Posts Tagged ‘hiking’

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Gear Review: Brazos Walking Sticks

Everyone needs something or someone to lean on for support once in a while. Backcountry explorers are no different, whether it is a pair of telescoping hiking poles or simply a thick stick picked up along the trail. A pole or stick can assist with a wide range of backcountry situations from crossing a beaver dam to descending a mountain. This extra support becomes even more important as one gets older when the knee and hip joints need relief from the stress caused from hours of hiking over arduous terrain.

Although most hikers use the typical high-tech aluminum telescoping poles, there still remains a few who prefer the old-school wooden hiking sticks. These sticks are often found along the trail, especially near tricky wetland or beaver dam crossings. Occasionally, a hiker might develop an attachment to one of these sticks, removing the stick from its native habitat to live out a life as a trusty object of support and balance.

An alternative to these options is to buy a wooden hiking stick from Brazos Walking Sticks.

Brazos Walking Sticks makes a wide selection of walking sticks, canes, and accessories. The company’s walking stick line are an attractive alternative to the high-tech hiking poles for anyone but the most aggressive mountain climber.

Brazos products come in a wide variety of wood types including oak, cedar, ash, maple, cherry, pine and others. Each walking stick or cane is handcrafted by one of their gifted artisan craftsmen in central Texas, not far from the company’s namesake, the Brazos River.

Brazos Walking Sticks offers several different tip accessories for their walking sticks and canes. The black rubber ferrule is standard but for an additional price one of their other tips can be substituted. The Combi spike is the typical blunt metal type tip found on most traditional hiking poles. Two other sharper tips are also available.

In addition, there are several different accessories available for the handle of the walking stick. The compass, thermometer, whistle and camera mount are just a few likely to be of interest to a backcountry enthusiast.

Several cases are available for those who travel with their hiking stick using methods of locomotion involving more than just their own two feet.

The company customizes their products too. They engrave personal messages on their walking sticks in a variety of different fonts. This makes any of the Brazos Walking Sticks’ products a perfect gift for someone who does a lot of walking or hiking and could use a sturdy companion to accompany them. Each walking stick comes with a lifetime warranty against defects and a 100/100 Satisfaction Guarantee. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your stick, just return it within 100 days for a full refund, no questions asked.

Recently, I was sent a Brazos Backpacker Walking Stick to review. The options on it were few; it was dark brown in color and 55 inches in length, with no additional handle or tip accessories included. It was made of solid oak, and was very sturdy and finely finished. It was twisted in the middle giving it a very distinctive appearance.

My first impression, after removing it from the shipping tube, was of its fine craftsmanship. It was truly a thing of art; it was super smooth and finely stained to a beautiful dark brown color. The walking stick’s finish clearly brought out the natural beauty of the wood. This walking stick would be more appropriately mounted on a wall rather than out and about on the trails in the Adirondacks.

Near the top of the stick there was a small hole drilled through with a thin strap threaded forming a loop. This wrist strap would ensure the walking stick could not be easily dropped during a stumble on the trail.

Take care laying this walking stick on the ground while out on the trails within the Adirondacks though. Given its natural look and brown color it would be very easily left behind by accident. Perhaps a bit of florescent orange flagging on the top strap might elevate this possibility.

The Backpacker Walking Stick has a black rubber ferrule at its tip, much like one found on the end of crutches. This tip is not glued on, so one should take care when using the walking stick within muddy conditions or in bogs, lest the ferrule be lost in the muck. Brazos Walking Sticks offers several other tip accessories that might be more appropriate for the wild backcountry conditions found on many Adirondack trails.

The Brazos Backpacker Walking Sticks retails for $40. Any optional accessories would cost extra.

For anyone in the market for a quality, finely-crafted walking stick should take a serious look at the Brazos Backpacker Walking Stick or any other of Brazos Walking Sticks’ outstanding products. These beautiful walking sticks make the perfect companion for anyone into walking and/or hiking, whether just around town or in the backcountry of the Adirondacks.

Photos: Brazos Backpacker Walking Stick handle, walking stick and twisted section by Brazos Walking Sticks.

Dan Crane blogs about his bushwhacking adventures at Bushwhacking Fool.


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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Phil Brown: Climbing the ‘Hundred Highest’

What’s a mountain climber to do once he or she has summited the Adirondack Forty-Six, the Catskill Thirty-Five, and the Northeast 115? Create a new list, of course.

And so we have the Adirondack Hundred Highest—the obsession of hard-core hikers who don’t mind surrendering a few pints of blood in their quest to stand atop the region’s tallest mountains.

The Hundred Highest includes the forty-six High Peaks first climbed by Bob and George Marshall and their guide, Herb Clark, in the first quarter of the last century. All of these peaks now have marked trails or obvious herd paths, so climbing them is not as difficult as it was in the Marshalls’ day.



