Tabla de contenidos para March/April 2025 en Adirondack Explorer

TWO COMMUNITIES TACKLE MUCH-NEEDED SEWER PROJECTS In North Creek, ORDA takes charge of constructing its own wastewater treatment system, as town funds fall short of goal for municipal system The state is adding to its $40 million investment in its North Creek Ski Bowl project near its Gore Mountain alpine center because of the need for a septic system that the host municipality has been unable to build or afford. As a result, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), which runs Gore and aims to open a new lodge in the hamlet of North Creek this fall, has chosen to build its own system to handle 12,000 gallons a day of wastewater. ORDA went forward with the Ski Bowl project, which includes a zip line, a trail, a four-season lodge,…

In the middle of the 19th century, disease wiped out great colonies of European silkworms, causing garment manufacturers to turn to the reclusive island of Japan for a source of silk. The silk trade inevitably introduced silkworm mortality to Japanese shores as well, where in 1901 a scientist by the name of Shigetane Ishiwata tried to figure out what was going wrong. His research, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), focused on a bacterium from dead silkworm larvae, information that was useful to the German scientist Ernst Berliner, who isolated a related strain from dead Mediterranean flour moth larvae he found in a mill in the German state of Thuringia. He named it Bacillus thuringiensis—Bt. It took another 25 years for science to figure out that the proteins…

What do 10 llamas, George Clooney, Adirondack hiking trails and a photo shoot have in common? They are all part of the unique and memorable experience of llama trekking, a family-friendly excursion dreamed up seven years ago by Anne Phinney of Moose River Farm in Old Forge. The idea of llama trekking was born from a program in which Phinney taught children about caring for animals. Children aged 8 to 12 would visit the farm one day a week in the summer and handle the animals. While Phinney continued to incorporate new animals into the program, something “wooly” was missing. “I decided on llamas because they are a working animal, still more reliable than motorized vehicles for distributing supplies in the Andes Mountains,” she said. “Llama fiber is a…

As much as I love backcountry skiing, I have come to realize that Adirondack winters are unreliable. Frustrated by the frequent lack of snow needed for skiing, I took up two fallback sports, Nordic skating and ice climbing. For those who shudder at the idea of recreating on frozen water, there is another option: fat biking. Fat bikes are not really fat, but their tires are, enabling cyclists to ride on soft surfaces such as snow and sand that would bog down ordinary bikes. Some people also ride them on mountain-bike trails: the wide, low-pressure tires float over rocks and other obstacles. Companies started making fat bikes in the early 2000s. They enjoyed a surge in publicity and popularity about 10 years ago. The craze abated, but fat bikes command…

On my way in, I lost my glove. I was bummed. I felt lost—even though I knew exactly where I was. I was disheveled. The goal was simple, to bask in the cold with the wind on my skin: presence practice. The silence met by the wind moving the snow-heavy trees frightened me. At times, the trees were like children screaming. The fear fueled the negative chatter in my brain. I just wanted to be in the moment. Instead, I was lost in ruminations and worry. Typical. I chose the hike to Inman Pond on the eastern side of Lake George because I wanted an easier stroll with little likelihood of human contact. I got that. I set out to take my time and work on my photography. The conditions…

When scientists 10 years ago started monitoring salt pollution in runoff flowing into Mirror Lake, they discovered their sensors were measuring chloride concentrations similar to those found in seawater. At that time, nearly two dozen stormwater outfalls channeled road runoff directly into Mirror Lake. There was little to slow or stop water rushing off all of the village of Lake Placid’s hard surfaces, collecting debris, sediment and road salt along the way. The lake’s watershed mirrored conditions found in urban environments. More than one-quarter of the lake is ringed with development—even if its background is protected wilderness. Researchers with the Ausable Freshwater Center (at the time known as the Ausable River Association) monitored the outfalls to measure pollution levels in the runoff. How salty was it as it reached the…

Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area in the town of North Hudson is not quite “the gateway to the Adirondacks,” state and local officials had hoped for when they donned cowboy hats for its grand opening in 2018. Long ago title issues, one dating back more than 120 years, are delaying progress. Since 2017, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has worked to purchase a 300-acre conservation easement on the property off of Exit 29 on the Adirondack Northway. It is near the former 1952-era theme park, Frontier Town. Though the state built the 90-acre campground and some equestrian and hiking trails, visions for a visitor center, event center, interactive exhibits and more have halted. The sticking point? The state Attorney General’s Office requires perfect title, a…

Strictly speaking, Betsy Folwell was my parents’ friend, not mine. I was the kid who tagged along. My parents, Ann and Pete Hornbeck, met Betsy and her husband, Tom Warrington, in the mid-1970s when I was a baby. They were all young, scrappy and new to the Adirondacks. It was a perfect place for people skeptical of institutions and suburbia. They bonded over a shared love for wilderness. My impression of Betsy was shaped by my father’s respect for her. My father was irreverent, more comfortable telling a funny story than expressing the sincere emotions he felt inside. He was not quick to words of admiration, but he adored Betsy. And because I was a kid and rarely heard him lavish this kind of praise on anyone, I accepted it…

