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Entries from February 6th, 2013

Whiteface’s Hoyt’s High Open

February 6th, 2013 · No Comments · Adirondack News

Whiteface - Lake PlacidWILMINGTON, N.Y. — The Hoyt’s High Trail on Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, N.Y., opened for the first time this skiing and riding season today, Tuesday, Feb. 5. Cut in 2008 and named in honor of Whiteface veteran ski patroller Jim Hoyt Sr., the 4,700 foot long expert trail had always relied on Mother Nature to cover its 1,400 feet of vertical. This autumn, crews installed 9,000 feet of piping allowing for top to bottom snowmaking.

Skiers and riders now have an expert trail that will allow them to get back to the Lookout Mountain lift. In the past, Lookout Below was the only expert trail that allowed skiers and riders immediate access to the triple chair lift.

While at Whiteface, flip, twist and jump like a pro onto the Whiteface air bag. Available Wednesdays through Sundays, Whiteface’s US AIRBAG™ is the perfect tool to help you improve your freestyle/freeride skills. This 50′ x 50′ pillow of air has several inflatable chambers specially designed to ensure a soft smooth landing time and time again. A single jump is $5 while an all-day pass is $15. A waiver is required.

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Maple sweetness at The Wild Center and Paul Smith’s College VIC

February 5th, 2013 · No Comments · Adirondack News

Events scheduled for February and March

PAUL SMITHS, NY – The recent cold temperatures bode well for a good maple syrup season – and in February and March, The Wild Center and the Paul Smith’s College VIC will host several events showcasing how to make (and enjoy!) this quintessential springtime treat.

Over four weekends, watch how the sweet sap of trees becomes the highlight of a pancake breakfast and learn other ways to use this natural sweetener at a series of demonstrations, activities and events in both Tupper Lake and Paul Smiths.

Northern New York Maple Project

The Paul Smith’s College VIC will host two workshops for people interested in establishing their own backyard maple sugaring operations.

  • Toss out your old-fashioned maple taps – on Saturday, Feb. 16, from 1-4 p.m., learn how to set up a modern tubing system with Mike Farrell, director of the Cornell Maple Program. A brief classroom session will be followed by hands-on work at the VIC’s sugar maple demonstration site. Topics will include preparing the sugar bush prior to tubing installation; site considerations; line placement and installation; tapping trees; sanitation; and sap collection. Please dress for the weather and be prepared for a 2-3 mile snowshoe walk on groomed trails and uneven terrain. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow a pair from the VIC.
  • On Saturday, March 23, from 1-4 p.m., learn about the art of maple sugaring with special emphasis on backyard tapping, collection and boiling. At this event, part of New York State’s Maple Weekend, Paul Smith’s College students will lead workshops and provide tours of the sugarhouse and the maple demonstration site. Includes program and tastings for the whole family.

The Wild Center will also host a pair of workshops on Sunday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, March 16, to launch Tupper Lake’s first-ever community maple sugaring project. The project, one of the first in the state, invites area residents to tap maple trees in their own yards. The Wild Center will collect the sap daily once it starts to flow, ultimately boiling it down into maple syrup.

To participate, attend the free “Art of Maple Sugaring Breakfast and Workshop.” Registered participants will get a pancake breakfast, an introduction to the natural history of maple trees, expert instruction and tapping tools. Additional supplies will be available for purchase from The Wild Supply Company. Advanced registration is required; attendance at either workshop is necessary to participate in the project. Families are encouraged to attend.

After the workshops end, it’s all maple all day at The Wild Center, with maple stories, crafts and tastings on Feb. 24 and March 16. The Adirondack Museum will share local maple sugaring stories through historical objects and pictures from the past. Get insight into the sugaring process from experienced naturalists at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. as they discuss tapping trees, processing sap, and – the sweet part – maple sugar. Take a closer look at an operational evaporator, catch some running sap and drill your own tap as we explore the local maple-sugaring story.

