2015 TOP 3 BLOGS IN REVIEW

We scoured our blogs for the most popular, most informative, and just downright oddest pieces from the past year. In case you missed them on the first go-round, here are our top three picks from the Schroon Lake Region.

#3 A trail running gem in North Hudson

The North Hudson Trail Center is a network of multi-use trails, welcoming snowshoers and cross-country skiers in the winter, and hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders in the warm months. I don’t have a horse, so I brought my dog with me to visit the area for some awesome trail running. Ready to lose yourself in nature?

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#2 10 Car camping hacks you wish you'd thought of!

Camping comes with its challenges - even car camping. We’ve had to adapt to bad weather, extreme heat, bugs, wet wood, wet tents, wind and a host of other inconvenient issues. And we’ve learned a thing or two about innovating and rigging things. Check out these 10 awesome camping hacks!

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#1 Real Live Ghost Town

A note to first time visitors: Seriously, don't be concerned about being on a back road going deep into the wilderness... Eventually (after approx 7 miles) you'll find yourself at Tahawus the original company town of the Adirondack Iron Works, an iron extraction and smelting company, operating from 1827 to 1857, after which it lay dormant for a number of decades. Ready to explore this ghost town?

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Ready to explore the Schroon Lake Region in 2016? We are, and we can't wait to find more cool spots to tell you about! Cheers!

A change of plans

This hike was a fusion of revisiting locations for me, but for Jim it was completely new territory. We had planned on a different hike in the area, but if bad weather were to persist I had this location as a back-up. So rather than stomp around the Hudson River Gorge Primitive Area in foul weather we ended up in the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest. It had been several years, actually more than a decade, since I'd been to Rankin Pond and on a couple of the nearby peaks. It was certainly the right time to visit an old friend.

Crusher Hill is “something old”

Crusher Hill is one of the small peaks I visited some time ago, making it “something old” for the day (and you thought I was talking about Jim). We wouldn’t actually set foot on a trail until the end of the day. With Crusher Hill directly over us, we opted for the direct route of attack. We walked about 50 feet to the right of the trail register, jumped the berm and hit the woods. We love this region for its open forest, and in its current state of leafless November it was like a walk in the park. The dull sky above us didn’t cast a shadow and the threat of rain was hanging over our heads, but we would roll with the punches as we so often have in the past.

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It wasn’t long before we crested what was left of the small hill and stood atop the open rise, looking through the leafless trees at the surrounding mountains of the region. We didn’t hang around because we still felt like we were racing the weather. The dark clouds billowed above us and a cool northerly breeze hit us on the cheeks with that crisp smell of fall in the air. We could see Balfour Lake below us — we would seek that out next.

Balfour Lake is “something blue”

We dropped off of Crusher Hill on a soft bed of leaves resembling a footing of sheer ice, but even with every effort to remain in the vertical position we failed. It wasn’t long before we gained the drainage of Rankin Pond. Before us stood a two-tiered beaver marsh — flooded too deep and too wide to hop, we would have to head downstream to find a good place to access the other side. The thick lining of spruce and fir made passage a bit slower, but in a short amount of time we managed to find a few rocks to hop, which provided a dry outcome to our crossing.

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We kept following the drainage as the forest opened up around us and a sharp edge to the tree growth gave us the added pleasure of adventure. We descended ever so slightly and came upon an old forest road, maybe a carriage road to an old camp. While easy to follow, toppled trees blocked it from easy passage. Mud and running water infiltrated our boots. Balfour Lake below us called our name, but we waited to reach the small finger bay before we would take to its shore. The lake is a massive body of placid water, gleaming before us, and the camps on the opposite side lined the shore. A few pictures later we returned to the old carriage road. Now following an inlet to Balfour Lake, we climbed steadily to a high saddle between Balfour Mountain and Rankin Pond Mountain.

Balfour Mountain is “something new”

New to me, and new to Jim, we were excited to see what was in store for us on Balfour Mountain. The carriage road all but disappeared in the col near a small seep, so we were now on our own. The destination of the carriage road was now apparent as we stood near an old stone foundation.

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From here it would be a moderate hike through more open forest. As we penetrated the countryside I would reflect on my past outings in the area and wonder why I never made my way to Balfour Mountain. Its summit lies so close to the main highway and quite close to other peaks I had visited.

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The summit of Balfour consists of two nearly identical bumps, but looking at the map it was unclear which one was higher and by how much. I guess we would just have to visit them both. The first one was clogged with entwined mountain ash, which made it tough to move through, but with pushing and pulling we stood atop this wooded island. It appeared the other small knob was just slightly less than a quarter-mile away in an “as-the-crow-flies” direction. We would be there very quickly. With minimal descent off of the other side, we could see it from the shallow saddle. This top was totally different than the last. It was spruce covered, not densely so, but still a totally different tree growth. We dropped a bit to the lake side and managed to grab a slight view toward Green Mountain and Hewitt Pond Mountain. Again, the summit was wooded, but at least we found a decent viewing platform.

We moved off and over the first summit back to the col between Balfour and Rankin Pond Mountain. The descent was a bit more to the west than our climb just a few minutes prior, and to our pleasure it was much more open. In fact, it was a wonderful stand of hardwoods.

Rankin Pond Mountain is another “something old”

We were down quite fast off Balfour Mountain and along the way we came across another old foundation-type structure. It might have even been an old stone pile from a property corner. Just beyond this was the old carriage road we followed earlier, this time in fine condition and ever-so-obvious. We would not follow it this time as it passed over the valley toward the Boreas River (destination unknown, but we sure were curious). After crossing a narrow wetland by hopping from tufts of sedge to decaying logs, we made it across no wetter than we already were.

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The climb up Rankin was hardly noticeable, aside from one steep section that lasted all of a few hundred feet. I remember finding views off of this 2,265-foot summit, or at least near the summit, and I was hoping to find more of the same. Then it happened — there was some sort of bright object in the sky, almost blinding and nearly disorienting, but we were not so sure what it was and then it was gone. Come to find out later it was the sun, but it had been so long since we saw it we were confused.

Rankin Pond is another “something blue”

Our last destination of the day was Rankin Pond, where we picked up the trail back to the car, but first we would have to get off the top of this guy. We started to descend toward Little Rankin Pond, but the day was getting shorter and the darkest of the day's clouds started to spit on us a bit. To avoid a drenching, we ended up veering back toward the Rankin Pond outlet to shorten the course. The outlet in this area was actually right near where we crossed it earlier in the day, and thankfully downstream from the beaver flood zone.

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We walked the outlet up to the beaver village to get a closer look. The rain had subsided again so we felt more freedom to explore. The flooded area was quite large with additional tiers of small ponds with green, moss-covered, downed logs and standing snags. It was picturesque. Soon we came to a long finger of Rankin Pond, which was still over a quarter-mile away from the end of the trail. We walked the shore as best we could but the growth was thick. Until we finally found a fisherman’s path, we had a heck of a time of it.

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We took some photographs of the pond but as gloomy as it was, they weren’t all that great. Finally, and I say finally with a slight sigh of relief, we were on the trail. This path looked to be used quite often, but not maintained equally as much. Several pieces of downed branches and full trees covered parts of the trail. They had been there so long paths were developed around them. Too big for us to move, we had to use the paths as well. The trail is only 0.4 miles or so from pond to road, so as you can imagine we made quick work of it and were back at the car in no time.

