Adirondack outdoors club keeps active year-round

By Pete Colaizzo
Poughkeepsie Journal

How many months per year does your chapter offer hiking activities?

We offer weekly activities year-round. In the winter if there is snow, we have cross country skiing and snowshoeing outings. Most of what we do is related to hiking, but we do have a good amount of canoe and kayak activities as well.

How big is the Adirondack Mountain Club?

In our chapter, we have about 850 members. Overall in the club, there are 26 chapters throughout the state with about 15,000 members.

What would you suggest for someone new to the area, or new to hiking, in terms of getting involved with the ADK?

First, we suggest you go on some of our hikes and see if it's for you. After you've gone on a few hikes and like what you see, we like you to join our club.

What would you recommend as a beginner's hike?

There are many great places for short hikes or walks: The Roosevelt Historic Site, Vanderbilt and Mills (all in Hyde Park), Locust Grove ... they're all excellent. Also, I think the important thing to say about parks like these is this: You can do all the hiking and walking you want and it's free! You only pay to go into the house. The woods are open to enjoy without really having to pay anything.

What can you say about prevention from Lyme and other tick-borne diseases?

I spray around my ankles and sometimes I tuck pants into my socks. And I always check for ticks after showering. But we don't stress it on our hikes and walks. Most of our members don't get Lyme disease. More people get Lyme just from their backyards than hikers. When you are on the trail, and it's a clear trail, you are pretty safe. But you still have to check and be careful.