Car Camping (The Great Camps for People Who Can't Afford Great Camps)

Phil Terrie makes a really good point when he discusses the "paradoxical pair of cultural impulses" informing the idea of car camping (Terrie, 128). I went car camping for the first time this past summer with Emma from Janelle's class (in Nickerston State Park, a wilderness area in Cape Cod, admittedly not the Adirondacks), and was astonished by how many people go into these nature preserves only to live out of their car or RV. Being in a place as densely settled as Cape Cod, it was nice to be able to get in the car and drive to other places when we didn't want to just stay in the park, but I also wasn't really camping in the sense that I had done so many times before. To be quite honest, I didn't mind at all the access to running water and it's no doubt that many people are enticed by the cheap per night cost. I definitely found that car camping is accessible to all social classes, but most interestingly I think, is what Terrie concludes is the impetus for the car camping phenomenon: "it simultaneously took a family back to nature and employed the latest in American technology" (Terrie, 128). Car camping is a clear example of what we've been talking about in class about the nostalgia people feel when not surrounded by nature, but also the simultaneous reluctance to fully give up the amenities and creature comforts of this day and age. Just as the wealthy moved into the Adirondacks with their fully-stocked great camps and double decker outhouses, the rest of the public can "go back to nature" with the more accessible fashion of camping out next to the trunk of their car.

What's for Dinner Deer?

There is another element in our discussion about hunting in the Adirondacks pertaining to deer: venison is actually widely considered to be "more healthy" than beef. A simple Google search yields multiple hits each with a similar theme: for a similar amount of meat venison provides an equal amount of protein with less total and saturated fat. From what I could find on the National Nutrient Database this seems to be the case. I looked up ground products, except for the fish, which are some of the less healthy meat products out there.

Now there is a huge controversy over which kinds of fats promote heart health and whether or not eating foods with cholesterol is bad, but from the chart it would seem that venison is right in the mix with the other meats. In my opinion, fish is the clear winner, but chicken and venison aren't that far off from each other. I also picked 90/10 ground beef which is less popular than the 80/20 or ground chuck which are even higher in fat. So simply by the numbers, why not eat venison?

It also bears mentioning that the deer that are killed and eaten spent their lives in more or less of the environment that evolution sculpted them for. Cows are not: we have bred them to eat corn (Ew!) and we feed them antibiotics to keep them alive for just a couple years. Cows are just as disease prone as deer, as proved by occasional meat recalls on ground "beef."

Finally, I also will maintain that hunting deer will create more work for butchers. Yes, some people butcher them in their garage, but there are lots of easy (or manly) things that people could do in their garage (like changing the oil in their car) that most people don't bother with. Butchers also have the equipment to make specialized products like sausages.

Barometer measurements for mountain heights

In case anyone was interested in how the barometer was used to measure the height of mountains (I was!), I found this helpful video:
ttps://evantoh23.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/using-barometer-to-estimate-height-of-mountai/

New Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's Stance on Environmental Issues in the Adirondacks

Yesterday, Elise Stefanik was elected to Congress, taking New York's 21st  congressional district, which includes the Adirondacks. This makes her the first Republican to win the district in 21 years. She has worked under President George W. Bush's administration as well as served on Paul Ryan's campaign. On October 28, each of the candidates for the district answered several questions for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise about issues concerning the environment and the Adirondack Park. There are several things that stood out to me while reading Stefanik's responses. First, is that she believes Obama as well as the EPA have overreached their regulations and she would seemingly work to decrease those regulatory acts. Secondly, she seems to put forth several contradictory notions. She says on more than one occasion that she is in favor of all different energy resources including renewable, wind, and solar energy. However, she had stated in a previous interview that she opposed “all federal subsidies to companies for alternative energy projects." In addition, she stands firmly against cap-and-trade, which, according to the Enviromental Defense Fund, is "the most environmentally and economically sensible approach to controlling greenhouse has emissions." The "cap" sets a limit on emissions while the "trade" revolves around the idea that companies receive an economic incentive to pollute less by meeting an allocated limit for carbon emissions. So, while she claims to be pro-renewable energy, it would seem that she is in fact not, or it at least isn't a priority in her eyes. Rather than provide my own political opinion, take a look at her responses and contemplate what her impact on the Adirondacks may be. If you want to read the full interview, click here: http://poststar.com/highlights/elections/2014/general/candidates-differ-on-adirondack-issues/article_fc1b5592-61fe-11e4-b35d-5f95765e06f6.html

One of her more interesting answer was concerning the reintroduction of wolves in the Adirodacks, "I have to learn more about this issue. I believe too often candidates weigh in on issues without fully studying them. I need to further study this issue." The other two candidates gave brief but informed responses that paralleled what we've talked about in class concerning the reintroduction of wolves. 

