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
Keene Valley
New Adirondack High Peaks Shuttles From North Hudson
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Essex County are launching a new shuttle route to help manage safe, sustainable visitation to backcountry destinations in the Adirondack High Peaks.
The new route builds on the existing Route 73 shuttles and will run on select summer and fall weekends from Frontier Town Gateway in North Hudson, to transportation to some of the region’s most scenic locations. [Read more…] about New Adirondack High Peaks Shuttles From North Hudson
Beyond Books: Libraries Lend Binoculars to Give New Birders a Start
Starting this summer, the Keene Valley Public Library and Saranac Lake Free Library, both located in the Adirondacks, are loaning backpacks stocked with binoculars and field guides to give people an opportunity to try out birding.
The backpacks are part of the Adirondack Land Trust’s “Adirondack Birding for All” program, which is working with the libraries to increase awareness and appreciation of Adirondack birds and their habitats. [Read more…] about Beyond Books: Libraries Lend Binoculars to Give New Birders a Start
A 1912 Adirondack Scarlet Fever Outbreak Echoes Today
Scarlet fever is something we don’t have to think about any more. One hundred years ago however, this childhood killer struck fear into the hearts of parents everywhere, including the little town of Keene, NY, in the Adirondacks.
On March 4th, 1912, in the face of a frightening scarlet fever outbreak, the Keene Town Board of Health took emergency action. The Board ordered “that the church, school houses, library, neighborhood house and Keene Valley Club House shall be closed until further notice.”
Today, in the midst of our Covid-19 turmoil, the disputes over vaccines, masks, and other government and scientific recommendations, it is hard to imagine a citizen board of health exercising that kind of power — to declare the church and the schools and the library closed. Boom. “Mo(tion) carried,” says the official one-page document, hand-written in pencil. [Read more…] about A 1912 Adirondack Scarlet Fever Outbreak Echoes Today
Adirondack Park Permits: Could Johns Brook Valley Be Next? Some History
The institution of a permit system at the Ausable Club’s Adirondack Mountain Reserve surprised and confused some hikers and would-be hikers. Many didn’t realize that third most popular High Peaks Wilderness Area access point, through the Club’s lands in the Upper Ausable Valley, was privately owned.
A similar situation holds at the Johns Brook Valley, another popular access point just northwest. That area is owned by the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), it faces similar parking challenges and is just as susceptible to a future permit system. [Read more…] about Adirondack Park Permits: Could Johns Brook Valley Be Next? Some History
Adirondack Stories Focus of Free Teacher’s Guide, Resources
The Keene Valley Library has added a teacher’s guide to the “Adirondack Community: Capturing, Retaining, and Communicating the Stories of Who We Are” and “OurStoryBridge: Connecting the Past and the Present” websites.
The guide is designed for teachers in the Adirondacks, New York State, and across the United States. [Read more…] about Adirondack Stories Focus of Free Teacher’s Guide, Resources