All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Visit Maple Weekends to register for events at The Wild Center or call (518) 359-7800. For events at the Paul Smith’s College VIC, contact Brian McDonnell at (518) 327-6241 or bmcdonnell@paulsmiths.edu. For more information, please visit us online at www.northernnewyorkmaple.com.

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Presidents Week at The Wild Center

February 5th, 2013 · No Comments · Adirondack News

Wild Center LogoTupper Lake, NY – Don’t miss Presidents Week at The Wild Center, February 17th – February 24th as we celebrate the season with a week of wintery Adirondack fun. Everyday there is a new winter theme and activities for the whole family to enjoy. In addition to special daily winter programming there will be guided snowshoe walks, live animal encounters, and warm winter beverages. For more information, visit The WILD Center – Events.

Saturday, February 16th
Join us for opening day of Winter Week as we celebrate winter in the Adirondacks! Get outside and try your hand at snowshoeing with one of our naturalists. Or stay inside to learn about winter adventuring and to meet some of our Adirondack animals, whose adaptations allow them to cope with the harsh Adirondack winters in intriguing ways.

Sunday, February 17th
Noon theater program and 2:00 pm walk
Animal Tracking with Vince Walsh
Join Vince Walsh for a day on animal tracking and signs to learn how you can see, identify and interpret the natural world of the Adirondacks. Vince will share his experience and insight through multiple public programs starting with a 12:00 pm theater presentation on winter and its influences on animal behavior. Then bring your tracking questions, pictures and stories to Vince as he puzzles over your tracking experiences and discoveries. Don’t forget to bring some warm clothes so at 2:00 pm you can head outside to practice your tracking skills and use all your senses to see what evidence of animals you can find in the Adirondack forest. Snowshoes will be provided free with admission.

Monday, February 18th – 1:00 pm
Wild about Winter
Join naturalist and entertainer Rob Carr for a wild theater program about Adirondack animals in the winter. Filled with stories, humor, puppets and LOTS of live animals, it is guaranteed to please visitors of all ages.

Tuesday, February 19th – 1:00 pm
Winter Birds of the Adirondacks
Where have all the birdies gone? While it might seem like all our birds fly south when the weather gets chilly, there are plenty that stick around and tough out the Adirondack winters. Meet LIVE Adirondack birds in our theater at 1:00 pm for a fascinating program about birds and their winter adaptations. Follow up with a 2:00 pm bird walk along our trails, looking for signs of these tenacious feathered fliers and talking about the ways different species adapt for the cold.

Wednesday, February 20th – 1:00 pm
Creatures of the Night
Nighttime animals love the long winter nights. Join us in Planet Adirondack at 1:00 pm to meet live creatures of the night and get a glimpse into their nighttime habits.

Thursday, February 21st – 1:00 pm
Putting the Myth on Ice
Bears sleep all winter, plants stop growing and all birds fly south…or do they? Join naturalist Andrea Schwander for a fun-filled theater program of breaking down misconceptions and myth busting. The program will focus on some animal and winter myths, and will feature audience participation, demonstrations, and of course, some of The Wild Center’s live animals.

Friday, February 22nd – 1:00 pm
Brrrrrrrrreakfast
Not many choose to brave the cold Adirondack winters, not even in the animal kingdom. Lucky for us we have a couple of LIVE animals that tend to stick around instead of hightailing it to warmer areas. Come to our afternoon theater program to learn about their adaptations for obtaining food and energy in the long cold days of winter.

Saturday, February 23rd – 1:00 pm
The Travel Troupe
Join The Wild Center in welcoming the Ronathahonni Cultural Center’s Travel Troupe. Come learn about their cultural history through song, dance and storytelling at 1:00 pm in our Flammer Theater.

Sunday, February 24th – 9:00 am
Pancake Breakfast and Sugaring Workshop
The Wild Center is joining Tupper Lake community members and their sugar maple trees to create a community-driven Maple Sugar house. For local residents: register for the 9:00 am free Pancake Breakfast and Sugaring Workshop to learn more about our community maple project. Register at www.wildcenter.org/events and see how you can get involved.

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