Question 1: Emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest have destroyed many Adirondack waters and forests, but many say the Environmental Protection Agency’s current tactics to control these emissions are overreaching and part of an Obama administration “war on coal.” What do you think, and what would you do about it if elected?
Stefanik: Our environment is our economy in Northern New York . I will work to protect the environment, but also to encourage a common-sense energy policy in our country. I support an all-of-above energy approach which would make energy more affordable for hard-working families and small businesses and allow renewables, nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, oil and natural gas to thrive. I also believe that the regulatory burdens from the Obama administration have overreached. I believe we should work to assess the negative economic impact of EPA regulations on our small businesses and farms.
 

Question 2: Congressman John McHugh, when he represented this district, drew some controversy among his fellow Republicans by supporting a federal cap-and-trade bill. Meanwhile, New York , eight other northeastern states and three Canadian provinces have participated in a similar arrangement, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, since 2008. Would you support a national cap-and-trade plan, a carbon tax or other measures to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions?
Stefanik: I do not support cap-and-trade. 


Question 5: Should the federal government give preference to cleaner energy sources over fossil fuels, and if so, how much?
Stefanik: Too often the government has spent billions of dollars picking winners in the energy sector, only to find that these companies go bankrupt. This is not good financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Both Republican and Democrat presidents have failed to have a comprehensive energy independence policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil. I support an all-of-above energy approach which would make energy more affordable for hard-working families and small businesses and allow renewables, nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, oil and natural gas to thrive.
Woolf: I will introduce legislation that increases investment in alternative fuels like biomass, which is used to great effect in the 21st District, especially at Fort Drum. Our district has proven the viability and efficiency of clean power generation, and this promising area must not be ignored. Sadly, my Republican opponent opposes “all federal subsidies to companies for alternative energy projects, including wind power,” according to one published interview with her. 

 
Question 8: Do you think there is a good balance of economy and environment in the Adirondack Park now, and if not, how would you like to see it change?
Stefanik: I believe that we need to further encourage year-round economic growth in the Adirondacks . The demographic shifts of the Adirondack Park are disturbing — our school enrollment rates continue to decline, and our population is aging. We must focus on ways to encourage young families to choose to live here, raise their families here, invest here and stay here in retirement. Too often, the economy of the Adirondack Park is limited to tourism. I hope to continue to encourage tourism; I believe that we need to work harder to make sure conservation efforts and economic development work hand in hand so that our youth is not leaving after they graduate high school or college. We can do this by reducing the regulatory burdens facing small businesses, providing incentives for starting new businesses, continuing to cultivate tourism, but also investing in infrastructure like rural broadband. 

"Cycle Adirondacks" to Launch 2015

As there are several avid cyclists in our class, I thought I would share a cool program I came across in the New York Times. From August 23^rd to August 29th next summer, a program called, Cycle Adirondacks, will organize its first week long bike tour in the Adirondacks. Sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Cycle Adirondacks aims to “showcase the natural landscape that is home to a variety of both wildlife and historic towns and villages in Adirondack Park.”

The tour will both begin and end in Saranac Lake at the headquarters of the WCS Adirondack Program, and includes overnight stops in Star Lake, Boonville, Camden, Old Forge and Long Lake. In the middle of the the trip, there will be a layover day in Old Forge, where riders can pedal an optional route or take the day off the bike and enjoy the towns of Old Forge and Inlet. Riders will bike a total of approximately 400 to 500 miles, depending on their preferences. Daily excursions range from 50 to 75 miles, and total elevation gain will be roughly around 20,000 feet. The current cost of this tour is $1,495, which includes three catered meals daily, fully stocked rest stops, camping spots, hot showers, baggage service, on-course safety support, and a wellness tent. For now, participation is capped at 600, but the WCS will modify this if there are high demand for the program.

