ADK Talks

By ADK Taste

ADK Talks brings you the stories behind the people, places, and things to do in the Adirondack Park of New York State. With 6 million acres, the Adirondacks are the ultimate playground.

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How many episodes does ADK Talks have?

The podcast currently has 89 episodes available.

Best of ADK Talks

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Something’s Out There: Searching for Bigfoot in the Adirondacks
What if the Adirondacks’ most famous mystery isn’t hiding in the history books, but somewhere just off the trail? We’re heading back into Bigfoot country with John Sheridan, creator of Adirondack Bigfoot, who investigates eyewitness reports across the Adirondack Park. John talks with the people behind the encounters, visits the locations where they happened, and documents what he finds through video, audio, trail cameras, footprint casts and plenty of time in the woods. From Whitehall and Lake George to Wells, Ticonderoga, Keeseville and the Lake Champlain corridor, John has collected stories that range from strange wood knocks and unexplained tracks to alleged roadside encounters and something throwing rocks at Adirondack campers. And he has a theory about why so much of the activity seems to cluster along the eastern edge of the Adirondack Park. What you’ll hear in this episodeWhy eyewitnesses sometimes wait decades to share their Bigfoot encounters.The Adirondack evidence John looks for, from footprints and wood knocks to trail-camera images.John’s theory about a Bigfoot migration route through the Lake Champlain corridor.Strange encounters from Whitehall, Wells, Lake George and beyond.Why caves, old mines and remote Adirondack terrain keep coming up in his investigations.What believers, skeptics and the Bigfoot-curious can discover by slowing down in the woods. Resources:Adirondack BigfootWhitehall Sasquatch Festival & Calling ContestTracking Legends: Sasquatch in the AdirondacksSasquatch in the Adirondacks Produced by NOVA
September 07, 202653min
Number 2: Growing the Future: Women, Apples, and Adirondack Agriculture
Ever wonder how a New York apple picked in October can still taste crisp the following summer? We’re heading to Peru, New York, in the Champlain Valley to meet Jenna Mulbury, third-generation co-owner of Northern Orchard and our latest guest in the Women in Agriculture series with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County. Northern Orchard has been growing apples since 1906, and today its fruit travels from the Adirondack Coast to grocery stores across the country. Jenna takes us beyond the farm stand and into the surprisingly scientific world of commercial apple growing. We learn how enormous low-oxygen storage rooms essentially put apples “to sleep,” why warm days and cool Adirondack nights help create that perfect red blush, and just how much work goes into growing the flawless fruit shoppers expect. There’s plenty here for anyone planning a fall trip to the Adirondacks, too. Jenna shares what’s growing at the Northern Orchard Farm Stand, why you should venture beyond your usual Honeycrisp, and a few apple varieties worth hunting down this season. What you’ll hear in this episodeHow Northern Orchard has grown apples since 1906How apples stay fresh nearly year-roundWhy the Champlain Valley is ideal for apple growingJenna’s experience as a woman in agricultureNew apple varieties worth tryingHow to choose and store apples at homeWhat’s fresh at the Northern Orchard Farm StandWhy the Adirondacks extend beyond the Blue Line Resources:Northern OrchardCornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton CountyNew York State Horticultural SocietySUNY CobleskillNew York Apple Association Produced by NOVA
August 31, 202653min
Number 3: Storytown, Motels, and Summer Memories: How Lake George Became America's Playground
