The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) invites the public to join in the celebration of the 10and year of their flagship event, the Lake George Hike-A-Thon, to be held on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Early bird registration for the event opened at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 7and and will continue until March 31st, during which free event t-shirts are offered with registration. Special edition anniversary tie-dye shirts are also available for purchase.
Eager to claim their spot for the event, 250 people registered just within the first hour after early bird registration opened for the event; nearly 700 people are expected in total.
The Hike-A-Thon is a free, watershed-wide event that brought together nearly 700 hikers, paddlers and volunteers for an organized morning of guided outdoor recreation. The simultaneous hikes and paddles culminate with aerial photography of each group by Carl Heilman, II, who will again fly in a helicopter donated and piloted by North Country HeliFlite’s Bruce Mowery.
This year’s event features 21 hiking and paddling options at sites all around Lake George. Site difficulty ranges from the very difficult 6 mile round trip hike at Pole Hill Pond Preserve to Prospect Mountain. The paddle tender will be launched from the Northwest Bay boat launch; kayaks and experienced guides are provided by the Council for Prevention. The choice to participate virtually is also still available.
After the morning of excursions is over, participants and community guests are invited to come to the Walk-A-Thon After-Party at the Bolton Community Center from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and beverages will be available for purchase from Ty’s Taco-ria food truck and The Smoothie Shoppe, and free beer and soda will be offered by Adirondack Pub and Brewery. The After-Party will also feature activities for children and adults, sponsor booths, merchandise, prizes and giveaways. There will be special prizes for those who have participated in the Hike-A-Thon for all 10 years, and more!
“This is such an exciting event to look forward to after another challenging year,” said Sarah Hoffman, LGLC Communications and Outreach Manager. “We are thrilled to provide this opportunity to get out, in a safe social setting, and share a lake-wide experience with hundreds of other people who love and care for this special place.”
The Hague Paddlers. Photo from Lake George Land Conservancy website.
After hosting the first Lake George Hike-A-Thon in 2013 to celebrate the LGLC’s 25th anniversary, the event has continued every year since to showcase the LGLC’s parks and preserves as free public resources and to promote an appreciation of the outdoors and for the protection of the territory that protects the lake.
Since then, the Hike-A-Thon has expanded to include partner sites – properties that are maintained with both ecosystem health and recreation in mind. These partner sites for 2022 include Silver Bay YMCA Conference and Family Retreat Center, Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center, YMCA Camp Chingachgook, The Sembrich and Wiawaka Center for Women.
The Hike-A-Thon is a free public outreach event made possible through the financial support of corporate sponsors and individuals who choose to donate when registering. To date, major sponsors and partners of the 2022 Hike-A-Thon include media sponsor, The Lake George Mirror; the Town of Bolton; Carl Heilman, II/Wild Visions, Inc.; Bruce Mowery of North Country HeliFlite; Dave Arthur and Reliant Health Partners; Adirondack pub and brewery; Hudson Headwaters Health Network; Just water; Lake George RV Park; Connally Creative; Council for prevention; and Le Sembrich.
To register for the Walk-a-thon and for more information, visit https://lakegeorgehikeathon.org/or contact Sarah Hoffman at 518-644-9673, or by email [email protected]. For news and updates, follow the Hike-A-Thon on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LakeGeorgeHikeAThon/.
About Lake George Land Conservancy
The LGLC is an accredited non-profit land trust based in Bolton Landing, NY, dedicated to working with willing landowners and other partners to protect the world-renowned water quality of Lake George and to permanently preserve the natural landscapes, scenic, historic and recreational resources of the Lake George region. Since its inception, LGLC’s Land Shield program has worked directly and with partners to permanently protect 12,071 acres of Lake George wilderness and nearly 7 miles of shoreline, and owns and/or manages 35 parks and reserves. which are open to the public year-round or by special request/restricted access with nearly 40 miles of trails for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and, on some reservations, hunting and snowmobiling. More information: www.lglc.org.
Top photo: Participants in the 2021 Lake George Land Conservancy Hike Marathon. Photo from LGLC website.
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