About the North Country:
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The great outdoors has never been closer by Dennis Aprill Outdoors Columnist for the Press-Republican It is hard to imagine an area in the northeastern United States that offers more outdoor-related opportunities than Lake Champlain and the nearby Adirondack Mountains. 
While the Vermont side of the big lake, the sixth largest in the country, is blessed with fertile farmlands, the rugged western shore on the New York side was the home to tenacious outdoor types. That tradition continues today.Lake Champlain is world recognized as the premier bass fishing lake in North America, luring anglers, both recreational and professional, from throughout the country in the warm months; in winter, ice fishermen congregate in "shanty villages" in search of perch, smelt, pike and even lake trout. In addition, Lake Champlain holds Atlantic salmon, walleye, pickerel, brown trout, steelhead and carp. Paralleling Lake Champlain is a bike trail that meanders for 100 plus miles and a birding trail with locations for birders to park and observe. The mountains are home to moose, deer and bear, the latter two sought after by hunters. Wild turkeys and ruffed grouse are plentiful for the bird hunters, and tens of thousands of snow geese fly out of Canada each fall stopping off at points near Lake Champlain. Anglers in the mountains can chose from the legendary West Branch of the AuSable River to the Boquet, Saranac and Raquette River Chain in the heartland. Also in the mountains are a series of canoe routes which range from a half dozen miles to the famous 90-mile paddle (now a formal canoe race) from Old Forge to Saranac Lake Village the weekend after Labor Day each year. Hiking trails crisscross the interior mountains and peripheral Adirondacks. They are as plentiful as the guidebooks available at local book stores that describe these trails. Some are interpretative, meaning they have learning stations scattered along the route. The Adirondack Park Visitors Center at Paul Smiths is a prime example, with many interpretative trails. This is just a sampling; the only way to explore is to get out and do it. Visit Our North Country Scene Advertisers
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