Densmore Ballard - Hiking the Adirondacks: a Guide to the Areas Greatest Hiking Adventures

For my son Parker, my favorite hiking buddy in the Adirondacks!

Every mountain we climb together is my favorite.

An imprint of Globe Pequot

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Copyright 2017 Rowman & Littlefield

Interior photos by Lisa Densmore Ballard, Parker Densmore, and Jack Ballard

TOPO! maps copyright 2017 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Maps 2017 Rowman & Littlefield

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ballard, Lisa Densmore, author.

Title: Hiking the Adirondacks : A Guide to the Best Hiking Adventures in New Yorks Adirondack Park / Lisa Densmore Ballard.

Description: Second Edition. | Guilford, Connecticut. : FalconGuides, 2017. | Includes index. | Revised edition of : Hiking the Adirondacks : A Guide to 42 of the Best Hiking Adventures in New Yorks Adirondacks / Lisa Densmore. c2010.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017007302 (print) | LCCN 2017010986 (ebook) | ISBN 9781493024490 (p : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781493024506 (e-book)

Subjects: LCSH: HikingNew York (State)Adirondack MountainsGuidebooks. | TrailsNew York (State)Adirondack MountainsGuidebooks. | Adirondack Mountains (N.Y.)Guidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV199.42.N652 A3424 2017 (print) | LCC GV199.42.N652 (ebook) | DDC 796.5109747/5dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017007302

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

The author and Rowman & Littlefield assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Printed in the United States of America

Lisa Densmore Ballard is a third-generation Adirondack native. Born in Saranac Lake, New Yorkin the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Parkshe has hiked, paddled, fished, and skied in the Adirondacks her entire life. Though now a resident of Montana, she travels back to the Adirondacks each summer to visit her family, explore the backcountry, and enjoy her second home on Chateaugay Lake.

Lisa has spent most of her professional life bringing the outdoors to others. After a successful career as a professional ski racer, she spent 22 years as a television host and producer of sports and outdoor programming for a variety of networks, including NBC, ESPN, Resort Sports Network (now Outside TV), OLN (now VERSUS), and PBS. She garnered three Emmys as a field producer and co-host of Wildlife Journal on PBS. She produced and co-wrote the Emmy-nominated documentary, Passion for Snow, also on PBS.

5 HIKING TIPS FROM LISA

1. Wear Gore-Tex hiking shoes or boots. The trails throughout the Adirondack Park are often wet and muddy, and many shallow stream crossings require stepping across rocks or logs rather than a constructed footbridge.

2. Check the weather. If the weatherman predicts a 50 percent chance of rain or higher, expect to get wet on your hike, and the views will likely be fogged in. If a storm approaches, stay below tree line.

3. Go early, especially during the summer. Youll have a better chance of a parking spot at popular trailheads and the view will be clearer. The atmosphere tends to get hazier later in the day.

4. Put on bug spray with a high percentage of DEET. Even if you abhor DEET, use it. One covering wont kill you, but the bugs might. Or plan your hike in the fall after a dry spell.

5. Beat the heat. On a hot summer day, above 85F in town, youll get 10 to 20 degrees reprieve on top of a 4,000-footer, but getting there can be a miserable, sweaty endeavor with a high risk of heat-related health issues. Its tough on dogs, too. Watch the humidity before heading onto the trail. Save hiking for another day if both the temperature and the humidity are high.

At first, Lisa complemented her broadcast work as a freelance writer and photographer, though recently the latter has become her main occupation. She contributes articles and images to thirty-plus publications each year, including Adirondack Life and Adirondack Explorer. She has received numerous excellence-in-craft honors from the Outdoor Writers Association of America, for which she served as a board member and as president (201516), and from the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. To see her award-winning articles and images, visit www.LisaDensmore.com.

Aside from her media work, Lisa guides hikes, tests hiking boots, provides photographs, and hosts product videos for her longtime footwear sponsor, Lowa. She also hosts presentations on her hiking and trekking adventures in the Adirondacks and around the globe.

Hiking the Adirondacks (Second Edition) is Lisas ninth book. Her other books include: Ski Faster! Guide to Ski Racing and High Performance Skiing (Second Edition, 2016), Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire & Vermont (2005), Hiking the Green Mountains (FalconGuides, 2009), Hiking the White Mountains (FalconGuides, 2010), and Backpacker Magazines Predicting Weather: Predicting, Forecasting & Planning (Globe Pequot, 2010).

Map and Icon Legends

NOTES ON MAPS

Topographic maps are essential companions to the activities in this guide. Falcon has partnered with National Geographic to provide the best mapping resources. Each activity is accompanied by a detailed map and the name of the National Geographic TOPO! map (USGS), which can be downloaded for free from natgeomaps.com.