Conservation weekend in the ADK

Buffing up the firetower on a nice fall day
This past weekend I decided to head down to the Adirondacks. The High Peaks hiking forum that I often frequent has been trying to break out of the confines of the “interweb” and make some tangible contributions to the park that they (we?) love. Amongst other projects the group has funded they decided to get involved in a restoration effort of the Mount Adams firetower. This historic structure on the edge of the High Peaks has fallen into disrepair over the years and needs some repair work to make it safe and secure. The group had gotten DEC approvals to take on the task, raised funds to pay for materials and begun doing some of the basic repairs to restore the tower. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I have a bond to firetowers and appreciate them both for their connection to history and giving me a hiking destination/viewing platform in the woods. As it turned out the call had gone out this past weekend to do some basic stair tread replacement on the tower and I had some free time so decided to head down and pitch in. At the parking lot I met Jack the principle project manager (or at least the guy who writes the emails looking for free hands). More folks had given tentative responses to joining in so we left a note at the trail register saying we'd gone ahead, packed up our tools and headed up the mountain. It was a grey overcast day but there was no rain in the forecast so it looked like a good day to get some work done.


Putting in the new treads
The trail to Mount Adams is a pretty brutal one. While it’s only about 2.5 miles, it climbs more than 1700 feet. Add to that the first ¾ of a mile is basically flat and the end result is a steeeep final climb to the summit! I must admit that a handful of hand tools a drill and a couple of rechargeable batteries is not the usual gear in my hiking pack and it made the climb a tough one… but up top all the pains of the climb were forgotten as we relaxed for a bit and checked out the fall colours from the tower. After the break Jack showed me the stash of 42 brand new stair treads which an earlier party had loaded up on their backs! These pressure treated 2x10’s weighed 10lbs each and apparently everyone had loaded four each up the mountain. Clearly my pack with a few tools and couple of drill batteries was the gravy shift.


This view is worth the effort to preserve - there'd be no view at all without the tower
As it turned out no one else joined us for the work day and we only had a couple of visitors who chose to hike up there. No worries though as Jack and I worked our way through half the pile of stair treads – carefully unbolting the old planks and then measuring, drilling and bolting on the new treads. I must say I have had a chance to work in a few unusual and beautiful jobsites and this would rank right up there. Often hard to focus on the work at hand with such an impressive view just off to the right or left. I also got a full discussion of the remaining work ahead. A few pieces of structural steel will need to be replaced next year, a new roof for the cab is in the final stages of fabrication and will be airlifted up for installation in a month or so. At the same time a lot of the trash – including the old stair treads we removed - will be air lifted out to clean up the summit. Add to that the potential of a rerouting of the trail to the summit – to lose some of the murderously steep pitches- and this firetower which was heading for the scrap heap may once again be in good shape for a number of years to come. A rewarding project to be sure.


Lake Jimmy bridge - another project recently repaired by the DEC
After hiking down and bidding farewell to my partner for the day, I drove over to Lake Durant to set up camp and relax for the evening. On Monday I was thinking I would go up another firetower peak but unfortunately the day dawned with a very low cloud deck which dashed the plan for a mountain top visit. Instead I hiked into the Santanoni preserve to visit another conservation project. A 5 mile hike up the access road in a gentle drizzle got me to the Santanoni Great Camp – a 20,000 square foot “cabin” built in 1893 for the Pruyn family. Again conservation efforts are being undertaken to maintain this wilderness retreat which had fallen into considerable disrepair when the state first acquired it. It is indeed a treat to visit. After the long walk through the forest the classic Adirondack architecture is a gem to behold. The log frame construction, Great room (with birch bark wallpaper, cedar columns (bark intact) and a truly massive central stone fireplace), the giant kitchen/servants building (connected by a covered breezeway) and the massive porches that surround the whole camp make it hard to imagine it was home to just one family.


