New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Recreation

Adirondack Conservation News: 5 Things You Need To Know

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Moriah Shock Correctional FacilityADK leaders urge state to reuse Moriah Shock Correctional Facility set to close December 31st

The Adirondack Council, along with several local and state elected officials and other environmental groups, called for the state to keep maintaining the former prison complex in Moriah. The state had slated to stop upkeep on the facility, which closed in 2021. While particular uses for the facility are up for debate, a wide coalition believes the facility can be used for training, housing, and other uses rather than reverting to constitutionally protected lands that would need a constitutional amendment to develop into something new. [Read more…] about Adirondack Conservation News: 5 Things You Need To Know

Recreation Highlight: Camp Sagamore Trail System

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Camp Sagamore Trail SystemWithin the 47,000-acre Blue Ridge Wilderness lies the Camp Sagamore Trail System. Located near and around the grounds of Great Camp Sagamore, a registered National Historic Landmark and one of few Adirondack Great Camps still in existence today, this trail system provides an immersive nature experience. [Read more…] about Recreation Highlight: Camp Sagamore Trail System

Winter Weekends at Great Camp Santanoni

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Camp Santanoni provided by DECThree Winter Weekend events are planned for 2023 at the historic Camp Santanoni in the town of Newcomb, Essex County, in the heart of the Adirondacks. The Winter Weekends offer an opportunity to enjoy winter recreation and exclusive winter access to the preserved buildings of a former Adirondack Great Camp. [Read more…] about Winter Weekends at Great Camp Santanoni

NY State Lands Kiosk Survey Launched

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Kaaterskill Falls trail kiosk - trailheadNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of the new DEC Kiosk Survey seeking public input on informational kiosk signage on DEC properties.

Feedback received is expected to help inform DEC improvements to informational kiosk signage throughout the state. [Read more…] about NY State Lands Kiosk Survey Launched

Piermont Marsh Shoreline Stabilization Project

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The 1,017-acre Piermont Marsh courtesy DECPiermont Marsh at the southern edge of the village of Piermont, four miles south of Nyack in Rockland County, is one of four sites within the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (HRNERR).

It is the largest brackish tidal marsh in the estuary, providing an ecologically significant habitat that is uncommon in the region.

[Read more…] about Piermont Marsh Shoreline Stabilization Project

Albany-Hudson Electric Trail 2022 Use Report

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Albany-Hudson Electric TrailThe Hudson River Valley Greenway (HRVG) has released the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail 2022 Trail Use Report.  HRVG constructed and operates the Albany–Hudson
Electric Trail (AHET), a 36–mile recreational “rail trail” in Rensselaer and Columbia Counties.

The report includes visitation numbers to four different trail sections on the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail (AHET) using automated counters to count users and a visual trail use survey to analyze user types. [Read more…] about Albany-Hudson Electric Trail 2022 Use Report

Hiker Rescued From Johns Brook Trail in Adirondack High Peaks

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Photo of hiker being rescued on Johns Brook Trail on January 2, 2023 provided by DEC.On Monday, January 2, 2023 at 2:15 p.m., NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s dispatch office in Ray Brook, Essex County, NY, requested NYS Forest Ranger assistance with a hiker who collapsed in the snow on Johns Brook Trail. The trail, located in Keene Valley in Essex County is one of the most popular accesses to the Adirondack High Peaks. [Read more…] about Hiker Rescued From Johns Brook Trail in Adirondack High Peaks

History Corrected: Adirondack Guide Charles H Smith & King Edward VII

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New Bremen, Atlas of Lewis CountyHistory often makes a muddle of people’s lives. One such example is Charles H. Smith (ca. 1832 – 1911) of Petries Corners in the town of Watson, Lewis County, NY. Charles was well known as an Adirondack guide in the Beaver River/Stillwater area of the Western Adirondacks.

He lived to a ripe old age as an elder statesman of the guiding fraternity. But confusing reports of his age, a story about guiding for royalty, and a common first and last name have obscured his actual accomplishments. [Read more…] about History Corrected: Adirondack Guide Charles H Smith & King Edward VII