Adirondack Mountain Club keeps trail lights on until 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays
By Tim Rowland
Catching his breath after a rigorous round of after-dark ski orienteering, Eric Kemp talked about trail conditions and the technical aspects of the course at the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Cascade Welcome Center, before applauding the aesthetics of its newest feature: lighted trails.
“It’s beautiful seeing the glow through the forest,” said Kemp, a member of Orienteering Canada’s national team that drove down to Lake Placid from Ottawa. For orienteering, lights were also a bit of technical aid, as through the trees their location gave clues as to the course layout. “That was unique, and a lot of fun,” Kemp said.
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The ADK purchased and took over operation of the 200-acre property in 2022, as a winter ski center and four-season information hub in a park that has no state-run visitor center. As part of the purchase, the mountain club held public meetings gathering feedback on how the community would like to see the center used.
“The message we took away from those meetings was that the center was really important as a community space,” said Ben Brosseau, ADK director of communications. “This is one way we can help fulfill that request.
In its first full year of operation under ADK, Cascade recorded 15,000 visitors: 10,000 in the winter and 5,000 in the summer. Summer visitation spiked 260% over 2022 numbers, according to Brosseau.
Lights make the ski and snowshoe trails more accessible to local residents who aren’t able to ski in daylight hours. “We wanted to have lighted trails to increase the opportunity for local residents to come out and enjoy skiing after school or after work,” Brosseau said.
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Henry Liebers, ADK’s visitor information manager, said that based on the first few weeks in operation, the amenity is paying off. “Night skiing is definitely well-received by the people,” he said.
The solar-powered lights, funded by a Northern Borders Regional Commission grant, are eco-friendly and motion-sensored, switching on as skiers pass by. “It’s a cool experience,” Brosseau said, “It puts you in a very focused space.”
The lights cover about four miles on the easier side of the course — the remainder of the 12-miles of groomed ski and snowshoe trails is left dark for people who enjoy dark-sky stargazing, Brosseau said. To accommodate night skiing, the center is staying open until 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Access to the trails is free to ADK members and $8 for non members. Rentals available. More information: https://adk.org/cascade-welcome-center/
Editor’s note: A previous version of the story had an incorrect price for night skiing.
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Thank you for talking to Eric Kemp, who’s well known in orienteering circles (on skis or on foot). The motion-activated lights sound really cool.
Corrections:
Visitor’s (not Visiter’s)
Motion-sensored (not censored, which has a totally different meaning)
Thanks for pointing that out, JT! All set.
Just as Lake Placid starts looking into becoming a Dark Skies certified location, AMC wants to light up the night. No thanks.
What is wrong with lights at night and people wanting to get out and enjoy themselves at night?? Or is it that it will interrupt your “tranquil” time for the day??