National Plan for Vacation Day is celebrated the last Tuesday of January, and for good reason - Americans leave millions of paid vacation days on the table each year. So don’t be a fool, plan a long weekend or a week-long getaway to the Adirondack Hub, where there is so much to do you’ll wish you could snap up some of those wasted days.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, in 2018 Americans failed to take 768 million vacation days, with more than half the working population leaving days unused. And while the group says the doldrums of winter are the best time to plan a warm summer vacay, winter is also a prime time in the Adirondacks.

The towns of the Adirondack Hub - Schroon Lake, Minerva, Newcomb, and North Hudson - have a full slate of activities and events year-round, but there’s plenty of action to be had in the crisp, clean air and mountain sunshine as well.

Ice fishing

“Hard water” season is a favorite time of locals, when the lakes, ponds, and rivers of the Adirondacks become covered in a thick layer of ice.

From the large lakes that support villages of anglers to remote backcountry ponds where peace, quiet, and serenity await, the Adirondack Hub has the ice fishing spot for you. Whether you want to bring the family and set up a shanty while the kids ice skate or embark on a solo adventure, there are fish just waiting to bite. And with both the state and county regularly stocking fish, there are some lunkers lurking just under the ice!

Snowmobiling

Since the Adirondacks typically embrace winter for months on end, snowmobiling is big up here. Like, thousands of miles of trails big.

From wild routes through remote country to groomed loops that link up lodging options and restaurants, you can head out for an afternoon, a day, or a week. The towns of the Adirondack Hub embrace the sledding crowd and have the amenities to keep you on the trail.

There’s also a free new snowmobile app that shows not only the trails, but places to gas up, grab a drink, or fill up on hearty grub. The Adirondacks, USA Snowmobile App is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play, and will help you find the kind of trails you want, whether groomed or ungroomed.

Snowshoeing

The Adirondacks is known for a lot of things, including its vast mountain ranges that offer unlimited hiking options. But just because the trails are covered in snow doesn’t mean the options are limited in winter.

Snowshoeing is essentially just walking with big shoes, so everyone in the family can do it. With options ranging from short and flat to long and steep, you won’t have to go far to find a trail or destination that will scratch whatever hiking itch you have. 

You can also contact one of our state-licensed guides to plan the perfect trip or rent gear from a local outfitter. Whether you bring your own snowshoes or are trying it out for the first time, the Adirondack Hub is a snowshoer’s dream!

So this winter, don’t be a chump and leave vacation days unused. Take some inspiration from National Plan for Vacation Day and plan a trip to the Adirondack Hub, where winter means fun for the whole family.

Submitted by guest blogger Eileen Mowrey

Giant, rugged and alluring, the Adirondack High Peaks have an almost magnetic draw for adventurous hearts. Approaching these mountains from the Adirondack Hub gives hikers one of the most remote access points there is, heightening the unique wilderness experience. There is more to these mountains than just beauty and intrigue, though. Towering at over 4,000ft, the High Peaks – often referred to as the 46 – are incredibly challenging, featuring steep inclines, rough trail, long miles, and, especially in the winter, difficult conditions. Before attempting a winter hike in the High Peaks, consider the following six tips.

1. Choose the right hike for you

There are lots of wonderful ways to experience the High Peaks. Hiking one of New York’s tallest mountains might not be the best option for you. Hiking outside your comfort zone can be dangerous in any season, but it is especially risky in the winter when snow, ice, and cold temperatures make for difficult hiking conditions. Hiking the High Peaks in winter is something that only experienced hikers should attempt. Even experienced hikers should have a few smaller winter hikes under their belt before they set their sights on a 46er. If you are relatively new to hiking, try one of the smaller mountains in the region. It’s a great way to gain experience and many of these smaller peaks offer great views of the High Peaks. In fact, since so many of the higher elevation summits are socked in with clouds in the winter, you might find better views atop shorter summits! Still feeling a little unsure? Hire a local guide to help you find the best hike for you.

