ST. HUBERTS, N.Y.- First, there were the three cars full of Canadian tourists. Then the guy in a pick-up truck with his girlfriend. After that, three women from Plattsburgh. Oh, and then another car from Canada.

None of those would-be hikers, who pulled up around 10 a.m. on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend, got to park their cars. At least not there.

That's because of New York State Forest Ranger Megan McCone quickly and politely pointed out the no-parking signs that each of the motorists conveniently tried to ignore.

McCone, standing across from the parking lot on Ausable Road off Route 73, watched as car after car tried to park on the side of the road just past her police truck and the barrier blocking the public lot at Roaring Brook trailhead, which was already full.

Both designated lots under McCone's watch were full by about 6 a.m.

The scene last weekend was the latest in an ongoing tussle in the Adirondacks over illegal parking along a rural highway and other local roads as hikers and tourists flock to popular trails and scenic overlooks.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation vowed stronger enforcement over the heavily trafficked Columbus Day weekend, and McCone's presence was indicative of the crackdown pledged by the state.

What was different about last weekend — compared to the weekend before when cars packed the Route 73 no-parking zones — was a small army of law enforcement.

McCone even had the extra advantage of a tow truck parked nearby, which she referenced at least once to the chagrin of a motorist thinking they could sneak into a corner marked "no parking."

Addressing the parking issues

The DEC announced plans Sept. 16 to increase enforcement, institute a temporary 45 mph speed limit, and other measures to "protect public safety and manage use during the one of the busiest hiking and traffic periods of the year.”

Apparently, those efforts worked.

On Saturday morning, despite full lots, few cars challenged the no-parking zones on Route 73 between St. Huberts and Keene Valley.

Nor did motorists parking in North Elba near the Cascade Mountain trailhead — one of the most heavily traveled trails in the High Peaks. The few cars that did dare got tickets early on and served as a warning to others.

Hikers got creative

Some also tried to find ways to evade the parking restrictions.

Cars crammed into parking pull-offs at all three locations, often squeezing in where they could despite delineated parking spaces.

Just south of Roaring Brook trailhead, cars parked two and three rows deep, sometimes resting at or just over the fog line of the highway.

Dozens of hikers who parked in designated pull-offs further from the trailheads streamed down the hill along Route 73 to the Roaring Brook trailhead or walked down Ausable Road to access Mount Marcy, New York's tallest peak, or nearby Dix.

The three women from Plattsburgh who tried to park on the side of the road were lucky.

After a warning from Ranger McCone about the no-parking zone, a space opened up at Roaring Brook lot. Two of the women quickly ran over to the vacant spot and stood in it while the third, Megan Liechty, pulled the car around to claim it.

“It’s really difficult to find parking," said Liechty. "I’ve had to weasel into places, I’ve waiting 20 to 30 minutes for a space. It’s just really difficult.”

Minding the no-parking signs but not the speed

Speed was still an issue, especially at the Roaring Falls trailhead. Vehicles coming down a steep hill and tight corner got jammed up when slowing down in the face of the ranger's patrol truck lights.

Even with the 45 mph limit, the road felt dangerous as motorists trying to find a place to park pulled over at Ausable Road, sometimes half in the road, as they asked about where else they could try to park.

At one point, an official who didn't want to be named said a tractor trailer came down the hill "pretty fast" and smoked up his tires trying to slow down.

A Free Press reporter traveling along Route 76 between Keene Valley and North Elba around noon last Saturday passed more than half dozen law enforcement officers on patrol, including state Forest Rangers, State Police and Essex County deputies.

That afternoon, a state trooper pulled over a vehicle within the 45 mph zone near the Cascade Mountain trailhead, then stopped traffic to allow a summit steward to pull out of a roadside parking space after their shift on one of the trailheads.

Consequently, the parking space was soon occupied by a car from Connecticut.

Adirondack eateries hustle to serve visitors

Matt Baer who works at the Old Mountain Coffee Company in Keene Valley was busy as usual on Sunday morning keeping up with Americanos and lattes ordered by a steady stream of folks coming through the door.

"People coming in were pretty happy," Baer said, when asked if the increased enforcement was making for cranky customers.

Owner Gabrielle Popp said much the same before running out the door and down Route 73 with a tray of to-go coffees she delivered personally.

When she returned, darting in and out of the kitchen with plates of breakfast sandwiches — they make the bagels in house — she said that it was pretty much business as usual.

And if her running down the street was any indication, business appeared to be good. Popp anticipated that the next day, Columbus Day, was "going to be insane."

"We catch everyone of the way out of town," Popp said, and that meant a lot of coffees to go.

The only parking related issue Popp experienced was after a group of customers ordered coffee and some food and then spent a long time in the parking lot trying to organize their gear between several cars for the day's hike.

Eventually, Popp said she had to go out and politely ask them to finish up and go on their way. They told her they'd been booted from several places and were trying to figure out where to try to park next.

As of last Monday night, officers wrote about 50 tickets, according to the DEC.

That's down from past weekends, an indication that — with the increased law enforcement presence — many motorists weren't willing to take a chance on parking illegally.

Contact Ryan Mercer at rmercer@freepressmedia.com or at 802-343-4169. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmercer1 and facebook.com/ryan.mercer1.