Adirondack Peeks Summer 2024

MAGAZINE OF THE ADIRONDACK FORTY-SIXERS SUMMER 2024 Vol. LXII No. 1 PEEKS Adirondack

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

AdirondackPEEKS Volume LXII No. 1, Summer 2024 OFFICERS David Pawlick, President Brian Sutherland, Vice President Laurie Rankin, Immediate Past President DIRECTORS Carla Denn, Bob Harvey, Brent Pierce, Winn Rea, Brant Schneider, Sheila Young APPOINTED OFFICERS Treasurer Philip Corell Recording Secretary Bill Lundy Assistant Secretary Felicia Neahr Outdoor Skills Workshop Coordinators Bill Lundy, Dan Auwarter Office of the Historian Lee Nesbitt, Siobhán Carney-Nesbitt Archivist Jane Meader Nye Trailmasters Michele McCall, Brian Hoody, Mary Lamb, Mark Simpson, Curt Snyder, Doug Varney Website Liaison and Content Manager Joe Ryan

W ow, the last three years have flown by— kind of like the breeze as the clouds roll by Marcy on a March day. You see their ap proach one minute and the next, they are upon you, envel oping you, sometimes making it difficult to see the trail. But then the winds blow the clouds on by, and all is clear once again. My tenure leading this fantastic organization has been similar: it was, at times, fast moving; at times the path forward was not always obvious, and at times it was crystal clear. The 46er organization continues to remain true to its founding members and to its mission despite its growth. We talk often about the experience that our members have and generously share with others through numerous educa tional opportunities. The 46ers continue to be blessed with generous members who provide significant donations that allow us to fund projects of other local organizations, another part of our mission. We continue to work toward sustaining the precious natural resource that our mountains are to us through our Trail Crew work and our educational programs such as Outdoor Skills Workshop, Correspondent Program, Trailhead Stewarding, Leave No Trace Trainings, and our Adopt-a-Highway Program. What makes the organization continue to thrive through all the changes that today's outdoor recreation brings is our individual members. Many step forward behind the scenes to keep things moving, and they work together as a well-oiled machine even when those clouds blow in and the future becomes difficult to envision. They give countless hours of their time, give great suggestions, and soon the view forward is clear once again. I want to thank all our members who have stepped forward to sustain this organization. Your generosity knows no bounds and is greatly appreciated! It has been a pleasure to work with all of you! As I close on my work as President and on the 75th year of the Adirondack Forty Sixers, I am confident that the generosity and experience of our individ ual members will continue to move us forward, above the clouds and with a clear vision of our mission.

Merchandising Janet Thomas Special Orders Coordinator Wendy Kurlowicz Membership Jim Houghtaling Editors Kim Morse

Sherry Roulston Editorial Offices

Manuscript and photographic submissions for PEEKS should be mailed to Sherry Roulston at 24 Layman Lane, Plattsburgh, NY, 12901 or emailed to peeks@adk46er.org. Correspondent Program Kristen Peek, adk46ertrailswm@gmail.com Orders and Payments Jim Houghtaling, Membership Coordinator, PO Box 22, Middle Grove, NY, 12850

treasurer@adk46er.org Outdoor Skills Workshop osw@adk46er.org Trailhead Steward Program Joe Ryan, trailheadstewards@gmail.com Volunteer Trailwork adk46ertrailwork@gmail.com

For additional information on club activities and to register to become a 46er visit the club’s website, adk46er.org, or send an email to officeofthehistorian46@gmail.com. Adirondack PEEKS is published twice a year by the Adirondack Forty-Sixers, Inc., a nonprofit organization. PEEKS is free to members in good standing. To receive a copy, register to become an Aspiring/Contributing member of the 46ers by

Laurie Rankin, #5525WV

creating a website account at adk46er.org. Adirondack PEEKS is printed by Walsworth.

Cover photo by Jonathan Zaharek, #11171W Jonathan Zaharek, #11171W

CONTENTS i

President's Report | Laurie Rankin #5525WV

2 Editors' Ramble | Sherry Roulston #12512 with Kim Morse #11497 3 TALKING POINTS

A Conversation with Laurie Rankin | Sherry Roulston #12512 with Laurie Rankin #5525WV

14 15

Past Presidents

FROM THE VAULT Perspective on Wilderness | Jim Goodwin #24 The Foolishness of Youth | Phil Corell #224WV

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19 We Climb Together, Separately | Jack Coleman #6237W and Donna Meyer #14543 23 MOUNTAIN VIGNETTES Chant Royal for Noah John Rondeau | Charles Weld #3930 Less Food, More Ibuprofen: One Woman’s Quest to Keep Hiking | Dorothee Benz #7178 Winter 46ers: An Unexpected Story of Climbing and Friendship and Reflections on the Nature of Adventure | Tom Knipe #13947W with epilogue by Tim Logue #13933W Untitled | Aftyn Bartholomay #15306 Summiting against the Odds: My Victory over Raynaud’s Conquering the Adirondack High Peaks in the Winter | Allison Austin #11458W My Mom and Mountains | Dr. MB (Marybeth) Mitcham #9282 37 IN MEMORIAM 38 2023 FINISHING CLASS & SKETCHES 53 BOULDER REPORT | David Pawlick #12803 56 CLUB NEWS 59 NEW BOOKS BY 46ERS 62 IN THE PACK 64 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Photo credit: Sébastien Provost #14679

