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
In May, I met up with Dave LaMountain at the Flume on the West Branch of the Ausable River in Wilmington. LaMountain demonstrated how he uses drones to showcase the beauty of the Adirondack Park. He is a believer that drones can co-exist with the Adirondack Park if their usage is limited to noisy frontcountry…
By Mike Lynch
Here are some photos that I took in mid-April along the Saranac River. The photos were taken from a few miles downstream of the village of Saranac Lake to Union Falls Dam. This past winter the northern Adirondacks received a significant amount of snow, much of it in mid-March during a storm that dumped more…
By Mike Lynch
In late May, I joined Explorer publisher Tracy Ormsbee and Brendan Wiltse for a hike to Cobble Lookout in Wilmington. During the 2.2-mile round trip hike, Tracy interviewed Brendan for her new Trailblazer column that features people around the Park who are taking leadership roles related to important causes. Brendan is a scientist and an…
By Mike Lynch
This winter, I visited the St. Regis Fire Tower in Paul Smiths with Doug Fitzgerald, who is co-chair of Friends of St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower. The highlight of the trip – which included skiing and snowshoeing – was being on the frosty summit, where the trees and fire tower were covered in a layer…
By Mike Lynch
In my observation, there’s been steady increase in the popularity of outdoor recreation. As I travel through the Adirondacks, hiking trails and canoe launches that were once empty are now constantly flooded with cars and people heading out into our great state park. The most obvious spot to see this change is the parking lot…
By Mike Lynch
In your review of the Colvin film, you are absolutely wrong about the pronunciation of Colvin’s name. Phil Terrie is correct in calling Colvin’s name as CALLvin. I grew up in a North Country farming community where a prominent family named Colvin existed in the early I900s; it was pronounced with a short “o.” When…
By Mike Lynch
I was pleased to see the review by Betsy Kepes in your March/April issue about Lorraine Duvall’s books and wanted to add a comment about what for me makes In Praise of Quiet Waters so engaging. The way Duvall interweaves history, advocacy, and personal story kept each aspect from bogging down the narrative. Her questions…
By Mike Lynch
According to its masthead, the Adirondack Explorer is “devoted to exploring, protecting and celebrating the Adirondack Park.” A worthy mission which does not include printing Tom Woodman’s rantings because he is upset with the results of the last presidential election. Yes, President Trump has noted that too much power has been assumed by Washington, D.C.,…
By Mike Lynch
We read the “Marina roils the water” article in the Adirondack Explorer (Jan/Feb, 2017) and were surprised by the article’s inattention to the concerns of many members of the Saranac community regarding the proposed size of the marina. While the old marina clearly needs to be rebuilt, expanding the marina’s boat capacity by 110—so that…
By Mike Lynch
By Tracy Ormsbee In early April, twelve more businesses in the vicinity of the former Finch, Pruyn lands received a total of $500,000 in Upper Hudson Recreation Hub Microenterprise grants backed by the Nature Conservancy. The money pays for businesses to capitalize on recreational opportunities, such as hiking, rafting, canoeing, and fishing, on the newly…