The Wild Center

Sitting on a 31-acre site on Tupper Lake, this Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks opened in 2006 with a mission to "ignite an enduring passion for the Adirondacks where people and nature can thrive together and set an example for the world". It was designed to open new ways to look into the latest discoveries made by natural scientists. As a testament to its vision, it has been recognized for its green building design and construction and is the first LEED certified museum, in the state of New York.

The walkway to the museum entrance is itself a trail of exhibits called the Mother of Invention. It gives insights into secrets held by nature which are inspiring new inventions. Can the loon's ability to desalinate water make water available to everyone in the planet? Can one frog's ability to freeze itself influence healthcare, especially with regards to preserving transplants?

The New Path is another outdoor trail which shows the center's green building practices, with the BioBuilding's solar and living roof, composting toilets and grassy parking lots. There is the Pond Loop behind the building and the Meadow Bird and Oxbow Overlook trail which leads to special overlooks on the Raquette River. We followed a naturalist on this trail who described interesting facts about the area. I would have liked to see more wildflowers and wildlife but it was not the right time for it . It was comforting to learn that unlike the hemlock that was given Socrates, the trees that abound on our camp on Kayuta do not contain any poison. The needles in fact could be used for tea.


Indoors, there were live exhibits of Adirondack wildlife which included trout and other fishes, snakes and more. I finally confirmed that the turtles on Kayuta Lake were indeed painted turtles and that the adult red eft is not as colorful as its younger stage. It was just as amusing to watch the frustrated photographers as the lively, acrobatic otter circling around its pond.

At the Find Out Forest, we watched a few short film clips of our choosing and stayed for one show at the Flammer Panoramas Theater. We were not able to stay for the newest film in their collection, A Matter of Degrees, narrated by Sigourney Weaver.

For anybody interested in learning about the Adirondacks, the Wild Center is the place to go. At less than 100 miles from Kayuta Lake, this is a day trip worthwhile taking. For more information, check out www.wildcenter.org.

Ausable Chasm

While staying at Saranac Lake, we ventured to the northeast corner of Adirondack Park to visit Ausable Chasm, sometimes called "The Little Grand Canyon of the East".

Ausable Chasm began formation 500 million years ago within a fault in the Potsdam sandstone strata, once the bottom of a prehistoric ocean. Geologic fault lines splitting the sandstone, receding glaciers and later the erosive force of the Ausable River created this 2 mile long gorge bordered by cliffs towering 100-200 feet high.

The self-guided walking tour started with a view of the elephant's head, a unique rock formation created by the closely spaced vertical joints. We then proceeded on the newly completed Rim Walk where guests could now walk the entire length of the chasm.

The Rim Trail provided a bird's eyeview of the gorge. But for a closer look, we descended 150ft down into the Inner Sanctum trail. Here, we could see the rocks more closely, and feel the power of the Ausable River below us. At Table Rock, we saw some hardy souls getting on a rubber raft to experience the last mile of the chasm even closer. In warmer weather, there would have been some others tubing down the river.

The oldest natural attraction in the USA, Ausable Chasm has been attracting visitors since 1870, 22 years before the Adirondack Park was established. And now, winter tours of the park are available with advanced reservation. At more than 168 miles from Kayuta Lake, a day trip to Ausable Chasm may be just too ambitious. But not impossible.