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EDITORS' RAMBLE Sherry Roulston, #12512 A s I put snowshoes, skis, and poles away and search the attic high and low for a bug net, I’m distracted by old relics and discover an

Time is relative; it's only worth depends upon what we do as it is passing —Albert Einstein

Corell reexamines the decisions he made as a youth climb ing the Colden trap dike four times and shares his knowl edge of the dike to those who have it on their bucket list. The Adirondack 46ers’ strength is our combined experi ence, allowing us to educate each other on how to safely pursue and enjoy the high peaks. In “We Climb Together, Separately,” read how a 46er correspondent supported an aspiring 46er in her hiking odyssey and transformed a men tor-mentee relationship into a lifelong friendship. As we cel ebrate our newest 46ers, we're reminded that each hiker's journey is a unique story unfolding over time. The Boulder Report highlights some of the takeaways from our new re cruits, offering insights into the challenges they faced, the memories they made, and the ways in which their lives have been changed by their time in the mountains. How is our understanding of the Adirondacks shaped by the passage of time and the accumulation of knowledge across generations? How inspiring is it that so many before us were hiking these mountains with no idea of how tall they really were? In Letters to the Editors, Keene, NY, historian Tony Goodwin provides solid evidence on the height of our beloved 47th high peak and is determined to give all of those who have bushwhacked their way to the top and found the summit sign the credit they deserve, every foot! After climbing MacNaughton, put your feet up and enjoy some “armchair mountaineering time,” reading stories about the Adirondacks written by 46ers in Mountain Vignettes. Don’t forget to hydrate and pack some snacks! Just as spring will naturally turn to summer, requir ing no time management on our part, the total eclipse natu rally occurred at the precise time skywatchers were told it would. Nature never hurries, yet it is always on time. The tranquil image of the eclipse on our cover was taken by photographer and writer Jonathan Zaharek from Mount Jo. Like all captivating art, it’s timeless and reveals to me a new reflection every time I look at it. Within these pages we hope to inspire you, transport you—new, aspiring, and long-time 46ers—with spirited, funny, and, at times, heart breaking narratives. In the same way we embraced the excitement and savored the anticipation waiting for the eclipse, we cherish the long days of summer and our time deeply engaging in the woods—when time stands still yet paradoxically rush es by. I’m compelled to grab onto the hands of time, drag my feet in the earth and slow down the fleeting moments of spring. Thanks to Einstein, we know that the faster we climb, the slower time passes. Ramble on!

hour has passed. We all experience the passing of time. We feel it in the rhythms of growing older, in the memories we revisit, and in our dreams of the future. Most of us measure time in hours, days, months, and years; time is absolute and paces forward with regularity, at precisely the same speed in every corner of the world. According to Albert Einstein, despite our common perception that a second is always a second everywhere in the universe, the rate at which time flows depends upon where you are and how fast you are traveling. For instance, two hikers moving at the same speed will agree their miles covered and hiking time match. However, if one hiker moves at a slower pace, they will perceive the other's measure of time differently from their own. As we hike through the Adirondacks, we're traversing a landscape shaped by the immense forces of time. These ancient mountains remind us of the enduring power of nature and the fleeting nature of our own lives. As I write the Ramble, spring has sprung in the Adirondacks. We’ve turned the clocks ahead and the slow pace of winter is transforming into a buzzing whirlwind of activities. It’s mud season; kettle ponds brim with melted snow and rivers and streams gush over, erratically send ing mounds of sediment through the woods. Black-throated Warblers are back and singing their song, “I am so lay-zee,” in the balsam-scented forest; ephemeral spring flowers— Trout Lily, Carolina Springbeauty, and Dutchman’s Breech es—are budding beneath the unfolded trees. The passing of time is felt in the change of season, in the muddy, wet, blooming woods. For many of us, the Adirondacks serve as a backdrop for our personal journeys. Each trail conquered, each summit reached, each new flower identified becomes a milestone in our story of growth and self-discovery. What does it mean to take a decade, or a lifetime, to hike these mountains? Who were we when we started? Who are we now? In Talking Points, we time travel from Margaretville, NY, to the tops of fire towers and high peaks with Laurie Rankin, who shares her own personal journey of self-discovery from her early years as the daughter of a fire tower observer to her present role as president of the 46ers. Discover how a tower bird educated Laurie on the nature of time. By the time you receive this issue, Laurie will have handed the reins over to Dave Pawlick. Thanks for stepping up Laurie and Dave and supporting the 46ers! The mountains we climb were formed over millions of years. As we climb them, we’re forced to reflect on our own place within time. In “The Foolishness of Youth,” Phil

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TALKING POINTS Sherry Roulston, #12512, with Laurie Rankin, #5525WV

All important ideas must include the trees, the mountains, and the rivers. —Mary Oliver

