Cobble Lookout is an amazing easy hike in Wilmington, NY. It offers excellent views of the West Branch Ausable River valley and Sentinel Range.

Ampersand Mountain offers spectacular 360-degree panoramic views of the High Peaks and Saranac Lakes. This is an excellent location to photograph with diverse options in terms of composition.

Poke-O-Moonshine is an excellent hike and a great place to photograph in the eastern Adirondacks. The summit has outstanding views of the High Peaks Wilderness to the south, Whiteface Mountain to the west, and Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains to the east.

Coot Hill has beautiful views overlooking Lake Champlain, the Champlain Valley, and Vermont. Best for sunrises during the spring/fall and winter months.

This year the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) stared the process of removing Marcy Dam. The dam suffered significant damage to the bridge and splashboards during Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011. DEC decided that the cost of repair was too great and that the dam itself did not conform with the wilderness land classification applied to the land upon which it sits. The gut reaction by many is disgust and anger. People feel that the DEC is needlessly removing and altering an iconic location within the High Peaks Wilderness.

The Johns Brook Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Adirondacks. The central feature is Johns Brook, which is a good-sized brook for the Adirondack High Peaks region. The mountains to the south and east comprise the Great Range. This side of the valley is rugged and steep with numerous trails leading to the mountains and summits above.

After a recent trip up Algonquin, I began wondering what impact this new line of traction devices is having on our mountains. On the one hand, they have lowered the cost and skill thresholds needed to ascending many peaks. On the other, they don’t provide the level of traction necessary for the harshest conditions and more difficult ascents.