The Open Space Institute has purchased 1,200 acres abutting the Hammond Pond Wild Forest in the eastern Adirondacks, with an eye toward selling the land to the state for the Forest Preserve. Located in the town of Moriah, the parcel has five ponds, 2.6 miles of waterfront, and numerous scenic views. Tub Mill Pond, the central body of water, contains rainbow trout and brown bullhead and is touted as a destination for anglers and paddlers. “The Open Space Institute is delighted to have protected this forested Adirondack property, rich with spectacular waterfront vistas and opportunities for fishing, kayaking, boating, and >>More
DEC responds to mountain-biking concerns
In its proposed amendment to the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest management plan, the state DEC sets forth a goal of creating two networks of mountain biking trails just north of Blue Ridge Road.
DEC responds to backcountry skiers’ concerns
Backcountry skiers have long complained that state agencies have given them short shrift when it comes to accommodating their sport in the Forest Preserve. One major complaint is that years ago the state Department of Environmental Conservation transformed part of the Wright Peak Ski Trail into a hiking trail; the subsequent narrowing and eroding of the trail has rendered it often unsuitable for skiing. In proposed changes to the High Peaks Wilderness management plan, DEC aims to address the problem by rerouting the lower part of the ski trail away from the hiking trail. The department also proposes a number >>More
DEC responds to climbers’ concerns over access
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has compiled 132 pages of public comments and responses regarding its proposals in the High Peaks Wilderness and Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest. The Adirondack Park Agency is expected to vote on whether to approve DEC’s proposals this Friday. About ten pages of comments and responses pertain to concerns raised by rock and ice climbers, many of whom fear that efforts to address overflow parking along Route 73 will shut them out of popular cliffs. Below are all the climbers’ comments, with DEC’s responses in italic. We hope to post comments from other user groups later in >>More
Protect wants motorboats banned from Weller Pond
Protect the Adirondacks wants motorboats banned from Weller Pond and Little Weller Pond near Middle Saranac Lake. If you agree, you have until Friday to submit comments to the Adirondack Park Agency.
In a draft unit management plan (UMP) for the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest, the state Department of Environmental Conservation did not ban motorboats from the two ponds, but it is proposing to impose a 5-mph speed limit.
DEC finalizes proposals for High Peaks region
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has finalized its proposed changes to the High Peaks Wilderness and Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest unit management plans, and the Adirondack Park Agency is expected vote on them next week.
Big plans proposed for Boreas Ponds
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed dozens of new trails, parking areas, canoe launches, campsites, and other facilities in the High Peaks Wilderness—some of them controversial. The APA is expected to vote on the proposals this summer, perhaps as early as July.
OSI protects 4,000 acres in southern Adirondacks
The Open Space Institute has acquired more than four thousand acres in the southeastern Adirondacks in a deal that will help protect the watershed for the city of Amsterdam. Known as the Hans Creek property, the parcel contains land within the watershed of Amsterdam’s Steele and Ireland Vly reservoirs, including frontage on the Steele Reservoir. It contains a network of forest roads that will serve as trails for hiking and snowmobiling and boasts views of Great Sacandaga Lake. In a news release, OSI describes the terrain as “a mix of well-drained ridges and valleys containing a mosaic of beaver ponds, >>More
DEC to close road to Boreas Ponds for repairs
The state Department of Environmental Conservation plans to close Gulf Brook Road, the dirt thoroughfare leading to Boreas Ponds, on weekdays so it can repair the road, which was damaged by deep frost and melting snow this past winter. The closure means people will have to hike or bike about seven miles to reach the ponds, which the state bought in 2016. Gulf Brook Road is an old logging road built by Finch, Pruyn and Company, the former owner of Boreas Ponds. When the road is open, people are allowed to drive 3.2 miles to the Fly Pond Parking Area, >>More
Lisa Ballard wins award for ‘Explorer’ story
Saranac Lake native Lisa Ballard has won a national award for a story about hiking with her brother that appeared in the Adirondack Explorer. Her article, titled “On Crane with Wayne,” won second place in the Outdoor Writers Association of America for stories in the Outdoor Fun and Adventure category. The award was announced at the association’s annual conference in June. Ballard, who now lives in Montana, wrote about climbing Crane Mountain with her brother, Wayne Feinberg, a Saranac Lake real-estate agent. Evidently, Wayne is not a big fan of hiking and had to be coaxed into going. “He was >>More
