The Blue Ledges on the Hudson, NY

The hike to the Blue Ledges on the Hudson is another Southern Adirondack classic. Accessible and beautiful, delivering in spades: a nice trail and an exciting destination for a small effort.

On the trail to Blue Ledges

To reach the trailhead take Route 28N north from North Creek. Turn left onto the Northwoods Club road, near the top of the big hill heading out of Minerva. Take it very far, over the bridge at the Boreas River, and then go three miles more to the trailhead at Huntley Pond.

To be fair, accessibility can be limited by rain, which can degrade the road and make the trail muddy. We saw none of that recently when he hiked the route at the end of an exceptionally dry summer.

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The Ski Season in Photos #13

Chic Chocs Basecamp • Early April 2012

After the lift-served season ended across New York and the Northeast, the most enterprising skiers were left to their travels.  One such adventurer, ml242, pursued a long-held dream to ski the Chic Chocs at the northernmost end of the Appalachian Chain, on the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.

Against the advice of one of the most respected guide services in the region Matt and his group insisted on visiting the region, in one of the lowest snow years the region had seen in decades.  As luck had it, some new snow did fall as they were travel north, and the conditions they found were quite nice, thank you.

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Time Travel to the Summit of Rusk Mountain

Maybe I’ve seen the Last of the Mohicans one too many times: it seems I’m now obsessed with local lore and the “old days.” On a recent canoe trip down the Delaware I couldn’t stop talking about the Lenape Indians, their travel routines and dress. And on a hike up the highest mountain in Orange County NY, I drove my companions nuts detailing the meaning of the word Schunemunk.

Saint Anne's Peak
Saint Anne’s Peak

Actually I’ve always been fond of remembering the time when men were men, and hiking meant figuring out how to get from point Algonquin to point British without the use of marked trails.

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