Walk, Sanders Preserve, Glenville, NY

Although it was a bright sunny day today, it was pretty cool and windy to think about biking. So I did some time on the trainer indoors, and then got out for a walk this afternoon. I didn't really want to visit the bike path again, so I settled on the Sanders Preserve, in the Glenville hills. In all the times I've been there, I've never stumbled on the leanto that's on the property. Some friends recently mentioned that they had failed to find it as well. So that was today's mission.

Walking briskly on the trails that took me to the point where I thought I should branch off and start looking, I found no trail, which seemed odd. So I bushwhacked, without the aid of GPS or compass, just following the terrain until I thought I was getting close. Once the leanto was in sight in the distance, I found myself on a faint unmarked trail that led right to it. And there it was - mission accomplished.

Heading back, I followed the unmarked trail to see where it led and where it intersected the marked trail system that's mapped. Now I know, and can easily find it again without bushwhacking. On my way back to the car, I ran into Hank and Margaret, who had been on a recent Schenectady ADK outing that I was also on. We chatted for a bit, and then I continued back to the car. It was a nice day for a walk, and this was much more interesting than another high-paced stomp down the bike path.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

Last night's snow never came, at least not here, but the day still dawned cool, damp and dreary, with snow expected again by later in the day. Between these non-storms, I wanted to get some exercise somehow, and preferably outside. Biking would be a little raw with the added windchill, so I decided to get in some disc golf instead.

Even though it's a school vacation week, the park wasn't crowded at all, and I had the course to myself, the way I like it. I played 2 rounds as usual, this time throwing a 63 and a 66, both better than average and pretty satisfying. The 66 should have been even lower, but the trees began to assert themselves on that second back nine, blocking several shots that would otherwise have been on target.

Tonight's snow should be little more than annoying, followed by a couple of colder windy days before back into sunny and mild next week. Crazy winter.

Biking - Winds of change?

Today was expected to be once again in the upper 40s, and I was hoping to get out for another short ride. Then it got very windy. I could either use that as a convenient excuse to stay home, or just get out and do it. I've certainly biked in worse - you just gear down and grind it out. So I chose to head west first, into the wind, and then sail back to the car (duh).



Westbound from SCCC wasn't as bad as expected along the river, and the wind was interrupted often enough to make for a pleasant ride. As planned, the trip back was even better.

We may get some snow overnight, but not enough locally to really reinvigorate this bust of a winter. The Adirondacks may get a good dump, and maybe the Greens in Vermont, but nothing especially nearby. At this point, I'm losing interest, and would just as happily welcome spring. There - now I've done it. Let the blizzards begin.

XC Skiing - Lapland Lake XC Ski Center

54 degrees today, another fine spring February day. The ground is bare around here, but the southern Adirondacks got a *little* snow overnight, a couple of inches. So after several days of fighting a nasty stomach bug, I won that battle today, and Holly and I got out for some skiing.

Lapland Lake isn't our favorite place to ski, but with backcountry conditions nearby only marginal, the groomed trails of a ski center seemed like the best choice. And Lapland Lake's conditions sounded like the best of the nearby alternatives. So off we went.

Conditions weren't bad, all things considered. The trails were groomed, the snow was soft and fairly slow, and the temperature was hovering near 40 in bright sunshine. Spring skiing in February. There were a few thin and slushy spots that really need some snow soon, but it was the best we could have hoped for in this wacky winter.

Hiking - A fine spring day on the Taconic Crest Trail

On Saturday, I joined a joint Schenectady ADK/Taconic Hiking Club trip on the Taconic Crest Trail. We were going to do the southernmost section of this ridgetop trail, from Lebanon Springs to US20.

We started out by following a private access road (with permission) 2 miles up to the TCT on the ridge, and then we turned south.



The snow was only patchy, and mostly on north-facing slopes, so we bare-booted the entire hike. Microspikes weren't even necessary with the sunny mild conditions. Soon after turning south along the ridge, we came to a large beaver pond. What the heck were they doing up so high?



