News stories tagged with "paddling"

(05/12/11) This weekend, the village of Canton will be a haven for flatwater paddlers with the 50th anniversary of the Rushton canoe races.

There are also plans in the works to make better use of the Grasse River's whitewater. Planners are exploring construction of a "whitewater play park" at four sites on the Grasse in Canton. There's a public meeting on the subject tonight at 5:30 at the Grasse River Heritage building in the village.

David Sommerstein caught up with two of the organizers, Baylor Johnson and Dan McConnell.

(08/31/10) Over the last decade, a series of land deals in the Adirondacks has re-opened traditional back country canoe routes that had been closed for generations.

Paddlers are free to explore wild territory long posted off-limits by landowners.

Brian Mann made the trip from Little Tupper Lake to Lake Lila and sends this audio postcard.

(05/25/10) Schuyler Island, on Lake Champlain, is one of the most historic places in the North Country. Benedict Arnold fled there with his rebel fleet after the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776.

These days, the 120-acre island is part of the Adirondack Park, with wild forests and meadows and marshes. Brian Mann paddled to Schuyler Island for a camping trip last weekend and sends this audio postcard.

(05/21/10) Thousands of paddlers are gathering in Old Forge for Adirondack Paddlefest 2010 this weekend. Its biggest draw is an opportunity to test paddle hundreds of different canoes and kayaks. Manufacturers use the weekend to unveil some of the latest designs and materials. Todd Moe talks with John Nemjo, owner of Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company. He's the organizer of the annual event that draws outdoors enthusiasts from around the country.

(04/27/10) Just in time for the paddling season, there's a new book that features and celebrates the Northern Forest Canoe Trail -- a 740-mile water trail that stretches from the Adirondacks into northern Maine. Todd Moe talks with Kate Williams, Executive Director of Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Inc about the new guidebook. It includes maps, photos and narratives, and is designed for casual and serious paddlers wanting to explore the region.

(11/27/09) Thanksgiving day was unseasonably warm across the North Country. Our Adirondack bureau chief, Brian Mann, took advantage of the weather to head out for a kayak trip on Lake Champlain. He sent this audio postcard.

(06/15/09) Last year, Brian Mann and Phil Royce of St. Lawrence University tracked a gray wolf in their canoe while paddling the Rupert River in nothern Quebec. Listen in on an excerpt of from his audio notebook.

(05/14/09) The Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area isn't very big (only about 3000 acres) but it's one of the most popular bird-watching sites in the Champlain Valley. The waterway on the Vermont side of the valley also offers gorgeous views of the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains. Brian Mann took an evening paddle this week and sent back an audio postcard.

(04/17/09) Floatplane flights will continue to Lowes Lake in the central Adirondacks for another three years. A plan approved yesterday by the Adirondack Park Agency allows 35 commercial tourism flights a month, most of them departing from Long Lake and Inlet. As part of the compromise, state officials have also agreed to expand wilderness protections around the lake. Brian Mann reports.

(09/04/08) For years, environmentalists, along with some canoers and kayakers, have urged state officials to limit motorboats in the Adirondacks. The so-called "Quiet Waters" campaign would affect a dozen lakes and rivers from Weller Pond near Saranac Lake, to Eighth Lake near Old Forge. This summer, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation announced that it would create an inter-agency task force to review the proposal. In a statement, DEC commissioner Peter Grannis said there are "too few places in the Adirondacks where paddlers can experience the tranquility of a motorless water body." Local leaders and NYS Senator Betty Little quickly condemned the plan, arguing that paddlers already enjoy plenty of options. Brian Mann sat down this week to talk in-depth with Dick Beamish, the man who launched the Quiet Waters campaign eight years ago. Beamish, who lives in Saranac Lake, is the founder of the Adirondack Explorer magazine and a long-time environmentalist.