First Kayaks On The Lake?

Photo Credit: Judy Batson

While we’ve spotted a few boats zipping up and down the lake this weekend, we are pretty sure we were among the first – if not the very first – to put in our kayaks Friday and take advantage of the warm sun kissed afternoon.

We put in just south of Witherbee’s and paddled across to a sandy beach on the east side of the lake, enjoyed a few moments improving our tans, before heading back. The wind made our return a slightly choppy ride. And if your venturing out so early in the season, make sure you are wearing a life preserver, ABC "Anything But Cotton" and be extremely mindful of just how cold the water temperature is.

If you don't, the consequences can be deadly, warns John Warren, of the Adirondack Almanack

And finally this week, a reminder that everyone in boats under 21 feet in length, regardless of age, are required by state law to wear a personal flotation device through May 1st. While daytime temperatures may reach into the 50s, waters temperatures remain in the mid to lower 30s and the danger of hypothermia and drowning from falling into cold water is elevated.

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Hoffman Notch Fishing: Access For All

Don Sage, the President of the Schroon Lake Fish and Game Club, is making a passionate plea to reopen to off road vehicles the old trials leading to the ponds of Bailey, Marion, Big and North.

In a letter to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, published on February 23, Sage says that opening the old roads in the Hoffman Notch area will not only allow sportsmen to have easier access, but will also make the NY DEC compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hoffman Notch should be more accessible

To The editor:

Re: Hoffman unit access:

As the state Adirondack Park Agency and Department of Environmental Conservation look to expand the use of the Hoffman area, we, the sportsmen, request designated routes to the fishing ponds be opened for off-road vehicles. Roads already exist to these ponds: Bailey, Marion, Big and North. DEC policy of denying boats left at these ponds, forcing anglers to carry in and carry out each day, greatly reduces their time to fish. Early morning and late afternoon fishing will not be allowed as time must be spent lugging prams, rowboats, etc., back and forth, in and out daily. The establishing of a designated corridor following the old town roads for off-road vehicles will allow the anglers to spend more time enjoying their sport.

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Schroon Lake To Mother Nature: Bring It!

With the potential for up to a foot of snow, rest assured that your reliable town Highway Department is at the ready to give back as good as it gets from Ma Nature.

That’s the message from councilman Roger Friedman, who we spoke with late Wednesday at the very beginning stages of the storm.

“It’s been flaking all day, with nothing sticking, but the best is yet to come. We are bracing for a long snowy couple of days.” Roger told us.

And the Highway Department is primed and ready.

“One of the miracles of Schroon Lake ever since I have been here is the Highway Department and their ability to clear the roads, no matter if it's inches or feet”.

Roger, an avid skier, says the smart money is on skiers from the area all assembling Friday at 8.30 am at the gondola at Gore Mountain, for the first run of the day.

“With the amount of snow that’s predicted, it’s going to be a glorious day. I urge everyone take a day off Friday and come ski."

A Big, Bad Storm, Comin’ Our Way?

Go figure: It’s almost Spring, we’ve had a winter with barely a dusting of the white stuff, so it makes sense that we could be in for a Monster of a storm?

At least that’s what’s being predicted by the National Weather Service starting as early as Wednesday night.

Wednesday: Snow likely, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 30. Calm wind becoming east between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Snow. Low around 25. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Thursday: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after noon. High near 33. Southeast wind between 7 and 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before 8pm. Cloudy, with a low around 23. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Got plans for a potential snow day on Thursday? Tell us in comments.

Ice Boating and Schroon Lake

We recently reported on ice boating on Schroon Lake, after reader Tom Fallon sent us the above photo of a sail boat gliding over our frozen lake at quite a clip. This was the first ice boat we'd seen and our interest was piqued about this unusual winter sport. Now reader Bill Bernhard shares with us some history of ice boating  -- both here in Schroon and the sports origins.

For those of you who might be interested, the iceboat pictured is known as a South Bay Scooter. They had their origin in the early 1900's as a working class boat for Bay Men on the Great South Bay of Long Island NY. What makes them unique compared to a typical Ice Boat is that they have no tiller or rudder. They are steered by trimming the Jib and Mainsail along with shifting the weight of the crew. There also is no runner or blade typical of most ice boats, instead they have strips of metal on the bottom of the hull. Lastly and most importantly they will float and sail like a normal soft water sailboat when the ice gives way or runs out. They are still actively raced today. 
On the south end of Schroon Lake there are three more conventional iceboats sailing until the snow comes.