If you like to skate on wild ice or ski across frozen lakes, winter can be as enjoyable as the other seasons. But if you’re like me, you are irked—and somewhat intimidated—by the bubblers and similar devices that create large pools of water next to docks and boathouses. Many times I’ve skied or skated past an open pool, keeping my distance but still wondering, How far is far enough? It’s a question without a certain answer. Besides interfering with winter recreation, bubblers disrupt lacustrine ecology. In the Adirondacks, despite climate change, ice remains a natural phenomenon. If ice is prevented from forming, more light enters the lake and the water stays warmer, altering fish behavior and promoting the growth of algae and weeds. Is this even legal? In a park…

If you spend time with birders, you’ll inevitably hear the question, “What’s your spark bird?” Most can immediately remember the exact moment and specific species that caught their attention, inspiring a passion for birding. Often described as an epiphany or turning point, it can lead to a serious interest in ornithology and connection to nature. My “spark” was lit during a huge irruption of white-winged cross-bills during the winter of 2000-2001. I was completely enchanted by the beautiful red birds that I saw on every winter outing. White-winged crossbills are medium-sized finches with crossed mandibles and two white wing-bars. Their lower mandible crosses to the right three times more often than to the left, unlike the one-to-one crossing ratio for red crossbills. The lovely red birds I saw so long…

More towns and villages in the Adirondack Park are doing the hard work of keeping roads safe for drivers while also protecting drinking water, lakes, and streams by using less salt on winter roads. But even as municipalities take the lead, New York state—the largest user of road salt in the country—is lagging behind. It’s time for the state to catch up, and stop this needless pollution. Consider the commendable record across the Adirondacks: • By measuring salt use and treating roads with brine prior to storms, the town of Hague reduced its road salt usage by 70%, directly reducing chloride concentrations found in Hague Brook, which spills into the northern end of Lake George.• Working in tandem with the Ausable Fresh-water Center, Lake Placid introduced snow removal best practices…

When researchers at Paul Smith’s College raised warnings about high salt levels in wells across the Adirondack Park, Les Benedict couldn’t help but think about what that meant for the waters flowing through the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The St. Regis and Raquette rivers both terminate and flow into the St. Lawrence River on tribal territory, and a long history of industrial pollution has impacted the Indian nation. A problem in Fort Jackson or St. Regis Falls or Santa Clara is likely to make its way to the reservation, Benedict thought. “We are downstream of everything,” said Benedict, assistant director of the tribe’s environmental division. “We are affected by everything that flows down the river.” The growing discourse around salt pollution and efforts to reduce it in the Adirondacks spurred…

In Indian Lake, the former Stewart’s Shop reopened in the summer of 2022 as the town’s welcome center. Food aisles were transformed into a cozy room with Great Campstyle furniture and the back-wall coolers were covered with images depicting Adirondack wilderness. Like many community buildings in the park, the structure serves multiple purposes: hosting a food pantry, seasonal farmers market, chamber of commerce and office for the head of the town’s economic, marketing and events department. It is also headquarters for the One Call Emergency Alert system, which sends alert phone calls and emails during natural disasters to both seasonal and year-round residents who subscribe to this free service. Equipped with a backup generator, new cooling and heating systems, it can serve as a daytime space for people dealing with…

The Old Wawbeek Road was the original gateway to Upper Saranac Lake. Until a suitable bridge was built across the outlet of Lower Saranac Lake in 1900, access to the many hotels and camps was by water or from the west. The Wawbeek Lodge (later the Hotel Wawbeek) was established in 1889 as a five-story, 200-room resort. It was “sold under the hammer” several times before it was demolished in 1914 and replaced in the 1920s (dates vary) with a smaller inn. After 50 years or so of various incarnations (hotel, boys camp, ownership by St. Lawrence University, and base of operations for Sports Illustrated’s Olympic coverage in 1980), a fryer fire erupted in the kitchen one week after the Sports Illustrated crew left. The conflagration was visible for miles.…

The Adirondack Park Agency’s monthly public comment opportunities and long list of permits issued during the year are duly posted on the APA website on the Adiron-dack Almanack. This posting of basic agency information is positive. However, behind the apparent conduct of business as usual are important questions facing the agency and its state executive and legislative oversight in 2025, among them: 1 When will APA leaders brief the public about the status, feasibility study and alternatives analysis for a new agency headquarters? In 2022, $29 million was earmarked for a new headquarters (with an additional $10 million proposed in 2025). APA leadership unveiled a preferred location in Saranac Lake before considering feasible alternatives. The consequences have been costly for the village of Saranac Lake and for APA staff morale…