08/27/2026
Apparently forever wild is only forever wild when it does not interfere with public recreation. Puzzled why the zealous wilderness preservationists let this slip through - of course there were no trees being cut. Brings back memories of the fight over the non conforming summit canisters that were part of early Adirondack climbing culture and were forcibly removed very reluctantly and over the objection of the vast majority of 46er members at the time. Pretty ironic how much the DEC philosophy has changed in 25 years.
AVALANCHE PASS REOPENS MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER MOUNT COLDEN LANDSLIDES
Repairs restore a major High Peaks corridor, although work will continue through 2027
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The state Department of Environmental Conservation has reopened the Avalanche Pass Trail, restoring a major connection through the Adirondack High Peaks more than a year after rock and mudslides buried sections of the route.
DEC announced the reopening Wednesday, Aug. 26. The trail had been closed since July 2025, when intense rain triggered slides from Mount Colden that swept across Avalanche Pass, temporarily flooded sections of the corridor and made the trail unusable.
The pass connects Marcy Dam with Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden through a nearly 2-mile ravine. It serves as both a popular destination and an important route into the interior High Peaks.
Its reopening restores access to hiking routes involving Algonquin Peak, Mount Colden and Mount Marcy, along with the Marcy-Skylight-Gray loop through Avalanche Pass.
The corridor is also widely used by backcountry skiers and snowshoers during the winter.
DEC staff assessed the damage following the 2025 slides and began developing a plan to reopen the route. Field work began this spring, with professional and volunteer crews stabilizing damaged sections and constructing a usable path through the debris.
Crews replaced displaced rock and soil, installed drainage to redirect water, and constructed span bridges, bog bridges and stone steps. Some sections of the trail were rerouted around damaged or unstable areas.
The work involved DEC employees and volunteers from the Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack 46ers and Student Conservation Association.
DEC Region 5 Director Joe Zalewski said crews were able to reopen the route earlier than the department had anticipated. He cautioned that “there is still work to be done.”
Additional repairs and rerouting in Avalanche Pass and surrounding areas are expected to continue through 2027. DEC is asking visitors to watch for trail crews, volunteers, tools and equipment during the fall work season.
Hikers should remain on the marked trail and follow any posted reroutes through the damaged area.
Avalanche Pass is known for its narrow passage beneath the cliffs of Mount Colden and for the wooden platforms along the western shore of Avalanche Lake. The platforms allow hikers to cross sections where the rock face drops directly into the water.
The closure eliminated the most direct route between Marcy Dam and Lake Colden and disrupted several commonly used High Peaks loops. Hikers traveling into the Lake Colden area were required to use alternate routes, including the Lake Arnold Trail, which DEC has described as extremely wet and muddy in places.
The reopening is expected to return traffic to Avalanche Pass and restore familiar approaches to several interior destinations. Current maps and trail markers should be followed because portions of the route have changed since the slides.
DEC said the repairs were designed to withstand heavy recreational use and increasingly severe weather while limiting additional damage to the surrounding wilderness.
The department has not publicly provided a total project cost or a breakdown of state employee, contractor and volunteer hours associated with the work.
DEC maintains current High Peaks closures, trail conditions and safety notices through its Adirondack backcountry information page. Visitors are advised to review those notices before entering the backcountry because construction and localized trail conditions may continue to change.
By John Bulmer, Publisher