After ups and downs too numerous to count, we arrived at Twin Pond, where we stopped for a leisurely lunch in the alternating sunshine and light snow flurries.




With less than two miles to go, we finished this hike early, before 2pm, retrieved the spotted cars, and were all home well in time for dinner.

Biking - Sneaking one in before the rain/sleet/snow/whatever

When I got up this morning and looked at the forecast, and then at the radar, it really didn't look like the [insert precip type here] would be "mostly after 3pm". I figured I had until noon at the latest to do anything outside before something started falling from the sky.

I'd been wondering about the condition of the bike path west of Lock 7, a stretch that was still very icy a few weeks ago. I had also only recently been east as far as Fort's Ferry Road, and didn't know what conditions lay beyond there. So, I parked at Lock 7 and headed west on the bike toward Blatnick Park just to see how far I could go. Somewhat to my surprise, the ice was now gone, and I was able to ride up the hill to the park with no impediments at all. Then, I went back down the hill and rode east to the top of a short steep hill near the Northway, where I turned around and headed back. This entire stretch is now (temporarily, I'm sure) clear of ice and snow and rideable, a 15-mile round trip.

A few sprinkles started to fall as I passed the Niskayuna Train Station on my return, but nothing serious. As I drove home, the sprinkles started mixing with sleet, and I was glad I had gone out when I did. And there's no telling what tomorrow morning may look like.

Biking - Mohawk River Bike Path

Another day biking outside for real instead of inside on the trainer. Same 14 miles as previous times, another slightly windy day. Not much more to add - same old same old, but still MUCH better than the indoor trainer. Could this be a 100-mile February? Weird.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

It's been a while since I tried playing a round of disc golf, and the last time I tried, the course was so icy that I gave up after one hole. Before that, the last time I played was over a month ago. So I had no illusions about the sorts of scores I could expect when I headed over to Central Park this afternoon.

The ice was mostly gone, and not too surprisingly, I was the only one on the course. The first round started out with a birdie on the first hole, which was pretty unusual. Then, on the long par 4 fourth hole, I dropped a long swooping 100-footer into the basket for another birdie. Longest shot I've ever made. How can this be happening? I finished that round with a 64, only two off my previous best. That called for another round.

I finished the front nine of the second round at even par 28, another personal best. But there was still the back nine to come, and I couldn't possibly match the 3 birdies I had there on the previous round. I only got one this time, but still tied the previous back nine total, and finished with an all-time best 61, and my best one-day two-round total ever.

Crazy stuff and really fun. Since there's no snow, I'm going to start doing this more regularly again.

Biking - A windy day on the bike path

After a cold day yesterday and a dusting of snow overnight, today promised to reach the upper 30s again with some sunshine. There was no excuse not to get outside and do something, except maybe the wind. I was not inspired by the thought of biking on the trainer, and have been walking quite a bit over the past few days. So despite the strong west winds, I biked west on the bike path along the Mohawk River. The 7 miles westbound was fairly slow into the strong winds, but I was dressed for it and was never cold. The 7-mile return trip was quite a bit faster and easier, especially sitting upright on this old mountain bike and catching a good tailwind.

Still no substantial snow in the forecast, so we're still stuck at fewer than 14 inches so far this season, one of the least snowy winters here ever.

Hiking - Moose Mountain Pond

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK hike to Moose Mountain Pond, in the Hammond Pond Wild Forest, northeast of Northway exit 29. Much of the hike involved scouting a possible route for the North Country National Scenic Trail through this area, bushwhacking through unmarked woods and beaver meadows, with some waterfalls and a pond with a leanto thrown in for good measure.



The snow was hard-packed and supportive without snowshoes so we left them in the car. Once again, microspikes were the footwear of the day. From the parking area, we followed the marked trail to Berrymill Flow, passing a waterfall that we'd seen on an earlier trip in this area back in December. It looked quite different now.

Waterfall on Berrymill Brook - then and now


Reaching Berrymill Flow, there was a nice view of Owl Pate Mountain in the distance.



