46ers

As technology advances, the ways that we appreciate the Adirondacks change. For example, auto-tourists enjoy the park by way of car or RV. Roads allow access to scenic viewpoints and mountain hotels or resorts that would take days to reach by foot. However, even as auto-tourism flourishes, there are still traditions that remain true to the spirit of enjoying the Adirondacks in a most primitive way. Many outdoor enthusiasts still strive to become an Adirondack 46er, a term coined after brothers Robert and George Marshall and friend Herbert Park climbed 46 Adirondack peaks in 1925. Although auto-tourism is an increasingly popular way to enjoy the park, it seems the spirit of raw interaction with nature has lived on. There’s something fulfilling about experiencing and interacting with nature that still exists despite technological advances that make the Adirondack experience “easier”.

When the two brothers and Park tackled the 46 peaks, it was believed that each peak was over 4,000 feet. This has been disproved, yet the title of an Adirondack 46er remains. (“How to Become an Adirondack 46er”). Today, nearly 9,000 individuals have followed the original team’s lead to claim the title. Some treat each peak as a day hike, while others choose to backpack the peaks, or sections of the peaks, in a series. Either way, the end goal is to have conquered the 46-peak challenge, embodying a sense of admiration, adoration and pride for the Adirondacks. There’s even an “ADK46-R” club dedicated to establishing a group of individuals who have completed the challenge. The club creates a sense of connection and community between individuals who have hiked all 46 peaks. It doesn’t matter if the journey was done alone or with a group, the commitment and perseverance of each individual creates a sense of community that is at the heart of the club. 

Although the 46-Peak challenge doesn’t align with the end-goal that the brothers and Park first envisioned (to climb 46 peaks over 4,000 feet), I think Adirondack 46ers are proof that a passion and joy of experiencing the Forever Wild Adirondack land persists despite advancing technology. Other similar challenges, such as the Cranberry Lake 50, the Fire Tower Challenge and the Saranac Lake 6er have been added to the agenda of many Adirondack enthusiasts. It’s discouraging to consider that as a society, we may be losing what it truly means to interact with nature, Ebenezer Emmons style (the first to ascend Mount Marcy in 1837). However, those who proudly wear the title of an Adirondack 46er provide hope that the fulfillment of experiencing nature with grit and awe is to some extent inherent and inevitable.

Sources:

"Adirondack 46ers!" ADk46ers. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

"The 46 Adirondack High Peaks." The Adirondack High Peaks Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

A Wild sustainable museum

A native from DC, I would consider myself spoiled when it comes to museums. I grew up taking weekend trips to the mall and escorting extended family members around the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Most of my experience with museums has been in cities, bustling with pollution, people and noise. My visit to the Wild Center, located in the heart of the Adirondacks, was an entirely different endeavor. Upon opening its doors, I emerged in the beautiful central court filled with the sounds of birds and animal calls, and felt I had entered an Adirondack forest. Renovated in 2006, the Wild Center is the first New York museum to achieve benchmark green building certification. Its green building design and involvement in environmental projects have made it a leader in a movement to educate others about the importance of conservation and sustainability in the Adirondacks.

One of the most amazing things about the Wild Center is that the structure and buildings that contain it reflect the center’s teachings and values of environmental awareness and sustainability. In the initial stages of construction, the Wild Center partnered with the architectural firm HOK to address criteria for LEED certification or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED system measures sustainability and low environmental impact in six categories: pollution prevention; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; and innovation and design process. The Wild Center actually exceeds the basic LEED certification and earned a Silver distinction. Several cool features of the Wild center include: solar panels on the roof, compost toilets helping to reduce water consumption and a constructed wetland that surrounds the center, manages storm water runoff and water discharge from exhibits.

In addition to being the first LEED certified museum in New York, it is the first ever LEED certified project in Adirondack park. The Adirondack park is unique in many biological, geological and diverse ways, which are highlighted by the work and education of the Wild Center. But it is also one of the only places in the world where humans and nature coexist in a park. The Wild Center is setting the example for many to invest in a future of sustainable building and reduced impact on one of the most beautiful wilderness landscapes left.

sources:

https://wildcenter.org/thrive-together/building-for-blue-skies 

http://www.prweb.com/releases/HOK/Wild_Center/prweb688414.htm 

http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/Why%20Certification%20Matters-FINAL.pdf 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124449834655195657

Forest Fires in the Adirondacks

Imagine a town ablaze, fueled by 50 barrels of kerosene and 1,500 pounds of dynamite. This was the reality of the 1903 wildfire in Long Lake West, NY (“Adirondack Journal” n.d.). To this day, forest fires threaten the Adirondack habitat. Fortunately, the dangers of these fires have been significantly reduced because of new laws since the fires of the early 20th century. However, the fires remain a threat to Adirondack life.

