The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
By Phil Brown
One day in early April, when the temperature climbed into the forties, people were walking around Saranac Lake in T-shirts, dreaming of summer. It was perfect weather for testing a new pair of skis. Sue Bibeau, the designer for the Adirondack Explorer, and I did a round trip to Klondike Notch in the High Peaks…
By Phil Brown
If you do much hiking in early winter or spring, consider investing in a pair of Microspikes. They’re ideal for traveling on trails covered in hard-packed snow and ice. In the shoulder seasons, the trails often lack enough snow for snowshoes but are too slippery for plain boots. In such conditions, you need to augment…
By Phil Brown
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a paradox. It’s been around forever, but it was “completed” just four years ago. Whatever, we’re glad it exists. The NFCT is a 740-mile water trail that follows Native American paddling routes. It starts in Old Forge and ends in northern Maine, after passing through Vermont, Quebec, and New…
By Phil Brown
Several years ago, we asked Bill McKibben to ski the entire Jackrabbit Trail in a single day and write about it. Saranac Lake to Keene. That’s twenty-four miles, but that wasn’t enough for McKibben. When he turned his story in, I learned he started instead at Paul Smith’s, where there is an orphan piece of…
By Phil Brown
What’s a mountain climber to do once he or she has summited the Adirondack Forty-Six, the Catskill Thirty-Five, and the Northeast 115? Create a new list, of course. And so we have the Adirondack Hundred Highest—the obsession of hard-core hikers who don’t mind surrendering a few pints of blood in their quest to stand atop…
By Phil Brown
The folks at Raquette River Outfitters know Lows Lake well, having guided trips there for years, and now they’ve put their knowledge down on paper—water-resistant paper. In 2011, the Tupper Lake shop published a marvelously detailed color map that includes just about all you need to know for day trips and longer excursions in the…
By Phil Brown
You might think the Adirondack bookshelf already has enough hiking guidebooks, but there’s always room for one more if it’s well done. And the latest one is. Falcon Guides has just published Hiking the Adirondacks ($18.95) by Lisa Densmore, a freelance writer and nature photographer. It describes forty-two hikes, chosen from all parts of the…
By Phil Brown
Outdoor Research makes its DryComp Ridge Sack for mountaineers who want to travel light on summit day. The waterproof backpack is roomy enough to carry your essentials and comes with ice-ax loops and a large mesh pocket that can hold a hydration bladder, a shell jacket, or other gear. I tested the Ridge Sack ($125)…
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…