2. Research the trail

You don’t need to know the trail like the back of your hand, but you should be familiar with the route you will be hiking. Study maps before you head out and take note of trail junctions and intersections to avoid getting turned around. In addition to knowing the distance of the trail, find out how much elevation gain there is and if it is gradual or comes in steep bursts. Look into trail features like river crossings and slides and be mindful of how recent weather might affect those details. Heavy precipitation or recent snowmelt may swell rivers, making them impassable unless there are sturdy bridges in place. Snow and ice accumulations might make scaling rocky slides exceptionally difficult. It’s important to note that, while a lot of work goes into maintaining the High Peak trails, these mountains are deep in the back country and trail damage might not be found and fixed quickly, so be prepared for trail disruptions. 

3. Come prepared

Proper preparation is one of the best ways to avoid a bad experience on the trail. It starts with your wardrobe. Wear warm, moisture-wicking, non-cotton base layers, insulating mid-layers, waterproof outer layers, wool socks and waterproof boots, a hat, mittens or gloves, and a facemask or buff. Bring extra base layers, socks, hats, and mittens in case you sweat or get wet. Then there’s the gear. Pack a comfortable, sturdy pack with:

• Plenty of food and water in insulated containers
• Snowshoes and crampons or microspikes
• Headlamp and extra batteries
• First aid kit and a dose of prescription medicines
• Maps of the area and a compass or GPS system
• Fire-starting kit
• Emergency kit including a space blanket, whistle, signal mirror, and emergency shelter
• A way to melt snow or ice and a water filtration device
• Handwarmers
• Multi-tool or pocketknife

Bringing this gear does no good if you don’t know how to use it. Practice using your gear at home before you take it on a hike.

Preparation also includes your research. In addition to researching the trail itself, check the weather for the day of your hike and the next day so you know what kinds of weather you might encounter if your hike runs long. Winter weather can change suddenly, especially on summits, so be prepared for variable conditions. Know when the sun rises and sets and properly prepare your body with good food, plenty of water, and lots of rest. 

4. Hike with a friend

Hiking alone does offer a special kind of solitary nature experience, but the added safety of hiking with a partner outweighs the benefits of a solo adventure. If you’re injured, a buddy can administer first aid and/or send for help. If you get lost, having a friend will keep you calmer than if you were alone. In the unfortunate event that you end up spending a night in the woods, shared body heat is a great way to stay warm. Hiking with a partner also helps you avoid one of the most dangerous of winter hiking encounters – hypothermia. Hypothermia can be difficult to self-diagnose, so keep an eye on hiking partners and raise the alarm if you notice symptoms like shivering, fatigue, confusion, slurred speech, shallow breathing, or loss of consciousness. If you notice someone showing signs of hypothermia, get the person into warm, dry clothes immediately and then get them to a warm location.

5. Leave No Trace

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics shares seven principles that can guide your outdoor experiences in a way that protects both you and the wild places where you recreate. These principles include:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors

These seven principles apply to hiking (and all other forms of outdoor recreation) year-round with special considerations for each season. In the winter, planning and preparing is especially important for your safety. Respecting wildlife by keeping your distance and never feeding them actually helps animals survive the harsh winters. Hikers on snowshoes and skiers often travel the same trails in the winter. Be considerate of all users by keeping snowshoe tracks to one side and ski tracks on the other and always wear your snowshoes in deep snow. Bare boots can leave large holes known as post-holes in the snow, creating tripping hazards for other hikers and skiers. 

6. Don’t Hesitate to Turn Around

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when hiking in the winter is that your safety is more important than the summit. No matter what the hike – from a short jaunt up a small mountain to a full day trek up a High Peak – never hesitate to turn around if you feel unprepared, ill-equipped, think you might be lost, aren’t feeling well, or even if the hike is taking significantly longer than expected. The mountain will always be there, and you can come back and try again another day.

Winter in the High Peaks is a magical time. The snow-covered mountains and trail glisten, the forest is quiet, and the cold air is invigorating. Hiking this region in the winter can be a truly special experience so long as you choose the right hike, research the trail, come prepared, and bring a buddy. If the High Peaks themselves seem a bit out of reach right now, don’t worry! There are plenty of other magnificent winter hikes to explore. Wherever you choose to hike in the Schroon Lake Region, there is always a hot meal and cozy bed waiting at the end of the day. Start planning your winter adventure today!