Although recent fires have damaged Adirondack forests, two main fires devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of the park in 1903 and 1908. Both fires occurred during fire season, in which the wind dries dead leaves and vegetation. Due to logging in the Adirondacks, there were copious amounts of dead tree tops that took many years to biodegrade. As logging spread throughout the Adirondacks, so did the dangerous tinder. Once these conditions are set, a single spark could ignite the forest. Unfortunately, sparks were abundant because of coal-fueled trains. Although there were fines for sparks released by trains, it was much more cost-effective for company owners to pay the $100 fine than to run on oil instead of coal (“Adirondack Journal” n.d.).

Although both the rail and logging industries primed the Adirondacks for forest fires, poor fire-fighting infrastructure is equally responsible for the damage. The state struggled to detect fires and to transport firefighters to them, which often resulted in huge fires spreading through the forests. Remarkably, many Adirondack residents dismissed the wildfires in 1903 as God’s will and took no action to prevent future fires, despite the destruction of over 600,000 acres of Adirondack land (“Adirondack Journal” n.d.). After the wildfires of 1908, however, Adirondackers recognized that human actions were the main cause of wildfires. In response to this realization, the state government took action. The state passed laws requiring locomotives to burn oil rather than coal between the months of April and October to cut down on sparks during the fire season (“Adirondack Journal” n.d.). The state also required the loggers remove limbs from tree tops they leave behind to speed up biodegradation and reduce the forest tinder (“Adirondack Journal” n.d.). With the help of these requirements and the construction of fire towers, forest fires in the Adirondacks have been greatly reduced.

Even with these improvements, wildfires in the Adirondacks are always a possibility. In 2002, the Department of Environmental Conservation reported 643 fires that destroyed over 2,000 acres within the Adirondack State Park (“Department” n.d.). In the past week alone, North Country Public Radio reported over 100 acres of land burned in recent forest fires (Mann 2016). Clearly, the threats of wildfires persist in the Adirondacks, but thanks to continued improvements since the 20th century, most forest fires can be contained quickly.

A photo from the NYS DEC of forest fires in Schroon Lake in September 2015.

Works Cited:

"Adirondack Journal — The Adirondacks Are Burning: A Brief History of Forest Fires." Adirondack Museum. The Adirondack Museum, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Mann, Brian. "Fire Crews Battle Multiple Adirondack Wildfires." NCPR. St. Lawrence University, 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

"Department of Environmental Conservation." Wildfires. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Alone in the Forest for 20 Years!?

As an avid camper, it comes with no shock factor that I feel very comfortable when alone in the forests. This past summer for example, I was living in the rainforest with four other people, at least a solid two hour hike from the nearest road. Even though we were stocked with food and pots to boil water, for the most part I am confident in my adaptability and resourcefulness and believe that if needed, I could survive without these necessities for at least a week or so. However, I am no outdoor survival expert, and at some point I would need to find easy food and clean water, and clothes and shelter to stay warm in the winter. Furthermore, it takes a certain physical and mental strength to be able to survive alone without the luxuries of modern civilization. Even with proper gear and supplies, I don’t think I would last more than a couple weeks on my own before strongly desiring the comfort of my family and friends. In order to live on your own in the wilderness, you must be strong, adaptable, and resourceful, even if that means taking necessities from those who are better off.

When I heard the story of Alan Como, a man who had been living as a hermit in the woods around Beaver Pond in the Adirondacks, I felt like my camping experiences were diminished to a few quick walks in the park. After all, Como had been living in the forests for 20 years (Lehman 2007). However, Como hadn’t been living completely off the land – he had stolen many necessities like clothing and food from nearby houses and summer homes. After several reported burglaries and sightings of a man in the woods, police began to narrow in on the Beaver Pond region in Northern Warren County, attempting to apprehend the suspect and stop the robberies. Warren County sheriffs and state police searched for over a year to no avail. Eventually, a snowplow operator noticed that someone was biking on the snow-covered road at 2:30am. Thinking something was not right, the snowplow driver followed the man, who at one point took off on foot. The snowplow operator contacted the police, and after a two-day search followed by a foot-chase, Como was finally apprehended by police (Lehman 2007). The 56-year-old had evaded the law for 20 years (Lehman 2007). I can’t imagine living in the Adirondack winter for such a long amount of time, and I feel that Como deserves a lot of credit for what he must have endured.

