The Green Hiker

Anne LaBastille, author and environmentalist, passes away.

I could not let this week pass without commenting on the death of Anne LaBastille.

Most New Yorkers, that is those who pay attention to such things, knew LaBastille as a ardent protector of the massive New York Adirondack Park. No matter the land-use issue, as commissioner of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) for 17 years she always championed the natural course. In her role as commissioner, she was reviled by many, revered by most, yet admired by all.

But bureaucratic decisions is hardly her environmental legacy.

LaBastille as author and inspiration.

Author of a dozen books, she inspired women (and men) to live proud lives within natural, not superficial, realms. Her series of autobiographical books (a woman with and within nature) began in 1976 with the popular Woodswomen.

She also wrote naturalist essays for National Geographic and other magazines. And there were other significant environmental contributions:

• She was one of the first to focus media attention on acid rain deposits in the Adirondacks.

• She helped international organizations establish nature parks around the world.

So, at 75 years of age, Anne LaBastille passes.

Now Go Outdoors! … with Reverence

A side note:  Studying biology and ornithology at Cornell, her thesis research was the fragile ecology of the giant pied-bill grebe. This flightless bird was found only in Guatemala near Lake Atitlan. The giant pied-bill grebe is now extinct.

The Northville-Lake Placid Trail (NPT) in the Adirondack Park now has its own website.

Developed by Tom Wemett of the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Northville-Lake Placid Trail website provides info on this 133 mile hiking trail in New York’s Adirondack Park. The site provides information on the trail conditions and planning a successful and safe hike.

The trail winds it way through some of the most remote areas of the Adirondack Park including the West Canada Lake Wilderness.

So whether you want to spend 10 days hiking the entire trail, or just hike short sections of the NPT, check out the newest web property of the Adirondack Mountain Club. And say hello.

Other Trail Resources:

• Northville Lake Placid Trail

• A Guided Thru-Hike

• Schenectady Chapter of NPT Trail

Now Go Outdoors!

Clarence Petty, a hero to all who cherish New York’s Adirondack Park, has died. He was 104 years old. Hiking mile upon mile at age 4, delivering mail by five, and a wilderness guide by age 11, Petty hiked, paddled, snowshoed, and flew over every nook of his beloved Adirondacks.

Image by RoyJr via Flickr

Mapping 1300 miles of the Park’s most pristine and primal wilderness, Clarence Petty helped create the Adirondack Park Agency. He was a true conservationist and pathfinder.

Other Insights:

Adirondack legend passes on…

According to Adirondack Explorer Editor Phil Brown’s blog, Clarence Petty died last night at his son’s home. Petty was 104 years old, and was a native Adirondacker. During the Great Depression, he worked for the Civilian Conservation …

Clarence Petty, an Adirondack classic, dies at 104 « Adirondack …

Clarence Petty, an Adirondack classic, dies at 104. December 3, 2009 at 6:30 pm · Filed under Adirondack News. He was a trapper, pilot, forest ranger and environmentalist > read the Adirondack Daily Enterprise article …

Adirondack Almanack: Adirondack Legend Clarence Petty Has Died at 104

Adirondack legend Clarence Petty died at his son’s home in Canton on Monday at the age of 104. Petty was the subject of Christopher Angus’s biography The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty: Wilderness Guide, Pilot, …

Goodbye Clarence,…

It was with sadness that I read about the passing at age 104 of an Adirondack icon, Clarence Petty. I had the privilege of his acquaintance a few years ago when he served on the board of an organization where I was employed. …

Other Resources:
The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty: Wilderness Guide, Pilot, and Conservationist

Now Go Outdoors!

A quick peek at Adirondack trails and campgrounds …. with video essay on trail preservation.

2008 Top Adirondack Family Campgrounds

Factors including the quality and availability of hot showers, laundry facilities, hiking trails, family beaches, radio-free zones, visitor centers, educational programs, children’s events and location were also considered. …

Jackrabbit Trail: Keene to Lake Placid

The trail passes through both State, Town and Private Lands. Most of the trail consists of single and double track hiking trails. There are some golf courses to cruise through, short sections of dirt/gravel roads are and brief paved …

Turning Trails Into Highways

A photo essay about preserving the Adirondacks