Not so with most of the other fifty-four of the Hundred Highest. Thirty-nine of these peaks lack trails. Climbing them entails bushwhacking up streambeds, scrambling over or under fallen trees, and pushing through phalanxes of spruce that guard the summits. Those who undertake such a trek can expect to be poked, scratched, bruised, and bitten. It’s not for inexperienced hikers.

In 2007, Spencer Morrissey wrote a guidebook titled The Other 54 for adventurous souls aspiring to join the Hundred Highest club. Morrissey estimates that only forty or so hikers have done all the peaks. Those who qualify can request a patch from the Hundred Highest website.

Morrissey sold all 2,500 copies of the first edition of The Other 54 and has just come out with a second edition, which he published under his Inca-pah-cho Wilderness Guides imprint (the name derives from the Algonquin name for Long Lake, Morrissey’s hometown). It remains the only guidebook available to bushwhacking the pathless peaks.

The second edition updates trail conditions, describes several additional routes, and corrects many misspellings and grammatical errors (full disclosure: my son was the copy editor). In an improvement over the first edition, Morrissey arranges the chapters (one per peak) geographically rather than by the heights of the summits. This makes it easier to plan multi-peak treks. He could have made things even easier, though, by dividing the book into regions and including locater maps.

Most chapters include at least one black-and-white photograph. All include a topographical map showing the various routes to the summit. In the first edition, all the maps were grouped in a color gallery at the back of the book. The current layout is more convenient, but the tradeoff is the maps are black and white.

One odd feature is that Morrissey repeats directions unnecessarily. In the chapter on Lost Pond Peak, for instance, he describes four routes to the summit, all starting on the same trail at Adirondak Loj. Instead of providing the driving directions once, he repeats them at the start of each route description. Likewise, sections of the route descriptions are repeated. It’s like déjà vu all over again.

Given the author’s enthusiasm and sense of humor, it’s easy to forgive the book’s shortcomings. Besides, whatever its flaws, The Other 54 is essential equipment for Hundred Highest aspirants.

A more serious criticism (whether justified or not) is that the book will lead to environmental degradation on summits that are now pristine, just as the Forty-Sixer craze led to the creation of herd paths.

“You simply can’t have thousands of people doing this, or even hundreds, and hope to maintain the resource or wilderness qualities of this place,” says Jim Close, an avid hiker who has climbed the Hundred Highest himself.

Since the Marshalls, more than seven thousand people have climbed the Forty-Six. They were rewarded with grand vistas on most of the summits. One wonders how many of these hikers would have wanted to endure an arduous bushwhack up Sawtooth No. 5 for a glimpse of the horizon through the trees.

Phil Brown is the editor of the Adirondack Explorer. The above review is adapted from an article that will appear in the September/October issue of the newsmagazine.



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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Jamie Savage: Have Kids Will Recreate

What follows is a guest essay by Jamie Savage, professor of forest technology at the SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry Ranger School at Wanakena, part of our series of essays from the Adirondack Forest Preserve Education Partnership (AFPEP).

Kids just want to have fun. They have fun when they feel safe and comfortable, when they’re well rested and well fed, and when they’re with family and friends in a stimulating environment. The key to getting kids involved with outdoor activities—and keeping them involved—is remembering and providing for these fun-damentals.

The following tips for successful adventures are based on my own experiences as a father, Outing Club advisor, and former summer camp counselor and those of several of my friends who regularly spend time outdoors with their kids.

Fun-damental #1: Kid-Centered Activities

My friends Caren and Brian allow their three children to take turns choosing their activities. They also encourage their kids to help plan each outing, offering maps, guidebooks, etc. as assistance. My friend Bill warns that what we adults consider a “good day’s outing” may not be appropriate for small children. Instead of hiking the Great Range in a day, consider something less ambitious—OK, a lot less ambitious—like a hike to the top of Roaring Brook Falls or up Mt. Jo. Start easy, he suggests, and let them grow into it; “They’ll soon grow up and you’ll be trying to keep up with them!”

My friend Celia, who regularly hikes, skis, camps, and paddles with her two children, adds, “Be willing to turn around—remember that these days are not about you.” Kathy, also a mother of two kids, could not agree more: “Take your time, and if your children are tired, take a break or cut short your day. Remember, this is not a race to a destination; it is all about what happens on the way.” Allow ample time for exploring and enjoying a waterfall, glacial erratic, or, if paddling, a clear, shallow bay where underwater flora and fauna can be observed.

Fun-damental #2: Safety and First Aid

As a parent, you want to keep your children safe and free from harm, but also give them some freedom to experience, explore, and learn from their surroundings. Accordingly, pick locations that are accessible and secure. Choose a trail that will allow you to let the kids run ahead a bit without fear of a cliff or dangerous stream crossing. Choose campsites that don’t present obvious dangers nearby, so that you feel comfortable letting your kids explore. The more kids feel free to do what they want, the more fun they will have.

