ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) has partnered with a local bank, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. to fund the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) volunteer host program.
\nLocated at the trailhead for many of the Adirondack high peaks, the HPIC is a major thoroughfare for hikers to get on the trail and begin their trek.
\nAbutting New York\u2019s busiest trailhead, the HPIC serves as a gateway to the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness. In 2017, from the beginning of July through the end of August, there were 27, 251 registered hikers at the Heart Lake Property trailheads, officials said.
\nThe Eastern High Peaks is New York state\u2019s largest wilderness area and is home to the 46 high peaks. One can hike in a landscape that varies from a northern hardwood forest to a spruce-fir zone to arctic tundra. The area is also home to numerous lakes and streams found throughout major New York state watersheds.
\nAccording to ADK, over the last few years visitor numbers have been on an upward trend, complicating the integrity of the wilderness experience and the ability to protect natural resources.
\nThe HPIC has a 200-car visitor parking area that fills regularly between 7-8 a.m. most weekdays in July and August, and sometimes earlier on weekends, ADK said. When these parking areas fill, cars park along portions of Adirondack Loj Road, sometimes extending miles down the road. Each year around 35 percent of these visitors to the High Peaks Wilderness are new to the area.
\nThe HPIC staff serve as a primary means of educating these visitors on responsible recreation practices, Leave No Trace principles, and rules and regulations specific to the area. Of the 27,251 registered hikers in 2017 at the Heart Lake Property, it is speculated that only a small percentage of them entered the HPIC before starting into the back country for their hikes, officials said.
\nADK said problems specific to the Eastern High Peaks in recent years include: high use in sensitive environments (especially the fragile alpine zone), improper disposal of human waste, improper food storage, illegal campfires and unprepared hikers. Many of these issues are preventable with increased public outreach.
\nWhile on site the HPIC hosts represent ADK in order to reach more visitors hiking from the Heart Lake Property. They are stationed in the HPIC\u2019s hiker parking areas where they perform a variety of functions such as helping park vehicles, spreading ADK\u2019s mission of responsible recreation and stewardship, educating visitors on LNT Principles and regulations specific to the area, suggesting alternative hikes in other locations and encourage more visitors to stop inside the HPIC before they enter the back country.
\nIn 2018, the HPIC volunteer program expanded from four weeks to nine weeks. Stats for 2018 are: Total number of visitors reached, 9,436; total number of volunteers \u2013 8; total number of volunteer days \u2013 72; average number of visitors reached per day \u2013 131; total number of volunteer hours \u2013 440; average number of visitors reached per hour \u2013 21.5; average amount of time spent with each visitor \u2013 less than 3 minutes; most visitors reached in 1 day \u2013 450; and fewest visitors reached in 1 day \u2013 37.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) has partnered with a local bank, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. to fund the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) volunteer host program. Located at the trailhead for many of the Adirondack high peaks, the HPIC is a major thoroughfare for hikers to get on the trail and begin their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n