So how do they measure mountains?

The system Colvin used when measuring Seward is still used today in fancy watches and in most GPS units equipped with barometric altimeters. Instead of a big glass tube filled with mercury they use electronic sensors smaller than a fingernail which measure both pressure and temperature and use the two values and a bunch of equations to calculate an elevation. This is fairly accurate (my GPS reports values down to foot, and is probably accurate to around 10 ft or so depending on how well it was calibrated).

One of the current mapping systems uses lasers to measure distance (instead of the radio waves used by radar) and is known more broadly as LiDAR. They time how long it takes a laser pulse to reach an object and return to the source. If you fly this system over an area of land either in a satellite or an airplane, and you pick the right wavelength of light so some of it will reflect back, you can get a very detailed profile. Your accuracy is good since satellite orbits are very well defined or you could correct for errors with the airplane's positioning system. I'm fairly sure that LiDAR is the source of the data that Google has used to create their fantastic terrain maps in their mapping programs.

Surveyors also use laser based systems to measure distances. In fact, it wouldn't be that hard for two people to stand on two different peaks in the Adirondacks, align a laser and a mirror, and let the system very accurately measure the difference in altitude between the two peaks with simple trigonometry.

GPS can also be used to measure heights and works on a similar principle. The key is having very accurate clocks in both the satellite and the device to calculate the travel time for the signal: the more accurate (and expensive) the clock, the better the data. If you leave the GPS system up on top of the mountain long enough for the satellites to make several orbits in different environmental conditions it can measure the height with an acceptable uncertainty.

But when we say something is 5,000 ft above sea level, what are we really saying? It's easy to measure the height of a building because you have two fixed reference points: the ground and the top of the building which (hopefully) doesn't move around that much. But on top of a mountain, which spot is the peak? When you're measuring growth of mountains, the thickness of a piece of lichen matters.  But that's not even the strangest thing: when we say "sea level" what are we talking about? High tide, low tide, somewhere in between? The Earth isn't even a perfect sphere, so, with everything else held constant, one person's high tide could actually be higher than someone else's. The article were I found this intriguing idea suggests that there are formulas for calculating a standard "sea level," but it's still amusing that we have to define as concrete an idea as elevation in terms of unpredictable things like "sea level."

Scientists setting up LiDAR (yellow box) and GPS (white box) equipment

LiDAR image

Article: How Tall is Mont Blanc
Also check out the Wikipedia articles on LiDAR and Surveying

Image of scientists from: http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/08_07_2013_xcs1VjiUUP_08_07_2013_1#.VGgWC8l5Xhl
Image of LiDAR from: http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/09_01_2012_rVMy5DCp53_09_01_2012_0#.VGgXPsl5Xhm

Environmental Depression, Pt. II

Listening to Terrie's lecture on Friday proliferated a sentiment that's been kind of floating around the class for a bit, one that was articulated by Hallie a few months ago.  A sort of environmental depression about the state of the Park.  The problem that Terrie's lecture encapsulated made conservation efforts seem like a temporary fix to the encroaching industrial developments.  At one point, when Terrie was talking about his conservation group versus the new development projects, he explicitly mentioned, "You never win.  You just tie."  You can simply only prevent a project for the time being.  They can resubmit for a different place the next year, or appeal your decision. 

I think it really highlights an important part of our perception of being conservationalists in a contested region.  Good land practices are something you can lose very easily, and by consequence that's why people hold a lot of importance in it.  I had thought that the fact that the Adirondacks were constantly being defended against bad practices was kind of an exciting battle, but now it just seems like a burden.

Environmental Concerns and Human Concerns

During Phil Terrie's talk on Friday I was struck by the tension between the town of Tupper Lake and the environmental organizations that are suing the APA. Although I tend to side with the environmental organizations when it comes to the bigger picture, I struggled justifying myself against the town's concerns. Thinking back to our first readings about Adirondack history, the first explorers of the Adirondacks thought of the wilderness as, at worst, the home of the devil and, at best, a place to destroyed and manipulated by humans. The town of Tupper Lake's response was reminiscent of the pre-romantic view of wilderness as a place to manipulate for human gain. The romantic views of wilderness only stem from a certain amount of wealth. Owning the technology and resources to prosper elsewhere allow Adirondack conservationists to protect the land without concern for their own survival. I found it much easier to empathize with Tupper Lake citizens when I thought back to those readings that explained the pre-romantic conceptions of wilderness. Although I still support the Adirondack Club's position for "conservation design," I understand and empathize with Tupper Lake's position.  