My friends Bill and Sue do a lot of camping with their three children. Bill says that successful outings require some negotiation, particularly with his nine-year-old son. “If you want him to learn how to build a fire,” Bill says, “then you have to let him use the small hatchet. Yes, I know this is dangerous, but if you say ‘no’ to everything, you may as well not take him.”

Minor cuts and bruises are inevitable, especially on the knees and palms of our “four-wheel drive” kids, so I always bring a small first aid kit. I agree with my friend Kathy on some essentials: moleskin for blisters, small and large adhesive band-aids (including some big enough for knees and palms!), anti-bacterial cream like Neosporin, and sunblock. It’s also nice to have some wipes and/or a clean bottle of water in reserve for wound cleaning.

Fun-damental #3: Comfort

The more comfortable your kids are while they recreate, the more fun they are going to have, and the more positive their memories. Footwear is a critical piece of gear when it comes to staying comfortable in the outdoors. For many outdoor activities, I think it comes down to two kinds of shoes:

• Each year, Claire and I outfit our sons with a decent pair of hiking boots. They need to fit well, come up over the ankle, and be of decent quality. They will be outgrown before they wear out, so investing in the top of the line is not necessary.

• I also like our kids to have some type of water shoe, like a reef-walker type of pull-on. Flip-flops and open-toed sandals need not apply! I look for something that will protect toes and the bottoms of our kids’ feet. Water shoes are great for paddling, swimming in rivers and lakes, and just wearing around a grassy or sandy campsite. In general, try to choose footwear that is easy to put on and take off, and that dries out fairly quickly. And always bring extra socks! Once the kids’ feet are wet, it isn’t long before they start complaining that their feet are cold and/or sore.

Pesky insects can ruin anyone’s day, and they may even cause rashes, swelling, or other allergic reactions in younger children. If you’re out during the buggy season, or buggy time of day, encourage your kids to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats. I try to use as little bug spray as possible. If it’s really necessary, I use repellents with low amounts of DEET (25% or less), and apply it sparingly to hats, necks, and other places where the kids can’t reach to fend off attackers. Bug nets fitted over wide-brimmed hats also work quite well, if your child will tolerate such headgear. If using accessories like child carriers, jog strollers, or bike trailers (I recommend combination stroller/bike trailer rigs), invest in models that have good bug netting. Don’t let a few bugs keep you and your kids inside!

Fun-damental #4: Plenty of Good Food

Caren and Brian say that a BIG part of their family’s outdoor adventures is the planning of the food. They plan food together, assigning fun names to their infamous dishes (like the “outhouse wrap”). They even have traditional “camp meals” that they incorporate into every trip, like a special breakfast oatmeal.

Gorp (a.k.a. trail mix) is popular with many kids. Kathy and Bill’s crew get to make up their own the night before a hike, ski, or paddle. It gets the kids excited about the next day, and ensures that certain ingredients aren’t left uneaten at the bottom of the bag. Some of their favorite contents include Cheerios, raisins, dried cranberries, peanuts, cashews, chocolate chips, and M & Ms (of course!). One of my tricks is to bring along a bag of Starbursts, or something similar. I “award” them at the completion of a certain section of trail, and/or at the top of the mountain. It’s a great motivator. I do a similar thing with my college students by offering “S.M.A.F.C.R.s” (smafkers): Sweet Morsels Awarded For Correct Responses!

Fun-damental #5: Stimulating Environment

The fifth and final tip is to give kids fun things to do and fun people to do them with. Try brewing up some hot chocolate along the ski trail, give the kids ‘walkie talkies’ to play with, bring binoculars, write/sing songs about your adventures, conduct scavenger hunts, or hold plant identification contests. Don’t just take your kids to the outdoors—engage them in it.

My kids seem to have an even better time on our adventures if they are with some of their friends, or even just with other kids. They tease, challenge, and teach each other…and they smile and laugh a lot. No friends available? Try a puppy! Caren says that their dog Lily “gets them out and she is a blast to hike with.”

Bottom line: the more time you spend outdoors, the more comfortable your kids will become, and the more fun they will have.

This guest essay was contributed by the Adirondack Forest Preserve Education Partnership, a coalition of Adirondack organizations building on the Leave No Trace philosophy. Their goal is to provide public education about the Forest Preserve and Conservation Easements with an emphasis on how to safely enjoy, share, and protect these unique lands. To learn more about AFPEP visit www.adirondackoutdoors.org.


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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Adirondack Family Activities: Diane Chase: Getting Kids Hiking

The most common thing I am asked is how do I get my children to go hiking without complaining. The easiest answer is to make the attention about being outside and in nature not having to finish things.

