Disc golf - A couple of windy rounds

After yesterday's cramp-fest on the bike, I decided to take it easy today.  Despite the winds, it was a very nice morning, so I got out for a couple of early rounds of disc golf in Central Park.  It had been a couple of weeks since I'd played, and the wind was definitely a factor, but I finished with rounds of 67 and 66, only a little worse than average.  The Central Park Rose Garden was in its full blooming splendor, and there were lots of people out enjoying the morning.

Later, I helped Holly with some yard work, and then came home and took care of some of my own.  Aside from that, it was a quiet non-physically demanding day as I let the legs recover from that strange day yesterday.

Biking - A hilly 48 before the heat to come

Some friends and I got out for a fairly serious ride today, 48+ miles and 2,500 feet of climbing, starting off with the 7 miles up to Mariaville.  From there, it's a rolling 17 miles with nice views, along the eastern edge of the Schoharie Valley, and down to Fort Hunter along the Mohawk River. 

 
As always when out this way, we stop at Karen's Produce and Ice Cream for a well-deserved break and something to eat.  Since it was only 10:30, I settled for a strawberry sundae before we continued on our way.

The flat route back along the Mohawk found us grinding into a pretty good headwind, and then came the final few smallish climbs.  On the first one, at 46 miles, my quads cramped up solid, and I was done.  This is the third time in less than 2 years that I've had this issue at exactly that mileage.  I was well-hydrated, and remain somewhat mystified about this problem, as I have been previously.  In 2010, I biked from coast to coast, 75 riding days, many in the 60-80 mile range, with lots of climbing and in ridiculous heat, and never cramped once.  I really need to figure this out.

Up until that point, it was a very nice ride, one of our favorites.  Thanks to Bill for picking me up a short distance from the finish.

June 11-15 - A short getaway to Martha's Vineyard

Details and some pics to follow whenever I get around to it.

Bear Swamp Preserve - A short walk, and then more biking later

Several year ago, Holly and I took my daughters Katy and Theresa to the Bear Swamp Preserve, near Westerlo.  The place is renowned for its giant rhododendrons, many over 30' tall, and we were hoping to catch them in bloom.  When we arrived, the trail was flooded by beavers less than 100' from the parking area, so that trip was a bust, and we've never been back.

The rhododendrons usually bloom in early July, but with the unusual year we've had, I thought that just maybe they'd be a little early.  So I went to find out.

I first walked the short trail to the north of the road, which promised an overlook of the rhododendron swamp.  It was somewhat overgrown and neglected in spots, but did lead me to a pretty good overlook.  This would be a good dry place to see the rhododendrons in bloom, which they were not.  Will file this location away for a later trip sometime.

 Nearby was a memorial stone dedicated to those involved in creating this preserve.

After returning to the car, I set out to try the longer yellow trail on the south side of the road.  This was where we'd been stymied on that earlier trip.  Sure enough, the trail straight ahead was still flooded in about the same spot, and had a "Trail Closed" sign on it.  But just before that sign, yellow trail markers directed me off to the left, raising my hopes of a longer walk.  But it was not to be.  This trail was flooded as well, so I returned to the car.

Note the yellow trail marker on the tree just above center

Later on, tonight was our weekly SWC beer and pizza ride, this time from a host's camp on Galway Lake.  The weather was questionable, and we weren't sure we'd get it in, but planned to go regardless, for the socializing and just to enjoy the place on the lake.  As it turned out, the weather cooperated and the ride was on.  I chose the 19.4-mile hilly option, which got stretched to 23 miles when our group missed a turn, also adding some more hills. 

1,585 feet of total climbing

Then it was back to the hosts' camp for some delicious casseroles and beer to cap off the night.

Biking - The rain that never was

Some friends and I were planning to get out for a fairly serious bike ride this morning, but when we got up, it was drizzly and bleak outside.  The radar looked like there would be actual rain just about in time for our 8:30 start, so we decided to wait an hour and see what happened.  By then, it seemed that the approaching showers were dissipating as they got closer, so we decided to just go for it.  And we were glad we did.  We only got a couple of brief sprinkles all day, and had a great ride that even included some sunshine.

