Barbara McMartin

[Pat T]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/st...ry=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=9/28/2005

This morning's Albany Times-Union reports the death of Barbara McMartin. She was such a great voice for the Adirondacks, both in her writings about the history of the area and in her prolific publications about hiking.

Pat T

 

[MattC]

That's sad news. Thanks for the link Pat, it's a nice article. Interesting about her PhD. With all the time she must have been spending in the ADK backcountry, she still found time to earn an advanced degree in a relatively unrelated field at a university hundreds of miles away.

Matt

 

[Nessmuk]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/st...ry=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=9/28/2005

This morning's Albany Times-Union reports the death of Barbara McMartin. She was such a great voice for the Adirondacks, both in her writings about the history of the area and in her prolific publications about hiking.

Pat T

This is very sad news. I knew she had been ill for some time. Barbara was a true friend of the woods and gentle teacher to those of us who love traveling there.

 

[Pat T]

Post Star Obituary

http://www.legacy.com/PostStar/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=15234638

This is the obituary from the Glens Falls Post Star.

This is a great loss for the ADKs.

Pat T

 

[mavs00]

I never met her, but she "walked" many a mile on Adirondack trails with me my family, as I'm sure she did for millions of others. We are deeply saddened and wish her family comfort in this time of grief.

No doupt, the Adirondacks are in morning over this one.

 

[Rick]

A sad blow as we lose another legacy of the mountains. God bless you Ms. McMartin, you helped me though some difficult times when I first started hiking in the high peaks.

If I recall, was not Marshall or McNaughton originally named after her Great Grandfather, but then name was lost during a transition of map versions/updates some time ago, perhaps she could be bestowed an unnamed peak.

I do hope someone (perhaps family) carries on her tradition of writing and guidebooks.

 

[Rivet]

Sad news. I have most of the books in the Discover series. I enjoy reading bits of them here and there, even if I have no intention of doing the hike being described.

 

[Doc McPeak]

A sad blow as we lose another legacy of the mountains. God bless you Ms. McMartin, you helped me though some difficult times when I first started hiking in the high peaks.

If I recall, was not Marshall or McNaughton originally named after her Great Grandfather, but then name was lost during a transition of map versions/updates some time ago, perhaps she could be bestowed an unnamed peak.

I do hope someone (perhaps family) carries on her tradition of writing and guidebooks.

Colden was at one point named McMartin, I believe for one of the men from the McIntyre Mine. I don't think they were related, but I don't have my reference stuff nearby. Her books were great, chock full of natural history, history of man's influence on all the regions, and full of limitless suggestions for hikes. Her presence will live on for many of us on our bookshelves and during the hikes we take from her notes.

 

[mavs00]

McPeak is right, Colden was once named McMartin, for Duncan McMartin. Who was a principle in the development of the McIntyre Iron Works and the land it sat on. Archibald McIntyre and Duncan McMartin good friends and were in the party that received credit for the first attempted ascent of the peak (they only reached Lake Colden) in 1836. Other notables in the group included Ebineezer Emmons, William Redfield, David Henderson and a sportsman Investor, David C. Colden. The Mt. McMartin name obviously did not survive, eventually replaced by Mt. Colden by around 1850. Verplank Colvin sealed the deal in 1869 by proclaiming it Colden.

Duncan McMartin had 4 sons who all coincidentally married daughter or nieces of Archibald McIntyre. One of those sons was the Great Grandfather of Barbara.

 

[beverly]

A Wonderful Woman

I found a really neat piece on her in the Caroga Times from last year - a bio and pictures at her home on Canada Lake.

A great loss. Her High Peaks discover book was my bible hiking the 46.

Caroga Times

 

[Grumpy]

Have enjoyed reading and been wonderfully informed by Barbara McMartin’s books over the years -- guidebooks and other texts, as well. So even though I was not otherwise acquainted with Barbara McMartin, her passing seems like a personal loss to me, as it surely is to her family, friends and colleagues. It certainly is a loss to the Adirondack region at large. We can be comforted by knowing that McMartin has left an important legacy in her writings.

mavs00 sort of beat me to it and provided significant details, but . . .

It is true that at one time Mount Colden bore the name Mount McMartin. There is a nice discussion about this in Russell Carson’s book, “Peaks and People of the Adirondacks.” I believe (recall reading somewhere that) the McMartin in whose honor the mountain was named was one of Barbara McMartin’s ancestors. Carson’s book suggests that Colden may have been the original name for the mountain, though. At one time there was a McMartin Leanto located on the east side of the Lake Colden outlet, between Lake Colden and Flowed Lands. (A number of Adirondack leanto shelters once carried names of Adirondack personalities.)

G.

 

[NYBRAD]

Sad News Indeed

Truly some sad news to anyone that has read any of Barbra's writings.

I thought I might add a bit to Mavs and Grumpy's input about that famous trip of McMartin and company. This comes from an out of print book called The Story of Adirondac by Arthur H. Masten. It was published in 1923 and had 125 copies. I found one on Amazon. I found it facinating.

" Leaving the Iron Works August 15th, the party went by way of Lake Sanford to the East River, which they ascended until they found "a beautiful lake to which our party afterwards gave the name of Lake Colden."
In crossing the inlet of Lake Sanford they noticed " the fresh and yet undried tracks of a panther." At Lake Colden their guide John Cheney, with Mr Henderson, went around the lake and found further signs of a panther.
There were also fresh wolf tracks, and on the shores of Lake Colden were found the warm and mangled remains of a deer that two wolves were disposing of when frightened away by the approach of the party. While Mr Redfield was exploring the Opalescent, others of the party went to the North where they discovered a lake ( Avalanche), the scenery of which they described as " very imposing" The streams and lakes on this trip were found destitute of trout. The party returned by the way of Calamity Brook to the Iron Works and Mr. Redfield records that traces had been found of a Indian trail going by Lakes Sanford and Henderson and the Preston Ponds to the headwaters of the Raquette River.

 

[hardrain]

I never met her but I surely will miss her. She showed me the way.
Many times I saw her photo in the back of the book and thought to myself....wow, what a Lady!

 

[wayward son]

Very sorry to learn of her passing. Her high peaks book likewise became my valued, trusted and very worn hiking bible. As I usually hiked solo, I relied extensively upon her trail descriptions to hike many of the Adirondack high peaks. Without her insight and vast hiking knowledge, I doubt I would of had the confidence to hike these peaks. Thank you Barbara for showing me a new and ever beautiful world!