Sparkling wavelets. Loons swimming in remote lakes. Burbling rivers that take winding journeys through forests and small towns. Maybe it's because winters in the Adirondacks feel extra long, but when summer arrives, we can't contain ourselves. The very idea of getting outside — in the warmth of the sun and on the water — is downright amazing. The Adirondack Hub in upstate New York's Adirondack Mountains is a wilderness playground, and though we love the hikes and the camping is pretty amazing, too, it's the area waterways that many of us dream about all winter long. So whether you're looking to paddle, swim, or motor, grab your bathing suit, sunblock, and favorite shades for some sweet, splashy fun.

A sailor's life is a merry life

At nine miles long, Schroon Lake is the largest lake in the Adirondack Hub, and it has long had a great reputation for fun on the water. The beach is fun and the paddling is too, but to really explore the lake, our favorite activity — and one you should try at least once — is renting a motorboat at the Schroon Lake Marina.

The marina has a variety of rental boats, so you're sure to find something that will fit your budget and your interests. Maybe you want to cruise around with the family all day, go for a swim, and enjoy a picnic on the boat. A pontoon boat would be a great choice! If you're after fishing (Schroon Lake is home to lake trout, landlocked salmon, and bass), the marina's range of fishing boats will have you casting your line in no time.

Because the lake is so large, you'll have plenty of room to ride and peek into coves, stop for a swim, and explore the views of the surrounding mountains. It's a relaxing, amazingly fun way to spend a sunny, summer day. Just be warned: boating in the Adirondacks is majorly addictive!

Hit the sand

Sandy beaches aren't just a tropical thing. In fact, Adirondack beaches have incredible scenery all around them, with the bonus of refreshing freshwater. No French fry stealing seagulls here, just cool Adirondack fun! You'll find beaches in North Hudson, Newcomb, Schroon Lake, and Minerva. Each one offers something fun and unique for the whole family.

North Hudson's beach is on a shallow part of the Schroon River. This makes it great for families with small children! Newcomb's beach is centrally located on Lake Harris, close to camping, lodging, hiking, and dining. The beach even has a snack shack!

Donnelly Beach in Minerva is a wonderful spot for those looking for a scenic, small town experience. The beach is surrounded by pine forest and is adjacent to a family-friendly campground. It's also a popular spot for community events, including live music! Over in Schroon Lake, the town beach offers great views, a roomy beach on a big lake, and is close to downtown's restaurants and all-important ice cream! 

Wherever you land for your sandy, splashy fun, we know you and your family will have a blast! Build a sand castle or, since it’s the Adirondacks, build a sand Great Camp!

Leave it to the pros

Have you ever seen a photo or a painting of a solitary canoeist or kayaker on a sparkling river with expanses of pine trees all around and thought, "that looks so nice, why can't I do that?" Well, dear reader, the time is now. You can do that. Best of all, you can leave the hardest part of the work (aside from the actual paddling) to someone else! Cloud-splitter Outfitters in Newcomb is a destination unto itself! Shop for gear, rent a canoe, and get sage wilderness advice from experts who basically live outdoors. These experts are Adirondack guides, skilled in leading rugged adventures in the awesome wilderness that is the Adirondacks.

Take an afternoon of scenic paddling on a river or remote lake, or make it a full day of blissful fun. Want to add some fishing to your paddling? I guarantee the pros at Cloud-splitter will take you somewhere special, helping you create the wilderness outing of your dreams!

Ready to start cooling off in the summer heat with the gorgeous waters of the Adirondack Hub? Start planning by exploring how to get here, where to stay, and of course, where to eat!

2015 TOP 3 BLOGS IN REVIEW

We scoured our blogs for the most popular, most informative, and just downright oddest pieces from the past year. In case you missed them on the first go-round, here are our top three picks from the Schroon Lake Region.

#3 A trail running gem in North Hudson

The North Hudson Trail Center is a network of multi-use trails, welcoming snowshoers and cross-country skiers in the winter, and hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders in the warm months. I don’t have a horse, so I brought my dog with me to visit the area for some awesome trail running. Ready to lose yourself in nature?

#2 10 Car camping hacks you wish you'd thought of!