Judy and I met at Bill and Gina's house in Westhill, just up the road from Rotterdam Square Mall.  From there, we climbed to Mariaville for about the first 8 miles, and then we wandered around up in the hills on the east side of the Schoharie Valley before dropping back down to the Mohawk River and heading back to Rotterdam.  There, we faced the short steep series of climbs back up to Westhill.  All told, we covered about 42 miles with 2,700 feet of total climbing, definitely my toughest ride so far this year.  Back at the house, Gina pulled together a scrumptious lunch, and we sat and talked for a while before calling it a day.  I think we'll all be feeling this one tomorrow.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

The weather this week promises to be unsettled every day, so this morning, I looked at the weather radar, and decided to sneak in a couple of early rounds of disc golf, which only requires less than 2 hours.  The first few holes had me thinking I should have stayed home, but then I settled down and birdied 7-8-9, and finished with an OK score for that nine.  The back nine was fairly routine, though the "putter" continued to be hot, and I finished with a respectable 63, or 6 over par.  The second time around, I was at even par after the first nine, and was hoping for a special round.  But a couple of stupid mistakes cost me penalty shots on the back nine, and I could still do no better than a 62 overall.  Both rounds were several shots better than average, and I see a definite improvement trend here.

There was only one short misty period for the whole morning, and then the day actually turned out better than forecast.  Hoping for more of the same weather tomorrow for a long bike ride, but hopefully sans the mist.

Disc golf and biking - a busy week

Another quick update - lots to do.  Went for a couple of rounds of disc golf in Central Park on Tuesday, with heat and big rain expected in the afternoon.  The morning wasn't bad, though very muggy, and I had two very good rounds of 62-62.  How's that for consistent?  The "putter" was uncharacteristically hot and saved me from disaster on several occasions.

Thursday night was the weekly SWC beer and pizza ride, this time in the hills of West Glenville.  We did 16-17 miles on a cool night, with only one climb of any significance, and adjourned to our host's house for beer and pizza afterwards.  There was a big crowd, nearly 40 people, probably because of the beautiful weather.

Staying close to home today, and getting some things done around here.

Biking - Another great morning to get in some miles

Today was expected to be hazy, hot, humid, and heavy on the thunder later in the day, so I got out early while it was still pleasant for a 40-mile local loop without a whole lot of climbing.  This was basically a leg-testing and butt-conditioning ride - I need to get in more of these before some longer organized rides later in the summer.

The elevation profile above looks worse than it is, since the hills and the numbers are actually pretty small.  But the distance forced me to manage the drinking and eating of a longer ride, and a stop at the Stewart's in Voorheesville was a big help with that.  I picked up some Gatorade and an energy bar in case I needed them later, and I was glad I had them to supplement the water I'd brought along.

I finished the ride feeling pretty good, especially after 32 miles yesterday and hiking the two days before that.  The rain never materialized, another blown forecast, but it did get much hotter and somewhat more humid later on as expected.  Tomorrow looks similar, but with rain more likely, so I'll just have to wait and see if I can get something in.

Biking - Saratoga-Ballston Lake Loop

My friend Ted was up from Long Island this holiday weekend, and wanted to get out for a ride.  He has a second home in Saratoga, so I suggested a 30-mile ride starting at SPAC,  heading south, and looping around the southern end of Ballston Lake.  I had done this ride once before, and it worked out pretty well.  We timed it so that Ted and his wife Diane and Holly and I could all get together for lunch afterwards.

It was a beautiful dry cool calm morning as we set off, just a perfect day for riding, and there were lots of other bicyclists on the roads.  We finished as planned with time to spare, and then headed off to 50 South for a late lunch, followed by some pie back at Ted and Diane's place.  By now, it was getting warm outside, and we were glad we'd gotten the ride in early.  Great day with great friends.

