The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
Ice skating on a wild pond in a magical setting can warm the soul. By Diane Chase SKATING OFF the beaten track brings a sense of freedom to my soul. No matter how cold it is outside, I will haul my family to frozen ponds to lash skates to their feet. I know the Adirondack…
It’s hard to imagine a cooler-sounding job description than cloud collecting. This is not to be confused with wool gathering or stargazing. It’s real work, and Paul Casson and Rich Brandt have it down to a science. In fact it is a science, and one that has made important contributions toward understanding such environmental issues…
The opening of the Essex Chain Lakes attracts a flock of paddlers on a colorful autumn day. By Phil Brown AFTER CARRYING our canoes a quarter-mile, paddling briefly across Deer Pond, and then carrying another half-mile, Sue Bibeau and I were eager to begin our exploration of the Essex Chain Lakes, a string of pristine…
By Brian Mann For more than twenty years, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad has struggled to create an excursion train from Utica to Lake Placid, an attraction that advocates hope will one day serve as a major draw for tourists, carrying passengers through some of the most rugged and scenic terrain in the East. “We view an…
Pigeon Lake Wilderness offers skiers a quiet refuge in snowmobiling country. By Phil Brown LAST WINTER, a former colleague got in touch to see if I wanted to go skiing in the Inlet area. Not one to turn down a chance to ski or catch up with a friend, I suggested we do the loop…
Ideas for a better park. By Mal Provost At Adirondack Explorer conference, speakers call for strengthening the APA in order to protect water quality and the region’s wild character. "There is no constitutional right to sprawl." -Randall Arendt, keynote speaker
By Fred LeBrun AS I WRITE THIS, the debate is continuing to rage over how much motorized access should be allowed on former Finch, Pruyn lands sold to the state, but regardless of the decision, the age of private hunting and fishing clubs on those lands is quietly drawing to a close. We’re in the…
The Adirondack Explorer staff hiked the Saranac Lake 6 and prepared this guide containing trail descriptions, maps, and photographs.
Environmentalists disagree on whether proposed swap is good for the Forest Preserve. By Phil Brown THE VIEW from Hardwood Hill is a bit disappointing. We were hoping for open ledges with a vista of the Jay Range, but when we got to the summit we found ourselves wading through ferns and zigzagging among trees.…
Despite attempts to save it, Newton Falls paper plant shuts down for good, dealing a tough blow to a hard-pressed part of the Park. By Brian Mann THIS SUMMER, a Canadian company called Scotia Investments has been auctioning off parts of the old Newton Falls Paper Mill in the northwestern Adirondacks. It’s the…