Great Range Hiker Found Dead In Ausable River
By Mike Lynch
Missing hiker Ralph "Skip" Baker was found Tuesday by searchers in the East Branch of the Ausable River near the base of the Wolfjaw Mountains in the Great Range.
Mike Lynch
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].
All Stories by Mike Lynch
Distressed Hikers Rescued From Algonquin Monday
By Mike Lynch
The following is a statement released by the state Department of Environmental Conservation about a search-and-rescue incident that took place Monday. The incident overlapped with another rescue occurring near Gothics Mountain. On July 30, 2017 at 11:30 pm a group of four hikers on the summit of Algonquin Peak contacted DEC Ray Brook Dispatch…
Hiker Missing In High Peaks Wilderness
By Mike Lynch
A large-scale search is underway for a hiker who didn’t return from a daytrip up Gothics Mountain on Sunday.
DEC Working On Drone Regs For Forest Preserve
By Mike Lynch
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is working on new regulations to address drone use on the Forest Preserve. Some fear the airborne devices will diminish the wild character of the Forest Preserve
Climbing Moss Cliff In The Wilmington Notch
By Mike Lynch
Why would a climber want to visit something called Moss Cliff? Though the name conjures up some dank, low-angled slab wrapped in a living green carpet, the reality is quite different. This best of Adirondack cliffs is not so mossy. In fact, it’s among the cleanest, driest, most appealing rock walls in the Northeast—in Don Mellor's opinion, the most Adirondack of all Adirondack crags.
Controlling Crowds In The High Peaks
By Mike Lynch
DEC is relying on education and the efforts of partner groups to deal with the increasing number of hikers who have been coming to the High Peaks region.
St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower restoration continues
By Mike Lynch
In late January, I visited the St. Regis Mountain fire tower with Doug Fitzgerald, co-chairman of Friends of St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower. The purpose of the visit was to check out the view from the tower, which had opened to the public in September, after being closed for decades. On Monday, July 10, Doug…
Forest Ranger Search and Rescue Report
By Mike Lynch
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from the backcountry. In 2016, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 356 search and rescue…
Rangers locate missing hiker near Elk Lake
By Mike Lynch
Forest rangers found a 49-year-old Saratoga County man alive but exhausted Wednesday, July 5, after he spent two unplanned nights in the woods after getting lost near the summit of Nippletop Mountain.
DEC Unveils New Exhibit Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Adirondack Park
By Mike Lynch
Exhibit Features Rare Adirondack Artifacts and “Blue Line” Maps of Adirondack and Catskills Parks New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos recently unveiled a new exhibit featuring rare Adirondack and Catskills artifacts, including historic maps, antique survey equipment, field notebooks, and photographs that tell the story of creation of the Adirondack…