Hiking - Tully Mountain and Warner Hill, MA

On Saturday, we hiked with some friends to Warner Hill, a small summit on the Appalachian Trail east of Pittsfield, MA.  It's about a 3-mile section of the AT, for an out-and-back hike of a little over 6 miles.  We had to first pass over Tully Mountain, a flat summit with no view, but in general, the trail was well-worn and only gently rolling.  This was a good thing, given the high humidity as we hit the trail - we'd all be pretty worn out by the end of the day.

The most amazing thing about this trail section was the profusion of ferns.  According to the trail guide, the most common were spinulose wood ferns, not that I would ever know that or be able to identify them again.  They were everywhere, but especially in the open fields as we approached the summit of Warner Hill.

The summit had nice views to the north and west, with the Taconic Range and Mount Greylock being most prominent.  We could also see the spinning wind turbines at Jiminy Peak, near Hancock.

Taconic Range to the west

Mount Greylock in the far hazy distance

There was a nice breeze here, and virtually no bugs at all, so we had a leisurely lunch before retracing our route.  It seemed a lot longer heading back, probably because of the toll the humidity had taken on us earlier.  It was improving now, but the damage had been done.  The ice cream stop on the way home was definitely most welcome.

Hiking - Dutton Mountain explorations

Today some friends and I continued our exploration of possible routes for the North Country National Scenic Trail through the Adirondacks.  A recent decision by federal regulators has placed a long-idle railroad bridge back into freight service, and since the NCNST was counting on using that bridge to cross the Hudson River north of North River, we needed to scout out part of an alternative plan.  Here, the bridge is seen far below.

We left a vehicle on 14th Road in Minerva, and drove north on NY-28N and down Northwoods Club Road to start the hike.  Though we expected a 3-mile complete bushwhack, we did find traces of a faint path at times throughout the day.  The first led us to the overlook above, with a great view right up the gut of the start of the Hudson River Gorge.  Blue Mountain towered in the hazy background.

Continuing along the edge of the steep side of Dutton Mountain, we found another view from a slightly different angle but just as spectacular.

But this day wasn't just about views.  Leaving this viewpoint, we nearly stepped on this beautiful Luna Moth just sitting in pine needles next to a tree, and moving when lightly prodded to prove it was alive.

A little further along, we came to an open slope with lots of low blueberry bushes, but sprinkled with 30-40 pink lady slippers.  Somebody even saw a pure white one, but I missed it.

As we descended steeply through thick and lush brush, we were surprised to find many large stands of maidenhair fern, not something we see every day.

Back at the spotted vehicle, we were transported to the nearby camp of one of our hikers, where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch on his front lawn while the other car was retrieved.  It had been a pretty short hike, but with great views and lots of other things to see.

Biking - SWC Thursday night ride

Having been off the bike for a full week (again!), I decided to go to the SWC Thursday night beer/pizza ride tonight, and just go for an easy spin.  I didn't choose the hilly 22-mile route, but the gently rolling 14 sounded just right.  I didn't push, never broke a sweat, and just had a pleasant ride.  And pizza.  And beer.  Early day tomorrow, so I didn't hang around very long afterwards.

Catch-up time...

OK, I've been getting lazy about this blog.  I missed two posts last week, so will add a few words now.

On Thursday, May 17, I joined SWC's Thursday night beer and pizza ride, in Altamont.  It was a hillier ride than I've been doing, and it wore me out.  The beer and pizza were most welcome.

On Saturday, May 19, Holly and I and three friends tackled our semi-annual trail maintenance on the Northville-Lake Placid Trail, near Lake Durant.  It was another tough day, capped off by the traditional ice cream stop.

Tonight is another bike ride, and I'm hiking both of the next two days.  I'll try to do better here, I promise.

Disc golf - Schenectady Central Park

It was a rain-free morning, but things needed to dry out for a while before I could squeeze in mowing the lawn before the expected afternoon thunderstorms.  So I headed over to Central Park for some disc golf for the first time in about 3 weeks, not expecting any scoring miracles after that long layoff.  On the first hole, I hit nearby trees on the first 3 successive shots, and thought I'd be in for a long morning.  But then I settled down and threw for a 65 and then a 62 (par 57), both better than my average, and not bad at all considering I hadn't been out recently.