Camping comes with its challenges - even car camping. We’ve had to adapt to bad weather, extreme heat, bugs, wet wood, wet tents, wind and a host of other inconvenient issues. And we’ve learned a thing or two about innovating and rigging things. Check out these 10 awesome camping hacks!

#1 Real Live Ghost Town

A note to first time visitors: Seriously, don't be concerned about being on a back road going deep into the wilderness... Eventually (after approx 7 miles) you'll find yourself at Tahawus the original company town of the Adirondack Iron Works, an iron extraction and smelting company, operating from 1827 to 1857, after which it lay dormant for a number of decades. Ready to explore this ghost town?

Ready to explore the Schroon Lake Region in 2016? We are, and we can't wait to find more cool spots to tell you about! Cheers!

We already know that Schroon Lake is known as a “summer haven for culture,” and music is a huge part of that. The musical styles that are popular here are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but they’re still both very Adirondack.

From opera and musical theater

Seagle Music Colony grooms young artists for opera and musical theater. It’s the oldest summer vocal training program in the U.S., celebrating 100 years this summer!

Although you might not initially think of opera as a musical style common to the very rustic Adirondacks, Seagle General Director Tony Kostecki put it into perspective for me. The Adirondacks were mainly settled when rich people from New York City started to come here to vacation. (That’s where the term comes from: People would vacate the city to come here.) So when they arrived, they expected the same kind of entertainment they were used to in the city, like seeing operas on a regular basis.

Because of that, there’s a long tradition of classical music training in the Adirondacks. Seagle certainly is a cornerstone to that, but there’s also Meadowmount School of Music in Westport, the Luzerne Music Center in Lake Luzerne, and there used to be a Lake George Opera that has since moved out of the Adirondack Park to Saratoga.

The colony’s productions are performed in their on-campus theater, which is basically a converted barn. Tony said it’s a fun juxtaposition to add that level of rusticness to what is often considered a “hoity-toity” art form.

“It’s a very Adirondack space for what we do,” he told me.

Seagle brings in 32 young artists each summer, and most of them are in the midst of studying opera at a university or conservatory. But Seagle tries to get them to diversify by focusing on musical theater as well. The art forms are similar in that they are both part of staged productions that tell a story, but they have different technical requirements of the performer. Operas are sung through entirely with no speech or dialogue, and the performers don’t typically use amplification, so they must learn how to fill large spaces with just their voices. The style of singing, therefore, must be more classical in nature. In musical theater, performers switch between speaking and singing, and they commonly use microphones to amplify their voices. That allows them to use a more pop style in their singing.

But there are, of course, exceptions to both, and Tony said it seems like the two art forms will merge more in the future. That’s why, in order to prepare young artists for the job market, Seagle tries to ensure they are trained for both.

Seagle’s mainstage 2015 season is:
“Falstaff” by Verdi - July 1-5
“The Barber of Seville” by Rossini - July 15-18
“Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim - July 29-August 1
“Les Misérables” by Schönberg & Boublil - August 12-16

They will also perform the children’s opera “The Ugly Duckling,” plus some other concert events.

To folk music

The more traditional style of music for the Adirondacks also has a significant place in Schroon Lake. The village is home to an annual Folk Music Festival, which will celebrate its 26th year in 2015. (check out last year's lineup - we expect this year to be just as exciting)

The idea for the festival originated with two folk music greats: Dan Berggren and Pete Seeger. Seeger produced a similar festival decades before in Schroon Lake, and this festival was a sort of resurrection of that.

This year’s festival will feature music from Atwater and Donnelly, Patchouli, Neptune’s Car, and Dana and Susan Robinson.

This is a popular event, plus it’s free!

The Schroon Lake Arts Council, which puts on the Folk Music Festival, also produces a summer concert series on Tuesday nights through July and August at the Boathouse Theatre on the shore of Schroon Lake. The acts in 2015 will range from folk, Americana, country, and bluegrass to a capella doo wop, traditional Irish tunes, and jazz.

Other music

Besides the opera and folk, there’s also other opportunities for music in Schroon Lake. Word of Life holds a religious concert series, and many of the local restaurants host bands throughout the summer. Witherbee’s Carriage House Restaurant even hosts an open mic night all year round that helps stave off the cabin fever in the off season.