Lyme Disease in the Adirondacks

Paul Smith College is conducting research on the growing presence of Lyme Disease in ticks and small animals in the Adirondacks. Professor Sporn, from Paul Smith's, has begun to test animals in different regions of the park for lyme disease. After testing in Schroon Lake, Sporn discovered that 8 out of twelve small animals, including mice, voles, and shrews, tested positive for Lyme. In Queensbury, 5 out of eight small mammals tested positive.

As you probably know, humans can also contract the disease through tick bites. The ticks need to bite and remain on the human for at lest twenty-four hours before the disease transmits and spreads throughout the human. In Essex County alone, the department of health related that 34 cases of Lyme disease were confimed in 2014.

Deer Tick

Professor Sporn confirmed that “I think what we’re going to find out is Lyme Disease is a lot more prevalent in this area than imagined." 

If you want to know more, read about it here: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/10/researchers-finding-lyme-disease-in-adirondacks.html

SLMP History

Relevant to this week's class discussion:

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/11/slmp-history-implementing-the-great-compromise.html?utm_source=Adirondack+Explorer+%26+Adirondack+Almanack&utm_campaign=9a71e739d3-Adirondack_Almanack_RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b49eb0d11b-9a71e739d3-47316029

Moose calf shot in ADKS

Kind of a sickening story, but interesting for the insider/outsider dynamics on display.

Property Rights in the Adirondacks

Jacoby argues that the early settlement of the park was permitted on the basis of a usufruct system of property rights. The usufruct system is a doctrine from Roman law that permits use of land without altering it, as well as the right to cultivate, mine, log, or otherwise exploit the resources on a particular parcel of land, short of destruction, consumption, or alienation. The question of usufruct rights in the Adirondacks is especially relevant in the late 19th century following the creation of Forest Preserve and Park. Prior to the establishment of the Park, many homesteaders settled in the region and established farms. Tracts of land in the Park were not well-surveyed and property owners were often not present to monitor their property, which presented a challenge to state officials as the establishment of the Forest Preserve and Park made more well-defined boundaries necessary.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China

After our discussion about legislation surrounding the Adirondacks and recently reading the APA Act, I was interested in learning more about different environmental agencies in countries around the World. The first country I was curious about was China, as it is a country that is known to be a heavy polluter. China, in collaboration with the United States, is responsible for emitting nearly half the planet's carbon dioxide emissions. After researching, I came across the website for The Ministry of Environmental Protection for the People’s Republic of China. In the midst of browsing the Laws and Policies for the Ministry of Environmental Protection, I found a Law called “Forestry Law of the People’s Republic of China” that was enacted in 1985. Although most of the text is written in legal terms (although I am not even sure how much of it is translated word for word), I found this Article most interesting:

Article 4 

Forests are classified into the following five categories:

(1) Shelter forests: forests, woods and clusters of bushes with protection as the main aim including water source conservation forests, water and soil conservation forests, shelter forests against wind and for fixing sand, farmland and cattle farm shelter forests, embankment protection forests and highway/railway protection forests;

(2) Timber forests: forests and woods with timber production as the main aim including bamboo groves with production of bamboo materials as the main aim;

(3) Economic forests: woods with the production of fruits, edible oils, drinks, flavorings, industrial raw materials and medicinal materials as the main aim;

(4) Fuel forests: woods with the production of fuel as the main aim; and

(5) Special-purpose forests: forests and woods with national defence, environmental protection and scientific experiments as the main aim including national defence forests, experimental forests, mother tree forests, environmental protection forests, ornamental forests, woods at ancient and historical sites and revolutionary memorial places and forests in nature reserves.

I found this extremely interesting because this Article resembles our discussion about how the land in Adirondack Park is classified for particular uses. This article parallels how the classified land in the Adirondacks can only be used for its definitive purposes described in the APA act. It is interesting in China's Forestry Act that there is no forest that is set aside for recreational purposes. Each of the five categories for forests has a particular goal, none of which is recreation. Most of the forests are set aside solely for economic gain. 