The park was abuzz with maintenance workers, mostly mowing the lawns, which were very wet.  My feet were soaked by the time I finished, but I'd salvaged part of a day that promised to be messy later on.  Got home in time to catch the end of today's stage of the Giro d'Italia bike race from Italy, then had lunch and mowed the lawn.  T'storms are now on the way, but at least the day wasn't a total waste.

Hiking - Taconic Crest Trail End-to-End Weekend

Every year, the Taconic Hiking Club runs an Endurance Challenge on the Taconic Crest Trail, which runs along the Taconic Ridge on the NY/MA border.  The trail itself is 35 miles long, but the Challenge "only" covers 29 miles of that total.  It's a tough day, with over 7,000 feet of total climbing, and you'd better be in great hiking shape before you consider attempting it.  I did it 10 years ago, when I was younger and stupider, and have no desire to do it again.  But the event requires lots of volunteers to make it happen, so this year I got involved at that level.

On Friday, the day before the hike, five of us carried 7 gallons of water up the 2.65-mile Mattison Hollow access trail below the ridge to the 13-mile point of Saturday's hike 800+ feet above.  This would be one of the places where hikers could replenish their water and supplies.  Since I would be hiking up that same trail the next day, and it was an hour's drive from home, I decided to camp at the hike's starting point at Berry Pond Campground with many other volunteers and most of the hikers.  After dinner at the Bridgeway Filling Station, a biker bar in Cherry Plain, after our water supply hike, two others and I drove up to Berry Pond, listened to the briefing given to the hikers, and then I settled in for an early sleep, this time in my car.  

Up at 4:30 to get organized and avail myself of the hot breakfast served at 5am, it was a short and fitful night.  The kitchen and assembly area were in full swing when I arrived.

The club's trail master, Colin, and bagpiper, Neil, made an interesting contrast in outfits.

Promptly at 5:30 am, Neil bagpiped and led the hikers off the start line and on to the beginning of a very long day.  A short video is below.

My duties for the day of the hike, along with three others, involved driving back to the same trailhead as the previous day, and carrying the hikers' resupply bags (lunches, etc.) up to that same 13-mile point where we'd already left the water.  Once all the hikers had passed through that point several hours later, we would follow behind them to the 21-mile point as sweeps, in case any of them ran into trouble.  This alone was a tough enough day for me, with 10.5 total miles and 2,700 feet of total climbing.

It was a picture-perfect day weather-wise, with temps climbing into the 60s and low 70s, and not a cloud in the sky all day.  We were amazed by the profusion of trout lilies still blooming everywhere at this higher elevation.

After many ups and downs, we finally reached the summit of Berlin Mountain, the highest point on the trail at just under 2,800 feet.  The views to the east were wide and expansive, including Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts.

We lingered here for a while with a tired hiker until she was ready to continue, and then descended, and ascended, and descended, to Petersburg Pass, the end of our section.  Cold drinks awaited, and then we were driven back to our cars after a long and tiring day.  But it was only 4:30pm, and the last hiker on the 29-mile hike didn't finish until after 8pm, so we really couldn't whine very loudly.

Biking on a very iffy weather day

My friend Phil was in town from Long Island for a few days, and we wanted to get out for a ride, the only available days being Wednesday and Thursday.  Today's weather appeared to be headed for low 70s and a minimal chance of showers, with bigger winds on Thursday, so we planned on getting out today.  The radar was clear as I prepared to leave, and called Phil to tell him it was a "go".  Then, as I was actually leaving the house, the drizzle started, and continued off and on all the way to Saratoga where we were meeting.  Damn.

When Phil arrived, we decided that since the drizzle was only sporadic and it wasn't actually raining, and since we'd both driven a ways to meet there, we'd at least give it a try.  The weather steadily improved as we biked along back roads in southern Saratoga County, and we even had to shed some layers as we stopped for ice cream at Lakeside Farms.  It only got better from there, with breaks of sun appearing as we wound our way toward and through Ballston Spa and back to the cars.  It was a pleasant 30 miles with lots of conversation, and we were glad we hadn't given up on what looked like an unlikely biking day.

