Published: October 17, 2009 11:13 pm      

HILTS: Winter isn't only time to explore Lake Placid

Lake Placid, located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, is the place to be for fall foliage. We already know that. That’s one of the reasons that the New York State Outdoor Writers Association selected this site for their annual fall conference earlier this month.

Timing was near perfect from the standpoint of the leaf coloration, although the weather could have been a bit more accommodating. That said, it was still an action-packed time for the writers as they convened to conduct business with a little bit of pleasure mixed in.

Our arrival on Thursday was nowhere near as expected. A small fire and smoke problem caused the headquarters hotel to be closed down the first couple days of the conference, sending Margaret Marchuk and the rest of the staff with the Lake Placid-Essex County Visitors Bureau (www.foreveradirondack.com) scrambling to find rooms for the writers. The first night we managed to stay in the Golden Arrow Hotel, a facility right on Mirror Lake. The rest of our stay was in The Summit and the conference followed through as planned without skipping a beat. Writers were spread out over three other hotels as the area was most accommodating.

As we mentioned, business was mixed with pleasure. One activity that came highly recommended was a hike up one of the local mountains, Mount Jo, a self-guided mile long interpretive trail to the summit. The trail ascent was 700 feet and very steep in some spots, much to the chagrin of some of the Long Island writers who chose to haul along several cameras and components. Total elevation was 2,876 feet.

Said to have one of the best views in the Adirondacks for a relatively short hike, the summit overlooking Heart Lake and much of the High Peaks wilderness to the south with near peak foliage was spectacular. And while I was thinking I was in pretty good shape heading into hunting season, I found that I was using muscles I didn’t realize I had, especially for the climb down.

On a sad note, the climb took longer than expected so we were late in being able to attend a memorial service for the late Fran Betters. The fly fishing guru and noted author passed away recently and the locals were holding a memorial service for him that Saturday morning. I met Betters several times and did a couple stories for magazines on his storied career. Mr. Ausable River will be missed, for sure.

Another climb of sorts was a gondola ride up Little Whiteface that was just as spectacular and a heck of a lot easier. We even had the opportunity to throw the first snowball of the year at the summer.

Of course, these were only a few of the activities that filled in the gaps. Some writers went hunting for deer; others fished for brook trout in the many local lakes and ponds. The latter was the subject of an excellent presentation put forth by DEC Region 5 Fish Manager Bill Schoch.

The Adirondacks are slowly losing an important part of their angling heritage as the area’s strain of brook trout is slowly declining. With six million acres in the Adirondacks, boasting some 4,500 ponds and lakes, the brook trout was once a viable inhabitant in 94 percent of the Adirondack waters.

Today, thanks to ecosystem disruptions caused by non-native fish and acid rain, these revered fish can only be found in three percent of the Adirondacks. Of the nine Adirondack strains of brook trout that have been identified, three have already been lost. Only three are being actively managed. The others are precarious at best, found in only one water body.

Surprisingly, many of the environmental organizations disagree with the management of Adirondack waters for fish. The techniques being used involved reclamation of a water body and through liming.

But the effort is limited by both money and staff. They need more resources to make this more of a viable restoration program. And if this effort falls by the wayside and we lose the Adirondack strain of brook trout, there will be no going back. This is a last ditch effort to protect this important fish, our state fish. We need to make this something of critical concern in the state’s angling community.

The Wild Center

If you’re traveling up to Lake Placid along Route 3 through Tupper Lake, you need to make sure that you stop in to see The Wild Place. Their catch line is “the new museum where the wild world of the Adirondacks opens before your eyes.” You can spend the better part of a day there and still not see everything.

Live animals, high definition movies, scenic trails, hands on exhibits and a ton of photos are all combined to form a very effective venue for the entire family to enjoy. For more information, log on to www.wildcenter.org.

North Forest Canoe Trail

Ever hear of the North Forest Canoe Trail? I didn’t and I was enlightened about the 740 mile long trail at the NYSOWA Conference. If you like canoeing and you are looking for something a bit more challenging — or not — this trail has something for everyone. Take short paddles or bite off a bigger chunk, as you cruise the ancient canoe routes that link the Adirondacks with northern Maine. For more information, log on to www.northernforestcanoetrail.org.

Public Deer Meetings

With the opening of the Southern Zone special archery big game season this weekend, DEC has announced that they will be holding two public meetings in Region 9 to give the public updates on the state’s deer herd and an overview of the deer management program. Those meetings will be held:

• Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Randolph Fire Hall, 70 Main St., Randolph, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

• Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Sheridan Parkside Community Center Auditorium, 169 Sheridan Parkside Drive, Tonawanda, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Duck Blind Lottery Set

The local parks offices have announced that the lottery drawings for Beaver Island State Park for the first half of the waterfowl season have been set. The first drawing is Friday, Oct. 23 for Oct. 24-26; Oct. 26 for Oct. 27-30; and Oct. 30 for Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the drawing takes place at 6:30 p.m. sharp!

These drawings will be held at the Beaver Island Clubhouse. The rest of the drawings will take place at the Grand Island Community Center, 3278 Whitehaven Road. For more information call 773-3271.