By Justin A. Levine - Senior Communications Specialist
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 

Spring can be a tricky time in the Adirondacks. The weather is warm, and the days are longer, but the waters are cold, and the mud is thick. It can be a great time to plan Adirondack adventures for the future and maybe even learn some things from the past.  

Here are some great books you can soak up during mud season that may inspire new experiences and an even deeper appreciation for the Adirondack Park. 

Where Wilderness Preservation Began - Edited by Ed Zahniser 

This short book highlights the Adirondack writings of Howard Zahniser. Zahniser may not be a household name, but if you care about the Adirondacks or our national parks, he has had a positive impact on your life. In 1945, Zahniser became the first director of The Wilderness Society, founded by the Adirondacks’ own Bob Marshall. Zahniser worked tirelessly to protect wilderness areas around the country, but his biggest accomplishment was inspired by the lands within the Blue Line. 

Zahniser purchased a camp in the southeastern part of the Adirondacks in the mid-20th century and spent time with his family and friends for years in the Adirondacks. As an advocate for wilderness — much like the current staff of the Adirondack Council — Zahniser was awed by the foresight and scale of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. In fact, he was so inspired by New York’s commitment to conserving the Adirondacks that he wrote what would eventually become the federal Wilderness Act of 1964. 

Zahinser’s bill was passed and signed into law shortly after his death that year, but his legacy lives on. This book is a collection of diaries, speeches, and essays he wrote in the buildup to the Wilderness Act and captures a slice of Adirondack life that is wildly unique. I found a copy of this book at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake. 

Bob Marshall in the Adirondacks - Edited by Phil Brown 

Brothers Bob and George Marshall, and their friend and guide, Herb Clark, made history by being the first to document hiking the now-famed 46 Adirondack High Peaks.  

Bob’s love of the wild places he explored throughout his life in the Adirondacks inspired him to co-found The Wilderness Society, one of the premier wilderness preservation organizations of the world. He also wrote extensively about wilderness over the course of his life. Long-time Adirondack Explorer editor Phil Brown put together this compilation of Bob’s musings. 

From his days as a child exploring the woods near the family camp on Lower Saranac Lake to the five-year quest to climb all the High Peaks, Bob was quick to write down his experiences. And those experiences range from mountain tops to remote ponds. If it was wild, then Bob wanted to visit it, and we should be grateful that he left a record of his incredible outdoor achievements. 

A Not Too Greatly Changed Eden - By James Schlett 

Follensby Pond, near Tupper Lake, has been renowned for its wild beauty for longer than the Adirondack Park has existed. And we’re fortunate that the Follensby tract, owned by The Nature Conservancy, became a first-of-its-kind wilderness preserve just last year. 

Author James Schlett  dives into the history of why Follensby is so renowned, and it’s largely due to “The Philosophers' Camp.” This camp hosted some of the most well-known intellectuals of the mid-1800s, and they spent time soaking in the Adirondack wilderness and having experiences that left an indelible mark on these notable men.  

Perhaps the most famous attendee of the Philosophers’ Camp is poet and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, but the other participants — including professors and artists — brought a piece of the Adirondacks back with them. This meeting of the minds in 1858 is still guiding Adirondack policy today, as lovers of the Adirondacks work to preserve this special place as it was almost 200 years ago. 

Adirondack Archangels: Guardians of the High Peaks - Adirondack Mountain Club 

The High Peaks Wilderness Area of the Adirondacks has long been legendary for its rugged terrain, interesting flora and fauna, and the draw of being at the top of the state of New York. Adirondack Archangels tells the story, through first-hand accounts, of the work that goes into protecting this iconic landscape. 

Starting with the legendary Dr. Edwin “Ketch” Ketchledge, his son and daughter each pen beautiful tributes to their father (who died in 2010) and the indelible legacy of protection and study that he embodied. The collection of essays, which help support the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Summit Steward program, are from a who’s-who of Adirondack voices, and offer reflections on the impacts that we have on the High Peaks, and that the High Peaks have on each of us. 

A Night Walk - By Shari Amsel and Stacy McCoy Prime 

Most of us probably went through a phase (hopefully it was just a phase) of fearing the dark. Without being able to see what’s out there in a great big world, it can be a scary time of day. But as adults, we also know that night can be a magical time when lots of exciting things happen. 

Fortunately, Adirondack artist Sheri Amsel helped create A Night Walk, which explores the incredible animal life that happens at night in fields, forests, and wetlands. From little frogs to large mammals, Amsel and Prime explain some of the things that go “bump” in the night, and why they’re nothing to be afraid of. 

As an added bonus, Sheri Amsel is happy to personalize your book purchase, just let us know your little loved one’s name. 

So, as we patiently wait for mud season to end, now is a perfect time to dive into some Adirondack history and get inspired to preserve our Adirondack Park for current and future generations.