Long before family vacations meant airport security and resort apps, there was Lake George. In the 1950s and ’60s, families piled into their cars and headed north to the Adirondacks for cottage colonies, roadside attractions, speedboats, theme parks, elaborate nightlife and days spent on the Queen of American Lakes. In this episode of ADK Talks, we visit Bolton Landing and the Bolton Museum’s “Welcome to Lake George: Vacation Paradise of the 50s & 60s” exhibit with curator Lisa Hall and Lake George Mirror publisher Toni Hall. It’s a trip back to an era when Lake George was reinventing itself for America’s newly mobile middle class. Victorian hotels and private estates gave way to motels and vacation cottages. Story Town and Frontier Town became family destinations. Restaurants and nightclubs stayed open into the early morning. And projects like the Adirondack Northway and Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway made the region easier to reach than ever before. But there’s more here than nostalgia. Lisa and Toni reveal how that tourism boom changed Lake George, why the excitement surrounding massive development projects eventually began to fade, and how concerns about growth helped fuel a new appreciation for protecting the Adirondacks. What you’ll hear in this episodeHow Lake George became a family vacation hotspotThe motels, cottage colonies and attractions of the ’50s and ’60sLake George nightlife during its mid-century heydayHow the Northway reshaped Adirondack tourismThe story behind the Bolton Museum exhibitWhy Lake George history still sparks strong memories today Resources:Lake GeorgeThe Bolton MuseumThe Sembrich Opera Museum Produced by NOVA
August 24, 202651min
Number 4: From Trail to Sky: Voices From the Lake George Hike-A-Thon
What happens when hundreds of hikers spread out across Lake George on the same summer morning? We took the ADK Talks mobile studio to the Lake George Land Conservancy’s annual Hike-A-Thon after party to find out. The result is a collection of field reports from around one of the Adirondacks’ most beautiful lakes. Some hikers discovered trails they had somehow missed after decades of visiting Lake George. Others spotted rare birds, introduced kids and grandkids to the mountains, found a new appreciation for protected land, or came face to face with a timber rattlesnake. You’ll hear from lifelong Adirondackers, first-time hikers, photographers, conservationists, nurses, families, and people who travel hundreds of miles each year because Lake George keeps calling them back. Along the way, we visit places like Pilot Knob, Amy’s Park, Sucker Brook Preserve, Up Yonda Farm, Wiawaka, Cat and Thomas Mountains, and some quieter corners of the northern lake. What you’ll hear in this episodeHow Lake George can look completely different from the opposite shoreA memorable timber rattlesnake encounter on the trailWhy Amy’s Park is a hidden gem for Adirondack birdingHow hiking helped Glens Falls Hospital staff through the COVID yearsWhat 800 Hike-A-Thon participants look like from a helicopterWhy protecting the land around Lake George helps protect the lake itself Resources:Lake George Land Conservancy2026 Lake George Hike-A-Thon Produced by NOVA
August 17, 202639min
Number 5: Forest Bathing & Mindful Outdoor Adventures
What if your next Adirondack adventure had no summit, mileage goal, or destination at all? We sit down with New York State outdoor guide Nathan June, founder of Nathan’s Nature Navigations, to explore forest bathing and the simple practice of slowing down enough to really notice the woods around you. Nathan’s relationship with nature changed dramatically after a major health crisis and liver transplant in 2016. During his recovery, quiet visits to parks and places around Lake George helped him experience the outdoors differently. That eventually led him to forest bathing, mindful outdoor guiding, and training through Kripalu’s School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership. From “soft fascination” and sit spots to unexpected encounters with Adirondack wildlife, Nathan shares ways to experience the forest without worrying about conquering it. And you don’t need to disappear deep into the High Peaks to try it. A patch of woods, a local park, or even a quiet spot beneath a few trees can be enough to begin. Whether you’re planning an Adirondack getaway, looking for a gentler outdoor experience, or simply curious about experiencing familiar trails differently, this conversation might convince you to leave the summit goals behind for an afternoon. What you’ll hear in this episodeWhat forest bathing actually looks like.How Nathan’s recovery changed his relationship with nature.Why slowing down outdoors can feel surprisingly difficult.The idea of “soft fascination” and learning to notice more.How sit spots can change the way you experience Adirondack wildlife.Why Inman Pond on Lake George’s east side remains special to Nathan. Resources:Nathan’s Nature NavigationsInman Pond / Lake George Wild ForestKripalu School of Mindful Outdoor LeadershipSUNY Adirondack Outdoor EducationAssociation of Nature and Forest Therapy Produced by NOVA
September 14, 202645min