Adirondack Peeks Winter 2024

money to help some of the boys in the troop go to the Boy Scout’s Camp Bedford in the summer. SR: You were a licensed guide for about 30 years and taught wilderness recreation at Plattsburgh State as an ad junct professor. Did you ever guide hikes? PC: I only guided one person who was a prestigious bank er from Florida. My camp friend, Eddie Palin, knew I was retired and thinking about guiding, so he hired me to lead this banker. Eddie said he would pay me $150.00—I get to climb a mountain and get paid to do it! This climber loved the outdoors and was a lot of fun to hike with. It was such a great experience because of his enthusiasm. Turns out he needed to climb 17 high peaks to become a 46er and he asked if I’ll guide him, this time without going through Ed die. Eddie had no problem with it. What a party he threw on top of Whiteface when he became a 46er! He rented three bed and breakfasts and ten rooms at the Ausable Club. He supplied all the meals and a trout and filet mignon banquet for all his guests. It was neat to be part of it. SR: During your years as vice president and president what were the significant issues of the time? PC: During the late 1970s the 46ers were forced to defend their existence. The canisters were becoming an issue, membership was increasing, and there was the question of whether the 46ers were negatively impacting the woods. The first all-46er volunteer trail crew was just getting go ing. While I was vice president, Jim Goodwin, #24, made a motion at the Spring ‘78 meeting to formalize the task force that Ketch had organized, and the motion passed, which established the 46er trail crew. Jim Goodwin took over the newly created position of Trailmaster. Soon after I became president, we were faced with losing access to Allen and the Santanonis from the traditional routes because the trails were on Finch Pruyn land. The paper company leased land to private hunt ing and fishing clubs that didn’t want any trespassing. Jim Goodwin was instrumental in reaching an agree ment with Richard Nason, Finch Pruyn’s chief woodlands manager and Tom Monroe, DEC’s Region 5 Director, and ultimately flagged two new routes. One from the end of Finch property up to Panther Ridge and another from Twin Brook Lean-to to state land. I worked on these two trails. SR: The Adirondack 46ers have published four books over the last 66 years: The Story of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers (1958), The Adirondack High Peaks (1970), Of the Summits, of the Forests (1991), and Heaven Up-h’isted-ness! The His tory of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers and the High Peaks of the Adirondacks (2011). You’ve written chapters in the lat est two publications titled “The Changing Role of the Ad irondack Forty-Sixers” (1991) and “Santanoni, Panther, and Couchsachraga” (2011). In addition, you’ve written numer ous articles for PEEKS magazine. What motivates you to write?

Why We Climb!

#46 for Jay and Mark, Ages 11 and 9

Whiteface on Skis

#30 on Haystack with Jim King, #2304W

14 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS