TRAILMARKER Newsletter of the Adirondack Mountain Club ......Iroquois Chapter September/October,...

TRAILMARKER Newsletter of the Adirondack Mountain Club – Iroquois Chapter

Established in 1972 September/October, 2020

Chairman’s Corner

In referencing past chairman corners, I noted that there is one recurring theme: the need to have more volunteers to lead trips in addition to just me or members from other chapters. More trip leaders will offer a variety of excursions, such as bike, kayak, and hiking, suitable for all levels. The basis of the ADK is outdoor education, conservation, recreation. Sadly, the chapter is not carrying any weight concerning our trip schedule, which is disconcerting. Should you be an active outdoor enthusiast, please consider leading a trip for the Iroquois chapter. Please give me a ring to discuss further should you have any concerns or questions. Know that your help would be most appreciated. The directors from the First Baptist Church have given us permission to have meetings in the hall, providing we socially distant among ourselves. There will be the usual business meeting followed by a program. Snacks will be provided, along the line of individually wrapped bars or fruit, for example. As part of the business meeting, Wendy Sanders will present her idea for sponsoring a chapter challenge, with a vote to expend chapter funds should the concept be accepted. Her proposal is within the confines of this newsletter for your perusal. I encourage your attendance and participation in this matter.

Elm Lake, photo credit: Dave Pisaneschi

A SUMMER FULL OF FUN

Trailmarker Iroquois Chapter September/October, 2020

Twin and Indian Head, Catskills June 21, 2020, Father’s Day Well I’m still on track to climb a mountain every month in 2020. This was my 6th Father’s Day Climb since 2013. Two years were Rained out. I decided to climb Twin and Indian Head Saturday night. The drive ‘Getting There’ was almost as eventful as the climb, itself. I took the Thruway to Saugerties (exit 20). I traveled west to Platte Clove. This is the entrance to a very popular area (Take a look on Wikipedia. For some interesting information). The road is seasonal with no winter maintenance. Not a problem, in summer, BUT it was still a challenge. The road was barely 2 lanes wide. The average lane width was less than 8’, with a lot of drop offs, on the south side and cliffs on the right (north). On this section of the road, I encountered a rather LARGE Pick-up Truck. Good thing I was in my wife’s car, because my mirrors were actually under the trucks mirrors, with about 6 feet of overlap. My right

SEPTEMBER PROGRAM

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 First Baptist Church, New Hartford, NY

Brian Washburn will talk on his Mt. Kilimanjaro climb.

Chairman’s Corner continued: In thinking out loud, (with no immediate plan of action) and due to the Covid situation, I am toying with changing monthly meetings to bi-monthly meetings, especially if attendance is poor for the September meeting. That meeting will give me a rough idea as to which way to proceed, subject to executive committee input and approval. As I ponder the future, I suspect that the annual Christmas dinner will be postponed as well as Weizel Cabin weekend, again subject to executive committee discretion. Enough said. I hope to see you at the September meeting, or if not, perhaps on the trail. Stay healthy and cool. Paul Sirtoli


went down a few hundred feet then rose to 3667’ at the summit. I continued to a Flat Rock lookout with super views of Sugarloaf & Plateau. This is where I ate my lunch. Back on the trail again with not much different backtracking to Jimmy Dolans Notch. Except for that balancing rock, I took a brief break at the intersection, then began my trek up Indian Head. This trail had the same type of rocks as Twin. With a few more vertical sections. I hit the viewless summit and then took a short trip searching for a lookout. When the trail suddenly descended about 50’, I decided to back track to the Notch. Other than the climb, itself, there wasn’t much noteworthy. It was the same the rest of the way down. But I did look forward to the creek crossing, where I could again dip my bandana in the cold water. I was back at the trail head before long. I changed out of my boots and put on a clean dry shirt and headed home, back the way I came. Submitted by Ed Kobos

