For Immediate Release: October 25, 2005
Contact:
Andy J. Flynn | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 327-3000
PHOTOS: Available in digital format upon request
NEWCOMB -- Cross-country skiing to historic Great Camp Santanoni is more than worth the 10-mile roundtrip, and snowshoeing at the Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) in Newcomb is an activity the whole family will enjoy. Even if you haven't snowshoed before and you want to try it, the VIC staff has snowshoes available to borrow, free of charge, and will show you how to become an expert in no time. "If you can walk, you can snowshoe," said VIC Environmental Educator 3 Rynda McCray. "It's as easy as taking stroll through the woods." The Newcomb VIC offers about 2.5 miles of snowshoe trails: the 0.5-mile Rich Lake Trail, 1-mile Sucker Brook Trail and 1-mile Peninsula Trail. As part of the fifth annual Wild Winter Weekend, held on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, the Newcomb VIC will host the Chilly Snowshoe Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14. Search for the Gold Medallion, go on a scavenger hunt and enjoy the children's activities during this special event sponsored by the Adirondack Park Institute (API). Homemade chili and other refreshments will be available for participants. Adirondack Mountain Club educators will be on hand to give free snowshoeing workshops.
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. 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 Monday, Jan. 16 -- 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. The VIC activities this winter will be:
December 2005
Dec. 3: Saturday Matinee: Nature Videos at the VIC. 1-3 p.m. Come in from the cold and enjoy nature videos in our multi-purpose room. Drop in. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Dec. 10: Natural Ornaments Workshop. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Decorate your holidays with ornaments you make from pinecones, seeds, milkweed pods, twigs and much more. Drop in before 1 p.m. Cost: $3/family; Adirondack Park Institute members are free. Call the VIC (518) 582-2000.
Dec. 17: Saturday Matinee: Nature Videos at the VIC. 1-3 p.m. Come in from the cold and enjoy nature videos in our multi-purpose room. Drop in. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Dec. 17: Out and About: Adaptations for Winter Survival. 1:30 p.m. Guest naturalist Peter O'Shea will lead a walk on one of our trails and explain the adaptations plants and animals utilize to survive the winter. Snowshoes are available if needed. Preregistration required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Dec. 31: Saturday Matinee: Nature Videos at the VIC. 1-3 p.m. Come in from the cold and enjoy nature videos in our multi-purpose room. Drop in. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
January 2006
Jan. 8: Out and About: Winter Tracking. 1:30 p.m. Guest naturalist Peter O'Shea will lead a snowshoe walk on one of our trails and share information about the world of animal tracks. Preregistration is required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 12: Introduction to GPS Workshop. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. This workshop is for people who do not have a GPS unit and would like the opportunity to learn more about using one. Adirondack Connections will provide GPS units for use during the class. The focus of this workshop will be how to use a GPS receiver, the various terms and functions associated with GPS use and to practice basic GPS skills (both indoors and outdoors). Preregistration is required by Monday, Jan. 9. Cost: $25/person (Adirondack Park Institute members, $20/person). Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 14: Chilly Snowshoe Festival. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Join us for our annual Adirondack Park Institute (API) fundraiser. Enjoy a day of snowshoeing, search for the "Gold" Medallion, go on a scavenger hunt, and make snow cream. This year, the Adirondack Mountain Club's educators will be offering instruction on snowshoeing and winter preparedness. Our snowshoes, on this day only, are available to event participants only, and the fee is $5/person, $15/family. Drop in. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 16: Cross-country Ski to Great Camp Santanoni. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Learn about the natural and human history of the Santanoni Preserve and Great Camp, presented by Ray Masters, of SUNY-ESF's Adirondack Ecological Center and the Newcomb Historical Society. This 10-mile roundtrip cross-country ski is rated for beginners with some endurance. Preregistration is required, and space is limited. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 20: VIC Pick: Ampersand Mountain Guided Snowshoe Trip. Snowshoe with an Adirondack guide up Ampersand Mountain. The trip is a moderate then strenuous climb to an open summit (3,352 feet elevation) and offers one of the best views in the Adirondacks. Trip distance is 5.4 miles with a 1,775-foot ascent. Preregistration is required by Tuesday, Jan. 17. Cost $20/person (Adirondack Park Institute members, $15/person). Call Adirondack Connections at (518) 359-2911 or the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 22: A Beginner's Snowshoe How-to. 1-3 p.m. Before you buy those expensive snowshoes, give snowshoeing a try at the VIC. We start off inside with an overview of the history of snowshoeing and a look at different styles of snowshoes. Then we head out on the trails on MSR snowshoes to learn how to walk, turn and run in the snow. Preregistration required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 26: VIC Pick: St. Regis Pond X-C Ski Loop. 10 a.m. Go skiing with an Adirondack guide on the St. Regis cross-country ski loop trail. Preregistration is required by Monday, Jan. 23. Cost: $20/person (Adirondack Park Institute members, $15/person). Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Jan. 28: Movie Matinee: "Winged Migration." 1-2:30 p.m. This is a documentary from Jacques Perrin about the migration of several different bird species. Registration is not required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
February 2006
Feb. 3: Introduction to GPS Workshop. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. This workshop is for people who do not have a GPS unit and would like the opportunity to learn more about using one. Adirondack Connections will provide GPS units for use during the class. The focus of this workshop will be how to use a GPS receiver, the various terms and functions associated with GPS use and to practice basic GPS skills (both indoors and outdoors). Preregistration is required by Monday, Jan. 31. Cost: $25/person (Adirondack Park Institute members, $20/person). Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 4: Out and About: Snow Tracking. 1:30 p.m. Guest naturalist Peter O'Shea will lead a snowshoe walk on one of our trails and share information about the world of animal tracks. Snowshoes will be available. Preregistration is required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 11-12: Winter Camping Skills Workshop. 11 a.m. This two-day winter camping skills workshop will feature instruction from the Adirondack Connections Guide Service. Preregistration and prepayment required by Friday, Jan. 27. Cost: $75/person (includes snowshoes use, group camping gear, cooking gear and meals). Adirondack Park Institute members, $65/person. Call Adirondack Connections at (518) 359-2911 or the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 17: VIC Pick: Long Pond Guided X-C Ski. 10 a.m. Go skiing with an Adirondack guide on Long Pond. Preregistration is required by Tuesday, Feb. 14. Cost: $20/person (Adirondack Park Institute members, $15/person). Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 19: A Beginner's Snowshoe How-to. 1-3 p.m. Before you buy those expensive snowshoes, give snowshoeing a try at the VIC. We start off inside with an overview of the history of snowshoeing and a look at different styles of snowshoes. Then we head out on the trails on MSR snowshoes to learn how to walk, turn and run in the snow. Preregistration required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 22: Family: Winter Tracking. Noon - 3 p.m. Join VIC Naturalist Ellen Rathbone to learn some of the secrets of successful winter tracking. From gait patterns to footprints, you will learn how to determine what animals went before you in the winter woods. Preregistration is required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 25: Saturday Matinee: "The World of Raptors." 1-2 p.m. This is a great guide to North America's birds of prey and features the power and beauty of these raptors. Preregistration is not required. Free. Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
Feb. 28: VIC Pick: Deer Pond Guided Snowshoe Trip. 10 a.m. Snowshoe with an Adirondack guide to Deer Pond. Preregistration is required by Friday, Feb. 24. Cost: $20/person and includes snowshoe use and instruction (Adirondack Park Institute members, $15/person). Call the Newcomb VIC at (518) 582-2000.
APA facility
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 on Route 28N about 14 miles east of Long Lake. For more information, call (518) 582-2000. A complete list of Newcomb VIC winter activities is available on the centers' Web site: www.adkvic.org.