In late January, I visited the St. Regis Mountain fire tower with Doug Fitzgerald, co-chairman of Friends of St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower. The purpose of the visit was to check out the view from the tower, which had opened to the public in September, after being closed for decades. On Monday, July 10, Doug and other members of the Friend’s group held an informational meeting at Historic Saranac Lake to give an update on the restoration process. Although the tower opened up to the public in 2016, the Friends group still has more work to do in order to >>More
High Peaks Overuse Issues
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has been grappling with how to deal with the increasing number of hikers in the High Peaks in recent years. I wrote a series of articles about the subject last year, and we will continue to report on the issue again this summer. Above are some photos that illustrate some of the problems in the High Peaks but also some of the reasons why they are so popular.
Drone At The Flume
In May, I met up with Dave LaMountain at the Flume on the West Branch of the Ausable River in Wilmington. LaMountain demonstrated how he uses drones to showcase the beauty of the Adirondack Park. He is a believer that drones can co-exist with the Adirondack Park if their usage is limited to noisy frontcountry areas near roads. He doesn’t believe they should be used in Wilderness areas away from roads. Because drones are now becoming more popular, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is currently working on new regulations for drone usage in the Forest Preserve. To find out >>More
High Water on the Saranac River
Here are some photos that I took in mid-April along the Saranac River. The photos were taken from a few miles downstream of the village of Saranac Lake to Union Falls Dam. This past winter the northern Adirondacks received a significant amount of snow, much of it in mid-March during a storm that dumped more than three feet of snow in places. As a result, spring runoff was strong this year, causing rivers to swell. This was particularly evident at Union Falls Dam, which is pictured above.
Scenes from the Cobble Lookout Trail
In late May, I joined Explorer publisher Tracy Ormsbee and Brendan Wiltse for a hike to Cobble Lookout in Wilmington. During the 2.2-mile round trip hike, Tracy interviewed Brendan for her new Trailblazer column that features people around the Park who are taking leadership roles related to important causes. Brendan is a scientist and an advocate for designating the Boreas Ponds tract in the Central Adirondacks as wilderness. He played a key role in getting young adults involved in the Boreas land classification hearings. Brendan chose this hike for a place to interview because it’s an easy hike with a >>More
Welcome To View Finder
This winter, I visited the St. Regis Fire Tower in Paul Smiths with Doug Fitzgerald, who is co-chair of Friends of St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower. The highlight of the trip – which included skiing and snowshoeing – was being on the frosty summit, where the trees and fire tower were covered in a layer of snow and ice. It was extremely scenic and photogenic. This type of experience is one of the main reasons I live in the Adirondacks. I love to get outside, explore, and experience the natural world firsthand. Often, I try to capture the moments with >>More
