On finding Lost Pond
I’m on a ridge, not exactly sure where, and I can’t see more than a few feet past the branches that just poked me in the face. By Phil Brown
Adventure Planner
Jordan River
Journey up the Jordan By Mark Bowie Way up north, a secluded river flows through cathedral-like corridors of stately spruce, tamarack, balsam fir and white pine. The duotone dark-green and black waterscape looks ancient and primitive. Straight passages give way upstream to serpentine segments that wobble across the valley. They’re often lined with alders, but…
Ampersand Mountain
Getting there is half the fun! By Dick Beamish As the traffic sounds of Route 3 fade away and the majestic stands of hemlock cast a spell, it seems to Rachel and me that this is the forest primeval, one that Hiawatha would be at home in. It is also the trail to Ampersand Mountain…
Falling for Fall stream
Paddlers explore a river worth protecting By Mark Bowie After each paddling excursion on an Adirondack river or lake, I return with special remembrances, mind’s-eye imagery of the unique personality of the waterway. My indelible impressions from a recent trip on Fall Stream are of canoes and kayaks cruising a ribbony channel through marshland panoramas,…
Bouldering near McKenzie Pond
One thing you can be sure of when you go bouldering: The names of the climbing routes (or "problems," in the sport's lingo) are going to be entertaining. By Alan Wechsler
Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
For days, I had been telling my daughter Becky and her boyfriend, Nyle, about my first visit to Wilcox Lake, hoping to whet their appetite for our weekend camping trip. By Phil Brown
Black Bear Mountain: A seldom-traveled low peak
If you’re looking for a longer hike, to a summit that sees less traffic in the busy Old Forge region, Black Bear Mountain is a solid choice.
Split Rock Mountain
Jaime Ethier saw a timber rattlesnake here once. It lay coiled in the grass, just off the trail. “I almost stepped on it,” he recalls as we walk through the oak-hickory forest on Split Rock Mountain. By Phil Brown
3 great backpacking trips
By Bill Ingersoll One early spring, I embarked on my first backpacking trip, to Mud Lake in the Silver Lake Wilderness. The place attracted me because it had a lean-to and the walking distance seemed reasonable. Thus, I set off into the wilds with a brand-new pack and sleeping bag. By the time I reached…
Chubb River
You get a sense of wildness on the Chubb River almost as soon as you push off from the put-in spot outside Lake Placid. By Phil Brown