Twin and Indian Head (continued) tire was on the very edge of the shoulder (where there was a one foot drop off, to the ditch. There was a steep drop off on the truck’s passenger side, which is probably why it took most of the road. This road winded around for about 3 miles, before I hit Platte Clove. About ½ mile later I hit the left turn onto Prediger Rd, leading to the trail head. I changed into my climbing boots and then I was on the trail. There were 4 groups just ahead of me, as I signed the register. Only 2 of those groups stopped to signed in. The well-established (RED) trail was fairly level for quite a while. At the loop intersection, I took the right fork (Blue Trail) toward Jimmy Dolan Notch. The hardwood forest was fairly open. After about 1 mile, the trail got steeper with a lot of rocks to climb over and around. After about 1 ½ miles I stopped at a very small water crossing to wet my bandana and wipe the sweat off my forehead. It was cold and very refreshing. According to my GPS, I had traveled 1.82 miles as I hit the col between Indian Head and Twin Mountains (3120’). There was a short trail, south, with some nice views. I decided to take the trail to Twin Mountains, first. After a few minutes I hit a large balancing slab of rock. It looked like it was originally on the side of its foundation. I wondered how long ago it was moved there. There were many short technical climbs, none of which were more than 10’ tall. I enjoyed the extra challenges. There was a lookout with a good view looking south, where I could see a tall fire tower in the distance. I believe it was Tremper. I climbed a little bit more and found a group of boulders to my right. This is where I believe the real summit of south Twin Mt. is located at 3596’. It was the highest point around so, I guess it was it. Just around the corner (< ¼ mile) was another flat rock lookout with great 270-degree views. I took a few pictures, then headed for Twin (north). This trail

Above photo (Balancing rock) Photo credit: Ed Kobos

Mt. Sherrill and North Dome Mt July 5, 2020 This was my 7th month, in 2020, with at least 1 mountain climb. This was a HARD Hike/Climb, from the SW. I started at the DEC Parking Lot on Shaft Rd., just off of Rt 42, ~3.25 miles south of Spruceton Rd. I parked in the lot and followed the dirt road toward the "Off Limits" water supply land. I jumped into the woods, to the NE and then followed the utility poles, until I saw remnants of a rock wall. I headed toward it, then took a bearing toward Sherrill. The Bee Line distance was .76 miles. I heading NE for a while and hit an 'old' farm road and followed it "UP", until I lost contact with it, due to the overgrown patches of 'stinging' nettles, raspberry bushes and other ground vegetation. I used my GPS & Compass to continue toward the summit of Sherrill. There were many cliffs and steep sections that followed the reentrant, UP. I tried to 'go around' all the prickly things, which added to the distance and time to summit. I don't advise taking this route, in the summer. After a while (actually ~ 1.5 Hrs.) I hit the ridge and took another bearing and headed toward Mt. Sherrill. Wow, there were a lot of HERD paths that littered the summit. The canister was hard to find, but finally its orange body caught my eye. I signed in and took a few pictures of the dense forest. There were NO views, other than trees! My legs were all scratched up and covered with dry blood. The fly population seemed to zero in on me. There were all kinds. Small Black Flies, some green looking ones (maybe bees) a few deer-flies and one pesky horse fly (which finally met his demise. (NO, I didn't bring my insect repellant. I took it out the week before for a ham radio adventure and forgot to put it back in my pack). The flies were swarming all around my bloody legs AND were so dense that I didn't eat my lunch. I did take out my hand sanitizer and clean my legs. STING! After a brief rest at the summit rocks, I headed for


North Dome. There were a few herd paths. The 1st one I took went NO WHERE. Probably looking for a view. Backtracked to the summit and took another path. This one was promising as it headed in the correct direction. The Herd Path disappeared, every now and again. I bushwhacked using my GPS and compass toward the North Dome summit. There was a lot of ground cover similar to my ascent of Sherrill. I had to avoid some cliffs and blow down. I did descend to the shallow col between the mountains, before ascending to the summit of North Dome. I had to avoid blow down and the prickly plants. There were some wet areas in the col, so I took many detours. I hit a very good herd path only about 50 yards from the canister. The flies were still bad, but I decided to try and eat my lunch anyway. I kept everything in my zip lock bags until the last second before entering my mouth. After signing in and taking a few selfies of me and the trees, I headed back to Sherrill, and then back to the trailhead. The return trip was a bit better as there were a few more visible herd paths on the south side of the ridge. When I returned to Sherrill, I contemplated heading to the 'other' Balsam Mt. I bagged the idea just after passing Sherrill, because the Herd Path vanished, again. I also forgot to program the summit coordinated into my GPS. While descending through the heavy ground cover, I tripped on a tree branch and hit a large rock with my leg, resulting in a long gash above my shin bone. It wasn’t deep, but hurt like heck. I limped the rest of the way back to the trailhead, where I cleaned up and headed for home. I was on the trail for just under 10 hours and add to that, about 5 hours in the car. Absolutely NO views, from either mountain. No pictures to show, only trees and rocks. Because of all the detours, my GPS told me I traveled almost 9.4 miles. That made for a Looong day! I guess I should have taken the route from Spruceton Rd. Submitted by Ed Kobos

