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.

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.

For more info on the fire tower, view: Long Lake News article

For more info on the fire tower challenge, view: Fire Tower Challenge

• Friday October 20, 2023, 6 pm
• Embassy Suites, Saratoga Springs
• Featuring Steve and Licia Mackey’s Antarctica Trip
• Space is limited so please register early

The registration form and dinner menu can be printed from link:
    annual.dinner.2023.reservation.pdf

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.

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.

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.

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.

View:   The 7 Principles

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

Full Position Description: View
To apply: Apply

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

Please review the March Newsletter tip text   to view all the tributes to Jayne from our chapter members!

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.

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

Go to the new website: https://www.adkvoices.org

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

• 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.

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.

Swede Mtn Details: View PDF

• Historic Bridges of the Adirondacks (May 19, 2021) Video
• Alaska the Last Frontier (4/21/2021)  Video
• Forest Pests Impact on Adirondacks (3/24/2021):   Video
• Hiking Adrians Wall (11/18/2020):   Video
• Modern Threats to ADK Waterways (9/23/2020):   Video

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.

Purchase book: ADK Mtn Club Publications

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