LOCALadk Magazine

One of Russ's adopted lean-tos is Cold River #3. It is among the first five open camps along the Northville-Placid Trail. Built in 1922, it is also one of the oldest, and predates lean-tos constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. A lean-to adopter since 2015, Russ's favorite part of volunteering is hearing back from those who have visited "his" lean-tos. "I put my email address and contact information in each log book," says Russ. "Every once in a while, I'll get a message from someone saying how great their experience at the lean-to was." e Adopt a Lean-to Program has increased in popularity over the years, so much so that there are oen more folks who would like to adopt a lean-to than there are available lean-tos, says Tom Hart, volunteer coordinator for the program. "One of our volunteers has been with the program for 37 years. I think what is interesting is that nearly every one of these lean-tos has its own unique heritage. ere are volunteers who became an adopter because their grandparents were married on the site, or the lean-to was meaningful because it was rebuilt as part of an Eagle Scout project, or the lean-to has been passed on from generation to generation. ere are deep roots and stories to a lot of these lean-tos." As volunteer coordinator, Tom is responsible for sending in the data collected from the lean-to adopters. at data is then used to prioritize what work will be scheduled for the following year. e ADK depends on this information when they plan their funding for upcoming back-country projects. e DEC also relies heavily on information provided by the program's volunteers, as they do not have enough personnel in the field to monitor or maintain the lean-tos. Why would someone want to become a lean-to adopter? "e No. 1 reason people do this is for the opportunity to give back," says Tom. "A lot of people come to the Adirondack Park and become a 46'er [someone who climbs all 46 High Peaks], or they climb a single mountain or find a particular trail they like and realize they want to give back. Becoming a lean-to adopter offers them the opportunity to give back in a unique fashion. Plus, it gives folks a reason to come back and feel like they have contributed to the Park in a meaningful way." If you would like to learn more about adopting a lean-to, you can read about the lean-to lottery in the winter issue of LOCALadk magazine or check Adirondack Mountain Club's website at https:// adk.org. e lottery is closed for this year but will open again next spring. Still hankering to give back to the Adirondack Park we love so much? Keep checking the ADK website for information on how to adopt a trail or view the volunteer opportunities, which range from single-day campsite restoration to five-day projects. Back at my adopted lean-to, I cleaned up our cups of tea, placed my camping stove back in its container, and stowed them into my backpack. We walked up to the privy to check on its condition and noted a few minor repairs I could tackle the next time I hiked in. One final check of the paperwork and a last look at the lean-to and we grabbed our poles and started back up the path toward the parking lot. As we rounded the pond, I glimpsed back through the trees at my lean-to standing proud and tall, waiting to welcome the next group of campers. LOCALadk 41

• Cover