Recently we completed the trail-less Adirondack High Peaks of Street and Nye with my seven-year-old and eleven-year-old and other family members in tow. My elder child ran up the mountain leaving his sibling behind. My daughter dragged in the back, overwhelmed with the responsibility of climbing a much touted 46er.

Having a father as a 46er (10x over) and Adirondack guide specializing in family and young adult trips for over 25 years, our children have grown up climbing, hiking and exploring the Adirondack Park. That does not mean that they do not complain, drag their feet or would rather look for frogs instead of spending a day hiking over rocks and fallen logs.

One thing that families can do to introduce young children to the joys of being out in nature is to take a smaller nature walk.

Children and adults can be easily overwhelmed with the idea that miles of trail are before them. There are many opportunities in the Adirondacks to take a “mini-hike.” Mini-hikes can be any length but I usually think of it as being a hike or walk that is a mile or less one way. By the way, mini-hikes are a great way for any age hiker to stretch his/her legs.

Let children help with the planning. Our children help pack “The Travel Bag.” Each person in our family has his/her own bag or backpack and updates the contents according to the season. No matter how young the children are, if they can walk they can carry something even if it’s an old purse with a granola bar in it. It is just one way to make them about the process.

If they are too young to help make lunch have them help mix up some GORP. (I always learned the high-energy snack as “good old raisins and peanuts.”) Mix a box of raisins and tin of peanuts into one container and shake. Add a favorite cereal, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds for a unique twist. When you stop to have a snack they can proudly state how they helped make it. Perhaps have a competition to name your special mix as you take your walk.

Distract and take the focus off the end result. If the focus is only on the summit the child (or adult) may start self-defeating behavior and miss the point, which is spending time together, enjoying nature and being outside.

My daughter climbed Street and Nye but we took our time. Instead of turning back, forcing her on or feeding into her behavior, all I asked of her is if she could walk until lunchtime. She agreed she could do that. Once lunch passed I asked if she would hike until she crossed a stream and so on. She soon forgot about hiking an Adirondack High Peak and just enjoyed being outside in nature.

Photo: Daughter touching top of Nye © Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities

This post is an excerpt from Diane Chase’s new guidebook Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) available for purchase online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores July 2011. Diane is currently researching the next guidebooks in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities covering the Lake Champlain Region Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga and the Central Region from Long Lake to Old Forge.


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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Philosophy: Wondering About Walking

Once upon a time wayfarers, who Thoreau writes “had a genius for sauntering,” were thought to be in search of the holy land. In this, the act of walking is itself a practical expression of a deliberate life that is bound by nothing but the search for something blessed.

These days we walk in solidarity, in opposition, in mourning as a funeral procession, to war we march from the French marcher to stride – and each time it is the behavior of walking and of setting-out that is a declaration.

Here in the Adirondacks on endless paths we go-ahead and follow Thoreau’s lead as he unlatches the door and steps out into the air. We sally forth in the way-making tradition that brings the thinking body into communion with its surroundings almost intuitively responding to Emerson’s call to hear what the earth says, as often we listen for thought’s new-found path.

In discussions around the body as a subject that can be read for meaning the way we read language, there is an idea called the body-moment that is meant to describe a dual sense of observance that happens at once in the body and the mind. In this double-bound world where the body and the landscape operate together, we recognize the self in a world of relations. This is the practice of life – or in our case the practice of walking – and the behavior of living that is twice connected, once with itself in the body and twice in the body on the land.

Whether we walk in service to a cause or in quiet homage for the landscape where we amble on, this fusion of mind and body in simultaneous observance invites a degree of attunement or awareness to the private, often solitary question of what it is we tune into as we wander away…

Marianne is a philosopher living, writing and teaching in the Adirondacks


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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Extreme Adirondacks: Surviving the 1995 Microburst

During a recent adventure into the heart of the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northeastern Adirondacks I found myself struggling through some blow downs and thinking about the 1995 Microburst. This devastating storm occurred on July 15, 1995 but its impact on the northeastern Adirondacks is still evident today and will remain so for a very long time.

But the storm’s impact is not on the land alone but on the people who experienced the storm as well. Since I was one of those individuals trapped in the backcountry on that day, I thought I would share my memory of the experience on the storm’s sixteenth anniversary.

Sixteen years ago, I was on a week-long adventure in the Five Ponds Wilderness. My first backpacking experience occurred two years prior but in two short year’s time I metamorphosized from a backcountry novice to a somewhat seasoned backpacker brave enough to venture alone into the heart of one of the most remote areas in the Adirondacks.

After a few days hiking I ended up at Sand Lake on July 14th where I intended to stay in the lean-to for the night. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were so horrendous that they forced me into setting up my tent for the night maybe ten feet away underneath the towering white pines.

