No Rocking Chair for Me

Hiking - Chase and Mud Lakes

2012-01-29T09:11:00.007-05:00

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

2012-01-25T16:00:00.003-05:00

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...

2012-01-24T15:00:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-21T14:46:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-21T09:47:00.008-05:00

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

2012-01-19T20:21:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-16T18:14:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-15T09:26:00.008-05:00

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!

2012-01-12T14:48:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-11T15:54:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-09T17:39:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-07T16:55:00.007-05:00

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...

2012-01-06T17:31:00.003-05:00

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?!?!?

2012-01-05T16:16:00.005-05:00

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

2012-01-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

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.

Disc golf and another local walk, before the cold arrives

2012-01-02T17:08:00.003-05:00

With no snow on the ground, temps in the 30s, and no disc golf lately through these crazy holidays, I was itching to get out again. So I braved the cold gusty winds and headed to Central Park to play a couple of rounds. Now, it should be obvious that strong winds have quite an impact on one's ability to control a flying disc, and that was indeed the case today. I threw a couple of 76s, well worse than average, and I can at least partially blame the winds. Many shots sailed away in odd directions despite my best efforts, and I visited parts of the course where I'd never been before. But I wasn't the only fool out there. A five-some was starting on #1 as I was starting my final nine at #10. If you build it, they will come. And they do.

This afternoon, Holly and I got out for another local walk in the Lisha Kill Preserve, in Niskayuna. It was much sloppier going than it had been a few weeks ago when I was there, but many other people were also out enjoying the muddy trails. We covered all three loops at a leisurely pace, and then went our separate ways to take care of other things.

Tomorrow, a cold front will drop temperatures significantly, into the single digits overnight on Tuesday. That should improve the mud situation, but a thick coating of the white stuff is also badly needed.

Walk - A new year in the Moccasin Kill Sanctuary

2012-01-01T14:27:00.006-05:00

January 1. New Year's Day. 50 degrees and sunny. A day not to be wasted indoors watching football. Well, maybe later...

After a green Christmas, we now have a green New Year. And this scene was especially green as I walked in the Moccasin Kill Sanctuary, west of Schenectady.

There's a long-standing mystery between me and the Moccasin Kill. I have a vague long-ago recollection of an open view back toward Schenectady from the end of one of the long ridges between the deeply carved ravines. Today, I set out to find it. And it turns out that I'm either misremembering, or the trees have grown up and it's no longer there. I went where it should have been, but found nothing. So I continued on and walked the rest of the trails.

As I was returning from the blue loop along one of the upper ravines, I noticed something I hadn't seen before - a couple of very nice step waterfalls, visible (with care!) from just off the trail. They were partially frozen, and the water was flowing behind and through the ice. Because of this, they were very white and hard to miss, especially with no leaves on the trees.

Tomorrow night the cold arrives again in earnest, but unfortunately, the prospects for any snow are still pretty dismal. In the meantime, these frequent local walks will have to suffice.

Walk and letterboxing - H. G. Reist Sanctuary

2011-12-31T14:59:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, Holly and I got out for a walk in the H. G. Reist Sanctuary in Niskayuna. It was a convenient place to meet for a short outing while getting some other stuff done. Although there are a few geocaches in this preserve, today I brought along clues for some letterboxes instead, just for a change. Letterboxing is a little different from geocaching, in that clues and landmarks are used to guide the seeker to the letterbox, rather than using a GPS and latitude/longitude coordinates. It existed long before geocaching, and originally got its start in England.

We don't get into the whole letterbox rubber stamping routine, nor do we normally log our found geocaches. We just enjoy the hunt and finding the hidden items. The three we found today were very easy, but added some interest to a walk on a balmy New Year's Eve afternoon.

Geocaching - Return to Indian Meadows

2011-12-30T15:44:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, Holly and I got in another walk, this time at Indian Meadows Park in Glenville. We'd come here a few weeks back and found 4 of the 5 geocaches we were looking for, so today, we tried that fifth one again along with 3 others we'd never tried. We found ourselves way out the far southern end of the park where we'd probably never been before, along the trail that supposedly connects to Van Buren Road near Swaggertown Road. We got in about a 3-mile walk and found all four of the geocaches we were looking for, including the one that had confounded us before. The ground was frozen, and it was a good thing, since there was lots of ice on the trails that would have otherwise been water and mud.

Hiking - Taconic Crest Trail

2011-12-27T19:29:00.005-05:00

Today, I joined an ADK and Taconic Hiking Club hike on the Taconic Crest Trail south of Hancock, MA. The trail follows a high ridgetop along the NY/MA border for about 35 miles. If a hiker completes all sections of the trail in winter, a very nice patch is awarded.

Although I received this patch a year or two ago, some friends are still working toward it, and it's a very nice place to hike relatively close to home.

Hiking a section of this trail first requires pre-positioning a car at the day's end point, driving everybody to the beginning point, and then a long steady climb up from the valley below, to about 2,000 feet above sea level. Despite green and brown fields in the valley, we found a few inches of powdery snow at that higher elevation, giving us our first taste of local winter since a freak October snowstorm.

We soon reached Berry Pond, in the Pittsfield State Forest. As the sign says, this is the highest natural body of water in the state of Massachusetts, at 2,150 feet. There are picnic tables and campsites here, and it's a popular place in warmer weather.

Just north of Berry Pond, there's a wide open view to the west, stretching from the Catskills on the left around to the valley we'd left below.

Rain was expected later in the day, but this was a very strong group, and we finished the 6.8 miles by early afternoon, despite considerable ups and downs. Conditions were great, and so was the company, and we all enjoyed a nice wintry day outside.

Walk - Sanders Preserve

2011-12-26T15:41:00.003-05:00

After three celebrations of Christmas in the past two days, and with a fourth coming up this evening and a fifth on Wednesday, Holly and I got out for a short walk this afternoon in the Sanders Preserve in Glenville. The usually wet trails were partially frozen, so the walking wasn't too sloppy. Though there were several cars in the parking lot, we didn't see anybody else, and we enjoyed the relative quiet of the not so wintry woods.

Walk - Schenectady County Forest

2011-12-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

Cards are sent. Gifts are bought and wrapped. Cookies are baked. Calendars are full for the next week. And today was the calm before the upcoming storm of holiday get-togethers and events. So I got out this morning and took advantage of it.

With a cold rain overnight, I had some slim hopes of finding a dusting of snow at higher elevations. So I headed to Schenectady County Forest, which at over 1,400 feet often gets snow when we lowlanders get rain. Unfortunately it was not to be. I found plenty of mud and standing water, but no snow at all. The only snow anywhere locally is at Maple Ski Ridge in Rotterdam, where a narrow strip of the man-made stuff stands out brightly against the greens and browns everywhere else. Looks like no white Christmas this year.

Geocaching - 4 for 4 at the Woods Hollow Preserve

2011-12-22T19:59:00.002-05:00

After a morning of baking Christmas cookies, Holly and I got out for a walk this afternoon in the Woods Hollow Preserve north of Ballston Spa. Though it's now officially calendar winter, temps were in the upper 40s, and there is still no snow on the ground.

We like to include a few geocaches on these walks just to make it more interesting, and it turned out there were four here that we hadn't previously tried to find. We had the preserve mostly to ourselves, with only one dog walker encountered on the trails. We found all four caches easily for a change, and enjoyed a warm afternoon stroll at the same time.

Disc golf - last one of the year?

2011-12-19T17:29:00.002-05:00

With sloppy weather coming in later this week, along with the holiday crunch, I ignored the mid-30s temps and the gusty winds to get in another disc golf outing in Central Park. I actually wasn't the only one with the same idea - several other groups were also out. The first round was an abominable 76, a whopping 19 over par, and tempted me not to play a second round. But I did anyway, and came in with a 67, not spectacular, but about average, and much better than the first round. That may be it for the year, with snow possible over Christmas. A good snowfall would be a VERY welcome thing anyway at this point, so fingers are crossed.

Walk - Niskayuna's John Brown Trails

2011-12-17T15:53:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, Holly and I got out for about a 2-mile walk on the relatively new John Brown Trails, off Whitmyer Drive near the former Schenectady Museum Preserve. I'd been there several times before, the most recent about 2 weeks ago, but it was new for Holly. We'd actually skied some of these trails many years ago before they were formally marked. It felt good to get out and walk off some of the stiffness and achiness from yesterday's hike. It was obvious that trail work continues in this area, with some big logs recently cut and a couple of new trails marked. Looking forward to snowshoeing here if we ever get a winter this year.

Hiking - Waterfalls and big trees on the NCNST

2011-12-17T08:06:00.012-05:00

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK trip to scout the location for a new section of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST). When completed, this trail will extend over 4,000 miles from North Dakota to Crown Point, on Lake Champlain. The exact route through the Adirondacks is still being determined, and we were checking out a possible route for one of these sections on our trip.

The area we were exploring was adjacent to Berrymill Pond, northeast of Adirondack Northway (I-87) Exit 29. The plan was to follow existing trails southward, and then continue bushwhacking along Berrymill Pond to a beaver pond previously reached on a trip from the south by our leaders Walt and Norm. That would result in an entire road-to-road section having been explored. Other explorers in the group included Susan, Dale, and Herb.

Our route - north to south and back again

Starting south from the car on the trail along Berrymill Brook, we soon came to the first of many waterfalls we'd see on this trip.

Waterfall on Berrymill Brook

Reaching the point where we'd leave the established trail, we started through open woods along the east side of Berrymill Pond, ducking out through the trees for an occasional view.

Southbound along Berrymill Pond

Reaching the outlet of Moose Pond high above, there was another very nice waterfall, the best of the trip.

Waterfall on Moose Pond outlet

The entire route south passed through an area that contained many dozens of huge white pines that towered above us.

One of numerous 2-3' diameter white pines

Near the destination beaver pond, Walt and Norm recognized landmarks that they'd reached northbound on their previous trip, so our mission was accomplished. We stopped for lunch on the shore of the beaver pond before returning north the way we'd come.

Beaver pond - the lunch spot at our southernmost point

We varied our route a little on the return, trying to bypass a few of the tougher areas we'd discovered earlier, but the return trip took about the same time. Reaching the north end of Berrymill Pond, we stopped for pictures in the waning afternoon light.

Owl Pate overlooking Berrymill Pond

As always, the last mile seemed endless, but we finally reached the car not long before sunset after a satisfying day. With its waterfalls, ponds, cliffs, and huge trees, this area will provide a very attractive addition to the NCNST.

Disc golf - A quiet day in the park

2011-12-14T21:23:00.002-05:00

Today I took a break from the ongoing Christmas madness and got in a couple rounds of disc golf in Schenectady's Central Park. There were very few people out this morning as I started, but the dog walkers and joggers began to appear as I was finishing up by late morning. I scored a pair of 65s, several shots below my usual average, so it was a good day.

Geocaching - Indian Meadows Park

2011-12-13T18:15:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, Holly and I got out for a walk in Indian Meadows Park in Glenville. To make it interesting, we added on 5 geocaches that we hadn't visited before. We wound up easily finding 4 of the 5, but on the other one we were stumped, even though we were probably right on top of it. Unfortunately, we decrypted the wrong clue at that point, and kept looking down instead of up. We didn't discover this until well on our way to the next one (whose clue we had decrypted), so didn't go back. Senior moment. We'll get it next time. Nice day for a walk, with some sloppy weather coming in later in the week.

Hiking - Baldwin Mountain

2011-12-11T09:51:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK trip to Baldwin Mountain, a small trailless peak near Newcomb, NY. I was actually the only one who signed up for this bushwhack, so leader and friend Herb and I threw cold-weather common sense and safety out the window and did this one with a party of only two.

