabin, which houses the Professional Trail Crew during the summer season, looking at a lineup of trail crew photos that dated back to the late 1970’s.  A senior trail crew member came over to me and pointed to a man with long dark braided hair, bulging muscles (the type that women swoon over) and an axe.   He resembled a dark haired Thor or maybe better yet a Conan the Barbarian.  The crew member went on to say, “That’s Wes Lampman,” in a reverential tone. I was perplexed.  That was the clean cut professional man that I had just met?  No way!  That shattered my image of Wes and I instantly wanted to know more.  Who is this mythical man of the trail?  Who is Wes Lampman?

Gearing Up For The Field Season

2012 Summit Stewards

By Julia Goren

Here at Heart Lake, the aspens have started to bloom. Quaking aspen are some of the first flowers we see in spring, with fuzzy catkins hanging down, glowing silvery white in the light. They are a sure sign that spring is here.

As a hiker, I greet the arrival of spring by shaking out my summer gear, applying a fresh coat of waterproofing to my boots, boosting my running and yoga, and pulling my field guides off the shelf. I swap out the winter gear I keep stored in my pack for the corresponding summer load, and I get excited about the adventures the summer holds.

Mud Season: Adirondack's Fifth Season

By Andrew Hamlin

Locals living in mountain communities and the hollows below refer to it as the fifth season.  Wives tales stretch back to the horse and buggy days.  You can hear all the locals collectively breathe a sigh of relief, as this month long period offers them respite from seasonal workers and tourists.   Bar stools are reclaimed by old-timers, and you can drive the speed limit in the downtown areas without worrying about mad-darting jaywalkers.   Mud season also marks the start of the woodsman’s hallowed procession:  Buckets are carried into the sugar bush; maples are tapped, sapped, and boiled down.  The whole nation revels in the Northeastern resolve to do things the old and proper way.   Either that or they say:  “50 dollars?! For a jug of syrup?! These guys must think we’re suckers“.

A Southern Belle's First Winter

By Kayci Carlson

I am from the south, the real south, not the Catskills or New Jersey but from below the Mason-Dixon Line. I was born in Conway, South Carolina but due to my father’s occupation lived in many places across the south including Georgetown, South Carolina; Bastrop, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee and a few other places in between. This past October, I had the opportunity to move to Lake Placid, NY and work for the Adirondack Mountain Club at the Adirondak Loj. I was a little concerned about the winter ahead of me at the time but considered it a new adventure. How different could a northern winter be from “North” Carolina? It was a bit different, I soon found out. The south is a warm, humid place where winter temperatures are rarely below freezing and snow accumulation is a rare sight. Among all of the places that I have lived, I had only seen enough snow to build a life-size snowman once.  I had always thought of winter as a time to drink hot chocolate, decorate my room with snowflakes, and as an excuse to wear fashionable boots, scarves, and mittens. I suspected that living up north would change my vision of the season but was unable to grasp the reality of a northern winter. Until this year, I had never experienced lasting snow, ice, or extremely cold temperatures.  I had never driven in snow, used a snow brush or had the need to wear so many layers. I learned so much this winter and was able to experience so many wonderful new things!