Today’s Wall Street Journal has an article worth reading- “Green Acres is the Place to Be.” Interest in rural property is still strong, and the recession has encouraged many young professionals to look for a place to escape and retreat from hectic lives. North Country and Adirondack residents know we are lucky to live here, and in the real estate business we hear the interest in our region from buyers who want “just some land tucked in the woods with some privacy or a waterfront cottage where I can spend weekends.” Prices are still reasonable and the quality of life is terrific.  In fact, Progressive Farmer magazine named several Adirondack Counties, including St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties as two of the top Northeast  counties in which to raise a family.  We’re within reach of major urban areas like New York City, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Montreal, Ottawa and Ontario.

One doesn’t have to look far to realize that the quality of higher education in Northern New York is second to none.  In the St. Lawrence Valley there are 4 prestigious schools within 10 miles of each other.  St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton are in Canton, and Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam are in Potsdam. 

In the Adironack region there is Paul Smiths College and North Country Community College, while SUNY Plattsburgh is in the Champlain Valley.

Each school has a tremendous success record and is very involved in their respective communities.  Besides the educational value they create, they also provide a powerful economic engine to the region.  Keep an eye on each school as they will be doing more to bring greater economic growth to the region.

There has been a tremendous volunteer effort to get the Big Tupper Ski Area open this winter - 2009-10.  After discussions with the investors of the Adirondack Club, and in consultation with the Adirondack Park Agency, it has been determined that if there is no connection between the volunteers and the Adirondack Club, then there is no concern that the ACR project is commencing. 

The volunteer effort is focused on re-opening what is known as Chair 2.  This lift and the associated trails will cover approximately 2/3 of the mountain.  There will be no snowmaking, no night skiing, and will be open on a limited basis as snow allows.  A web site is being developed that will provide updates to the general public.  The web address is www.skibigtupper.org. 

So, get the skis ready and come enjoy Big Tupper, again.

It’s a big weekend in Tupper Lake! The Tinman competition brings LOTS of people to the area and it looks like the cyclists are already on the roadways warming up. The route between Cranberry Lake and Tupper Lake is marked at the mileage points, and tomorrow we will see a huge crowd. This events draws participants from Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Montreal and all over New York State.

Summer is here! Black flies are gone, and it is great to have a chance to kayak on the lakes, take out the fly rods and go for long walks and hikes. The region offers lots to do. A favorite stop is the Wild Center, and when the otters decide to entertain, they are fun to watch. The Bog River Flow is an incredible canoeing route into the remote Low’s Lake where it’s possible to catch big bass, see eagles and hear loons call. From Low’s Lake, a fantastic canoe/portage route travels through the Five Ponds Wilderness area and ends on the Oswegatchie River near Wanakena.  This morning on my way to Tupper Lake, a big black bear ran across the road in front of me!  He/she was in a huge hurry and disappeared into the woods.

It seems like just the time we, in the Adirondacks, get into our “full-summer” mode, the fall shopping catalogs come out! The fall Cabela’s catalog just arrived in the mail, and I am not ready to think about a change of seasons. A good friend once described the summer season as a series of weekend days. June is Friday night, July is Saturday, and August, with just a hint of cool evenings and some color in the trees, reminds us of Sunday and time to think about returning to our work schedule for the week.
I’d like my Friday night of June to last a bit longer.

The Cranberry Lake Boat Club Centennial Summer kicks off on Saturday, May 23. The Watertown Times had a nice article about the Centennial opening ceremony. Senator Joseph Griffo, Adirondack Mountain Club Executive Director Neil Woodworth, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pat McKeown, Clifton-Fine Economic Development Development Corp. President Chris Westbrook are just a few of the speakers.

There is an activity for just about everyone this summer. The Adirondack Trails Day sponsored by the ADK Mountain Club opens the Cranberry Lake 50 mile trail. The Kayak Poker Paddle is an annual event on the lake. This year, there are Sailboat Races featuring the Rochester, NY Yacht Club. A golf tournament, lots of hiking in the Five Ponds Wilderness and fly fishing lessons are all on the schedule. For those who like history, there are great opportunities to learn about the Bear Mountain Association and Union Point, see artifacts from the region, take a walking tour of Wanakena, tour old camps, and see the Newton Falls Paper mill.

Many members of the boat club planned this year’s centennial event. The Boat Club’s 100 year existence says a lot about the interest and commitment of the people who live in this region to promote the great lifestyle offered in the community. And, besides Cranberry Lake, another beautiful lake in the region is Silver Lake, a non-motorized lake in the hamlet of Cranberry Lake. Star Lake, just a short drive from Cranberry Lake, has its own history and unique and classic camps.

Newspaper, radio and television have all been facing tough times.  But here in the north country, local people rely heavily on all of the various sources to get their local news.  We wonder if one source missed something, or if another source has more of the information we want.  And, by all appearances they seem to be doing okay financially.

In the St. Lawrence Valley one of the most popular papers is North Country This Week.  It’s a weekly that offers everything from the heavy to the humorous.  Similar to that is the Tupper Lake Free Press.  Another weekly that gives the detail on local “stuff”.