Enchanted Forest Water Safari

As a local, one of my favorite places to visit in the summer was Enchanted Forest Water Safari. Our discussion about the rise in tourism in the part in the 1900s to the 1950s got me thinking about the history of the famous water park. As it turns out, Enchanted Forest Water Safari was originally the Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks and it was built in 1856, presumably to accommodate the influx of families that would drive up to the Adirondacks for the summer. Rides were not introduced to the park till the 1960s; originally the park was a collection of large tents that housed children’s activities. There was a train that would take families around the park from tent to tent in order to enjoy activities like watercolor and woodworking. In the early 1970s, the park added a circus that performed daily. In 1978, under new owners, the park added a Ferris wheel and some other motorized attractions. Then in 1984 the first water slide, Wild Waters, was constructed; Wild Waters was a 350ft, two-flume water slide. From the 1980s till present, Enchanted Forest Water Safari has constructed countless dry and wet attractions. The park now has 32 water rides and over 25 dry attractions, making it the largest water park in New York State.

Sources:

http://www.watersafari.com/rides-and-attractions

Noonan, Katie. An Enchanted Tale--The History of Old Forge Properties.

 Rep. Museum of Enchanted Memories, 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

The Future of the Adirondacks?

I recently came across an article, "Adirondacks Artist Takes on a Towering Controversy," in which Pamela Polston writes about a 2008 show by Adirondack Artist Peter Steward. In his show Peter Steward, of Lake Placid, NY, "found a way to link the history of his beloved Adirondack Park with the contemporary -- and contentious -- proliferation of wireless communication towers throughout the area." This is a very good example of the political role art can play.

Steward's whole show is about the influence of the "future" and future technologies on the Adirondacks. Most of his work is done on different panels which creates a disjointed feeling--as though he is saying that technology will cause the Adirondacks to become disjointed.

"Tower of Babel" by Peter Steward
(painting featured in the article)

Technology in the Adirondacks can definitely be thought of as an issue. Cell towers (even towers that are disguised as trees--see Sam's post from last week!) dilute the feeling of wilderness. They are not natural, and what is wilderness if your cell phone is always ringing? We have an idea that wilderness is removed from society, but technology is making everything more connected. What happens if the Adirondacks become a wifi hotspot? Can you imagine people on their computers in a canoe?

These are some of the questions Steward seems to be trying to provoke among his audience with his art. In an interview, he says "I could have painted straightforward landscape paintings, but I was really fishing for a theme that had to do with culture and nature, and the idea of 'footprint' and wilderness."

1948: Middlebury students "aero-skijor" on Lake Champlain!

http://www.adventure-journal.com/2014/11/video-of-the-day-skiojoring-behind-a-plane/

(reposted from Adventure Journal, Nov 7)

Fire Tower History

Fire towers originally functioned true to their name: lookout towers for fires in order to protect natural resources. However, as the DEC reports, air surveillance is much cheaper and more effective than maintaining dozens of fire towers. This practice of surveillance has been used since 1971 and the last fire towers were closed in 1990. There were once 124 fire towers in use in the Adirondack Park in the early 1900s on public and private land. Now there are 57 and they solely serve as either tourist attractions or eyesores if they are closed, and many are.

The DEC published a 400 page report on fire towers in the Park, outlining plans for each of the remaining towers with justified reason. Fire towers that did not conform to certain guidelines with respect to use, accessibility, and maintenance cost were recommended to be removed. However, two fire towers on Hurricane Mountain and St. Regis Mountain were originally recommended for removal, but the Adirondack Almanack reported three days ago that plans have changed and the DEC will begin the process of restoring those towers for public use. The DEC report says that the initial mention of removing these fire towers was opposed by many locals, arguing through letters sent through their local legislators that the restoration would bring more tourism to the area. When the restoration is complete, it will be the first time since 1971 that these towers have been opened. The Adirondack Program should take a hike up to Hurricane the first day the tower is opened!

Lake Placid Olympics

This week in class we have discussed tourism in the 20th century in the Adirondacks, and more specifically we have focused on Lake Placid as a hub for tourism in the park. The Olympic games held in Lake Placid, both in 1932 and 1980, show the power of olympic games to create future tourism and improved infrastructure in the cities that hold the games. In the 20th century, it seems that the two Olympics held in Lake Placid were some of the most important events in the Adirondacks for both improving the local economy and boosting tourism. After reading up on the two Olympic games held in the park some notable events at the two games include- the introduction of the winner's podium occurred at the 1932 games and of course the 1980 games featured the "Miracle on Ice" in which the US national hockey team, comprised entirely of amateur/college players, defeated the world-renowned Russian hockey team amid the Cold War. The successes of these olympic games beg the question of whether Lake Placid, and the left-over 1980 facilities, would be suitable to host a future olympics?

