Category: Lake George

Helicopter stopping for photo at Amy’s Park in 2016. © Sarah Hoffman(Click image to see full-scale.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy is now taking entries for its annual giveaway of a helicopter ride during the Lake George Hike-A-Thon on July 5, 2017. One lucky winner will be awarded the exclusive opportunity to enjoy the event from the air, and get a birds-eye view of the entire Lake George watershed.

The helicopter is one of the main elements of the Lake George Land Conservancy’s (LGLC) flagship annual event that makes it unique. Piloted by Bruce Mowery of North Country HeliFlite, the 4-passenger helicopter circles the lake, stopping along the way for photographer Carl Heilman, II, to snap pictures of groups of hikers and paddlers participating in the event. The highly choreographed flight takes about 1-1/2 hours.

“Bruce and Carl have been amazing partners in the Hike-A-Thon since we first came up with the idea in 2013,” said Sarah Hoffman, the LGLC’s communications and outreach manager, and organizer of the Hike-A-Thon. “The helicopter becomes a thread that joins all of the groups, reinforcing the fact that we are all in this together—no matter how separated we seem, between Lake George Village and Ticonderoga, we all want to see the lake protected.”

After organizing the first Lake George Hike-A-Thon in 2013 as a celebration of the LGLC’s 25th anniversary, the event has continued each year since to showcase the LGLC’s parks and preserves as free public resources, and to promote an appreciation for the outdoors and for the protection of the land that protects the lake.

The Hike-A-Thon is free to participate, and features simultaneous hikes (and a paddle, added in 2016) every July 5th. It’s grown from nine locations, or “sites,” in 2013, to 18 this year. New for 2017 is the addition of Partner Sites, which includes YMCA Camp Chingachgook in Fort Ann, the Charles R. Wood Nature Park in Lake George, and Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center in Bolton. The Silver Bay YMCA is also participating by coordinating a hike with their members.

“I think it’s especially nice to include our partners around the lake,” said Hoffman, “and judging from the response we’ve gotten so far, our participants also like having these new destinations, some of which are usually off-limits to the public.”

The LGLC reports a record number of registrations so far. In the two-month Early Bird registration period, which ended April 30, more than 500 individuals signed up, 100 more than that time last year. Another 65 people have signed up as volunteers to help lead hikes and work check-in stations.

About half of those who registered participated in a past Hike-A-Thon; about a quarter said they heard about it from a friend or family member.

“The event has a loyal following,” said Hoffman, “and those who know about certain sites, and how quickly they fill up, know to register as early as possible if they want to get in. We had 51 registrations in just the first week!”

All of the sites offered for the event have limitations on the number of people they can hold, based on trail or parking capacity, and safety. As of early May, all but five sites have filled. The remaining sites include Amy’s Park in Bolton Landing, Peggy’s Point in Hague, Cook Mountain in Ticonderoga, and the Charles R. Wood Nature Park in Lake George.

Both Peggy’s Point and the Wood Park are accessible sites that are ideal for young kids and those with reduced mobility. Peggy’s Point is also being organized as a dog park for the day, and will have special activities and treats geared towards dogs and their owners.

The LGLC is also still seeking Hike-A-Thon volunteers to help lead hikes and, especially, for staffing check-in stations. Further information is available at https://lakegeorgehikeathon.org/volunteer/.

The 2017 Hike-A-Thon is made possible thanks to the generosity of its sponsors, including the Lake George Mirror, as the event’s media sponsor, Carl Heilman, II/Wild Visions, Inc.; Bruce Mowery of North Country Heliflite; Town of Bolton; Adirodack Flag; Candlelight Cottages; Lake George Kayak Co.; Lake George RV Park; Victoria Ragucci, CPA; Camp David in Bolton Landing; Cottrell Dental; Hudson Headwaters Health Network; StoredTech; and Trampoline Design.

JUST Beverages is providing bottled water for the event, and about a dozen of its employees are also participating in the Hike-A-Thon. Cedar Graphics is donating printing screens for the shirts, and Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company has donated a $100 gift card that will be awarded to one lucky participant after the event in a random drawing.

