Walter Channing Rice: The Hermit of Ampersand

When I was a senior in high school, I co-led a group of my mom's middle school students on a 3-day camping exploration trip near Saranac Lake. We set up our base camp at a campsite on Rollins Pond and spent the next two days hiking Adirondack mountains and enjoying the lake. Ultimately, we intended to climb the notorious brothers, Cascade and Porter, as well as Ampersand Mountain, which falls a few hundred feet short from the title of "High Peak," at a height of 3,352 feet [1]. My family had just gotten a new puppy, so my brother (who was also helping out) and I decided to take turns watching the puppy and assisting the group. On Saturday, my brother was with the puppy all day while I left camp with the middle school students, my mom, and one other teacher to meet up with a nature guide at the base of Ampersand Mountain.

2011 Topographic map of Ampersand Mt. published by National Geographic.

Ampersand was a beautiful and not-too-challenging hike, mind the mosquito population. It was my first mountain summit in a while, and standing on the top of Ampersand Mountain made me realize my love for summiting mountains. Ampersand has a rocky summit, and while it was windy, it was easy to run around on and large enough to have nooks and crannies to explore.

Photo of myself on the summit of Ampersand Mt. Taken by Beth Guzzetta, 2014.

Whist enjoying the sunlight and wind on the summit of Ampersand, a few of the students came across an interesting plaque. A picture of this plaque is shown below.

Plaque on top of Ampersand Mt. Unknown photographer.

Walter Channing Rice, the "Hermit of Ampersand" moved to the Adirondacks from California (and before that, Massachusetts) just 5 years into his life because his father heard from his friend, Paul Smith, that there was a job opening for a hotel manager in Franklin Falls, New York [3]. Growing up in the Adirondacks, the outdoors were engrained in Walter Rice. Rice's first job was as a full-time guide for famous scientist Dr. Edward L. Trudeau (who helped the cure for tuberculosis) [3]. In 1877, Walter Rice moved to Saranac, New York, where he married, bought some land, and became the town tax collector for the town of Harrietstown and served on the Village Water Board [3].

In 1911, the death of his wife lead Walter Rice back to his passion as a guide in the Saranac region [3]. Rice was said to have "entered into the happiest period of his life" in 1913 when the state appointed him fire observer at the summit of Ampersand Mountain [3]. Rice was said to have a "love for the solitude of the Mountain Peak" and was titled "Hermit of Ampersand" after his death at the age of 73 in 1924 [3].

Walter Rice was "portrayed the spirit of the Adirondacks, the love of nature and conservation of out heritage more than any other" and it was an honor to have stood where he stood [3]. When you see a plaque on the summit of a mountain, I urge you to look into the meaning behind the plaque because some stories are worth learning.

References:
[1] "Lake Placid, Adirondacks." Ampersand Mountain. Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. 2016. Web. 6 April 2016.
[2] Franklin Historical Review Collection #3. Franklin Country Historical and Museum Society. Brushton, NY: TEACH Services, Inc., 2007.
[3] Rice, Steven Miller. "The Hermit of Ampersand Mountain." Franklin Historical Review, Vol. 15, 1978. Web. 6 April 2016.

The New Great Camp & Forbes Magazine

The New Great Camps & Forbes Magazine

According to Forbes Travel Guide: “exceptionally well-heeled travelers seeking a glamorous stay in the Adirondacks,” need look no further than The Point. The five-star rated hotel resides on a Rockefellers former camp. The Great Camps of the 19^th century in the Adirondacks have transformed dramatically over the last hundred years. While the camps have changed quantitatively (in physical size and attendance) the qualitative makeup of the camps largely holds true to their original ethos. They are reserved for the extremely wealthy to relax and gain a sense of the outdoors. The Great Camps continue to live on through elitism and an increasing reality of nature being a spectacle more than a part of everyday life.

 The Forbes article that promotes this particular piece of land, actually refers to the area as “roughing it,” for the wealthy. Admittedly, Forbes as a magazine, writes to an upper-class readership. In class we have questioned the validity of ‘camps,’ for the rich in the Adirondacks, but for better or worse, they endure.

