would be interested in hearing about favorite sections of trails in the ADKs. Not necessarily the most spectacular, but perhaps the most satisfying or enjoyable walks. In the interest of balance you could also include your least favorite.
Some folks are answering from the vantage point of a winter hike, and others from a non-winter one. Is it possible to separate the beauty of a trail from its difficulty, in order to answer the question? Some parts of a trail are quite beautiful, while others are...ho hum. The beauty of any one trail for me changes from hour to hour. When the sun and wind are just right, there are parts of the stretch from Flowed Lands to Colden Dam that are wonderful, just over the long descent before Herbert Brook). Although a "classic", the first part of Herbert Brook was, the second time, heaven on earth for me (no less so the first time, but black flies and 90-degree temperatures were a slight distraction!). If mud = bad experience, I think the 1/3 mile stretch before Bradley Pond, where the trail drops like a rock, should have some sort of top billing. But I've done this in a variety of wet conditions, and I'm sure winter is a very different experience (never done it then). If you stop to look around, rather than look at it merely as a swampy obstacle to be overcome, it is a beautiful area (I'll include the Couchie swamp here as well!). A muddy five-mile stretch of woods on the Northville-Placid Trail just north of Piseco was one of the most magical moments for me, but I can't describe why. It was a muddy, somewhat "non-descript" forest treck, but is still one of the moments in the Adirondacks I cherish. The trail to Street/Nye was a wonderful walk in the woods -- but not one that most people would recommend for "views". As for Seward/Donaldson/Emmons (and Seymour), I enjoyed the trails en route much more than the summits, though Seymour has a fine lookout near the summit. And the Blueberry footpath is beautiful! Summit views are another issue entirely. Gray Pk. in the winter was more spectacular and easier than in the summer. I could go on with a hundred other equally beautiful hikes...