I was chilled from the damp weather and the sweat on my back, and a slight shiver in my spine made me jittery for a hot cup of coffee. We would head into town and grab that as soon as humanly possible — with a couple squares of a Hershey’s chocolate bar melted in, it would be heaven.

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As Christmas approaches I find myself reminiscing about Christmases past, remembering all the traditions that I shared with family and friends over the years. So many traditions and memories, but my favorites always included family time spent gathered around the fire, trees twinkling with colorful decorations, laughter, great food, and cold crisp air and snow.

Traditionally the kick off of the holiday season was shortly after Thanksgiving. My father and mother would bundle my brother and I up in warm clothes, and then load us in their big ole' green Ford pickup truck. My brother was too little to see out the windshield of the truck, so my parents would put him up on a little red foot stool next to my mom, and I would be straddling the stick shift on the floor. This would allow him to see out the window. Even though our family homestead had many acres of woods, it was heavy in pine and maple, so Dad would take the truck down Rt. 9 to Schroon Lake and we would head up to the top of Hoffman Mountain to travel down the Trout Brook Road past the Rocky Acres B&B. He would pull off on the side of the road, and we would all climb out of the truck and head up the side of the hill. For the next hour we would hike through the woods till we found the perfect balsam or spruce tree, then Dad would chop it down and my brother and I (merely 4 & 8 years of age) would attempt to help him haul it down the hill to the truck -- our hands becoming covered in spruce pitch.

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Now the best part of this adventure, was getting the tree home and decorating it. Mother would pull out an assortment of boxes that held all the ornaments and lights, and seeing the ornaments was like welcoming old friends. Many of the ornaments that adorned our tree were passed down to my mom from her mother. These ornaments were made by my grandmother - some wooden or ceramic and painted, some crocheted, some sewn. Each one had a special meaning/memory and as I got older we would work together on making some new ornaments. I know this tradition is carried on even today, and that many of the Christmas trees through out the Schroon Lake Region are adorned with similar ornaments made by family members. They are special and remind of us of those we loved that have passed on. A tradition that is dear and close to our heart. Today my tree is adorned by the same ornaments my mom used that gram made, ornaments given to me from my best friend's mom's collection, and ornaments made by a life-long friend of my parents. My children have ornaments that were made by me, or my grandmother, that now adorn the trees in their own homes.

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Of course, even with the beauty of our own tree, I still love to drive through the Schroon Lake Region and see all the outdoor decorations. No matter what size the house or business... small, medium or large... there is nothing more amazing than a building covered in beautiful lights on a crisp winter night. Everything twinkling against a crisp white backdrop, tree branches swaying in the breeze, the lights making both adults' and children's eyes as big as saucers.

Another wonderful tradition during the holidays is enjoying the company of family and friends. Over the years this has included visiting some of our favorite restaurants in Schroon Lake to dine together, or visiting each other's homes for a family gathering. There is nothing better then a table full of assorted foods. I recently was telling someone that one of the things I had missed while living away from Schroon Lake was the potluck meals. Some of the best food I have ever eaten over the years was made by family and friends right here in the Schroon Lake Region. Besides enjoying wonderful potluck dinners, some of the food traditions I grew up loving and still prepare for my own family is an assortment of homemade baked goods.

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As a child growing up, my grandmother would turn in to a baking maniac during the holidays. She would make pies of all types, every flavor under the sun, including Apple, Cherry, Mincemeat, Chocolate Cream, Lemon Meringue, and so many others. Besides homemade pies, there were homemade quick breads such as banana walnut, zucchini, and apple bread. And she was the queen of making cookies....sugar cookies, hermit cookies, chocolate chip, and so much more. I, like many other women in Schroon Lake, have our mother's and grandmother's traditions to thank for our abilities to bake up a mean batch of holiday goodies for our family and friends. Recipes have been passed down through the generations!

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The holidays are a special time in the Schroon Lake Region and I look forward to starting new traditions with my own family in our new home. I hope that they will come this holiday season to sit around the tree, and by the fire. I hope to buy an ole' fashion popcorn popper and make homemade popcorn over the fire while we all play board games and sip on hot chocolate while enjoying those amazing holiday treats. Maybe if they are lucky I will pull out my grandmother's Popcorn Ball recipe and make some traditional Adirondack Carmel Popcorn Balls for everyone.
Whatever you do with your family this holiday season, remember that the traditions are what make some of the greatest memories your family will hold. From my family to you and yours, we hope that you all have a wonderful and loving holiday!

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Another adventure in the wild

There has been a bit of a hiatus between me and the Vanderwhacker Wild Forest, so I felt it was about time I try to refamiliarize myself with the area and check out a couple of trails and a couple of peaks whose names just drew me in. I set my sights on Little Beaver and Beaver Mountains, located just south of Vanderwhacker Mountain. Seeing as how I am not a fan of hiking by myself due to my inability to hold a meaningful conversation with myself, I wanted to find someone interested for such an adventure. Luckily it was Sunday and most people have weekends available for recreation, so the question was whether I could get someone to take the hook. The answer is yes. Yes I did. Melissa is a new hiking compadre of mine and a newbie to bushwhacking, and by new I mean this is her second bushwhack. The interesting thing is her first bushwhack was also with me and I didn’t scare her off.

So the day of the hike came and I arrived early. It took me a half an hour less to get there than I had anticipated so I burned up a bit of time hiking along the Hewitt Eddy Trail, just down the road. I didn’t have time to make it all the way through but I did manage to take in a short scenic walk along the Boreas River. Our meet-up time had come and gone, and so had the next half hour. I got to thinking maybe I was supposed to meet her at the actual trailhead, not the corner of Moose Pond Road. With that thought I drove the nearly 3-miles of rough, rocky, puncture-your-oil-pan road back to the trailhead, but she wasn’t there. By the time I got back out it was 45-minutes past our meeting time, and now I was wondering if something happened or maybe she had to cancel, but with my cell phone comfortably at home on the counter it was to be a waiting game.

I decided to delay a bit longer and gave her to the top of the hour before disappointingly venturing out alone. Melissa showed up not long after, in a panic that I had gone without her. Apparently her cell phone GPS works about as good as mine. Well, it is what it is and I was happy to have her along, and I now had ammunition for some ribbing later on.

Off to the Beavers

For the second time that day I had to drive the rock mine of a road back to the trailhead, which can be done in a low-clearance vehicle, it just takes time and a bit of dodging. Now underway we started along the Vanderwhacker Mountain Trail with a couple of groups ahead of us. We immediately passed by three hunters standing along the trail waiting for an elusive black bear to just come up and raid their lunch pail. As busy a trail as this is, and on a holiday weekend, I couldn’t imagine too many bears would come wandering by.

What we were looking for was not a walking rug but an old snowmobile trail which, according to the map at the trailhead and other topo maps, is still a designated trail to follow. We would see. I remembered seeing the trail nearly five years ago, but only out of pure luck as it wasn’t too apparent back then.

