Old pictures fascinate us. They jumpstart memories among our elders and prompt younger viewers to wonder, “What was it like back then?” Pictures tell stories, and if we peer between the pixels, those of us who were not there can deduce something of … [Read more...] about Adirondack Lakes
History & Culture
And Gladly Guide: Reflections on a Life in the Mountains
I became acquainted with Jim Goodwin in 1969, in my first summer as a crew member at the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Johns Brook Lodge. Thanks to the generosity of the Goodwin family, we used their “summer place” (the last house before the … [Read more...] about And Gladly Guide: Reflections on a Life in the Mountains
The Fire Observation Towers of New York State
Marty Podskoch is not the only author with an interest in fire towers. Paul Laskey has just finished The Fire Observation Towers of New York State, with gorgeous photographs of the towers and the views from summits. He also describes hikes to most of … [Read more...] about The Fire Observation Towers of New York State
Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore
Time was when fire towers punctuated many an Adirondack peak. From these spindly steel skeletons with glassed-in boxes (called “cabs”) on top, observers would spend their summers looking for signs of suspicious wisps of smoke that might balloon into … [Read more...] about Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore
With Wilderness at Heart: A Short History of the Adirondack Mountain Club
The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) has a history book of its own. In 1997, ADK published With Wilderness at Heart:A Short History of the Adirondack Mountain Club to commemorate the organization’s 75th anniversary. It was written by Bruce Wadsworth, … [Read more...] about With Wilderness at Heart: A Short History of the Adirondack Mountain Club
A Centennial History of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks: 1901 – 2003
They were first. At the dawn of the 20th century, before the Adirondack Mountain Club, before the Adirondack Council, before the Adirondack Nature Conservancy, the only organization dedicated to safeguarding these mountains was the Association for … [Read more...] about A Centennial History of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks: 1901 – 2003