Now we followed the trail upward toward Moose Mountain Pond. Part of the way there, we took a side trip, bushwhacking southwest to another waterfall we'd discovered on the earlier trip in December. This one was much more photogenic before it was frozen over, and was almost unrecognizable now.

Waterfall on Moose Pond outlet - then and now


Returning to the trail, and then reaching the pond and the leanto via a bushwhacked shortcut, we stopped for lunch. This was a very nice and scenic location.



Some of us ventured out onto the frozen surface of the pond for a better view of the surrounding mountains.



After lunch, we bushwhacked from the leanto back toward the north end of Berrymill Flow, passing through several frozen beaver ponds along the way. Reaching the trail here that we'd come in on earlier, it was now an easy trip back out to the cars.

XC Ski Getaway - Landgrove, VT

Short version - the skis stayed in the car and microspikes saved the day.

Every year, Holly and I get out of town for a few days and go to the Landgrove Inn, in tiny Landgrove, Vermont, one of our favorite places to stay. There are usually tons of snow in that area, and some really good cross-country skiing, not to mention some fine dining experiences at the Landgrove and other local restaurants. Not knowing what sort of snow conditions we'd find this year, we packed all kinds of gear in the car, and drove up there on Wednesday. What we found was a few inches of old icy hard snow, and even the commercial ski centers looked pretty bare and icy. After checking a few known last-ditch alternatives, we gave up on skiing, and settled for walking instead. The skis, and even the snowshoes, never left the car for the rest of the trip.

On Wednesday afternoon, we took a walk at the Hapgood Pond Recreation Area, a short drive from the Inn. The pond is drained for the winter, but the nature trail winds around it through the forest and provides a nice short walk. This year, the trail was icy and a bridge was out as a result of Irene, so we donned microspikes, adjusted our route, and still got in a decent afternoon outdoors.

On Thursday, we opted for a longer hike. We'd heard about a hike in the Lye Brook Wilderness to Lye Brook Falls, at 125 feet one of the tallest in Vermont. It was only 2.3 miles each way, and seemed like a good way to spend part of a day. The trailhead was just east of Manchester, down low in the snowless valley. We found the trail snow-free, but with a lot of icy patches for much of the way, and microspikes were the footwear of the day. We climbed gradually, mostly on old roads, and reached the spur trail to the falls at 1.8 miles. Heading along the side of the valley wall, we came to a major landslide across the trail, also presumably from Irene or Lee this past summer.



A little further along, we reached the falls and stopped for a light lunch. The falls were ice-covered and stunning, towering high above us. Including the additional cascades below our viewpoint, I read somewhere that the total height is near 180 feet, a good-sized drop.



Heading back out, we reached the car and were back at the Landgrove by early afternoon. That left us time for our annual trip to the Vermont Country Store, just up the road in Weston. We don't always buy anything, but it's a pretty neat place just to browse.

This morning, we had high hopes of getting in another short hike on the way home, but it involved a Vermont State Park (Molly Stark) that was closed for the winter, with no safe parking at the entrance along VT 9. So we headed west toward home, and walked a short distance on a trail to Little Pond, just west of Woodford State Park, and just up the hill from Bennington. We didn't go all the way to the pond, but it was just too nice a day not to do something, and this short walk broke up the trip.

Home now, and pulling my stuff together for another hike tomorrow, this one in the Adirondacks. Check back again!

Biking - Return to the bike path

With temps well into the upper 40s and sunny skies, I skipped the basement bike trainer workout today and got back outside. On the trainer, I can't even last quite half an hour before complete boredom overtakes me. But even if I ride a flat 14 miles on the bike path, that's an hour or so. I put in a longer period of effort, and it's infinitely more interesting.

I considered getting out the road bike today and doing something else, but stuck with the mountain bike that was already still in the car from last time out. It was windy again, but warmer than Saturday, and many more people were out walking. I only saw a couple of other bikers, one an older man plodding along, and the other a young woman in full Lycra from head to toe, in a rush. He gave a friendly wave, she didn't even look at me, which seems fairly stereotypical around here.