The morning bird chorus woke me early around 5 AM. Instead of getting up and immediately starting my day, I just laid in my tent listening to the birds singing until in the distance I could hear a sound resembling that of a freight train bearing down on me out of the west.

And then there was nothing.

The next thing I remember is hearing a splash in the lake. The memory of the freight train did not even cross my mind as I scrambled to get out of my sleeping bag and down to the lake shore to see what I imagined to be a bear frolicking in the water.

At that time I assumed I must have drifted back asleep as the storm was approaching but as time passed I concluded the more likely explanation was that my mind blocked out the traumatizing event from my memory. To this day I remember nothing about the actual storm even though the events that followed remain as clear as the day I experienced them.

As I exited my tent the smell of pine was heavy in the air. Numerous pine boughs were scattered around on the ground but I ignored them in my haste to reach the sandy shoreline. There was no bear though; just one of the white pine trees from the esker between Sand and Rock Lakes that had fallen into the lake. Today the remains of this tree can be found along the sandy beach to the south of the trail leading to the natural sandy shoreline.

After investigating the several downed trees along the esker I dried off my equipment and set about moving northward still thinking the blow down was a rather isolated event. As I started northeast along the trail there were numerous narrow swaths of trees uprooted crossing the trail. As I navigated around each obstacle I continuously heard trees falling in the distance.

Even with the numerous impediments in the trail I was able to make the 3-mile journey to the Wolf Pond lean-to by early evening. As I approached the lean-to I found myself cut off from it by a wide swath of downed white pine trees. Just days before these trees had provided a park-like setting with almost no understory but now they lay on the forest floor downed all in the same direction. The swath of downed trees resembled an electrical wire right-of-way sans the trellises.

On the edge of the opposite side of the swath I could still glimpse the roof of the lean-to. Before I could make my way across the swath to the lean-to, which miraculously still stood despite many of the trees downed all around it, there was the sound of a helicopter flying low.

As a military-style helicopter passed over I stood and watched, waving casually so as not to give the impression I was in immediate need of assistance. After several passes it moved on leaving me uncertain at whether they had spotted me or not. At this point I still did not realize the enormity of the scale of the storm and merely thought it might take me an extra day or so to make my way back to Wanakena.

After removing some small logs from the roof of the lean-to and breaking the limbs off the top of a red maple whose canopy had ended up inside the lean-to, I settled down for my first night post-storm. The night was very silent and dark as if nature itself were still in shock from the early morning storm.

The next morning I continued to make my way back toward Wanakena where my vehicle was parked. Big Shallow lean-to was a reasonable day’s journey through the blow downs so I headed for there. Keep in mind this occurred prior to my fascination with lightening my backpacking load and therefore I was probably carrying a 60-lbs pack, which at the time was nearly 50 percent of my wiry 130 lbs frame.

Although there was the occasional swath of blow down along the trail there was nothing really significant until just before reaching the Little Shallow lean-to. At this point there was nearly 100% percent blow down forcing me to climb over, on, and through the mishmash of stems. At one point, while on top of a downed tree, I looked down perhaps 10 feet to see a path engraved in the forest floor indicating I was still on the trail despite having absolutely no markers to follow.

Upon reaching the Little Shallow lean-to I was surprised to once again find a fully unscathed shelter amid the wreckage that was once a mature forest. What kind of witchcraft does the Department of Environmental Conservation use to protect these shelters I wondered at the time.

After leaving the lean-to at Little Shallow Pond I attempted to follow the trail along the esker separating Washbowl Pond from Big Shallow but found the going so difficult I quickly abandoned the effort. Instead I decided to follow the Little Shallow outlet to Big Shallow Pond but before doing so I dropped my pack and climbed up onto the esker between Little Shallow and Washbowl Ponds. I wanted to get a better perspective of the extent of the devastation caused by the storm and the elevation of the esker would give me a much better view.

Upon reaching the top of the esker, still perched on top of the jumble of stems beneath me, I was shocked at the scene unfolding before me. As far as I could see to the east every tree appeared to have been blow down. The conifers lining Washbowl Pond were all down with their root masses now standing up vertically, facing me. It was at this point that the extent of the storm’s damage finally became evident to me.

Not far from my location stood a single snag, its entire canopy completely snapped off. From near the top of the snag there was a single limb still attached, although stripped of all its foliage. At the end of this limb was a single white-throated sparrow singing its heart out.

“Oh-Sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada” the little sparrow sang. After each chorus it looked at me as if to accuse me of some complicity in causing the catastrophe surrounding us.

“Don’t look at me!” I remember responding out loud.

Before descending the esker to reunite with my backpack I took a few minutes to practice my hand waving action in case of another opportunity for an airlift out of the area. I would not let such an opportunity pass again especially in the very hot mid-day temperatures with an increasingly clogging water filter.

