The Long Path Northern Section

Extending 558 miles from New York City (NYC) to the Adirondacks in Upstate New York, the Long Path is a trail in the blazed section from NYC to Thacher Park, but continues it's way to the Adirondacks as a series of landmarks. It connects many of New York's parks, preserves, and state forest land. The following maps will show the landmarks along the Northern Branch of the Path, exiting the Catskill Mountains and moving north to the entrance of the Adirondack Park. The 84 landmarks are within a 15 mile hiking corridor. They spotlight cultural, historic, geologic and scenic places from Gilboa to Whiteface Mountain - overlapping the blazed and road-walk sections to the Blue Line of the Adirondack Park.

Starting in 1912, the Schaefer family of Schenectady, NY began their love affair with the southern Adirondacks, which has continued into the 21st century through four generations of family members.

Their first trip was by trolley to Warrensburg and then by horse and buggy to Tripp Lake. That summer they spent several weeks in a lakeside farmhouse. The family was headed by Peter and Rose Schaefer and included Vincent (1906-1993), Paul (1908-1996), Gertrude (1910-2010), and during the fall of 1912, Carl (1912-1999). They had another daughter by the name of Margaret (1921-2010). On that first trip, Vince vividly recalled the memory of catching his first trout at the inlet of the lake!

Tripp Lake summer ventures followed for several years in order for Rose to escape pollen from roadside ragweed that caused her to suffer hay fever and related respiratory health issues. Within a few years, Rose developed a nearly fatal case of tuberculosis from which she recovered at the sanitorium at Ray Brook in the northern Adirondacks.

For this significant health reasons, it became apparent that a Schaefer Family Adirondack summer-time retreat was needed for Rose's survival. In 1920, they travelled to the Bakers Mills area where their Uncle Frank arranged for them to stay at the Morehouse's farmstead on Edward's Hill Road. A few years later they settled into a small camp with surrounding pastures - first rented, then purchased. It became known as "Camp Cragorehol," named by Peter Schaeer after nearby mountains: Crane, Gore, Eleventh, and Height of Land. From that point on, Cragorehol became the center of family activity through the end of the 20th century. It currently serves as a respite for relatives and friends of the Schaefer-Fogarty branch of the family.

"Serendipity in Science: Twenty Years at Langmuir Univeristy." Vincent J Schaefer, ScD. Compiled and Edited by Don Rittner 2013, Square Circle Press, Voorheesville ISBN: 13:978-0-9856926-3-6

In his autobiography, Vince reminisces about the deep impression the Adirondack wilderness made on him during those early years with family. The sheer joy and freedom he felt then gave him a life-long yearning for outdoor and wilderness experiences - all originating in Warren County. Although it started in Warren County, he embraced that same spirit throughout his life. Every chance he got he'd take off to explore wild places - in Northern Idaho, Western Montana, San Francisco Peaks and Grand Canyon in Arizona, Coastal Oregon& Washington, Wind River Mountains and Yellowstone Park winters in Wyoming, High Desert New Mexico and other places, Volcanoes in Hawaii, Plantations in Honduras, Mount Kenya in Africa, France, Switzerland, Japan, Australia all integral to his scientific career in atmospheric physics.

While always comfortable alone in the wilderness, Vince had a gift for generating enthusiasm among like-minded spirits through the founding of a variety of organizations.

In 1929, starting with a love for hiking, a young Vince along with brothers Paul, Carl, sister Gertrude and friends formed the Mohawk Valley Hiking Club (MVHC). Throughout the course of the Great Depression members of MVHC would take weekend hikes in the five valleys near Schenectady, regardless of weather conditions. Some members became schooled in environmental activism by Lake George preservationist John Apperson (GE Engineer). Under Apperson's tutelage, the club rip-rapped shorelines of Lake George Islands with large stones to reverse erosion from rising and falling water levels from logging operations. The club would also trek with cameras and notebooks to document natural disasters and human destruction in the Adirondack Mountains and river valleys.

