Black River Currents A PUBLICATION OF THE BLACK RIVER CHAPTER ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB SPRING 2021 Volume 30 Issue 1 SPRING 2021 IN THIS ISSUE About Us ……………………p1 Membership………………….p1 View from Here ……………. p3 Directors Report……………. p3 From the Editor……………...p3 Spotlight Chapter ……….. …p4 Upcoming Chapter Outings…p6 Backtracks ………………… p10 Activity Ratings…………….p11 About Us The Black River Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club is composed of members primarily in Jefferson and Lewis Counties. The region includes Eastern Lake Ontario shoreline, the Northern portion of Tug Hill, the Black River Valley, and the Western edge of the Adirondack Mountains. The club offers something for everyone, from active support for conservation to a variety of outdoor activities and social events. Outings include hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing, and other outdoor activities. We also have social events such as chapter picnics and dinners. You do not have to be a triathlete or drive long distances to enjoy many of our activities. Hikes range from short, easy walks to more difficult high peaks climbs. Many activities are local - not all require a long drive to the Adirondacks. FOR MORE INFORMAITON, See us at https://www.adk.org/adk-chapter/black-river-chapter/ or on Facebook at: Black River Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club Cover Photo Dave Larrabee leads a hike through New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Pinckney State Forest, March 26, 2016. Membership December 2020 In the month of December we picked up 9 new members. Adult 64 Student 0 Considering the difficult times many people struggling and Family 40 Staff 0 hitting a financial hardship may not be renewing their mem- berships. See the table showing the distribution of member- Senior 35 Total Households 169 ships and number in each category. Total ADK club mem- bership is 28,254. Of the total of 28 chapters, the Black Riv- Senior Family 26 Spouses/Partners 68 er Chapter is about as big as the Susquehanna club and we’re Life 0 Total Voting 237 now number 24 on the list. Life Family 2 Children 24 Our membership drive will be starting now, so listen for a phone call from one of our board members. Total Members 261 If you are interested in any event, please CALL AND CON- Next newsleer deadline May 1, 2021 FIRM, as the COVID-19 virus is affecng schedules. Color copies only available by email VOLUME 30, ISSUE 1 Page 2 View from Here We are off to an exciting year, 2021. So We are so lucky as a chapter to have one expansions at the ADK-LOJ and hoe each many people have continued to explore the of the original members who helped es- chapter can help. outdoors and many others look forward to tablish this chapter, 42 years ago. That doing more this year. There are more op- would be our Spotlight Member further The next meeting will be April 1st with portunities this year and we hope you can detailed in this Newsletter, David Larra- Membership Director – Jules Greiner. join us. bee. David also received a separate This will also be a ZOOM call. Jules award, the “Top of the Hill.” Congratula- can provide an update on the clubs One of the nicest things to happen for the tions and thank you for all you’ve done, throughout the state and possible ideas Black River Chapter this year was to re- which will be an everlasting impression for expanding membership. ceive the Volunteer Above and Beyond on Northern NY. Award from the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Gosh, there is a lot more coming up so Trust. This is highly reflective of the work You’ll notice, there will be the typical please do not hesitate to contact anyone many of our members had done to help in Chapter Board Meetings held every other of the members of the board and discuss creating Tug Hill’s first non-motorized month, but also General Meetings be- what you’d like to see or help out with. long-distance trail through the Heart of tween these as ZOOM calls. Most importantly, thank you for all you Tug Hill. Congratulations to all that do and sharing your knowledge and time helped. There is still much to do, so do not The first one in February was with Tom Andrews, President, of the ADK. Tom as volunteers in enhancing any and all pass up the opportunity to spend a few experiences in the Adirondacks. hours in completing this trail. provided updates on what was happening in the over all club, improvements and What does it mean to be a member of the Adirondack Mountain Club? Well,….. there’s... Endless recreational wander along the Inca Trail. ADK’s Ex- VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES- There