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By Phil Brown
I got out of the office this afternoon to take a short ski on the Jackrabbit Trail in the Saranac Lake, curious to see how Monday’s mini-thaw changed conditions. The official start of the trail is at North Country Community College. From there you ski up the railroad tracks to a beautiful pine forest. However,…
By Phil Brown
I did two classic ski trips after last week’s snowstorm. Although we didn’t get as much snow as some had predicted, the conditions were pretty darn good. Conditions have already changed. It warmed up enough on Monday to produce a bit of rain, but it’s supposed to snow again this week. With those caveats, here…
By Phil Brown
It’s not often that little Baker Mountain (elevation, 2,452 feet) in Saranac Lake rises above the clouds, but it did this morning. I took this picture a little after 9 a.m. A rolling ocean of clouds filled the valleys. In the distance are the High Peaks, with Mount Marcy and Algonquin Peak especially prominent. To…
By Phil Brown
I recently posted on Adirondack Almanack an account of the state’s plans for managing and classifying the former Finch, Pruyn & Company lands. For those who just want to view the maps, I am posting them here as well. As you scroll down, you will see three maps.The first includes the Essex Chain Tract, Indian…
By Phil Brown
Oseetah Marsh just outside Saranac Lake is the destination of one of my regular lunch-hour ski trips. It’s short, easy, and scenic, with views of the McKenzie Range, the Sawtooth Range, and nearby Scarface Mountain. Today I did the trip for the first time this winter. Why did I wait so long? To get to…
By Phil Brown
Starting this spring, paddlers will be able to travel down the Hudson River from Newcomb and take out on lands newly acquired by the state. The best takeout probably will be near the confluence of the Goodnow River, based on my reading of a map released today by the state Department of Environmental Conservation suggests…
By Phil Brown
Following is the state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5’s report of searches and rescues from August and September. Region 5 includes the eastern two-thirds of the Adirondack Park. Essex County Town of North Elba, High Peaks Wilderness Area On Tuesday, August 14, 2012, at approximately 9:53 p.m., DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a…
By Phil Brown
The temperature fell to 24 below early Thursday. Most people would not see that as good news, but backcountry skiers should. Despite the two feet of snow we received last week, we still lack midwinter conditions. On ski trips since the snowstorm, I have encountered a number of open brooks and seeping drainages. Also, slush…
Paul Smiths VIC offers more than just good snow: it has doubled the mileage of ski trails since taking over the facility from the state in 2011. By Phil Brown Winter started slowly, so after we received a few small snowfalls in late November, I jumped at the chance to go on my first ski…
Lawyers deliver arguments in trespassing lawsuit filed against Adirondack Explorer editor. By Kenneth Aaron Was Adirondack Explorer Editor Phil Brown trespassing in 2009 when he paddled through private land abutting state-owned wilderness? Or did he have a right to be there because the waters he canoed are navigable and provide a useful link between parcels…