Accommodations and Amenities

Accommodations are housekeeping cabins at Curry's Cottages and rooms in the Blue Mountain Lake Inn. Accommodations are clean, comfortable and a bit rustic. We are, after all, in the middle of the largest wild area east of the Mississippi. All facilities have electricity, hot and cold running water, and heat. Linens and towels are provided although some participants prefer to bring additional towels.

Offsite accommodations are available at extra cost and must be reserved by participants well in advance (they fill with other tourists). We can recommend Prospect Point Cottages, The Hedges, and Hemlock Hall. Other lodging possibilities are available in nearby Long Lake.

Camping is also possible. There are two nearby campgrounds. Contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Meals

Most participants prefer the optional dinner plan for their evening meal. The menu caters to vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners alike. The symposium community gathers to eat and talk.

Curry's cabins and the cabins at Prospect Point are housekeeping cottages and have equipped kitchens which cabin residents share for breakfast and lunch. The Inn kitchen, which is used for the dinner plan, is available for use by Inn residents for breakfast and lunch but is not available to non-dinner plan participants in the evening. Nearby Long Lake and Indian Lake offers excellent breakfast and lunch possibilities too.

Participants staying at The Hedges and at Hemlock Hall receive their meals as part of their lodging.

Climate

The symposium is in the mountains and the climate can be quite dramatic. Hot, cold, wet, dry: all are possible and past symposia have seen them all. Ordinarily days are warm and nights are cool. Rainy weeks are possible. Clothing that layers well is recommended and appropriate shoes and outerwear are a must if one is hiking since the weather can change quite unpredictably.

Classes and Workshops

Classes run from Sunday morning through Friday noon. Mornings are usually spent in class with the student's primary instructor. Class start and end times are negotiated with the instructor and typically last between three and four hours (with breaks).

In the afternoons instructors offer private lessons although this is up to the students and their instructors. Some classes are scheduled in the afternoon so participants can study their primary instrument and do an elective or two! Other classes and workshops occur on an ad hoc basis depending on the interests of the participants.

Concerts, Dances, and Jams

A formal concert will be held Sunday evening, June 24th at the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. Admission to the event is included in the symposium fees for participants and companions. The general public also is invited (not free).

Several jams, based on group interest, occur during the week. In past years we've had fast jams, slow jams, singing jams, and percussion jams. Watch for some "all-camp" workshops in the evenings too.

A student "coffee house" will be held Thursday evening. Informal musical gatherings also occur throughout the week on the cabin and inn porches, living areas, and on the beach at Curry's Cottages.

One year some of the mountain dulcimer class' participants went to nearby Buttermilk Falls to play "Over the Waterfall." The annual "Jam on Castle Rock" is becoming a tradition for the fitter members of the symposium (the last bit is pretty steep).

Afternoon Activities

Blue Mountain Lake and the surrounding region offer many opportunities for exploration and enjoyment.

Boating has always been important in the Adirondacks. and canoeing, kicking, and sailing are available. One can rent water craft though many participants bring their own. Swimming is also available. Curry's Cottages has a graded sandy beach which is open to all participants and companions.

Please note: the beach does not have a lifeguard so swimming is done at the individual's own risk.

If there is sufficient interest a white-water rafting or float plane outing may be arranged. Lake tours are available for Blue, Eagle and Utowana Lakes.

An antique lake steamer offers tours of nearby Raquette Lake. For the hiker, many trails are also available. Each summer features several ascents of Blue Mountain and nearby Castle Rock. Buttermilk Falls offers spectacular views of the Raquette River's cascade into Long Lake.

Wildlife abound. Loons are common visitors as are many other birds. The lake has excellent fishing as well.

The nearby Adirondack Museum has over two hundred acres of exhibits that give visitors an excellent introduction to the history and culture of the Adirondack Park region. Sagamore, the Vanderbilt family's Great Camp offers a glimpse into how America's rich and powerful spent their summers in the mountains. A restored steam locomotive offers rides from North Creek to Thendara.

Telecommunications &...

The Adirondack Park in general and the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake in particular are still pretty low tech. Connectivity to the world is somewhat limited. There is a Post Office. Cell phones work sometimes, sort of, depending on here one is standing: We've found the middle of the lake to be pretty good. The Inn has a telephone that we use for messages and Curry's also has a phone for emergencies. There is a pay phone across the street from the Art Center. There is good radio reception but no television. That said, we have been known to enjoy espresso and cappuccino in the evenings. So we may not be connected but we're civilized.