All photos courtesy of Laurie Rankin

I n early March, Kim and I met up with Laurie Rankin, the president of the Adirondack 46ers. Laurie tells us she’s recovering from a cold she caught while on a sledding date with her five youngest “grand baby girls,” ages 2 to 11. Although the kids were sick, they were undeterred and came to visit anyway. Laurie says they were very deter mined, and all had a great day: “We take them out all the time.” Obviously, visiting grandma means special times outdoors! Laurie is the thirty-second president of the orga nization and the ninth female to hold this position since it was founded in 1948—May 30 to be exact. If you search Google, you will discover that Laurie is featured on sever al mountaineering podcasts and has been the subject of articles recognizing her community service and volunteer efforts. She’s not your average grandma; she’s more like a grandmother on steroids. Laurie is a Northeast 115er and among the first to become a Winter NE 115er. She is also a Rip Van Winkle gridder of 420 mountains, a director of the New York State Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Asso ciation, a New York State Outdoorsman Hall of Famer, and A Conversation with Laurie Rankin, #5525WV

a summer/winter Catskill 3500 Club member—in fact, she is currently a Catskill 3500 hike leader and was the Club’s secretary for 17 years. Laurie’s hiking accomplishments also include having completed the Northville–Placid Trail, the Cranberry Lake loop, the French Louie loop, and at least 27 rounds of the 3500 mountains. Laurie was a trail maintainer, and lean-to maintainer for 15 years for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Finally, let me not forget to mention that Laurie is a winter 46er! Laurie’s story begins as a girl growing up in Mar garetville, NY, in the center of the Catskill Mountains. She was one of five children, second from the top. Laurie’s father, Larry Baker, was a fire tower observer on Balsam Lake Mountain from 1958 to 1972 during which time Lau rie indulged in nature, exploring the forest and spending most of her time outdoors. We were excited to chat with Laurie about her life, becoming an avid hiker and a dedicated advocate for the conservation of wild places as well as her role and vision as the president for the Adirondack 46ers.

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young. We climbed up the tower and there was an ob server in it. Suddenly, we heard something smashing against the tower and we all started screaming. The ob server burst out laughing and showed us his arm hanging out the window. He was hitting the side of the cab and trying to spook us. We all signed the book that was in the tower for climbers to sign and I thought that was the cool est thing. LR: My father certainly greeted visitors all the time and provided them with information on where the nearest lean-tos were. He made sure visitors had the proper gear and were prepared for the hike. He also went out on trail crew when it was wet. If he worked trail crew in the valley where we lived, he would just bushwhack home when the day was done instead of riding down the mountain with the guys. Many times, on his hike home, he found beauti ful spots deep in the woods that he just had to show us, and he would tell my mother to pack a dinner picnic so he could take us there. My mother was always prepared and ready to go. One spring picnic, I remember my dad had found this old foundation in the woods with a beauti ful rhubarb patch. So off we went to find the spot with a picnic dinner, which was probably peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We cut rhubarb and brought it home for pies and jam. Thirty-five years later, I asked my dad if he could find that spot again and off we went. We hiked up the mountain trail, and right before reaching the lean-to, my dad turned and walked into the woods and right to that spot. That's how well he knew the woods and felt comfortable in them. Another thing my dad and the other observers were involved in was search and rescue. Back in the 70s, I remember one search my dad went on for a lost little boy. They couldn’t find him, and I remember how sad my

Grace's house

SR: Tell us about your childhood and the impact your dad’s job as a fire tower observer had on your understanding of the woods and forest fires. LR: When I was a child we would go to the fire tower with my dad all the time. We knew when we were in the cab of the tower that he had a job to do. While we could talk, read books, and fly our paper airplanes out the window and re trieve them, if dad spotted smoke, or if a call came over the radio that another tower had spotted smoke, it was all business, and our jobs were to stay quiet. I understood he was there to protect the local communities and the forest, and it was an extremely important job. We didn’t take toys with us. We didn’t have to—we played outside. We talked to chipmunks that lived nearby and learned about the out doors and how to be kind to it. SR: What were some of the activities you saw your father do as an observer? LR: Observers gave out climbing cards. They’re like a business card that said that you had climbed the tower. I thought I was hot stuff because my father let me fill those cards out for hikers. I wrote the date, and he signed them. SR: I remember climbing Lyon Mountain when I was very

Laurie at Snake Rock

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dad and the observers were who gathered at our house. My mother told me how my father cried after they finally found the boy and he was deceased. SR: It’s easy to get turned around in the dense forest. We always hear stories about lost hikers and hunters each year. LR: I remember my dad responding to a plane crash and was involved in recovering the bodies. So, it wasn’t all positive or easy being an observer. People were count ing on you and it’s your job to help those people. It was extremely important work. Before my dad passed away in 2013, we got him up to the fire tower one last time. Since my dad couldn’t walk far anymore, a ranger with an ATV who had planned to pick up some old phone wire rode him up; the rest of us walked. It was a great day. SR: In John Freeman’s book, Views from on High , he states that the Balsam Lake Mountain fire tower was the first fire tower erected in New York State in 1887 by the Balsam Lake Club. The wooden tower burnt down in 1901 when it was hit by lightning and was rebuilt in 1905, and again in 1909 when the road and observers’ cab in was added. The tower was then replaced with a steel tower in 1919 and eventually abandoned in 1988. It has since been restored by volunteer efforts. Tell us about the Catskill Fire Project. LR: The Catskill Fire Tower project restored five towers within the Catskill Park starting in 1997. Local grassroot groups got together and raised money to restore the towers by holding square dances, having raffles, and all kinds of events within their community. One of these lo cal groups happened to be steel workers, so at Balsam Lake, they built a stainless steel roof. It's the only tower with a stainless steel roof in New York State. Then in 2000 they had a grand reopening of the tower. They restored the cabin and set it up as a museum with historical items. They have volunteer stewards on weekends from Memo rial Day through Columbus Day, which I've been part of for many years—seventeen, I think. SR: Do you have a favorite memory on top of Balsam Lake Mountain? LR: I remember my dad would drive us up in the Jeep. Be ing typical kids, we would ask, “Are we there yet?” Even tually, I was able to figure it out on my own because when ever we got close to the top, I would hear the tower bird sing. Later in life, I figured out it was a white-throated spar row. Of course, we’ve all heard that song on the tops of mountains in the Adirondacks and throughout the North east. As a little girl, I remember being so excited when I heard the tower bird because we were almost there.

SR: Do you have a favorite trail up Balsam Lake Mountain? LR: No, I think they're all special in different ways. SR: I understand your family likes to hunt. Have you al ways hunted? LR: Yes, hunting season is still a special time of the year for my family. We have a hunting camp that borders state land and I love walking around the mountain. I have so many memories of hunting with my father and now I get to hunt with my sons and my grandkids, as well as my young er brother and his daughter. Of my nine grandchildren, I've had the pleasure of hunting with my 17- and 19-year old. The nine grandkids range from 1 to 19 years old! SR: Wow! That’s a big gang! Do you have a memorable hunting story you’d like to share? LR: I do. I was hunting with my brother-in-law, Andy, and headed to Laurie’s Rock, which is a rock ledge named af ter me because it’s the first place I was able to go by my self on the mountain. It was a warm fall day, the sun was just starting to come out after the rain stopped, and the woods were dripping wet, which covered the sounds of our footsteps. From Laurie’s Rock you can see two levels below, so it's a great view for hunting. When I stepped up on the rock and looked down, I saw a mother bobcat and two kittens. They were cleaning up after the rainstorm. We stood there watching them for probably forty-five minutes and they never knew we were there. Eventually the kids got tired of cleaning and started playing. They tried to get their mom to play but she wasn’t interested and contin ued cleaning. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I have no pictures because there were no cell phones back then, just the memory with Andy. Another big event in my house growing up was opening day of fishing, April first, which was often cold and snowy. My mother would bake fresh bread the night before and bring a frying pan and a stick of butter with her. She would cook the native brook trout right near the stream where we caught them. They were so fresh and delicious! So, when my boys were growing up, I started doing the same thing. And, my goodness, my hands would freeze! But I did it. SR: Many of us know your husband, Tom Rankin. For those who don’t, Tom is also an avid, accomplished hik er and has completed the NE 115 and the Winter NE 115, as well as the winter 46. He is a past president for the Catskill 3500 Club, and the editor of the Catskill Trails , 5th edition. So, it makes perfect sense that you were married

[I]t wasn’t all positive or easy being an observer. People were counting on you and it’s your job to help those people. It was extremely important work.

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on top of a mountain. What’s your fa vorite memory of that day in 2007 on top of Whiteface? LR: That was a fantastic day. We chose not to hike up because we didn’t want to risk an injury on our wedding day. We had hiking friends that came up the slides and others on trails and then of course we had fam ily that drove up. My brother’s family from West Virginia had never been in the mountains of the Adirondacks before. They just loved the views. It was a beautiful, clear, cold day. Crisp! We wore our 46er t-shirts but had to have thermals underneath. It was so nippy! I have many great memories [of that day]. SR: Oh, yeah, it’s still cold in June on the mountain tops! How did you meet Tom? LR: We first met on a group hike to Southwest Hunter Peak with the 3500 Club in the Catskills. At the time we were with other spouses and were all hiking together as a group. I would never have remembered that hike if Tom hadn’t shown me a pic ture of all four of us years later and confirmed it was me. Years later, I was a hike leader and leading hikes in the Catskills when Tom and I hiked together again. SR: Together you and Tom are rais ing a blended family of five children and nine grandchildren. Did you ever imagine you would have nine grand children? LR: No way! I remember when the first one was expected, I called [be coming a grandparent] the “G-word,” and I didn't want anything to do with it. Then, I witnessed her birth, and just fell in love with her. She’s awe some. They are all awesome and they all call me Grandma. I love it. SR: When your boys were young, did you take them hiking and camping? LR: I did. Being outdoors was a pri ority. I will take responsibility for ru ining my younger son’s love of the woods for a few years though. When

the boys were about 6 and 8 years old, my older son was work ing on a merit badge for Boy Scouts and needed to hike a cer tain number of miles to earn the badge. So, of course we went to the Balsam Lake fire tower and took little brother along. At some point during the hike, little brother refused to go any farther. He had had enough. Well, fine, I told him. You just stay right here while we go to the top and when we get back you can tell us how many bears you saw. That got him moving all right; how ever, I really scared him. He loves hiking now, though! I still remem ber taking my older son to the Adiron dacks to hike for the first time when he

Tom and Laurie Rankin Winter 48 Finish on Mt. Adams in NH

back and climb the high peaks again for a few years, but then I really pur sued the 46. Camping was also a big thing in my family, so when my oldest son turned 18, he wanted to go camping for his birthday. Camping for us is the deep woods country kind of camp ing and I wasn’t feeling well at the time, but I went anyway. I was up all night long. It was fall, there was a full moon, and it was the noisiest night I've ever spent in the woods. Geese flew over all night long, honking, and the owls screeched and hooted over our heads continuously. There was so much noise and activity. That was how we spent my son’s eighteenth birthday. SR: An owl perched directly over my tent while camping on the NPT. I was just falling asleep when I heard the loudest HOOT, HOOT, HOOT! It sounded like it was sitting on top of the tent. It was glorious. I loved it!