Wellness and Recovery

            The Adirondacks is not just a place for the activities we typically associate it with: logging, hunting, fishing, camping. It is also a place of wellness; of holistic recovery. For a long time, city dwellers and even those who are ill have journeyed to the Adirondacks to get away from the pollution, to breathe in the fresh air, and to get better. As we've discussed, in the past, a portion of tourism in the Adirondacks owes its origin to this wellness factor. People see this place as the best that nature has to offer in terms of purity.

            More recently, developing strongly this past week, a group of Adirondack businesses and organizations got together to begin a new "Wellness Movement." Their goal is to see if once again, the Adirondacks can become a place where people vacation and travel to for the soul purpose of re-aligning their bodies with nature. And it's no joke, no fun and games here, a real movement is happening. This coming Thursday the 13th, a conference will be held at the Lake Clear Lodge and Retreat. The group of business owners, entrepreneurs, and activists  will explore the idea of developing the Adirondacks into a retreat for wellness and recovery. The question: Can it succeed as such a wellness travel destination that will make use of the region's tourism, health benefits and local food, recreation, and culture and fine arts?

            Overall, a very interesting new twist on the "Local Movement." Now, a new chapter can begin in regards to where tourists find themselves most able to recover and vacation in a retreat setting rather than a skiing or hunting state of mind. 

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/wright2013.jpg

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/26559/20141106/can-the-adirondacks-tap-into-wellness-tourism

Amusement Parks in the Adirondacks?

Today in class, we talked about the rise in tourism and economy, as well as the introduction of automobiles, in the Adirondacks. I found parts of the Terrie reading quite revealing, in terms of the extent of the spread of tourism. I don't know if I'm alone in this lack of knowledge, but I had no idea small amusement parks and other tourist attractions, like zoos, existed in the Adirondacks! I've been through many of the towns in the Adirondacks, and to imagine some of them outfitted with these large, extremely commercial franchises seems unreal to me. 

I had never heard of "Santa's Workshop" before, and had no idea what it really was. Charlotte's post provided us with some history of the creation of the park itself. I went on the "North Pole's" website and came upon a map of the park: 

http://www.northpoleny.com/#!explore-the-park/c10fk

I was not expecting this huge layout at all! It's an entire establishment - complete with shows, rides and attractions, a  Christmas in July celebration, and a chance to eat breakfast with Santa. You can even buy a letter for your kid for $6.00 from 'Santa,' choosing from 6 different prewritten templates. 

I found it really amusing and kind of ironic that something so commercialized and materialistic exists in such a natural and wild place. But as Terrie said in the beginning of Chapter 8, "nature was no longer enough." People coming to the park didn't want to exclusively experience their outside surroundings - they wanted something to do and something for their children to do. The new theme parks popping up in the park were simply designed to "lure tourists and their dollars."

Granted: Adirondack Grant

            This past week, Governor Cuomo announced that he would be allocating nearly half a million dollars in grant money towards promoting small businesses and making it easier to access newly obtained state land. Essentially, this money has been broken up into 9 total projects, involving tourism, recreation, and small businesses in need of a capital boost. In 2012, the state acquired nearly 70,000 acres of land; this money will go to the aforementioned projects on this newly acquired land. The land spans 5 towns and two counties, and as of yet, the planning boards of each of the municipalities have come together and are beginning to form a plan in regards to what to use the money for that works best for everyone. One of the major planned projects so far is to expand snowmobile trails in Long Lake County to be able to include equestrian interests, a popular activity in the area.

            When asked about the grant, Essex County Board of Supervisors Chair Randy Douglass said “We don’t want one-time visitors to come here with only one activity in mind. We want them to have a wide range of activities and the only way we’re going to do that is have a good plan in place, a plan connecting the five towns. Creating these master plans and seeing how we can reach our best potential of promoting the Adirondacks by working together is the whole plan  in a nutshell.” Essex county will be receiving nearly $360,000 of the half a million dollars - a very large, majority chunk.