Kunjamuk River/Elm Lake July 25, 2020 Twist and turn, up and over would best describe the Kunjamuk River as it snakes through forest and primal wetlands from Lake Pleasant to Elm Lake and beyond. Members from the Adirondack Mt. Club and the Tramp N' Trail group navigated through breached beaver dams, or dams nearly three ft. high. A steady breeze kept the flies at bay on an otherwise warm day. Despite recent heavy rain, the water level was somewhat low in our approach to Elm Lake, as evidenced by mats of river grass choking the channel. The shoreline of Elm Lake is comprised mostly of lily pads and pickerel weeds. Three hunting camps occupy the "high, dry land" on the east side. Following exploration of the lake, we meandered back to our starting point in Speculator, for a paddling distance of 11 miles in 6.5 hours. Besides the leader, the following individuals participated in this adventure: Dave Kuhn, Dave Pisaneschi, Bob Myers, Tom O'Hara, Joan Egan, Bill Gnete, and Renee' Shields. Submitted by Paul Sirtoli


Photo credit -Dave Pisaneschi


North Country Trail/Kunjamunk Trail Work July 26, 2020 For Mary Coffin, it was her third day in the woods for the week as she led a group of enthusiastic volunteers to clear blowdown on the Kunjamunk Trail, in Siamese Ponds Wilderness, north of Cisco Brook at the end of Elm Lake road, Speculator. Part of the 4,700mile North Country National Scenic Trail, the Kunjamunk Trail spans from Cisco Brook toward Kings Flow near Chimney Mt. Axes, cross cut saws and limb loppers in hand, the crew of six worked their way up the trail, assisted by the ever present mosquitoes and flies. Several of the logs removed from the trail were 15 inches or greater in diameter. All of us had a crack at working the extremely sharp two- "man" cross cut saw. Several miles up the trail, we called it a day at 4 PM. and turned back. By the end of the long day, 28 blow downs had been removed by the crew of ADK and NCTA volunteers. Around 5 PM we were back at the cars enjoying snacks and beverages at the parking area, kindly provided by Mary and Kevin. Participating for the day were Sandy Manca, Richard Frio, Paul Sirtoli, Kevin Russell, Mike Daly and Mary Coffin. If you have any interest in volunteering to help with trails or to adopt a trail of your own contact [email protected].

Photo credit: Mary Coffin

mailto:[email protected]


Above: View from Flat Rock Look-Out on Plateau Below Right: The "Tunnel" on Sugarloaf Above right- Look-Out on south side of Sugarloaf Photo credit: Ed Kobos

Plateau and Sugarloaf Mountains August 8, 2020 Ever since I climbed Twin & Indian Head, 2 months ago for my 6th month in a row of climbing, I’ve been looking forward to climbing these two mountains. I really enjoyed climbing the peaks on this ridge. They are all very similar and kind of unique from the other peaks in the Catskills. There are two trail heads, from the north of the ridge. I started my climb on Mink Hollow Rd., which was the shorter of the two. Both headed for the col between the mountains, but this one was technically on a herd path, vs. the Roaring Kill TH. I’m glad I took it, because it passed a spring, about 1000 yards from the col, which would be important, later. The trip to the col was about .7 miles and relatively scenic. The climb was not strenuous, but I was sweating, quite a bit. At the col is a 4-way intersection. Heading straight (south) is the Mink Hollow Lean-To. To the right is Plateau and left to Sugarloaf. I headed to Plateau, first. relatively flat for quite a while, while passing over the actual summit. I followed the trail for about 20 minutes, looking for a look-out, to the. I gave up before I found it. I returned to the flat rock look-out and decided to have a quick snack. As I took food from my pack, I could hear ‘loud’ music coming from below. It took almost 10 minutes for 2 young

guys to climb the final cliff, to the plateau. I stood on the flat rock, looking down at them and shouted a ‘Good Morning’. They didn’t see me, nor did they hear me because their music was so loud (OR, possibly, they just ignored me). I couldn’t believe my ears. With that incident behind me, I headed down. The descent back to the col didn’t take me long, only about 1:15, vs. 1:45 ascending. I took another break, at the intersection before heading to Sugarloaf. The trail up to the Sugarloaf summit was very similar to the trail up to Plateau. I passed the yellow Roaring Kill trail just a few hundred feet from the intersection. One very noteworthy rock formation was a pseudo tunnel. It was only a few feet long but it served as the doorway to Sugarloaf. There were a few more vertical sections and one, on the northern loop around


