Covid-19 Gives Schroon’s Labor Day Celebration A Break

While many of us kinda knew it, there will be no Labor Day Street Dance, Kid's Karnival or fireworks display. The news was announced this week by the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, who hosts the Street Dance and Kids activities. The Town has jurisdiction over the fireworks display.

However there is some news that’s gonna make waves: the SECOND ANNUAL BOAT PARADE will sail forth.

In order to enter  -- and become part of the official parade – you’ll  need to register with the Chamber. Cash prizes for the best decorated boat and light displays!

Gore Gets Better: Two New Chairs And Trail Changes for the 2020-2021 Season

Many of us who are lucky enough to call Gore their “home” mountain, were bummed about the shortened season due to Covid-19. We were among the last to ski there before New York State shuttered all ski resorts. So it was heartening to recently learn there are two new chair lifts on the way and other trail modifications.

The rickety old High Peaks Chair is being replaced with a new quad that will deliver skiers to Gore's true summit, opening up fresh access to all four peaks and the entire Straight Brook Valley. Woot!

More from the folks at Gore:

“The Sunway Chair is also being upgraded with a new quad, creating an even better experience for everyone.  This new lift will feature a modern and comfortable conveyor-style loading area that is ideal for those just getting started and for groups with small children.  Look for a better unloading zone a little further up the mountain too.

The Cutoff trail, previously rated as more difficult, is being lengthened and redesigned as an easier-rated trail. It will offer an additional beginner option for family-friendly adventures, and another place in Gore's improved learning area for novices to practice.

The reservoir for snowmaking is being expanded, resulting in a significant increase of system capacity.  Gore can pump more water through its recently modernized snowmaking infrastructure of automated technologies, energy-saving compressors, and high-efficiency guns to provide quality coverage on more trails earlier in the season”.

Summer Fun at Gore . Open 10am-4pm Thursday-Sunday through September 6, and fall weekends until October 11. For the health and safety of all guests and staff, please review Gore’s  Operational Updates page in advance of your visit. 

This recent investment being made by the ORDA is significant. Just last year the resort became tickles with direct-to-lift access gates equipped with RFID technology. Let’s all hope for a lot more snow and a lot less Covid-19.

A Glimpse of the Hudson River Ridin’ The Rails

How about getting a great little workout, in our gorgeous Adirondack Park, all the while sitting on your bum, with some spectacular views and scenery thrown in as a bonus?

Then get on over to North Creek for some rail biking with the Revolution Rail Co. Under your own steam (pun intended) you’ll either be on a double or quad rail bike. The light weight bikes, made in Vermont, are easy to ride. Unless it’s a scorcher outside, you will barely break a sweat.

 Pro tip: bring a back pack with drinks and snacks, bug spray and sun protection, (There’s a Tops on Main Street a minute away from the Revolution Headquarters. You’ll need to book in advance because this is a popular attraction and reservations fill up days ahead.  After the waiver signing and a safety briefing, you’ll board a  bus at the North Creek Railroad Station, where Theodore Roosevelt's Midnight run ended. It’s a school bus with the “S” missing – so you are actually on the Cool Bus. (Our driver reminded us.) After a short ride north your carriage awaits on the rails to take you on your adventure.

 Another safety briefing follows. The Revolution crew wants you to have a great time so they explain in a lot of details how to optimize your seat adjustment for a smooth and effortless ride. And important things like how to break. Each bike has a basket for a couple of backpacks and an umbrella to share for two riders. The tours go rain or shine.

You are encouraged to spread out during your ride  -- this is not some form of twisted dodge ‘em cars  -- which gives everyone the chance to feel like they have the rails to themselves. The historic tracks were once used by local mining companies, but never carried passengers.

Our group of four took the 4pm tour where the late day sun light showcases the mighty Hudson for a perfect Nat Geo Cover photo op.

For most of the ride you’ll be under a canopy of trees, with the Hudson River on your right on the outbound. Minutes into the ride you’ll get a view of the Barton Mines Hudson River Plant. A few miles later you’ll get your first crossing of the Adirondack Railroad Bridge.