Other daily newspapers that are important in our area include the Plattsburgh Press Republican, the Watertown Daily Times, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, and some will even subscribe to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

Magazines have some popularity in the north country, but they are very limited.  Besides the news oriented magazines, the north country has Adirondack Life - a lifestyle type of magazine, and not much else.

Television seems more important during the winter months as things get dark at around 4pm, and a lot of folks are ready for bed by 9.  Some of our TV stations include WPTZ in Plattsburgh, WWNY in Watertown, News 10 Now, and local PBS stations WCFE and WPBS.

Radio is tough in the north country, simply because of the demographics.  With the hills, it’s easy to lose a signal and always at a very important moment.  Radio stations include WNBZ - part of Mountain Communications, WPDM, 101.5 the FOX, NCPR - a public radio station, and a variety of others.  We have seen a number of north country folks going to satellite radio - Sirius and XM - which allows more content and a signal that will go the distance.

When it comes to news and entertainment, the north country needs their newspapers, radio, and TV just to keep the chatter lively around town.

USA Today the Adirondacks as one of the 10 Best Places on Earth. We’re right up there with Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt! It is a slice of heaven, especially in early spring before the black flies arrive. Spring also marks the sign of increased real estate activity in the waterfront market as buyers’ thoughts turn to summer and having their own best place on earth. It’s nice to share our enthusiasm of the Adirondacks.  What makes it a best place?

Fishing is one reason!  Bass season opens in June, and it is fun to paddle the lakes with a fly rod and popper.  The Adirondack lakes are interesting - many have coves and bays, islands and interesting and varied shorelines.  Plus, the views are spectacular.

Hiking is another reason!    The High Peaks offer spectacular views, but many other areas in the region offer great hikes to lakes, ponds, and remote wilderness, like the Five Ponds Wilderness in Cranberry Lake.

The communities and people are also wonderful places to visit and live.   Many tourists flock to the Lake George and Lake Placid regions, but the smaller communities of Long Lake, Tupper Lake, Cranberry Lake and Star Lake are also nice places to stop for a break in one’s travels, and these towns have lots of wilderness to explore too.   One of the best places for breakfast is the Stone Manor diner in Cranberry Lake.  They have the best “stuffed French toast“  filled with cheese and ham, and then maple syrup over the top.

There is something for everyone in the Adirondacks.  If you like remote, you can get way off the beaten path, but if you like the busier communities, then head for Tupper Lake, Lake Placid & Saranac Lake.

The ice is out on several lakes- nice to see some sunshine and the grass turning green. The Laurentian Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club has some great hikes planned for the early spring. Saturday’s schedule calls for a hike at the Paul Smith’s Visitors Interpretive Center, and Sunday a hike along the North Branch of the Grasse River. This is a great club and they welcome participation in their activities. This is a good group to get involved in if you are new to the region. Many of the members work at area colleges in St. Lawrence County, including Clarkson University, SUNY Potsdam, St. Lawrence and SUNY Canton.

Is winter almost behind us? The days are longer, and the sun has a bit more warmth. This past week, we lost a lot of snow in the North Country. Today brought just a few inches inches of fresh snow.
Lots of deer wandering across the roads today on my drive to Tupper Lake. The nicer warmer weather must bring them out of the woods.

It has been a great winter with lots of good snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snowshoeing, but some of us are ready for spring and the annual ice-out competition held every year on many major Adirondack Lakes, and also on our own Raquette Pond.

Even though it is still winter, several Cranberry Lake Boat Club members are working hard to plan the summer’s celebration of the Cranberry Lake Boat Club Centennial. We think the Boat Club is one of the oldest boat clubs in the history of the Adirondack Park. Sailing and kayak races, picnics, hiking and fishing events are just a few of the many celebratory events planned for the summer.

Last summer, several of us hiked portions of the Cranberry Lake 50, a network of trails around Cranberry Lake that also pass through portions of the Five Ponds Wilderness area. I’m anxious to get back on the trail to finish the 50 miles- the reward is a CL50 patch!

A famous quote from an old Tupper Lake mayor who spoke at a conference of mayors in New York City.  The entire quote is “New York City will never amount to much, it’s too far from Tupper Lake.”  When asked by a reporter, “what’s in Tupper Lake?”, the mayor said, “mostly spruce and hemlock”. 

There are 130,000 year round residents inside the Adirondack Park Blue Line - a six million acre area that consists of public and private lands.  That’s an area larger than the state of Vermont.  It’s an area that often finds the environment and economy at opposing ends.

In the real estate business we see a large swing of values within a short distance.  You can be in the middle of a village where the homes are very affordable, especially by downstate standards, and within a mile you might have lakefront homes that are valued well over the $1M range.  Yet, afforable housing can be a real issue for many locals. 

Like many areas, there are groups that are heavily involved with affordable housing.  The St. Lawrence Housing Council is one such group that offers mechanisms for those who want to own a home, but simply can’t generate closing costs, and funds needed for repairs. 

So, if those of you who live in NYC want to live in an affordable housing area, come check out the Adirondacks.