LAKE PLACID — The toughest part came right at the beginning — well before I summited in screaming gale-force winds, slogged through deep mud, ice and snow or even laced up my boots. My alarm clock rang out at 3:30 a.m. sharp on Tuesday, April 29 — two and a half hours ahead of my ...
LAKE PLACID — Nikon cameras are great. They take fantastic photos and are relatively user-friendly for a novice like me. Unfortunately, they have their limits in certain situations. When scrambling up a 10-foot ledge on my way to the Balanced Rocks high above the Cascade Lakes, with ...
LAKE PLACID — Following last week’s icy escapade up to the 2,939-foot Mount Van Hoevenberg, I decided to play it low and scout out a trail that stuck below the elevation where the ice began cropping up then. Despite my best efforts, I was not completely spared from the ice — a ...
LAKE PLACID — Snow and ice are usually good things at Mount Van Hoevenberg. The mountain does, after all, boast a combined bobsled, luge and skeleton sliding track, as well as trails for Nordic skiing and biathlon events. The site has played host to two Olympic Games and numerous world cup ...
LAKE PLACID — Catch it if you can, it doesn’t last long. Finding itself at the mercy of Mother Nature, and reliant upon a narrow sliver of sufficient weather conditions that manifest themselves for a fleeting few weeks between winter and spring, maple syrup season offers rich, or ...
NEWCOMB — I knew it was going to be a cold start to a long day of hiking, but when I glanced down at the car thermometer to see it was 24 below zero, I entertained second thoughts on venturing out. Then again, I had already driven nearly two hours to the trailhead. I pulled my hands away ...