2012 is proving to be a rather interesting year so far.  After an abnormally warm winter with little snow, Spring has arrived in rapid succession and it, too, is bringing forth some warmth that, for the northeast, is usually seen in May and June.  Not that anybody is really complaining.  We human beings seem to prefer warmth over cold; the light winter and now warmer Spring is being embraced by most people.  Even the creatures in our midst are enjoying the quick greening of the landscape and the easy access to food.  The squirrels and birds are all very busy, gathering materials for their soon to be arriving brood.  Is this warming a sign of climate change?  We are breaking temperature records – we apparently have not been this warm since 1894.  Was there climate change back then?  The fact is, the climate has always been changing.  Look back into the long history of the planet and one can see that change is the norm.  Our myopic view of a generation is no standard of what the climate should be.   Change, it seems, is the only constant.  The universe has it’s own plans, and we earthlings can only adapt to the changes that are thrust upon us.  This is, by the way, our true purpose, and skill.  It’s the reason we, as a species, have made it this far.   So instead of lamenting that change is disrupting what we think of as “normal,” we should instead be embracing change and learning the skills of resiliency.  Becoming resilient means that we are able to adapt to the changes, whatever they may be.  That, in essence, is what being “green” is really all about.  Those with the smaller footprint can endure the changes.  Those who can grow their own food, who have skills to barter, who have a home that won’t freeze in the winter when the fuel oil man doesn’t come…they will survive, even thrive when the Shit Hits The Fan.  They’ll be making compost, while everyone else is in panic mode.

The Adirondack Mountains have long been a destination for people who wish to get away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.  For those who want a little creature comfort with their wilderness experience, there are many choices of inns and lodge within the vast Adirondack Park from which to choose..  Amongst all the options, there is one place that truly exemplifies the tradition of Adirondack hospitality in a true wilderness setting, and that would be the Garnet Hill Lodge and Resort.  At the end of a dead-end road, in the shadow of Gore Mountain, and set upon a hillside overlooking the majestic Thirteenth Lake,  Garnet Hill Lodge certainly has breathtaking views, like you’d expect from any Adirondack lodge.  But the views are only the appetizer.  The Great Camp architecture welcomes the traveler with open arms, with it’s broad porch and sweeping front lawn opening up to a beautiful glacial lake set amongst the mountains of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness.  The Great Room in the lodge with its massive stone fireplace calls in to set a spell.

By Michelle San Antonio

Images and text courtesy of the Johnsburg Historical Society

A view of the North Creek train station as eager skiers disembark and locate a ride to take them up to the mountain.

A once familiar site may soon be witnessed again at the North Creek train station this winter: a train arriving to the station in deep snow with hundreds of eager skiers on board. The re-establishment of the snow train passenger service by the Saratoga-North Creek Rail Road is a hopeful endeavor; one that the business community, Gore Mountain, and the train operators approach with anticipation.

The snow train, or ski train as it is also known, is not a new concept to North Creek. This small hamlet located in the Town of Johnsburg in Warren County has a year-round population of less than 1,000 people. Many here make their living in logging, recreational pursuits, town and county government, and hard-labor. The development of the mountain terrain surrounding North Creek eighty years ago was a natural one, as the logging roads up the steep terrain were already in place. In 1932, the local American Legion organization began widening the trails for ski use. This came at a time when Lake Placid was in the spotlight for hosting the 1932 Olympic Winter Games and skiing became a popular winter recreation.