However much we may find ourselves desiring to poke holes in the idea that these camps are really camps, or that anyone at them is really ‘roughing it,’ we have to keep our own position in mind. To any person in the world that still lives off of their land (an admittedly small number) we must seem like such hypocrites in criticizing those that don’t camp as well as we do. Ultimately, we are all out of touch with nature. That doesn’t mean we need to let go of our possessions and try to survive in the forest, but rather we should work toward a coexistence. Instead of viewing the world as technology and human beings versus nature, we should embrace both and somehow truly evolve.

http://www.forbestravelguide.com/the-adirondacks-new-york/what-are-the-best-places-to-stay-in-the-the-adirondacks?preferredAttributionId=forbes

Baxter State Park

While the Adirondack Park is the largest park in the US, and constitute most of the wilderness land east of the Mississippi, other places have shared in the Adirondack vision.  Baxter State Park in Maine is one of the clearest examples of such a park.   The park encompasses Katahdin and over 200,000 acres of the Maine wilderness. Diverse flora and fauna are plentiful and thousands visit the park every year. At the same time some of the park is harvested and controlled thru forestry. This combination puts the park in an interesting place. Not only is it a place for recreation but it is a place for industry and forestry as well. Therefore, the carefully planned combination of forestry and the Adirondack vision of recreation create a park experience as unique and important as the Adirondacks themselves.

Baxter Park’s forestry program is an integral part of the park. Nearly 30,000 of the parks 200,000 are a Scientific Forest Management Area (Park Authority).  The management of the area has a number of wide reaching goals including, “protecting water quality, protecting biodiversity, providing wildlife habitat, and enabling a sustained harvest of forest products” (Ibid). Clearly, this is similar to the Adirondacks original goal of preserving the park so that it could be used for industry. However, this version might be so successful because only such a small portion of the park is committed to this purpose.

This park also has a wide array of recreational opportunities.  The park has 40 peaks and 215 miles of trails (Ibid). The peak of Katahdin, is also the Northern terminus of the Appalachian trail and the terminus of the 100 mile wildness. Furthermore, bears and moose and a wide variety of tree species populate the park. Just like the Adirondacks, thousands of people come every year to enjoy the natural beauty of the park. And, just like the Adirondacks, people come to hike conquer the difficult terrain of the park’s peaks. Nineteen people have died trying to hike the Katahdin’s knife’s edge since 1963 (Sharp, 2010). Clearly, Baxter state park is enjoyed for the same reasons as the Adirondacks and is just as dangerous.   

Katahdin from a distance

The park was also created with a very similar vision. Percival Baxter, whose helped create the park declared that the park, “shall forever be retained and used for state forest, public park and recreational purposes” (Park Authority). This language is extremely similar to the language in the New York constitution about protecting the Adirondacks. It is very likely that the Adirondacks inspired the creation of such a similar park. Clearly the Adirondacks serve as force for good and has inspired conservation across the country.

Works Cited

"About." BSP. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

Sharp, David. "Stupid Decision' Left Hiker Lost, Injured on Maine's Mt. Katahdin." Salem News. 03 June 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.

Essex Farm Memberships-Why it's a Great Idea

            The Champlain valley is home to the best farming operations in the Adirondacks, including the rather unconventional Essex Farm.  After visiting the farm, meeting Mark Kimball (the main operator of the farm), reading his wife’s book the Dirty Life and perusing through her blog, I’ve decided that if I could afford it, which I absolutely can’t at the moment, I would buy a share in their CSA. Not only does their year round, full diet, free choice membership appeal to me, but also their economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable practices (Essex Farm). Their farm has been called “the granddaddy of the revitalized local farm movement” (Demola) not for its use of innovative technologies, but rather for its return to the earth and simple practices.

If you want food that is sustainable, local, tastes good, brings people together, and is economically reasonable then an Essex Farm membership is a fantastic investment.