Herb had picked this destination based on a large open area on the south side of the summit, as shown below by Google Earth. I had also noticed a smaller open rock area, so we decided to try to get to them both, in addition to the actual summit.

We parked at the entrance to the Santanoni Preserve, a popular cross-country skiing destination later in winter. Signing in, we were somewhat surprised to find a couple of other past entries, also headed to Baldwin Mountain. Then we started the walk down the closed carriage road until we reached the point where we needed to set off through the woods. There was about an inch of new snow on the ground, and we noticed various animal tracks as we walked.

Leaving the road, we headed basically northwest toward the base of what I was now calling a "slide". Herb didn't share my optimism, and would only call it a "possible open area". I was pretty sure we would be ascending the open rock, with wide views behind us all the way up, but he wasn't yet convinced.

In this first leg of the trip, we found sporadic remnants of an old road that made the going much easier than we'd expected. Arriving in the general vicinity of the base of the slide, GPS guided us through some thick spruce and then out onto the open rock of the old slide. The views south were stupendous, and even better than we'd hoped for.

After spending some time here enjoying the views, we headed up the slide and back into the woods toward the actual summit. There were no views here, so after enjoying a snack, we headed down the SE ridge toward the other possible open viewpoint. We tried to stay on the northern side of the ridge, in hopes of finding an open view of the High Peaks to the north, but never found a really good one. With the leaves off the trees, there were several glimpses of the snow-covered peaks, and an occasional small opening like the one below, but nothing that provided wide sweeping views.

Arriving at the next knob that promised the possibility of the other open rock view, we fought our way through some very thick spruce to the top of a sheer drop over an open rock face. This was certainly the other possible view we'd identified, but it paled in comparison to the earlier one from the slide.

Back on the top of the ridge, we stopped for lunch and plotted our next move. We decided to stay on the ridge as we descended back to the carriage road, and looked for other possible views to the north. We didn't find any, but it was worth a try, and was on our way in the right direction anyway.

We managed to hit the carriage road near where we'd left it, and started the easy walk back to the car. All told, we covered a little over 6 miles, most of it off-trail, and got to see some views that few have probably seen. It was an interesting trip, and we were both glad we'd decided to go in spite of our better judgment.

Hiking - Bailey Pond and Hayes Mountain

2011-12-08T10:34:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, a rainy day in the Capital District, I joined a Schenectady ADK hike to scout part of a route for the North Country National Scenic Trail as it passes through the Adirondacks. While a general trail corridor has been pretty much decided, the specifics within that corridor are still being researched by boots-on-the-ground efforts such as ours yesterday.

We started at the end of Loch Muller Road, west of Schroon Lake, and our destination was a small col on the south ridge of Hayes Mountain. The approach to this col from the west had been previously scouted and found to be a satisfactory route for the NCNST. We were looking for any traces of supposed old roads in this area that could be easily followed and used as the new location for the trail.

Reaching Bailey Pond, we found it covered by a thin sheet of ice, and Hayes Mountain's summit well up in the clouds. It was just that kind of day, with temps hovering in the mid-30s.

Attempting to avoid the thick spruce thickets surrounding the pond, we took a circuitous route to higher ground and open woods before continuing our route southwest. The two vleis we reached next were no longer flooded, and the edges were walkable. Ascending away from the valley, we soon reached the destination col, and stopped for lunch.

We tried a slightly different route on the return trip, avoiding the vleis by staying higher in the more open woods, and skipped Bailey Pond altogether by doing the same, heading more directly for the trailhead. This worked out well, and cut nearly .75 mile from our original route.

It wasn't a very pretty day, but we never got rained on despite the weather to the south. Though we didn't find any old roads, we got a better feel for the best way to route the new trail, and enjoyed a day outside with a great group of friends.

Disc golf - dodging the raindrops

2011-12-06T15:18:00.003-05:00

Weather radar is a really useful tool for sneaking in a short outdoor activity, despite the overall forecast. It was supposed to be a rainy day today, but the radar didn't reflect that when I got up this morning. It looked like at least a few hours of non-rain were available, so I headed to Central Park for my usual disc golf outing. As it turned out, I got in 35 dry holes, and a bit of drizzle on the last one, so timing was everything.

The first round was a 33-34-67, just about average and nothing special. I started off the second round like gangbusters, with a very hot "putter", finishing that nine with a 29, just one over par and my best ever. But on the back nine, the trees apparently got wind of what was happening and decided it couldn't be allowed to continue. They were reaching out and batting down my shots over and over again, ballooning my score to a 39. The resulting 29-39-68 was OK, but could have been so much better. I was at least glad I had been able to get out on a day I had pretty much written off in advance.

Walk - Colonie Town Park

2011-12-03T18:44:00.002-05:00

Every two years, the Taconic Hiking Club hosts what's called their "End-to-End" hike of the Taconic Crest Trail. Actually, the trail is over 35 miles long, and this one-day hike only covers 25-30 miles of that total distance, but it's plenty. The total elevation gain up and down on the ridge is over 6,000 feet, and it's a long tough day. I finished it in 2002, and don't care to do it again. Anyway, today was the first organizational meeting for the 2012 event, scheduled for May 12, 2012. I went to the meeting, enjoyed lunch, and volunteered for a couple of tasks that make this event possible, so will now be looking forward to it in the spring.

After the meeting, there were still a few hours of daylight, so I stopped on the way home for a walk in the Colonie Mohawk River Park, off US-9 north of Latham. There are a few miles of wooded trails here, in addition to the pool and ballfields, and I mostly had them to myself on another sunny brisk fall afternoon.

A walk in the park, and a late-season tick

2011-12-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

After a chilly morning, I got out for another walk this afternoon, this time in the former Schenectady Museum Preserve, now the Mohawk River State Park. The state has done nothing with this property yet, and it hasn't changed much over the years. Knowing it well, I decided today to do some exploring instead of just walking the usual trails.

I parked at Lock 7, and followed the Mohawk River Bike Path a short distance, until I noticed an unmarked trail heading toward the river, near where the concrete piers jut out into the water. Following this trail, I hugged the river pretty closely, and then returned to the bike path a little further west. From there, I headed up the new Whit-Shaker Trail with blue markers, until I reached the white-marked former mountain bike route that is now a dead end. I decided to follow it and see how that worked. It actually circled around and dropped me very close to the blue trail again, so I followed that to Whitmyer Drive and the main parking area for the "park". Then, after wandering around some of the usual trails, I dropped back down to the bike path and returned to the car.

A little while later, at home, I noticed a tick crawling off my long sleeve and onto my bare hand. A TICK? In December? I threw all of the clothes I was wearing in the wash, including the outerwear, and did a quick body check, but there were no more. I suspect must have I picked it up on that brushy stretch of "trail" by the river early on, but it was certainly unexpected for this time of year. Guess that's the price I pay for my wanderings.

Walk - H. G. Reist Preserve

2011-12-01T19:33:00.003-05:00

With other stuff on the plate this morning, I got out for a short walk in the H. G. Reist Preserve, in Niskayuna. It's a property of the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club that covers 111 acres and has a few miles of mostly level trails. There are several wetland areas within the preserve, and it can sometimes be a pretty wet place to walk, based on past experience. I set out today expecting the worst, given the sloppiness of the last few places I've walked. But I was pleasantly surprised by the many sturdy bridges that have recently been installed, many apparently as Eagle Scout projects. I kept my feet fairly dry and covered about 1.5 miles on a much cooler November afternoon.

Walk - Indian Kill Preserve

2011-11-30T20:30:00.003-05:00

Today started the return of November weather after a long warm spell, but it was still fairly comfortable and not raining. So Holly and I got out for a walk in the Indian Kill Preserve in Glenville. It was pretty muddy but otherwise pleasant as we made our way to the "Third Falls" and back, about 1.5 miles total. The trail continued from there, but a stream crossing was required, and the water was running too high for that. Tomorrow and beyond we'll be back in the low 40s again, more typical for this time of year, but still way too warm for any prospects of snow.

Walk - Niskayuna's John Brown Trail System

2011-11-29T18:30:00.005-05:00

Another fine November day, with rain possible later, so I got out for a morning walk on the new trails that the Town of Niskayuna has added recently near the closed landfill.

I was a little frustrated with this place last time, so this time I decided to actually document my frustrations in case anybody ever asks. I also GPSed the route, and created the map below. I need to emphasize that this first map is my doing, and NOT the Town's, but I believe it to be accurate, both in terms of trail colors and locations.

I started in this time from the closed Niskayuna landfill, where a trail suddenly enters the woods with no prior markings directing anybody to it. This blue trail soon had some DEC postings about a "restricted area" and "endangered species", so I jumped off on the white crossover trail to the main yellow loop, which I then walked counterclockwise. As I walked, I marked spots with the GPS where it seemed like the trail markings were confusing, and noted the location and reason for future reference on a paper copy of the basic map available at the kiosks at some of the trailheads. I had made this paper copy from a photo I took last time out, just so I had at least some kind of map with me that time (in the camera).

Finishing the loop, I followed the bike path back up the hill to Blatnick Park and the car. No sooner had I started driving home than the drizzle began. This may be the last warm day for a while, but it's time for some colder weather and a bunch of the white stuff. I say bring it on.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-11-28T18:21:00.003-05:00

November continues to amaze with its balmy temperatures, near 60 again today. It looked like there might be some rain by midday, so I hit the disc golf course in the morning for my now-weekly two rounds. Not much to say, except that both rounds were 67, one shot better than my running average, so not a bad day. Not much going on in the park today, just dog walkers, joggers, and the leaf blowers cleaning up the still very green lawns.

Hiking - Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, MA

2011-11-27T10:43:00.008-05:00

We've been trying to connect with friends Dave and Theresa for several weeks now, so with deer season in full swing, yesterday we decided to head for this Audubon preserve near Lenox, MA, for a worry-free hike. There's a fairly strenuous, though relatively short, hike to the top of Lenox Mountain, and its nearby companion Yokun Seat. It's about a 5-mile loop, with some steep spots that got our hearts pumping.

It was a very warm day for late November, sunny with temps in at least the mid 50s, and just a great day to be outside. We lingered for a while atop Lenox Mountain and enjoyed the northwesterly view while we had lunch.

Next, we moved on to Yokun Seat, about 0.8 miles each way along the ridge top. There we found good northeasterly views to the city of Pittsfield and its airport far below.

After returning to Lenox Mountain, we began the long descent back to the car. The Overbrook Trail follows a brook down the mountain, and today, the numerous waterfalls were flowing freely.

About 4 hours from the time we started, we were back at the car and headed for home, less than 90 minutes away, after a perfect day outdoors.

Walk - Avoiding Black Friday in the Lisha Kill Preserve

2011-11-25T15:03:00.005-05:00

The title says it all. The last place I wanted to be today was in a crowd of other maniacal shoppers, so I got out for a walk on a relatively warm sunny afternoon. And I wasn't alone. There were lots of small family groups and dog walkers with the same idea. I walked all three loops, about 2 miles total. The ground was pretty wet and there was plenty of slippery mud to negotiate. It was easy to see why the trails here are closed during spring mud season.

This preserve was not spared the recent damage from both heavy rain and wind, but fortunately only a few of the larger trees came down.

Fallen giants

Mostly the trails were in pretty good shape, even though sloppy.

