For Immediate Release: December 27, 2004
Contact:
Andy Flynn | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 327-3000
PAUL SMITHS – The Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Centers (VICs) in Paul Smiths and Newcomb will be hosting the fourth annual Wild Winter Weekend in January, featuring three winter recreation events on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, Jan. 15-17, 2005.
The Wild Winter Weekend gives residents and visitors of the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park a chance to explore the woods on skis and snowshoes. Firsthand experiences of entering a pristine forest and watching the natural world in winter help foster a spirit of stewardship.
“People are more inclined to appreciate New York’s natural treasures when they have a direct relationship to them,” said VIC Senior Public Information Specialist Andy Flynn, “and all this happens because people simply have fun in the forest.”
The 2005 Wild Winter Weekend starts with the Chilly Snowshoe Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15 at the Newcomb VIC, which offers almost 3 miles of trails through its 230-acre property. Search for the Gold Medallion, go on a scavenger hunt and enjoy children’s activities such as snow cream making and snow painting during this special event sponsored by the Adirondack Park Institute (API). Homemade chili and other refreshments will be available for visitors.
“We are pleased to introduce new snowshoe workshops with the Adirondack Mountain Club in 2005,” said VIC Environmental Educator 3 Rynda McCray. “ADK educators will be at the Newcomb VIC to help introduce visitors and residents to the wild winter sport of snowshoeing in the Adirondacks.”
On most winter days, the public can borrow snowshoes for free at the Newcomb VIC; however, the Chilly Snowshoe Festival is a fund-raiser for the API, the non-profit organization that sponsors educational programs and events at the VICs, and snowshoes are available only to event participants on this day for $5 per person ($15 per family). People may also bring their own snowshoes to the festival.
“Snowshoeing is an easy way to reach backcountry destinations in the Adirondack Mountains that cross-country skiers cannot reach,” McCray said. “You can see so much more of the wilderness this way.”
On Sunday, Jan. 16, the Paul Smiths VIC will be hosting the annual Chilly Ski Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This family-oriented day will showcase cross-country skiing at the VIC, fun competition for prizes, learn-to-ski workshops and a ski-waxing clinic. Chili, cornbread and beverages will be available. Admission to the Chilly Ski Festival is $5 per person ($15 per family), and the entry fee includes ski rentals, hot beverages, attendance at the workshops, and eligibility for prizes. People register at the door.
“Cross-country skiing is another healthy way to experience the Adirondack wilderness,”Flynn said. “More than 2 million Americans enjoy this wild winter sport every year, and the Chilly Ski Festival is a perfect springboard for beginners wishing to try on a pair of skis.”
Rentals and clinics will be offered by outdoor recreation experts from the High Peaks Cyclery Mountain Adventure Center of Lake Placid. The Chilly Ski Festival is co-sponsored by the API and the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Paul Smiths VIC has about 12 miles of cross-country ski trails on its 2,885-acre property.
Skiing veterans and neophytes are welcome at the Chilly Ski Festival, where there are activities for adults and children. Kids can paint fresh snow with natural dyes and make chocolate-, vanilla- or maple syrup-flavored snow cream. A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest ranger will provide skiers with information about safe, low-impact backcountry recreation. Kids will compete in the “Coolest Hat Contest.” And skiers who complete one or all four loops are eligible for prizes from the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Did I mention the chili?”Flynn said.
Between ski loops, families warm up by eating plenty of chili and corn muffins. Vying for the coveted Golden Crock-Pot Award, volunteers, staff and the public enter their favorite chili recipes in the Wild Winter Weekend Chili Cooking Contest. One Crock-Pot at a time, VIP judges taste and rate the finest homemade chili in the Adirondacks.
On Monday, Jan. 17 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – cross-country skiers are invited to attend the Newcomb VIC’s annual Camp Santanoni Cross-Country Ski Trip from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn about the natural and human history of the Santanoni Preserve and historic Great Camp with Ray Masters, of the Newcomb Historical Society and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Adirondack Ecological Center. This 10-mile roundtrip cross-country ski is rated for beginners with some endurance. Meet at the Newcomb VIC, and bring your own skis, lunch and beverage. Preregistration is required, group size is limited, and the guided tour is free.
For more information about the Chilly Snowshoe Festival and the Camp Santanoni Cross-Country Ski Trip, contact the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000. For more information about the Chilly Ski Festival, contact the Paul Smiths VIC at (518) 327-3000.
The New York State Adirondack Park Agency operates two VICs, in Paul Smiths and Newcomb, which are open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They offer a wide array of environmental educational programs, miles of interpretive trails and visitor information services. Admission is free.
The Newcomb VIC is located about 12 miles east of Long Lake on Route 28N. The Paul Smiths VIC is located 12 miles north of Saranac Lake on Route 30. For more information about the VICs, log on to the centers’ Web site at www.northnet.org/adirondackvic.