When I returned to my backpack I consulted the map in preparation for abandoning the trail in an attempt to reach the Big Shallow lean-to. It was at this point I heard the loud swishing sound of a helicopter flying low. Soon the helicopter shocked me with its sudden appearance as it flew over the esker to the north and circled around my location. This gave me an opportunity to use some of my waving down skills practiced just moments before.

After circling the helicopter flew off to the north leaving me feeling somewhat abandoned. But in a few very long minutes the helicopter returned and landed in Little Shallow Pond near its northern shore. Due to dry conditions I was able to walk out through the shrubbery and reach the helicopter as it floated on the water without even getting my feet wet.

I was quickly ushered onto the helicopter by the three person crew. After some quick instructions on the use of the radio microphone I was able to answer the questions of the crew. By notifying them of my presence at Sand Lake during the storm and not seeing another soul on my way to this point they were able to concentrate their search elsewhere.

When they asked me for some personal information I enquired whether it was for billing purposes. At least my humor remained intact.

As we flew over the area I was able to get a better understanding of the scale of the damage from the storm. The storm had done its most extensive damage in concentrated areas appearing as if a giant ran through the forest leaving footprints of smashed trees. Apparently the giant occasionally fell, producing a long swath of downed trees where his body had struck the ground.

After a flight over the area the helicopter took me to Wanakena where it landed in a large elevated flat area close to the parking lot where my car was parked. Upon exiting the helicopter I waded through the small crowd of Wanakenians gathered nearby. For a few moments I learned what it meant to be a celebrity as the residents of Wanakena persistently questioned me about the storm and the conditions of the backcountry. Mingled within the questions were offers of free food necessitated by the continued lack of electricity. Obviously, celebrity has its privileges.

While I continued to answer all their questions the helicopter returned to let off two additional backcountry explorers who experienced the storm in the Big Shallow lean-to as mammoth white pines fell down around them. Soon the two recent arrivals became the center of attention as my 15 minutes of minor fame quickly receded. With the spotlight off me I returned to my car for the long drive back to the Syracuse area.

This experience continues to have indelible influence over me to this day. In a negative way, the mere distant rumble of thunder in the backcountry raises my hackles and gets my pulse racing. But in a positive fashion, I continue to enjoy a bond with the Five Ponds Wilderness area that I feel with no other area in the Adirondacks.

Because of this bond I continue to return to the Five Ponds area to investigate and explore the impact the 1995 Microburst despite the arduous effort and concomitant cursing necessary to bushwhack through its backcountry.

Photos: Blow down near Washbowl Pond in 1997, blow down near Wolf Pond lean-to in 1997 and blow down near Wolf Pond lean-to in 2011 by Dan Crane.

Dan Crane blogs about his bushwhacking adventures at Bushwhacking Fool.


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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Bushwhacking with Compact Binoculars

Imagine walking down a trail or bushwhacking through some dense underbrush. A flash of movement appears out of the corner of your eye that just might be a three-toed woodpecker (or any other bird, mammal, insect, plant or mineral of interest).

The backpack is carefully is removed, opened, and fished through in an attempt to find a full-sized pair of binoculars. After finally locating the binoculars, the case is opened and the binoculars are ready to be focused on this rare bird species (or mammal, insect, plant or mineral). Unfortunately, it is long gone and you are out of luck. » Continue Reading.


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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Bushwhacking Cowboy Beaver Meadow

There are many places in the Adirondacks where one can get away from the crowds but few as remote as the Cowboy Beaver Meadow in the northwestern corner of the Pepperbox Wilderness.

The Cowboy Beaver Meadow is a series of beaver swales along the Alder Creek. Nearby one can find a lovely unnamed pond and several beaver created wetlands. But if you expect to find any crowds then think again; this is a rarely visited place. Other than the occasional bushwhacker or hunters during the fall this place probably rarely gets many visitors.

The Cowboy Beaver Meadow is an ideal place for those contemplating exploring the backcountry beyond the trails and trying their hand at bushwhacking. Bordered on the east and south by the Alder Creek, north by a dirt road south of Spring Pond and west by the Herkimer/Lewis county line this area allows for testing one’s navigation skills while providing enough natural/man-made landmarks to remain oriented on a map.

The origin of the name for these beaver meadows along the Alder Creek remains unknown. According to a posting on the Adkforum website, the beaver meadow was named after a mysterious cowboy who made his residence in the area around the time of the Civil War.

Gaining access to the Cowboy Beaver Meadow is a challenge. The easiest access is from the west out of Croghan via Prentice Road, a gravel road that eventually turns south and becomes the Main Haul Road. This is a fairly decent dirt road suitable for most cars but caution is required due to the occasional ATV traffic.