            While this arrest may bring comfort and reassurance to those whose houses had been broken into, Alan Como’s arrest came with some backlash of the local community. For example, the Adirondack Almanac published a statement saying that the police should not have charged him for random crimes, and that Como should not need to serve 4 years in prison for “cutting $250 worth of trees” (Warren 2007). This is an interesting debate that displays the tensions between locals and summer-home owners in the Adirondacks. While the Adirondack Almanac agrees that Como should be punished for his thefts, editor John Warren makes a vibrant complaint by arguing that, “if you choose to live outside the boundaries of mainstream society, you may find yourself a target for the police state” (Warren 2007). The clash between free will and conformity in the Adirondacks has been prevalent since before the founding of the park – when people had to be adapting and evolutionary in order to stay alive through its harsh conditions. While I agree with Warren, in that we need to respect all people’s life choices, when it comes to robbery, those who steal from others for a living need to be punished. After all, without law, there would be no civilization.

Sources:

Lehman, Don. Police Identify Woodsman. The Post Star. 1 Jan 2007. Web. 23 April 2016.

Warren, John. Screwed: Adirondack Beaver Pond Hermit Alan Como. The Adirondack Almanack. 5 April 2007. Web. 23 April 2016.

Old Plane Crash Sites

Hidden among the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park lie the remnants of dozens of wrecked planes. They include single-engine private planes, military jets, and even commerical planes. While some wreckage has been recovered, other planes are either left behind and visited by hikers or have completely vanished without a trace. As dozens of wrecks remain undiscovered, one forest ranger has spent hundreds of hours going through records, interviews, and the Adirondacks looking for these crash sites hoping to bring closure for families.

Scott Van Laer (Associated Press)

Forest Ranger Scott Van Laer has documented over 200 crashes and has visited over two dozen sites (Associated Press). Some of these sites hold military history such as the crash on Blue Ridge where a U.S Army C-46 transport plane crashed in 1944 during a night training mission (Associated Press). The crash killed all three men on board and was not found until a year later. Furthermore, as Van Laer searches for these sites, he also seeks out surviving relatives to see if they want to visit the wrecks. Two years ago, Van Laer’s offer was accepted by a man who wanted to see his father’s plane wreckage for the 45th anniversary of the crash. The forest ranger led the son to the wreckage of a Cherokee 140 on Iroquois mountain which his father actually survived through (Associated Press). While some of these crashes have an happy ending, others are not as lucky. For example, in January 1971, a twin-engine jet containing five men on board crashed shortly after takeoff from Burlington, Vermont and has still not been found (Associated Press). The family of the five men continues to wait for answers while Van Laer hopes to bring them closure as soon as possible. Containing dozens of undiscovered crash sites, this 6-million-acre park holds the same answers for the family of five as for many other families. As these searches continue, you have to wonder how long these families have waited and how much longer they must wait until they find their answers.

Works Cited:

Press, Associated. "Adirondacks Ranger on Mission to Find Old Plane Crash Sites, but Mysteries Remain." Syracuse.com. Associated Press, 24 Apr. 2016.

Farm to School Initiative

 A relatively new initiative spreading through Adirondack towns, called the Farm to School Initiative, has already proven to be a huge success. The goals of this initiative are to bring students closer to the environment and to teach students the process of growing food through hands on activities and lessons integrated into the curriculum. The initiative will bring the community closer together by promoting the consumption of local food, which in turn will boost the local economy. Lake Placid High School is one school where the program has really taken off and is quite popular among the students and staff. The Farm to School Initiative is the perfect program for the Adirondack Park. Not only does it provide a boost for the meager economy, but it connects both students and teachers to the land, the history of food, and the community as a whole.

The Farm to School Initiative, which really just began this past fall, is already a big hit among the students, teachers, and local communities. The students are learning how to grow food and safely process it, the environmental impacts of producing food, food’s impacts on human health, and the history and culture behind different types of foods. Through school gardens and farm visits, students learn the actual production processes, various cultural beliefs and how to cook different types of food. The topic of food is integrated into the normal school curriculum, so as not to take away from the more traditional learning (“Home”). So far the only two school systems participating are Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, but after seeing the success of these two, hopefully more schools will join in.

("Lake Placid")

The Lake Placid School System is very invested in its Farm to School Initiative exhibited by its curriculum guides for elementary, middle and high school students with detailed lists of library resources for each school. Teachers can follow these guides or develop their own food based lesson plans, and the committee meets once a week to discuss these guides and other aspects of the program. Lake Placid’s specific goal with this program is to “rebuild a healthy food system in the Adirondacks” by teaching children about healthy eating habits, raising awareness for the importance of local produce, and by serving the food grown in the school gardens in the cafeterias (“Lake Placid”). In November, Lake Placid High School held a program in conjunction with Saranac Lake High School and Tupper Lake High School called Fall Harvest 2015. Here students showed off their harvests of beets and potatoes and learned about maple sugaring from a representative from The Wild Center. This was a very popular event that bodes well for the future of the Farm to School Initiative both in Lake Placid, and surrounding Adirondack towns.

Works Cited

"Home." Adirondack Farm to School Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.

"Lake Placid Farm to School." Lake Placid Farm to School. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.