Part of Mark and Kristin Kimball’s efforts to show that the farm is environmentally sustainable is in how they make sure you know where your food is coming from. Whether it’s through Kristin’s book, in which she describes the details of the seeds they first purchased, or through Mark showing you on a farm tour where exactly the carrots are planted, there is no doubt that your food is coming straight from the earth. Mark even makes it clear that the cows are just more products of the earth when he casually sifts through their excrements, tasting a little bit and then remarking, “see, it’s just grass!” I thought he was crazy too, until I tried a bit and had to agree with him. Mark’s putting himself on the line to eat cow poop exemplifies his desire to show how everything on the farm is all connected- the grass, the cows, the crops, everything. 

Albeit the local food movement is not uncommon, Essex Farm’s economically and socially sustainable practices are what set it apart from other CSA farms. Every Friday, members come to pick up that week’s food at the farm, which brings the members together. They talk about how the cooked certain vegetables, new recipes, and what they liked and they didn’t like. Additionally, the program is $4,108 per year ($79 per week) for the first adult in the household and $3,640 per year ($70 per week) for the second adult (Essex Farm). And not only is that a good price for each person, but it is also good considering you will be eating healthy, wholesome, local food, which will save you money in healthcare costs. Essex Farm is a great place to put your money if you’re looking to support sustainable practices across economic, social, and environmental domains, and if you want to eat great food.

 http://www.suncommunitynews.com/articles/the-sun/big-ideas-brewing-at-essex-farm-institute/
 http://www.essexfarmcsa.com/
http://www.kristinkimball.com/blog/

Personal Experience in the Adirondacks: The Value of Nature

Way back in September, I went on a crazy hiking trip in the Adirondacks. My group was supposed to hike an easy day hike, but we ended up hiking an insane sixteen miles over three peaks. We were dehydrated, I was incredibly sick and light headed and we had to deal with slow group members who lagged behind the pace we needed to maintain to get back before dusk. Nevertheless, it was a very life defining experience that I could only get in nature.

With technological advancements developing at such a rapid pace, more and more of life's entertainment comes from sedentary experiences. This is probably one of the most defining features of our generation. The tendency to avoid the outdoors has proven to increase the levels of depression in youth.

I spend my summers working at a nature-themed day camp. Having the opportunity to engage with nature with these children is a blessing for both the counselors who get to spend their summers outdoors and for the children who learn and engage with the nature itself. The psychological benefits are so clear in both cases.

Returning to my own story, the Adirondacks provided me with an adventure. Not a virtual adventure, but an actual struggle in the outdoors. It connected me with so many generations who had experienced similar journeys and allowed me to get a fuller understanding of myself and nature.

The Vagabonds Go Car-Camping

The Vagabonds camping along the Ausable River, September 1916. Photograph by Richard Walker, courtesy of Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake

A few decades after Adirondack Murray inspired Americans to holiday in the Adirondacks, a new group of wilderness aficionados, self-dubbed “The Vagabonds,” redirected the public’s interest in the wilderness. In 1916, the Adirondack “frontier aura” was fading and elegant vacations, characterized by the Gilded Age, were losing popularity (Folwell 2014). However, as the automobile industry flourished in early 20^th century America, a new style of camping emerged: car-camping. The Vagabonds spearheaded the trend of road tripping through the Adirondacks, yet this collision of modernity and wilderness had both positive and negative consequences.

Who were “The Vagabonds”?

Firestone by his car, Photo in Adirondack Life August 2014. Print.

Despite their name, The Vagabonds was not a group of social rogues. Rather, each man was famous in 20^th century American society for one reason or another. Their actual names were Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, and John Burroughs. Ford and Burroughs were iconic figures in the automobile industry. (Firestone was the founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the largest rubber businesses in the world (Wikipedia)). Additionally, renowned inventor Edison and best-seller nature writer Burroughs completed the miscellaneous group.

What did they do?

