46ers

Schenectady and the Adirondacks: A Legacy of Conservation

July 29, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Schenectady has a long history of its residents being active in conservation and outdoor recreation – in Schenectady County and in the wilderness of the North Country, alike.

Schenectadians’ interest in protecting and exploring wilderness has its roots in the mid 1800s with industrialization and westward expansion. The wilderness was at risk of disappearing, and influential nature lovers used their writings to convince Americans that preserving land and wildlife was vital. Many Americans, including people in Schenectady, could easily see the case for this. [Read more…] about Schenectady and the Adirondacks: A Legacy of Conservation

A Mountaintop Plaque Recalls Teenage Adventurer Esther McComb

October 23, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

“For The Sheer Joy Of Climbing”

These words will likely sound familiar to anyone who has undertaken the journey to become a 46er, as they are inscribed on a plaque at the summit of Esther Mountain, High Peak #28. The plaque was placed on the summit in 1939 by The Adirondack 46ers to honor “the indomitable spirit” of the peak’s namesake, Esther McComb. [Read more…] about A Mountaintop Plaque Recalls Teenage Adventurer Esther McComb

History Museum Seeks Adirondack Summit Canisters

February 13, 2019 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

The Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown, NY, is starting a campaign to gather as many Adirondack 46er summit canisters as possible to incorporate in their Hiking the Adirondack High Peaks exhibit.

Canisters once dotted the summits of 22 peaks the 46ers designated as trailless. In the late 1940s, there were so many Band-Aid tins and other handy receptacles left on these peaks with hikers’ names in them, some not on the real summit, that the 46ers decided to put metal canisters and a register on the true tops on each of these mountains. [Read more…] about History Museum Seeks Adirondack Summit Canisters