Dippikill Mountain and Pond: 10/01/2017

We were looking for an easy, close-to-home hike on Sunday when I remembered Dippikill, the 850 acre camp just outside Warrensburg owned by the SUNY Albany Student Association. Dippikill's trail network is open to the general public, including a nice 4-mile loop that climbs 1600' Dippikill Mountain and circles Dippikill Pond.

Cat Mountain: 09/02/2017

We spend quite a few of our summer weekends in Bolton Landing and end up repeating many of the nearby hikes each year. Cat and Thomas Mountains and the Pinnacle are all great short hikes, but among these Cat, in my opinion, offers the best views of Lake George and the surrounding mountains.

Blue Mountain: 08/13/2017

We've knocked off plenty of the Adirondack "low peaks" on our family hikes over the past few years, but for some unknown reason we never got around to hiking Blue Mountain. With stunning lake and mountain views and a relatively easy ascent, Blue delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

Giant Mountain, 06/03/2017

It's been a tough spring if you're a hiker, but we finally got out the first weekend in June. Daniel, our 13-year-old son, has been interested in hiking some of the High Peaks (both our kids have dozens of "low" peaks under their belts), and we settled on Giant for his #3 (he's already got Cascade and Porter).

Lake Bonita, Moreau Lake State Park: 11/13/2016

Ski season is almost here, but we were able to squeeze in another short hike close to home on one of the last really nice days of late fall. Lake Bonita is a recent addition to Moreau Lake State Park, with the official trail being marked just a few months ago.

Cobble Ledge: 11/06/2016

Sunday November 6 was my birthday (39 again!), and while it would have been fun to ski on my birthday, that wasn’t in the cards for this year. Instead, we fit in a quick hike on a new (2014) trail that I’ve been wanting to check out. As a bonus, the cold front that had swept through overnight left behind a nice coating of snow to let us know that winter’s on its way.

Catamount Mountain: 10/10/2016

Tucked away in an off-the-beaten path corner of the Adirondacks, Catamount Mountain wasn't even on my radar screen until just a few years ago. Now I've got a new favorite hike.

We climbed Catamount on the Monday of Columbus Day weekend and hit the jackpot with a combinaton of crisp temperatures, a cloudless blue sky and peak foliage.

Cobble Hill, Lake Placid: 10/09/2016

We were in Lake Placid over Columbus Day weekend and had a couple hours free Sunday afternoon, so we decided to check out a Cobble Hill, a short hike that's been on my to-do list for a few years. Cobble Hill has long been a favorite quick jaunt of Lake Placid locals, but what caught my attention was its short-lived history as a downhill ski area in the late 1950s (more on that shortly).

Meade and Beckman Mountains: 09/25/2016

Once school starts up it seems we always have trouble finding the time to fit in a family hike. We had a half day available Sunday afternoon, so we made the quick drive up the Northway to do another one of the Chester Challenge hikes: Meade and Beckman Mountains. Like the other hikes we've done in the Chester Challenge, Meade and Beckman Mountains is short and easy but offers up some great views.

Dix Mountain: 08/22/2016

Back in 1987 when I finished my first round of the 46, there were a handful of peaks I swore I’d never repeat. If you’ve climbed Blake, Couchie or Cliff, you know what I’m talking about. Sooner or later though, I’d get dragged out by one hiking partner or another and notch second and third visits to those “never again” peaks. At the other end of the list are the favorites, the ones you return to over and over, even if it’s a decade between visits. Dix is on that list, 6th highest in the Adirondacks and offering some of the best and most interesting views of the 46. A recent two night stay at Elk Lake Lodge provided the perfect opportunity to climb Dix again.

Clear Pond Mountain: 08/20/2016

It’s understandable if you’ve never heard of Clear Pond Mountain. As one of several summits in the privately owned 12,000 acre Elk Lake – Clear Pond Preserve, its trail is open only to guests of Elk Lake Lodge. We got a chance to hike the mountain and enjoy its phenomenal views during a 2-night stay at the lodge last weekend.

