During our time at Hamilton, we have both spent large amounts of time in the Adirondacks. Hailing from Minnesota and California we were new to the beauty and history of these mountains and lakes. Throughout our time at Hamilton, we have both developed a love for the outdoor recreational history of the park. When we first started discussing this term project in class, we knew that we wanted to focus on an outdoor recreation aspect of the park. Both of us have competed in the Adirondack Canoe Classic (or the “90-Miler”) race, during which we saw many guideboats. Our experiences in the Adirondacks sparked an interest in the history of guideboats, which led to our creation of this website.
Throughout this project we were focused on the historical and modern uses of the guideboat and how it has evolved throughout time in the Adirondacks, eventually becoming an iconic part of Adirondack culture and heritage. We researched historical importance and old building techniques, interviewed two modern guideboat experts, and learned about current uses for the guideboat in the Adirondacks. We hope this website allows you to learn something new about the guideboat in the Adirondacks.
The photo below is from the 2014 Adirondack Canoe Classic.
Left to Right: Lindsay Pattison '16, Annie Emanuels '16, Deanna Nappi '15, Madison Atterbury '17