St. Regis Canoe Area Made Easy

By Rich Macha

Located a few miles northwest of the village of Saranac Lake, the St. Regis Canoe Area covers over 18,000 acres and is the only designated canoe area in New York. There are over 50 motorless ponds of various sizes within the St. Regis and you can find 70 designated primitive campsites spread out over 20 of those ponds – note that camping is limited to eight persons per site. Marked portages, or “carries” as they are known in the Adirondacks, of varying lengths and difficulty connect many of the ponds. READ MORE

The Summer Place to Be

By Laura Clark

Many of our favorite summer activities – paddling a lazy river, hiking mountain peaks, biking roads and trails, patio restaurant dining, and window shopping downtown – are all within an easy radius of Saratoga Springs. Adding to the mix, Saratoga proudly hosts two of the area’s largest July running attractions, the Firecracker 4 and Silks & Satins 5K road races, both produced by the experienced FC4 Event team. READ MORE

Summer Tours and Rides

By Dave Kraus

There are few fitness activities as pleasurable as riding your bike in the warm summer months. But one thing that can make your rides even more rewarding is the knowledge that just by riding you can contribute to worthy causes. This summer and fall there are three different cycling events that will let you do just that! READ MORE

Wilson Pond

By Bill Ingersoll

Tiny Wilson Pond might not have ever become an obvious backpacking destination were it not for the lean-to on its north shore, which transformed this obscure trout pond into an attractive and popular hike. The lean-to exploits a rock ledge on the shoreline, revealing an enchanting view of remote Blue Ridge, an unimaginatively named mountain that forms the centerpiece of the namesake Blue Ridge Wilderness. It is a place to daydream – or to fish, if that is more your style. The visibility of the trailhead ensures this is a popular year-round hike. READ MORE

Mastering the Open Water For Fitness and Personal Bests

By Kristen Jurcsak

In 2017, I made a lifelong commitment to my health and fitness. I remembered how good being physically and mentally strong felt, that peaceful, centering, mind-body balance. With the daunting task of establishing a wellness routine from scratch once again, and certainly needing to lose a significant amount of weight, I headed to Masters swim practice at the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area. As a then “former” swimmer and triathlete, I knew the pool was where I needed to start. READ MORE

Adirondack 46er – Honored to Get Them All Done

By Marie Bosman

Becoming an Adirondack 46er these days could seem like a minor achievement. I finished the last of the 46 high peaks in August 2022, on Whiteface Mountain. On that same afternoon, I saw at least three others who also finished their 46er quests on Whiteface. It was a gorgeous perfect-as-only-the-Adirondacks-can-be day, so surely there were others also on other peaks. I knew of at least one other finisher that day, a little four-year old, who hiked Marcy as her final peak, the youngest ever person to become a 46er. What do I have to be proud about… When I received my certificate it said, congratulations, 46er finisher number 14,803… that is far back in a very long line, was my first thought. In 2022 alone, over 800 persons became Adirondack 46ers! READ MORE

Jason Hare

By Mona Kulkarni Caron

Community, gratitude and a positive attitude are a few of the themes that came up several times during my conversation with triathlete Jason Hare. The trajectory of Jason’s journey into triathlon has been an unlikely one if you ask him. From a self-proclaimed non-athlete with an arts and theater background in his younger days, Jason’s foray into triathlon has been impressive. READ MORE