Check it out: http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/a-new-bike-tour-in-the-adirondacks/?_r=0

Questionable Intentions

Before leading Adirondack Adventure, this past August, all of the newly hired leaders watched a documentary about the Adirondacks and the cultural background of park. The film covered the art and the history of the great camps, focusing on the traditions born of early craftsmanship and living from the land, hailing the Adirondack Park for what it is: the world’s only inhabited wilderness. However, the film consistently referred back to the foundation of the park, citing how it was created as an experiment for balancing modern life with lands forever wild, and after reading Verplanck Colvin’s assessment and those of his contemporary, there was never any consideration for the inhabitants of the park, but rather, early proponents of the park concentrated their focus on maximizing future lumber output and maintaining the integrity of New York City’s drinking water. The local population was mentioned only as the group who failed at cultivating the harsh, rocky soil of the forest. The elected Park Commissioners shared his view and intended over time to buy up the private land and return it to future timber interests, effectively evicting the existing settlements (of which there were several) and displacing their populations. Just as the state acquired the Adirondack Park through lands from which no one could profit, the inhabitants maintained their place in the park because the state could not afford to compensate them for their land. By accident, it seems, such an experiment of settlement and wild land emerged by accident, despite the intention of the state.

Colvin

I found Colvin’s account of his ascent of Mount Seward interesting because of its value both as a scientific document and travel narrative. While Colvin assures his reader that the primary objective of his expedition to determine the height of the mountain by measuring barometric pressure, the expedition seems to be recreational as well. Like Adirondack Murray, Colvin praises his guides as rugged individuals and outstanding people. Colvin’s writing seems incomplete as a scientific text--he seems to dump barometric data at seemingly arbitrary points in the narrative. After reading this I wanted to gain a better understanding of the science behind Colvin’s method. Here’s an attempt--maybe one of the scientists in the class could help me out. A quick google search turned up curves for the relationship between elevation and pressure, the formulas for which seem cluttered with ugly constants. I wonder how precise this method of determining altitude from pressure is since atmospheric pressure varies with the weather as well. I imagine the fact that Colvin overestimated the height of the mountain by over 600 feet suggests some limitations to this process.

Stormwater

On Friday in class we talked about Colvin's argument as to the value of trees and how they buffer rainfall in the Adirondacks and keep the water flowing out at a fairly constant rate. I've been hearing about stormwater for most of my life as my parents are both civil engineers and my mother especially has to incorporate storm water control into each site plan she makes, so I got some help from them for this post.

Storm water control is no small job: Chicago has spent over 3 billion on their Tunnel and Reservoir Plan which is a huge underground system of tunnels for holding stormwater and sewage during storms to prevent it from draining into Lake Michigan (Chicago's water source). Similarly, whenever you build something in New York State there are rules created by the DEC governing what you have to do to account for the increased runoff that your buildings and parking lots create (see the New York State Stormwater Design Manual)

Runoff is just what it sounds like, water that runs off land (as opposed to sinking into it) and eventually works its way down the watershed. Fast moving runoff rips up soil, floods rivers too small to handle the extra flow, and is generally harmful. Runoff can also contain chemicals leaking out of cars or pesticides and fertilizer from lawns.

Apparently the big detention basins/ponds are the old way of dealing with runoff. The idea was you would build your subdivision and put a big (and usually ugly) basin at the bottom of it. When it rained the basin would fill up and water would be slowly metered out. While this does slow the water down, it doesn't do much for the build up of chemicals and other compounds. The new trend is to try and get the water to trickle down into the ground or infiltrate as soon as possible. This way the ground filters out some of the nasties while also slowing the water down. One example of this is porous pavement (the Wild Center had it in their parking lot) which is full of holes. Assuming the soil underneath is suitable (e.g. not the golf course or minor field), the holes allow rainwater to infiltrate, and no water runs off the parking lot. Other forms of promoting infiltration are rain gardens and putting downspouts from roofs and parking lots in areas where the water can spread out and sink in.

