I love Outside Magazine’s lists. “Ten Best Recovery Foods for Your Next 100 Mile Trail Run” is one of my all-time favorites.* The latest Outside Magazine list to catch my eye is, “15 Leaf-Blurring Adventures;” a list of things to do outside in the fall. I am not surprised to see my favorite trail run in the Village of Lake Placid, Henry’s Woods, made the list.

Locals who know the place will be pleased, or not, to hear we are almost identical to Vermont:

“With its dense cluster of mountains and an ecosystem almost identical to Vermont, the Adirondack’s High Peaks region may actually be a better place to peep leaves than that fabled foliage grounds. “

Regular readers of Adirondack Lifestyle have known about the great trail running at Henry’s Woods for years. In honor of today’s Outside Magazine coverage, I will rerun a Guided Trail Run of Henry’s Woods, a post from a few years ago.

Here is a guided trail run from my current favorite spot just outside of the Village of Lake Placid, New York, at Henry’s Woods, where I enjoyed a couple of Perfect Adirondack Days last week.

Maple Bench Junction is located at the intersection of three trails recently added, along with the benches, to Henry’s Woods Community Preserve.

Henry’s Woods Community Preserve is a relatively new trail system in town, inspired by and named after one of Lake Placid’s greatest benefactors, Henry Uihlein. Henry’s Woods, a 212-acre parcel of land accessed from Bear Cub Lane boasts an original 2.5-mile loop and newly added numerous steep and short loops that wind through the woods behind the Uihlein Mercy Center. The trail system was designed and engineered by a famous North Country Skier: Tony Goodwin, of Keene. Goodwin is the director of the Adirondack Ski Touring Council and the Adirondack Trail Improvement Society.

The beautifully maintained trails are multi-use, meaning you can use them to hike, run, mountain bike and ski. The main loop starts with a minor climb regardless of how you choose to start. You reach the high point right around a mile, after which you start a slight downhill. The newly cut trails are superb trail running; cushiony soil and well-placed rocks make it a thinking runner’s delight. This means you have to pay attention to where you put your feet, but it is well worth it as you can see in today’s photos.

Olympic Ski Jumps and Bobsled Run (left to right) as seen from Henry’s Woods.

I was intrigued with the bridge building operation and since no one was around, I went in for a closer look. The partially built bridge section pictured below is suspended across two big ropes and creaks nicely when it sways.

As you can see below, the savvy bridge engineers will use turnbuckles, secured under the stationary section of bridge, to tighten the suspending ropes.

Obviously, the Adirondacks are a great place for outdoor recreation with a little engineering education on the side.

Click on any of the photos for a larger version.

* Since “Champagne” was left off this list in what was clearly an oversight, I wrote numerous times to the authors and am waiting for them to correct their mistake.