A ball on the Hudson
By Adirondack Explorer
Wayne Failing, outdoorsman, environmentalist, philosopher and licensed Adirondack guide, calls it a “dance with the river.” And this dance isn’t a fancy minuet.
Adirondack Explorer
The Adirondack Explorer is a nonprofit magazine covering the Adirondack Park's environment, recreation and communities.
All Stories by Adirondack Explorer
Crane mountain
By Adirondack Explorer
Belle of the south By Phil Brown A hot day in May—too hot for heavy hiking boots. So I decided to climb Crane Mountain in my brand-new “approach shoes.” Rock climbers use these low-cut shoes with sticky soles to hike to cliffs. They’re also used for climbing slides in the High Peaks, something I like…
Gooley Club’s last stand
By Adirondack Explorer
Members say state’s acquisition of hunting grounds would ruin a traditional way of life By George Earl Rifle in hand, clad in heavy wool plaid, and fueled by an early breakfast, I hoofed it up a steep ridge and came to an impressive vista of forested mountaintops and wild ponds. This was a rare glimpse…
Lake George ride
By Adirondack Explorer
Boats, bicycling and beer rarely combine to make a cycling tour (well, at least the boat part is unusual). By Alan Wechlser ...
5 trips for the family
By Adirondack Explorer
When I was a kid, I climbed Bald Mountain near Old Forge several times with my mother and stepfather. In those days you could still hike the old trail up the steep south face of the mountain, which was an adventurous climb over a series of narrow ledges. By Bill Ingersoll
East St. Regis worth protecting
By Adirondack Explorer
It’s the first week of May. You can still see snow in the High Peaks. You know skiers are still getting turns in up there. On this day, however, we’ll be making turns on the East Branch of the St. Regis River.
Cedar River Flow
By Adirondack Explorer
Last summer I went to the Cedar River Flow with the intention of paddling up the flow and the river to a lean-to just off the Northville-Placid Trail. Though things didn't work out as planned, I experienced one of my most enjoyable days on the water in the Adirondacks.
Eastern Adirondack hikes
By Adirondack Explorer
It had never felt so good to set my backpack down at the end of a day. For the last few miles, it had been weighing me down more than usual. I leaned the pack against a tree and, blissfully unburdened, stepped across the grassy clearing to join my companions admiring the view—about 20 miles’ worth of Lake George. By Bill Ingersoll
Gleasmans Falls
By Adirondack Explorer
When photographer Nancy Ford and I read that Gleasmans Falls dropped a frothy 70 feet, we imagined a miniature Niagara tucked in the woods. Instead, we found a series of small, pounding flumes on a quarter-mile stretch of the Independence River. By Linda Murphy
Fulton Chain bike tour
By Adirondack Explorer
With apologies to the Edward Abbey- loving wilderness purists out there, nothing sets a road cyclist’s heart aflutter like a good stretch of smooth black asphalt through the countryside. By Dan Keefe