HIKING
PADDLING
CLIMBING
SNOW SPORTS
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Dix mountain slides
A classic slide climb
By Phil Brown Dix Mountain is a slide climber’s playground. In all, it boasts a dozen slides worthy of climbing. The problem is choosing one. R.L. and Karen Stolz, the owners of Alpine Adventures in Keene, recommend Index Finger, one of the longest of the Finger Slides on the north face. Last fall, my girlfriend [… ...
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Boreas Ponds
Journey to Boreas Ponds
Our editor finds himself paddling alone on the crown jewel of the former Finch, Pruyn lands, surrounded by high mountains, many miles from the highway. By PHIL BROWN In early June, I enjoyed one of my most memorable canoe trips in the Adirondacks: I spent the morning paddling around lovely Boreas Ponds, taking in [&h ...
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Beaver River
The forest community: Hikers follow a trail to the isolated hamlet of Beaver River
By JOHN THOMPSON My hiking pal Marc Howes reads maps the way other people read books. On a vicarious trip through the western Adirondacks he came upon a curious locale, and his map morphed into mystery. “There’s this Beaver River,” he said. “Way out in the middle of nowhere. No roads to it, just a […] ...
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Lows Ridge
An everything adventure
Carol and Phil enjoy a wild ride and hike and swim on trip to Lows Ridge. We almost forgot about the rock climb. By PHIL BROWN Carol says I come up with my best trip ideas at the breakfast table. Since this was the last day of her Adirondack vacation, I felt the pressure to […] ...
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Split Rock Mountain
Home to history and mystery
While hiking Split Rock Mountain, guidebook author revels in views of the Champlain Valley, signs of wildlife, and reflections on the past. By DAVID THOMAS-TRAIN Split Rock Mountain, the locale of an ancient boundary between nations, is the exotic and mysterious Far East of the Adirondacks. It’s home to rattlesnakes, bobc ...
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Chapel Pond Canyon
Frozen Feat: How to climb an 85-foot wall of ice and keep your cool
By Phil Brown More than thirty years ago, Don Mellor was in a plane flying over the High Peaks region, taking photos for his rock-climbing guidebook, when he spotted a large streambed in Chapel Pond Canyon. He returned the next winter with Steve Wisenand, one of his students at Northwood School in Lake Placid. The [… ...
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Whetstone Gulf State Park
A charismatic chasm
Skiers head to Tug Hill in search of snow and enjoy breathtaking views while touring around the rim of Whetstone Gorge. By Phil Brown This winter showed us, once again, that the snow in the Adirondacks is unreliable. A backcountry skier needs to have a backup plan. Mine is to go west. To Tug Hill. […] ...
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Northville-Placid Trail
A New Beginning
A recently completed section of the Northville-Placid Trail eliminates miles of road walking near the southern terminus. By Bill Ingersoll I knew we were going to have no problems fording West Stony Creek the moment I saw it from the summit. The waterway snaked its way through the valley below us, hemmed in on both [&hellip ...
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Moose Pond
Mellow Moose
Novice skiers can enjoy breathtaking scenery at a wild pond north of Saranac Lake. By Phil Brown My daughter Martha used to love going down hills on cross-country skis. If she fell, she’d herringbone back up the trail and try again. That was before she took up indoor track in winter, before she enrolled in college, ...
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Coney, Adams and Treadway
3 winter summits
Coney, Adams, and Treadway reward snowshoers with spectacular views for only moderate effort. By Spencer Morrissey Snowshoeing in the Adirondacks has a long history. Originally a means of travel, it is now a popular recreational pastime. The French called snowshoes raquettes because the paddle-shaped contraptions of earlie ...
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Welcome to the Adirondack Explorer Adventure Planner, a service for subscribers to the Adirondack Explorer.
The Planner features detailed narrative descriptions of excursions to hundreds of destinations in the Adirondack Park, enriched with photos and maps.
To subscribe to the Adirondack Explorer, click here.
The bimonthly Adirondack Explorer publishes six regular issues and an Annual Outings Guide each year, featuring wilderness outings, wildlife encounters and news of the Adirondack Park. Available in print and digital editions.
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