The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
Mike Lynch has been the Explorer's climate reporter since January 2025 and has worked for the publication since 2014. In addition to writing about climate change, he covers issues related to wildlife. Mike has also worked as a licensed outdoor guide and thru-paddled the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. He is the author of 12 Short Hikes on Preserves near Lake George. He can be reached at [email protected].
By Mike Lynch
Environmentalists, scientists, and public officials in the Lake George region are stepping up efforts to reduce road-salt contamination in the lake’s watershed. Eric Siy, executive director of the Fund for Lake George, said at a conference in October that thirty years of research has shown that the lake is getting more salty. “It’s an issue…
By Mike Lynch
Over Columbus Day weekend, typically a busy hiking time, DEC closed the Route 73 trailhead for Cascade Mountain, one of the most popular of the High Peaks, and directed visitors to begin their hike at the state’s cross-country-ski center at the base of Mount Van Hoevenberg.
By Mike Lynch
Questions remain about the death of hiker Alex Stevens By Mike Lynch Officials remain puzzled by the behavior of a New Jersey man who died after hiking up Wallface Mountain in the High Peaks Wilderness in September. Alex Stevens, who was twenty-eight, died of bronchial pneumonia while on a solo hiking trip. After a nine-day…
By Mike Lynch
Here’s a timelapse video I shot at Avalanache Lake in the High Peaks Wilderness in September. It shows clouds moving above the pass.
By Mike Lynch
Here’s a timelapse video I shot on Saturday, Sept. 30 on Cascade Mountain. The video shows what the summit looks like on a day when 550 people hike the mountain. Starting the trail in the dark at about 6 a.m., I was the third person to the summit. At the trailhead, the temperatures were in…
By Mike Lynch
In late September, I visited the Six Nations Indian museum in Onchiota because owner Dave Fadden was the featured Trailblazer in the November/December issue of the Explorer. Below is a description of the museum that appears on its website. “The Six Nations Indian Museum provides for the viewing of 3000-plus artifacts with an emphasis on…
By Mike Lynch
In late September, I visited the Ladies Mile, a trail on Ausable Club property near Keene Valley. The purpose of the trip was to get some photos of Explorer summer intern Autumn Rock, who had written a story about the trail for the November/December issue of the Adirondack Explorer. Above are a few of the…
By Mike Lynch
A state Supreme Court Judge has ruled that the 34-mile section of tracks between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake should remain in place.
By Mike Lynch
The number of search and rescues in the Adirondacks has increased dramatically in recent years. The image in the photo gallery is a trip planning tool that can help everyone from beginners to experienced users (hikers, paddlers, hunters, etc.) plan a safer trip in the backcountry. The trip planner can be downloaded and printed for…
By Mike Lynch
The state Department of Environmental Conservation sent out a statement this afternoon about the search for Alex Stevens, who has been missing since going on a camping trip in the High Peaks Wilderness on September 2. The press release contains very little new information, other than noting that searchers found another personal item from Stevens…