            From 1916 to 1924, the Vagabonds annually took a road trip throughout the Adirondacks. Appropriately, Ford originally organized the car-camping trip (though he missed the first trip due to publicity reasons) (Folwell 2014). In their inaugural road trip, The Vagabonds covered about 50-100 miles a day from Lake George to Plattsburgh and along the way they “sought flat clearings for camping, sparkling streams for bathing and starry nights for discussing world affairs”(Ibid. 2014). Burroughs enjoyed the trip so much that he recounts, “…I do not know which I owe the most to – the campfires or the car. I am only sure I took a most delightful shaking up such that I had no had for 40 years”(Ibid. 2014).

Video of the Vagabonds Camping

Implications?

Although their first road trip remained fairly incognito, the Vagabond’s presence in the Adirondacks in 1919 received a lot of publicity. Moreover, the way in which the group camped began to change. Instead of a simplistic camping experience that required only necessities, their new camping style included many accommodations such as a “20-by-20 foot [food] shelter with a round table, complete with lazy Susan and lights” in their later trips (Ibid. 2014). This change in camping style reflected a distinct shift in the Vagabond’s attitude towards nature. In their trip in 1919, the Vagabonds brought superfluous, modern comforts into the Adirondacks with them.

Although the Vagabonds disbanded in 1924, their car-camping legacy led to the establishment of many public campsites in the Adirondack Park today. On the one hand, the car-camping phenomenon increased the accessibility of the Adirondacks to the average citizen, therefore the trend is commendable. However, because cars still allow individuals to transport a plethora of personal belongings into the park, this style of camping nonetheless begs the question: Are modern comforts necessary for humans to enjoy nature? Or, rather, do they negate the character of wilderness itself?

Works Cited

Folwell, Elizabeth. “The Vagabonds: Ford, Firestone, Edison and Burroughs and the birth of Adirondack car-camping.” Adirondack Life. 24 June 2014. Web. 2 April 2016.

TheHenryFord YouTube Channel: Benson Ford Research Center Film Source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1qXzrwNoTo

Consequences of Animal Traps

Animal trapping in the Adirondacks have always been a highly controversial topic debated between trappers, who are trying to make a living, and opposition, who are looking out for the well-being and ethical treatment of animals. While hunters and trappers bring over $700 million a year to the New York State, the consequences of animal traps appear to outweigh the positives (ADKWLC). Non-targeted animals are commonly caught in the trap, which includes pets, birds, or other wildlife. As these animals are trapped, they suffer greatly and either fall victim to predators or are released back into the wild with injuries that will eventually lead to their deaths. Long periods of struggle is frequent as hunters are not legally required to check the trap more than once over a 24-48 hour period (ADKWLC). Accidental trapping in the Adirondack area may be more common than most people assume as birds, pets, and even bears have fallen victim.

Photo by DEC

In the village of Chestertown, located in the Adirondacks, a pet dog died after its head was unintentionally caught in a beaver trap (Grondahl). Another incident of an accidental trapping occurred in Brushton, where a large female red-tailed hawk had been caught in a trap and lost one of her legs (ADKWLC). Similarly, a bald eagle got caught in a trap but was able to loosen the trap's chain and flew away with the chain attached before being entangled in the branch and left dangling (ADKWLC). Both birds survived and were rescued but a barred owl was not as lucky as it flew around with a trap on its leg and eventually died (ADKWLC). Lastly, a grizzly bear was caught in a leg-hold trap and was forced to bite off its own paw in order to escape (ADKWLC).

While these accidental trappings were reported to the Department of Environmental Conservation and North Country Wildcare, many of these accidents go unreported. These non-targeted animals are either disposed of by trappers, eaten by predators, or released back into the wild with life-threatening injuries. Even with the economic benefit of trapping, the consequences, which include prolonged suffering and trapping of non-targeted animals, are devastating. With an increase of publicity for similar incidents, the New York State is now under pressure to either ban trapping or find a way to shorten suffering and prevent non-targeted animals from being affected.

