Adirondack Family Time™

I am so grateful to all that took the time to review the latest Adirondack Family Time guidebook. Reviews for Adirondack Family  Time  Champlain Valley Plattsbugh to Ticonderoga: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities (with GPS coordinates) Adirondack Mountain Club's ADIRONDAC magazine: "A companion to the previously published Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks Regions, this volume's subtitle explains its objective well: "Your Four-Season Guide to more than 300 activities." It's categorized by town and season with maps, helpful tips, entertaining trivia, and inside games. Included are 58 easy hikes, 33 swimming spots, 30 museums and historic sites, apply-picking, ice-skating, art venues, and many others. GPS coordinates are provided for easy location. The territory which is throughly  covered  extends from Cahzy to Ticonderoga. If you're looking for something to do in that area, turn to this book which seems to ha

View of Rocky Peak Ridge from Mt Gilligan, New Russia, NY We are a family that is always on the go. I don’t over schedule my children, but they are involved, active kids. Though we may be going in different directions a lot of the time, one activity that always gives us a positive attitude adjustment is to get outside. Since we are such a busy family, we’ve always migrated to those shorter hikes that we can squeeze in on our way to another activity. (I also find these shorter hikes are a great way to see a beautiful view and still be back in time to have a nice dinner or take in a show.)  Adirondack Family Time: Champlain Valley Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga:58 easy hikes, 33 swimming holes, 300 seasonal activities, snowshoe/ski trails, maps trivia and more!  Mount Gilligan in New Russia (near Elizabethtown, NY) is just one of 58 easy hikes around the Adirondack Champlain Valley from my second Adirondack Family Time guidebooks. With an elevation of 1,421’ and a vertical ascen

At the trail register to the Cascade Lake trail, Eagle Bay (Inlet, NY) My family is always looking for those easy Adirondack hikes that still give us a workout and view, but still gets us back to town at a relatively early hour. We still love camping and racking up the 46ers, but we always have time to introduce friends to beautiful easy hikes that are fun for all ages, levels and abilities.  One such hike is the loop trail around Cascade Lake in Eagle Bay (Inlet). It is also an opportunity to cross one activity off the list that gets you closer to earning a badge and your name added to the Inlet Outdoor Family Challenge list*. trail map for Cascade Lake trail loop and Cascade Falls, Inlet NY This 4.9-mile loop hike is located near Eagle Bay and just a few miles south of Inlet, NY. Sometimes a bit muddy, the trail is relatively level path that can be down in two shorter excursions or a longer loop trail. The first 1.1-mile section is a multi-use trail. We encounter

Wilmington (NY) Cobble Lookout (Ledge) I was recently emailed about Adirondack (ADK) hikes to do with a three-year-old kid and wanted to share my suggestions with you! Keep in mind any of the suggestions below are good for people of all ages and abilities. Even if you used to climb the Adirondack High Peaks or still do, but just don't have the time. Enjoy! These are just 8 of the 33 easy short hikes available in my guidebook, Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks: A four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities (with GPS coordinates.) .  1) Wilmington Flume . There are a lot of new bike trails and walking trails all along and around. Be careful there is poison ivy along the trail somewhere. There are warnings posted. There are a variety of options that vary from about one-mile. The Flume is located off of Route 86, west side of bridge on Route 86 (past Hungry Trout Restaurant) 2)  Wilmington's Cobble  Lookout (Ledge): This trail is about a 1.4-mile RT hike.

Summit of Coney Mt, Tupper Lake Our latest family challenge is to complete the Tupper Lake(TL) Triad . We have hiked Coney Mountain, Goodman Mountain and Mt Arab in the past, but in order to receive a climbing number, badge and decal ($5) we need to climb all three mountains after the Triad Challenge December 2015 opening date. Coney Mountain has always been a family favorite, especially when we lived closer to Tupper Lake. It’s been a few years since my daughter has hiked Coney. So many years in fact, there is a different trail leading to the summit. There is a designated parking area, but we choose to join the few roadside cars and park along Rt. 30. We walk up the gravel path to the register and meet a group signing out. They enthusiastically share their experience of walking along the open crest. The trail is a gradual climb with a 548’ vertical ascent and elevation of 2,280’. We easily follow the blue trail markers leading us in a semi-circle from west to north to