It was a nice day to be outside, and this was a good alternative to the other forms of exercise I've been deprived of by this snowless winter.

Biking - First miles of the new season

The last couple of times I've been walking on the bike path, there have been a couple of other people out there on bikes. And why not? The path is now largely clear of snow and ice, there's no XC skiing within an hour's drive, and biking on the trainer in the basement is très boring. I've been doing that almost daily now for the past few weeks, including today, but this afternoon, I decided it was time to get outside for a ride.

The good bike is up on the stand attempting to inspire me to begin its winter overhaul, but it hasn't succeeded yet. Leaving it there just in case, I took out my old beater mountain bike, and headed to Schenectady Community College and the Schenectady end of the Rotterdam bike path. The plan was to ride west to the dead end at Scrafford Lane in Rotterdam Junction, about 7 miles one way. There was a pretty good headwind as I rode west, but no other problems with the path itself other than a couple of easily negotiated icy patches. There were very few other people out there today, despite it being a weekend.

Turning around at the end, the ride back was a sheer delight with a nice tailwind. This was infinitely more fun than riding on the trainer. If we can't have snow, I need to start doing more of this.

Walk - Mohawk River Bike Path

After a quick trip to Featherstonhaugh State Forest this morning, I decided to cancel my scheduled moonlight snowshoe outing for this month. A few days ago, before the warmup, there was enough snow, if barely. Today, there were bare spots, rocks, and roots, and it just wouldn't be a good place for a night-time walk, or even a daytime walk. The green winter continues...

This afternoon, I got out for an alternative walk, a fast 4+ miles on the bike path west of Schenectady. This section is also clear of snow and ice now, from Rotterdam Kiwanis Park to the dead end to the west. It's seriously time to think about taking out one of the bikes.

Snowshoeing - Featherstonhaugh State Forest

It's almost that time again, the week of my monthly moonlight snowshoe outing for Schenectady ADK. We've had a little snow since last month, especially up in the hills where Featherstonhaugh State Forest is located. There was even a new inch or so in my yard this morning. So I thought I'd better check out Featherstonhaugh in case I actually got any sign-ups in the next few days.

When I got to the trailhead, I was almost wishing I'd brought my skis instead. There was about an inch of new snow on a very firm 4" base, and though that's a little thin, it definitely would have been skiable, if somewhat lumpy. I snowshoed the main ski trail loop, and decided that as long as we don't get a cataclysmic warmup or rain event in the next few days, this trip would be on for the first clear night. Looks like some clearing over the weekend.

Unfortunately, either or both of those events are quite possible. I'm now at home, the temperature is 52F, my paltry overnight snowfall is gone, and tomorrow is expected to be a little warmer with a chance of some rain. The base I saw today won't be going anywhere, and this trip could still go, but I'll need to check things again on Friday or so.

XC Skiing - Lapland Lake XC Ski Center

With all of the nearby places to cross-country ski for free, I've never been a big fan of the artificiality of the commercial areas. I am also the absolute epitome of "The Cheapskate Next Door", and don't pay for XC skiing unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Today was the day. We have no snow locally, the promised snowfall overnight that would have freshened up some nearby free areas never materialized, and Lapland Lake, near Northville, NY, got an inch or two over the past few days. They accomplish some amazing grooming with minimal snow. So Holly and I bit the bullet and headed off to Lapland for some desperation skiing.

Lapland often likes to use the word "Finn-tastic" to describe their conditions, but it wasn't really warranted today. Mostly, the new snow had been packed and rolled, and skiing outside the tracks was really not bad. But the tracks were old and a little crusty around the edges and needed to be recut. In fairness, there probably still isn't enough snow even here to do that, and the skiing was still arguably the best around in this low-snow winter. We did a couple of loops before lunch, and then a couple more after lunch before calling it a day.

At 1.5 hours away, and $20 a pop, I'm not going to do this often. But today it was the right choice.

Hiking - Chase and Mud Lakes

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK trip to Chase and Mud Lakes, off the end of Pinnacle Road in the Shaker Mountain Wild Forest. The original plan was to continue bushwhacking to the base of some cliffs on Pinnacle Mountain, but tough snow conditions convinced us that the two lakes would be enough for one day.