Sources:

Grondahl, Paul. "Dog Dies after Caught in Beaver Trap in Adirondacks."Times Union. Times Union, 2 Apr. 2016. 

Adirondack Wildlife. "Leghold Traps." Adirondack Wildlife. Adirondack Wildlife Refuge, n.d. 

California Drought

            In my first year at Hamilton, I constantly babbled to my friends about how much I love my home state, California, but last May, I returned home to a disappointingly dry and brown landscape. Some of my favorite activities at home are hiking, hanging out by the glistening, deep blue reservoir and camping in some of the nation’s most beautiful parks. These are just a few of the memorable outdoor experiences I speak longingly of when I’m at school. My friends and family and I have been hiking and enjoying the beauty and warmth of Northern California for just over two decades and are discouraged that so much of what we love is being dangerously affected by the severe, five year drought we’re currently experiencing. Additionally, especially warm days no longer strike the same sense of adventure and excitement; rather they induce a fear for the future of our beloved environment… and home! The measures that residents of California are taking to decrease water consumption highlight the severity of the problem, yet statistics cry that even these measures aren’t enough to save our state from the extremity of the drought. Experiencing the drought first-hand has given me a new perspective on the role of the individual in mass conservation efforts.

            Last year, California governor Jerry Brown required hundreds of cities and water agencies throughout the state to decrease water usage by 25 percent. Californians came close at 23.9 by this past February. While this initially seems to be a step of promising progress, we’re beginning to see that outside factors affect how regulations should be carried out. For example, El Nino soaked Northern California this past winter and certain reservoirs are actually overflowing although the state at whole is still drought-stricken. Regional requirements will now be implemented to address current weather and drought concerns in independent areas of the state. However, it’s important to note that despite the intensity of El Nino, the rain and snowfall only just brimmed a nearly average rate and did not diminish California’s state of drought. Clearly, officials and locals alike are still struggling with how to handle, and ultimately help the problem. It’s a huge problem that has subsequently had an effect on employment and more generally, typical ways of life for Californians. It points to how important it is that all Californians play their part in addressing the issue. More importantly, everyone should be involved in and concerned for the effects of a warming climate not only in California, but also all over the world.

            Interestingly, I think I actually benefitted from missing out on the time that we first started to see the effects of the drought. I returned home from London, and then my first spring at Hamilton, expecting to find things as they have always been. Instead I saw fields of dry, dead grass and lawns being pulled out and replaced with faux grass, or turf, to help decrease water consumption. My family and I collect shower water runoff in a bucket and use it to water plants, and have shortened our shower, dishwashing and even hand-washing time. We successfully decreased our consumption by 25 percent. The role of each individual family’s participation in addressing the problem is the first step to reducing regional consumption, and subsequently state consumption. Temperatures are creeping up, and its our (ALL of our) job to help bring them back down.

"Things to Know: The Next Step in California's Drought." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Apr. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

Black Flies

If there's one thing that can ruin a walk in the woods on a beautiful June day in the Adirondacks, it's a swarm of black flies.  Persistent in their search for a nice warm mammal's blood to feed on, black flies have plagued visitors to the park for generations.  In spite of, or perhaps because of, their role as the park's most maddening nuisance, these biting flies have, for some, even become valued as a part of the challenge of survival in the Adirondacks.

Accounts of the seemingly unrelenting presence of black flies during the months of May and June weren't always believed.  In his book Adventures in the Wilderness, William H. H. Murray discredits reporters' references to the black fly problem with the assertion that the black fly is "one of the most harmless and least vexatious of the insect family," and that "The black fly, as pictured by 'our Adirondack correspondent,' like the Gorgon of old, is a myth--a monster existing only in men's feverish imaginations" (Murray 56).  Like many assertions made by Murray, however, this is far from the truth.

Female black flies bite large mammals, including humans, in order to get the protein needed for their fertilized eggs to develop.  Many of the flies prefer to bite larger animals than humans, and will buzz around the head and neck of a person without biting, creating the swarming effect that no amount of swatting ever seems to disperse (Kalinowski).  The severity of the bites themselves can vary.  Some people face only a small mark with little irritation, but others find themselves covered in swollen red welts that can get to be the size of a golf ball (Hill).

