I grew up loving the mall. I remember all of my shopping took place there, in the world of suburban chain stores. The food court and the big glitzy stores, indoors. I could spend an entire day at a mall. I moved to the Adirondacks in my twenties and I didn't know what I would do without the fancy shopping malls. I was a retail junkie, a commercial, cookie-cutter-shopper junkie. I have changed.

A place this full of history needs people to tell its stories, which is why we are fortunate enough to have a rich supply of historians, songwriters, and storytellers. One such famed Adirondack Storyteller is Inlet's own Mitch Lee. 

In 1934, the first snow train brought 378 winter enthusiasts to North Creek where they skied this natural bowl of snow. Now, groomed trails offer alpine skiing, a half pipe and boarder/skierX earthen course, Nordic skiing, and snowshoeing.

A splendid paddle, Little Clear Pond is one of the entrance points into the St. Regis Canoe Area. While we only had a couple hours to play - and not the few days necessary to explore the canoe area -- the pond offered plenty of interesting features and coves to keep us occupied. And while the seasonal turnover of the lake and the autumn wind made the water more turbid than the usual clarity that helped give its name, the lake was no less picturesque and the often busy parking area was largely empty, meaning we had the pond to ourselves.