 

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After about a mile of trail we were where the trail should have been according to the GPS and the map, but the trail was nowhere to be seen. I backtracked a bit to assure we didn’t walk right past it but I felt a tenth of a mile was far enough to scope out. We continued up the trail and in the woods ahead I could see a snowmobile trail disk on a tree. If it were not for that disk, I think we would have passed it right by; deadfall had covered the actual intersection and a dense layer of fallen leaves masked the ground around it.

Now finally on the trail we could walk a bit freer and just keep the trail under us. The trail is all but in good shape, in fact I would say it was abandoned many years ago and the lack of maintenance had left Mother Nature to do her job and recover the scar, and she was doing a mighty fine job. I felt as part of the food chain as I was getting swallowed up by seedlings and seeps. The old metal trail markers still remained on the trees, but they were becoming few and far between. After only a quarter of a mile or so, we lost the trail. It had been absorbed by forest and even after a bit of scrambling we couldn’t make out its course. I made the quick decision to just head for the mountain and maybe, just maybe, we would happen upon the trail again.

We walked freely through the open hardwood forest and I was a bit frustrated that we didn’t have the ease of the trail before us to help with the shorter days’ time restraints, but we would make due. We did pop back out on the trail and at this juncture it actually was in pretty decent condition overall; not passable by snowmobile but noticeable enough for foot travel. We remained on this snowmobile route as it passed through thick undergrowth, under and over deadfall, and through deep spring-fed mud pits. Eventually we were where we needed to be to start bushwhacking toward Little Beaver Mountain.

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Little Beaver Mountain has two summits, but it is unclear which one is considered the true top. I presumed it was the higher one, but was that just a shoulder of Beaver and not Little Beaver? We decided to check them both out for customary sake. We dropped from the trail and quickly came to a crossing of Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek was not quite as big as I was led to believe but it was widened in areas by beaver activity. I mean, what are the chances? Crossing in that area was very easy. We started to climb slightly as we passed through a ring of thicker spruce growth, typical for a wetland. Soon we emerged into an open hardwood forest and then we came to the crossing of Moose Pond Brook. This outlet of Moose Pond was also easy to navigate, nothing a well-placed fallen tree couldn’t fix.

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Unexpected views

It was flat for a bit longer as we again went through a band of thicker spruce, but the climb was soon before us. The lower summit of Little Beaver Mountain was to our west and through several maneuvers to cut down on the steep terrain we made our way to the summit. The hardwood forests were very welcoming and even the crown of the summit was not a struggle to overcome. We had climbed up Little Beaver from the Newcomb side of the mountain and we ended up with great, colorful autumn views of the Indian Lake region and some of the smaller High Peaks. As we looked out over the Hudson Gorge area we could also see the taller summit of Little Beaver and Beaver mountains casting their shadows a bit further off on the horizon.

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We made our way off of this summit under easy, albeit steep, conditions. We found ourselves in the high col standing atop what I call a bootleg trail. This trail laid out and maintained by a private party ran up and over the col, but not in the direction we needed to go, which was too bad. But wait — about 100 feet into the forest we were upon another bootleg trail that led uphill along the ridge. We welcomed it. While a bit tough to follow in spots it was a clear route over the summit, without which would require us to push through thick balsam growth. With seldom small views through the trees we moved along rather timelyand crested the high point of Little Beaver Mountain before starting our descent toward Beaver Mountain. The bootleg trail started to fall off the opposite side of the mountain away from our planned destination, so we exited it before we got sucked too far in the opposite direction. We located a welcoming part of the hardwood forest below to make that jump. We descended moderately to another high col, which seemed even shallower than the last. In our state of solitude we started our climb. We tediously picked our way up the mountain, step after step. A few tree slaps sparked some foul language from my vocabulary, under my breath, of course. We finally summited in a forest of open, old growth balsams. The floor covered in a deep green moss and a field of pickup sticks was in our path. We hoped for a view, but it wasn’t in the cards.

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From here we decided it would be best if we made our way back though the boneyard of trees and back onto the bootleg trail. It was rather fast and easy to reach that point and that path aided quicker travels through the forest as the sunlight became diluted by darkness. Yes, it was getting late and shadows of the Beaver Mountains behind us made dusk even earlier in the day. We just wanted to at least be back on the snowmobile trail by dark, but being back at the car was even more preferable. Our descent was fast; we made it such, and quickly we were upon the first and then second brook crossing. A flagged hunters' trail on the way down helped with the ease of return. We crossed the hunters' path on the way up, but didn’t realize it would have aided our ascent.

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The crossing of Wolf Creek came next and then we were upon the snowmobile trail, in plenty of time to finish the hike before dark. We only hoped we could keep the snowmobile trail under us all the way. We nearly lost it again in the same location where we lost it that morning, but luckily we realized where we were and we made the correct choices. Once back on the trail we made haste and returned to the car in plenty of time, even early enough to see the final minutes of the sunset on our ride out of town.

Exhausted, all I could think about on the way home was a hot drink.

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Even though this December hasn't been quite as wintery as we may be used to, this will change and we will soon be seeing a few months of great skiing. I can also promise you I feel your pain; as an avid cross-country skier and snowshoer this tease of a winter just won’t cut it. So, let's do some dreaming and get our plans ready - when the Schroon Lake Region has developed a nice base here are a few places you can head over to do some cross-country skiing. For the time being, it may be time to think downhill and hit Gore! Remember, stay vertical people.

Gore Mountain

One of New York State's premiere ski centers is open for business and has been making snow for weeks now. Be sure to check with Gore Mountain for up to date conditions, rates and hours.

Gore has 109 trails and boasts 2,537 vertical feet of elevation drop, and you can access these by using the 15 lifts including the eight-passenger Northwoods Gondola and two luxurious high-speed quads which will keep you out of lines, with more time on their four peaks and in the parks.

Hungry or wiped out? You can visit the six dining options scattered across the mountain where you can refuel and keep skiing or riding without missing a beat or a potential “yard sale,” just kidding, no “yard sales” please.

Want to learn to ski or ride? Gore has an excellent staff of highly experienced and motivated instructors eager to help you get on the slopes in a safe and fun fashion.

Schroon Lake Ski Center (photos curtesy of NELSAP)

This small ski hill was reopened in 2005 after it had been closed since the mid 80s. These family ski hills are making huge comebacks in small communities and usualy offer free or highly reduced rates for downhill skiing. This ski slope is open on weekends, holidays, and during school vacations from 10am to 4pm, weather permitting.

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To access the top of the ski slope you will have a 700’ pull using a handle tow that will get you to the top of the 150’ slope. There is just enough pitch to give you a few nice turns as you enjoy the great views. At the base you can find a small warming hut. This is the perfect FREE community ski center for the entire family to enjoy run after run.

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Big Pond Trail

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This backcountry trail is an outstanding ski destination fit for the entire family. If you enjoy cross-country skiing you should look into this well-maintained destination. From the trailhead off Hoffman Road you will be on a fairly wide course that gets ample ski and snowshoe use. Several undulating hills will bring you back to Big Pond and beyond. If Big Pond is your final destination you will be there is no time flat, but if you want to expand your skiing stay on the trail and get closer to the Hoffman Notch Trail where you will experience more hills and exciting riding.

SUNY ESF Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC)

The AIC has four very distinctive trails which were designed for 4-season fun and relaxation, however only three are open and recommended for cross-country skiing.

Peninsula Trail

They do not recommend or allow skiing on this trail

Rich Lake Trail

This is a great trail to warm up on, and with limited amounts of elevation change, it gives you a nice introduction to the trails. Oh, and the views are great as well.

Sucker Brook Trail

This trail is considered to be a moderate trail but it’s a rather steep drop right from the parking lot. Once down off the hill the ski is actually very nice and you can connect up to the Sage Trail part way through.

R.W. Sage Jr. Memorial Trail

This is the longest loop at 1.1 miles, but it's an easy and mostly flat ski. Be sure to extend your ski trip by heading over to the Great Camp Santanoni Trail.

The trails are open every day from dawn to dusk. Additionally, the Visitor Center building is open Friday-Sunday from 10am to 4pm. The AIC offers public programs, events, speaker series, courses and other activities throughout the year to the public as well as school groups.

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Pharaoh Mountain Wilderness

There are a great many access points for the Pharaoh Mountain Wilderness: The Putnam Pond State Campground, Long Swing Trail off Route 74, Short Swing Trail off Route 74, and off Crane Pond Road in Schroon Lake. The closest access point for Schroon Lake is at the end of Crane Pond Road. The Pharaoh Mountain Wilderness is a massive expanse of wilderness, with many, many miles of trails for all abilities. This area of many trails is not so much a trail network but several thousand acres of trails that intersect one another and have wonderful destinations for the eyes.

From the Crane Pond Road Trailhead you have the opportunity to ski many trails that can be accessed from the road, but first you must ski the extension of the Crane Pond Road that accesses you deep into the wilderness area. Discover Goose Pond, the Long Swing Trail, the Short Swing Trail, and the Pharaoh Mountain Trail while you are in there for a wide range of user abilities.

Other great access areas near Schroon Lake include the Spectacle Ponds Trail off East Shore Road and the Pharaoh Lake trails from the small hamlet of Adirondack.

Trail Skiing

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Trail skiing is a wonderful past time and a great way to see the backcountry other than snowshoeing or hiking. Many of the trails you would consider for snowshoeing and hiking can easily be converted to cross-country skiing destinations. However, you need to keep in mind that these destinations will not be groomed or maintained for skiing. The foot trails also are much narrower and have a variety of obstacles for skiing that may require the user to have some experience. But with that being said, trail skiing is very exciting and a wonderful way to see the frozen landscape.

Mountain trails are not recommended for skiing unless you are a highly advanced skier - and even then they are very dangerous, but most of the trails to backcountry ponds are great places to visit without the worry of highly advanced terrain. If you do wish to ski back to a mountain, strap on your snowshoes to your pack, ski to the base and snowshoe up. When you snowshoe back to your skis, clip those on and off you go. In most cases cross-country ski boots can be used equally as well for snowshoeing so there is no need to carry a second set of boots.

Now, let's think snow and get ready to go!

Vast wilderness, spectacular mountain views, lovely scenery, and fantastic birds await those who go birding in the Newcomb-Minerva area. The boreal habitat of this region attracts the most sought-after bird species by visitors and residents alike. Year-round species such as Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Evening Grosbeak can all be found from easy roadside birding or by hiking one of the many scenic trails in the area. It is also a reliable place to find winter nesting Red and White-winged Crossbills when there is an excellent cone crop on the trees, which is the case this year.

Beginning in Newcomb and heading southeast along Route 28N to the northern half of the Town of Minerva, here are some great boreal birding destinations.

Birding in Newcomb

The Adirondack Interpretive Center

The Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) in Newcomb maintains a feeding station in winter. At this time of year, the AIC building is open Friday through Sunday, but the trails are open seven days a week. You can stop by anytime to view their feeders, which attract many winter finches.

The Hudson River

Heading west through town, a scenic place to stop is the bridge over the Hudson River. Check for waterfowl, and several nearby houses for feeder birds. River Otters can be observed on the side bay, south of the bridge. I observed a Fisher cross the ice during one of my winter stops at this location. On a recent guided tour, we stopped and photographed a Beaver working away near the bridge.

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Scenic Overlook

Near the western side of town, the scenic overlook parking area (across from the ballfield and next to the Medical Center) is a great place to listen for birds in Newcomb. Spectacular views of many High Peaks are visible including Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York.

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Red Crossbills have been found in this area throughout the fall. They nested in the Newcomb-Minerva area in late summer, and it appears they will be nesting again this winter in the same locations. Red and White-winged Crossbills can nest any time of year if there are enough cone seeds to feed their young and they typically nest during winter in the Adirondacks. The last time we had an excellent cone crop, Red Crossbills nested in late summer and again in the winter, when they were joined by nesting White-winged Crossbills. This winter, the conditions look favorable for a similar finch irruption in the Adirondacks.

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A couple days ago, while listening for Red Crossbills, I found 10 Bohemian Waxwings in a Crab Apple tree in the middle of the mowed field by the scenic overlook parking lot. This species, which breeds in northwestern Canada, and Alaska, moves into northern New York in the fall to feed on fruit such as Crab Apples, and the berries of Mountain Ash and Buckthorn. Bohemian Waxwing is the most asked for species to see in winter by visiting birders.

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While I was photographing the Bohemian Waxwings, I heard a foraging woodpecker at the tree line along the mowed field. Hiking toward the sound, I discovered a Black-backed Woodpecker.

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Santanoni Drive

The road along the scenic overlook, Santanoni Drive, is a wonderful place to look for boreal birds. It is a short road that ends at the Hudson River Information Center. The building sits on the bank of the upper Hudson River which placidly winds its way through scenic boreal forest. Black-backed Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees can be found at this location.

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Adams Lane & More

Directly across Route 28N from Santanoni Drive is Adams Lane. Take this road to check feeder birds at local houses. I recently found a male Evening Grosbeak feeding among American Robins in a fruit tree in this neighborhood.

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Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, and American Goldfinches are abundant everywhere this fall.

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A Boreal Marsh

Continuing southeast on Route 28N, a birder can stop at numerous places to listen for boreal birds. A place I enjoy is a marsh located ¾ of a mile past the intersection of Route 28N and the Blue Ridge Road. The marsh is surrounded by boreal forest. On a recent guided tour, we stopped here and found the three species the visitor most wanted to see: Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, and Boreal Chickadee! A vocalizing Evening Grosbeak also flew overhead.

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Birding in Minerva

Snowmobile Trail

About ¾ of a mile up the hill from the marsh along Route 28N, and now within the Town of Minerva, there is an old barn on the left and a clearing on the right. You can park in the clearing. Not only is this a great location to listen for Black-backed Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees, it is also where the newly cut snowmobile trail crosses Route 28N. You can hike this new trail which runs through boreal habitat on both sides of the road.

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Railroad Bed

Another interesting birding location is the railroad bed. There is a dirt parking area on the northeast side of Route 28N. I generally cross the road and hike south a short distance to an area with wetlands on both sides of the tracks. Vanderwhacker Brook is on the east side and there are a couple marshy ponds on the west side. This area attracts Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees and often, Red Crossbills. In the spring and summer breeding season, several flycatcher species nest in this area, including Olive-sided Flycatchers. Red Crossbills nested at this location in late summer and I found them again on my latest trip to the area, so they will likely nest here again this winter.