To enter the helicopter ride giveaway, go to https://lakegeorgehikeathon.org/2017drawing. No donation required to enter; one entry per household. Complete giveaway rules at http://lakegeorgehikeathon.org/giveaway-rules/.

To register for the Hike-A-Thon and for more information visit https://lakegeorgehikeathon.org/, or contact Sarah Hoffman at 518-644-9673, or email shoffman@lglc.org.

Photo of beaver pond in Putnam; its protection has been supported by the Conservation Partnership Program grant awarded to the LGLC.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the 2017 Conservation Partnership Program, administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Land Trust Alliance. The LGLC was one of 58 nonprofit land trusts across New York State to receive grants, totaling $1.8 million.

The grant funds will be used towards the cost of protecting a 72-acre beaver pond in Putnam, purchased by the LGLC in 2016. The property’s extensive wetlands are crucial for protecting the water quality of Lake George as well as provide high quality habitat for wildlife and migratory avian species. This land is also part of the LGLC’s overall plan to expand the existing trail system to connect the Gull Bay Preserve and Last Great Shoreline to the Anthony’s Nose Preserve and beyond.

“We are once again grateful to the Land Trust Alliance and the DEC for supporting our efforts to protect Lake George through the Conservation Partnership Program,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “Protecting ponds and wetlands such as these in Putnam are crucial to protecting the renowned waters of Lake George clean and beautiful.”

The cover of John Apperson’s Lake George by Ellen Apperson Brown.

A new book is coming in May 2017 from Arcadia Publishing entitled; John Apperson’s Lake George by Ellen Apperson Brown ( ISBN: 9781467124768 $21.99 | 128pp. | paperback ). The book focuses on the efforts of noted Lake George preservationist and conservationist, John S. Apperson Jr. (1878 – 1963).

In 1900, Apperson, a young man from Virginia, began working for General Electric in Schenectady. He discovered Lake George one summer while attending a boat race, and thus began his lifelong love affair with the magnificent scenery. He and his friends discovered the joys of island camping – of cooking over an open fire, trying out unfamiliar winter sports (skate sailing and skiing), and paddling a canoe in gale force winds.

Apperson devoted his energy and resources to saving the land from various threats. Apperson launched a two-pronged strategy, promoting Lake George for its recreational potential while recruiting people to help repair the shores of islands. Among other things, he started a campaign to start hauling rocks and building walls around the islands to protect them from erosion (a technique called riprapping).

He would earn the respect of leading politicians, philanthropists, and journalists, including George Foster Peabody, New York governor Al Smith, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. His actions brought him into open conflict with powerful adversaries, too.

John Apperson hauling rocks to riprap around the islands of Lake George. (Circa 1920)

For those who are familiar with the mid-section of Lake George, the story also touches on the efforts of a few determined people along with Apperson, who worked to add Tongue Mountain, Paradise Bay, Black Mountain Point, and the islands in the Narrows to the holdings of New York state, and which are now protected by New York’s constitution.

The author, Ellen Apperson Brown, grew up hearing colorful stories about “Appy,” her father’s favorite uncle. After many years of scholarly research, she has become a leading authority on his life and accomplishments. Most of the images are from her personal collection or from the Kelly Adirondack Research Center, Union College.

The book’s publication date is – May 15, 2017.

I don’t know if we’ll get any this year, but here is a great video of how to survive falling through the ice.

The Lake George Park Commission has received approval from the state legislature to raise dock, mooring and boat fees in 2017. From the bill authorizing the increase:

Dock, wharf and mooring fees. The owner of a dock, wharf or mooring within the park used for non-commercial residential purposes shall pay an annual fee of fifty dollars. The owner of a dock or wharf within the park used for commercial purposes shall pay an annual fee of five dollars per linear foot for each such dock. The owner of a mooring used for commercial purposes shall pay an annual fee of one hundred dollars for each mooring. New docks constructed for commercial use after the effective date of this section shall pay a first time fee of ten dollars per linear foot and five dollars per linear foot annually thereafter.

