Adirondack Mountain Club
The Adirondack Mountain Club, founded in 1922 to protect and encourage responsible recreational use of wild lands and waters in New York, boasts 35,000 members in 26 chapters. Members receive discounts on ADK workshops, facilities, merchandise and outings, as well as the satisfaction that they are helping to preserve the land for future generations. Outings encompass a wide variety of outdoor skills from hiking, climbing and canoeing to skiing, snowshoeing and ongoing trail maintenance.
Other activities are more self-directed. For example, the Kids on the Trail Challenge, based on the book of the same name by Rose Rivezzi and David Trihart, encourages families to participate in sixteen of the described hikes and earn a patch. The Fire Tower Challenge, based on John Freeman’s Views from on High, similarly encourages individuals to enjoy the lesser-known fire tower trails.
Visit: www.adk.org.
-Laura Clark
Adirondack Pirate Paddlers
Adirondack Pirate Paddlers is a non-profit club open to all paddlers interested in cruising our lakes and coastlines. The mission of the Pirate Paddlers is to encourage and support recreational paddling opportunities within and outside New York’s Adirondack region, as well as network members, plan trips, highlight launch sites and emphasize safety.
Adirondack Pirate Paddlers has frequently planned day trips during all four seasons on the various Adirondack flat waters. Our trips encourage the use of sea kayaks and at least spray covers because of distances covered and extreme conditions which may be encountered (wind, waves, rain and snow). Our prime goal is to have fun. All paddlers can join us on our trips with the full understanding that each paddler is responsible for their own safety.
Visit: www.adirondackpiratepaddlers.org
Northern New York Paddlers & Schenectady Wintersports Club
In the warm weather, Schenectady Wintersports Club membership entitles you to participate in the Northern New York Paddlers for hiking, biking and canoeing activities. The SWC was founded in 1933 for the purpose of organizing a snow train from the Capital District to North Creek. Today, as part of the New York Capital District Ski Council, its 600 members are eligible to compete in Council alpine skiing giant slalom and ski board events, and enjoy discounts at downhill and Nordic resorts throughout New York and New England.
Meetings are held every other week from September to November and January to April at the Sons of Italy Hall in Schenectady. Each meeting includes a featured speaker.
Visit: www.swcweb.org.
-Laura Clark
St. Lawrence Valley Paddlers
St. Lawrence Valley Paddlers was formed in 1993 to promote all types of paddling, including recreational, tripping and racing, in both flatwater and whitewater conditions. In the winter, members perfect their skills with pool kayaking and canoeing clinics. From April to September, a Wednesday evening club paddle is held at various sites on the St. Lawrence waterways.
May and June feature “Whitewater Tuesdays” adventures, while canoe and kayak events for kids are held on July evenings. Flatwater races are held May to August and attract quality competition from all over the country and Canada, as well as local athletes and family teams. While detailed information on club activities is provided in the member newsletter, basic facts can be found at www.slvpaddlers.org.
-Laura Clark