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Roosevelt Truck Trail

About a third of a mile up the hill along Route 28N from the railroad crossing, the Roosevelt Truck Trail’s south trailhead can be found on the east side of the road. Often, local hikers/skiers mark the paved entrance so people can find it – recently, three American Flags adorn the entrance! Until it snows, you can drive a few hundred feet to park at the dead-end. This short drive is not plowed in winter, but the snow plowers leave plenty of room on the west side of Route 28N for cross-country skiers and snowshoers to park cars. The hiking trail leads 2.5 miles to the Blue Ridge Road, so 5 miles round trip, or 2.5 miles if cars are parked at both ends. Most of this dirt road trail is in lovely boreal habitat.

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Boreas River

The Boreas River is about 1.6 miles south of the Roosevelt Truck Trail, and another great place to look for birds. The first species found here the other day was a pair of Red Crossbills right at the bridge location. Often, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, and Evening Grosbeaks can be found by the river in addition to crossbill species when there is an excellent cone crop. A campsite is located on the east side of the bridge, and the Boreas River Trail on the west side. The trail is quite scenic, but a bit loud for birding since the river has some rapids along this stretch.

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Hewitt Eddy Trail

The Hewitt Eddy Trail can be found ¾ of a mile south along Route 28N from the Boreas River. This trail intersects the Boreas River Trail. Together, the trails total 2.2 miles and if you hike the road to reach your car, the loop becomes 3 miles. The Hewitt Eddy foot trail traverses boreal habitat with Black-backed Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees year-round.

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The day before Thanksgiving, I spotted a Barred Owl hunting in a field along Route 28N just south of Minerva village. They often begin hunting in late afternoon, so it was still light enough to photograph this beautiful owl.

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These are just a few of the wonderful birding locations along the boreal zone from Newcomb to Minerva. Stay tuned to this website for more Newcomb-Minerva birding options along the Blue Ridge Road and Tahawus region in a future blog! After a day of boreal birding, enjoy a great meal and comfortable lodging in this beautiful wilderness area.

I recently found myself reflecting on the last year, which lead me to decide to share with our readers my Top 5 Favorite Memories of 2015. Now this may sound a bit hokey, but I believe that when you are done reading, you will understand why Schroon Lake is such a special place to live and I hope you will come to visit, or even better yet, move here and raise your family...

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Favorite Memory #5: Welcome Home!

In December 2014, I was informed that the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce was doing a search for a new Chamber Director. At the time I was working full-time as a Sales Manager and going through the process of opening of my own business in Plattsburgh, NY. However, when I heard that my hometown was in need of support, I decided, without hesitation, to apply. A few weeks later I was offered the position, and I could barely contain my excitement.

Over the next few weeks I was blessed to have so many old and new friends in Schroon Lake reach out to my family to help with our transition. My first goal was to get moved in to my new office. I had multiple people volunteer to come remove old office furniture, set up new furniture, clean, organize, guide me and etc. One of the most helpful lending hands I recieved was from Roger Friedman, owner of Friedman Realty and Town Councilman. He came almost every day to check in and see if I needed any assistance. He even began to develop the community calender for the year so that I could focus on getting the office and visitors' center organized. I would never have gotten so much done in such a short time without all the volunteers that helped me, and I will forever be grateful for that support.

Our next goal was to find a home for my husband, stepson, and myself. One evening while searching online, I found two or three homes listed in the North Hudson area that I was interested in. One stood out more than the rest, as it was located on Palmer Pond, a pond named after my Palmer family. My great-great-grandfather was an employee at Roths Forge Village in the mid 1800s, and my great-grandfather grew up at the pond his entire life, passing away in 1968. His daughter, my grandmother, grew up there too. After reviewing the three properties on-line I contacted the realtor that was listed for one. Her name was Brooke Van Riper-Clark and it said she was located in Albany. But I would quickly find that the world is a small place, after speaking wth her I learned that Brooke had grown up living on Schroon Lake every summer just one street over from my parents, and she married into a family I have known my whole life. So it was nice to have someone that understood how special it is to live in the Schroon Lake Region guiding us through our process.

Brooke was an exceptional realtor, helping my husband and I through the entire process step by step. She is so dedicated that she even drove to North Hudson in a snow storm and showed us the three houses we wanted to see. We quickly picked the home on Palmer Pond. From the moment our offer was accepted till the closing, she was constantly in contact with us and keeping us grounded when we were worried, or stressed. We will forever be grateful for her help and the tools she used to make our house purchasing experience a great one.

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Once our closing was complete, we traveled to our new home to evaluate the work that needed to be done before we began moving in. Lucikly, it was a fairly new home so the work was mostly cosmetic. An hour into our visit, we heard a knock on the door and Jean Gokey (the listing realtor) arrived to remove the lock box. Not only is Jean a realtor, but she and her husband are the the owners of Gokey's Trading Post and Auction Service in North Hudson, NY. As she entered our home, I noticed that she carried something under her arm, which she announced was a gift from her and John. As she stood there, she turned the gift around and I was viewing a huge colored 1960s photo of an aerial view of Palmer Pond. The photo included the original Palmer farm house and barns. She explained that the item came through the auction 20 years ago and they had been saving it, hoping that the right person would come along that they could give it to. When she heard that I was the great-granddaughter of Frank Palmer and moving to the pond she knew that the photo had to go to us. That photo is now framed in a beautiful oak frame and hangs above our stone fireplace. And I will admit I got very choked up and will forever be grateful for this kindness showed by the Gokey's.

As we made our transition in to our new home, we corrected the few cosmetic issues we had with the help of Shawn at ATD Painting, Mountain Petroleum Services, Coop's Plumbing and Heating, and Jimmy & Debbie Duntley who removed two large trees from our yard.

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Favorite Memory #4: Dining Out!

One of the privilages of having a semi-empty nest is the ability to dine out more. Since moving here, we have been pleasantly surprised with the choices. We've had fun dining at or doing take-out with all the restaurants in the Schroon Lake Region. One of the first places we had to visit was DeCesare's Pizzeria so that my husband and son could try some of the best pizza in the North Country. I do not know who is the biggest fan now, myself or the seventeen-year-old. He gets very excited when he finds out that I am bringing home a DeCesare's pizza for supper. Just the other night he stated, "This is unique pizza... Most pizza is better the next day, not this one, it's best right out of the pizza oven, and it tastes so good it makes you want to eat it all the first night!"... Yep. I think he is addicted...lol.

Our next adventure was a Sunday drive around the back side of Schroon Lake to visit the Adirondack General Store. I have to tell you, this is a memory that will keep me smiling for years. I learned to drive on the back side of the lake as a teen, and when we first started out on our adventure I forewarned my husband that he needed to take the road gently. Well he chose not to take my advice and we went around the first two corners up on two wheels ... he quickly understood my suggestion and settled down to a nice leisurely speed. After a few minutes of enjoying the scenery he asked me how he will know when he is close to Adirondack. I just chuckled and said, "When you head down a long hill and see the only operating red-paneled glass phone booth along the side of the road!" He looked at me like I had four heads. I just laughed. Almost on cue, 5 minutes later, he stated, "You weren't kidding, there is a phone booth on the side of the road!" I laughed again and said "Yep, and it works...The general store is across the road."

