LOCALadk Magazine

65 Fall 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Erik Schlimmer has authored another book about names in the Adirondacks. Among the Cloud Splitters, Place Names of High Peaks Wilderness Area is his fifth book. Erik has a passion for hiking in the Adirondacks and an almost obsession with the history and lore behind the names given to peaks, water sourc- es and trails. Erik also loves research. He has spent countless days hiking and camping in the Adirondacks. Feeling under ed- ucated on the history of the park he was inspired by the book, Forest and Crag by Guy and Laura Waterman. He wanted to learn more behind the intriguing names of the places he was experiencing, to delve into the history. I enjoyed reading this book as it left me with some interesting and at times funny stories about the name of some places I have hiked or paddled. As a licensed NYS Guide I always like to learn as much as I can about the places I take clients. Re-tell- ing the story of how a place received its name can often lead to interesting discussions and further exploration. Two of my favorites include Ampersand Brook, first thought to be named after the ampersand symbol (@) due to its shape. However, it was later decided that it was more likely named after the amber colored sand that makes up the bottom of the lake. A second favorite is the story behind, "Hitch up Matilda" along Avalanche Lake. Bill Nye a popular guide from 1850-1900 offered to carry his client on his shoulders over the submerged ledges of Avalanche Lake. The client was Matilda Fielding, a woman who was said to be of "generous propor- tions". Nye was crossing one of the ledges when he started to loose his footing, Matilda's family contained their laughter long enough to give the advice of, "Hitch up, Matilda". To this day the wooden ledges are known as Hitch up Matildas. LOCALadk recommends this book to anyone interested in learning more about the history and background of how many great places in the Adirondacks were named. Thank you to Erik Schlimmer for his dedication in authoring Among the Cloud Splitters and creating a source in which we can further educate ourselves on Adirondack history. In our story beginning on page 43, author Nicole Banta intro- duces us to the sport of bouldering. Bouldering in the Adiron- dacks is popular due to the many erratics that are found inside the park. Erratics are rocks that were carried by glacial ice and then left behind once the ice melted. They create the perfect rock on which to boulder. Justin Sanford who is passionate about bouldering has authored a book, New York: Adirondack Park Bouldering. Banta references the book in her piece and we further recommend it for anyone interested in trying boul- dering or who already do the sport and want to learn about some different locations. The book includes detailed maps, diagrams, descriptions and photos of close to 1000 "boulder problems" "Justin has done a great job making sure to include not only the history of all the areas but to also accurately report in- formation on each of the different problems. The color photos are nice features that help get you to the start of the correct problem. This book fills a gap that has been around since the first printing of Adirondack Rock in 2008. " -Will R., local rock climbing guide Justin Sanford's Bouldering Guide to the Adirondacks Erik Schlimmer's Guide to Place Names In The High Peaks

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