Disc golf, yard work, and biking on the trainer

2011-11-21T18:08:00.002-05:00

With morning temps now in the 30s and afternoons growing short, I've pretty much abandoned outdoor bicycling. So it's back to the trainer in the basement, a poor and boring substitute, but I've been feeling sluggish and gaining weight and needed to do something. I used to do this a lot more, and now need it to bridge the gap between bike and XC ski seasons. Add some music and a bunch of stretching, and it's not a horrible way to spend an hour.

Disc golf, on the other hand, knows no seasons. I suppose I'll stop when there's snow on the ground, but 35-40 degrees and partly sunny was just fine this morning. After a pretty good opening round 64, I messed up one hole in the next round, finding water and several trees in a classic series of compounding errors. The resulting 71 wasn't too bad, but could have been much better.

This afternoon, I mowed up the rest of the leaves in the yard, and got rid of a bunch of dead perennials. That should about do it for winter preparations. It was a good day, and a comfortable tiredness, along with a late glass of wine, should lead to a good night's sleep.

Walk - Niskayuna's new John Brown Trail System

2011-11-17T13:32:00.002-05:00

Late this morning, I set out for a walk in the Lisha Kill Preserve, on Rosendale Road in Niskayuna. But when I got there, I saw a school group and leader in the parking lot, so thought better of it. Instead, I headed up the road a piece to Mohawk River State Park, aka the Schenectady Museum Preserve, off Whitmyer Drive. I was hoping to explore some new trails I'd heard about adjacent to this park, called the John Brown Trail System. John Brown, a local resident, has apparently been instrumental in their creation and maintenance, in cooperation with the Town of Niskayuna.

Across the end of Whitmyer Drive from the parking area is a trail map and the beginning of the trails. I photographed the map to carry with me in case I needed it, and set off along the fence following blue markers. The blue trail led me to a yellow trail in the area of Shaker Gorge, which the yellow trail loops around coming back to the blue again at the end. The yellow loop was pretty rugged, with lots of steep twists and turns and sharp dropoffs alongside the trail. I'd originally thought about skiing in this area, but I think snowshoeing would be a much better, and safer, idea.

A sign at the start of the loop advises that some bridges over side gorges are not yet in place, and I had a steep scramble across one of these. But more importantly, I found the marking of the trails confusing. Several times, I came to a point where a sharp turn needed to be made, but saw no obvious markers showing where the trail went next. Other times, a marker seemed to just be on the wrong tree, hinting at a direction change that wasn't really intended. The color scheme of the trails may also need to be refined, or at the very least, a better map produced. Otherwise, people are likely to be getting temporarily misplaced in here.

It was an interesting outing, about 2 miles altogether. The trails are new, and bugs like the above will surely be worked out. Meanwhile, it's just nice to have yet another place to go without driving very far.

Disc golf - Consistently inconsistent

2011-11-15T16:20:00.002-05:00

After a few early morning showers passed by, I got in a couple of rounds of disc golf in Central Park. The only thing consistent today was the scoring, a pair of 71s. There were WAAAY too many 5s on the scorecard (most are par 3s), and I swear that the trees were making a stronger effort than usual to just get in the way. It was still a nice walk in the park, which was very quiet today, aside from maintenance workers and the usual Rose Garden volunteers. I had the course to myself, but just couldn't seem to cash in with good scores.

Walk and geocaching - J. B. Thacher State Park

2011-11-14T20:15:00.003-05:00

With rain coming in for the afternoon, Holly and I got out for a short walk and a few geocaches this morning in John Boyd Thacher State Park, high in the Helderbergs above Altamont, NY. We spent some time on a section of the Long Path, finding 3 of the 4 caches we looked for, and then walked back along the edge of the escarpment to enjoy the views.

On the drive home, the rains arrived in earnest, and we were glad we were able to get out when we did and stay mostly dry.

Hiking - Peaked Hills, Hoffman Notch Wilderness

2011-11-13T10:00:00.012-05:00

Yesterday, some friends and I climbed two small summits, the Peaked Hills, west of I-87 in the Hoffman Notch Wilderness Area. We left the parking area, crossed under the Northway though a large culvert/tunnel, and entered the wilderness. We followed an old logging road, then an ax-blazed path, and then another logging road as long as they continued to take us in the right direction. None of these appeared on any maps, so we still needed to pay attention to where we were going, CCW around the loop on the map below.

Finally, we left the road and started the steep thick bushwhack to the northern summit. There was a lot of blowdown, thick spruce, and slippery rock to negotiate, but finally we broke out on the summit rocks. Hoffman Mountain (3704') to the west dominated the view.

We were expecting to see Hoffman close up and not much else, and were really surprised by the fine panorama of the Adirondack High Peaks spread out before us to the north.

Because the direction to the southern peak from here would have dropped us right over a cliff, we descended steeply to the north instead, stopped for lunch in a flat sunny clearing, and then circled the northern peak to continue on to the southern one. There were many fine views along this southern ridge to the south and east. The northern tip of Schroon Lake appears near the center of this shot.

The hazy blue ridges extended off to the distant horizon.

As we descended the southern peak's ridge to navigate back to the original logging road, we got one last view of Pharaoh Mountain (2556') and its cliffs to the east.

Crossing the northern end of a small pond on a soggy floating bog, we eventually rejoined the logging road we'd come in on, and followed it back under I-87 to the car. It was about a 6-mile 2000-foot adventure, with views much better than expected, to a mostly trailless place where people rarely go.

Hiking - Plotterkill Preserve

2011-11-09T18:28:00.007-05:00

Normally, if I go for a walk in a local preserve, I call it a "walk", not a "hike". The Plotterkill Preserve is the one exception to that rule. The trails are many and varied, but all involve some level of steepness. Today, with temps again in the 60s, I did the long red trail loop, clockwise, to the lower end of the preserve, about a 5-6 mile distance with 1200-1600 feet of climbing total. That's a little more than a "walk".

The 60' high upper falls had more water going over it than I expected to see after a week or two of relatively dry weather.

I didn't add on any side trails today, or descend to the bottom of any of the major waterfalls. At the lower end of the preserve, I decided to take the high-water route (blue) just in case there might be a problem with the red trail's crossing of the stream. This trail gets much less use, and it had been years since I'd hiked it. I was amazed at the amount of storm debris that had been dredged out of the stream at the culverts that pass under the NYS Thruway. This must have been quite a torrent to see after tropical storms Irene and Lee, and the entire stream bed showed the effects of those storms.

Just after crossing the stream and rejoining the red trail, a yellow side trail leads to one of my favorite cascades here, and I always stop for a drink and a rest to enjoy them.

Next came the 400' steady climb back out of the gorge and up onto the south rim. Once on top, the trail continues along the rim to a mowed gas pipeline junction below the Coplon Road parking area. Here, the red trail descends back into the gorge, recrosses the stream, and climbs back up to rejoin the trail I used coming in along the north rim. It was about a 3-hour walk altogether at a leisurely pace, and until the very end, I had almost the entire place to myself, on what is probably the last of these spectacular warm November days.

Biking. In shorts. In November.

2011-11-08T14:58:00.003-05:00

We're having a spectacular stretch of nice weather, soon to be interrupted by a few days of rain. But today was sunny and mid-60s, much warmer than normal, and a day like that is not allowed to be wasted. Biking friend Judy and I have decided to push each other a little harder for the rest of this season, since we've both been seriously slacking off of late. So today, we took on an easy 28 miles that we've both done many times before, the Mohawk River loop between Rexford and Crescent.

It was a beautiful warm calm day for riding, and we just took it easy and enjoyed the ride. This loop requires a stop at Riverview Orchards for cider and donuts, so we fulfilled that requirement. After another brief stop at Stewart's in Crescent, it was back up the US-9 hill and onto the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway back to the start at Lions Park in Niskayuna. There were lots of others out enjoying the sun and warmth, the right idea at this usually unsettled time of year.

Disc golf - A crowded day in the park

2011-11-07T22:19:00.002-05:00

After a busy morning of various errands and stuff that needed doing, I headed to Central Park this afternoon for some disc golf. Much to my dismay, there were 5-6 cars already parked near the first tee, so I knew I'd be catching up to some traffic at some point. I was alone until #9, where some major-league leaf-blowing was in progress, halting play for another guy, Neil, and me. We finished that 18 together, catching a couple of other groups near the end, and played another 9 together before he headed for home. This guy got some serious distance on his throws, and it was a lot of fun to watch, and envy. I continued through my second 18 after he left, improving my not-so-good first round 71 with a 66, much better. It's great to see so many people out using this fairly new feature of the park, but I much prefer having it to myself.

Hiking - Ragged Mountain, MA

2011-11-05T21:26:00.003-04:00

Ragged Mountain is a rugged furrowed ridge just below and to the east of Mount Greylock, the high point of Massachusetts, near Adams, MA. We followed the Bellows Pipe Trail, an old road, to just below the southern summit of Ragged, and then an unmarked trail steeply to the summit. There were great views here of Mount Greylock, but not of much else.

The plan was to next bushwhack a short distance down the rugged ridge to some more expansive views. We soon decided against the further of the two, mostly because of increasingly deep snow and the distance/time involved. But we did find great wide-open views from Raven Rocks, on the east side of the ridge.

After enjoying the warm sun there for a while, we headed back to the summit and the trail back to the car. It was just a beautiful day for hiking.

Biking - With a good lunch stop

2011-11-03T14:44:00.002-04:00

Another 21/2 weeks off the bike, after an equal hiatus before that. A November day with sunny skies and temps near 60. Yard work temporarily caught up. Gotta get back in the saddle and just do it.

For the rest of this season, I'll be sticking to 20-30 mile rides, since that's about what my fitness level has deteriorated to. Today, I biked from Schenectady Community College to the Charlton General Store for a great lunch. That got me about 11 miles. Then I continued east along Charlton Road to the east side of Ballston Lake, returning via Schauber Rd, Ashdown Rd, Blue Barns Rd, the Rexford Bridge, and the bike path. That came out just over 30 miles, but honestly, 20 would have been enough. I found hills that didn't used to be hills, and used much lower gears than usual. Amazing how a long layoff leads to slothdom.

Disc golf - A couple of good rounds

2011-11-01T19:06:00.002-04:00

After the day warmed up, I got out today for a couple of rounds of disc golf in Central Park. I picked up right where I left off after last time out's personal best of 63, throwing a 65 and a 64 (par 57, avg 69). These new discs definitely give me more control, and that's reflected in the scoring. Now if I could only learn to "putt"...

Walk and geocaching - Galway Preserve

2011-10-31T22:41:00.003-04:00

Today, Holly and I got out for a short walk in a preserve we'd never before visited. The Galway Preserve is a fairly new property of Saratoga PLAN, on Crane Road in Galway. In its 49 acres, there are 8 geocaches and one letterbox, and a loop trail of about 1.3 miles that passes many of these. We found the letterbox with no problem, but only 2 of the 5 geocaches that we searched for. We'll go back for the unsuccessful three and the three we skipped some time after this preserve dries out, possibly even in winter. There was a lot of mud here, and a beaver dam that was threatening to overflow the trail. It was a nice walk, and good to get out someplace new, and we'll be back to try again another time.

Disc golf - Sneaking some in between showers

2011-10-26T19:33:00.002-04:00

After spending the morning inside catching up on miscellaneous stuff, I really felt like getting out of the house this afternoon. Since the radar showed no more rain in the immediate future, I decided to head over to Central Park and see how many rounds I might get in. It was cool and raw, and the ground was very wet, but this was an activity close by that would also get me a walk, so what the heck?