Throughout the years, Apperson's advocacy to protect the wilderness led to legal and legislative fights against plans for vast hydroelectric dams in the mid-century (led most notably by Vince's brother Paul). These early efforts protected huge tracts of New York's Adirondack and Catskill wilderness. And from these humble beginnings at Huddle Bay, through the influence of Vince's brother Paul Schaefer, and his friend Howard Zahniser, The Wilderness Society was formed followed by federal legislation for The Wilderness Act of 1964, and the National Wilderness Preservation System for the nation.

Harvey, Mark "Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser and the Path to the Wilderness Act." Seattle, University of Washington Press, 2005

In the 1930's, in the interest of skiing and other winter sports, Vince formed the Schenectady Wintersports Club and Gore Mountain Ski Club. Members of these groups along with core members of the North Creek American Legion, befriended by Vince and Carl Schaefer, with the inspiration of GE House of Magic host, Bill Gluesing, brought the now famous Snow Trains starting March 4th, 1934 -- to North Creek from Schenectady and New York City. A rope tow was built by Carl Schaefer in 1935 in the North Creek Snow Bowl and then later Carl developed Skiland equipped with rope tows, ski lodge and skilled instruction. These activities ushered in the beginning of New York's multi-million dollar commercial ski industry. (SiS: 274-277, 288-290)

In 1931, Vince envisioned the Long Path of New York which he designed to celebrate the highlands of eastern New York - beginning at the George Washington Bridge, coursing the Palisades, Shawagunk and Catskill Mountains, the Schoharie, Albany, Rotterdam and Glenville Hills. The trail enters the Adirondack Park at Edinburg, NY then through Stony Creek country, by Crane and Gore Mountains to Calamity Brook, and Indian Pass to the top of Whiteface Mountain.

The Long Path was originally conceived as an un-blazed path to the wilderness from wherever a hiker was. Raymond Torrey, Hiking Editor of the New York Post published Vince's descriptions in articles he dubbed "The Long Brown Path," on successive Fridays in the 1930's. Then in 1960, Robert Jesson and Michael Warren worked to make the Long Path a blazed trail. Soon the Long Path was adopted and maintained by the New York - New Jersey Trial Conference as its "trunk-trail."

The blazed trail starts at the 175th Street Subway Station and "ends" 358 miles later at John Boyd Thacher Park atop the Helderbergs. While it is true that the blazed and maintained LP, with published map book and sections "ends" at Thatcher Park, in reality Vince Schaefer's Long Path has always continued another 200 miles to the top of Whiteface Mountain -- 558 miles in total.

About the time folks in the NY/NJ Trail Conference were actively blazing and maintaining trails Vince cautioned that when the Long Path "trail" arrived in the more populous counties of Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery, and Saratoga -- property ownership would pose insurmountable barriers to a blazed trail. Other means (bikes and road walks) would need to be embraced to complete the Long Path. Vince's hiking philosophy always considered hiking as an activity of simple exploration requiring a compass, a map and good 'woods sense'. To him a blazed trail was like a superhighway, when only a deer trail might be needed, or a little bush whacking, to get to a destination. He saw back roads and untraveled ground much more fun.

With the idea of encouraging hikers to follow the Long Path North, Vince, in his 80's, went to work. He described scores of landmarks from Gilboa in the Schoharie Valley to Whiteface Mountain.

Completed in 1991 as an unpublished "Field Guide to Landmarks of the Long Path North", his pocket-sized "Guide" was prepared as a five-part set of typed descriptions accompanied by map inserts of the landmarks. He chose places of cultural, historical, and geological significance or spots known for their sheer beauty. The goal of the Long Path North is for hikers to enjoy each of the landmarks - making each trek a unique experience.

