For Immediate Release: January 17, 2006
Contact:
Andy J. Flynn | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 327-3000
PAUL SMITHS, NY - The Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths will host the second annual Friends & Families Snowshoe Day on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006.
The VIC staff will again team up with Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) educators from Lake Placid and Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters, of Saranac Lake, to offer snowshoe-related activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"Every year, we see more and more people snowshoeing in the Adirondacks," said VIC Environmental Educator 2 Milt Adams. "Our Friends & Families Snowshoe Day gives novices a chance to try on snowshoes for the first time and veteran snowshoers the opportunity to learn more skills from outdoor recreation professionals."
Snowshoe rentals are free during the Friends & Families Snowshoe Day. The snowshoes must be used on the VIC trails only and returned by 4 p.m.
Naturalist-led Wildlife Walks on snowshoes will be held at the following places and times: Barnum Brook Trail (0.8 mile), 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Boreal Life Trail (1.3 miles), 10:45 a.m. - noon; and Northwoods Trail (2.2 miles), 1-3 p.m. The Wildlife Walks are designed to be slower paced because participants will look for animal tracks and signs.
The Fitness Walks on snowshoes will be held at the following places and times: Heron Marsh and Shingle Mill Falls trails (1.5 miles), 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; and Barnum Brook Trail (0.8 mile), 2:30-3 p.m. Fitness Walks will be fast-paced excursions for people interested in benefiting mainly from the exercise.
Other activities will be ongoing through the course of the day. People may try out the Obstacle Course at the Butterfly House field from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Children may make winter-related crafts in the classroom from 1 to 3 p.m. And snowshoers may stop at the Cocoa Station and roast marshmallows at the first lean-to on the Heron Marsh Trail from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
All walking groups will meet in the Great Room prior to departure, and snowshoes will be available at the front desk. Walks, rentals and refreshments are free.
Preregistration is not required for the Friends & Families Snowshoe Day. Call the Paul Smiths VIC at (518) 327-3000 for more information.
The Friends & Families Snowshoe Day is sponsored by the Adirondack Park Agency, the Adirondack Park Institute, the Adirondack Mountain Club and Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters. The Adirondack Mountain Club has been a leader in environmental education, outdoor recreation, and conservation since 1922. ADK staff will help lead some of the snowshoe walks at the VIC and provide backcountry safety tips. Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters will offer technical advice on outdoor equipment and have snowshoes available for purchase on Jan. 28. The Adirondack Park Institute is the non-profit friends group that funds, curricula, environmental education programs, publications and special events at the Paul Smiths and Newcomb VICs.
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. daily except Christmas and Thanksgiving. They offer a wide array of educational programs, miles of interpretive trails and visitor information services. Admission is free.
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.adkvic.org.