After breaking a disc earlier in the week, I bought a couple of new ones that have different curve ratings, the new ones supposedly flying straighter. Straight is good with all the trees on this course, but not always possible up to this point. The first round was about average, though messing up the last two holes inflated my score to a 32-39-71. But in the second 18, I figured out these new discs, or so it seemed. I threw a 33-30-63 for my best round ever, and also the best back nine ever. That's only 6 over par for the round, and it really surprised me. These discs do indeed fly straighter, once I got the right throwing motion. Almost time to move on to the longer tees!

Trail maintenance - Featherstonhaugh State Forest ski trails

2011-10-25T12:56:00.007-04:00

Each autumn, the Environmental Clearinghouse (ECOS) gathers at Featherstonhaugh State Forest to clear our adopted ski trails before winter. Today, a group of about 20 of us converged on the forest and gave it our best shot. We spent the morning on the figure-8 loop west of Lake Road on the map below.

There was plenty to keep us all busy, with a variety of tools including loppers, axes, saws, and our own brute strength. This large tree, and another like it, were each cut twice by a couple of men skilled with axes, and the remains rolled off the trail with considerable effort. It was amazing to watch these guys, who obviously knew what they were doing with an axe.

This bridge had been lifted off of its supports by the root ball of a falling tree, where it now rested.

It's now back in place and skiable again. It took many of us to move it off of the tree and back into place.

The trails to the east and south of Lake Road were heavily impacted by logging over the past few years, and will likely be rerouted. At any rate, that area is too wet to address in warmer weather, and we'll be going back in winter to see how things are in there.

(Thanks to Will and Nancy for the "before" photos above.)

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-10-24T23:13:00.003-04:00

Today was warmer than normal for October, with rain forecast later. I had some other things to do, so took care of them in the morning, and headed out for some disc golf after lunch. Today in Central Park was the girls' sectional tennis championships, so there was a lot more than normal traffic, both motorized and pedestrian.

I got most of the way through one round before one of my two discs, one that had been semi-cracked before, now broke most of the way, and I was lucky I finished the round. It was a good round, but I was done for the day. Went home, did some online research into the plethora of discs available, and headed off to Play It Again Sports in Latham to pick up a replacement. They carry the widest selection I've seen, and I left with a replacement and a new "driver" disc, one that supposedly curves less than the one I have. Maybe now my scores will start to come down....

Hiking - Trail maintenance and a couple of small mountains

2011-10-23T18:48:00.007-04:00

This weekend, there was an informal gathering of Northville-Lake Placid trail stewards at the historic Adirondack Hotel in Long Lake. We'd be meeting for dinner on Saturday evening. And since we'd postponed our October 15th trail steward trip because of weather, we rescheduled it for Friday October 21, the day before the gathering, and booked two nights at the hotel. It was good that we did reschedule, since friends Mary and John were available and eager to give us a hand on what turned out to be a pretty tough day, much more so than usual. The trail was extremely wet and muddy after recent rains, and many (MANY!) drainages were clogged with downed leaves. There was much work to be done, but our crew rose to the occasion and left the trail in better shape than we'd found it. Many thinks to Mary and John for all of their help!

We crashed early after dinner Friday night, and then got in a couple of short hikes on a fairly dreary Saturday. We went first to Mount Arab, one of the fire tower peaks included in the ADK Fire Tower Challenge. We had previously completed enough of these mountains to achieve the patch award, but there still remain a few of the others we haven't climbed. Mount Arab was one, and Saturday was the day. It's only about a mile to the summit and its tower, and the views were good enough to warrant a return trip on a better day. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died, and I have only this one misty shot of Eagle Crag Pond far below.

After Arab, and with new camera batteries, we drove east a short distance and climbed little Panther Mountain, just south of the junction of NY-30 and NY-3 north of Corey's. This one was only about a half-mile each way, and again, it demands a return trip. The High Peaks were not visible this day, aside from occasional glimpses of Emmons and Donaldson in the nearby Seward Range. And Blue Mountain to the south had its head in the clouds. On a good day, the effort/reward ratio would be outstanding. It was a steep but short and rewarding hike, and we'll be back here again, also on a better day.

Returning to the hotel, we got cleaned up and joined the gathering downstairs for dinner. There's a lot happening right now with the Northville-Lake Placid Trail, including its new web site and ADK chapter, and it was interesting to get together and share stories among fellow trail stewards.

Sunday saw us on the road early headed for home, with other commitments to keep. It was a good weekend, with less rain that we'd expected, and a lot of quality time spent with friends, old and new.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-10-18T13:22:00.002-04:00

It's been two wet weeks since I last got in a round of disc golf, and with nothing else on today's calendar, I got out for an early start. It was cool this morning, near 50F, and the park was very quiet. The tennis courts were mostly empty, and the only people out were walkers, joggers, park maintenance workers, and the usual volunteers maintaining the rose garden. I got in two quick rounds, and the 2-week layoff was reflected in the scores, first a 72 and then a 66 as I rediscovered whatever groove I may once have had. The second round was only one off my best ever, so that was satisfying, while the inconsistency was maddening. Golf - a good way to ruin a nice walk. Not really - it was still a nice walk.

Biking - Mohawk River Loop, Again

2011-10-17T18:53:00.002-04:00

Today, some biker friends and I decided it was time to get off our butts and get in some more miles. The weather hasn't been great lately, or all summer for that matter, and we've all been feeling a little sluggish. We chose an easy ride, the same loop I did a few weeks ago, my last time on the bike. We rode a loop from the Niskayuna Railroad Station and park, along the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway, crossed the Rexford Bridge, along the north side of the river to the Crescent Bridge, and then returned to the start again via the bike path. Along the way, we stopped at Riverview Orchards for warm fresh cider donuts, and at Stewart's in Crescent for a light lunch. It was a relaxed ride at a comfortable pace for everybody, and it was just good to get out again.

Walk - Charleston State Forest Ski Trail Exploration

2011-10-12T12:31:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I know - it's only October. But deer (bow) season starts shortly, and I wanted to get this in while it was safe.

I remembered reading something about a so-called "Overlook Trail" at Charleston State Forest, and needed to find out what that meant. Most of the ski trails there are in deep woods, with no chance of a distant view anywhere. Google turned up an old Times-Union article with the following intriguing reference:

"A bit further west, there are a number of great cross-country ski and hiking trails in the Charleston State Forest in Montgomery County. More than 20 miles of trails loop among several roads. From Route 30A, the trails can be accessed from Hughes Road, Burtonville Road, Gordon Road and Gidley Road. The trails are divided such that several trips are possible. The trails off of Gordon Road are interesting, winding through the swamps and beaver ponds. From Gidley Road, the Overlook Trail winds around a hardwood ridge that offers a great view of the Schoharie Valley. The terrain on this trail is a bit steep, though."

The article was from 2001, and 10 years of growth might mean there was no longer any overlook. I needed to find out.

I let my GPS get me to a parking area on Gidley Road that I assumed was where I wanted to start. This was some distance from the main parking area and kiosk on NY-30A, circled on the map below. Click on the map to enlarge it.

This was a delightful loop, about 2.6 miles long, which I walked CCW. The climbs and descents were long and gradual, not as steep as exaggerated above, but more rolling than some other trails we've skied here. And, at the far northeastern end of the loop, there might have even once been a view. In winter with the leaves down, it's likely there still is. In fact, the stretch of trail immediately NW of that point should also have something of a view.

This loop begs for a return trip on skis this winter. The only problem is that it may not get enough traffic to count on this trail being broken. And this forest gets a LOT of snow, which could mean a tough slog for a too-small group. I'll have to recruit some willing sloggers and get back in here to check it out.

Hiking - Fall colors at the Berry Pond Preserve

2011-10-11T17:56:00.017-04:00

The Berry Pond Preserve, a property of the Lake George Land Conservancy, opened to the public in 2008, adjacent to the Village of Lake George Recreation Center Trails. There are two trails in this preserve, a blue trail that climbs steeply to an unnamed summit, and a red trail to Berry Pond itself. Today, Holly and I walked them both.

We wound our way through the Rec Center XC ski trails, following the blue markers to lead us on to the Preserve. This part was a bit confusing, mostly due to an over- or under-application of the two-markers-for-a-turn trail marking convention. Eventually, we entered the Preserve and climbed steeply to the ridge, where we found a spectacular view of Lake George below. This was a great lunch spot.

Continuing on to the second, south-facing, view nearby, looking into the sun muted the colors somewhat, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Leaving the summit, we descended down an old logging road to the junction of the Blue and Red trails near Berry Pond. Reaching the pond, there were eye-popping fall colors everywhere across the glassy surface.

As we walked the loop around the pond, there was evidence of beaver activity at every turn. We saw at least two lodges, and stumps everywhere. At the south end of the pond, there was also a small heron rookery, though we didn't see any actual herons today.

Now heading back to the car, we were amazed at how much we were descending along the red trail back to its eastern junction with the blue. Retracing our route along the blue trail, we noticed a waterfall we'd failed to see on the way in. There's a leanto at this location, facing the waterfall, a nice place for a break.

We returned to the car and tried to figure out a good ice cream stop. After two end-of-season-we're-closed failures, we wound up at Stewart's in Corinth on the way home. Later, totaling up the mileage and elevation, we had covered about 5.3 miles and almost 1,500 feet of climbing, convincing us we'd earned that ice cream stop.

This was a nice hike with a little bit of everything - views, fall colors, wildlife, and a waterfall. We'll probably be doing this one again.

Walk - Moccasin Kill Sanctuary

2011-10-09T15:10:00.002-04:00

I just bought a new GPS, and wanted to see how it worked in the field. So I downloaded a map of the nearby Moccasin Kill Sanctuary, loaded it up, and set off for a short walk in the woods. This GPS (a Garmin eTrex 20, just released) is so far above the older GPS I'd been using for the past 10 years that it took some time to figure out. Once I spent some time with it, I can see that this new one will provide a lot of the things I've always been missing, the biggest of those being on-board topo maps. The other really neat feature is the ability to download any map as a JPG image and load it into the GPS for use on the ground. That's what I did today, and it worked well.

I walked all of the trails at the Sanctuary, but it only amounted to about 1.33 miles. But there was a lot of up and down and it was a warm day, so that was OK. It was clear that there had been a LOT of water running through here during last month's flooding events, with plenty of debris and rocks strewn about everywhere in the streambeds.

It was a short walk, but served its purpose. I traced all the trails with the GPS and came home and played some more with this new toy. Can't wait to use it for some real bushwhacking.

Biking - Mohawk River Loop

2011-10-07T16:14:00.003-04:00

After another almost 2-week hiatus from the bike, I finally got back in the saddle today and went for a ride. This late in the season, I'm not "training" for anything, and I'm not interested in pain and suffering. So I went for an easy 28-mile spin along the Mohawk River, between the Rexford and Crescent Bridges. Though relatively flat, there are 1,000 feet of climbing scattered throughout, but it's a pretty relaxing ride if it's allowed to be.

I took it easy today and just enjoyed the ride on another really nice October day.

Walk - Featherstonhaugh State Forest

2011-10-06T19:24:00.002-04:00

Today was lawn-mowing day, yet again. All this rain has made the grass go crazy, and I'm still mowing it weekly in October! With cool dewy (frosty?) mornings, I have to wait until afternoon when it warms up and dries out to do this. So after some errands and lunch, I dispensed with the lawn pretty quickly and got out for an afternoon walk on another gorgeous fall day.

With logging now completed in Featherstonhaugh, with Irene now long gone, with an ECOS trail maintenance trip there coming up in a couple of weeks, and with my monthly moonlight snowshoe trips coming up a little later, I wanted to see what kind of shape the trails were in. I expected a wet mess in the worst way, so wore appropriate footwear and set off for the forest.