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As we pulled up to the Adirondack General Store, he was a bit skeptical - but I told him to trust me. We entered the double doors and were greeted with a smile from Maureen, the owner. After visiting briefly, we made our way to the deli where we ordered some of the best subs we have ever had. On top of that we were able to purchase some delicious jams and sauces, and get our Oscars Smokehouse fix, purchasing smoked sausage, cheese spreads and more. Since our first visit this spring, my family and I love to visit this great little hidden gem on the back side of Schroon Lake.

Besides these two visits, we have also learned that we love the burgers and appertizers at Flanagans Pub & Grill, chicken wings at Timerbwolf Pub, homemade soup and pies at Pitkin's Restaurant, salads & desserts at Sticks & Stones, the best calamari and bread w/garlic olive dipping oil at Drakes', melt-in-your-mouth prime rib at Witherbee's Carriage House Restaurant, great baked pies at the Adirondack Buffalo Company... So many choices...

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Favorite Memory #3: Enjoying the Outdoors!

One of the things I had missed most about living in the Schroon Lake Region is being outdoors. There is always something to do throughout the four seasons: skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, hiking, kayaking, swimming, boating, water skiing, fishing, hunting, and so much more. It was nice to move back home and be able to go out on a boat and enjoy the lake after so many years. There is nothing better than loading up the towels, sunscreen, drinks, snacks, and taking a cruise down the lake; the mountains towering on either side of the lake, children out swimming on the shore giggling and having fun, the sun warming you to the bone, and the rocking of the waves putting you to sleep. However, I also love to take my fishing pole and wet a worm. The quiet and solitude first thing in the morning is amazing on Schroon Lake, where the water is like a mirror. You can often see the fish coming up to the surface to feed. A few of my favorite fishing spots are at the northern end of the Word of LIfe Island, the rock beds in front of Grove Point, and the northern bay near the mouth of the lake.

Fishing on the Schroon Lake was not my only fishing memory this summer. I also took my chance on Palmer Pond in front of my house. Unfortunately, this is not an easy pond to fish, as it originally was a river, and only became a pond after the dam was built many years ago. The north side of the pond is very shallow, so unless you have a canoe, kayak, or rowboat it is hard to get to where the fish are feeding from the shore. If you do have a kayak or canoe, you can spend a wonderful day out on the pond among the loons and wildlife. Without a kayak, it is easier to fish at the bottom of the dam in the river pools. There is a legend that my great-grandfather would take buckets of fish out of the pond, but no one else could catch fish. (Once asked how he caught so many, he replied that it was a secret. It has been said that he used an old-fashioned Adirondack technique that involved something "explosive" to catch the fish, not something I would suggest today as you will be going to spend time in the big hotel with orange clothing!)

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Favorite Memory #2: Cultural Experiences!

If you have never been to Schroon Lake you may not realize that we are full of cultural experiences. We have live music every week, art galleries, square dancing, opera, musicals, and so much more. As a young adult growing up in Schroon Lake one of my favorite activities was going to the square dancing/contra dancing in the park on the lake. And it was refreshing to return to a tradition thirty years later that was so much a part of my life as a young adult.

Wednesday evenings through out the summer I attended the square dancing and it brought back so many memories. My foot would begin to tap to familiar tunes I had not heard in years, and a smile would spread across my face as I watched locals and visitors twist, turn, and dance till they were out of breath. There is something about dance that makes everyone feel alive.

I also enjoyed visiting our two art galleries in Schroon Lake this year. Giant Mountain Studio Art Gallery is wonderful and inspiring to take a stroll through as it features work of over 25 local artistans. There is everything from rustic Adirondack furniture to breathtaking Adirondack oil paintings and they are open all year. But that is not the only art gallery in town - I also enjoyed visiting the "Art in the Attic" gallery located at the Towne Store. It is open to the public throughout the summer months.

Besides square dancing and art, there many local organizations that provide opportunities to enjoy the arts. Schroon Lake Arts Council provides open mic on Mondays and live concerts on Thursday in the summer. Witherbee's Carriage House Restaurant also offers an open mic session on Thursday nights throughout the year. Schroon Lake is proud to boast they are the home of Seagle Music Colony, one of the country's premier opera and musical training schools. They produce amazing shows in the summer season.

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Favorite Memory #1: 4th of July!

One of the events that I have returned home for every year is Schroon Lake's 4th of July! There is something magical about the 4th in Schroon Lake. The excitement begins to build days before. American flags and patriotic decorations begin popping up all over town. The town park workers begin checking off their to-do list preparing for the crowds. The chamber signs contracts and goes over last minute details, the concert stage is brought in and put on the beach. The school prepares housing out-of-town bands and planning their new annual 5k run. Our local restaurants, motels, and beds and breakfasts begin to stock up on food and supplies as they know they will be full to capacity. The Community Church begins prepping for the biggest meal they will serve for the year.

When I started my new role as Chamber Director, I was informed that I would be in charge of bringing the 4th of July Celebration together for 2015. It was a bit daunting knowing that the outcome of the the day would lay completely on my shoulders, however I took on the challenge with zest because I knew that this holiday means so much to everyone in our community and to the visitors that travel here to spend their holiday weekend with us.

With the help of so many members and volunteers in the community, our 2015 event was amazing! We had concerts on the beach all day long, with people hanging out having picnics and swimming, the top of the park was full of fun things for children to do - from bounce houses to face painting. The chicken bbq at the Schroon Lake Community Church was hopping and making the entire town smell yummy. The lake was laced with boaters, the restaurants were full to capacity, and people were browsing and shopping the stores. The chamber had moved the Adirondack Basket Raffle outside on to the street and the employees were having a wonderful time chatting with our visitors and locals that stopped by. And finally it was time for our parade that had 4 divisions this year. With the guidance of great volunteers, the parade ran very smoothly and was a great success. I will never forget the feeling I had as I saw the parade flowing past the chamber, and the crowds whooping, hollering, and applauding. It was at this moment that I realized that I had made the right choice to move back to the town I grew up loving!

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Blessed and grateful...

So as you can see, there are many things I am feeling grateful for this holiday season, and feeling very blessed. Looking back on my Top 5 list, there is one common denominator that flows through each memory, and that is the welcoming year-round and summer residents that you will encounter when visiting our Schroon Lake Region communities. The people that make up this region are amazing; they are hard-working, generous, loving, supportive folks, and I will forever be grateful for my first year back in my hometown. I now understand how amazing the quote is: "It takes a community to raise a child."

Ready to come play in our region? We're ready to welcome you! Join us this winter for ice fishing, snow sports, and a warm meal.

 

Pharaoh Mountain Wilderness

I recently found myself in the area of the Putnam Pond Campground with a bit of extra time on my hands, and so, I quickly devised a little loop past a pond, over a ridge, and down to a hidden swamp - it resembles a backwoods trifecta.

I made the turn down Putts Pond Road and parked at the hiker parking lot at the top of hill. From here I started my approach to the trailhead on the other side of the campground. Walking through the beach area and into the forest of the campground, I quickly found myself at the trailhead ready to start my short adventure.

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After signing into the trail register I started to jog my way back deeper into the Pharaoh Mountain Wilderness. Passing by a massive burl I comment to myself how that would make a wonderful table in my dining room. The rocks were a bit slippery as a light rain overnight had left them slightly glazed beneath me. But that didn’t really slow my pace - my trekking poles were the perfect companion for this hike. I quickly came to the intersection at Heart Pond and continued without losing a step up the Bear Pond Trail.