Hiking - Shelving Rock Mountain and Falls

A beautiful day was on tap, so Holly and I got out for a short hike on the east side of Lake George.  Shelving Rock Mountain is only a 1.7-mile hike from Shelving Rock Road, and has great views of Lake George for a minimum of effort.  Neither of us had been here before, and new territory is getting harder to find, so this was a very interesting day out.

Many of the trails off of Shelving Rock Road, west of the Hogtown Trailhead, follow old carriage roads built long ago by the Knapp Estate (can't find a good link).  The trail to Shelving Rock Mountain is no exception, with gentle grades and many switchbacks.

At the summit was a great view of southern Lake George.  It almost didn't look real.

To the east, we could see the cliffs of Sleeping Beauty Mountain.

Below the summit, we found a herd path to the top of some cliffs with panoramic views of the lake, from its south end to Montcalm Point, the southern tip of the Tongue Mountain Range.  We had lunch here and lingered for a while.

On the descent, we noticed some of the only wildflowers of the day, many columbine growing on the sunniest hillsides.

When we got back to the car, we replenished our water, and then walked a short distance down the road to another gated carriage road, this one leading to the top of Shelving Rock Falls.  This was a very nice waterfall with a steep gorge below.  But since waterfalls are best viewed from the bottom, we found our way down for some wonderful views.

Returning to the car, we had covered a grand total of 3.7 miles and taken in some wonderful scenery close to home on a beautiful day.  The obligatory ice cream stop finished it off as we headed for home.

Biking - Albany Bike Expo 2012

Today was the second annual Albany Bike Expo, in Washington Park.  It was organized and sponsored by Albany Bicycling Coalition and New York Bicycling Coalition, both headquartered in Albany.  It would have seemed silly to drive to such an event, so being the biker that I am, I decided to bike over there and check it out.  I used to commute by bike to Albany during the last few years I was working there, so already had a familiar route picked out.

The event was held at the Washington Park Lake House and the surrounding area, and included many vendor tables as well as ABC, NYBC, and other local bike advocacy organizations.  I don't usually spend a lot of time browsing at these sorts of things, but it was heartening to see how much this event has grown since last year.  Kudos to all who pulled this together!

Photo by Bert Schou

I arrived in time for a short 8-mile guided ride around various parts of Albany to look at some of the new bike amenities that have recent been installed.  There are bike lanes, sharrows, and signage designed to make bicycling easier and safer on some streets in the city.  There need to be more of these, and they really need to be added to some Schenectady streets as well.

After that guided ride, and chatting with a few friends there, I turned for home, winding up with about 38 miles on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Biking - An easy 12 miles

Since we were heading to a Cinco de Mayo party later this afternoon, and had other things to get done this morning, Holly and I got out for a short easy ride from her house in Burnt Hills after lunch.  We followed the short route that we provide when she hosts an SWC Thursday night ride every year, which she did this past Thursday.  It's 11-12 miles of gently rolling country roads, and I rode an old mountain bike intended as an "equalizing" factor.  We topped off the afternoon with some great Mexican treats and Dos Equis with friends as the weather steadily improved, turning into a beautiful spring day.

Walk - Limping along the Lisha Kill

I had originally planned to bike today, but the weather changed from the forecast of sunny and 60s to the reality of cloudy and 50s, and I just couldn't get inspired.  I puttered around all morning waiting for some afternoon improvement that never came, and finally decided to get out for a walk instead.  My knee is still a little tender from some unknown incident over the weekend, so I opted for the Lisha Kill Preserve, nearby and with a couple of miles of varied terrain to see how things were progressing.  I wasn't actually limping, just a little uncomfortable and tentative, and slower than usual.  There weren't a lot of flowers to be seen, so this was just a slow casual stroll among the big trees.  I could probably do OK hiking with some ibuprofen and an elastic knee brace, but will hope for some improvement over the next week before I volunteer to help out with the Taconic Hiking Club's biennial End-To-End hike of the Taconic Crest Trail.