The marked access trail from Tidball Road was my main concern. The logging had left a mess here, and it appears nothing has changed to correct it. Lots of downed branches on the "trail", a paucity of remaining trail markers, and the wettest conditions I had ever seen, mostly due to the vehicle ruts. This will take days or weeks to clean up, and I don't plan on using this access trail anytime soon.

Once I managed to find the main ski trail loop, it wasn't in bad shape, although still very wet. That won't be a problem in winter, so OK, it's probably skiable, at least the part I saw. I didn't continue as far as I'd hoped, because it just stopped being fun with all the wetness. It was worse than I could have imagined, and this wasn't even the traditionally wettest section.

As I was about to head back toward Tidball Road via a different and better access trail, my cell phone rang. It was a former consulting client with a software question he thought I could answer. It was weird sitting on a stump in the middle of the woods and having this conversation, but it was brief, and then I continued out to Tidball Road and back to the car.

At some point, I had wandered through a patch of some kind of weeds that left my pants and sweatshirt covered with hundreds of clinging seed pods. That will be a fine mess to clean up, picking them all off one by one. Sounds like a good rainy day project.

Hiking - Moose Mountain Cliffs

2011-10-05T17:47:00.009-04:00

Every autumn, or almost anyway, Holly and I set off to climb Moose Mountain, off NY-30 just south of the Sacandaga Campground near Wells, NY. Moose has no trail, at least not yet, and it's a pure bushwhack from the car to the summit cliffs. There are plans to add trails here in the future, but we're selfishly hoping that never happens.

Today was our 9th trip up this mountain, and we like it because we avoid the leaf-peeping crowds that are found on the more popular trails. I handle the GPS, and Holly follows the compass bearings I give her and guides us through the woods. As can be seen from the map below showing 7 of our trips, we're a pretty good team and have this one down pat. We occasionally wind up "exploring" a little, either intentionally or not, but also often recognize the same boulders or downed trees on the return trip that we passed on the way up. (The red line to the east is the route of one of the proposed trails which we were trying to follow. The red lines to the west were somewhat less intentional on one of our early trips.)

We always head first for the western summit and its viewpoint, which is now rapidly growing in. This is consistently about 90 minutes from the car.

After lunch, we dropped back to the col between the two summits, and went to a much more open view on the eastern summit. Cathead Mountain (center) and the West Branch of the Sacandaga River can be seen from here.

The fall colors this year seemed very subdued. We weren't sure if we were just too early, or whether we had already missed the brighter reds, many of which seemed to be on the ground underfoot.

It was such a beautiful fall day that we hated to leave. But the ice cream calling us from Northville drew us off the summit and back to the car. After a very wet couple of weeks, it was nice to finally get outside on such a perfect day.

Disc Golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-10-04T19:11:00.003-04:00

After the early morning rains, there was another break in the action. So I took advantage and headed to Central Park for my weekly disc golf outing. It was still pretty dreary, and there was nobody else on the course, just the way I like it.

The first round was not bad, just a little better than average with a 34-34-68. Par is 28-29-57. The second round started out at a personal-best-tying pace, with a 30 on the front nine. Then on the back nine, I imploded and finished with a 30-38-68. Two rounds of 68 is not a bad day relative to my average of 70, but it could have been so much better... Still, it was a 2-mile walk in the park, and that's the whole point.

Walk - Schenectady County Forest

2011-10-03T08:50:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was supposed to be another in a string of cool rainy days. So when I saw a break in the action on the weather radar, and even a hint of temporary partially clearing skies, it was almost obligatory to get out of the house and do something while I could. I didn't want to waste any of that time driving, so I headed to the nearby County Forest. There's a new trail here that I had walked once before, but I had failed to capture a GPS track of its location. So that was today's hope, and a rough track appears below. The new trail is on Town of Duanesburg property outside the forest proper, but adds another nice loop to the overall network.

There were many trees down since my last visit, which was before TS Irene came through. And although it wasn't actively precipitating, it was extremely wet and sloppy going, with many puddles on the trails, and most bog bridges surrounded by standing water. I cleared a few drainages where it was possible and a sturdy stick was available, but in general, this place really needs to dry out and have some tree removal done. But I got in a 3-mile walk, and now today, it's raining once again. Better weather is coming, or so "they" say...

Disc Golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-09-27T16:43:00.002-04:00

Today was going to be lawn-mowing day. But since things were still pretty wet early on from heavy dew and fog, I decided to let it dry out while I got in a couple of rounds of disc golf in nearby Central Park. The park was pretty quiet today, and I was the only one on the course. I threw a couple of pretty good rounds, punctuated by fishing my lost disc out of a muddy stream on hole #10. That was a tough and lengthy fight, and I must have drawn more than a few puzzled looks. But unlike real golf, discs are a more expensive commodity than golf balls, and it was worth the struggle and the mud. The day turned sunny while I was there, and it was a nice morning for a two-mile walk in the park.

Hiking - Tomany Mountain

2011-09-26T18:52:00.004-04:00

Tomany Mountain has been on my radar for quite a while. It's a small peak near Arietta, NY, that used to have a fire tower, a trail and a view. Now it has none of those. The fire tower was removed over 40 years ago, the trees have grown up obscuring any hope of a view, and the formerly marked trail was abandoned and is no longer maintained. But the trail is still shown on topo maps, and is supposedly still fairly easy to follow. So, with today headed for near 80 degrees and brilliant sun, Holly and I decided to give it a try.

The trail starts from a parking area on NY-10, and rises only a little over a mile to the wooded summit. Along the way, occasional old telephone poles with wire dangling told us we were in the right place. After losing the faint path for a while, we bushwhacked for a short distance and then rejoined it near the summit, where we found the ruins of the former ranger cabin.

This is probably the clearing where the fire tower once stood. There's no sign of it now at all.

The arrival of fall colors was well underway in the southern Adirondacks. Holly snapped this shot looking overhead as we relaxed on the summit under a clear blue sky.

On the trip down, we managed to stay on the clearest path with no bushwhacking. There were still occasional red trail markers on some of the trees.

On the way home, we made the requisite ice cream stop, and were home by mid-afternoon after a very nice day outside.

Biking - the four Thruways ride

2011-09-25T16:47:00.003-04:00

It's been a slow year on the bike, a combination of burnout/low motivation, an overabundance of rainy wet weather, and just wanting to do some other things. I can't count last year, but for the two previous years, I spent about 100 days each in the saddle. This year? Only 50 so far. So today, I wanted to just get out for a ride, an easy relaxed long-ish ride, just for its own sake and the enjoyment of it.

I have just such a ride mapped from my house: 30 miles and only 800 feet of total climbing.

I call it the "4 Thruways ride" because it crosses I-90, the NYS Thruway, four times in the process of looping back and forth to add on some miles. It's a good alternative to the flat local riverside routes, either on a weekend when they're more crowded, or in this case, since they're still recovering from the flood damage of a few weeks ago.

I planned to take it easy and just enjoy the ride, and was a little surprised to see my overall average speed come out higher than usual. Guess that proves I'm well-rested...

Biking, and an evening with a bicycle traveler

2011-09-21T18:50:00.002-04:00

As a member of the online Warm Showers List, I was privileged last evening to host another long-distance bicycle tourist. Jose, from the Chicago area, had called me the day before, asking if he could camp on my lawn as he passed through the Capital District. Knowing it was going to be a damp night, I offered him my spare room instead, along with a garage for his bike, dinner, and breakfast. I've had a few other requests like this since I joined the list, and they're all different. What's always the same is that we're all bicyclists, and there's no shortage of good conversation and sharing our stories of life on the road.

Jose left Seattle in June, on his way to Boston, a cross-country trip. But his trip doesn't end there. He's hoping to touch all 48 continental states, a journey that he estimates will take him the better part of two years, and over 12,000 miles. Only 25-30 years old, he quit his 10-year job, and threw everything into this trip. Amazing stuff, even to one who has biked coast-to-coast himself.

We spent a lot of time talking over dinner and breakfast, and then it was time for him to go. He needed to get from my home in Rotterdam to NY-7 east out of Troy, so I rode with him through Schenectady to the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway near the GE R&D Center, and on to the Niskayuna Railroad Station where we parted ways. He'll be picking off a corner of Vermont over the next few days, and then heading south to US-20 across Massachusetts, having followed US-20 much of the way across the country already. Trying to stay ahead of winter, he'll be headed down the east coast after touching each of the New England states. He takes it as a compliment when people call him "crazy".

Jose has a blog, and I for one will be following him the rest of the way. He's also trying to raise money for a charity to fund a water well for a village in Cameroon, Africa, and there's a link there as well. I wish him the best of luck, and admire him for following his dream.

Disc Golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-09-19T19:24:00.002-04:00

Today was another beautiful day, but I got off to a bit of a slow start. With yard work hanging over me later before a few days of possible rain, I headed off to Central Park for what seems like about a weekly game of disc golf.

The course didn't appear to be very crowded at all, but then I played through a foursome around the 6th hole. I finished the front 9 with a personal best, only 2 over par, including 2 birdies. Then, on the 12th, I caught up to the rest of the day's parade. Some organization within GE was having a disc golf outing, and there were several groups now ahead of me, moving much more slowly than I was. The group I'd played through must have been playing even slower.

I was about to bail out and cut the day short, but the group I'd now caught invited me to play along with them, so I did. None of them had ever played before, so it was like I was the seasoned pro. I finished the round one off of my personal best for 18, and enjoyed playing with these guys.

Then, since the first tee was open and nobody was in sight, I decided to go around again for a second unencumbered round. But when I caught yet another unrelated foursome on the 3rd hole, I gave it up and went home. This is getting to be a very popular pastime!

Hiking - Moxham Mountain

2011-09-14T09:39:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK hike to Moxham Mountain, near Minerva, NY. This mountain has no trail, though NYSDEC has proposed someday building one, as outlined in the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan, Appendix J.

The day's plan was to try to follow the route of the proposed trail. This would involve about a 2.5-mile bushwhack each way, with lots of twists and turns to avoid the private land at the beginning and to attempt to stay on the intended route. Norm did an outstanding job with GPS and compass to guide us through the sometimes thick and featureless woods, and approximated the route very well.

The mountain itself was spectacular, especially as we approached the summit along the open rocky ridge.

The view from the summit was well over 180 degrees, stretching from the Hudson River in the east, through North Creek and Gore Mountain to the south, all the away around to Blue Mountain in the northwest, and beyond. I failed to capture the east and south views, probably because of the direct sun from that direction. The view further west and north was my favorite. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Having successfully followed the trail's proposed route on the ascent, we opted for a slightly shorter route on the descent. That's the beauty of bushwhacking - you can go wherever it suits you. Once again, Norm steered us around a beaver swamp and the faintly marked property lines and brought us out perfectly back at the cars.

This will become a very popular hike if the trail is ever built as described. As it was, we were in the woods for about 5 hours, plus a long time on the summit enjoying the views. It was a long slog but well worth it, and will be even better if and when that time is shortened by a marked and maintained route.

Disc golf - And a much-needed walk in Central Park

2011-09-12T19:43:00.003-04:00

After yesterday's bicycling fiasco, I wanted to take it easy today, but also wanted to get out for at least a walk, to loosen up the aching legs. As I pondered a suitable destination, I decided that disc golf was a good solution, giving me about a mile per round on gentle terrain, and close to home. The Central Park course is much less likely to be crowded now that school is back in session, since many of the players I saw over the summer were of school age.

