Blog

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!

46 Peaks within the Adirondack Park that exceed 4,000 feet in elevation. The Adirondack Mountain Club is one group that promotes, educates, and protects the fragile ecosystem of the upper elevations. Eleven of the High Peaks have vegetation that can only be found above the arctic circle. It is very fragile and takes decades to recover if it is harmed in any way.

Personal adventures into the High Peaks, will be remembered forever. Four successful climbs up Mt. Marcy - all at night. The first climb was in January with temperatures at Marcy Dam at 10 below zero. With two other friends we decided to ski to the summit in time for the sunrise. Temperatures were extreme above tree line, and the ski down was incredible.

We applaud the efforts of the Mountain Club with their summit stewards, and educational programs. Education instead of regulation, is a great way to get people to understand.

Have you done any of the High Peaks?

Although the Adirondack Park Act has only been in place for just over 35 years, the debate on the protection of the Park has been going on much longer. Since the early 1970’s there have only beena few larger scaled projects that were proposed within the Blue Line. They include Horicon, Ton-Da-Lay, Loon Lake, Ausable Acres, Lake Placid Club, and now the Adirondack Club and Resort. With the review of each project has come an increase in public reaction to the Adirondack Park Act. Some of the projects mentioned never saw approval, but the interest that was created in the Park increased.

Each time a larger scaled development is proposed, there are groups and individuals who take a very public position on the project. Groups such as the Adirondack Council, the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, the Residents Committee for the Protection of the Adirondacks, and others, may use the opportunity to express their concerns and positions about the Park. When that happens, the real estate community sees an increase of inquiries from individuals who are interested in the area. In other words, in their effort to highlight their position, they provide a level of marketing that promotes real estate sales. Many of the folks we have sold property to, are members of one of these organizations.

We will have more comments about the Adirondack Club and Resort, and why we feel it will benefit the economy and the environment. Let us know your thoughts.

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.