Effectively, we go to a lot of trouble to try to do what the trees in the Adirondacks already do a good job of: slowing the water down and pushing it into the ground.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Natural_%26_impervious_cover_diagrams_EPA.jpg

Cuomo and NYCO

     In our class discussion today, the company NYCO came up, as it was mentioned in the Constitution of New York State. I wanted to find out more about what they did, and why a private company was mentioned in a constitutional document. As it turns out, it is unsurprisingly all politics, and the one name that comes up time and time again in the now heated debate over whether NYCO mining company should be able to mine in the Adirondacks, is Cuomo. In 1985, Mario Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo's father, pronounced that the Adirondacks needed to be preserved forever, and began his efforts as a conservation by setting aside a massive lot of land surrounding Jay mountain as "Forever Wild." Now, Andrew Cuomo is undoing his father's commitment, and strangely enough, is doing so right next to the Jay Mountain plot. NYCO is a major employer within the Adirondacks, which seems to be the reason why he is allowing this 200 acre plot of land to be test mined as of this year. 

     So the question is...why? The answer is simple, because NYCO will give the state 1,500 acres of land to set aside as Forever Wild. Land equal to or greater in value than that which is going to be mined. NYCO mines for wollastonite, a mineral that is used in the production of industrial ceramic, and the operations, says Cuomo, will be supervised to ensure that there is as little impact on the surrounding environment as possible This unsuprisingly though, has made a lot of people come to dislike A. Cuomo, since he has gone against his father, and is allowing the first mining to be done this year. 

     In my opinion though, Cuomo is to be trusted here. He has actually spent more time in the Adirondacks than any other governor, and "since being elected, Andrew Cuomo has approved the classification of 34,745 acres of land as wilderness or primitive in the Adirondacks and the Catskills, and signed one of the largest land acquisition deals in the park in more than a century, adding 69,000 acres to the Forest Preserve by 2016." - According to the New York Times. 

Cuomo white water rafting in the Adirondacks

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1406285!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/ny-adirondack-challenge.jpg

Real Adirondack Camoflouge

     In the last several years, there has been a massive increase in the amount of cell phone usage within the Adirondacks. In order to accommodate this use, and provide necessary service to customers, carriers like AT&T and Verizon have begun to add towers and make extensions to existing towers to boost service. While it obviously serves to benefit many, several environmental groups within the Adirondacks have recognized this as a threat to the scenic views inherent in this region. As a result of this push-back, the state passed a rule that mandates that new towers and extensions of old towers past a certain height, must blend in. That means that yes, towers within the Adirondacks will now look like trees! If you haven't seen those towers in other places...they actually look pretty good... comparatively. 

     This movement began in January with letters to the FCC from these environmental groups, urging that the scenic vistas must be protected. The Adirondack Park agency's policies thus far have allowed for very rapid expansion of the cell tower base within the region, and now, the APA is looking to fulfill its non-commercial duties to support the parks environmental advocacy groups; so far the Mountain Club says this plan is in effect and working well!

Certain companies actually specialize in disguising cell phone towers such as this one. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=disguised+cell+tower&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=1CxYVPuqHouwyATllICoDg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=677#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=3yPUFfIOFartkM%253A%3BbsmnvXfbF7aoGM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Futilitycamo.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F11%252Fpine.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Futilitycamo.com%252F%3B480%3B640

Beer and the Adirondacks

Craft beer is the new face of beer drinking in the United States. There are several popular craft breweries that allude to the Adirondacks, or directly use the Adirondacks as inspiration, and in their advertisements. Firstly, and most obviously (at least in this area), is Saranac Brewery, located in Utica. Saranac Brewery, though not located in the Adirondacks, borrows much from the region. One of their more popular beers is "Adirondack Lager." They also have a collection of beer called "High Peaks," and another called "Lake Placid," which includes a beer called "Big Slide."

(saranac.com)

A slightly less popular craft brewery that is actually located in the Adirondacks is Adirondack Brewery, which is in the Lake George area. They have also named their beer in the theme of the Adirondacks, with an emphasis on wilderness: "Bear Naked Ale," "Iroquois Pale Ale," "Beaver Tail Brown Ale," "Bobcat Blonde Lager," and "Headwater Hefe Beer." Each beer has a story or legend as it's inspiration--and the Adirondacks are part of each one (click on the beer to go to the stories!). The catch-phrase of Adirondack Brewery? "Here's to the Legends that Live Within the Mountains, Adventures Waiting to Happen, and a Cold Adirondack Ale at the End of Every Trail."

