Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

Ron Konowitz #487V SKI - Photo credit Gabe Dickens

A Toast to Evelyn Schaefer Greene #110 Written by Barbara Marshall, daughter-in-law to George Marshall #2 Read by Ron Konowitz #487V SKI at the 100th Year Celebration of the First Climbing of the 46 Peaks

A toast to Evelyn Schaefer Greene, 46er #110. We lost Evelyn in May of this year. Her first High Peak was Mount Marcy in 1950 at the age of 10. She completed the 46 six years later. While her father, Paul Schaefer, was involved in his advocacy for Adirondack wilderness preservation her mother, Carolyn, determined that she would lead all her children to become 46ers. Some may remember Carolyn as the owner of Ma Schaefer’s Skyline Outfitters in Keene. Evelyn was a botanist, keen observer of all things wild and fierce protector of the wilderness. The Schaefer and Marshall families’ connections run deep and continue through the present day. It began in 1932 when Paul happened to be on the summit of Mount Marcy and encountered Bob Marshall on one of his multi high peaks hikes. That meeting was brief but important. It resulted in Bob saying to Paul, “We simply must band together — all of us who love the wilderness. We must keep in contact.” In 1945 Paul attended an organizational dinner for the Adirondack Mountain Club in New York City. He was introduced to George Marshall by Russ Carson. George mentioned seeing maps regarding the damming of the Moose River Plains. Paul had not heard that before but went on to lead the grassroots campaign that saved the Plains and many other areas from being flooded.

They remained friends, and through George and Howard Zahnhiser’s work with the Wilderness Society, Paul’s work took on a national scale. Fast forward to the last few decades during which George’s son Roger and Paul’s daughter Evelyn formed a deep friendship. Roger and his wife enjoyed many outings with Evelyn exploring geological formations, ice meadows and bogs. She will be sorely missed. A trail that runs from the train depot in North Creek along the Hudson River that Evelyn helped to create will now be known as the Evelyn Schaefer Greene trail.

Barbara Smorgans Marshall and Roger Marshall, son of George Marshall, Ron Konowitz #487V SKI

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