was a teenager. I had started work ing on the fire tower challenge, so I was a little familiar with the area; however, I had never climbed a high peak before either. My son’s boss had climbed several and invited my son and me up to climb Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge. The boss’s mom lived on the road to the garden park ing lot. It was February. As we drove up that morning and across the Route 73 corridor, I looked up and saw Chapel Pond cliffs and basically told my son flat out, “Oh, no! If this is where we're supposed to go, I am not going.” We only finished Giant that day because of our condition ing but I’ll never forget the view from on top and the clear blue sky. I have always been somebody who prefers winter hiking, and as far as tackling that very first high peak in February, to me, it was almost more intimidat ing to drive there than it was to hike Giant. After that, I still had to get my boys through school, so I didn't come

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to show them the trails and the moun tains and it’s great to meet them again as volunteers. SR: Would leading hikes ever be some thing the 46ers would consider? LR: It's probably been talked about in the past, but it hasn't been talk ed about during my time as direc tor, vice president, or president. The 46ers want to re main an all-volun teer organization without having to spend money on staff or facilities. We’re geared to ward giving back with our trail crew work, our trailhead steward program, our outdoor skills workshop, our camper program,

involvement as the director of the New York State Chapter since 2014. LR: The FFLA is an international or ganization. It was founded in 1990 and involved researching current and past forest fire lookout sites, ground cabins and early forest fire detection methods. They have chapters across the United States, Canada, and Aus tralia. Their work promotes the pres ervation of fire towers as well as the history of those towers. The NYS chapter is an all-volunteer group, which works with NYSDEC and NYS Parks and private owners to restore and maintain the fire towers and their history. Our chapter is busy with over 100 members, which I'm thrilled about. When I came on board, we had about 40 members. Currently, we hold agreements on 13 fire tow ers in the state with New York and we have restored several towers to date and manage steward programs at four towers. Last year we started a pilot steward program at the Dickin son Hill Fire Tower, which we're go ing to continue to do this year. So, we do a lot of different things all related to the preservation of fire towers and their history. SR: Tell us about the annual fire tow er lighting ceremony? Do you attend every year? Is it something you help to coordinate? LR: The annual fire tower lighting cer emony began in the Catskills at Red Hill Fire Tower in 2014 as a sugges tion from the coordinator, Doug Ham ilton. I was at Balsam Lake the first year and it was wonderful—a fantas tic way to connect with the local com munities. Everyone gathers where there is a view of one of the fire tow ers and watches as the cabs light up from 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.! This year it will be held on Saturday, August 31. It reminds us of the reasons these towers were put there: to protect the local community, their homes, and the forest from fires. It was never intended to happen again after the first ceremony, so I suggested that we continue it with the FFLA and this year will mark its eleventh anniversa ry. When I think of the fires in Texas

H

Tell us about your involvement with the Catskill 3500 Club. You were the secretary for seventeen years and you are still a hike leader to this day. How does the club differ from the Ad irondack 46ers? LR: I think the organization is very sim ilar to the 46ers, perhaps on a much smaller scale. Like ours, it is all volun teer and made up of people who just love what they're doing. They really care about the mountains and en joy hiking and giving back by doing whatever they can to improve them. I think it's a fantastic organization. The one big difference between the clubs is the 3500 Club leads hikes. I really enjoy being a hike leader. Although now I'm so busy with other volunteer work, I mostly lead hikes during the winter. I enjoy meeting new people. Sometimes we get critical about out siders—I've gone there a few times myself—but for the most part I’ve met fantastic people and I'm happy

correspondence program, and our Adopt-a-Highway program. So, I'm not sure there is an advantage in pro viding guided hikes. We provide edu cational resources for someone who wants to get started on the hikes, but I don't know that we would benefit by growing the organization in this way when there are over 800 finishers per year. That would really expand our volunteer needs tremendously and, currently, we could use more help from volunteers. We’ve discussed hiring paid employees many times; however, we’re focused on using our member dues and donations strictly for the biggest return of good it can do for the mountains. We do pay for a web service now because one per son cannot realistically open all the envelopes with member dues each year; growth has made it impossible. That was a big step forward for us. SR: Tell us about the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA) and your

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your son was your first high peak and you finished on Rocky Peak Ridge solo. What do you remember from that day? LR: Well, I didn't have a cell phone back then so there are no selfies. For my last trip I needed to do Mar cy, Iroquois, Rocky Peak Ridge, and Colden to complete the 46. My goal was to finish on Marcy at sunrise. I love the fall of the year when it starts to get colder, so I took a week off in October. Like many Octobers, at the higher elevations, there’s snow, and that was the case this year. I started up Colden first and met some guys as I was going up, they were coming down and told me, “You're not go ing to make it, conditions are bad.” I had my full crampons so I told them I would be OK. I made it, but it was kind of scary by myself, and I changed my mind about doing Marcy alone in the dark in icy conditions. So, the next day I did Marcy instead of saving it for last. I went through deep snow and hard ice and was fine with my crampons. Then I decided that since I had started on Giant, I’d end on Rocky Peak Ridge. It was winter up high that year in October, and there was serious deep snow between Iroquois and Boundary. So, after fin ishing my 46, I was just glad in many ways that I had survived the week! I felt a sense of accomplishment when I touched that cairn on top of Rocky

right now, I wonder if fires like those could ever happen in New York. The fire towers could be used for spotting fires again if needed. I think preserv ing their history is important. SR: I saw Hurricane Mountain tower