Central Park has been largely cleared of any earlier storm damage. The exception is the tennis stadium, which still has several large trees leaning on and crushing the surrounding fence. These don't affect the disc golf course, and all blowdowns that did interfere have now been removed. I played 2 rounds, both about average, with a few bright spots, and a few curses, as always. The legs felt OK, so I'm planning to go hiking tomorrow. More on that when I return.

Biking - An almost half-century...

2011-09-12T13:07:00.004-04:00

Every year, the weekend after Labor Day is the Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club's annual Century Weekend. There are rides each day of 100, 62, 50, and 25 miles, with rest stops, SAG support, and a good feed afterwards. I usually ride the metric century (100km, 62 miles), but this year didn't really feel up to that, so opted for the 50-miler instead, riding on Sunday. I was riding with a new friend Phil, whom I'd never met, but who turned out to be a very compatible and companionable fellow rider. There was a new route this year, so I didn't really know what to expect, and no route profile was provided. I worked this one up afterwards:

To cut to the chase, the cramps that had only taunted and threatened on last month's ADK Ididaride hit home in a big way on this ride, and at about the same 45-mile distance as on that earlier ride. On a small uphill rise, my quads began to spasm and throb, and finally locked up to the point where I could not even bend my knees. When Phil heard me screaming in agony, he came back and helped me off the bike so I could try to stretch things out and continue on. I managed to get in another mile, but started to lock up again, and I knew I could never make it another 5-7 miles to the finish in this condition. So I made the embarrassing call to the SAG vehicle for a pickup, my first ever. (Well, the second actually. I once called my father after about 120 miles into a 130-mile ride. The problem then wasn't cramps, but darkness. The year was 1973, and I was younger then.)

Anyway, I rejoined Phil at the post-ride feast, and finished off an enjoyable day, despite the cramping issues. Though I was certainly well-hydrated, there were apparently not enough electrolytes, despite several quarts of Gatorade. And it was only about 70F, so I'm still a little mystified. Need to figure this one out...

Biking - Walkway Over the Hudson

2011-09-10T08:06:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, I joined a Schenectady ADK/Taconic Hiking Club bike trip to the Walkway Over the Hudson, in Poughkeepsie, NY. It's an old railroad bridge that's been converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, spanning the Hudson River which is about a half-mile wide at this point.

There's a loop route we planned to use that crossed both the Walkway and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Bridge to the south. We also planned to ride the 3.5-mile Hudson Valley Rail Trail, which extends westward from the west end of the Walkway.

We started on the Poughkeepsie side, and rode westward across the Walkway. From the Walkway, we had a fine view of the FDR Bridge to the south.

Leaving the Walkway, we headed west on the HVRT. This section was newly paved, and had some interesting bike racks at stops along the way.

The Black Creek Water Trail, a canoe access point off the HVRT, was indeed a water trail today, with the creek overflowing from recent rains and flooding.

At our westernmost point, we stopped for lunch at Tony Williams Park. There was a nice gazebo here near the tennis courts, and rest rooms in a building near the ballfields.

After lunch, we turned around and headed back toward the Walkway. Before getting there, we turned south off the HVRT to pick up a local road leading to the FDR Bridge.

This bridge had a narrow separated walkway on each side, with traffic roaring by up the center.

We had a great view from here of the new Walkway Over the Hudson to the north.

Leaving the FDR Bridge, the signed loop route followed local streets in Poughkeepsie back to the parking area where we'd left the cars. This route seems to be designed for walking and not biking, as it led us on busy one-way streets, the WRONG way, through the Amtrak station and back to the cars. This needs to be reexamined if it's being encouraged for bicycling use.

Before leaving town, we decided to bike a few blocks north to a local farmers' market in a town park nearby. We arrived before it actually opened, but could see that it was very small-scale, so decided not to wait around for its opening. Instead, we took one last spin across the Walkway and back, and then headed for home.

It was an interesting outing to do once, just to see and experience the new Walkway, but a long drive for only 15 miles of biking. Still, it was a pleasant day with a very friendly group of riders.

Biking - Saratoga National Historical Park

2011-09-02T16:32:00.003-04:00

Today, Holly's twice-weekly biking group was going to Saratoga Battlefield to ride the tour road. This has some appeal, so I tagged along. It was an almost traffic-free relaxed 11 miles in scenic surroundings on a cool comfortable morning. To make it more of a challenge, I rode it on my old 10-speed, and without shifting at all, staying in about a 65-70 gear/inch setting for the whole ride.

From the overlooks, it looked like the Hudson had receded quite a bit, and it was nowhere near as muddy as the Mohawk, at least not here. Things are beginning a very slow and protracted return to normal.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

2011-09-01T15:56:00.000-04:00

Not sure where the past 2 weeks have gone, but after getting back on the bike for the first time since then yesterday, today I did the same for a round of disc golf. I got a fairly early start to beat the later arrivals,and had the course to myself for two uninterrupted rounds. There were several large trees down in the park, along with lots of small branches and leaves. Only one hole (#2) was really affected, with the crown of a large tree coming down right around the basket. That probably added a shot to my score for that hole, but it was still playable. Both rounds were about average, with the usual holes causing the usual troubles. But it was a nice way to get in a 2-mile walk on a nice late summer morning.

Biking - Stymied by closed roads

2011-08-31T14:54:00.000-04:00

I've been off the bike now for just about 2 weeks, for a whole variety of reasons. Today, I wanted to get in 20 miles or so, just to do SOMETHING. So I set off down Kings Road, hoping to do a loop with Old State and West Lydius, with a possible side trip to see how French's Hollow weathered the storm. But it was not to be.

Everything was fine until I got to the intersection of Kings and Morris Roads. Kings was closed at that point eastbound, which was my intended route. So I went right on Morris, hoping to connect back via Curry Road Extension. But that was also closed. There was no choice but to head west on Curry Road. And there was no bailout point on that until I got to the roundabout at Curry and 146.

At that point I decided I'd had enough, and went 1/4 way around the circle and headed home. Leaving the circle via 146 or continuing on Curry Road had no appeal at all in the afternoon traffic, so I was done, after a measly 8.72 miles.

With the river routes still closed after the storm, I thought this would be an OK alternative, but apparently there are also problems in the Pine Bush. Kind of annoying, since I didn't see these particular closures mentioned anywhere in the past few days. I'm going to find other things to do for the next week or so.

Walking and flood gawking - Along the mighty muddy Mohawk

2011-08-29T16:34:00.010-04:00

I was relatively untouched by yesterday's record-setting Tropical Storm Irene. I never lost power, phone, or internet. Only a few small branches came down in my yard. It wasn't much worse for me than an all-day summer thunderstorm. But I knew I'd been very lucky, and that there was a lot of water out there somewhere. So I headed for Cohoes Falls, where the flooded Mohawk River meets the flooded Hudson River, which would really be thundering today. I never got there. Construction on NY-7, along with other alternatives being either closed or very circuitous, led me to turn around and change plans. Strike one.

I remembered a couple of overlooks in the Schenectady Museum Preserve, now Mohawk River State Park. They looked out over Lock 7 and its dam, as we'd seen many times while skiing there in the winter. As in, when there's no foliage. No views today. I dropped down to the bike path at Lock 7, and saw many truckloads of dirt being trucked in. It turns out there's concern about the lock being breached, with major downstream consequences. Let's hope not. The water was very high, but I was upstream of the dam, and couldn't get any closer because of the ongoing construction. So I headed back to the car at the upper end of the preserve after an otherwise nice walk. Strike two.

On to Blatnick Park, a little further upstream. I climbed to the top of Mount Trashmore, the former Niskayuna landfill, and had a nice view out over the river, all the way to the Lock 7 dam at the far right. The river was high and muddy, but it was hard to tell from way up here just how high it really was.

On the far side of the river, at the other end of the dam from Lock 7, there's a power generating station, which has a nice overlook and viewing area. Could I get there? The Rexford Bridge was now reopened, so I gave it a shot. There was a circus atmosphere on and around the bridge, with people everywhere, cameras in hand. Traffic moved fairly smoothly across the bridge, and I continued on to the overlook.

Here, it was much more obvious just how much water was in the river. The dam is rarely submerged like this, and there are rocks below the dam now covered by the rushing water. And it was loud. Lots of people here too. Guess we all had the same idea. Lock 7 across the river looked to be nearly underwater.

On my way back to recross the Rexford Bridge, I pulled over along with several dozen others to look back on the bridge and the Schenectady Yacht Club from the top of the steep-walled gorge. Note the height of the water under the bridge, even worse than most spring floods.

After crossing the bridge, I headed into downtown Schenectady, not really expecting to see much along Erie Boulevard. But the entire brownfields area, now cleared of its decrepit buildings, was also under water. Another few feet and Erie Boulevard itself would been submerged. Sorry - no pictures in this stretch, but the local media have plenty.

Finally, I tried to head west to Lock 8, but found both the Rice Road and Campbell Road exits from I-890 closed, and the bike path under water. With NY-5S also closed ahead, and not wanting to cross again to the north side of the river, my only alternative was the Thruway back to Exit 25 from where I was at Exit 26. But first, I joined yet another crowd on the side of 890 where it overlooked Lock 8 below. Note the lock house at lower right. This is the highest I've ever seen the water here.

There are still lots of roads closed, and thousands remain without power. I feel even luckier now than I did before this little outing. It will be weeks before everything gets back to normal around here. And I won't be doing any more nice flat riverside bicycling anytime soon.

Hiking - Hour Pond

2011-08-28T19:12:00.009-04:00

Yesterday, on the calm day before Tropical Storm Irene invaded our area, I joined a Schenectady ADK trip to Hour Pond, just west of Thirteenth Lake in the east central Adirondacks. There was a relatively new trail to Hour Pond that cut about 2 miles off the previous route, and this trip aimed to explore it.

We started out hiking along 13th Lake, which was calm and serene, despite the first signs of Irene's clouds approaching from the southeast.

Across the lake, we viewed Balm of Gilead Mountain, which Holly and I had climbed only a few days earlier.

Arriving at Hour Pond, we lingered for a while at a nice lunch spot along the shore. Nearby were some ferns beginning to turn their autumn colors. Be sure to click on the photo to see the fine detail in the veins of color beginning to appear.

Several of us explored along the shoreline as far as the outlet of the pond. There were even nicer views here than at the lunch spot a quarter mile away.

After a long lunch break, we checked out the relatively new leanto, and then headed back to the cars, after about a 7-mile round-trip hike.

This would make a very nice snowshoe hike in the winter, but many of us conceded that although marked as a ski trail, skiing it would be beyond the abilities of an average intermediate skier.

Golf - Hillcrest Golf Course

2011-08-26T14:24:00.001-04:00

It's exactly a month to the day since the last time I swung a golf club, so I wasn't expecting any miracles as I headed off to Hillcrest this morning. My brother Walt had suggested I try a set of clubs he had in his basement, his old set that he has since replaced. Even so, they're at least 15-20 years more modern than the ones I've been using. So today was the day.

The course was wet and even had some puddles after yesterday's heavy downpours. The greens were wet, unmowed, and slow. None of this was responsible for the miserable score I posted, but at least the last few holes were better than the earlier ones. There's an old saying that "a round of golf is a nice walk ruined", and that was the case today. It's a tough game to play well consistently without playing regularly, and that just hasn't been the case this summer. Still, it was good to get out and try, and I suspect there will be many more rounds to come in the fall months ahead.

