Spring 2020 LOCALadk Magazine 35
LOCALadk
The
low-down
on
spring
hiking
While
the
allure
of
the
High
Peaks
may
be
hard
to
ignore,
the
state
Department
of
Environmental
Conservation
asks
hikers
each
spring
to
stay
low
-
specifically
below
2,500
feet
in
elevation.
This
is
to
prevent
damage
on
the
thin
and
sensitive
soils
higher
up.
Luckily,
there
are
hundreds
of
trails
that
lead
to
low
mountain
summits,
lookouts,
ponds,
and
other
scenic
areas.
Go
through
the
middle
Waterproof
boots
and
gaiters
were
invented
for
a
reason,
and
no
pair
of
hiking
boots
likes
to
be
clean
after
a
hike.
If
there
are
muddy
or
wet
areas
just
go
straight
through
them.
While
plowing
through
mud
may
not
seem
like
fun,
going
around
it
and
widening
the
trail
causes
harm
to
vegetation
and
can
actually
make
the
mud
hole
worse
for
future
hikers.
STAY
LOW!
Visit
www.LoveYourADK.org
Silver
Lake
Mt.
Saranac
lake
Snow
Mountain
Lake
Placid
Cobble
Lookout
Whiteface
Region
Elephant
Head
Malone
Mount
Severance
Schroon
Lake
Watch
Hill
Hamilton
County
Poke-O-Moonshine
Lake
Champlain
Coney
Mountain
Tupper
lake
®
I
LOVE
NEW
YORK
is
a
registered
trademark
and
service
mark
of
the
New
York
State
Department
of
Economic
Development;
used
with
permission.
Check
out
these
hikes
under
2,500
ft.