Foresters, and Forest Rangers to make this possible. How does it feel to have received this award? LR: I was humbled to receive this conservation award. It’s wonderful

[T]he fire towers certainly were an integral part of preserving the forests that we see today because the towers protected them from major wildfires. I like the fact that I am recognized as a conserva tionist. That's important to me.

light up last year; I was blown away. Gary Lee, retired New York State ranger, nominated you for the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame Award that you received. I quote him here saying, If you have climbed fire towers in New York State, you have been able to enjoy some of Laurie’s work. [She has done work] building on the trail sys tems and repairing the tow ers themselves, so you could again get a view from the tower cab. For several years she has organized volunteers to work on these trails and towers, so others could enjoy them after the state abandoned them. . . . [She has worked] in coopera tion with the DEC Operations,

to know that Gary thinks highly of my work preserving the fire towers and would nominate me for it. The award recognizes those who have made contributions within the community to preserve the heritage and con servation of outdoor sports. And, of course, the fire towers certainly were an integral part of preserving the for ests that we see today because the towers protected them from major wildfires. I like the fact that I am rec ognized as a conservationist. That's important to me, and I appreciate that he did that. SR: Let’s talk about your time hik ing the 46 high peaks. The records show that you achieved 46er status on October 22, 2004. As you men tioned, the trip up Giant in 1999 with

Winter on Katahdin in ME; Two Left for 115

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Peak Ridge. It felt even better when I got back to the car because the con ditions were not ideal. And, oh yeah, I did enjoy a 46er Pale Ale when I made it back to the car! Then I had to find some thing else to do. I had fallen in love with the mountains, so I decided I’d come back in winter, and start my winter 46. As you mentioned, I did hike solo for [the hike up Rocky Peak Ridge] and most of the 46. I complet ed twelve high peaks with a partner and the rest were solo. I don't want to be hypocritical; I know we always tell people they should hike with others for safety; however, there are plenty of hikers who prefer hiking solo and back then, it’s what I did. I truly felt that I had the skills. I grew up in the mountains, my family backwoods camped regularly, and I had already completed the 3500 mountains and the fire towers. I also researched my hikes thoroughly, so I felt very com fortable. SR: I meet plenty of solo hikers, and if they are experienced and prepared, I’m always impressed. Many are on their second and third rounds of the 46. LR: I know when I solo hike, I'm much more focused in the woods. When I go with somebody else, I'm distract ed chatting and doing things with them. But when I'm by myself, I'm very focused on everything from foot placement to trail directions and my surroundings. I was working on the fire tower challenge when I started the 46. My first trip into the Santan onis was solo. On my way up I did the Hurricane Mountain fire tower. Then I drove to Corey's Road and camped out the night and climbed the three Santas the next day. It rained all day. I camped out again that night. My boots were soaked. Water was ev erywhere. The next day I did Sey mour, and when I came out, I was planning on another night of camp ing and then just said, “No,” and packed up. Later, I questioned myself about leaving early because I had used vacation days from work. So, on the way home I decided to hike Belfry Mountain fire tower. I hiked in

my sneakers, because it was the only dry footwear I had. It was one of the hardest towers that I've ever done! I was so tired from the three previous days of hiking that little Belfry kicked my butt. SR: Wow, that's impressive. I’ve never camped out alone in the mountains. Is it a bit scary? LR: No, it's just different. I love the night sounds, and I usually sleep really well. My dad always told me there's nothing out there in the night time that isn't out there in the day time. SR: What is your favorite high peak? LR: My favorite mountain anywhere is the last mountain I was on. They all have redeeming qualities. They re ally do, except for Giant one day in winter. SR: Why, what happened? LR: This is when I started the winter 46. Usually, I hate for a day to end when I'm out hiking, but this day was the worst. Giant was a sheet of ice. I had my full crampons on, of course. I got up to the summit fine, but I knew coming down was going to be awful and it was! I was on the ridge trail and had to let myself down over the ledge rocks so slowly. In the dry weather you would hardly notice these spots. But on this day, it was frightening, and I knew I was going to fall. There was just so much ice, even with my full crampons on it was hard to get a grip going down. I held on to the trees for dear life. Their branches had already been trimmed down to

you do those solo? LR: That was a very different journey for me. I did start my winter journey solo, but after I met Tom, we com pleted them together. We got in sync with each other by duplicating some hikes. The winter hikes were hard; I’d probably say that up to that date, it was the hardest thing I'd ever done. It's hard mentally as well as physical ly. The Santanonis took me four trips to get them in the winter. The first trip I only got Panther, the second trip I didn’t get any, and the third trip I got Santa and Panther. Finally on the fourth trip I got Couch. Winter is not easy. Redfield was tough. We got turned back on Cliff and they called the rangers on us. SR: Really? I can’t wait to hear this! LR: Tom and I liked to stay at a little B&B in Newcomb while we worked on our winter hikes. We’d come up on Friday nights after work. On this Friday night there was a storm, so it was quite late by the time we got to the B&B. We left early in the morning because we knew we were going to have to break trail and it was a long hike. So, we never saw the propri etors or left our itinerary with them. The morning temperature was cold, well below zero, and it took us a while to get adjusted to our layers and pace when we start ed out. We were working hard, and I remember getting close to Flowed Lands when Tom said, “Wow, listen to the robins.” He was in front, and I thought, “Oh my God, he's hypother mic.” We were far from the car at that point and all I could think about was how to get him out of the cold. I was

little nubs by oth er hikers. When I finally got down, I was covered in streaks of bruises on the inside of