Hiking - An Adirondack potpourri

2011-08-23T19:48:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was a crisp clear day, a nice day to be looking down from a small mountaintop. It's getting increasingly challenging to find one nearby that we haven't already climbed, but near the Garnet Hill XC Ski Center in North River, NY, , we found just what we were looking for. Balm of Gilead Mountain is a hike of less than a mile to an outstanding view over 13th Lake from its summit ledges. On the way down the mountain, we successfully located a geocache just off the trail.

View SW, with 13th Lake below

Peaked Mountain (r) and Blue Mountain (bkgd)

This area has several interesting attractions, all within about a mile of the parking area at the ski center. Without returning to the car, we turned next onto the trail to William Blake Pond, a small body of water originally dammed to provide water for running the nearby Hooper Garnet Mine. A partially buried rusty pipe along the trail is all that remains of that era, leaving a pretty pond behind.

William Blake Pond

Finally, and again without returning to the car, we turned onto the side trail to the abandoned Hooper Mine. This mine was begun in 1898, and was in use in the early 1900s. Remains of a few buildings and equipment are scattered around the perimeter, and great views can be found by following informal paths to the cliff edges above.

Hooper Garnet Mine

Garnet in rocks near the mine

Leaving the mine and returning to the car, we figured we'd probably covered a total of only 5-6 miles, but had discovered a lot of variety in a relatively small area. The usual ice cream stop completed the day before heading home.

Biking and mini-golf on a very nice day

2011-08-22T17:48:00.002-04:00

After watching the Vuelta a Espana this morning, Holly and I got out for a short bike ride this afternoon from her house to Slice's Mini-Golf, in nearby Ballston Spa. We dodged the usual windmills and other traditional obstacles, then stopped for ice cream, and talked to the owner Michael about his recent offering of the property on the real estate market. He created this course and has been operating there since 1992, but is getting ready to retire in a couple of years, and wants to get a head start on divesting himself of the business. We're hoping, as he is, that any prospective buyer will continue running this charming little course, with a definite retro '50s feel.

Walk - New trail at Schenectady County Forest

2011-08-21T18:14:00.007-04:00

I read in today's Schenectady Gazette that a new trail had been added to the smallish network at Schenectady County Forest (subscription may be required). We ski and snowshoe here sometimes in the winter, and I wanted to see what the new trail looked like.

The only map I could find was the one at the entrance kiosk, so I've reproduced it (poorly) here. Essentially, a new loop has been added off the back of the existing blue loop, onto an adjacent parcel owned by the Town of Duanesburg. This adds about 1.3 miles to the total trail network, and makes a nice new figure-8 loop possible. The new trail would be best skied counter-clockwise, with a couple of nice downhills in that direction.

Start of the new trail section

I had the GPS turned on and tracked the new section, but I'm having some issues with GPS-to-computer communication at the moment, so can't produce a better map just yet.

The pond was like glass today, with storms moving in from the southwest later on.

It was a short outing, but enough to convince me that this probably now surpasses Featherstonhaugh State Forest, just down the road, as the new local high-elevation place for a quick XC ski trip. Ideally, someday the two will be connected, but that's still in the dreaming stage, with a couple of different private parcels stuck between.

Hiking - Tenant Creek Falls

2011-08-19T23:14:00.005-04:00

This afternoon, we were the guests of our friends Bob and Carol, at their camp on Great Sacandaga Lake. Sometimes when they invite us up, we go sailing on the lake. But today, there was very little wind, and thunderstorms were popping up all over, so we opted for a short hike instead. In fact, just as we pulled into their driveway, there was an enormous clap of thunder, setting the tone for the afternoon.

Tenant Creek Falls is a short hike from the Wilcox Lake trailhead, north of Northville, NY. An unmarked path leaves the main trail and continues upstream along Tenant Creek to the first falls.

There are two more waterfalls further upstream another mile or two, but with the uncertain weather, we decided to skip them for today. Instead, we headed back to the camp for an early happy hour followed by a delicious dinner. There was no more rain, and a nice cool breeze came up, making for a very pleasant evening.

Disc golf, yard work, and biking - another sticky day

2011-08-18T21:16:00.003-04:00

With showers forecast for the afternoon, I considered playing real golf early today. But somehow disc golf had more appeal, so I headed over to Central Park to play a round or two.

The first 18 was pretty poor, as trees kept jumping out all over the place and getting in the way. After I finished, I noticed that nobody else was out on the course yet, so I played another 18. This is why I like playing early in the morning - no tripping over other players or groups of players. The second 18 turned out much better, only one shot off my best. My feet were wet from the dewy grass, and I was dripping from the humidity, but it was a good outing.

When I got home, I dried out and then sacrificed another t-shirt by mowing the lawn, dried out once again and had lunch. Then an afternoon of reading brought me to tonight's SWC Thursday night bike ride, in Clifton Park.

It's always such a pleasure to drive up there from Schenectady in evening rush hour (NOT!), but this was the second-to-last ride of the season, so I went anyway. I chose the 18-mile route, but as the evening progressed and the sun got lower, I took a shortcut to get back before it was too dark, on some fairly trafficky roads. I got a little over 17 miles in, downed a couple of beers and some pizza, thanked our host, and headed home.

Biking - the lunch that wasn't

2011-08-17T16:57:00.003-04:00

Somehow, lunch rides have become my favorite kind of local ride. It helps to have a destination in mind to keep me motivated and have someplace to arrive, instead of just a loop for loop's sake. And one of my favorite destinations is Lakeside Farms, near Ballston Lake. So today, I set out on a 30-mile loop with lunch at about the 20-mile point. It was a perfect day for a ride, after a couple of very rainy rest days following Sunday's Ididaride.

Starting at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC), I took back streets through Scotia and began the climb to Charlton via Spring and Swaggertown Roads. Arriving in Charlton, it was a nice downhill section with a tailwind all the way to the east side of Ballston Lake. Another gentle uphill brought me to the lunch spot.

Unfortunately, Lakeside has become extremely popular around the lunch hour. There were at least a dozen people in the ordering line, and I had forgotten my bike lock at home. I really wasn't comfortable spending an hour or more here under those circumstances, so I turned around, got back on the bike, and headed back to SCCC and the car. I considered stopping in Little Italy in Schenectady on the way instead, but that seemed even more foolhardy without a lock. So I got in a nice ride, on a beautiful day, and settled for lunch at home. Maybe sometime I'll try their breakfast instead. And bring the lock.

Biking - I Did A Ride!

2011-08-15T07:33:00.010-04:00

More like a ride and a half. Yesterday was ADK's annual Ididaride, a 75-mile very hilly ride through New York's Adirondacks. Depending on your information source, the total elevation gained is between 4,500 and 6,900 feet, but no matter how you look at it, that's a lot of uphill, and also down. The most elevation I did in one day on last year's entire TransAm tour was only 4,200 feet, so this would be a challenging day.

The forecast was for rain, heavy at times, but mostly later in the day, so friend Terry and I decided to give it a go anyway. Some other friends canceled because of the impending weather. I came prepared for the worst, with a pannier containing an assortment of foul-weather gear and dry clothing, an additional 8 pounds to drag up the hills. Very few other riders seemed to be carrying much of anything at all.

Terry and I got an early start, some 40 minutes ahead of the crowd of over 300 other riders. Terry was having an off day, and turned around after about 16 miles, and returned to the start, which left me to ride my own ride, not necessarily a bad thing.

Up and down the first climb wasn't bad, nor was the long gentle climb to Speculator on NY30. I stopped in a store there for lunch and to pick up an additional bottle of Gatorade. With few long rides under my belt this year, I was expecting cramping problems later in the ride, and wanted to be prepared.

The next hill north of Speculator was touted as one of the worst on the ride, and though it was long and slow going, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. From there, it was a rolling ride with long ups and downs to the Lewey Lake Campground, at about 45 miles. No problems yet, but the fun was about to begin.

A mile or two beyond Lewey Lake, I felt the first hints of some leg cramps. I'd been hydrating pretty well, so pulled over, stretched, and drank some more, hoping to stave them off as long as possible. There was still some tough terrain ahead, and I was beginning to doubt my chances of actually making it to the finish. As I approached each hill now, I wondered if it would be the last, if it would cause my legs to seize up and make me unable to continue. I really had to baby them now, expending as little effort as possible on the climbs, and stopping when necessary to give them a short break.

At the third rest stop in Indian Lake, I downed another banana, a good potassium source, and my third of the day, and continued on. The popular mantra that "it's all downhill from Indian Lake" is decidedly false, with 4-5 more climbs, some with truck lanes, before the long descent to the Hudson River. I was close to walking one of these, but the cramps continued to hold off, and I made it to the long descent, the bottom of which is only about 4 miles from the finish.

I had to stop once on this stretch, with the cramps threatening once again. I was pretty tired of Gatorade at this point, but took another good slug and continued on. Shortly, friend Herb caught up with me, and we rode together to the finish. We'd played leapfrog since somewhere north of Speculator, and I'd loaned him the use of my pump at one point when he'd flatted. We rode across the finish line together, and then joined the post-race feast that was already in progress, along with Terry, Herb's wife Gillian, their friend Mike, and their dog Rocky.

It had been a long day, but the rain never materialized. The sun was out much of the time, and it was warmer than predicted, but a good day for riding. Terry and I left for home shortly thereafter, and drove through a very heavy downpour just to the south, near Warrensburg. The timing could not have been better.

Distance: 76.08 miles
Elevation: A lot, but see above
Rolling time: 5:48
Elapsed time: 6:47
Avg speed: 13.0 mph
Max speed: 39.5 mph

Disc golf and biking - A taste of fall in the air

2011-08-11T21:19:00.002-04:00

After several weeks of warm and fairly steamy air, today dawned fresh and cool, a welcome change. With an SWC bike ride on the calendar for this evening, I didn't feel the need for another huge training effort this morning. The weather for Sunday's Ididaride is looking pretty iffy right now anyway. So I got in a round of disc golf in Central Park, ran some errands, and mowed the lawn instead. The disc golf round wasn't spectacular, but was a top-10 score when all was said and done, and it was good to get out again after not playing for a couple of weeks.

This afternoon, after making several minor tweaks to the bike (shift indexing was off by a bit), I went out for a short 14-mile ride to test my adjustments, and also just to keep the legs in some sort of active state between now and Sunday. It was a windy afternoon, and I'd be riding again later, so this short ride served both of these purposes pretty well.

Tonight's SWC ride was in Amsterdam and West Glenville. It was a very nice 14.6-mile somewhat hilly route, and very enjoyable, mostly on roads I'd never biked on before. Beer and pizza afterwards completed the day.

Biking - some quality time with granny

2011-08-10T14:48:00.004-04:00

I was looking for a hilly ride today, and boy did I find one! I have an old book entitled 25 Bike Tours in the Hudson Valley, by Howard Stone. One of the rides is called "The Ridges West of Schenectady". I had done this one before, but not in quite a while. So I loaded it up into RideWithGPS.com to see what it looked like. It's about 30 miles, with over 2,000' of climbing, some of it steep, starting at Schalmont High School.

I wasn't in the mood for an early start, but it looked like the rain would hold off until afternoon anyway. So I had a good breakfast first and off I went. The first 12 miles is basically a long steeply rolling uphill to a point on Herrick Road. Then a long downhill to NY30, and another easier climb to Mariaville via Batter street. From there, it's mostly downhill with a few uphill pitches thrown in. There wasn't a lot of flat road on this ride, and I used every gear at some point or other.

Reaching Mariaville, the sky in the west was pretty dark, so I decided on a shortcut back to the car. A few minutes later, I was donning raingear as the inevitable approached. I waited out a passing shower under a tree and then continued on, my shortcut actually adding about a mile to the original plan. But the rain was over, and so was the ride, another good tuneup for Sunday's Ididaride.