Summit of Cobble Hill  By Diane Chase When I first moved to the area and didn’t have the time or inclination to just climb the 46 High Peaks, I decided to take a different route. That route has led me to explore beautiful trails, walks and swimming holes around the whole Adirondack Park. There are some places that have been worth a repeat visit and other places that were just okay.  My two-year-old hiked in Crocs while carrying "her" purse My route has lead me over hills and through fields exploring all the fun activities that take place in this Tri-Lakes and High Peaks region and beyond . One favorite hike is so conveniently located in the center of Lake Placid that I always suggest it to people of all ages and hiking abilities. Cobble Hill has an elevation of 2,345’ and a vertical ascent of only 462’. My ADK kids can easily finish it within an hour or I can take longer and explore the local flora and fauna. There are a few trail entrances, b

Mt Van Hoevenberg  Distance  = 2-2-miles Vertical ascent = 799' Elevation = 2, 940'  Hiking the Adirondack High Peaks isn't always an option, but hitting the trail for a beautiful day hike can always be squeezed into our agenda  When my children were younger we looked for those hikes where they could finish on their own with a feeling of accomplishment   The children are now able to take longer and longer hikes. For me it is with great pride and slight sadness that my daughter no longer requests the baby carrier.    She enjoys being on the trail and boosts my own confidence by elevating me to superhero status. If she feels lost, I find her. If she cries, I heal her. I open my backpack and provide her with ointments to sooth her ills and snacks to appease her hunger.               I am attempting to extend our trips with the eventual goal being a backpacking trip into the woods. Not like our first camping trip where I spent more time on the road th

Mt Jo is an easy hike for all members of the family The Adirondack Mountain Club's (ADK)  Heart Lake's Mt Jo Elevation  = 2,876 ft  Vertical ascent = 700’ Distance - 1.2-miles to the summit My son’s class had a field trip to the Adirondack Loj’s Heart Lake area near Lake Placid to climb Mt Jo. He has been eager to share his newly found information with the rest of the family so he will lead us on this 2.3-mile roundtrip journey.  This is #11/33 easy short hikes from Adirondack Family Time Tri-Lakes and High Peaks: Four Season Guide to Over 300 Activities (with GPS Coordinates) The ADK Heart Lake Nature Museum is near the trail entrance to Mt.Jo We arrive late in the afternoon and with no parking attendant we scour the car for the $1.50 parking charge.  (Parking is $10/day for nonmembers, $5/day for members and $2.50 for entry after 1:00 p.m.)  We are held to the honor system. I first park at the upper lot only to have my son inform me that

As you requested! Here is a list of all the Adirondack High Peaks (plus McNaughton which is 4,000' but not considered part of the 46 High Peaks) I will have Adirondack Fun Facts about each mountain so keep checking back. If you have other suggestions, please sending them in and I will do my best to get the information here as quickly as possible. Thanks for letting me know. A patch is given as well as an assigned number, though many people do choose not to register. Climbing all 46 High Peaks is not distinguished by the registration, but by the accomplishment. The Adirondack Forty-Sixers is more than just a place to register hikes, the service and hiking organization encourages and educates its membership on conservation and preservation of the wildness of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.

#280 Saranac Lake 6er on the summit of Haystack, after summiting McKenzie. #MountainMonday Challenge Accepted!  Saranac Lake 6er  View from Scarface- Saranac Lake 6er I’m slowly working on becoming an High Peaks 46er. I’m a 25er, though I admire all my friends that have climbed all 46 Adirondack peaks over 4,000’ including my husband, my in-laws and my daughter’s “fairy godmother."  I tend to go back to climb the peaks I enjoy like Wright, Algonquin and Marcy. I realize there are many different ways to appreciate the outdoors and one is to embrace the challenge of climbing the peaks.  Summit of Ampersand, a Saranac Lake 6er The Saranac Lake 6er program provides a different sort of test. The Village of Saranac Lake initiated the program to introduce people to the area’s lesser-known peaks. I was surprised when my daughter came home interested in becoming a 6er. My family have climbed the six peaks (St. Regis, Baker Mt, Scarface, McKenzie,