Erie Canal Trail August 8, 2020 David Kuhn and Paul Sirtoli joined Debbie Pasch in her goal to "section cycle" the Erie Canal trail from Albany to Buffalo. For today's event, we biked from Jordan through Weedsport to Port Byron. Sadly, the trail was the main asphalt highway through the two villages, otherwise it was mostly hard-packed stone dust. At Port Byron, the "trail" is actually route 31, which leads to Clyde, and the resumption of the stone dust trail. Rather than ride 17 miles on asphalt with hybrid and mountain bikes, we chose to tour the Port Byron Erie Canal Museum (free entry). A worthwhile destination, we spent several hours walking the grounds, checking out the original lock 52, speaking with museum reps., and simply admiring the artifacts. For this sunny, pleasant day, we biked 22 miles. Our plan for the future is to bicycle route 31 from Port Byron to Clyde, and utilizing county roads to make a loop. Submitted by Paul Sirtoli

Plateau and Sugarloaf Mountains (continued) some very steep and dangerous looking cliffs. This one had a 20' cliff that had to be climbed. There were 3 distinct routes heading up. The eastern most was the easiest (in my estimation), so I took it. Close to the summit, the trail split, with a Yellow trail heading .1 miles to a nice look-out to the south. It is worth the trip. The summit is marked with a very small Carin, on the south of the trail. There were NO views at the summit. I headed back down the same way I ascended. Some to the ‘cliffs’ were more difficult to maneuver, descending vs. ascending. Or was I just more tired. At this point I had consumed almost all (2,250 cc) of my water. I still had a reserve ½ liter bottle in my pack, just in case. The 2nd notable incident occurred at the 20’ cliff, where I met 3 guys climbing with only a single ½ liter bottle of water, each. All of them were empty. Only one of them had a backpack and it was pretty small and looked quite empty. They asked how far it was to the summit and after I told them I left it about 45 minutes ago, they decided to head back down. I was glad to see them make that decision as they all looked a little dehydrated. By now I figured the temp was in the mid to hi 80s. I continued down to the col, where I met another group of 3 young hikers. They were also out of water, and none of them were carrying a backpack. They heard that there was a spring somewhere close by and I directed them north. If I hadn’t taken the shorter route, I never would have known where the spring was and I followed them down and when they turned left, toward the spring, I could hear them rejoicing, I continued back to the parking lot and home. This is my most enjoyable hike, so far, in the Catskills. Second, was when I climbed Twin and Indian Head 2 months earlier. I highly recommend this park of the Catskills. The DEC website calls this “ 11,500 acre Indian Head Wildermess….extremely rugged topography, with five major peaks falling within the unit… the

vistas afforded by these peaks attract thousands of hikers annually”. Submitted by Ed Kobos

Trailmarker

Iroquois Chapter September/October, 2020

Lock at Port Byron, Erie Canal Heritage Park Photo by Debbie Pasch

Ice Cave Mountain August 15, 2020 I have heard it said that timing is everything, and today that idiom rang true when 13 ADK'ers and tramps biked the North Lake road to Ice Cave Mt. Surprise-the two major culvert washouts were repaired! Admittedly, the folks using hybrid bikes were somewhat challenged by the cobbled road surface for the last two miles. No complaints there. Along the way we picked up two wayward hikers searching for the "hidden" trailhead, who unofficially joined our troop. The 30-minute climb to the ice cave was rather steep. No complaint there. It was obvious that the ice cave has been discovered, as evidenced by the well- defined herd path flagged with red ribbons.

The "cave" is actually a huge fissure in the granite rock, roughly 8-10 feet wide, 50-80 feet deep and 50-80 ft long (all estimates). There is generally snow/ice in the lower depths, but the recent summer heat melted that. Nonetheless, it was much cooler than the surrounding area. Nearby, a herd path led to a small scenic outlook lending a nice view of the valley and the Canachagala Mountain range. Following lunch, we returned via our approach in. The entire excursion was roughly four hours. The biggest complaint concerned the incessant Adirondack flies. Impervious to bug dope, they bit through the clothing with their favorite lunch spot being the backs of the bikers while cycling. Submitted by Paul Sirtoli

Trailmarker


Above: First-ice cave Below right -group photo Credit: Don Fellows Below left: Photo credit – Dave Pisaneschi Kunjamuk River

