The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
Phil Brown edited the Adirondack Explorer from 1999 until his retirement in 2018. He continues to explore the park and to write for the publication and website.
By Phil Brown
If hikers enjoy the Forest Preserve, they’re more likely to support conservation, right? You would think so, but the Wildlife Conservation Society has received a grant to test that assumption. The WCS office in Saranac Lake will oversee the study, which will start next year. Following is a news release: (Saranac Lake, September 15, 2017)…
By Phil Brown
The state Department of Environmental Conservation reminds High Peaks visitors that summer is coming to an end: days are shorter and weather cooler. Be sure to pack extra clothes if you’re going on a hike. Following is the department’s High Peaks Bulletin for this weekend: Please be advised of the following conditions and prepare for…
By Phil Brown
The state has released for public comment a draft plan for managing highways in the Adirondack Park that aims to maintain a park-like atmosphere. The lengthy document covers such topics as scenic overlooks, bicycle-friendly roads, and access to trails and rivers. Click the link below to read the document. travel corridors plan Public hearings will…
By Phil Brown
On July 15, 1932, two giants of conservation met on top of Mount Marcy: Bob Marshall and Paul Schaefer. Marshall was partway through a marathon hike that would take him to the summits of thirteen High Peaks. Schaefer was taking photos to be used in a campaign against a proposal to allow cabins in the…
By Phil Brown
Rock-climbing guide Will Roth and two clients were rappelling near Chapel Pond this summer when a young bear started climbing toward them, scratching its claws against the slabby bedrock.
By Phil Brown
I haven’t spent much time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, largely because there is so much to do here in the Adirondacks. It was a case of not knowing what I was missing. In late August, Carol MacKinnon Fox and I spent four days in the Whites, hiking and rock climbing. One of the…
By Phil Brown
In the nineteenth century, the Bog River’s reputation for remoteness attracted numerous writers of the day, who invariably depicted the headwaters as dismal, lonely, and insect-infected.
By Phil Brown
The Bicknell’s thrush, which breeds in the Adirondacks and northern New England, is at risk from climate change, acid rain, mercury, and habitat destruction, but it is not on the federal list of endangered species. The Center for Biological Diversity is trying to change that. In 2010, the nonprofit organization filed a scientific petition with…
By Phil Brown
Do you have trouble visualizing the terrain shown on topo maps? Do contour lines mystify you? Summit Terragraphics may have just the thing for you. The West Virginia company has made a raised-relief map that does an impressive job of showing the topography of the High Peaks. You won’t be able to carry it in…
By Phil Brown
St. Regis Canoe Outfitters recently published two full-color, waterproof maps for paddlers: “The Whitney Wilderness” and “The Raquette River.” Both are a convenient size—24 inches by 18 inches—and fold up like a brochure. The scale for both is 1:50,000. Though less detailed than U.S. Geographical Survey topo maps, they are more than adequate for paddlers.…