A milestone summer of gender equality on ADK’s trail crew
By Betsy Kepes
For the first time since ADK has had a professional trail crew, almost 30 years, there are an equal number of men and women
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Upper Washbowl reopened to climbers
By Phil Brown
Rock climbers will have a few more routes to climb this weekend, according to Joe Racette, a biologist for the state Department of Environmental Conservation who monitors the nesting of peregrine falcons on cliffs. Racette said the Upper Washbowl cliffs near Chapel Pond are now open to climbers. DEC closes Upper Washbowl and Lower Washbowl…
Early-season rock climbing
By Phil Brown
On my lunch hour, I took a short hike to check out the rock-climbing cliffs on Baker Mountain on the outskirts of Saranac Lake. A few weeks ago, a huge wall of ice hung nearby, with its tongue extending along the base of one of the routes. Today the ice was gone, and the cliffs…
A plea to hikers: don’t post-hole
By Phil Brown
On Saturday I skied Mount Marcy and was surprised at how good the snow conditions were. I began at the start of South Meadow Road and had to take my skis off only once, on a fifty-yard stretch of the Marcy Dam Truck Trail. To be sure, the trails were hard and sometimes icy on…
Rock-climbing routes closed to protect falcons
By Phil Brown
A sure sign of spring is when the state Department of Environmental Conservation closes rock-climbing routes in the Adirondacks to protect the nesting sites of peregrine falcons. Each spring, DEC bans climbing on routes on Poke-o-Moonshine Mountain, Upper and Lower Washbowl Cliffs, and Moss Cliff. Once biologists ascertain where falcons are nesting, some routes are…
Notes from the ski trail
By Phil Brown
I went backcountry skiing around Paul Smiths both days this past weekend and found the conditions outstanding, but who knows how long the snow will last. On Saturday afternoon, I skied to the summit of Jenkins Mountain, starting at Black Pond on Keese’s Mill Road. I skied across the pond, climbed over an esker, and…
DEC report on High Peaks conditions
By Phil Brown
Following is the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s weekly update on conditions in the High Peaks. Compiled on: March 21, 2013 See the High Peaks Trail Information web page (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9198.html) Weather: The following forecast, provided by the National Weather Service (NWS), is based on conditions at low elevations. Hikers & campers entering the High Peaks…
Tupper Lake man admits illegal trapping
By Phil Brown
The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued the following news release today: Franklin County man pleaded guilty last week to 31 violations of Environmental Conservation Law related to illegal trapping, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced today. On February 11, DEC Environmental Conservation Police charged Terry J. Hurteau, 56, of Tupper Lake,…
We still need more snow
By Phil Brown
They were predicting we’d get more than six inches, perhaps a lot more. They were wrong. We got only two or three, which prettified the woods, but it wasn’t enough to turn the season around for backcountry skiers. There is still hope: the National Weather Services predicts Saranac Lake, where we’re located, could get three…
Fred Beckey delights crowd in Lake Placid
By Phil Brown
Fred Beckey, a living legend in the climbing world, gave an interesting and often humorous slide show at Northwood School in Lake Placid last night. At one point, he showed a photo of Fishhook Arete, a narrow, curving ridge on Mount Russell in California. At 14,086 feet, Russell is one of the highest mountains in…