We’re at that odd time of year when high temperatures can change dozens of degrees from day to day, and one wonders whether it’s time to move the canoes and backpacks from the porch to make room for the skis and boots. As I write this, on a Friday afternoon, most of the leaves outside my window are on the ground, but it’s 72 degrees. By the time you read it, it could be snowing around here.
It makes planning for our next magazine a little more challenging than it’s been for the last few. How many ski-trip options we’re able to present will depend on how much snow we get by, say, Thanksgiving. Our recreational seasons and the corresponding features are in flux.
One constant — maybe a surprise to some readers — is the news, though. Despite the pandemic, the school year and the occasional chill, raindrop or snowflake in the air, hiking season continues to draw big numbers to the Adirondack High Peaks. Below, you’ll find a link to Gwendolyn Craig’s latest story for us about the state’s effort to manage trail use and trailhead parking. A busy Columbus Day weekend didn’t end the surge, which already had impressed for its durability in the face of a border closure that has kept Canadian tourists and hikers away. There’s much more to come on this front, and if it’s an issue that interests you, consider signing up for Gwen’s weekly newsletter. (You can also sign up for updates on outdoor recreation, our water reporting or news roundups, on our website.
Our staff is currently working on stories for next week about how the number of rescues keeps climbing, and how the trailheads appear headed toward a busy November. As one opinion writer in our November/December magazine puts it, the traffic is one happy reminder of the Adirondack Park’s success in protecting something worth cherishing. How best to keep protecting it? We hope you’ll keep visiting AdirondackExplorer.org to follow and participate in the debate.
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