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Cranberry Lake

Woodsman Willard Howland and his Amazing Critters

January 28, 2023 by Dave Waite 3 Comments

“Williard Howland from the Sun newspaper August 30, 1896,Lotsa Screes in here tonight,” Willard spoke low. “Puts me in mind of a he-scree I see up in Hawk’s Nest one fall when I was trappin’.”

And so began a story that would enliven the trailside or campsite for those who had the privilege to spend time with Willard Howland. Little has been written about the life of this woodsman beyond bits and pieces of the stories he told. It could even be said that his tales, everything from experiences in the woods, to amazing fantasy creatures that inhabited his wilderness, tell more of who Willard was than anything a written history could reveal. [Read more…] about Woodsman Willard Howland and his Amazing Critters

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, History, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondack Guides, Adirondacks, Clifton, Cranberry Lake, fishing, Folklore, hunting, nature, Oswegatchie River, Roswell P. Flower, Russell, St Lawrence County, Wildlife

A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State

January 20, 2022 by John Warren 3 Comments

early Adirondack snowmobile raceIn the motor toboggan era – the time before the advent of the modern snowmobiles we know today – motor sleds had been too slow for racing excitement. As a result they remained strictly utilitarian vehicles racing only occasionally for promotional purposes. Motor toboggan and later snowmobile maker Polaris traveled each year at the end of the 1950s to trapper festivals at The Pas, Manitoba where they helped organize ad hoc races.

“We tried to rig them a little bit so we had a zig-zag effect,” David Johnson said, remembering one of the first informal races, “one guy ahead, and then the other, and so on, at a terrific speed of about 20 miles per hour.” In February 1959, Johnson won the first organized men’s race on an oval at The Pas and in 1960, the first cross-country race was held there. [Read more…] about A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondack Park, Adirondacks, Boonville, Canada, Cranberry Lake, Essex County, Franklin County, Hamilton County, Herkimer COunty, Lake George, Lake Placid, malone, Old Forge, Oneida County, Saranac Lake, Saratoga County, Snowmobile History, snowmobiling, sports, Sports History, St Lawrence County, Town of Webb, Transportation History, Tupper Lake, Warren County, winter, winter sports

DEC: Some Camps Will Remain at Long Pond Easement

September 26, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

DEC LogoThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and JT Granshue LLC have announced the completion of a modification to the Long Pond conservation easement, which is located in the towns of Colton and Clare, St. Lawrence County. The modification allows for 15 hunting, fishing, and recreation camps originally slated for removal to remain on the property in perpetuity. [Read more…] about DEC: Some Camps Will Remain at Long Pond Easement

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondacks, camping, Cranberry Lake, DEC, Easements, Forest Preserve, Grass River Wild Forest, Long Pond Easement, St Lawrence County

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