Swede Mountain Trail Closed September 11 to December 15 [2023-09-05]
The Swede Mountain Fire Tower trail will be closed for public access inclusive of these dates.
Therefore, the Adirondack Mountain Club Fire Tower Committee will disallow
any climbs during the closure period.
Please be respectful of the private property that this trail traverses.
It is by the generosity of the landowner we have access to this awesome hike and its fire tower.
Abuse and bad behavior risks future public access. Please plan ahead and prepare.
These dates were confirmed by the Warren County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Buck Mountain Fire Tower added to the FTC Challenge [2023-09-06]
The Fire Tower Committee of the Glens Falls/Saratoga Chapter of the ADK Mountain Club has approved
the addition of the Buck Mountain Fire Tower to the Adirondack Mountain Club's Fire Tower Challenge
effective September 2, 2023.
At the annual meeting, chapter members will be invited to vote for the new officers.
The current nominations are:
Chapter Chair - Kim Brown
1st Vice Chair - Laura Fisk
2nd Vice Chair - Jess Krause
Treasurer - Steve Mackey
Secretary - John Caffry
Members at Large - Thomas Khairallah, Jeff Mans, Kathi Noble
Trustee - Maureen Coutant
Additional nominations, in writing, may be submitted by any member entitled to vote to Pat Desbiens,
chair of the Nominating Committee, by close of business, October 1, 2023.
Such nominations must be signed by no fewer than twelve voting members.
Send nominations via email to: nominating@adk-gfs.org
or by postal mail to Pat Desbiens, c/o ADK Glens Falls/Saratoga Chapter, PO Box 2314, Glens Falls, NY 12801 .
In the event that there is more than one candidate for any given office, at the annual meeting the Secretary
shall furnish a ballot containing the names of all nominees, arranged in alphabetical order, as candidates
for each office.
This ballot shall be the exclusive means of voting for officers and members-at-large.
The successful candidate for each position shall be determined by a simple majority of the votes cast.
Please view the nominee biographies in the September Newsletter, which may be viewed in the
September 2023 Newsletter.
Join us for our annual meeting on October 20th and listen to our featured speakers,
Steve and Licia Mackey, as they share their three week vacation to the Falklands,
South Georgia, and Antarctica this past January.
Absentee Ballots for 2024 Chapter Officers [2023-09-04]
The Chapter will be holding its Annual Dinner and Annual Membership Meeting on October 20th at the Embassy Suites
in Saratoga Springs. We hope that you will be able to attend it.
If you cannot attend the meeting, please consider
completing an absentee ballot online. We value our members' participation, and we need to be sure that a quorum of
the members votes on the officers and trustee for 2024.
Complete the Absentee Ballot by clicking on:
Google Form .
Please contact Brian Coville at 518-350-4117 or email chapterchair@adk-gfs.org
if you have any questions about the absentee ballots.
Program - Cycling in the French Alps Sep 20 at 7 pm, Saratoga Library [2023-07-23]
In 2012, amateur cyclist Don Berens rode some of the classic French Alpine climbs of the Tour,
and from the roadside watched the pros ride two mountain stages.
He'll show slides of his trip, share some of the history of the Tour de France, and celebrate
the excitement and color of one of the world's great cultural and athletic events.
Reminder about Leave No Trace (LNT) Principles [2023-08-01]
Trailhead stewarding at the Buck Mountain-Pilot Knob Trailhead.
We talk to hikers about public land resource protection and the 10 essentials for every backpack, every hike.
What's in your backpack?
The 7 Leave No Trace Principles guide our stewarding message.
ADK GF-S Buck Mt.Trailhead Steward Pgm Presented to the Pilot Knob Assoc [2023-08-03]
Kim Brown and Jim Schneider presented the ADK GF-S Buck Mt.Trailhead Steward Progam to the Pilot Knob Association
- a very attentive and interested audience.
Folks were engaged and asked many excellent questions and were impressed by our dedication to volunteer
stewardship and protecting public wildlands.
Trail to the Goodnow Fire Tower is now open [2023-05-28]
Our friends at SUNY ESF Newcomb Campus have reopened the trail to the Goodnow Fire Tower.
View their facebook page at:
facebook.com/ESFNewcombCampus
Therefore, effective May 25, 2023, the Goodnow Fire Tower has rejoined the
Adirondack Mountain Club's Fire Tower Challenge.
If you have any questions or need any trail or fire tower information feel free to
send an email to firetower@adk-gfs.org
Gore Mountain is back in the ADK Mtn Club Fire Tower Challenge as of April 21 [2023-04-22]
Maintenance vehicles and/or heavy construction equipment are in operation on the mountain at all times.
Remain aware of your surroundings and obey all posted warnings.
The fire tower is not accessible. Remember the challenge rules:
'Climbing each tower itself is not required, nor in fact recommended, for those towers
that have not been restored for safe public use'.
If you have any questions or need information feel free to contact the Adirondack Mountain Club Fire Tower Challenge
committee: firetower@adk-gfs.org .
Happy fire tower hiking!