(http://adkbrewery.com/beer-beaver-tail-brown-ale.asp)

Somehow, the connection between craft beer and the Adirondacks makes sense and is appealing. For some reason, beer taps into the same feelings of adventure and wilderness that the Adirondacks evoke. This is obviously something that in understood by Saranac Brewery and Adirondack Brewery, and it seems to have become a major marketing point for the breweries.

Also, just FYI to anyone who is 21, the Little Pub has some of these beers!

Adirondack Art then and now

During the classes that we spent discussing old Adirondack artwork I was fascinated with evolution of the types of artwork, the mediums used, the meaning either obvious or vague, and the style of painting, realistic or abstract. One of the most obvious trends that I could see in the evolution of Adirondack art that we looked at was the movement from realism to abstraction. I was curious what classic Adirondack artwork looks like today and how this compares to the growth and changes of art throughout previous Adirondack history.

I picked out three pieces of artwork that show the three of the main branches of modern Adirondack artwork.

A day better than this?--Diana Leifheit (pastel)

This pastel artwork is very similar to the past artwork of the Adirondacks, representing the idea of the Adirondacks, but not displaying the precise details of the nature so the viewer is allowed to fill it in with their own experiences. I love seeing these pieces of artwork according to my own personal experiences with the Adirondacks.

Downtown--Barry Lobdell (photograph)

The popularity of photography has increased and it gives a much more realistic depiction of the world around the artist, sharing exactly what they saw. 

Large Pine Bowl--Mary Lou Reid (pottery)

The art of craftsmanship in the Adirondacks is one of the largest forms of artwork in the Adirondacks, it is a huge part in representing old Adirondack culture and traditions. Many times these pieces of artwork incorporate depictions of classic Adirondack wilderness.

Ironies in Law

The aspect of today's reading that surprised me the most was how contradictory the legal statements of the constitutional article were. The first two sentences claim that all land owned by the state within the forest preserve will be "forever kept as wild forest lands" where there will be no destruction of timber whatsoever nor will the land ever be put up for sale or lease. However, the third sentence already begins the contradictions, stating "Nothing herein contained shall prevent the state from constructing, completing and maintaining any highway" (New York Constitution Article XIV). There is more language working around and negating the "forever wild" law than actually establishing it. For such an important legal movement - nearly unprecedented at its time - the language seems to be more concerned with bypassing the law than anything else. My purpose in writing this blog post to begin questioning this practice. Is this law important enough to uphold? Many seem to think so, and yet continually legislation is passed slowly negating it piece by piece. Is this something that people should stand up against, or is moving past it a necessary part of human progress? Obviously this is a complicated question as there are so many groups with rights and interests in the park, but I believe it's something worth bringing up in a formal context.

Verplanck Colvin at Hamilton College

In class today we concluded our discussion on Colvin’s survey and journal writings on the Adirondacks. I found it extremely interesting that one person’s writing could so heavily influence governmental action and lead to the creation of the Adirondack Forest Preserve and the Adirondack State Park.  I also noted that he has a connection to Hamilton College, which I decided to learn more about.

Verplanck Colvin always had an association to the upstate New York region. He was born in Albany in 1847. He loved the outdoors and topography, translating to his interest in the Adirondack region. He also studied law for a time under his father.  Colvin concluded many explorations and surveys of the region, correcting already created maps as well. He climbed and made the first accurate measurement of Mount Marcy, concluding it was 5,344 feet above sea level. During his career he climbed and measured all the highest peaks in the Adirondacks. He also found lakes never discovered in the Moose and Beaver River regions in 1876.

In 1881, as the guest of President Darling, Colvin began lecturing on higher surveying and geodesy at Hamilton College. Geodesy, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the determination of the size and shape of the earth and the exact positions of points on its surface and with the description of variations of its gravity field.” He obtained the job from his friend and Hamilton Professor C. H. F. Peters, attributed to discovering thirty-six minor planets in our solar system.

        Hamilton College has a deep history in this region and hosted many famous Professors. Colvin is a very interesting one and we are lucky to have had a man who was so deeply devoted to the preservation of the Adirondack region.

 

Verplanck Colvin Survey Marker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verplanck_Colvin#mediaviewer/File:Verplanck_Colvin_bolt.jpg

Sources and more information:

http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/colvin.html

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geodesy