Looking Ahead Upcoming Trips

BIKING THE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL September 6,2020 (Sun) We’ll bike a section of the Empire State Trail some where in central NY. It’s relatively flat, so the biking should be easy. Plan on doing a 40 mile section . We’ll plan on spotting cars . Contact: David Pisaneschi, 459-5969 or [email protected]

HUMPHREY MOUNTAIN September 19, 2020 (Sat) At 2,984 feet, Humphrey Mt. lies directly south to Kings Flow in the Siamese Pond Wilderness. Its base is accessed by a 3-mile trail, and the summit by a one mile (+) plus rugged bushwhack up steep terrain and potentially thick vegetation. Join me as I co-lead this adventure with the tramp and trail club. Rating: A. Call Paul Sirtoli at 315-737-8353 or [email protected] for further details. Meetup registrants need to contact me directly.

Trailmarker


HOUR POND MOUNTAIN (CLIFF) October 4,2020 (Sun) Rather than seek an adventure in the crowded high peaks where parking is a premium, join me for a true Adirondack experience. At 2, 936 feet, Hour Pond Mt. lies south of Peaked Pond Mt. and east of the Bullhead Mt range. We'll hike the trail to Peaked Pond, then whack our way to the summit/false summit, about one mile. Hopefully, I will be able to locate the small cliff on the false summit that overlooks Hour Mt. Pond. The conifer growth may be thick. Rating A. Poor weather will postpone. Call Paul Sirtoli at 315-737-8353 or [email protected] for further details. Meetup registrants need to contact me directly for meeting place and time. For additional trip offerings, last minute additions and updates check out our Meet-up page at https://www.meetup.com/Iroquois-Chapter-of-the-Adirondack-Mountain-Club



https://www.meetup.com/Iroquois-Chapter-of-the-Adirondack-Mountain-Club

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Rating

Effort Level Elevation gain

Miles (round trip)

Time in Hours

A + Very Strenuous 4000 ft + 10 + 10 +

A Strenuous 3000 ft + 5 - 10 8 - 10

B + Mod. Strenuous 2000 ft + 5 - 10 6 - 8

B Moderate 1000 ft + 8 - 10 5 - 7

C + Fairly Easy 1000 ft + 5 - 8 4 - 6

C Easy under 1000 ft under 5 under 5

CHAPTER OUTINGS Requesting suggestions for new outings that you would like to see added to the calendar. Let me know your ideas and we will put them in future Trailmarker newsletters and on the Meet-up site. When submitting trips please use the following format: *Trip length (miles) *Trip duration (hours) *Elevation to be climbed (feet) *Mention of any special equipment or other factors *Brief description of the level of difficulty to be expected during average conditions. *Brief description of the trip plan, including parking and possible hiking options. * Provide Trip Leader contact information. You can reply by email or if you have any questions call or text me at 315-360-0359. Bill


ADK Iroquois Chapter Warmly Welcomes The Following New Members

Dianna Morris * Cormac McIntosh *

Daniel and Kelly Colantuoni * Jack Pflanz *

John Snodgrass and Andrew Dykstra * Genevieve Ruhland * Norman Kelley * Carol Sacks

Trailmarker Page 13

Below are the 2 possible designs for the Camping Challenge Patch:

or

Trailmarker Page 14


Adirondack Wilderness Camping Challenge This is a unique challenge that will require you to camp in all 18 of the designated wilderness areas within the Adirondack Park.

a. Read more about the 18 Adirondack wilderness areas:

1. Blue Ridge Wilderness Area

2. Five Ponds Wilderness Area

3. Giant Mountain Wilderness Area

4. Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness Area

5. High Peaks Wilderness Area

6. Hoffman Notch Wilderness Area

Jay Mountain Wilderness Area McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area Pepperbox Wilderness Area Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area Pigeon Lake Wilderness Area Round Lake Wilderness Area

Sentinel Range Wilderness Area Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area Silver Lake Wilderness Area West Canada Lake Wilderness Area William C. Whitney Wilderness Area Saint Regis Canoe Area

b. Wilderness areas are subject to specific management restrictions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Wilderness_Preservation_System

c. Leave no Trace policy must be followed: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/ d. Use the document linked below to keep track of your adventures: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_ZuJFDhMwXGpP21fu4goj7_bsTxUnp8CC2yu1Gadpsw/edit?usp=sharing

e. Keep a record of your camping adventures starting now and submit them to Wendy Sanders upon completion.

f. A patch and sticker will be mailed to you as soon as your record has been received and reviewed. Include $7.00 with your record to cover the expense of the patch, sticker and shipping.