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Getting to Echo Pond and Sharps Ridge - a walk in the park

Before I advanced too far up the trail, I made a short side trip to the Shore of Heart Pond just to take in its wonderful setting. The trail was gaining elevation before me, but it wasn’t too much of a change. I continued on and as I drew closer to where I felt I needed to be, I confided in my GPS for the perfect jump off point for Sharps Ridge. The trail I was on is literally on the side of Sharps Ridge leaving the actual summit not all that far away. Looking deep into the leafless hardwood forest it appeared that the going wouldn’t be all that demanding, but as I like to think about it, a walk in the woods is like a prescription to all that ails you.

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The ridge came quickly and aside from a few small boneyards of dead trees I had no resistance in making the summit. The ridge as I approached it brought me over a small knoll, not seen on the topographic map. In one of the shallow valleys of the knobs I came upon a vernal pool, the perfect home for area reptiles and even some wetland species of plants. The mushrooms flourished on the decaying matter as the varnish shelves made a home on a fallen hemlock nearby.

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It wouldn’t be long now; I could see the summit ahead on the horizon through the naked tops of the maples and beeches. Once I arrived, as presumed, it was a wooded top, flat and featureless in structure, but soothing and welcoming in spirit.

Off to take a mud bath

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I was now off to Peshette Swamp, a bit further north from the present location. The woods remained the same and without hesitation I made quick work of the first area of descent. Arriving at what I assumed was another vernal pool, I moved closer to take some pictures. A family of pileated woodpeckers made their presence known as I was intruding on their living space. The heavy leaf cover around the water masked the soup. I quickly found one leg buried up to my knee and the other stranded on dry land in some new form of a warrior pose.

I brushed off the water and muck and emptied my boot and finished off the descent into what looked like an active logging area. The only loggers allowed in a wilderness area are... You guessed it, beavers. Stumps and stems protruded from the ground in a chewed-off fashion, some still bleeding sap.

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Dead snags lined and dotted the swamp - evidence that beavers have called this their home for decades. Beaver canals from the water led to advanced trails that led deep into the forest. Detailing where these creatures had looked for trees to build and improve homes, reconstruct dams, and feed the young. They were very active now, getting ready for the winter freeze and their long respite in the family hut. They would live there for many cold months with other creatures of the wild - much like a family of field mice.

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I relaxed upon the open shore for quite some time until the chill in the air rose me to my feet to get the blood flowing again. Up and over a rise, along a faint herdpath, and in prime fashion I was back upon the trail. It sure was a short day, but in short there was a lot experienced and enjoyed. I could only wish that all my days were as filled as this one.

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Grab your cold weather gear and get ready to take a hike in the Schroon Lake Region - the trails are waiting!

 

As I sit here on my porch looking out over the sparkling waters of Palmer Pond, it is hard to believe that Christmas is only forty-six days away. It is sunny and nearly 60 degrees today. This year, the Adirondacks have been blessed with a warm and beautiful fall. However, in contrast, the cool crisp evening air lets us know that “ol’ man” winter is just around the corner. Soon, falling snowflakes, frigid cold air, sparkling holiday lights, and amazing colorful decorations will begin to pop up - and the smell of pumpkin and spice and everything nice will be upon us.

The Schroon Lake Region is no exception, soon it will be a magical winter wonderland as home owners and local businesses begin to deck the halls. One of my favorite pastimes is to drive around the region and see all the holidays decorations and lights, this year will be no exception.

As soon as the decorating is done, the stores will take inventory and make sure that their shelves are stocked with those special items that will make great gifts for everyone in your family.

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Tradition

One of my favorite events is the Schroon Lake “Old Fashion Christmas” that the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce and local volunteers host each year. This year it will be held on Saturday, December 12th and it is lining up to be spectacular.

The line-up looks like this... The Annual Christmas Bazaar will be held at the Community Church during the day, arts and crafts vendors will be stationed in the meeting room at the Schroon Lake Town Hall for your shopping needs, the stores and shops will be open for holiday shopping, and the North Woods Bread Company will be hosting a holiday bake sale that will benefit the Schroon Lake Chamber.

As evening comes, Santa will arrive on a firetruck to meet with all the good boys and girls, and the Town of Schroon Christmas tree will be lit, carols will be sung, horse-drawn wagon rides will be offered, and the Chamber will be holding its annual Adirondack Holiday Gift Basket Raffle. For more information regarding this event please call (518) 532-7675.

Now, if you miss out on this great holiday event, have no fear! You can still check the gifts off your list by stopping in a few of the shops located in the Schroon Lake Region.

Shop the shops!

One of my favorites is The Schroon Lake Towne Store.

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The Towne Store is a 133-year-old General Store, located on Main Street in Schroon that boasts of 6,500 square feet of space filled with unique gifts, quality jewelry, souvenirs, Adirondack books, stylish clothing, hats, accessories, Adirondack décor, linens, bath and kitchen accessories, sporting goods and toys, Minnetonka moccasins, Columbia clothing and boots, and so much more. Not only is the variety of items happily mind-boggling, but the staff are friendly and helpful. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone in needing a gift for someone and have no clue what to get, and the ladies take their time to help me choose the right item.

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Besides the Towne Store, a new favorite store of mine is the Pine Cone Mercantile. The Pine Cone Mercantile opened this summer on Schroon Lake’s Main Street. When you walk through the aged, wooden, double doors you feel like you are walking into an Adirondack Great Camp. The room is filled with amazing Adirondack-style furniture and the walls are adorned with eclectic Adirondack-style art work and wreaths that look like they came right out of the local woods. Then there are these little items that tease and tantalize you such as little handblown glass vases that will suction to a window and hold a single flower, or old apothecary-style bottles that can hold your special treasures.

There are so many neat items, you should plan to shop slowly and grab yourself a great cup of organic coffee in the North Woods Bread Company located at the back of the Pine Cone Mercantile. Lisa and Ed Hess are the owners of this amazing shop, and they will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and help you with your purchases in either their home decor section or the bakery.

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Get outta town (but not too far!)

Now, if you like to adventure out beyond Schroon Lake’s Main Street - which I sometimes do - then you will want to visit a few more places such as the Adirondack General Store. The Adirondack General Store is also an icon, and located on the back side of Schroon Lake in the small hamlet of Adirondack. Bob and Maureen, the store's owners, have done extraordinary things with this amazing hidden gem in the Adirondacks.

The store now has a gift shop area which includes many beautiful Adirondack style items, a deli with delectable food offerings with daily specials such as Quiche and homemade soups, and a grocery/pantry style shopping area where I personally buy many of my jams and sauces and Oscar products. My favorite - the strawberry-rhubarb jam, it is amazing on toast.

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Adventuring is an art, you have to take all the country roads and really see the Schroon Lake Region, and your shopping trip is not complete if you have not visited a few other locations such as The Lazy Moose Market and Garden Center located in Brant Lake, NY.

