Tagged: Adirondacks

Going for a hike in the Adirondacks doesn't cost anything, but one elected official in the North Country thinks New York state should start charging for the privilege.

Crown Point Town Supervisor Charles Harrington tells the Press-Republican of Plattsburgh that he wants to explore the idea of charging a fee for using public hiking trails in the Adirondacks. He says the fees could generate significant revenue for the state.

Harrington says hikers could buy state-issued permits using an Internet-based payment system.

Health officials are investigating a case of the potentially deadly hantavirus. It was contracted by a Long Island man bitten by a mouse while camping in the Adirondacks.

Doctors treating Michael Vaughan of Stony Brook said preliminary tests indicated he contracted the viral illness. Samples have since been sent to state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for confirmation. Results are expected next week.

The seasons, and the foliage, is changing.  Tourism officials are optimistic that the fall color will help make up for losses last year.

Last autumn, Vermont and northern New York were recovering from Tropical Storm Irene. Publicity kept some leaf-peepers away, and many businesses are hoping for a rebound this year.  Vermont Department of Tourism And Marketing Commissioner Megan Smith says fall foliage is a crucial season for the state’s economy.

Authorities say a small plane that was forced to land on an Adirondack lake last week had lost its propeller in midair.

State police tell the Adirondack Daily Enterprise that the privately owned, single-engine Jabiru was flying at about 6,500 feet last Thursday when the propeller came off. The pilot managed to crash-land the plane in Gull Lake in northern Herkimer County.

He and his passenger were rescued soon after by New York Air National Guard helicopter crews flying to Fort Drum.