My favorite mountain anywhere is the last mountain I was on. They all have redeeming qualities.

my arms. I just didn't want to let go of those trees. I couldn't wait to get off the mountain that day. I’ll never forget it. I never felt like that before. SR: How did you feel when you be came a winter 46er in 2007, and did

going to talk him out of going further when suddenly I heard the robins too. It turned out there were more mountain ash berries than usual that year. The robins were singing in the bushes and puffed up like pigeons. When we got to the false summit of

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Cliff it was close to 3:00 p.m. Tom said, “Thank God we're here.” And I said, “No, we're not, this is the false summit.” We had started well before 6 and the temperature was still below zero. Tom didn’t want to go farther, and we started to argue a bit. We de cided to keep going and started up the backside in the snow. It was so deep, and we were so tired. So, we finally turned back. We hated to throw in the tow el at that point, but the reality was we had to get out of there and we still had a long way to go. I grumbled all the way down the mountain, and we came out under the starlit sky. It was clear and very cold. We were not happy campers, but we got back to the car safely. As we started out from Upper Works Road, we saw head lights coming our way, which was surprising at this time of night. Then a revolving light on top of the vehicle made it clear we needed to pull over to the side of the road. It was a rang ers’ truck. [The driver] rolled down his window and asked, “Are you Tom Rankin?” We were stunned and im mediately thought a relative must have been injured or something bad had happened. When Tom replied, “Yeah,” the ranger smiled and said, “Thank God I don't have to get out of my warm truck to find you guys.” Turns out, the proprietors had gotten worried about us after the sun went down. They had assumed correctly that we had left from Upper Works and called the rangers. We always leave communications with my son

weeks later and again we got there before a snowstorm—a very big snowstorm this time—and the next morning the proprietors were up ear ly because they knew we were going to go to Allen to finish and they of fered us their four-wheel-drive truck to use. That's the kind of people they were. We thanked them but decided to stay where we were and hang out for the day. We hiked Allen the next day. SR: That's an exciting story. I had a similar experience hiking Rocky Peak Ridge to Giant. It was one of my first high peaks and there were plenty of lessons learned but, in the end, the ranger never had to leave his vehicle; he caught us as we were leaving the parking lot in the pitch black. My mother had made the call after it got dark. Bless those rangers! How much hiking do you do these days? LR: I hike at least twice a week if my time allows. I hike the Catskill high peaks, fire towers, and other shorter hikes like Mount Van Hoevenberg. My time hiking Adirondack high peaks is limited by other 46er responsibilities and the distance that I have to travel. Often a trip north now involves a DEC meeting, a press event, or something else that limits my time. We continue to visit other states in the northeast often such as New Hampshire where we did a couple of 4,000 footers last year and we do the Flags on the 48 annually in September. In Maine we’re in search of fire towers. We are

Kansas, and New Mexico state high points. So yes, I hope to continue to hike for a very long time! SR: Regarding volunteer service hours, you've got the VW after your 46er number, just kidding, the WV number. Not to be confused with the Volkswagen car company. When did you start volunteering for the 46ers and what kind of work did you do? LR: I started out by doing trail work with the trail crew right after I finished the 46 in 2004. I worked on so many wonderful projects. At the time we were felling trees with an ax and de barking them for bridges. I learned so many new skills. I did it every year and then I came upon the women's only work weekend, which is just a fabulous, empowering weekend! I was a director when we developed the Trailhead Steward program and I've been involved with that program since its development. In this world with all the information we have, nothing compares to the informa tion given to someone who is about to climb a high peak than the advice from a hiker who's already climbed it. Cascade is a fantastic hike with great views that attract thousands of visi tors each year and people think it’s an easy hike, but there’s been a lot of rescues and I believe that steward ing the trailhead has had a significant impact in reducing the number of incidents on the mountain. I think it is so valuable and I always love my days stewarding. Sometimes you say the same thing to a hundred people,

but it doesn't get old because they all have different needs. You learn very quickly not to prejudge people. They come from all different places, and you quickly discover that your first impression of them is

I always love my days stewarding. Sometimes you say the same thing to a hundred people, but it doesn't get old because they all have different needs. You learn very quickly not to prejudge people.

when we hike. He knows the moun tain we are doing, our route, our turnaround time, and when to expect to hear from us again. However, we were so grateful to the proprietors for their care and concern. We finished on Allen a few

also state high pointers, having com pleted 38 of them and our annual va cations often center around that goal. Last year we attended the western FFLA conference, visiting Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. The year be fore that we grabbed the Oklahoma,

wrong. I remember watching an old er couple coming down the stairs to Cascade. They were holding hands and helping one another along and I thought, oh my gosh, what are we go ing to do with these two? When they got down the stairs, they were so

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Women-Only Work Weekend Bridge Project, July 17, 2017