            I think the most exciting part about this news is that a lot of the money will be used to support businesses. As we've discussed in class, there are many viable businesses in the Adirondacks, but not all of them are  "on the map" so to speak, or are able to fully get off the ground. Therefore, an influx in capital, even just for a few of them within a relatively small area, would be a really great start as far as I'm concerned. 

                                    Newly Acquired Land

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Finch-Lands.jpg

http://wamc.org/post/grants-awarded-enhance-adirondack-tourism-and-economy

"A Tourist Defends Her Adirondacks"

Earlier this week, an Adirondack Almanack article about the NYCO debate appeared in my email updates email newsfeed. It was entitled, "Don't Mine the Lichen: A Tourist Defends Her Adirondacks." Though the article is not a very comprehensive look at the debate, I thought that the article and comments highlighted some of the tensions we have recently discussed in class.

Mainly, it displayed enduring conflict between local and tourist interests. Really, the title of the article says it all. It unintentionally reveals the sense of entitlement that this tourist feels with regards to “her” Adirondacks. Though I don’t necessary disagree with the argument that the NYCO land trade sets a dangerous precedent (even though this might not really set the precedent, since Article VII of the constitution is riddled with such compromises), fails to defend her stance with evidence and logical arguments.

Instead, she relies on sentimentalism and disregards local interests. She even complains, “Life has taken me 3,000 miles away from my New York roots, to London, England, but my heart is still hiking through those forests and marveling at the lichen, trees, butterflies, beavers and flowers of the Adirondacks. When my family and I venture back to the region we spend money on recreation. We come for the wilderness, we buy the ice cream, we get no say.” Then she acknowledges that “Some residents of the area depend on the existing mine for their livelihoods,” but quickly states that “none of the residents of the area are dependent on mining the adjacent Wilderness.”

Persisting animosity towards tourists and perhaps the Park itself is evident in the comments. One commenter replied, “You live in London? Wow. That’sone of the nicest most expensive cities in the world. Nice that you have such pleasant childhood memories of Lewis New York where there are several mines, our county land fill, department of public works and our new prison. Come back soon. We can show you the old missile silo and there is a great view of the old Plattsburgh Air Force Base… In its day it was the largest slab of concrete in the world and is very impressive from Jay Mountain.” Clearly, this man rejects Devaney’s authority because she is a tourist and is unconcerned about the locals of the Park.

Forever Wild: Santa's Workshop, 324 Whiteface Memorial Hwy., North Pole, NY

         In class today we discussed the rise of commercialism in the Adirondacks once tourism became a primary source of income for the region. I found the 1950’s theme park attractions like Santa’s Workshop in Lake Placid very amusing. The entire class so far has been looking at the Adirondacks as wild and the North Pole is seemingly very out of place here. As opposed to today, there was less of an emphasis on getting in touch with the wild side of the Adirondack and marketed more as a family friendly suburb get away. Tourism was about quick attractions for passerby’s, which for many turned out to be in the North Pole.

         Santa’s Workshop began as a family run business in 1949 and claims itself as the oldest theme park in America. A businessman named Julian Reiss created this “North Pole” in the Adirondacks after his daughter asked him where was Santa’s summer home. Reiss decided to capitalize off of the popularity of Whiteface Mountain at the time and bought land located right off of the Whiteface Memorial Highway. This makes the theme park a perfect location to stop for families with small children driving around the Adirondacks on a vacation get away.

         Santa’s Workshop immediately gained popularity. The theme park utilized new refrigeration technologies that allowed for a year round winter atmosphere and was home to the world’s first petting zoo. It was awarded its own area code and was the basis for Disney theme park planners in the early 1950’s. Today Santa’s Workshop has a variety of activities like holiday themes rides, live reindeer, carolers, Nativity pageants and holiday skits, and various characters such as Frosty the Snowman, a talking Christmas tree, Mother Goose characters and of course, Santa Claus.

          In 1999 Bob Reiss, Julian’s son, sold the theme park to local Greg Cunningham. In 2001 however, in the perfect archetype of a tacky, rundown theme park, Greg was arrested for forgery, embezzlement and grand larceny and the North Pole did not open that summer. Bob Reiss regained control of the operation, however and the park lives on. It is now a testament to an older era of American tourism, where roadside attractions ruled. 

Sources and more info:

http://www.adirondack.net/holiday/north-pole.cfm

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11577