The new chapter comprised of Albany and Schenectady members is alive and well. We have successfully
merged our respective memberships and are now operating as the Albany-Schenectady Chapter of
ADK. Member Mark Joseph Kelly has created the new logo that was selected at the last chapter meeting
on Nov 11. Thank you Mark!
At that chapter meeting we also enjoyed an excellent talk on basic principles of landscape and
wildlife photography illustrated with great pictures by Ron Greenberg from Averill Park. His pictures from
the Alps and his recent photo safari to Mozambique were simply stunning. Thank you Ron!
That is just one example of what you can expect from attending our monthly meetings. We have many
more such meetings planned and we encourage you to make attendance a regular event on your
calendars. Meetings are held every second Tuesday of the month from October to May, with a season
ending picnic in June. The next meeting dates are December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April
14, May 12, and the picnic on June 9. We look forward to seeing many of you at these meetings and
everyone who shows gets a free ticket to our monthly raffle!
Our next general membership meeting will be on December 9 from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at the West
Albany Firehouse, 113 Sand Creek Road, Albany, NY 12205. Member Michael Jensen will talk
about backpacking in the Wind River range in Wyoming. In addition, there will be a used gear sale
preceding his presentation. Bring and offer for sale any gear in good condition that you no longer
use. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the chapter for its operating expenses, the rest is yours to
keep. This would be a great way to declutter your basement and keep things out of the landfill.
In addition, we are regularly organizing joint outings and more. For example, if you are looking for winter
hikes, there are five hikes scheduled so far in December and January with more to come.
Dec 6: Roostercomb and Snow, B+; led by Robb Lewis
Dec. 13: Noonmark, B+; led by Robb Lewis
Dec 21: Dix and Hough, A+; led by Claudia Warren
Dec. 21: Colden, A+; led by Robb Lewis
Jan 3: Phelps and Tabletop, A+; led by Danielle Lindblad
Check out our calendar for more information on these and any future hikes and events. New hikes and
other events are continuously added. Details of meetings, outings, and other events can always be found
on our calendar at https://albany.adk.org/outings-activities/. You can also get regular weekly updates by
clicking the subscribe link in the top right corner of the calendar, or at
https://eventactions.com/eventactions/adk-albany-cal#/subscribe
In other events, the chapter will have an information table inside REI at Crossgates Mall on November 22,
and at the Schenectady farmers market at a date to be announced. Come and stop by and say hello and
drop us a note if you want to help. And if you are looking for ideas for a holiday present, an ADK
membership would be a great one.
Last but not least, please consider sharing your memories of ADK with the oral history project, ADK
Voices. ADK Voices celebrates ADK’s legacy by capturing brief oral stories with photographs that explore
the people and places that ADK has touched. Stories cover ADK history, conservation, outdoor
experiences, and more. It was started in 2021 to capture personal stories from members for future
generations and to build a community through storytelling. Stories are recorded with help from a
storyteller assistant and can be done in person or online. The Adirondack Mountain Club is “Stories” –
your stories. Become part of ADK’s oral history. If you would like to help preserve our history
through your story about outings with ADK, please contact adkvoices1@gmail.com.
We hope we will be seeing even more of you soon, and we encourage you to consider sharing your
time and skills at whatever level you can. We are always looking for new talent to help us run the
chapter, with many opportunities available.
Please contact us with your thoughts, suggestions, and questions – we would love to hear from you.
You can reach us by e-mail at contact@albany-adk.org .
Sincerely,
Erasmus Schneider, chapter chair
Paul Tick, Membership chair