Although the Main Haul Road continues to the Soft Maple Reservoir, the Cowboy Beaver Meadow parking area lies at the end of Sand Pond Road located just south of the Sand Pond parking lot. Do not expect a sign or register here, although an old “Parking Area” sign nailed on a tree is present, it is now mostly obscured by new growth.

Historical topographic maps show the area once had a more significant human presence than it does today. An unimproved road once followed along the Alder Creek through the beaver meadow on its way from Long Pond to Crooked Lake. In addition, another road left the beaver meadow and headed up along Pepperbox Creek. A winding, low rock ridge resembling a beaver dam made of boulders that crosses the Alder Creek between beaver ponds is probably the remnants of this old road.

In addition to the rare human artifact there are numerous natural landmarks to investigate in this area, including the many beaver ponds along the Alder Creek, an unnamed pond and a hill with steep forested cliffs.

The unnamed pond provides an attractive place for camping while visiting the area. Several islands exist within the pond although they are merely muddy, slightly raised areas covered with semi-aquatic grasses, sedges and other vegetation. Beavers and hooded mergansers frequent this pond and its islands.

Many dead trees choke the shoreline of the pond. Along the west shore sits a large, stick nest located at the top of one of these snags near the shoreline. This nest may belong to either a great blue heron or possibly an osprey but remained unoccupied during the late summer.

An elevated area between the pond and the beaver swales along Alder Creek provides an opportunity to gain some perspective on the area. The forested cliffs provide a destination but do not expect much in the way of views. Although the hills to the east beyond the Alder Creek can be seen through the tree canopy these minimal views are merely a tease since a clear view of the Cowboy Beaver Meadow remains elusive. A better view may be available during the autumn months after most of the leaves have descended from the canopy.

The Cowboy Beaver Meadow is the main attraction of the area. This meadow is a series of beaver swales following along the Alder Creek as it meanders toward the Beaver River to the south.

The meadows range from wide and relatively dry open, shrubby areas to just a narrow corridor surrounding the creek. Most of the creek is slow moving with many pools along its length but at some points, the tannin-rich water flows swiftly over bare rock with frequent small waterfalls. Opportunities for crossing the stream and exploring to the east of the creek are plentiful in late summer.

For those wanting to experiment with bushwhacking in a seemingly remote area should consider the Cowboy Beaver Meadow area within the northwestern Pepperbox Wilderness. The area provides a beaver pond, a series of beaver swales along the Alder Creek and human artifacts from bygone days. So, saddle up and enjoy!

Photos: Beaver pond within Cowboy Beaver Meadow, unnamed pond and rocky portion of Alder Creek by Dan Crane.

Dan Crane blogs about his bushwhacking adventures at Bushwhacking Fool.


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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Outdoor Gear: Bug Season Head Nets

A recent weekend in the northwestern Adirondacks during May gave me a new perspective on surviving black fly season in a year with a prodigious amount of rainfall. The size and intensity of the swarm continuously hovering around my head not only necessitated a plethora of insect repellent but the frequent use of a piece of equipment that rarely sees the light of day: the head net.

Although a good head net is a necessity during black fly season, it probably should be carried at all times during the warmer months. A head net can sometimes come in handy beyond black fly season when camping in a mosquito-frequented area or anytime no-see-ums congregant on your head in large numbers.

An effective head net should be black in color and have mesh small enough to keep away even the tinniest of blood sucking insects. An elasticized closure at the bottom of the head net is helpful to seal off the mesh around your neck. In addition, it should be compact and lightweight enough to easily and conveniently fit within an overstuffed backpack on a multi-day trip.

The dark color of the mesh has little to do with making a fashion statement. The dark color reduces the amount of glare from the sun when wearing the head net. This can be of critical importance if you plan on doing any birding while wearing the head net.

Despite their porous nature, head nets can be very hot when worn. Although this can be an advantage on cold days when a hat is not available, it is usually an added annoyance on warm days especially with a swarm of ravenous blood-sucking insects about your head.

On those days when the swarm is especially intense, drinking and eating can be done without taking off the head net. Drinking should be done right through the mesh but it is best to refrain from drinking anything other than water since any residue left behind may attract larger, and potentially more dangerous, wildlife.

Eating is also possible while wearing a head net. With the right type of head net, eating can be accomplished by placing the food inside the head net and then manipulating the food article with your hands from outside the head net. This is an excellent technique for keeping the swarm of insects from landing on and potentially ruining your meal as well. Take care not to attempt to eat anything sticky this way though, as any residue left behind will create the same problem as non-water drinks.

A lightweight head net will alleviate any associated anxiety of carrying a potentially extraneous piece of equipment for the extremely weight-conscious backcountry explorer. Compactness ensures the fine mesh does not get ripped during the packing process, preventing a potentially painful breach in your insect protection barrier (repairable with duct tape, if necessary).