Bald Mountain Fire Tower in Old Forge, NY In the late 1800s and early 1900s, enormous forest fires were threatening residents and landowners. New ways had to be looked at to try to protect and report how these fires could be managed. Two different fires, 1903 and 1908, which damaged over 1 million acres of woodlands, became known as the "Great Fires" leading to an organized system of forest fire management throughout the Adirondacks. The first Adirondack fire tower, made of wood, was built on the summit of Mount Morris (now known as Big Tupper Ski Area) with other towers being constructed over the course of the next five years. There have 120  fire towers  at various locations around New York State with 57 of them within the boundary of the Adirondack Park. The log and wood structures were slowly replaced by steel towers between 1917 and 1930, which could be more easily maintained. A full-time work force from  Forest Rangers  to Fire Observers were organized to manag

Henry Woods gazebo offers trail map and covered seating near the parking area Henry's Woods Trails in Lake Placid (NY) is one of my favorite places to take family and friends for a short easy hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski. It is also the place where I go to walk my dog, trail run and just relax. Henry's Woods is a great place for all level hiker and its the perfect place for people of all ages and abilities. There is one main trail loop with three offshoots from it. It is truly a great community preserve. The Connector Trail:   (green marker) is 0.3-mile Loop trail: (darker green marker) 2.0-miles The Loop trail has moderate elevation gain for this maintained community preserve.  Plateau trail : (yellow marker) .09 miles The Plateau trail is accessed via the Loop trail. At the junction between the Connector trail and Loop trail bear left onto the Loop trail. At about 0.5-mile, turn right at the yellow marker for the first access to the Plat

Distance : 1.8 miles Elevation : 3,169' Vertical Ascent : 1,542' Catamount is a wonderful Adirondack family hike that takes children and families to a new level, behind easier hikes perhaps encountered previously. T his is a 1.8 mile hike (one way) is not for the meek though it begins as a flat wooded path for the first 0.5 mile before becoming steadily more steep. Follow the yellow painted slash marks through this private easement.  At about 0.5 mile  the trail bears right and begins to climb. Look for a small stream at 0.8 mi. and then the hike begins gaining in elevation and continues a mostly steep climb to the base of a narrow rock chimney at 1.5 miles.  

Fred's Bog is a quick easy hike to a beautiful bog Ferd's Bog trail Distance = 0.3-mile Elevation and Vertical Ascent = n/a Walking along the Ferd Bog trail in Inlet, NY is a brief, but well spent hike. The 0.3-mile trail is not only a great way to stretch your legs after a road trip, but it is the perfect place to view rare Adirondack bog plants and boreal birds. The trailhead and register is right off Uncas Rd.  After spending a beautiful day in Inlet, my family is always looking for easy, short hikes to take the jitters and wiggles out of my ADK kids. Fred's Bog has a slight descent before reaching the level boardwalk After signing the register the trail starts out level, but does have a slight descent where the woodlands meet the wetlands. Watch out for roots as you descend. A plastic boardwalk finishes this easy hike into the beautiful bog.

Reviews for  Adirondack Family Time Tri-Lakes and High Peaks:  Your Four Season Guide to Over 300 Activities  (with GPS coordinates) 33 easy hikes 19 swimming holes and beach 21 historic sites snowshoe and cross-country ski trails and ski centers free ice-skating Trivia organized by town and by season two indices (Index by Activity and Index by Age) 18 inside activities/games sledding, skiing, playgrounds, ice cream and much more Democrat and Chronicle  " My copy already has creases in the cover and plenty of dog-eared pages.  There are more than 300 activities outlined in the guide (maps, photos and GPS coordinates will get you there), and best of all none take up an entire day.  Chase's book really is for anyone looking to make the most of their time in the Adirondacks. Throw it in your glove compartment and have the kids read it on the drive up."  Adirondack Life :  " For your own cuties there’s  Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes & Hig

