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Avalanche Pass Reopens in the High Peaks After Storm Damage Repairs

The Department of Environmental Conservation has reopened Avalanche Pass in the High Peaks Wilderness Area, more than a year after rock and mud slides from Mount Colden tore across the trail in July 2025. Crews spent the past several months stabilizing the trail surface, installing drainage, and rebuilding stone steps and bridges to get the route back open for hikers.

Avalanche Pass connects Marcy Dam to Lake Colden along a narrow two mile ravine, including the wooden platforms known as Hitch Up Matildas that hug the rock face along Avalanche Lake. The trail is one of the most popular routes in the High Peaks for hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing, so its closure was felt widely across the region.

DEC Region 5 Director Joe Zalewski credited staff, contractors, and volunteers from the Student Conservation Association, Adirondack Mountain Club, and Adirondack 46ers for getting the pass open ahead of schedule. Repair and rerouting work is expected to continue through 2027, so hikers heading out this fall should expect to see crews and equipment along the trail.

For visitors planning a High Peaks trip, this reopening restores access to one of the classic Adirondack routes just as fall hiking season picks up. DEC asks trail users to be mindful of ongoing work and to check current conditions before heading out.

Anyone planning a hike should check DEC's backcountry information page for the latest closures and safety notices before setting out.

Long Lake's Book Nook Returns for a Second Summer With New Weekday Hours

The Book Nook is back behind the Long Lake Public Library for its second summer, and this year it's open more often. Volunteers with the Friends of the Long Lake Library Board run the tiny secondhand bookstore, housed in a shed with a red-painted floor and shelves lined with donated titles, according to North Country Public Radio.

Last summer, the Book Nook only opened on weekends, but Sundays proved slow. This year, organizers added Tuesday and Thursday hours to match the schedule of the bank next door, giving shoppers more chances to stop in. The Book Nook is now open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Inventory includes a mix of formats and genres, such as:

• Fiction, the most commonly donated category
• A growing children's section
• Nonfiction and cookbooks
• Audiobooks and CDs
• Adirondack-themed titles, a frequent favorite among browsers

Volunteer Donna Smith, who helped build and paint the shed alongside the library's treasurer and other board members, staffs the Book Nook throughout the season. Proceeds support the library's budget, adding to fundraisers like art auctions and holiday parties that help cover costs such as staff salaries and equipment.

For locals and summer visitors alike, the Book Nook offers an easy way to pick up a good read while supporting a community institution. With its expanded hours, there's a better chance of catching it open during a stroll through town.

Source: NCPR

Get Lost in Fort Ticonderoga’s Heroic Corn Maze This Summer

Fort Ticonderoga’s seasonal Heroic Corn Maze returns July 25 with an extra-special design for 2026. This year’s six-acre maze celebrates the fort’s 250th anniversary season and America’s 250th birthday.

The new layout highlights six stories of heroism and epic journeys from 1775 and 1776. Visitors will encounter themes inspired by covert scouting missions, the Noble Train of Artillery, and other pivotal moments connected to Fort Ticonderoga.

Designed for a range of ages, the maze includes two phases and Maze Quest challenges along the way. Guests can test their knowledge, navigate winding paths, and discover a different story around each turn.

The Heroic Corn Maze joins Fort Ticonderoga’s REAL TIME REVOLUTION® programming, Lake Champlain boat cruises, living history demonstrations, and premium experiences. Together, these activities give families plenty to explore during the fort’s peak summer and fall season.

The maze is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through October 25. Fort Ticonderoga admission is valid for two consecutive days, and advance tickets are encouraged.

Seagle Festival Takes a Major Step Toward a Year-Round Future

Big changes are on the horizon for Seagle Festival in Schroon Lake. The longtime Adirondack performing arts institution has received a $1.8 million grant from the New York State Council on the Arts to support a major campus expansion.

The funding will help advance plans for a new year-round performing arts center that includes artist housing, a dining and multipurpose facility, and infrastructure upgrades designed to winterize the campus. Festival leaders say these improvements will allow Seagle to expand beyond its traditional summer season.

Future plans also call for the construction of a state-of-the-art, 250-seat opera hall, creating new opportunities for performances, educational programs, conferences, and community events throughout the year. The project aims to establish Seagle as a regional cultural hub serving residents and visitors across the southern Adirondacks.

Founded more than a century ago, Seagle Festival has become one of the nation's most respected training programs for emerging opera and musical theater performers. The expansion is expected to strengthen Schroon Lake's growing arts scene while bringing additional visitors and economic activity to the region.

Construction and site preparation are expected to begin in phases, with the full vision for the campus targeted for completion by 2030.

Source: The Lake George Mirror