May 2017 - Refinery29 has included Long Lake and Wilmington in a story about escapes from New York City. ROOST provided the content and the photos. Refinery29, a style, travel and fashion website, has 16.2 million unique viewers monthly. VIEW THE ARTICLE

ROOST conducted a survey to determine traveler behavior and demands related to the region known as the Upper Hudson Recreation Hub, comprised of the towns of Minerva, North Hudson, Newcomb, Indian Lake and Long Lake. These communities are linked to the newly state-acquired former Finch, Pruyn land and are collectively known as Five Towns. The survey results help to identify the perception of these communities from both residents and visitors. It was distributed to a list of people that participated in ROOST’s annual leisure travel information study, and who indicated that they had been to one of the five towns. In addition, the Long Lake Parks, Recreation & Tourism office and Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce distributed the survey to their email lists. READ THE SURVEY RESULTS HERE.

May, 2017: Reader's Digest featured the Saranac Lake 6er hiking challenge in a list of 10 don't miss summer experiences. The village of Saranac Lake introduced the program in 2013. It challenges people to climb six area mountains to earn a 6er patch. The peaks are Ampersand, Mckenzie, Scarface, Baker, St. Regis and Haystack. View the article

May 2017 adirondacks, usa — Now in it’s seventh year, the Great Adirondack Garage Sale has grown to encompass an over 200-mile “trail”, stretching from Malone to Speculator, and Old Forge to Newcomb. Residents are encouraged to sign up to sell during the expanded Memorial Day Weekend event. “Memorial Day weekend in May is traditionally the time when second-homeowners open up their camps and we’re hoping we get people motivated to clear out their garages, attics, and basements, said Alexandra Roalsvig, Director, Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the Town of Long Lake. “The more participation, the bigger impact the event will have, so we encourage our residents and second homeowners to sign up and sell, sell, sell!” The expanded event was initiated by Hamilton County in partnership with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). The organization developed an interactive website that showcases garage sale locations and allows sellers to list items along with an unlimited number of photos to enhance their listing. The listings include the hours of operation and a sampling of items for sale. “Signing up is easy and free, so make sure your sale is on the map!”, said Michelle Clement, ROOST’s director of destination development programs. “This event is also a great way for non-profits, churches, and school groups to fundraise,” added Roalsvig. “The Town of Long Lake will have space available for outside vendors to sell their wares both in Long Lake and Raquette Lake so call our office at 518-624-3077 and ask for Steph Hample and she’ll set you up with a location.” The regional garage sale originated in 2010 when Long Lake linked up with Old Forge, Inlet and Indian Lake to promote 70 miles of garage sales. It has grown to include Old Forge, Inlet, Raquette Lake, Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, Tupper Lake, Lake Clear, Paul Smiths, Malone, Cranberry Lake, Piercefield, Childwold, Newcomb & Speculator. Each community will also have a printed map to hand out during the event with mapped Garage Sale locations based on the website data. Participants should visit GreatAdirondackGarageSale.com for more information and to register individual sale locations. ###

Wilmington, N.Y. — Fly fishermen from across the country and Canada will head to Wilmington, New York May 19 and 20 for the annual Ausable Two-Fly Challenge competition. It was founded 18 years ago by local anglers to celebrate the joy of the fishing, spirit of sportsmanship, and to help preserve a world-class fly fishery. All of the money raised from the entrance fees goes to preserving the river for future anglers. The funds are donated to the Ausable River Association and various other causes. According to lead organizer Michelle Preston, about 100 anglers are expected to participate. Rules for the catch-and-release tournament are simple: Anglers are allowed to bring two barb-less hook flies, of any combination or patterns. Once the flies are lost or unusable, he or she is out. Anglers must fish with a partner and each must record the total number of fish caught, the length of each fish and the cumulative number of inches. Only fish handled by the angler and successfully released will count as caught fish. The winner is determined by the highest cumulative length of each fish caught. There are four competitive categories: junior, men, women and professional. Each fisherman can choose just two flies to use per day. They must pick their flies they will use at the beginning of the day. If they lose them, they’re done. The Two-Fly Challenge begins Friday, May 19, with a day of fishing followed by a fly tyer’s reception that night where anglers can share the day’s experiences on the river while learning new skills from talented tyers. It will be held at Wilmington’s, newest gathering spot, Pourman’s Tap House. The ever-popular fly casting competition will be a part of the evening's festivities, and the band Fade to Blues will perform live music. Saturday morning check-in is followed by another exciting day of fishing on the beautiful Ausable River. The weekend finishes up on Saturday evening with a banquet complete with prizes, raffles and a presentation by a special guest speaker Robert Streeter. Registration is open to the public, online at http://www.active.com/wilmington-ny/fishing/18th-annual-ausable-river-two-fly-challenge-2017?int= For more information, contact the Whiteface Mountain Regional Visitors Bureau at 518-946-2255, or via email at info@whitefaceregion.com.