At the summit of Elephant Head overlooking Lake Titus Distance =  0.5-mile from parking area to summit. Seasonally the road in is impassable, adding an additional  1.5-miles from road to parking area Elevation   = 1,939' Vertical Ascent  = 464' We don’t usually choose our hikes for the name of the mountain, but when daughter found out that there was an elephant in the Adirondacks, she wanted to see it for herself.   One such hike is the 0.5-mile hike to the summit of Elephant’s Head Mountain, part of the Titusville Mountain State Forest.  Depending on the weather and the type of vehicle, getting to the trailhead can be part of the issue. We turn onto the dirt road at the familiar brown sign marking the entrance to Elephant’s Head mountain. This time there are potholes to maneuver, but the road itself is manageable.

At the summit of Goodman Mountain, Tupper Lake  Climbing any one of the three mountains (Goodman, Arab, and Coney) that are part of the Tupper Lake Triad is trophy enough, but it is still fun to complete an Adirondack challenge, and add another patch to the collection. Tupper Lake’s Goodman Mountain 1.5-mile summit brings all the elements of an easy, fast Adirondack hike and still allows us time to visit the nearby Wild Center. The mountain, formerly known at Litchfield Hill, with its elevation of 2,178’ and vertical ascent of 567’, is a perfect hike for my visiting family of various hiking abilities. With its easy paved beginning to the clear summit view, we are able to bring the whole family.  A bridge crosses over Cold Brook After parking the car at the Lumberjack Spring parking lot, we walk to the kiosk that delves into the history for the name change. There is always so much history attached to the mountains, lakes and trails around the Adirondacks a

Cobble Lookout trail now has a new sign!  UPDATE: There is a new sign marking the trailhead! Cobble Lookout Elevation = 2,600' Vertical Ascent = 400' Distance -  0.75-mile I am all about the easy hike  for my visiting family, whether they have kids or not. I enjoy backpacking, camping and the more challenging hikes, but nothing is more beautiful than being able to get in an easy hike with a beautiful view and still have my evening free to enjoy another Adirondack (ADK) activity.  Wilmington (NY) Cobble Lookout Trail with views of The Adirondack High Peaks and Santa's Workshop, North Pole Recently while at Lake Stevens we managed to fit in a quick stroll to the top of nearby Cobble Lookout trail off Gillispie Dr (Franklin Falls Rd.). It’s a relatively new trail.  So new, in fact, that at the time of our climb a few weeks ago, a trailhead sign wasn’t part of the program. (I was told to relax and enjoy the mystery and intrigue.)  Wilmington (NY) Co

Around the Adirondacks local stores and businesses aren’t feeling the pressure to celebrate early. They are saving their energy and pulling out all the stops for a Black Friday and Small Business Saturday weekend that is uniquely Adirondack.   These events give you enough time to let your turkey dinner settle down while festive enough to gesture in the Christmas spirit.  As you can see from the schedule at the end of the page, various towns stagger the events so you can attend one or all! Children will be able to make crafts to give as gifts, enjoy horse wagon rides or participate in free puppet shows, movies and treasure hunts. We always took advantage of those free activities to slip away and get a bit of our holiday shopping completed.  Speculator is hosting its Holiday stroll  on November 28 with gift certificates, give-aways and discounts topped off with Victorian carolers while Lake George plans on making the village glow with over 15,000 lights on November 29.   I

I love those dried apple chips I find in the store. Those expensive, dried, apple chips that usually have only 4 slices of apple coated in sugar, oil and cinnamon jostling around in a mostly empty bag. For years now I've also been drinking  Apple Cider Vinegar  every day. All the health benefits, aside, making vinegar takes absolutely no time of effort. That is my type of cooking.   Our family usually composts our apple bits. Those peels and cores are usually designated to the bin, feeding our red wiggler worms.  After an overzealous bout of apple picking, I thought there had to be a way to reuse some or part of the apples in a different way. Now of course, I'm not the first person to think this way. Martha Stewart usually beats everyone to the punch. Since I'm a staff of one and she has a whole research team, I thought I could come up with an easier way of making homemade apple chips with less sugar and in less time. After you've peeled and cored the appl