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By Mike Lynch

The Sweeney family, of Boonville, says road salt contaminated their drinking water, killing livestock on their farm and causing health issues for them. Former farm owners Benjamin and Barbara Sweeney passed on the farm to their son, Brian Sweeney. See Ry Rivard’s article on road salt contamination in the May 2020 issue of the Adirondack Explorer for more information about this family’s story.

By Mike Lynch

Behind the scenes with USA Luge Race Official Peggy Mousaw at the Youth National Seeding Races and Championships in February at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Sports Complex in Lake Placid.

By Mike Lynch

Earlier this month, I visited the Hub on the Hill in Essex to get some photos for a story that appears in the January issue of the Explorer.

By Mike Lynch

Monarchs have been a common sight this summer in the Adirondacks as their numbers are apparently up this year compared to recent years.

By Mike Lynch

Chad Vogel of Reber Rock Farm uses a pair of draft horses to harvest timber in Willsboro. Horse logging, Vogel told the Explorer, “is a great solution for conserving the land while still producing the forest products we all need.” His carbon footprint is represented by a can of gas for his saw, and a couple bottles of bar and chain oil. And the difference in woodlots that have been logged and those that have not can be difficult to tell. The trees to be harvested have been carefully selected, and since immediate profit and efficiency are not the primary goals, Vogel removes less desirable trees first, letting high-quality trees size up for future logging, while opening the canopy for smaller hardwoods that will pop when given light and space. See the full story by Tim Rowland in the March issue of the Explorer. Photo by Mike Lynch

By Mike Lynch

Located at the northern end of Lake George, Ticonderoga faces many of the same challenges as other rural upstate towns. Good paying jobs are scarce, which can make it hard to draw and retain younger families. However, local leaders are working toward a brighter future, relying on the town’s historic past and restoring establishments that were lost to fires or had fallen in disrepair.

By Mike Lynch

Bob Liseno is featured in the Trailblazer column of the March issue of the Explorer for his work with students in the BOCES program taught at the Adirondack Educational Center in Saranac Lake. Here, Liseno teaches the students to build a lean-to on a cold January day.

By Mike Lynch

Phil Brown and Tim Peartree summited Hurricane Mountain on February 11, 2020, skiing the lower elevations and snowshoeing the steeper upper section of the trail. They used the Hurricane Mountain Lane trailhead in Elizabethtown.

By Mike Lynch

Ironville is a national historic district, with a dozen buildings still standing that have connections to the glory days of iron mining. The crown jewel is the Penfield Homestead, the nearly 200-year-old home of mining pioneer Allen Penfield, which is now a museum bursting with artifacts and stories. The most significant is told through a replica of the electromagnet that changed the face of industry. Photo by Mike Lynch

By Mike Lynch

Last winter Explorer photographer Mike Lynch tagged along with Ron Konowitz for a trip on the Wright Peak Ski Trail in the High Peaks Wilderness. This trail, built in the 1930s, continues to be popular among backcountry skiers looking for a challenging option in a remote area. Konowitz, president of the Adirondack Powder Skier Association, is a firm advocate of improving and adding backcountry skiing options to the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Photo by Mike Lynch