Twelve of us started in on the trail to Chase Lake and its leanto, 2.7 miles away. There were about 8-10" of snow on the ground, and the trail had been packed sometime previously, before subsequent bouts of rain and ice. The trail was pretty firm, but off-trail, there was a healthy amount of crust, which we found ourselves breaking through later as we began the bushwhack.

There was a significant amount of running water, and many smaller streams we needed to detour to get across. The trickiest was the outlet of Mud Lake, which the Chase Lake Trail crossed on the way to the leanto. We continued upstream of the normal crossing and finally found this log that got us to the other side as we watched the churning water below.



The leanto was moved sometime in the past, and now occupies a nice location overlooking Chase Lake.



We stopped here for a pretty long lunch in the balmy almost 40-degree temperatures.



After lunch, we began the uphill bushwhack to Mud Lake, a tiny puddle hardly worth of the "lake" moniker. "Mud" would probably be accurate in a warmer season.



After the decision to skip the additional bushwhack to the cliffs, we decided to cross the Mud Lake outlet here, rather than dealing with that dicey log crossing again further downstream. We tiptoed across the questionable ice, if that's possible on snowshoes, and safely got to the other side. Then we bushwhacked down the west side of the outlet until we rejoined the Chase Lake Trail we'd come in on before it crossed the outlet. From there, it was a fast trip out to the cars on a packed trail.

Back at the cars, our party of 12 was joined by a party of 13 from the new ADK Foothills Chapter, who had also gone to Chase Lake this day. It was odd to see that much traffic at the end of this dead-end road seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Walk - Schenectady County Forest

This afternoon, Holly and I got out for a walk in the Schenectady County Forest. At 1,400 feet of elevation, we found more snow here than back down in the valley, probably 2-3" of hard crusty stuff still in the woods. The trails were hard-packed and icy, and we were glad we brought our MICROspikes, especially in the parking lot which was glare ice. It was windy and cold, and there were time constraints, so we didn't get to walk the new Town of Duanesburg loop this time. But it was good to get out and at least see some nearby snow, even if was fairly useless for anything but a crunchy walk.

Walk - Mohawk River Bike Path series, cont'd...

Partly sunny and mid-40s. Green grass. It would be a nice early spring day if it weren't January 24th. Rather than bike on the trainer today, I decided to do something outside instead. First, I tried disc golf. After almost falling down following a mediocre fling from the icy first tee, I was wishing I'd brought my micro-spikes along. The park was very icy, and I gave up after a par on the first hole.

So, it was back to the plowed portion of the bike path, this time between Lock 7 and Lions Park in Niskayuna. I got in about a 4.5-mile walk at a fast pace, and called it my exercise for the day. Many others were also out enjoying the unusual weather, and it's nice that this section is kept clear for winter walking, running, and even biking.

XC Skiing - Schenectady Municipal Golf Course

Having cancelled a Schenectady ADK ski trip I was slated to lead today because of poor local snow conditions, Holly and I resorted to that most desperate of measures in cross-country skiing - skiing on a golf course. I'd been to Schenectady Muni a week or so ago, but then the rain and ice came and wrecked whatever good snow there had been. But we got a couple of new fresh inches of dry snow overnight, and though it wouldn't improve the skiing in wooded areas that were very thinly covered and rough underfoot, a golf course just might work. And it did! Several other skiers were also out, and the skiing was really not bad. Even if thin, the fairways are so smooth that very little snow is needed, plus some of the old base still remained underneath. We got in a couple of miles at a leisurely pace and then called it a pretty good day.

Hiking - Dippikill Mountain

Earlier this week, I got a phone call from my friend Phil from Long Island. He'd be coming up to stay for a few days at his cabin in Thurman, north of Warrensburg, and wanted to get together and do something outside. Not realizing how close he lived to it, I picked Dippikill Mountain, based on an article I'd read on the Albany Times-Union Outdoors blog (thanks Herb and Gillian!). It turned out to be a real gem when we hiked it yesterday.

