Lisa Densmore Ballard wrote in Hiking the Adirondacks in 2010 that “writing a guidebook is really an excuse for an adventure.” Ballard has not given up seeking adventure: this year, she released an expanded edition of her guidebook.

A native of Saranac Lake, she also has released a new edition of her shorter guidebook, Best Easy Day Hikes Adirondacks, which at 110 pages is small enough to slip into your back pocket. As the title suggests, Best Easy Day Hikes is aimed at casual hikers and families with young children. The second edition is little changed from the first.

In contrast, the second edition of Hiking in the Adirondacks is much different from its predecessor. All of the photographs and maps are now in color. Also, the maps are now topographical, with contour lines for visualizing the terrain.

Read more about these guides at the Adirondack Explorer website.