Adirondack Peeks Summer 2025

TALKING POINTS A Conversation with Tony Goodwin, #211

And gladly would he learn and gladly teach. —Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

Photo by Nancie Battaglia of Tony with a wheel, used to illustrate an article on the publication of Tony’s first edition of the High Peaks guide.

Sherry Roulston, #12512 I f you’re like me, for years I had heard about Tony Goodwin, #211, but I had never met him. I was aware that his father, Jim Goodwin, #24, was one of the first editors of PEEKS magazine and he had helped edit many of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) guidebooks. After passing a sign on Porter Mountain, I learned that Jim had cut the trail to Little Porter in 1924 at the age of fourteen. As for Tony, I knew he wrote the ADK guidebook that I was using to climb my 46, and he edited the ADK map I was using as well. I knew he was the town historian for Keene, wrote numerous articles in magazines sharing his knowledge of day hikes and ski trails and always advocated for trail access. He also wrote the entertaining “Accident Report” in the Adirondac magazine—a report that I, among others, feared being listed on. “Do that and you’ll end up on Tony’s Report!” was a common message shared among friends. What I didn’t know about Jim and Tony was that between father and son they helped on all the ADK guidebooks from the sixth edition to the current fifteenth edition, covering almost 70 years of guidance through the Adirondack High Peaks region with Tony taking the lead from the eleventh edition on. Both father and son graduated from Williams College, Jim with a BA in English

and Tony in History. Jim received an MA in English at Harvard University and Tony an MA in History at Plattsburgh State College. Together the men led the Adirondack Trail Improvement Society (ATIS) over 45 years with Jim serving as President for two terms (1975–1980 and 1982–1987) and Tony serving as director for 35 years beginning in 1986. Jim also took on the newly formed role of trailmaster for the 46ers in the spring of 1978 while Tony was the leader of ADK’s first professional trail crew in 1979. Together, the pair have been maintaining trails throughout the high peaks over two lifetimes. There was so much more I wanted to know. So, on March 21, just days after Tony returned from a three-week jaunt overseas, Kim and I met up with him, seeking to unravel the details of his journey to the high peaks—and most importantly his lessons learned over the years.

Together, the pair have been maintaining trails throughout the high peaks over two lifetimes.

SUMMER 2025 | 5