No matter what kind of music you like, Schroon Lake has something for you to get down to!

We've continued to explore the Hammond Pond Wild Forest, this time heading to Moose Mountain Pond. Signs of spring are everywhere in early May. Woodland flowers, such as Trillium and Trout Lillies, are blooming. The pale ash leaves that had clung to the branches through the winter now litter the trail, pushed off by new growth. There is a cacophony of bird songs. There is also an opportunity to see some of the small animals that live in the wild forest.

From the trailhead on Ensign Pond Road in North Hudson, the trail winds 3.2 miles along the Berry Mill Flow to a lean-to at Moose Mountain Pond. There are a few steep spots, but the trail soon levels out to long stretches of relative flatness. The 6 mile round trip might be long for young children, but there is plenty to see along the way. It would have been a fun hike even if we had turned back early.

At the trail junction we stayed left on the Moose Mt. Pond and Lean-To trail and soon arrived at the Berry Mill Flow. Beavers have been busy here, building a dam and a lodge. Pausing to watch a pair of ducks swimming in the resulting marshy pond, we caught sight of a beaver. Unfortunately, he disappeared under the water before I got my camera out of my pocket.

The trail's abundant blue trail markers are easy to follow, except in one place approximately one-half mile before the lean-to where the trail bends to the right and the next trail marker is not easy to see. We were bewildered for a few minutes, until we discovered we needed to trust the last visible trail marker, which it turned out was very carefully placed. By looking at it head-on, my son found he could see the trail ahead. We practice spotting trail markers often, and often my son navigates the trail better than I do.

At the end of the trail, my son enjoyed climbing into the lean-to more than looking at scenic Moose Mountain Pond. Using the charcoal remains of a camp fire, he added his name to many recorded on the interior walls and ceiling of the lean-to. I enjoyed sitting by the pond. The trees had just "popped" a few days prior, unfurling a palette of greens highlighted with the almost luminescent white bark of birch trees. I noticed a large frog sitting at the water's edge not far from me. It sat unmoving, even when my son joined me, and was still sitting there when we left. Other frogs jumped into the water as we explored the shoreline.

As we headed back, we startled a ribbon snake that quickly slithered off the trail. To be honest, it startled me too. The only venomous snakes in the Adirondacks are the timber rattlesnakes, and those are very rare north of Lake George. The ribbon snake is a variety of the common garter snake and quite harmless, but the sudden movement never fails to catch me by surprise. My son got a good laugh when I jumped out of my hiking boots.

We stopped for lunch beside the Flow, hoping the beaver would put in another appearance. A heron flew gracefully past, always a treat to see. I spotted movement on the opposite shore and thought I saw a bird, but it quickly disappeared. I watched the place for awhile and caught movement a few more times, but the bird was always quickly camouflaged. Perhaps it was an American Bittern teasing me from his hiding place.

The Hammond Pond Wilderness Area offers accessible trails for all ages and plenty of opportunities for spotting wildlife. We have one more trail to explore in this North Hudson treasure.

By: Tammy Whitty-Brown

Tis (almost) the season!

As I sit here on my porch looking out over the sparkling waters of Palmer Pond, it is hard to believe that Christmas is only forty-six days away. It is sunny and nearly 60 degrees today. This year, the Adirondacks have been blessed with a warm and beautiful fall. However, in contrast, the cool crisp evening air lets us know that “ol’ man” winter is just around the corner. Soon, falling snowflakes, frigid cold air, sparkling holiday lights, and amazing colorful decorations will begin to pop up - and the smell of pumpkin and spice and everything nice will be upon us.

The Schroon Lake Region is no exception, soon it will be a magical winter wonderland as home owners and local businesses begin to deck the halls. One of my favorite pastimes is to drive around the region and see all the holidays decorations and lights, this year will be no exception.

Kick off your shopping with the Holiday Craft Fair

As soon as the decorating is done, the stores will take inventory and make sure that their shelves are stocked with those special items that will make great gifts for everyone in your family. Local organizations are planning events for the holidays that are an annual affair, for example, the Schroon Lake Ladies Auxiliary will be holding their annual Holiday Craft Fair at the Schroon Lake Fire House this Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 10am to 4pm.