Peaked Mountain: 07/17/2016

They say that variety is the spice of life. In my opinion it’s also one of the keys to a successful family hike. My kids are all about the streams, waterfalls, woods, ponds, plants, wildlife, wetlands, cliffs, caves, cabins and fire towers along the way that make the hike interesting. For them, getting to the top of some mountain just for a view is “boring.” Well, you can’t beat the hike to Peaked Mountain Pond and up Peaked Mountain for variety, so off we set this past weekend.

Pole Hill Pond Preserve: 07/04/2016

Picture perfect weather for the holiday weekend meant ideal conditions for family gatherings, cookouts, swimming and fireworks. By the time Monday morning rolled around, we were ready to forego another round of hotdogs for a more active Independence Day, so Beth and I set off to explore one of the Lake George Land Conservancy's lesser known parcels, the Pole Hill Pond Preserve.

Sleeping Beauty Mt: 06/12/2016

We've done Sleeping Beauty as a family hike in the past, but on a cold (temperatures in the low 50s), blustery mid-June Sunday the kids' enthusiasm level for hiking hovered between 0 and 1 on a ten-point scale. So the kids stayed with the grandparents while Beth and I did the hike. Win - win.

Shelving Rock Mtn: 05/21/2016

We've had a bit of difficulty getting our hiking days in this spring. It seems that we've had commitments when the weather's been good, and when we're free the weather's been lousy. I thought we'd finally break that pattern last weekend. Five days out the forecast for Saturday looked stellar. Next thing I know, it's mostly cloudy, chance of showers. Unwilling to keep the hiking boots in the closet any longer, we headed up the east shore of Lake George to hike Shelving Rock Mountain anyway. The gamble paid off with a great hike, beautiful views and tons of spring wildflowers.

Kipp Mountain: 04/17/2016

With an early end to the winter that wasn't and beautiful weather on tap for the weekend, we jumped on the opportunity to break out our hiking boots for an easy, close to home outing. Kipp Mountain is one of several small peaks in the Chestertown area that are part of the Chester Challenge: complete 6 out of the 10 hikes and you're awarded a pin and certificate. You can read more about the Chester Challenge in this blog post that I wrote last Fall.

Cascade Mountain, Lucky 7 Slide: 10/26/2015

If you’ve ever hiked a High Peak, odds are it’s Cascade. Being the easiest and most accessible of the 46, Cascade gets climbed far more frequently than any other 4000-footer. While the summit offers great views, you don’t hike Cascade for solitude or wildness. But thanks to Hurricane Irene in 2011, a new slide provides an alternate route for more adventurous, experienced climbers.

Spruce Mountain: 10/18/2015

Saratoga County has a new hiking trail. Earlier this month the Department of Environmental Conservation announced the opening of a 1.2 mile trail up Spruce Mountain in Corinth, a 2000’ summit with a newly restored fire tower. We hiked the new trail on Sunday, and got our first taste of winter at the same time with temperatures in the 20s and 30s and pockets of snow on the ground.

Hurricane Mountain: 10/11/2015

If you're planning on hiking in the High Peaks region this fall hopefully you got up there over Columbus Day weekend. The colors will hang on for another weekend or two, especially at low elevation, but the foliage for the holiday weekend was as peak as it's gonna get this year. With three days straight of gorgeous weather, we decided to hike Hurricane Mountain, the popular 3700' peak in Keene that is well known for its panoramic views of the High Peaks.

Stewart Mountain and the Chester Challenge: 10/04/2015

Our family hike up Stewart Mountain Sunday morning was embarrassingly short, but it gave us the opportunity to check out a terrific new initiative by the Town of Chester to promote family-friendly hikes. The hike is just a mile (round trip!), but it offers great views of Loon Lake, Gore Mountain and other peaks and hills of the southern Adirondacks.