Adirondack Forty-Sixers
Unlike other organizations, the Adirondack Forty-Sixers is not a club you can join if and when the mood strikes you. Open only to those who have ascended all of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, membership must be earned, usually over several years. Prospective Forty-Sixers can contact the club’s historian to establish their personal climbing record. At least once a year, aspiring members are required to submit a factual and narrative report of their climbs. This process is also open to children and teens, provided they submit their own reports. After 46 climbs and reports, you earn the coveted “ADK 46-R” patch. Some hardy hikers even go on to pursue a “Winter 46-R” patch.
Since its establishment in 1948, the Adirondack Forty-Sixers club has taken their stewardship of the High Peaks Region seriously. Members and non-members participate in ongoing trail maintenance and lean-to restoration projects. The club also sponsors a yearly Outdoor Leadership Workshop for anyone interested in leading wilderness trips.
Visit www.adk46r.org.
-Laura Clark
Adirondack Mountain Club
The Adirondack Mountain Club, founded in 1922 to protect and encourage responsible recreational use of wild lands and waters in New York, boasts 35,000 members in 26 chapters. Members receive discounts on ADK workshops, facilities, merchandise and outings, as well as the satisfaction that they are helping to preserve the land for future generations. Outings encompass a wide variety of outdoor skills from hiking, climbing and canoeing to skiing, snowshoeing and ongoing trail maintenance.
Other activities are more self-directed. For example, the Kids on the Trail Challenge, based on the book of the same name by Rose Rivezzi and David Trihart, encourages families to participate in sixteen of the described hikes and earn a patch. The Fire Tower Challenge, based on John Freeman’s Views from on High, similarly encourages individuals to enjoy the lesser-known fire tower trails.
Visit: www.adk.org.
-Laura Clark
Appalachian Mountain Club, Mohawk Hudson Chapter
The Mohawk Hudson Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) was established in 1998. It encompasses the greater Albany area and has a membership of approximately 600 outdoor enthusiasts. Like its parent organization, its mission is to promote the protection and enjoyment of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Northeast. While hiking in the Catskills and Adirondacks is the primary activity, members also get together for biking, paddling and skiing.
Membership includes a subscription to AMC Outdoors, discounts on lodging, workshops and books, an ID card and more. Members are encouraged to sign up for the many volunteer activities offered – from planning outings and social activities to maintaining trails and dealing with conservation issues.
Visit: www.amcmohawkhudson.org
-Laura Clark