opportunities… Workshops and education- tended Outings program coordinates more are rewarding opportunities on and off the al programs… Discounts on guidebooks, than a dozen domestic and international trail for you at both the chapter and organi- lodging, and more… Unforgettable out- travel opportunities each year. Note: Not zation-wide level. Lead an outing to favorite door experiences… Protecting the wild available during COVID. spot or monitor trees and lakes for invasive places in New York. species. DISCOUNTS & MORE RECREATION- Enjoy a guided outing or CORE VALUES OF MEMBERSHIP- your choice of chapter-led activities like 20 % off all ADK guidebooks, maps, cal- You get the satisfaction of knowing hiking, paddling, snowshoeing, skiing, endars, and other ADK publications that… Your membership dues help to main- classes, social events, and so much more. 10 % off educational and skill building tain our precious trails; Dedicated ADK programs and ADK logo merchandise. volunteers and staff are looking out for your EDUCATION PROGRAMS- Over 200 interests as an outdoor enthusiast and land workshops are offered at our Lake Placid 10 % off lodging at the Adirondak Loj, steward; program center. Pick from a variety of Johns Brook Lodge, and Wilderness courses from beginner kayaking to winter Campground & Reduced parking fee at You are helping to ensure that New York’s mountaineering and everything in be- the Adirondak Loj Forest Preserve and other wild lands and tween. waters are being protected for generations to A subscription to Adirondac, ADK’s bi- come. ADVENTURE TRAVEL- Come with us monthly magazine. Special partnerships on a trip to nearly every corner of the with retailers that provide discounts to Join us Thursday, April 1st, to hear world. Paddle in the Virgin Island, hike the ADK members ADK’s Membership Director give us Dolomites, raft on the San Juan River, or more insight into ADK membership. From the Editor As you can tell, the newsletter has taken plishments and achievements found within I can’t do them all. If you attend, don’t on a new look going forward. I’ve heard the chapter by spotlighting a member and hesitate to share your comments and pho- so many comments that the front page their contributions as has been done with tos to include in the next Backtracks sec- photo really reflects what we do and that David Larrabee. Who will be next? Only tion. we have a lot of fun doing it. That speaks time will tell and will be included in the highly of all of those involved in making Summer issue. Sadly COVID-19 is still an obstacle to it come together as an outstanding Chap- deal with, and be sure to call to confirm ter. If you think you’d like to have your There have been several request to summa- your interest in attending any event, wear photo on the next issues, please forward it rize the outings so you can share them with a masks and observe social distancing for on. The better the resolution, the better a friend or just put it on the refrigerator or everyone’s safety. the quality of the image. calendar. The last page includes just the date and event and details are within the All I can say, is I hope you enjoy this Within this issue and others, it’s awe- newsletter or on Facebook. I try to make it newsletter, and gain some insight on the some to remind everyone of the accom- to a number of events just to get photos, but chapter’s history and activity. Page 3 BLACK RIVER CHAPTER CURRENTS Spotlight: Black River Chapter & David Larrabee If you missed our annual celebration, we wanted to share the great news that the Black River Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club was awarded the Volunteer Above and Beyond award. This award is given in recognition of the generous support and contribution of time and talent in creating Tug Hill’s first non-motorized long-distance trail through the Heart of Tug Hill. The support of the Black River Chapter and its mem- bers is truly Above and Beyond. Congratulations to Dave Larrabee for receiving the 2020 "Top of the Hill" award! Dave’s passion for planting trees and creating and maintain- ing trails on Tug Hill has made a huge impact in the region. Larrabee was Black River (idea started with the Rails to Trails pro- a NYS forest ranger for the majority of his career and is a Tug Hill enthu- gram). siast. Thank you for all you do Dave! Continuing his notes: “I have taken video coverage of Editor’s note: Being relatively new, less than 5 years, I was unfamiliar trails in Stowe and Burlington, VT and showed them to with a lot of what Dave Larrabee has done with the Black River Chapter. local civic groups. I’ve talked to involved parties: State In some old records I found some of his notes.