Biking - 40 miles before the rain

2011-08-09T14:56:00.003-04:00

There's no place like home. Especially when I need to get back on the bike and get prepared for this weekend's Ididaride. My main concern is mileage at this point, and less so the hilliness of the ride. I wanted to get in some 40-50 mile rides this week, weather permitting, and then rest a couple of days before Sunday's event. I passed up a shorter ride with friends today, and went it alone, wanting to stick to my plan and my own riding style. I repeated a ride I did last week, 40 miles including Grant Hill, for a total of 1,268 feet of climbing.

The climb was uneventful, and at 17 miles, I stopped at Indian Ladder Farms for a monstrous apple fritter and a large glass of cider. That kept me going, and I felt pretty good when I finished, even still having a bit of a kick. Sunday's ride is almost twice as long, and much hillier, but if I can just pace myself and eat well, this may just work out OK.

Hiking - Clear Pond, Indian Lake, NY

2011-08-08T18:55:00.006-04:00

(INDIAN LAKE, NY) Monday would be our last day in Indian Lake. The consensus was to get in a short flat hike to nearby Clear Pond, about a mile from its trailhead, and then return to camp, finish off some leftovers for lunch, clean up the camp, and head home.

Clear Pond

It was a fairly nondescript trail to the pond, with few landmarks. The pond itself was attractive, with small mountains rising in the background.

Back at camp, we finished most of our food, got some help from Walt with cleaning up the camp, and then he headed on to his next destination. There wasn't much left to do but pack the car, so we did that, got on the road, and made it home in time for dinner.

This was a good week away, and we may explore cottage rentals again in the future.

Hiking - Sawyer Mountain, Blue Mountain Lake, NY

2011-08-07T19:54:00.005-04:00

(INDIAN LAKE, NY) Sunday looked like it wouldn't be a very good weather day. With wifi in the camp, we were able to check the local radar and make plans according to when it might be dry. My brother Walt arrived around 10:30-11:00, and the rain would be there not long thereafter. Fortunately, it looked like a brief passing shower, so we chatted for a while, had lunch, and then decided to get in a short hike, to nearby Sawyer Mountain.

It was a steamy afternoon, and even worse once the sun appeared. We were all soaking wet by the time we reached the view near the summit.

View to the west near the summit

After returning to camp, we all felt like a paddle and a swim, and the weather still looked OK. So we paddled out to a sandbar in the middle of Adirondack Lake, secured the boats, and enjoyed the shallow warm water until more clouds started to roll in. Watching golf on the wide-screen TV in the camp finished off the afternoon.

For dinner, we ate at the Indian Lake Restaurant, at the junction of NY28 and NY30. There was a bit of a wait, but the menu was varied and the food was pretty good all around. Then it was an early night after a couple of beers and a little reading.

Hiking - Watch Hill, Indian Lake, NY

2011-08-06T19:53:00.003-04:00

(INDIAN LAKE, NY) Camp week continues. Yesterday's guests, Bill and Nancy, had breakfast with us, after Nancy and Holly got out for an early paddle on Adirondack Lake. With our next guests, Dave and Theresa, expected around 10am, Holly went for a short walk with Bill and Nancy while I waited for Dave and Theresa to arrive. When they got here, we headed off for a short walk of our own, to nearby Bullhead Pond. We arrived back at camp just as Holly was climbing out of the lake, having just arrived home herself. Bill and Nancy had left for home straight from their pond walk, and a new day had begun.

After lunch, with the threat of showers later, we went for a bit longer hike up nearby Watch Hill, off NY30 near Snowy Mountain. The weather had turned much more warm and humid than we'd expected, and it was a fairly soggy hike, but with nice views of Snowy through the murky haze.

Back at camp, with no rain yet in sight, we paddled up Adirondack Lake against the increasing wind, then sailed back to camp with a nice tailwind. After a pleasant dinner of BBQ chicken, the first drops began to fall, and we moved inside for dessert. Another nice day with friends in the Adirondacks.

Hiking - Castle Rock, Blue Mountain Lake, NY

2011-08-05T15:29:00.003-04:00

(INDIAN LAKE, NY) Today, we were expecting friends Nancy and Bill around 3:00 pm, so we opted for another short morning hike. Castle Rock overlooks Blue Mountain Lake and its many islands, and is only a short distance from where we're staying. It's about a 3-mile loop, with great views for the effort.

We went up via the main yellow trail, with lots of unnecessary ups and downs along the way. That being the case, we returned via the back door on the north slopes, and then out via the red Sargent Ponds trail. This was a much easier route, despite the need for some maintenance. We were back to the camp in time for lunch, and then learned that Nancy and Bill would be delayed a few hours. So, Holly's out paddling, and I'm spending a lazy afternoon with a good book, and maybe even a nap.

Getaway to Lake Adirondack

2011-08-04T20:16:00.010-04:00

(INDIAN LAKE, NY) For the past few days, we've been staying at the camp of some friends near Indian Lake, on Lake Adirondack. We'll be here over the weekend as well, and will have several friends and family coming to visit. Holly submitted the winning bid at a goods/services auction at her church, so here we are. It's a small camp on a small lake, but provides a good base camp for exploration of short hikes and ponds in the area.

Yesterday, friends John and Diane joined us for some paddling and dinner. We took a spin around Lake Adirondack, with its floating bog islands held in place by cables. We also saw a pair of loons with an immature but growing offspring.

This morning, we hiked Chimney Mountain, which in all my years of hiking, I had never been to before. First, we hiked to the "chimney" itself.

Then, we backtracked just a bit, and followed a well-worn herd path to the true summit, about 0.2 miles to the east. Here, there were views in all directions, dominated by Snowy Mountain to the west.

Finally, on the way down, we followed another of the many herd paths to another small ridge that faced the "chimney" from a short distance, giving a much better feel for its true size. Note the people at right.

There was also a nice view from this ridge down King's Flow, and included the Chimney Mountain Cabins, where we'd left the car.

From there, we followed more herd paths back to the main trail, and back to the car.

After lunch, we paddled the western end of Lake Durant, and saw another loon pair with a growing chick. Aside from the nearby highway noise from NY28/30, this was a nice place to paddle for an hour. We put in at the far end from the campground, near the Cascade Pond trailhead.

More company and more Adirondack adventures in the days to come.

Biking - Getting out early on a steamy morning

2011-08-01T16:59:00.002-04:00

With thunderstorms in the forecast for mid-day, I hit the road fairly early this morning to get in another longish ride. This one would be about 40 miles, including a climb up Grant Hill Road, followed by a breakfast stop in Voorheesville at about 15 miles.

The temperature wasn't all that high as I started out, but the humidity was stifling. I was pretty well soaked by the time I got to the top of Grant Hill and continued on to a much needed breakfast sandwich at Stewarts in Voorheesville. I also downed an OJ, and picked up a second Gatorade to go with the one I already had on the bike. It was going to be a day for lots of fluids.

The rest of the ride was mostly just rolling, with a couple of short slightly steep pitches. A couple of times, I felt the first hint of an approaching cramp, but downed some Gatorade and that seemed to solve the problem. I made it home in time for lunch, but first needed to cool down and dry out. The temperature was in the mid-80s by now, and the dewpoint was still around 70, so it was pretty uncomfortable.

Overall, this ride went much better than the 55-miler of a couple days past, and I rediscovered the touring rhythm of last year where I relax and just don't ever push it. It's a much more pleasant way to ride.

Biking - Warren County Bikeway

2011-07-31T14:33:00.003-04:00

My Long Island friends Ted and Diane were at their Saratoga condo for the week, so we connected and decided to ride the Warren County Bikeway today, from Glens Falls to Lake George, along with their friend Jim who was staying with them. It's about a 19-mile round trip, with a few gently rolling hills to keep it interesting.

With a 10:00am start, the temps were comfortable, and Ted, Jim, and I took it easy, while the women set out for a walk in the same direction. We expected to all meet up again around noon somewhere. The bike path was fairly crowded on a sunny summer Sunday, and I ran into another friend, Dick, and a couple of his friends out for the same ride.

We got to Lake George around 11:15, and decided not to tarry, but to start the return ride to at least come close to our 12:00 rendezvous time. As it turned out, we all reached the Cooper's Cave ice cream stop at exactly the same time, right at noon. We lounged around there for a bit, and then rode/walked the 3-4 blocks back to the cars after a pleasant and relaxed outing.

Biking - A much-needed long day in the saddle

2011-07-30T16:06:00.003-04:00

Today was still pretty warm, but the humidity of yesterday had dropped somewhat. I hadn't done many long rides this year, only once over 50 miles. And with the Ididaride coming up fast, I need to get out there and rack up some miles. I chose a riverside loop between Stillwater and Fort Edward, a 55-miler with about 1,579 feet of gentle climbing spread throughout. I like this ride, and usually do it at least once ever season.

Hudson River south of Schuylerville

Today, though the late morning was fairly cool, the northbound leg had a pretty strong northerly headwind, making it a lot tougher than it would normally have been. I was glad to arrive in Fort Edward and stop for a lunch break at the local Stewart's. It was getting warm out now, and I downed one Gatorade, and picked up another for the road, suspecting I might need it later.

The southbound leg was somewhat easier, without that infernal headwind. But somewhere around 35-40 miles, the legs had had enough. I stopped for an energy bar and half the Gatorade in Schuylerville, and then gingerly continued down East River Road back to the car. I was really ready to be finished, and was coasting whenever I could. This does not bode well for a 75-mile mountain loop only a few weeks away, especially with no more riding coming up until just a few days before. It might have been partly the extra work northbound because of the wind - at least I can hope. I also need to eat and drink more, a perennial problem. I've certainly lost a lot of endurance since last year, whatever the reason.

Disc golf and biking - back to the old grind

2011-07-28T22:01:00.001-04:00

I planned to spend today catching up on things around the house before tonight's SWC Thursday evening bike ride. But first, I decided to hit the disc golf course in Central Park early, before the crowds arrived later. So I got in two quick 18-hole rounds before 10:00, and then headed back home. The first round was my best ever (65 - par 57), but I got a little sloppy on the next one, nearly losing a disc on several occasions (72). Overall, it was a good outing, and a nice morning walk in Central Park.

Tonight's bike ride started in Clifton Park, a tough place to get to from Schenectady in rush hour. It took me about an hour to drive what would normally take only half that, and I just made it on time for the start. We wound our way through residential areas and on back roads onto the Zim Smith Trail, following it to its northern terminus in Ballston Spa. Then it was back to our host's house for the usual beer and pizza on a pleasant night outside.

Home from Canandaigua

2011-07-27T21:22:00.004-04:00

(CANANDAIGUA, NY) Last night, I was looking at the two other bike rides I wanted to do today, one around Conesus Lake, and the other around Keuka Lake. It turned out that each ride required a 45-minute one-way drive to the starting point. After yesterday's wanderings, and knowing I also had a 4-hour+ drive home later in the afternoon, I dropped those plans, and started thinking about a ride closer to home base.

When I woke up this morning much later than usual, I was having trouble getting excited about any biking at all. Just wasn't in the mood. So I went out for a big breakfast, and then spent several hours sitting in the lakefront park with a good book.

It was a pleasant spot, and the weather was cool, breezy, and delightful. It was a lazier day than planned, but well-spent nonetheless.

I'm home now, after a trip that was changed by weather and by roads differing from my expectations. It was a nice getaway and change of scene, but it's good to be home.