A ski to Santanoni

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/529432/A-ski-to-Santanoni.html?nav=5008



(...) The state got Camp Santanoni and the surrounding land in 1972 as a gift from The Nature Conservancy, which had recently purchased it from the Melvin family, the first major venture for TNC's new Adirondack Chapter. The Melvin family sold it after one of its members, 8-year-old Douglas Legg, disappeared into the woods and was never seen again.
Prior to the Melvins, the great camp was owned by the Pruyn family, who had it built. Robert Pruyn was a wealthy Albany banker fascinated with agriculture, and his wife Anna was interested in nature. At Santanoni, they both got what they wanted. (...)

Newcomb Lake and Camp Sanatnoni is a worthwhile destination any time of year. In the winter, I imagine the road often makes for great skiing. The whole area is well taken care of, and there are some very nice campsites and lean-tos on the lake. The lake also has gravely and sandy bottoms in many spots, which makes for some great swimming- and the views across it are beautiful regardless of the season.

One of my favorite places to visit in the Adirondacks. It is a good spot to introduce people to the park with it’s mix of natural and human history. Once you leave the road and the area around the camp it seems that it does not see that much traffic. I have never encountered anyone at either lean to. I enjoy returning every couple of years to see how the restorations is progressing. The boathouse is a work of art. The dedication to this project is evident in something as simple as the work they did on the old bathhouse down by the beach.. I am always sadden when I walk past the remains of the barn, but I would think the cost of rebuilding it are prohibitive.
While we are on the topic I have a question . Last fall I noticed that under the widows of the camp wooded pegs had been driven into the logs on an angle. These were in neat parallel rows with about two inches sticking out. They were noticeable as they were unstained. Any guesses as to what they might be for?

I noticed those pegs in the Fall of 2010 as well. We couldn't figure out what they were for. Our best guess was that they were used to fasten something over the windows, but even that seemed like a stretch.

xc ski in to Santanoni Great Camp

It's a long, gentle glide all the way out. On a sunny day in February, when the snow fleas are hopping in your tracks, you can just stand on your skis and watch the trees go by for an hour or so. Seeing the restoraton is worth the trip itself. If you haven't been there, that's something you have yet to look forward to.