Owls Head: A popular hike in the otherwise lonely Sable Highlands
By Phil Brown
September 5, 2020
It was a warm, sunny day, and people were out in force. I counted 15 other parties, most of them with young children.
Phil Brown
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.
Adirondack fire tower builder’s Maine project causes stir
By Phil Brown
September 1, 2020
David Vana of Bloomingdale, the owner of Davana LLC, was hired by the Maine chapter of the Nature Conservancy to construct an 80-foot observation tower on Trout Mountain to give visitors a view of fabled Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park. After the tower was erected in July people complained that it glinted in the sunlight and marred an iconic view of Katahdin.
Missed opportunities at the Sable Highlands
By Phil Brown
August 29, 2020
As part of my investigation of the Sable Highlands, I tried to visit every public use area and linear recreation corridor, racking up about 175 miles on a mountain bike, my primary method of exploring the interior. In my travels, I identified three major problems: a shortage of parking areas, inadequate signage and a lack of trails and other amenities.
An easy paddling escape to a pair of roadside ponds
By Phil Brown
August 27, 2020
I paddled Grass Pond and its neighbor, Fishhole Pond, on a sunny day in late May. On neither pond did I encounter people. I did see a red-winged blackbird nesting in a dead tree, a spotted sandpiper bobbing its tail on a rock islet, a deer drinking from the wooded shore and a school of fish wriggling upstream.
Barnes Pond: An upgraded zone of the Sable Highlands
By Phil Brown
August 15, 2020
On neither trip did I see anyone else. Judging from the register, nearly all of the visitors are locals who hike, bike or ski on the tract.
A sweet day at Sugarloaf, a hidden public use area
By Phil Brown
August 9, 2020
The Sugarloaf Public Use Area is large enough that you could spend days exploring it, but without trails and better access, it’s likely to be underutilized.
Exploring the Sable Highlands
By Phil Brown
August 7, 2020
More than a decade ago, New York State planned trails and other improvements for the conservation easement it bought on the Sable Highlands. Not much of it has materialized, though the land has strong recreation potential.
Biking a rarely traveled loop in the Sable Highlands
By Phil Brown
August 2, 2020
Although the state Department of Environmental Conservation released its interim recreation plan more than a decade ago, in 2009, the agency has yet to implement much of it, and the lack of signage means visitors may not know where they can go and what they can do.
A disappointing bike route, with potential
By Phil Brown
July 24, 2020
We’ve waited 11 years already, and there’s no word on when DEC will get these trails built.
Norton Peak offers sweeping views, but no trail
By Phil Brown
July 19, 2020
If DEC builds a trail, Norton Peak no doubt will attract more visitors. As much as I’d like to keep the mountain to myself, that’s a good thing.