“Gateway 8”: Outdoor Adventures in the Adirondack Foothills
Jennifer Kietzman started developing the ADK Gateway 8 Challenge shortly after moving to Corinth four years ago. Having always loved the outdoors, she was looking for a meaningful way to connect with her new community. That search led her to the Healthy Corinth Coalition, a local initiative focused on enhancing the town’s well-being.
Having read about the popular Chester Challenge, she thought: Why not here?
“Gateway 8 is first and foremost for Corinth,” Kietzman explained, “but it also seeks to unite the communities of Lake Luzerne, Hadley, and Stony Creek in a shared venture. I wanted to include neighboring communities that are likewise engaged in revitalization efforts. Becoming a hub for outdoor activities can bring new energy and visitors, with the potential to expand over time.”
Embracing Beauty and Community
Spruce Mountain has the highest fire tower in the Adirondacks.
Raised in Queensbury and steeped in a love of nature from childhood, Kietzman grew up exploring the woods and vacationing on Indian Lake.
In high school, she spent much of her time going on walks by herself, collecting both wildflowers and pieces of metal she found interesting. She studied English and geology at Colgate University, enjoying field study trips throughout the Northeast and to the mountains of southern Arizona.
“Those experiences further cemented my love of the outdoors,” she says. Searching for the best way to live, she embarked on a spiritual path that led her to study Theravada Buddhism and early Christianity, and to visit meditation centers and monasteries in Sri Lanka and early Christian sites in Turkey and Greece. She completed a master’s in theology at Harvard Divinity School and a master’s in poetry at the University of Michigan.
Along the way, she has worked as a baker, a proofreader, a librarian, and a clerk at a gas station and hotel. Since 2006, she has been working in the field of investigative due diligence, and is currently employed as a senior editor by New York City-based Corporate Resolutions.
“In returning home to the southern Adirondacks after diverse studies and experiences, I saw anew the beauty of the area and understood the importance of building meaningful community connections – the spirit reflected in the Gateway 8 Challenge,” Kietzman says.
“I didn’t realize until I was engaged in the process that projects like these come together simply through connecting and talking,” she says.
Community Connections
Among the many collaborators Kietzman credits is Crooked Canes outings coordinator Peter Fedorick, who has contributed his extensive knowledge of area trails and paddling routes. Sunny Nealey, a member of the Healthy Corinth Coalition and an avid cyclist, mapped the biking routes to ensure that they’re both scenic and accessible for riders at all skill levels.
The project also has benefited from the support of key local officials and historians. Corinth Town Supervisor Eric Butler provided valuable guidance on municipal support, while Dan Smith, creator of the Chester Challenge, and Dave Bourque, developer of the Brant Lake Challenge, lent their insights from creating similar initiatives, helping Kietzman navigate the planning and logistics of an outdoor challenge.
Rachel Clothier, Corinth’s Town Historian and Director of the Town Museum, along with Cindy Cameron and Pam Morin, the Town Historians of Stony Creek and Lake Luzerne, respectively, added depth to the project by contributing historical knowledge that would enrich the challenge with stories and landmarks from the region’s past.
Emma Mackey, another member of the Healthy Corinth Coalition, helped with researching the hiking trails.
“This team, with its blend of local wisdom, outdoor experience, and community spirit, transformed the Gateway 8 Challenge into a project that celebrates not only nature but also the rich cultural heritage of the Adirondack gateway,” Kietzman says.
Registration Made Easy
With support from both the Town and Village of Corinth, the Healthy Corinth Coalition, and a $7,100 grant from the Saratoga County Department of Planning and Economic Development, Kietzman has developed a compelling website, for which she shares credit with both Kelsey Sherman, a designer with Saratoga Springs-based Five Towers media, and the many photographers with whom Kietzman connected via social media. In addition to providing descriptions of the activities included in the challenge, complete with maps, trail highlights, and historical information, Kietzman hopes the website, with its photographs that spotlight some of the interesting features, flora, and fauna one may encounter, will inspire participants to stop, look and listen. The website also centralizes the registration process, enables participants to track their progress, and celebrates those who complete the challenge, whether they choose to undertake the “classic” Gateway 8 (eight activities) or the “Lite” version of the challenge (four activities). Kietzman wanted the challenge to appeal to a variety of outdoor enthusiasts – hikers, bikers, and paddlers - of varying levels of experience.
Kietzman also created a public Facebook group where participants are encouraged to share stories and photographs of their adventures.
"Gateway 8 is an invitation to discover the beauty that lies just outside our doors, to connect with nature and each other, and to celebrate the unique spirit of Corinth and its neighbors,” Kietzman added. As the Challenge continues to grow, we hope it will inspire people to lace up their boots, grab a paddle, or hop on a bike—and discover a new path to community and adventure.