Dippikill Mountain is on the campus of Camp Dippikill, a property owned by the University at Albany Alumni Association. Students and alumni can take advantage of the cabins and campsites here, and the hiking trails are open to the public. The mountain is only about a 4-mile walk if done as a loop, which is what we planned to do, returning via the pond below.



After meeting at Phil's cabin, we suited up and drove to Camp Dippikill, only about 10 minutes away. We stopped first at the camp office to register and pick up a map. Our route began just up the road from the office, and climbed gently up the ridge toward the summit. Although there were only about 6" of snow, we opted for snowshoes and the extra traction they'd provide on the crunchy snow.

On the way up the ridge, there were great views of Crane Mountain behind us and the Adirondack High Peaks to the north.





Continuing on toward the summit, we first lunched behind a rock face out of the wind. Beyond the true summit, we followed a side trail marked "To Overlook", where there was a wide-open view of the Hudson River below.



We were puzzled by the taller mountain at the distant left center of this view, but some map sleuthing after I got home revealed it to be Buck Mountain, on the east side of Lake George.

Dropping down to the pond, we followed the West Shore Trail past leantos and campsites along the shore, crossing a bridge at the far end where we looked back up at the mountain.



From there it was a short walk back to the car. We returned to the cabin and continued chatting over nachos and beer until it was time for me to head home. It was a great day out, crisp and clear with great views, and nice to catch up with a friend I don't often see.

A brisk walk on a brisk afternoon

It was a sunny day, but still no local skiable snow, so I got out for a walk instead. I've been doing these hour-long 4-mile walks on the bike path lately, and as long as the way is clear of snow and ice, it's pretty good exercise.

It was cool and breezy with temps only in the mid-20s, but the sun made for a nice afternoon to be outside. I headed for the Rotterdam section of the Mohawk River Bike Path, but found it still covered by patches of snow and ice. That would never do for the fast pace that I wanted. Then I remembered that Colonie and Niskayuna to the east sometimes plowed their sections of the bike path, so drove over that way instead. I wound up walking from the Niskayuna Train Station in Lions Park to the bridge over Shakers Creek, just short of Forts Ferry Road, and a 2-mile walk each way. I didn't see another soul the whole time, and enjoyed the solitude and river scenery. It wasn't as good as XC skiing, but at this point, beggars can't be choosers when it comes to local outdoor exercise in the absence of snow.

XC Skiing - Rockwood State Forest

With any snow on the ground about to be destroyed tomorrow for skiing purposes, Holly and I got out for a short ski this afternoon while it was still possible. I'd heard reports from Fulton County of 8-10" of snow in the last storm, so Rockwood State Forest, west of Johnstown, seemed like a logical choice. Most of the trails here are on smooth old roads, so it doesn't need a lot of snow to be skiable. What we found was about 8" total - 5" of old granular snow, then a quarter-inch of icy crust, and all topped off by 2-3" of soft powder. Without the underlying crust, it could have been somewhat better skiing than it was. But the trails were pretty beat up - lots of footprints and dog piles, and just generally overused and in need of refreshing with some new snow. Unfortunately, that doesn't look at all likely for the rest of this week, and tomorrow's ice/sleet/snow/rain event will make this place unusable for a while. We were glad we got it in while we did.

Hiking - Falls on Johnson Pond Brook

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK trip to explore the location for another section of the North Country National Scenic Trail through the Adirondacks. Leaders Walt and Norm have been scouting several areas of the Adirondacks where this trail is slated to pass, and today was another one of these bushwhack trips. We started at the end of the plowed section of Johnson Pond Road, north of Paradox Lake, with our destination being a series of waterfalls on the outlet of Johnson Pond. Temps were in the mid-teens, with much colder temperatures expected later in the day.



The first half-mile down Johnson Pond Road was very scenic, with 6-8" of snow hanging from the trees. Though snowshoes were probably not strictly necessary for this trip, they made for smoother walking once we left the road and got into the rougher terrain.