Variety is key (and cookies help)!

The Holiday Craft Fair is one event that EVERYONE loves to attend because it gives shoppers the opportunity to browse a vendor-packed firehouse with a wide variety of items from homemade crafts ranging from holiday cards, ornaments, and art work, to lotions, candles, dishes, tote bags, and so much more.

In addition to providing an amazing shopping opportunity, the Auxiliary ladies hold an Annual Cookie Walk. You will not want to miss this opportunity - and it's simple to get into the action: Donate a tray of cookies and then take the cookie walk, fill a box and pay by the pound - you'll head home with a tray of assorted holiday cookies that are sure to tease and tantalize your palate. All you need to bring is a tray to share. Throughout the day as you are shopping and doing the cookie walk, don’t forget to enjoy the Ladies Auxiliary luncheon. This is a great opportunity to catch up with friends and family, and even make new friends! For more information about this event you can call Kathy at (518) 351-0020.

Ready to join us in a kick off to a great holiday season? Book your lodging now, watch our calendar for all of the great upcoming local events - we are constantly adding information, and be sure to get social with us on our Schroon Lake Region Facebook page!

Stay here, play here!

Staying in Schroon Lake this winter? We know you love the lake, the snowmobile trails, and our awesome eats. Now, may we suggest a side trip to the slopes?

Picture yourself at Gore Mountain this season!

Ready to plan your stay?

After the 2013 film “12 Years a Slave,” which won the Academy Award for that year’s best picture, most people are familiar with the story of Solomon Northrup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841.

It’s not as widely known, however, that Solomon was a son of the Adirondacks. He was born in the tiny town of Minerva to a father who was a freed slave and a mother who was a free woman of color.

It’s crazy to think that a remote place like Minerva, so peaceful and so wild, could be the birthplace of a person who had such a huge impact on a nation.

Solomon was saved from the bonds of slavery after 12 years of toiling in the south. The same year he was freed, 1853, he released a book chronicling his troubles, called “12 Years a Slave.”

That book went on to sell 30,000 copies and was read widely, showing America at the time of the institution of slavery in a brutally honest light. Most accounts of slavery at that time were either too rosy or unrealistically negative, but Solomon’s narrative made it clear that while there was plenty of horrors and brutality, it wasn’t all bad, that there were moments of levity and human kindness even in captivity.

If Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was the first book to open up the country’s eyes to slavery, “12 Years a Slave” was the confirmation that what she wrote was true. Solomon dedicated his book to Stowe: “TO HARRIET BEECHER STOWE: WHOSE NAME, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE GREAT REFORM: THIS NARRATIVE, AFFORDING ANOTHER Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.”

Those books, in part, laid the groundwork for the American Civil War, which lead to the end of slavery.

Minerva in the early 1800s

Solomon mentions Minerva briefly in his book, as he discusses his heritage. His father, Mintus Northrup, came from a long line of slaves in Rhode Island, and he moved to Rensselaer County with his owner. When his owner died, he used his will to free Mintus.

“Sometime after my father’s liberation, he removed to the town of Minerva, Essex County, N.Y., where I was born, in the month of July, 1808. How long he remained in the latter place I have not the means of definitely ascertaining.”

At the time, Minerva wasn’t even formed yet. The town was part of the town of Schroon until 1817. Another portion of it was considered part of the town of Newcomb until 1828, and in 1870, Minerva took more land from the town of Schroon. Today, the town is 162 square miles. Only 137 people were listed as residents of Minerva on the 1810 census. The town was built up around lumbering operations, then mining. Today, that number has grown to 809, as of 2010.

Solomon’s kidnapping

Sometime after Solomon's birth, his parents moved him and his older brother Robert with them to the southern foothills of the Adirondacks. They lived in various places around the Glens Falls/Fort Edward area, Mintus working on different farms along the way. Mintus died when Solomon was 21, and the boys' mother died while Solomon was in captivity.

Mintus took the name Northrup from the family of his owner, and in his life as a freed slave he spoke warmly about the family. He was, however, very aware of the effects of slavery on himself and his race in general. Solomon writes in his memoir that his father made sure to teach them a strong sense of morality, which helped Solomon survive and keep his humanity through years of beatings and mistreatment as a captive slave.