Head nets tend to come in two different types. One resembles a mesh hood while the other tends to incorporate one or more rings into the mesh so as to keep the mesh away from one’s face. The hooded type should be avoided as the mesh tends to end up resting on one’s face more often giving the ingenious little buggers an opportunity to do some blood-sucking.

The head nets using rings are definitely superior to the hooded type. The rings, made of hard plastic, foam or metal, keep the mesh away from the face and therefore provide more effective protection. The rings’ material should not be too easily bent or anyone with even a moderate case of obsessive-compulsion disorder may spend many hours attempting to get them back into their original shape.

Two head nets made by popular outdoor manufacturers are the Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net and the Outdoor Research Deluxe Spring Ring Headnet.

The Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net is a perfect example of the hooded type of head net. It is a very lightweight head net with a true black mesh that packs up into its own very small stuff sack. This head net weighs only 1.3 ounces and the typical prices online range from $8 to $10.

Unfortunately, this head net has one crucial flaw. With 500 holes per square inch the head net is completely ineffectual for no-see-ums. This flaw became painfully apparent to me on a trip to Big Shallow Pond in the Five Ponds Wilderness several years ago. This flaw makes the Sea to Summit head net ineffectual for use in the Adirondack for all those who do not enjoy no-see-um bites.

In contrast, the Outdoor Research Deluxe Spring Ring Headnet is one of the better ring head nets available from the major outdoor equipment manufacturers. The mesh is very finely woven; not even the runt of a no-see-um litter could possibly penetrate it. This head net packs down to a small size and is very lightweight, weighing a mere 2.2 ounces. This head net has a manufacturers suggested retail price of $19.

An important feature of the OR Deluxe Spring Ring head net is the aluminum ring sewn within the mesh located about chin-level. This ring keeps the mesh away from your face and therefore keeps the little bloodsuckers from biting you where the mesh rests against your skin. Unfortunately, it needs to be worn with a hat otherwise the blood suckers can easily bite your scalp through the mesh (and your hair) on the top of your head. When twisted this aluminum ring collapses into a smaller size so it can be packed within the attached stuff sack and stowed away in your pack.

One minor flaw of the OR head net is the color of the mesh. Although the mesh is dark in color, it is not quite black. It appears to be more charcoal in color and therefore does not provide all the reduction in glare possible. Unless the head net is going to be used in direct sunshine where glare can be an issue (e.g. birding), this should not be a major concern.

During the height of bug season it is important to use any means available to maintain your sanity when surrounded by hordes of blood-sucking insects such as black flies, mosquitoes and deer flies. A head net can be one of the best ways to protect your head and maintain your mental health during this time of the year. Just be sure to use one that is effective against all of the possible pesky blood-sucking insects present.

Photos: Outdoor Research Deluxe Spring Ring Headnet by Outdoor Research and Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net by Sea to Summit.

Dan Crane blogs about his bushwhacking adventures at Bushwhacking Fool.


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Saturday, May 28, 2011

ADK to Host Leave No Trace Traveling Team

The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) will host the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers for awareness workshops and trailhead greetings on May 26-30.

Leave No Trace is a conservation movement that promotes sustainable outdoor recreational practices for the benefit of people and the natural environment. The Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers provide hands-on educational workshops and trainings across the country. Each presentation is unique, from an hour-long workshop to a two-day Leave No Trace Trainer Course. They work with a wide range of audiences, such as youth-serving organizations, college students, outdoor guides, park rangers and more.

Highlights of the Leave No Trace programs planned for the Adirondak Loj/Heart Lake Program Center include:

* Campfire Presentation (for campground and Loj guests) Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m.

* Trailhead Greetings (for hikers at the Loj trailhead) Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The teams greet outdoor enthusiasts at popular trailheads and talk with them about Leave No Trace and the special concerns about the area they’re enjoying. The teams hand out free information and encourage visitors to practice Leave No Trace while they’re on the trail.

* Awareness Workshop (free and open to the public) Sunday, May 29, at 7 p.m. at the High Peaks Information Center. The teams conduct programs that may include a brief history of the Center for Outdoor Ethics organization, slideshows, games and information on how to become a Leave No Trace steward. The teams have conducted these types of trainings for retail store employees, visitors to national parks, youth organizations, university groups and others.

About the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
The award-winning Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is the international leader in sustainable recreation practices. The nonprofit organization teaches children and adults vital skills to minimize their impacts when they are outdoors. The center’s goal is to connect people to the natural world by providing tools and training to help them enjoy the natural world in an environmentally sustainable way. Leave No Trace is the most widely accepted outdoor ethics message used today on public lands across the nation by all types of outdoor recreationists. For more information about the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics or the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Program visit www.LNT.org.


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