The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
Through its news reporting and analysis, the nonprofit Adirondack Explorer furthers the wise stewardship, public enjoyment for all, community vitality, and lasting protection of the Adirondack park.
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March 1, 2003
by Phil Brown How do you know you’re in Old Forge? A. In the 10 minutes you spend at the trailhead lacing up your boots and stepping into your cross-country skis, a dozen snowmobiles pass by. B. All the conversations you overhear at Walt’s Diner after skiing have to do with snowmobiles. C. As you…
January 1, 2003
Winter is a good time to enjoy the Vista Trail: With leaves off the trees, you’ll be able to see more of Fourth Lake and the surrounding hills. There are several variations of this snowshoe trip, since the Vista Trail has three entry points and connects with another trail that goes to Bubb, Sis and Moss lakes.
January 1, 2003
A few hundred yards from the trailhead at Adirondak Loj, the Van Hoevenberg Trail makes a steep, short descent on its way to Algonquin Brook, but skiers can take a side trail to avoid this tricky pitch.
January 1, 2003
Not every classic stands the test of time—not when the public’s tastes keep changing. For nearly a decade, cross-country enthusiasts have relied on Tony Goodwin’s Classic Adirondack Ski Tours for advice on where to ski in the Adirondack Park.
November 1, 2002
By Phil Brown The other day I received in the mail a slim book of verse titled Sightings of the Eagle and Other Adirondack Poems. The author, Bud Church, rhapsodizes about his adventures on Osgood Pond, including seven eagle sightings in recent years. I’m no poet, and I know it, so I don’t intend to…
March 1, 2002
When the Explorer asked me to write about two of my favorite ski trips, I didn’t have to rattle my brain long before I hit on the two gems below. Both should be great skiing in late winter, when there is (or should be) lots of snow. If you love the winter wilderness and enjoy backcountry skiing, you won’t be disappointed with either of these trips.
March 1, 2002
Carl Heilman knows snowshoes. He made and sold them for 15 years, always out of hand-split ash, and he’s used them for much longer. Although he got out of the business a few years ago to devote his energies to photography, he still goes out on snowshoes two or three times a week when conditions permit.
January 1, 2002
By Phil Brown Back in 1979, Almy and Anne Coggeshall published 25 Ski Tours in the Adirondacks, the first guide to cross-country skiing in the North Country. They dedicated it to John Apperson, an ardent conservationist and the first person to climb Mount Marcy on skis.
January 1, 2002
This is how it was meant to be. The wax is holding firm as we ascend the mild uphill behind Pitchoff Mountain and settle into a comfortable kick and glide through the still woods, slow enough to maintain conversation but fast enough to know we’re getting somewhere. By Rick Karlin
December 1, 2001
By Jeff Schmidt The roller-coaster ride through the krummholz was exhilarating and unlike any skiing I’d ever done. I had just come through the Romper Room, a magical section on the shoulder of Mount Marcy that epitomizes the best in Adirondack trail skiing. The trail rolls, dips, turns and twists. Blind corners lead to blinding…