The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
By Phil Brown
Wallface is the biggest cliff in the Adirondacks and so naturally has attracted the attention of rock climbers from way back. The first recorded routes were put up by two of the country’s best climbers of the 1930s—John Case and Fritz Wiessner. The authors of Yankee Rock and Ice say Wiessner regarded Wallface as the…
By Phil Brown
On July 15, 1932, two giants of conservation met on top of Mount Marcy: Bob Marshall and Paul Schaefer. Marshall was partway through a marathon hike that would take him to the summits of thirteen High Peaks. Schaefer was taking photos to be used in a campaign against a proposal to allow cabins in the…
By Phil Brown
I haven’t spent much time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, largely because there is so much to do here in the Adirondacks. It was a case of not knowing what I was missing. In late August, Carol MacKinnon Fox and I spent four days in the Whites, hiking and rock climbing. One of the…
By Phil Brown
The Bicknell’s thrush, which breeds in the Adirondacks and northern New England, is at risk from climate change, acid rain, mercury, and habitat destruction, but it is not on the federal list of endangered species. The Center for Biological Diversity is trying to change that. In 2010, the nonprofit organization filed a scientific petition with…
By Phil Brown
Do you have trouble visualizing the terrain shown on topo maps? Do contour lines mystify you? Summit Terragraphics may have just the thing for you. The West Virginia company has made a raised-relief map that does an impressive job of showing the topography of the High Peaks. You won’t be able to carry it in…
By Phil Brown
St. Regis Canoe Outfitters recently published two full-color, waterproof maps for paddlers: “The Whitney Wilderness” and “The Raquette River.” Both are a convenient size—24 inches by 18 inches—and fold up like a brochure. The scale for both is 1:50,000. Though less detailed than U.S. Geographical Survey topo maps, they are more than adequate for paddlers.…
By Phil Brown
Shipton’s Arete is one of my favorite places to take a novice rock climber. The three routes on the arête are all pretty easy. There’s a good anchor for a top rope. And the arête overlooks scenic Chapel Pond. The easiest route, Shipton’s Voyage, is rated only 5.4 on the Yosemite Decimal System scale of…
By Phil Brown
It seems that photos of moose are becoming more common with the return of these magnificent creatures to the Adirondacks. Last week, Jeff Nadler, a professional photographer, sent us a shot of a young moose he took near Great Sacandaga Lake in the southern Adirondacks. Today I’m sharing a photo of another young moose taken…
By Phil Brown
When Matt Horner, one of the region’s best ice climbers, fell on a route at Chapel Pond last winter, he had to stop working for a while. For Matt, work is guiding and sculpting, usually in rock and metal. Matt has recuperated well enough to resume his artwork, and his latest piece was unveiled Thursday…
By Phil Brown
The historian Philip Terrie has written a book on Adirondack mammals, but he has never seen a moose in the Adirondacks. He is not alone. Although as many as a thousand moose (no one knows for sure) live in the Adirondack Park, you have to be lucky to see one. Jeff Nadler, a nature photographer…