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about
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Sonny and
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Hello from the mountains! Summer 2006 |
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NewsletterSummer, 2006 We are please to announce a Becoming an Outdoors-woman affiliated Beyond Map and Compass program in the Saranac Lake area. Please click on our Education page to read the Introduction to Map and Compass for program content. Unlike the camp-style setting of our regular programs, the special Beyond Map and Compass fee includes comfortable B&B-style accommodations and meals with outdoor practice sessions.
Early Spring, 2006 Autumn lasted well into the normal 2005 winter season. The northern Adirondacks saw rain, rain, and more rain. Our only really cold snaps occurred during December and March. Ice was variable on lakes and ponds. As always, we caution that NO ice should be considered completely safe. Planning, measuring, testing, and proceeding with caution can save your life.
Well, with winter nearly over, we are looking forward to spring as it arrives in the mountains and on the waters. Migratory birds are returning and the sound of rushing or trickling water is everywhere. Only the High Peaks are still covered with a thick blanket of snow.
Trout season has opened. The water is cold and clear. Anglers are storing their jigs and tip-ups. Reels and rods are being dusted off. Tackle boxes are showing up in cars and trucks as snowshoes disappear. Our guide service offers great fishing get-aways. Some folks like to fish from the comfort of a pontoon boat, others like to spend time on remote ponds accessible only by canoe. We love to show young people how to fish. Choose your personal paradise by checking out our Fishing page.
Back county trails are either still frozen or are muddy. Our guide service recommends avoiding earthen Adirondack trails until Memorial Day approaches. Boots displace soil, especially when it is wet. This has been extensively studied and reported on. William Harlow wrote, in Backpacker Magazine, that each boot track might displace one ounce of soil. That equals 120 pounds of soil per trekked mile. Four hikers could displace one ton of soil by the end of a 5-mile hike! There are a few “hardened” trails that can bear spring traffic. Check out our Hiking page for featured trips.
Spring flowers begin to bloom by the end of April. The air is cool, the sun is warm, and earthy scents are pleasing. Early flowers include trillium, trout lily, spring beauties, Dutchman’s breeches, pale corydalis, violets, columbine, and lady slippers. Check out our main pages to register for spring flower hikes and paddles.
Enjoy the season! Late summer 2005
Angling and paddling in the area: Lake Colby is a favored site for rainbow and brown trout, and broodstock salmon. The Saint Regis Canoe Area offers 58 bodies of water, over 18,000 acres inaccessible by motor. Fishing is superb, especially in spring, for brookies and lakers, splake, landlocked salmon, and rainbows. The Saranac Lake chain, host of three ESPN Great Outdoor Games bass fishing competitions, also offers pike, panfish, rainbows and browns.
The Tupper Lake basin provides access to the Ten Rivers area, including the Cold River, Raquette River, Beaver River, Marion River, Oswegatchie River, Saint Regis River, Bog River-Grass River and the Saranac River.
The headwaters of the Saranac River accumulate from more than 37 lakes and ponds. The Saint Regis Wilderness Canoe Area is the only specially designated canoe management area in New York State. Popular routes include the “7 Carries” and “9 Carries” routes. The Raquette River – Tupper Lake waterway stretches over 18 miles. The Saranac Lakes Chain connects three major lakes with miles and miles of wilderness shorelines and many shoreline and island campsites.
Peaks and treks in the area:
Wonderful day-hikes abound in the area. Summits, waterfalls, wilderness stream and pond shores are available for every level of energy and interest.
Forty six Adirondack High Peaks have summits above 4000 feet (nearby Lake Champlain rests at near sea level). Twenty of the peaks do not have maintained trails to their summits. Becoming a ‘46R’ by ascending all of the High Peaks is a real challenge and an honor. Only one of the Peaks has a roadway to the summit…That means your family and friends can drive to the summit to meet you after you have earned the peak. Contact us for more information.
The High Peaks section of the Adirondacks includes the following Forest Preserve areas: the High Peaks Wilderness, Dix Mountain Wilderness, Giant Mountain Wilderness, Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area, McKenzie Mountain Wilderness, Sentinel Range Wilderness and Wilmington Wild Forest.
Department of Environmental Conservation regulations include the following:
The Bear Facts
Bears are common in the Adirondacks, as the largest resident population in the East. Bears are intelligent and curious, and will investigate anything new or that has an interesting odor that implies food. Feeding bears encourages them to become nuisances or create a downright dangerous situation. Preventing bear encounters:
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