This challenge is sponsored by the ADK Iroquois Chapter. See the following link to learn more about this chapter: https://www.adk.org/adk-chapter/iroquois/?pname=iroquois-chapter

https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/100449.html




http://dec.ny.gov/lands/100750.html

http://dec.ny.gov/lands/100750.html






























https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Wilderness_Preservation_System

https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_ZuJFDhMwXGpP21fu4goj7_bsTxUnp8CC2yu1Gadpsw/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_ZuJFDhMwXGpP21fu4goj7_bsTxUnp8CC2yu1Gadpsw/edit?usp=sharing

https://www.adk.org/adk-chapter/iroquois/?pname=iroquois-chapter

Trailmarker Page 15


Iroquois Chapter Contact Information Chairman – Paul Sirtoli 315-737-8353 [email protected] Vice Chair – Glenn Larish 315-725- 8462

[email protected] Secretary – Charlene Zebley 315-942-5176 [email protected] Treasurer – David White 315-853-1070 [email protected] Membership –Ed Kobos [email protected] Director – Thomas Blackstone 315-826-7870 [email protected] Stewardship (Lean-tos) – Norm Landis [email protected]

Stewardship (trails) – Doug Tinkler Adopt-a-highway – Doug Tinkler 315-271-4759 [email protected] Newsletter - Debbie Pasch 315-749-4265 [email protected] Hospitality – Wendy Sanders 315-797-6962 Trips & Meet up Group – Bill Luppino 315-360-0359 [email protected] Conservation –Brian Sanders 315-797-6962 [email protected] Programs – Dave Jones 315-601-6019 [email protected]

STAY SAFE

STAY HEALTHY













Dear Chapter Chair:

I hope this note finds you, your family and friends, as well as our fellow ADK members well in these

unprecedented times. Despite the many challenges that are present, one silver lining remains: our natural

environment, where many of us have come to find serenity and peace, has become more important than

ever.

I write to bring you up to date on an important event happening in September, which began more than a

year ago when ADK’s Board voted to commence a comprehensive strategic plan process. During the past

year, this process has been overseen by a team of dedicated volunteers, who are very familiar with ADK’s

history and culture, together with key senior staff. As part of this process, Shelly Bischoff, of Conservation

Impact, reviewed all of ADK’s relevant governance and financial documents and conducted more than 60

interviews with chapter representatives, board members, and other volunteers. Throughout this review, the

strategic plan committee identified two main improvements that are essential to survive and prosper: (1)

firm up ADK’s mission in order to ensure a second successful hundred years; and (2) improve our

governance structure to better address changes and to more effectively support ADK’s mission.

Indeed, many issues that the club faces are tied to our current governance structure, the most glaring of

which is the Board composition, which is not only three times larger than most non-profit board, it fails to

fulfill the necessary functions that are expected of non-profit boards. Indeed, Board members have

acknowledged as much, both publicly and during interviews with our strategic planning consultant. And so,

after the strategic plan was approved by the Board, ADK leadership established a By-Laws Working Group

to develop a set of revisions to the current bylaws that address many of the shortcomings identified as part

of the strategic plan. These revisions were then presented to both the Executive Committee, which

unanimously supported the revisions, as well as to the full Board of Directors, which passed the revised

bylaws by more than a two-thirds vote.

Now it’s your turn. The September/October issue of the Adirondac will be in mailboxes soon and will

include the proposed bylaw revisions along with a ballot that will give every ADK member a chance to vote.

Please take the time to read the bylaws, mark the ballot and send in back to ADK, make sure it is

postmarked by September 18th. This is the first time in 20 years the membership has had an opportunity to

vote to help make ADK a stronger organization, both in advocacy and as a leader in outdoor education, to

become more responsive on emerging issues, and set ADK up for stronger financial stability in the years to

come.

Michael and I would like to offer a schedule of Zoom meetings with you and members in your chapter you

wish to include, so that we can provide you with additional information, provide additional context for these

changes, and make ourselves available to answer any questions. We will be offering Zoom meetings next

Wednesday, August 19, as well as Tuesday, September 1, and Thursday September 3, all commencing at

6:30pm. Please contact Virginia by email ([email protected]) to let her know which date is best for you and

she will set up the zoom meeting and email you the ID and password. In the meantime please take the

opportunity to share this opportunity with those in your chapter.

Tom Andrews

ADK President


TRAILMARKER Newsletter of the Adirondack Mountain Club ......Iroquois Chapter September/October,...

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