LOCALadk Magazine

As a kid I grew up loving winter. My parents enjoyed winter and shared their enthusiasm with me and my siblings. I learned to downhill ski at McCauley Mountain in Old Forge when I was 4 years old. We had a great sledding hill in our backyard and would spend endless hours building jumps and trying to outdo each other in speed and heights achieved. My dad had a few old snowmobiles that he let us drive around the neighboring golf course, usually towing a sibling or two on a sled. We lived four blocks from the public skating rink, where we would meet up with friends and skate for hours. Today I embrace winter with the same enthusiasm I did when I was a young kid. Winter in the Adirondacks is like a blank canvas. ere are endless ways to enjoy the snow and make your own tracks. LOCALadk always tries to show several ways people in the Adirondacks embrace the winter months; we hope it entertains and inspires you as well. In this issue we share the thoughts of several ice fisherman. ey discuss different styles of ice fishing, targeting different species, being safe on the ice, and offer some tips on where to cut a hole and try your luck. We hear from two hiking partners confronted by an unexpected winter storm while hiking the High Peak Gothics. How working as a team, keeping a level head, and most importantly, being prepared, keeps them from possibly needing to launch a rescue. With rescues on the rise and more people entering the backcountry unprepared, we hope this story makes people think twice and plan ahead. e new director of the Paul Smith's College Visitor Information Center gives us the highlights of what fun winter activities can be enjoyed this year. ere are miles of beautifully groomed trails for classic and skate skiing as well as snowshoeing trails and lots of opportunities to view wildlife. A fun and affordable place to enjoy being in the woods. We also want to acknowledge all those hard-working folks who get up early or stay up late to make snow and then groom beautiful tracks for all of us to enjoy. ey don't oen get the recognition they deserve, so we hope that by sharing some photos of their hard work, our readers will find ways to let them know we appreciate what they do. ose topics and more are covered in our winter issue. As always, we hope you enjoy the stories and photos and support the businesses that support us. Have a great winter and start making your own tracks, however you do it. A M E S S A G E F R O M A N N E LOCALadk LOCALadk 7 Happy Winter, Anne Owner/Editor

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