Brant Lake is just a few miles southeast of Schroon Lake and now can brag about having an amazing general store called The Lazy Moose Market. The Lazy Moose has a wonderful deli, large gift shop section, grocery section and garden center. The gift section is loaded with delightful items that will make great gifts for the holidays. I recently purchased a vase that lights up with a gorgeous winter scene that includes cardinals and deer. Oh, and while you are there, make sure to have Jeanine make you a sandwich and grab a few bags of Next Organics. Next Organics are all natural dark chocolate covered real fruit, they make great stocking stuffers.They have them in blueberry, strawberry, cherry, coconut and banana, so yummy!

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Now that you are done in the southern end of the Schroon Lake Region you should head back north to North Hudson, NY. Your first stop should be Gokey’s Trading Post. This store has everything from $1 items that are great for stocking stuffers all the way up to art work, tools, Adirondack books, decorations, and so much more. There is a huge, huge variety here.

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When you are done shopping at Gokey’s, your next destination should be the Adirondack Buffalo Company on the Blue Ridge Road. The Adirondack Buffalo Company is approximately 3.8 miles from I-87 off exit 29 heading toward Newcomb. This place is a hidden gem that intrigues both locals and visitors alike. The Adirondack Buffalo Company's farm allows families to visit a real live American Buffalo Farm complete with a large barn-style gift shop that is full of all kinds of unique and amazing items.

Doreen and Steve take great pride in their business and offer made-fresh daily tasty homemade bakery items such as pies, muffins, cookies, and much more. They also offer a whole line of jarred sauces and marinades, fresh farm veggies (in season), homemade crafts, souvenirs, art work, antiques and so much more! You won't want to leave the shop without Buffalo Burgers or tasty Buffalo Rib Eye Steaks (both excellent healthy-heart selections and great on the grill)!

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The Schroon Lake Region is full of great little shops, restaurants and artisans. Don’t forget, if you can’t find a gift at one of our amazing shops, you can stop in to one of our restaurants such as Sticks & Stones, Decesares Pizzeria, Flanagan’s Pub, Pitkin’s Restaurant, or Shirley’s Diner to pick up a gift certificate for that special someone that likes to dine out. And for those craft beer drinkers, you won't want to miss out on grabbing some Internationally-Awarded Paradox Brewery products.

Each year shoppers travel to big box stores to purchase their perfect holiday gift for their loved ones, however most shoppers do not realize how detrimental this is to the local communities in our region. I would bet that most shoppers don't realize that there are nearly 23-million small businesses in our country, and they provide nearly 54% of all U.S. sales! Not only do these businesses provide over half of the retail sales in our country, they also create nearly 8 million jobs per year. But it doesn’t end there, small businesses donate 250% more than larger businesses to non-profits and community causes, funds that are very important to the rural communities we live in. It is said that if a shopper spends $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays in the local economy; if they spend the same amount at a large big box store only $43 stays in the local economy, a huge difference!

So, when it comes to deciding if you want to shop at a big box store or travel to the Schroon Lake Region to do your holiday shopping - I hope that you will remember these statistics and how magical the region is during the holidays. The Schroon Lake Region’s business owners look forward to taking care of your shopping needs this holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you all out and about while on my own shopping adventures.

 

Blogging about food…does anyone have a better job than me? This week, our blogging team went looking for the perfect Adirondack meal, and I got the honor of checking out the various eateries in Schroon Lake to put the perfect meal together. Judging by the two places I visited one recent beautiful fall day, Schroon Lake is definitely the place to go when you’re hungry!

Sticks & Stones Wood Fire Bistro & Bar

The first place I visited was Sticks & Stones Wood Fire Bistro & Bar. With a name like that, I had high expectations for the food – and it lived up to those expectations! On the day of my visit, I met with one of the owners, Gary. He explained about the wood fire oven they have, which was brought here by boat from Naples, Italy. It is really cool because it is behind the bar, visible from the dining room, so you can see them using it. It makes the restaurant warm, and smells so good! Many of their dishes are either cooked or finished off in the oven, for that wood fire taste and crispness.

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I have a weakness for unusual salads, and I’m kind of a salad snob, so when I saw the Fig & Goat Cheese Salad, I had to order it. It did not disappoint – it had the perfect amount of dressing, with a little bit of balsamic drizzle on top that gave it a nice, sweet taste. The marinated roasted peppers were packed with flavor, and I had to control myself not to lick my plate!

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Having a salad for lunch means I have room for dessert, so I ordered the homemade apple crisp on the advice of one of the very friendly staff members. It came to my table steaming and smelling divine! The filling was delicious, the crisp – made from corn flakes, brown sugar and oatmeal and finished off in the wood fire oven – was crispy and sweet, and the vanilla ice cream and caramel on top was definitely the icing on the cake! My mouth is watering just writing about it…I will definitely go back again for that!

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Sticks & Stones has a very diverse menu, so you can visit multiple times during a long weekend stay and have something completely different each time! There is also a daily special menu, including an appetizer, soup, entrée and dessert, which I will try for dinner the next time I am in town.

Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

• Spring lettuce mix
• Wood fire roasted almonds
• Marinated pickled peppers
• Figs
• Goat Cheese
• Dressing: balsamic vinaigrette
• Topped with a balsamic drizzle

DeCesare’s Pizzeria

When I think Pizzeria, I think Brooklyn pizza, the kind I used to get where I grew up on Long Island. But I’m learning that Adirondack pizza has its own character, and some of it is awesome! One of the places you’ll find awesome Adirondack pizza is DeCesare’s Pizzeria in Schroon Lake. A family-owned business, DeCesare’s Pizzeria was first opened in 1972 by Val and Lorraine DeCesare. Now, their son Alan and his wife Debbie carry on the family tradition, keeping Schroon Lake locals and visitors happy.

At DeCesare’s, the dough, pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce are all made fresh daily, along with their homemade sub rolls. Their most popular pizza is The Mountaineer, which consists of 100% real mozzarella cheese, sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and pepperoni. They also have a pizza named after the Schroon Lake Wildcats. Debbie and Kiersten, the manager, are both Schroon Lake alum, and The Wildcat has a special combination of wing sauce and BBQ sauce, topped with red onions and grilled BBQ chicken... yum!

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You can either dine in or take out at DeCesare’s Pizzeria, but the day I was there I decided to follow up my salad from Sticks & Stones with some delicious chicken corn chowder soup in the dining room.

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Just like I love salads, I absolutely love homemade soup. This soup is made by Kiersten, and it was outstanding! I’m not one for spicy foods, but this had just the right amount of kick to perk up my taste buds and warm me on a chilly fall afternoon. Kirsten was kind enough to share the recipe, so you can all try it at home:

DeCesare’s Pizzeria Chicken Corn Chowder

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups potatoes
• 1 cup onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 TBSP butter
• 10 tbs flour
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. Creole salt
• 1 ½ cups chicken
• 1 ½ cups corn
• ½ cup crumbled bacon
• 3 cups half & half
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes

Directions: Add celery, potatoes, onions and carrots to a stock pot with about 2 TBSP butter. Simmer for a bit, until tender. Stir in the flour. Slowly add chicken broth and seasoning, stirring constantly until thick. Cover and let simmer for 12 minutes. Add chicken, corn, and bacon; let simmer 7 minutes. Just before serving, add the half & half and tomatoes, heating through again until hot.

I love finding new restaurants to try. On your next stay, make sure to sample the local eateries and find your new favorite in Schroon Lake!