Mud Season Alert: Stay below 3,000 ft from May to Mid June [2023-04-22]
During spring mud season, trails are particularly vulnerable to erosion. The spring thaw creates mud that penetrates much deeper into
the soil than the surface mud created by summer rains, and trails are thus more easily damaged by hikers' boots.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation institutes a voluntary trail closure in the Eastern High Peaks during this
time of year that asks hikers to refrain from traveling above 3,000 feet.
Here is a big way you can help:
if you encounter a muddy patch on the trail, walk right through it!
Skirting to the edges widens trails and creates even more mud, so help out your fellow hikers and stick to the trail.
This is where good footwear comes in handy!
Do You Want to be a Volunteer Buck Mountain Trailhead Steward? [2023-04-09]
ADK Buck Mountain Trailhead Stewards are dedicated volunteer education professionals who
enjoy engaging with the public, sharing their knowledge, and helping them have safe,
successful outdoor experiences.
They are comfortable working in the back country wilderness,
sometimes alone and/or in challenging weather conditions, and see their role as active
stewards of the Forest Preserve and ambassadors for ADK. Knowledge of ADK’s mission and
goals, principles of Leave No Trace, and NYS DEC regulations are required.
and must be at least 18 years of age.
Jayne Bouder, long-time Trip Leader has 'Hung up her boots' [2023-04-15]
Jayne Bouder, long-time, and one might even say legendary, leader for the
Glens Falls – Saratoga Chapter has 'hung up her boots' and retired from leading.
We thought this was an appropriate time to share an appreciation for Jayne
from the many people on and off the trail, as Jayne was a noted bushwhacker
Thanks for coming to the live Banff show at the Wood Theater! [2023-02-22]
For the first time we showed 3 different nights of films and were amazed to sell out each
evening! Our raffle table was filled a great variety of artwork and outdoor gear.
Thanks
to all who donated and bought tickets; we raised over $1600 for ADK’s Summit Steward Program.
In addition, Sue Beadle and Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council put together a beautiful
'Mountain Air' show in The Wood during the event. Such amazing creativity complimented the festival.
The artists donated 10% each to ADK and LARAC from their sales.
A big thank you to the Banff committee (and their spouses): ADK-GFS ~ Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, Kathi Noble,
Anne Paolano, Lynne Silverberg with help from Licia and Steve Mackey; Rocksport - Sue Beadle;
Fountain Square Outfitters ~ Nancy Fuller and Jim Coutant who made over 1000 chocolate chip cookies for the shows.
Our raffle and door prize donors,
ADK Glens Falls - Saratoga Chapter, Adirondack Extreme, Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack Theatre Festival,
Sue Beadle, Common Roots Brewing Company, The Crossroads, Fountain Square Outfitters, Joy Woolworks, Morris Kopels,
Legs by Liz, Steve Myhrberg, Ruth Ralston, Rick’s Bike Shop, Shady Business, The Sports Page, Summit Yoga,
Rocksport Indoor Climbing Gym, Rustic Birdhouses, & West Mountain Ski Center.
A huge thank you to our sponsors
Congratulations to our ADK Glens Falls-Saratoga trailhead stewards [2022-11-16]
Congratulations to our ADK Glens Falls-Saratoga trailhead stewards for a successful summer season
educating hikers at the Buck Mountain/Pilot Knob trailhead this summer.
This year was our first-year pilot program having chapter volunteer stewards on duty weekend
mornings during July and August.
Last week we had our end-of-season meeting with ADK Stewardship Manager Kayla White #stewardstheadksummits
and NYSDEC Forester Rebecca Terry #nysdec. 11 members of your Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter engaged with 1,022
hikers. New and novice hikers along with tourists to the area as well as experienced hikers welcomed our
talks about the 10 essentials for every backpack for every hike, 7 Leave No Trace Principles (#LeaveNoTrace), and the importance of safety and resource protection.
Thank you to our partners Adirondack Mountain Club #adkmtnclub, NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation, Lake George Land Conservancy #hikelakegeorge, Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Co (
Chief Paris!), and special thanks to Kayla White for her dedication and passion for wild places.
Would you like to get involved next summer? Simply send an email expressing your interest
to: trails@adk-gfs.org .
We'll be in touch as the 2023 season approaches.
Adirondack Voices [2022-09-16]
The Adirondack Mountain Club is nothing if not for the stories of members; we are our stories. ADK at 100 years has
lost so many stories; more are being lost each year. It is ironic that this storied organization does not have a formal
history program, a commitment via human and financial resources or at least a mention in its guiding strategic plan.
Recognizing the need to capture Adirondack Mountain Club oral history - a dedicated group of passionate volunteers from
throughout organization has banded together to make this a reality. Funding has been provided by generous donations from ADK chapters.
What is ADK Voices?
We are a group of ADKers from across New York State and New Jersey working in collaboration with OurStoryBridge,
a nation-wide platform, resource and toolkit for producing a crowdsourced community story project emphasizing
audio history and sharing. Using OurStoryBridge we are recording short stories (five minutes or less) of ADK
chapter folks, ADK staff - past and present, stories of the past and stories of the present for use as historical
record.