Although there are ways to avoid the worst of these pests, black fly season in the Adirondacks is generally a low point for visitors to the park.  But, just as kayakers hurl themselves over waterfalls most would see as obstacles and winter campers avoid heated cabins in favor of the challenge of keeping warm on their own, some in the Adirondacks have embraced the black flies.  The Black Fly Challenge, a roughly 40 mile mountain bike race between Inlet and Indian Lake, takes place annually on the second Saturday in June--the peak of black fly season.  The timing of the race means the economy of the area gets a boost during a time that otherwise would be lacking in tourists, and gives the race an added challenge that attracts hundreds of racers a year (Scranton).  Some of the more athletic members of my family completed the race in 2014 and 2015, and they attest to the impact of the flies on the race--if you pedal fast enough the flies don't bother you!

 Sources:

• Hill, Catherine and John MacDonald.  "Black Flies."  Purdue University.  n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.
• Kalinowski, Tom.  "Bug Season:  Some Tips for Avoiding Black Flies."  Adirondack Almanac.  Adirondack Explorer.  20 May 2013.  Web.  4 April 2016.
• Murray, William H. H..  Adventures in the Wilderness.  The Adirondack Museum/Syracuse University Press. Print.
• Scranton, Dave.  "The Birth of the Black Fly Challenge."  Black Fly Challenge.  May 2015.  Web.  4 April 2016.
• https://trailtodd.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/natureblackflies-01-blackflies1.jpg

Bug Season: Some Tips For Avoiding Black Flies

Bug Season: Some Tips For Avoiding Black Flies

Bug Season: Some Tips For Avoiding Black Flies

New Farmers New Adirondacks

There is no discussion. Farming in the Adirondacks is hard work. Adam Federman from the Adirondack Explorer writes, “one hears more about alpine vegetation than vegetables, more about days of snowfall than days of sunshine… the park is famous for its short growing season,” a whopping 65-100 days, and that is if you are lucky enough to find fertile soil. But while the harsh climate and lack of sunshine drove many famers away from the park, recently there has been a farming revolution on Adirondack land. New farms have begun rolling into the hills bringing with them a mindset that is altering the way [people] eat and even the way [people] live” (Federman).

This explosion of farming in the Adirondacks hasn’t gone unnoticed by media sources. One of the first to feature new farming was Gourmet magazine in 2009, which ran a feature story on Adirondack eating. They described the phenomenon in the Adirondacks as an opportunity for young farmers, while also “giving Adirondack farming and food- which once looked bleak- a glorious second chance” (Gourmet). An exhibit was also launched in the Adirondack museum about food history and park eating. The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball, is a book about falling in love with food and the Adirondacks as she recounts how she and her husband met and started the now famous Essex Farm. This April, North Country Public Radio (NCPR) reported a story on the new farmers movement. It was announced that the National Young Farmers Coalition will be holding its first Adirondack chapter on Saturday April 2^nd. The goal? To help new farming families establish connections with successful farms in the Adirondacks and also have an opportunity to share ideas and wisdom.

Despite the growing coverage and interest in new farming methods and marking, the farms in the park aren’t producing that much food. However, the farmer to consumer line through CSAs has grown by 20 percent. If this number continues to grow, the park could become self-sufficient. Mark Kimball estimates that to support one person’s food per year you need half an acre. To achieve self-sufficiency, the park would need to have seventy thousand acres of farmed land to support the park’s resident population. “We need to come up with a way to get more farmers up here” he said in his interview with Adam Federman writer for the Adirondack Explorer. Luckily, new farmers continue to move to the Adirondacks in pursuit of their dream to live with the land. Maybe the Adirondack has a bright future, one with wholesome and delicious food.

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/31452/20160401/new-adirondack-farmers-gather-for-connections-collective-success

http://www.gourmet.com/

 http://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/think-global-eat-local