Boat fees. In addition to the registration required by the state, any mechanically propelled boat or vessel with ten horsepower or more used on Lake George shall have an annual permit issued by the commission. The fee therefor for boats twenty feet or less in length overall shall be forty dollars; for boats twenty-one to twenty-five feet in length overall, fifty dollars; and for boats over twenty-five feet in length overall, fifty dollars plus seven dollars and fifty cents for each foot by which the length overall exceeds twenty-five feet; for boats over twenty-five feet in length overall outfitted for overnight use, fifty dollars plus thirty dollars for each foot by which the overall length exceeds twenty-five feet. The commission may establish a one week use permit for twenty dollars. The commission may establish a one day use permit for twelve dollars for any mechanically propelled boat or vessel with ten horsepower or more.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) recently acquired 72 acres in the Town of Putnam from Thomas and Mary Ellen Eliopoulos. The land, known as the Beaver Pond property, joins another 65 acres purchased from the Bain family in September as the latest additions in a focused effort to protect the 2,000-acre watershed of Sucker Brook, a major tributary of Lake George.

As one of Lake George’s ten largest tributaries, Sucker Brook drains directly into the lake at Glenburnie, and makes a significant impact on the lake’s water quality. Its protection provides a safeguard against excess storm water runoff, erosion of the stream corridor, and nutrient loading from neighboring sources of fertilizers and road salt, further protecting the lake’s water quality.

“We have wanted to protect these properties for a very long time,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown, “and are grateful for the support of the local community, including the residents of Glenburnie, for helping to make the projects happen.”

“The landowners shared the LGLC’s vision of seeing this environmentally-sensitive property protected,” Brown continued, “to ensure that it would help to keep the waters of Lake George clean forever.”

Both the Beaver Pond and Bain properties primarily consist of wetlands, which help to filter and slow the waters of Sucker Brook before entering Lake George. Specifically, beaver ponds have been shown to be particularly beneficial for water quality. Studies indicate that these ponds can trap and remove nearly 50% of excess nitrogen from the water. High levels of nitrogen, resulting from chemicals like lawn fertilizers being carried downstream in storm water, can trigger algal blooms and fish kills.

Generally, protected land also provides thousands of dollars in natural resource benefits to the community each year in the form of storm water protection, aesthetic value, habitat, and pollution control. In addition, properties such as this one are open to the public for everyone to use and enjoy for multiple purposes, including hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, bird-watching, and hunting.

Growing Recreational and Educational Opportunities

The location of these properties allows for an extended public recreational trail corridor. Between the LGLC’s Gull Bay Preserve on Sagamore Road and the peak of Record Hill on Anthony’s Nose, the region currently includes 7.5-miles of marked trails, including ½-mile newly added to show off the Bain property’s unique white cedar swamp. An additional 1 mile of trail on the beaver pond property is proposed, which would also connect to the Anthony’s Nose trailhead.

Nine educational panels have been installed along the region’s existing trails, with information about nocturnal wildlife, hardwood forests, wetlands and more. Future plans include additional signage, as well as the construction of bridges or boardwalks with viewing platforms through the wetland and beaver pond areas.

The entire system will be a draw for school groups, birders, and other guests may observe the plants and animals that are present, while at the same time gain a better understanding of how the land functions to protect the water.

Altogether, the region between Glenburnie and Gull Bay Roads offers 925 acres of contiguous protected land. Due to the complexity of having so many different parcels, the LGLC plans to merge all of the properties together to create one cohesive preserve. A revised trail map and other resources are expected to be completed for the 2017 summer season.

This project, as well as other efforts north of Anthony’s Nose, are ongoing, and the LGLC welcomes support from the community and interested individuals who wish to help financially, or with the research and creation of additional educational materials. Schools and other community groups interested in having a guided field trip to the area are also welcome and encouraged to contact the LGLC’s Communications and Outreach Manager Sarah Hoffman at 518-644-9673 or email shoffman@lglc.org.