Everyone slows down. Some folks whip out their iPhones  and begin snapping away a series of selfie, social media ready pics for posting. If  you fear dropping your device into the Hudson, the Revolution Rail Bike folks will take a couple of pics of you and your group on the return trip. (They are available for free on their Flickr site).

After the bridge crossing, the body of water on your right is the Boreas River. A little further down is the halfway point of your trip, where you head on down to the river to enjoy those cold drinks and snacks you have packed. The break allows not only for pictures standing on rocks in the middle of the shallow river, but gives the Revolution crew time to  turn your rail bikes around. It’s about a 20 minute process. There’s also a rustic bathroom.

There are no hills to pedal up, but you will feel the pull of the slight inclines, which means you’ll be picking up speed on the way down as you give your legs a rest.

The whole trip takes about 2 and a half hours, but allow for more time. You’ll  ride about 7 miles round trip. This is a  unique experience for couples, group and families. There’s fun swag and souvenirs in the main office. Check out all of the details here: Revolution Rail Co. . Phone: (518) 251-2345

The State of Schroon Lake 2020

Many folks we’ve spoken to over the summer have commented how busy Schroon and Paradox Lakes have been this season.

On some weekends we’ve witnessed day long water craft induced wakes on Schroon. To get a spot at Dog Beach arrive early. The Dock Street boat trailer lot fills up quickly, with the Town Hall parking lot absorbing the overflow. The Schroon Lake Marina has moved a ton of inventory, according to co-owner Craig Kennedy. And we’ve seen a lot more smiling faces  on stand up paddle boards, kayaks and canoes than in previous years.  Maybe this is  due to the pandemic, with folks staying local.

The fact is our lakes and gorgeous Schroon town beach continue to be a huge draw, and the number one attraction pulling in tourists dollars to our local towns. And the reason our lakes are  so popular are the pristine waters, the result of three  organizations working together. Volunteers from The Paradox Lake Association, The East Shore Schroon Lake Association and The Schroon Lake Association (SLA)  are tireless in their efforts to protect our bodies of water.

Filmmaker and Lake Steward Christian Gratto

Recently the Schroon Lake Association hosted a virtual  educational presentation on the state of the lake, hosted by SLA president Marg Granger.

You can watch the presentation above by clicking the video above or click here.

Mark reminds us of the origins of why the SLA was formed in 1911. That’s when the government planned to turn Schroon, Paradox, the hamlet of Adirondack, Horicon and Severance into a gigantic reservoir. Citizens fought hard and won to stop the plan. Years later the fight continues. The enemies today are invasive species and pollutants getting into the lake.

Even during this pandemic, the work of the SLA continues: water sampling, stewards manning boat launches and boat washing stations, the mapping of the lake bottom to detect areas of invasives and monitoring sand and silt levels washing into the lake from the Schroon River.

The video is well worth watching. Christian Gratto did a fine job editing multiple interview and graphic elements. He also makes a cameo talking about his duties as a lake steward at the Schroon Lake Boat Launch

Paradox Lake Steward Wilden Bruce

You’ll also hear from several experts and volunteers, including Neil Chippendale, who gives a very informative and easy to understand demo on the technology used to “bottom map”  Schroon Lake.  Paradox Lake steward Wilden Bruce talks about boat inspections and two milfoil harvesters from the Invasive Solutions Dive Company explain why they remove this invasive by hand. You’ll come away with a greater understanding of just how important our lake associations are to the well-being of Paradox and Schroon Lakes.

Neil Chippendale demonstrates technology used to “bottom map” Schroon Lake

The SLA  is always looking for volunteers. If you don’t have the time, your donations will go a long way to help preserve our lake for generations to come.

Check out these SLA links for information on  Volunteers, new Members, and their  Fundraising activities. Please visit these pages to see what YOU can do to help!

Experts from the Invasive Solutions Dive Company are interviewed by SLA’s Roger Friedman