The other kids also enjoyed the winter scenery, some of the first we've had all year.



We wound our way around blowdown and along a property line before turning south and downhill through a valley that would eventually join the Johnson Pond outlet. When we reached the falls, they were hardly recognizable under the snow and ice. Water was flowing underneath, but these would be much more scenic in the spring or summer when the cascades are visible. We stopped here for lunch before turning around and retracing our steps back to the car.



The trip back to the car was much easier, as we had our earlier tracks to follow. There was an option to climb Peaked Hill from the gentler north side on our way out, but nobody seemed especially interested in that extension of the day. So we were back to the car and home early in time for dinner after a nice day out in the winter woods.

XC skiing - first of the season!

It seems ridiculous that I should have to use that title in the middle of January. But so it goes.

A long overdue snowfall blanketed the green grass overnight, and though it was only about 4", there are places nearby where that makes skiing possible, especially when there is pent-up demand. I'm fortunate to live within 5 minutes of Schenectady Municipal Golf Course, a rolling layout very popular with golfers in summer and XC skiers in winter. We often ski there at night, either by moonlight or by the glow of the city-lit clouds above. With their short-trimmed grass, golf courses are the ideal place to get out skiing with minimal snow.

The snow was heavy and wet, a fact that made for much better skiing with only that shallow depth. It compacted firmly, and prevented breaking through all the way to the grass below. Several other skiers were out on the course, and I mostly skied in their tracks, but occasionally made my own. I did about a 2-mile loop, with a few rolling hills. That was enough for the first use of these muscles this season, especially after having already done my now-daily 7-8 miles on the bike trainer earlier in the morning.

It looks like another mixed bag of winter stuff tomorrow, so it's hard to know what will be left to ski on after that. With the non-winter we've had so far, it's good to grab this sort of opportunity when it presents itself, especially when it's so close to home.

Walk - Indian Kill Preserve

This afternoon, Holly and I squeezed in a walk in the Indian Kill Preserve in Glenville. It was one more nice day before tomorrow and Friday's winter precipitation sampler. A few other people (and dogs) were out enjoying the afternoon, and the ground was sufficiently frozen that there was miraculously no mud. With a whole potpourri of stuff falling from the sky over the next couple of days, things will probably get messy once again. It would be really nice if it could all fall as snow...

Disc golf on another nice afternoon

It looks like we may be in for some sloppy weather later in the week, so this afternoon I got in my weekly disc golf outing in Schenectady's Central Park. It's amazing to be doing this in January, but with no snow, sunny skies, and temps near 40, there's no reason to not continue on. Looking back, the first time I tried this activity was actually January 5th of a year ago, in another stretch of poor skiing conditions and minimal snow. But today, I did much better than last year's first-time 81, with a 66 and a 72. Average those two together and you get..... my current long-term average. The sun was bright, there was no wind, and it was just a nice day to be out doing something.

Hiking - Huckleberry Point in the Catskills

January 7, no local snow, and sunny with temps in the 50s - unbelievable. Holly and I took advantage by heading to the Catskills for a snowless hike with a view. Huckleberry Point is a steep prominence on the eastern edge of the Catskill plateau. It overlooks the Hudson Valley and Platte Clove, also known as the Devil's Kitchen, a rugged valley a thousand feet below. The hike is about 2.4 miles each way, up and over an intermediate bump, and then down to the point. The return trip climbs back up and over the same bump before descending back to the car.



There was no snow on the ground here, although we did have to take care on occasional icy patches, despite the mild temperatures. We were the first to reach the point today, and had it to ourselves to enjoy lunch and the great views. The Hudson River was visible far below to the east.



Across Platte Clove far below, Overlook Mountain with its fire tower was visible in the distance, with Platte Clove Mountain in the near foreground.



Further to the west, the peaks of the Devil's Path were nearby, with Indian Head and Twin being especially prominent.



As we were just underway on our return to the car, we met a group of four, and then a group of two, followed by a group of seven, and then a final group of four, all on their way to the point. We were glad we'd arrived there when we did, with lots of other people out enjoying another unseasonably mild and snowless winter day.