Solomon married at 21 and moved around the Fort Edward area, ending up in Saratoga working in hotels and playing violin at parties. One day in 1841, he was looking for work when he met two white men who had heard what a great violinist he was, and they asked him to come to New York City with them to help with a show advertising for the circus. It sounded like easy, quick money, so he went along, and once they were there, they enticed him to follow them to Washington D.C. It was there that he was seemingly drugged, and he woke up in a hidden slave cell on Pennsylvania Avenue.

He was sold into slavery, living first with a benevolent plantation owner who treated him well, then dealing with two who were merciless. It wasn’t until a Canadian carpenter named Samuel Bass came to work on the same plantation that Solomon found a sympathetic ear. Bass wrote letters to Solomon’s family and friends, one of whom came south to save him at long last.

The aftermath

Within a year, Solomon had released his book, and he started venturing out on speaking tours to promote it and to share his story with everyone who would listen. He also got involved in helping with the Underground Railroad, which ran through the North Country and up to Canada.

Not much is known about Solomon’s life after that. He is said to have died in 1863, the same year as the Emancipation Proclamation, but no one knows where, when or how he died. Of course, theories abound: Perhaps he got kidnapped again. Perhaps his work with the Underground Railroad got dangerous and he was killed. Perhaps he just floated off and started another life, and he died where no one knew him. No historian has yet found evidence to give strong enough support to any one theory yet, though some continue to search.

As a sad footnote, both the man that sold Solomon into slavery and the two men who lured him into the trap that made such a thing possible were brought to court as some attempt to find justice for Solomon. Unfortunately, that never happened. The slave trader got off easily due to the fact that Solomon, as a black man, could not testify against him under Washington law at the time.

He was able to testify against the other two in New York court, but those charges were dropped after several years of appeals.

But despite not being able to get tangible justice in his life, Solomon’s story left quite a legacy. It educated Americans about the truth of slavery, and it was no doubt one of the catalysts that lead to the chain of national events that lead to slaves finally being freed.

It's not unusual some winters to have ice fishing season extend well into March on many waters, after daylight saving time goes into effect, when you can fish in comfort on some of those special 45-degree days,leisurely watching your tip-ups and maybe even doing some venison on your portable Coleman stove while you wait for a flag to pop. 

There have been some days when I've even returned home with a sunburned face. 

This, however, is not one of those winters, not one of those extended ice fishing seasons where you can walk on water without worry. 

There's not much we can do about it, except maybe rationalize that because our ice-fishing season fizzled amid a warm weather trend and some heavy mid-March rains it could mean an earlier kickoff to the open-water season, particularly for backcountry brook trout. 

That's nothing to sneeze at; the remote brook trout ponds in the Schroon Lake region are teeming with brookies, thanks to an ambitious DEC stocking program, much of it done via air. Nowhere will you catch more beautiful fish in more spectacular surroundings, and depending on how far you plunge into the wilderness, there's always a chance – especially at mid-week –you'll have the water all to yourself, with the exception, perhaps, of a pair of loons. 

All we can do now is wait for open water. And prepare for our first backcountry excursions of the spring. 

For sure, there are maps to dissect. Stocking lists – you can get them from the DEC – to check. Gear to ready. From the time-tested LakeClear Wabblers to small spoons such as Little Cleos or perhaps lures like the famed Rapalas, lines must be replaced, rods readied, and canoes or float tubes checked closely for signs of wear and tear from last season. 

In the Schroon Lake region, your biggest challenge might be deciding just what water to target. The options are many, including Moose Mountain Pond and Bass Lake in North Hudson; Black Pond and Barnes Pond in Minerva; Latham and Livingston ponds in Newcomb; and Gull Pond and Pharaoh Lake in the town of Schroon. 

Some require a little more effort than others, but if you can handle the hike, keep in mind the quality of the fishing is often directly proportional to the amount of pain necessary to get to the water. 

So get ready. Winter will release its grip sometime, the ice will depart and the brook trout will be hungry. Make sure you're there to take advantage of it all.