WILMINGTON — “You know you could have just driven up, right?” Right. That Q&A, or variations of it, is a time-honored tradition for hikers summiting Whiteface Mountain when its Memorial Highway is open, especially during a busy holiday weekend. Motorists’ reactions tend ...

WILMINGTON — It was as if I was walking on lava. Yet, my feet were well within the range of their normal temperature. This was no eruption of molten magma, but rather the fresh fall from a grove of red maple trees above. As I made my way up to Flume Knob, there was a 10th of a mile or ...

LAKE PLACID — It’s easy enough to set sights on the Olympic Region’s tallest peaks, but some of the region’s most rewarding adventures lie in its quieter corners, especially when the area’s most popular trails are teeming with leaf peepers. The trail from Connery Pond to Whiteface ...

KEENE — While it’s a fool’s errand to try to pinpoint exactly when peak foliage will occur in the Olympic region, the odds are quite strong that will be sometime this week. Wanting to make the most of this fleeting window, I began searching for a hike that offered spectacular views ...

LAKE PLACID — It wasn’t exactly a secret. Looking up at McKenzie Mountain from the village of Lake Placid — or from Saranac Lake to its west — the first thing I realize is its distinctively jagged ridge line, a geological pain in the butt given that McKenzie Mountain’s main ...

WILMINGTON — At first glance, the 180-plus degree views from Cobble Lookout seem like it would require an arduous hike that climbs high above the woodlands to secure such an expansive scene. Au contraire. Much of the elevation gain comes en route to the trailhead parking area as one ...