ADKhighpeaks Foundation Website

Selected Projects Funded and Distributions Made

Each year the Foundation accepts a project or two that fit within our mission to provide funding, and volunteer efforts for. In general, the projects will be selected by the membership body of the Foundation. This gives our members a voice in how funds are diseminated. Below is a list, by year, of the orginizations and projects we've become involved, or are working on now.

Current Projects | Past Projects

Current Projects

2010

Project held over from 2009- Mt. Adams Firetower restoration ($3500).

The Mt. Adams firetower, as are all firtower, are a unique and special part of the Adirondack history and lore. Mt. Adams is particularly special as one of the only that remains in a designated wilderness area. In the early 2000's, the land around the firetower was purchased by the Open Space Insitute and in a way to ensure that the tower would remain forever, it donated all the land, with the exception of the 1/2 acre footprint that the tower stands on, to the state to be included in the High Peaks Wilderness area.

This tower itself was in disrepair and minimal effort have been made over the years to get it opened to the public. I was briefly opened in 2006, but powerful windstorms in January, 2008 forced the DEC to close is again for safety reasons. Working with the DEC, we have committed to a major renovation project to restore this historic treasure to its original condition, including a roof (which it lacked last time). We are also commiting to it's long-term adoption to make sure that we do everything we can to keep it open for good.

Without the firetower, there is no view from this remote and isolated island peak in the middle of many 4000 peaks that tower around it. With the tower, this short and relitively easy climbs rewards one with one of the finest views in all of the Adirondacks for the effort involved.

Past Projects

2008

Keene Valley Fire Department Wilderness Rescue Team ($5000):

In our inaugural year/effort, we raised and donated $5000 to the Keene Valley Fire Department Wilderness Resuce Team for the purchase of new wilderness rescue equiptment. Keene Valley Wilderness Rescue Team is one of the few teams trained in Wilderness Rescue and operates out of the very popular (and busy) High Peaks Wilderness, Giant Mountain Wilderness, and Dix Mountain Wilderness areas. Up-to-date working equiptment is a must for them and we were able to give them the money to update much of their outdated equiptment.

2009

Jackrabbit Ski Trail Easement. ($5000).

This project will ensure trail continuity for the 4-season Jackrabbit Ski Trail from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake and allow for western trail access to the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area and McKenzie and Moose mountains. That access is currently covered only by a revocable easement.

At the time, the trailhead on McKenzie Pond Road in Saranac Lake was the only trail access to the west side of the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area for the Jackrabbit Ski Trail. Currently, the trailhead and first ½ mile is privately owned. Permission has been granted by the owner for the purchase of 400 ft of easement and a re-routing of the trail on safer, ski-friendly terrain. The project will also create significantly better parking – especially for winter users. Currently, the parking at the existing trailhead is an unsafe situation and the Town of N. Elba has placed signs prohibiting parking on the roadway - effectively blocking winter access to the current trail start. The Council and the Town of N. Elba have partnered to construct a Snowplow turnout at the new trailhead that will ensure safe parking along McKenzie Pond Road. Upon completion of the project the Jackrabbit ski trail will have year-round public trail continuity from Lake Placid all the way to Saranac Lake as well as a safer parking situation Along McKenzie Pond Road.

We fundraised and donated $5000 that was used to partially fund (1/3 funding) the purchase of the easement, construction costs and associated fee’s (specific breakdown is available). They are receiving other funding to make up the total amount of the project ($15,000)

If you have any thoughts or projects that you think might benifit from our grant project, I encourage you to contact us at;

tdubois@adkhighpeaksfoundation.org