A good example is the Ancient Corner Tree (Landmark #49). The multi-county corner was established in the 1700's by colonial surveyors. It was reported in 1881 by Superintendent of the Adirondack Survey Verplanck Colvin who directed his crew led by surveyor Francisco to follow Stony Creek to find a tree marking the corner of Albany, Charlotte and Tyron Counties (Albany/Rensselaer, Saratoga and Fulton). A huge hemlock with found with cardinal directional "chop" blazes and lines of similarly blazed witness trees N-S and E-W - a remarkable place. Vince and members of the MVHC rediscovered it in 1936, Now others can try to find it. (SiS: 271-272)

The Long Path North Hiking Club (LPNHC) in the 1990's and early 2000's blazed the Long Path North along low volume roads, organized efforts to take the Path off-road in various protected areas and with land-owner permissions. The Long Path North crosses the Adirondack Blue Line near Edinburg, NY after crossing the nearby Batcheller Bridge across the Sacandaga Lake. In 2021, the "Field Guide was scanned by Dave Bourque with Jim Schaefer (Vince Schaefer's son). A copyright is pending with the Library of Congress in Vincent J Schaefer's name with compilers. So the Long Path in the 21st century becomes a hybrid hiking route through the eastern New York highlands - on blazed trails - road walks and bushwhacks to 80+ Landmarks, on the way to the northern terminus at Whiteface Mountain.

A native of New Jersey, trained as a Registered Nurse and outdoor enthusiast, Lois Perret joined the Mohawk Valley Hiking Club in 1929. In the 1930's, she booked a room with a resident of North Creek to enjoy solo winter skiing on nearby slopes during her week-long visits over several years. On subsequent visits to North Creek in winter she was joined by Gertrude Schaefer, Vince's sister who enjoyed hiking and skating during their stay. Lois and Gertrude worked with the MVHC organizing 1933 Snow Train activities. The 1933 winter was lean on snow, so Gertrude sent postcard postponement notices and scheduled departures of the trains. Lois was appointed by Vince to head up the First Aid Committee, as she was a competent skier, organizer and a nurse -- the perfect combination to start what has become recognized as the first ski patrol in the country. She recruited competent skiers, including North Creek High School students who she trained and organized to assist any injured skier on the Gore/Pete Gay Mountain ski trails as part of the Snow Trains, starting in 1934. In 1935, she married Vince Schaefer, joining the family. (SiS: 270-271, 275)

There are 84 Landmarks on the Long Path of New York between Gilboa and Whiteface Mountain. These are major features to be found along the Path and all are worthy of attention. A few of them are small villages where the traveler can stock up on food and other essentials but most of the others are unusual and of geologic uniqueness. They may be visited in sequence or separately and thus can lend themselves to an expedition or weeks in duration or of a single day.

Most of them are about three miles apart, a few of them are within a mile of each other. The greatest intervening distance is less than seven miles.

Since these Landmarks are the only markers identifying the northern section of the Long Path of New York, it is planned eventually that a distinctive marker will be placed at each of these eighty-four locations.

The Long Path of New York in its original form is not a blazed or marked trail but relies on the woods knowledge and sense of direction of the traveler to reach the Landmarks described. Using compass and topographic map it is easy to find the next Landmark utilizing road, wood road, trail, herd path or bushwhack. The hiker is expected to respect private property and to leave nothing but footprints to mark the travelers passage.

The absence of a marked of blazed trail to follow adds to the challenge and a sense of adventure which is the inherent feature of the Long Path as originally envisaged. On the way any other features will be discovered by the observant hiker and will add to the enjoyment experience.

There are sections of the Path which should not be traveled by an inexperienced hiker. These corridors include extremely wild parts of the Adirondacks. If one doesn't had good "wood sense," it is quite possible to be lost for days. It is good practice to travel with a compatible companion who is "in tune" with you. Not only will your enjoyment be increased but your sense of well being and personal safety will be greatly enhanced.

For more information on The Long Path North, click  here .