The recorded stories will be publicly accessible on a website we are currently building with the expectation
the ADK administration will link ADK Voices to adk.org. Our group is proud and excited to bring this member-directed,
chapter-driven project to reality.
Do you have a story to tell? Send an email with a summary to: trails@adk-gfs.org
Free Shuttle Improves Safety, Visitor Access to Popular High Peaks Trailheads [2022-07-05]
DEC, Essex County, Town of Keene, and ROOST Announce Adirondack Route 73 Shuttle Season Starts July 9
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Essex County, town of Keene, and
Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) today announced the Route 73 shuttle system launched
in 2021 will return on Saturday, July 9.
The shuttle system helps manage safe, sustainable visitation
along the busy Route 73 corridor in the Adirondack High Peaks region. The free shuttle system will
operate on weekends and holidays through Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. New this year, additional runs on
select weekends in August and October will be piloted from Frontier Town Gateway in North Hudson.
Bearproof Containers Available to Rent [2022-04-25]
These bear-proof canisters are required in the Central High Peaks Zone and are
essential to use on any backcountry overnight adventure to any backpacking
or canoe camping destination.
8.8 inch dia. X 12 inches long, weight 2.7 lbs.
Designed to slip into your backpack. Backpackers Cache (Garcia Manufacturing) and Bear Keg (Counter Assault)
are the only two bear resistant food containers approved for use in the Central High Peaks Zone.
Rental Rates ( We have the best rental price! ):
1-3 nights $5.00
4-7 nights $10.00
Call Jim Schneider 518-421-4975 to reserve your canister rental.
Rentals are available exclusively to ADK Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter members
ADK Mtn Club Advisory Council Jan 18 2022 Hilights [2022-02-19]
The Cascade Ski Center was purchased; Goggins Road property has an interested party.
60+ outings are scheduled for the Fall Weekend/Centennial Celebration, Sep 23-25, 2022 in Silver Bay.
Kate Hacker, from the Niagara Frontier Chapter, was elected to serve on the ADK Board of Directors.
She will represent the Club membership.
The ADK mission statement has changed and is no longer stated as a 'member directed' organization.
As per the change in ADK bylaws approved by ADK membership, member representation in ADK governance now focuses
on the lone board seat allotted to the Advisory Council representative - the representative of ADK membership.
If you have any comments, thoughts, concerns, suggestions regarding ADK in any way, shape or form,
please let Jim Schneider ( trustee@adk-gfs.org )
know and he will communicate them to Kate.
The next Advisory Council meeting is May 17, 2022.
Some Programs From the Past are on YouTube [2022-02-19]
Swede Mountain added to ADK Fire Tower Challenge [2021-08-14]
The Adirondack Mountain Club Fire Tower Committee has officially included SWEDE MOUNTAIN
in the ADK Fire Tower Challenge effective August 13, 2021.
Public access is due to the hard work of Warren County folks and community leaders.
Most importantly, the trail traverses private property to access the tower.
The landowner requests hikers stay on the trail at all times. Please respect private property.
The trail is closed to public access September 10 - December 16 due to hunting club leases. Climbs during
the closure period will not be accepted toward the challenge.
Modern Threats to ADK Waterways (9/23/2020):
Video
Views From On High 2nd Revised 2021 Edition is Available [2021-04-11]
Views From On High 2nd Revised 2021 Edition is now available from ADK.
New material includes extensive Catskill and Adirondack trail and fire tower updates through winter 2021 including:
Poke-O-Moonshine - New Ranger Trail with its hiker friendly stone steps, switchbacks and scenic reroute.
St. Regis: - New trailhead from Spring Bay of Upper St. Regis Lake. Combine a paddle trip with a fire tower hike.
Hunter: - We love loop hikes! So, we put together this very interesting route combining the Spruceton Trail and the Devil's Path for an 8.8 mile loop.
Red Hill - NYS Department of Environmental Conservation teamed up with New York City Department of Environmental Protection
and the town of Denning, with support from the State's Environmental Protection Fund and constructed a new trailhead and information kiosk on Denning Road.
Fill out report if you hiked Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area []
Fill out report if you hiked Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area.
Have you hiked in the Pharaoh Wilderness Area? If you haven’t what you will find are beautiful
lakes and ponds, quiet solitude, great backpacking, easy walking, and delightful swimming.
When you come back, let us know what you found. We are particularly interested in flowers, animals,
trail and lean-to conditions, and just about anything notable either good or bad.
Your Glens Falls-Saratoga ADK Chapter has adopted the entire Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area.
Please send send an email with the information to Jim Schneider at: metadatajim@gmail.com
Unusual Animals
Unusual Plants
Trail Conditions (blowdown, beaver activity, signs missing or incorrect, etc.):
Lean-to Conditions:
Other:
Or mail your report to:
Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area
Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter ADK
P.O. Box 2314
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Additional Links
Updated: September 16 2022
ADK Voices
- Stories That Link Our Past, Present and Future