Santanoni Great Camp

Big fireplace for the Great Room
Again the conservation efforts likely cost a fortune and as a result it almost seems those efforts are just enough to keep the forest from the door (and reclaiming its own so to speak) of this massive structure. Little by little though some of the former beauty of the place is coming back. While I was there only one “handyman” was working on a variety of projects in the building. He told me most of the summer there was a full crew on site and weekends bring more workers in so it's not just one person chipping away at it. He was an interesting guy who was very eager to show off his work on the newly restored cedar lined walk in ice box. Very detailed work that most folks will likely never see but he was justifiably proud. The 4000 ft2 boathouse was another fine example with a brand new roof and beautiful sliding waterside doors.


Broad porches connected all of the structure
Unexpectedly I met further support for the maintenance of the property as I hiked out. About halfway between the mansion and the parking lot I came across a crew (12-14) filling potholes, shoveling debris out of the ditches and…umm, raking leaves off the road. The crew was graciously supplied by the New York State Department of Corrections. “Make a hole down the line boys” – “Makin’ a hole, boss” was called out as I walked by and I thanked them for their work. I guess they're looking for work projects to keep the lads busy. For me it was another fine couple of days in the Adirondacks visiting and participating in a little heritage conservation work.


The "tour bus" runs visitors out to the camp... I arrived too early so I just walked

Closing out summer at the races

Been a little behind in my posts on trips to the woods so I’ll pump out a couple of quick ones to catch up. Closed out the summer attending a couple of races in Montreal. Not as a participant mind you but merely as a spectator. Both races were interesting in their diametric differences as well as their similarities. Both took place in Montreal which – as one of Canada’s largest cities at 1.6 million people – has some incredibly large green spaces for such a large city (thus qualifying these trips to be written about in this blog).


Checking out the cars in the paddocks
First off was the Nationwide Series races at Ille Notre Dame. I’ve been to the Cup races a number of times and hadn’t really put it on the agenda for a repeat visit this year. I had however been bugging Pete for a number of years to come check out a race and he finally decided that the “stars had aligned” and he was ready to take in the spectacle that is NASCAR. Fair enough, so off we headed to the island in the St Lawrence to see the show. As always the racing was first rate but Race weekend at a Cup race is more than just the racing. Taking some time to walk the paddocks and see the cars close up is a rare chance to see raw horsepower (or shattered sheet metal). Add to that the commercial onslaught from every angle and Cup racing is Americana to the extreme - truly a weekend of high visual and auditory stimulation. While we shared the island with some 70-80,000 fans it seldom felt overwhelming as he park setting offers enough chances to escape the frenetic pace and noise before re-emerging into the flow. Pete was certainly taken by the spectacle and I’ll probably get him to another race in the future with much less “convincing” next time.


Parked by the rowing basin on a hot summer day
A couple of weeks later I headed back to Montreal - this time to the mountain itself in the heart of the city – to check out a more Eurocentric form of racing. Back after almost 20 years the UCI pro cycling tour held two races in Quebec this year. The first was in Quebec City while the second was a couple of days later in Montreal. It was another impressive show bringing some of the best riders in the world to take on a grueling 12k circuit over the mountain - 15 laps in all! The course actually has some significant cycling history as it is in principle the course that Eddy Merckx won the World Championships in ’74 and also hosted the Olympics in ’76.


A frenetic pace as the riders climb the mountain
Again the location is amazing as for the most part the mountain, University of Montreal and Outremont neighbourhoods display few clues that a major urban population of 1.6 million people live around them. Instead the forests and parks (and a pretty big cemetery) surround the course. Watching a pro bike race is a little different than the Cup cars but the fan support was equally strong as thousands lined the streets to cheer on their favourites. Interesting to note that even the non-contenders who dropped away early got great support whether struggling to climb the hills and catch the pack or simply cruising back to the hotel for an early shower. Even the bike mounted Police officers got encouragement on the big climbs!


The "Big Wheels" launch up the climb one last time
The race played out with an early breakaway holding off the main field for 10 of the 15 laps before the racing got serious. Then the peleton absorbed the break, formed a new break, reabsorbed them and a solo flier took off for the big win. A very entertaining race to watch and unlike the cup races much more physical as I got to walk the whole circuit catching the riders as they passed me at different parts of the course. I took an inordinate number of pictures and a selection can be found here. So two weekends in Montreal, two different races and both qualified as a trip to the woods - in the heart of the city.


Montreal - two worthwhile trips to the island