In December 1960, at the age of 11, I moved from Long Island to Phelps, in the northern Finger Lakes. There were a number of things that were radically different from Long Island, but one stood out: All my classmates were eager to get their green work permit to earn money as soon as they turned ...

I came to Saranac Lake in the summer of 1966 to visit my great-aunt and enjoy the Adirondacks. I dreamt it was going to be a great summer of outdoor fun, boating on the lake with my little 10-horsepower Evinrude, fishing, going up the lake to hang out with the Cantwell family and hanging out ...

Last week, I received a text with a photo from an unknown number. At first, I had no idea who it was from, but after seeing the photo, I realized it had to be from my college roommate Gene. It was the first time since the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics that I’d heard from him. The photo ...

When it comes to paddling long distances, one person stands out above all others — the short, barrel chested, full-white bearded Verlon Kruger. My introduction to Verlon was at the beginning of a trip in 1989 down the Churchill River to Hudson Bay. Our float plane had just dropped its ...

Anyone who knows me or regularly reads this column knows I have special reverence for Wilderness. Wilderness with a capital W is “official,” as designated by either the federal or state government. The federal definition was largely written in the early 1960s by Howard Zahniser during ...

I make maple syrup, which is a relatively simple process. You collect the sap, which is about 2% sugar, and boil it down until it’s 66% sugar, and — Voila! — you have maple syrup. It sounds easy, but like anything, the devil’s in the details. As a kid in the Finger Lakes, I helped ...