Autumn is just around the corner with wonderful hiking temperatures and amazing colors. In October CATS is co-hosting an Old Growth Forest Presentation described below but first, see how you can get an early start on Fall at the Adirondack Harvest Festival at the Essex County Fairgrounds in Westport on Friday/Saturday, September 16 & 17. Come out to celebrate local farms, innovative farmers, tasty beer/cider/wine, great music, and CATS Trails.

The Harvest Festival Hikes

The Harvest Fest features the “Setting Sun & Harvest Moon Hike” on Friday evening and the “Ferry-to-Fairgrounds Hike” on Saturday when you can make a hamlet-to-hamlet hike from Essex to Westport. Both hikes end at the Fairgrounds where you can chomp on delicious local food, swig delightful brews, listen to sweet sounds, and enjoy being with friends, neighbors, and visitors.

For Friday’s Harvest Moon Hike, park at the Fairgrounds at 5:00, shuttle to the DaCy Meadow Farm Trail and walk 3.5 miles back to the fairgrounds. Then enjoy Papa Duke’s BBQ along with fine drinks and Taylor Haskins’ “Green Empire” band.

Saturday’s Ferry to Fairgrounds Hike is a 13-mile hike through the Champlain Valley’s amazing countryside where you’ll see lush farms, rich forests, and inspiring vistas.

When you arrive at the fairgrounds, you’ll find a huge farmers’ market, over forty vendors, farming demonstrations (learn how to make sausage, cheese, and more), Ben Stechschulte’s film “Small Farm Rising,” and “Eat, Meet, & Be Merry,” a get-together hosted by Essex Farm’s Mark Kimball and the Adirondack Farmers Coalition, to sample local foods and exchange stories about our area’s new farming culture.

For Saturday’s Ferry-to-Fairgrounds Hike, you have a choice:

• Park in Westport at the Fairgrounds at 9:45, take a shuttle to Essex and begin hiking about 10:30, or
• Park in Essex around 10:15, check in at the Essex Ferry Parking Area, start the hike and take a shuttle back at the end of the day.
• Arrive on the ferry from Vermont at about 10:30, check in at the Ferry Parking Area, hike, and take the shuttle back to Essex.

Admission to the Harvest Fest is free. The CATS hikes have a fee to cover our costs and help make new trails. Click here for more information and to sign up for one or BOTH of the CATS hikes.

Old Growth Forest Presentation

Following up on August’s “Sustainable Forestry Practices” program, come hear about something few people get to experience—Old Growth Forests!

Join Dr. Joan Maloof, founder and executive director of the Old-Growth Forest Network on Friday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m., at the Whallonsburge Grange for a discussion about old-growth forests: what they are; where they are; and how we can preserve them. Dr. Maloof will talk about the current status of the earth’s forests, particularly, the ancient forests in the Adirondacks and eastern US. Then she’ll share the Old-Growth Forest Network’s vision for protecting the remaining and future old-growth forests.

CATS is co-sponsoring this event with the Eddy Foundation, Northeast Wilderness Trust, and the Wildlands Network. Representatives from each organization will be on hand to discuss the forest-saving work of their organizations and answer questions. Forest owners, especially those with tracts of older trees, are encouraged to attend along with tree lovers of all ages to learn about and support the growth and preservation of older forests. The event is free and open to the public. If you have further questions about this event please call (518-962-2287) or email Champlain Area Trails at info@champlainareatrails.com.

Thank you.

Chris Maron
CATS Executive Director

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