The institution of a permit system at the Ausable Club’s Adirondack Mountain Reserve surprised and confused some hikers and would-be hikers. Many didn’t realize that third most popular High Peaks Wilderness Area access point, through the Club’s lands in the Upper Ausable Valley, was privately owned.
A similar situation holds at the Johns Brook Valley, another popular access point just northwest. That area is owned by the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), it faces similar parking challenges and is just as susceptible to a future permit system. [Read more…] about Adirondack Park Permits: Could Johns Brook Valley Be Next? Some History
I often get in a slight mental funk a few days before a climbing trip into Panther Gorge in the Adirondacks. As much as I love the outings and head into the remote chasm to relax, the preceding days are often filled with restless nights and evenings spent studying photos or contemplating the logistics of the day.