The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
By Phil Brown
When I wear my outdoors-writer hat, I always want to know the distances of my hikes, paddles, trail runs, ski trips, and what have you. In 2009, I finally broke down and bought a GPS watch, the Garmin Forerunner 405. Now when I take a hike, I can see precisely how far I traveled and…
By Phil Brown
If you’re used to running on roads, you should try running on a wilderness trail. There’s something atavistic about racing through the woods that appeals to our primal nature. Trail-running shoes differ from ordinary running shoes in that they usually have stiff, knobby soles to protect against sharp rocks and provide better grip. A few…
By Phil Brown
In 1987, David Goodman got a dream job for a ski bum trying to survive as a freelance writer: the Appalachian Mountain Club hired him to write a guidebook for backcountry skiing in New England. The following year the club published Classic Backcountry Skiing: A Guide to the Best Ski Tours in New England. Unlike…
The slides created or enlarged by Irene have given hikers and skiers new terrain to explore. By Phil Brown
Change is always hard to come by, especially when nostalgia clouds the picture. A current example may be seen in the debate (page 56) over the best use of the old railroad corridor that connects Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake—a thirty-four-mile segment of the line that traverses a wild and scenic landscape of…
I agree fully with Mary Thill’s frustration with the mercury levels in our fish [Viewpoint, Sept./Oct. 2011]. However, there is more to the issue and even some good news that needs to be publicized. The health advisories at the back of the state Fishing Regulations Guide include a list of lakes and rivers plus additional…
Per Moberg, who died in August at age ninety-one, will be remembered as a give-no-quarter conservationist who was totally dedicated to protecting the Adirondacks. He was born in Brooklyn, but his parents took him back to Sweden after six months, and he didn’t return to the United States for twenty-five years. He spoke for the…
I think the maximum $500 fines that could be levied for the two men who allegedly stoned the great blue heron [“Men accused of stoning heron.” Sept./Oct. 2011] are not enough. At least three years doing community service at a wildlife-rehabilitation center would at least put them in touch with reality. I work at a…
I am a big supporter of the Explorer and the Adirondacks. But I sure am troubled by the Explorer’s campaign to lift up the rails between Thendara and Lake Placid. Let’s get on with building the bike and walking path between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid beside the tracks (I just saw a new $1.2…
Muddy ruts, noise, and disturbance are not the full extent of the ATV problem [“ATVs still running amuck,” Sept./Oct. 2011]. In the area of Tug Hill there are roving gangs on ATVs who break into camps and also into fishermen’s parked vehicles. I have several friends who own camps in the area of the Salmon…