LR: We were a little surprised we didn't get more nominations. I would like to see more members involved in the process going forward. Again, it was the initial year, so people need to learn more about it and present ing the first award will help spread the news. I would say that if you think there is someone who meets the criteria, don't hesitate to nominate them. SR: Is only one person from the list of nominations picked each year? LR: No, people are chosen based upon the criteria, and there could be more than one person a year based on feedback from the recognition committee. SR: You started as president in May 2021, not quite a year after the pan demic infiltrated our lives. How was the organization impacted by the pandemic? LR: We were impacted in a couple of different ways. One of them was by

happy to see us. What are you guys doing here, they wanted to know. As we explained what we were doing, they listened with a twinkle in their eyes while never letting go of each other's hand. Then they told us it was their anniversary and they have been coming here for over 40 years. They told us they only walk a little way up the trail now each year. They were back in half an hour, just as happy as could be. It’s great to connect with so many wonderful people. SR: As a director, you were recog nized in 2019 with a Founder’s Award. What made you decide to become a director? LR: I didn't decide at all; I was asked. I felt that if I could help then I would do my best to help. So, I said yes. I learned how complex this organiza tion is as a director and that every one works together as a group for the good of the Adirondacks, the or ganization, and the hikers. It was easy to step into the position and help. The biggest thing

I think I got involved in as the direc tor was the Grace Peak celebration when we renamed the peak and or ganized a celebratory event. SR: If someone wanted to become a director, how would you recommend they go about it? LR: I think they should reach out to someone within the organization that they know and express their interest. I feel everybody has unique talents and skills that can be used to help the 46ers. We need more volunteers and there is something for everyone to do here. SR: The Founders Award was recent ly replaced by the new President's Award, and the first awardees will be presented this year. Award cri teria and details related to nominat ing candidates can be found on the website at adk46er.org/adirondack 46ers-presidents-award. How did the first go-round with this recogni tion program go?

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be outdoors while giving back to the local community. We want newcomers to take care of our mountains and our trails and our local communities when they visit. So, we welcome them, and we want them to continue to visit in the future. I think in the end a lot of good came from it. SR: Is there a program or event that has advanced the organization during your time as president that you are most proud of? LR: We have several organizations ask us for funds. Dur ing my term, one of the things that we did was to formalize the donation process, and now we have a system in place with specific guidelines for requesting funds. Guidelines related to the time of year these requests need to be submitted, as well as other criteria related to the use of the funds. This helps us to budget and choose organiza tions that are aligned with our values. We have a fantastic board of directors, and this is all done as a team. It is not just me. This was the first year we used the process, and it worked quite well. SR: What would you say as president are your biggest challenges today? LR: I think our biggest challenge is trying to get more vol unteers. If everybody would think about their skill set and what they might do to help in some way, we could double, triple, quadruple the number of volunteers that we have. People think that to work with the trail crew, you must be able to manhandle logs or a two-man crosscut saw, but you don’t! Do you like to bake? If so, then meet the trail crew in the parking lot and give them cookies! It all helps. I believe that overcoming this [type of misperception] is the biggest challenge we need to work on. SR: I remember there was a time that people were dis cussing making volunteering part of the requirement for becoming a 46er. Does that topic come up anymore? LR: Yes, it does come up from time to time and there are a couple of things that make it difficult. One problem is the more volunteers you have, the more volunteers you need to organize them. For example, we have 100 trail head stewards, and a volunteer currently spends their time scheduling these 100 volunteers for roughly 40 weeks a year. Last year we had over 800 finishers. If we require each finisher to volunteer, then our volunteers would have to manage all of that and that would be a hu mongous task. That's one side of the coin; the other is that we’ve been very fortunate and completely blessed by having volunteers who want to do what they're doing. They step forward happily with an open heart and mind. We don't want to have volunteers that come to a trail crew outing unhappy and complaining they had to be here to get the patch. They could pull down the whole group and ruin all the fun.

Grandchildren Payton and Damon on Summit of Panther Peak in the Catskills

the guidance provided by the New York State Depart ment of Health, which recommended people go outside, saying it was a safe place and a healthy thing to do. Nor mally we follow the New York State Department of Envi ronmental Conservation (DEC) guidance. So, when DEC says the trails are muddy, you shouldn't be out there, then we say the trails are muddy, you shouldn’t be out there. However, during the pandemic the DEC followed what the New York State Department of Health said, and no one expected to see the record number of people we saw that year in the Adirondacks and local stores. So, then the guidance became “recreate outside close to home.” Well, what does close to home mean? To you it may mean down the street where you can walk to it, but to another per son it may mean within a day's drive, and that created a bit of contention. The question was asked if we should stop counting people's hikes during the pandemic. There was internal discussion about that and, in the end, we felt like we had to do what New York State was saying to do. If New York State hadn’t closed the trails and they were saying go outdoors, we couldn't change that. It was dur ing this period we realized, as did other organizations, that there was a huge need for more outdoor education to teach how to recreate outdoors safely and responsi bly. We didn’t have our trail crews or trailhead stewards out there at first. We didn't know if we could keep them safe. There were a lot of things happening and we weren’t meeting for our dinners, annual gatherings, or even hav ing board meetings. That was when we started meeting on Zoom. We'd never had virtual meetings before. SR: You became Zoom experts! LR: Oh, yeah! In the end, we realized how important it is to welcome and educate people visiting the Adirondacks. It started some more programs like Adopt-a-Highway, which also presented another opportunity for people to

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