Another fast walk, another 400 calories...

Friends and family sometimes find it laughable that I'm worried about my weight, and it's true that I've managed to keep it off for many years. But lately, it's been creeping upward, to levels I haven't seen before, and I need to do something about it. Something that doesn't involve giving up beer...

After yesterday's fast-paced walk on the bike path, I went out today for an encore, on a different section. It was a beautiful sunny mid-40s day, and lots of other people had the same idea. But mostly, I was passing them, arms a-swinging. I can't run anymore, but this is turning out to be a good and gentler substitute when I don't feel like dragging the bike out of its winter home in the basement, and we have no local snow for XC skiing. 4-5 miles at 4 mph only takes a little over an hour, doesn't destroy my knees like running seems to do, and makes me feel like I've done something more than a casual stroll. And combined with a morning ride on the bike on the trainer, it's more regular exercise than I've been getting for the past few months.

Enough - time for another Bud Select 55...

A brisk walk on the bike path - and a SKIER?!?!?

After several recent outings where I wasn't moving very fast, either because of the terrain or the added activity of geocaching or letterboxing, I wanted to get out today and really stretch my legs at a stiff pace. I wanted to go someplace flat, with smooth footing, and just let 'er rip. The Mohawk River Bike Path in Rotterdam fit the bill nicely, so I parked at Kiwanis Park and set off for the dead end across NY-5S at Scrafford Lane. This would give me a 4.4-mile round trip, just about right.

Shortly after I left Kiwanis Park, I noticed a person standing on the ice of the old canal, between the bike path and the highway. When I got closer, I stopped. This person was putting on XC skis on the relatively new ice, with less than an inch of snow covering it! Intrigued, I stopped to watch. Then we recognized each other - it was Donnie from the Schenectady Wintersports Club, who lives almost across the road. In a recent news article in the Schenectady Gazette, he had noted that he got out skiing 76 days in 2010. And he's apparently off to a good start this year, despite the dearth of local snow. After a brief chat, we went our separate ways, he skiing down the canal, and me walking away shaking my head and smiling.



The wind had come up, and small ground blizzards were blowing down the canal toward me as I crossed NY-5S. Reaching the dead end at the railroad tracks at Scrafford Lane, I turned around and started back, now with a nice tailwind. I met one jogger on this stretch, but otherwise saw nobody else the rest to the way back to the car. Passing the area where I'd met Donnie earlier, I marveled at his ski tracks on the thin snow and ice of the canal. He'd apparently even tried a very short stretch on the bike path itself, with pavement showing through! That's dedication, or is it desperation?

I finished the walk in a little over an hour, at an average pace of 4 mph, and felt satisfied that I'd done what I'd set out to do. Now if we'd just get some more snow...

Walk - Featherstonhaugh State Forest

This week was supposed to be one of my monthly moonlight snowshoe outings at Featherstonhaugh State Forest, near Mariaville. Needless to say, snowshoes will not be necessary. But hearing reports of up to an inch of snow at higher elevations, I decided to see what had fallen at Featherstonhaugh, and whether a bare-boot outing in the moonlight would be an alternative.

Though we received only a dusting at best in the valley, there was indeed close to an inch of snow in the forest, just about enough to whiten the ground. And with a temperature of 13F and a howling north wind, it certainly looked and felt like winter.



The ground had mostly frozen, so there was no mud or swampiness to worry about. But the footing was rough and the walking difficult. Any standing water, of which this place has plenty, had a thin skin of ice on top, but not quite enough to support my weight. It was pretty slow going, and I won't be leading a nighttime trip here this week under these conditions.

The section of XC ski trail that I walked was in pretty good shape in terms of being passable, with little or no blowdown on the trail. Markers were plentiful, and skiing should be OK, at least on this section, once we get more snow.



A major bridge near Lake Road was moved off its alignment by recent flooding, and no longer connects well with the trail on its western end. If not fixed by ski season (doubtful), some brush may need to be trimmed at its current terminus to allow skiers to cross and continue.