Pleasure in the Woods

Pleasure in the Woods
Turn the television off, say good-bye to your instant message buddies, and head for the woods.
By Rebecca Lyons

Lean too

With summer here, there's no better way to walk off the winter weight than a nice hike in the Adirondacks. But which trail do you choose, you may ask. Well why choose just one trail when you can have various paths at your disposal? At the Paul Smiths Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC), there are numerous trail combinations that leave you wandering for hours during a nice summer day.

When you first arrive at the VIC, you enter a visitor's center. In my case, the visitor's center was very welcoming. As I walked in, I was greeted by two elderly women who were volunteering their day to greeting and informing myself and other adventurous hikers. Here, within the center, you can observe the wilderness from inside, through hands on displays such as the "touch table" and educational films. In addition to the films and interactive activities, the VIC also hosts other events to educate the community and tourists about the Adirondacks. The friendly greeters at the welcome center informed me that one upcoming event is the Birding Festival that will take place this summer on June 7th and 8th. But the VIC is more than just a place to learn about nature, it is also a place that helps other citizens and events in the North Country. For example, they host fundraising events such as a 26.2-mile marathon to support the Adirondack arts.

As soon as you leave the visitors center, you walk right onto the Herron Marsh Trail. One of the shortest trails, but also one of the most scenic ones, with a bridge and beautiful lookouts. The trails are clearly marked, to prevent any unplanned wandering, and they connect to other trails; this way you may start out on one path but end up on another one. Along the trails are occasional benches for your resting pleasure and occasional information stands that give you descriptions on the trees and wildlife in the hiking area.

Once you complete your hiking endeavors throughout the woods, you may end up in one of two spots: the parking lot or the visitor's center. If I may, I strongly encourage one more stop to the visitor's center. Whether it be to take one more look out their large viewing window or to run to the restrooms before you leave, no matter your reasoning the visitor center is not only a good place to begin your day, but a wonderful place to end it as well. Happy Trails.