Posts Tagged ‘hiking’

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Tim Rowland’s Fourth Of July Adventure

view of Giant from High BankI am a firm believer in the celebrated “Ten Essentials” that every hiker should carry in his pack when he sallies forth into the bush — which for me generally amounts to a map, a compass and eight Advil. Of course the list of essentials includes a lot of other stuff, as well, and is readily searchable online.

It’s good to be aware of the list because you never know about weather, you never know about a bad step on a rock, you never know when you are going to need a little extra gas in the tank and, well, you just never know. It’s amazing to me how just a few steps off a well-beaten path can leave you feeling just as lost as Fred Noonan over the South Pacific.

But we all backslide a bit. I frequently fail to carry Essential #10, Emergency Shelter on a two-mile out-and- back to Baker Mountain. But within reason I’m pretty good about it, partly out of prudence, partly because I don’t want to get “that look” from other hikers on the trail, the one that says “Look Carol, he is wearing COTTON. To the STAKE with him.” » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Two Weeks In The Adirondacks: 3 Dead; 15 Search and Rescues; 1 Remains Missing

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, July 9, 2017

Your Dog And The Adirondack Forest Preserve

dog on leash

Dog owners should act responsibly and always ensure that their dogs are under the control; for the safety of the dog and wildlife, and to allow an enjoyable outdoor experience for other recreational users.

Wildlife approached by dogs may feel threatened and defend themselves, causing injury to the dog. Porcupines, racoons, coyotes, bears, moose and deer can all cause injury to dogs when cornered. Also there is a danger of rabies, distemper or other wildlife diseases being transmitted to the dog.

Dogs harassing wildlife can be seriously detrimental, especially in winter. Animals may be injured or killed if caught. This is more likely to happen to young animals, which may also be separated from their parent losing protection and nourishment. Also, animals may be injured while fleeing a pursuit, too. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, July 2, 2017

Creeping Cascadeism: A Visit to Owls Head

owls headI try to stay away from the more popular Adirondack peaks during the summer season, because at my age I’m always afraid some college kid is going to stop me on the trail and ask me to sit for an oral history project.

But I figured I needed to climb Owls Head in Keene before it closes later this year due to overuse and the poor manners of hikers whose cars were blocking the driveways of homeowners on the privately owned property.

I had seen Owls Head many times as I descended from the Cascade lakes on Rt. 73. I’d always thought to myself, What a cute little mountain; I wonder why nobody ever climbs that? This shows what an idiot I am, because apparently about 7 million people a day climb Owls Head, part of the creeping Cascadeism that turns the stunning pass into a three-mile parking lot on the weekends. » Continue Reading.


Friday, June 30, 2017

High Peak Trails And Creeks Flooding, Large Saranac River Rise

The following Adirondack trails as well as many creeks are flooding or at flood stage:

Ward Brook Trail/Sewards flooded

South end of Avalanche Lake flooded to Lake Colden register

Indian Falls not passable – water waist deep

Indian Pass Brook toward Street & Nye flooded

Water crossing at Ore Bed Lean-To Not Passable

Bushnell Falls crossing to John Brooks Valley is not passable

MAJOR RISE ON SARANAC RIVER: The water at Lake Flower is 22” above the dam and dam will be lowered by 8” tomorrow to relieve the pressure.  People are encouraged to stay off the Saranac River.


Wednesday, June 28, 2017

CATS Split Rock Wildway Walk Postponed

john davisUPDATE 6/29: Owing to the weather forecast for heavy rain, this Split Rock Oak, Hick and Hop Hike, scheduled for this Saturday, July 1, will be rescheduled to a date to be determined.

Conservationist John Davis will lead an educational nature hike on Saturday, July 1, to showcase forest types common to the Champlain Valley and West Champlain Hills. The hike, sponsored by Champlain Area Trails (CATS), begins at 9:30 am and is open to the public.

Hikers are to meet at the Whallonsburg Garage and carpool to the Bobcat Trail Trailhead. The hike will last until about 2 pm . Participants can also learn about the ecological importance of the Split Rock Wildway wildlife corridor stretching through the valley and hills of the central Champlain Valley. » Continue Reading.


Monday, June 26, 2017

Recent Adirondack Search and Rescue Operations

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Friday, June 23, 2017

CATS Hike Opens High Point Trail in Willsboro Sunday

high point rock wallChamplain Area Trails will formally open the newest addition to the CATS trail network on Sunday, June 25 in Willsboro, with a hike starting at 1 pm. All are invited to celebrate the grand opening of the “High Point Trail” which goes to the highest point on Willsboro Point.

The High Point Trail is on the property of Marsha and Bill Harbison, who developed the trail and have opened it to the public for hiking. CATS completed trail work, marked the trail, and created a small parking area trailhead. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Rangers Find Boy Missing Overnight Near Schroon Lake

Forest Rangers found a 10-year-old Sunday morning in good health after he went missing overnight in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness.

Forest Ranger James Waters said he found the boy (who forest rangers wouldn’t identify because of his age) about a mile off the Short Swing Trail.

Waters had been on the way to meet up with another forest ranger near Gooseneck Pond when he took a break atop a boulder field. While taking a break, Waters yelled out, hoping the boy would hear him, which is standard during search-and-rescue missions. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Make Cascade Mountain An Educational Asset

Over the past few months Governor Andrew Cuomo has shown his economic love for the Adirondacks by putting his money where his mouth is, pledging $32 million towards an Adirondack Gateway facility at Frontier Town in North Hudson and another $20 million for improvements to the Gore, Whiteface and Mt Van Hoevenberg ski centers.

Seeing as generosity is in the air, I have a proposal:  let’s take a small portion of the monetary love intended for these projects and turn Cascade Mountain from a dangerous and degraded poster child for Adirondack overuse to a model of Wilderness education that becomes an asset in the struggle to protect the High Peaks. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Recent Adirondack Search and Rescue Operations

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Monday, June 19, 2017

New Northville-Placid Trail Guide Released

adk northville placid trail guideADK has released the fifth edition of its Adirondack Mountain Club Northville-Placid Trail in time for the Northville-Placid Trail’s 95th anniversary. The newest edition in ADK’s Forest Preserve Series of Adirondack and Catskill guides, this volume marks the relaunch of the series.

Edited by Jeff and Donna Case of Mattydale, Onondaga County, the volume has been revised and redesigned, including a return to a smaller, more convenient size. When they conclude this year’s trip on the NPT in May, the authors will have hiked the trail twenty-eight times.

The new edition’s arrival is a celebration of another sort as well: the text includes a detailed description of the long-awaited reroute of the Northville-Placid Trail’s (NPT’s) southern approach completed in 2015 that eliminated about 10 miles of road walking. Originally 132 miles long, reroutes and trail changes have extended the NPT to 138.6 miles. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 18, 2017

Spur Trail Demonstrates Hut-to-Hut Possibilities

Hamlet to Hut demonstration project in Long LakeThe Adirondack Community-based Trails and Lodging System Tuesday advanced its “demonstration project” to build a spur trail in the Town of Long Lake offering hikers on the Northville Placid Trail the opportunity to get off the trail and go into the town for a hot shower, meal, and place to sleep for the night. Leaders of the project visited the potential site.

They hope to have the trail finished by fall and ready for use next year. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 17, 2017

Tim Rowland: New Sympathy for Blue Ridge Road Flaggers

Blue Ridge RoadComing to the Adirondacks as a visitor for a week at a time, it felt as if I was always rushing to a trailhead or a boat launch or a fishing hole. I rigorously, almost militarily, mapped out my schedule to include hikes that must be completed and waterways that must be paddled, and heaven forbid that anything should get in the way of these forced, forested marches.

You miss a lot that way. For example, on each trip to the Upper Works for a crack at peaks like Marshall and Cliff, I would drive Blue Ridge Road from the Northway toward Newcomb without noticing its splendid array of creeks, waterfalls and feathery green tamaracks.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 17, 2017

Hadley Mountain Firetower Marking 100 Years

I recently led a bird walk up Hadley Mountain (or Hadley Hill), near Hadley and Stony Creek.

Hadley’s firetower marks its centennial anniversary this year (1917-2017) so there is increased appreciation of this forest preserve mountain ridgeline (2653’) and its history in the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest.

Dating to its organization under the leadership of Jack Freeman of ADK in 1995, Hadley’s firetower committee, led by local residents, is one of the oldest, most tenacious and effective in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.



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