Fifth Peak, Tongue Mtn: 06/22/2014

Well known for its varied trails and spectacular views of Lake George and surrounding peaks, the Tongue Mountain trail system is something of a southern Adirondack hiking mecca. Nearly 20 miles of trails criss-cross the Tongue Mountain range, but the most popular destination of all is Fifth Peak.

Don't let Fifth Peak's low summit elevation (just 1,800') fool you. Since Lake George's elevation is less than 400', Fifth Peak sports a vertical relief that's comparable to much taller mountains. In fact, I picked Fifth Peak for our hike on Sunday partly because it falls right in the sweet spot for our family: the six mile round-trip with 1500' of vertical is a good match for our kids' current abilities.

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: 2013-14 season

Buoyed by an early start and five consecutive months of colder than average temperatures, attendance at the state-owned Adirondack ski areas increased by more than 7% over last year. Handily beating the national (down 1.3%) and regional (up 0.6%) trends cited in the National Ski Areas Association's preliminary report of the 2013-14 ski season, those results should bring smiles to the faces of skiers, business owners in North Creek and Lake Placid, and ORDA board members alike.

Here are the numbers:

Crane Mountain: 06/01/2014

Crane Mountain is one of those hikes that’s on everybody’s list of the best hikes in the Adirondacks. I’ve got at least a half dozen guidebooks that include Crane, but my favorite description of Crane’s trails is in my 25+ year old Discover the Southeastern Adirondacks guidebook by Barbara McMartin, aka “the Rand McNally of the Adirondacks.” McMartin enthusiastically dubs Crane the “Super Mountain” of the southern Adirondacks for its variety of trails and bushwhacks, its alpine pond and its expansive summit views.

Yup, the trail's that steep