Adirondack Paddle'n'Pole - Nehasane's Page
Ne-ha-sa-ne best translates to "beaver crossing river on a log"
Trip Reports
Adirondacks - Greater Capital District - Other
Come see the Swift Pack Canoe -as low as 18 lbs.
SALE: Tue Aug 31 - Sat Sep 4 - Kayaks & Canoes - Lowest Prices of the year. 20% off all in stock Paddles & Life Vests.
Stop in & pick up a copy of the new guidebook by Russell Dunn "A Kayakers Guide to New York's Capital Region" - a limited # of signed copies available.
Aug 29 & 30 - MADAWASKA FLOW, QUEBEC BROOK, ONION RIVER. ~6 mile drive on rough dirt roads - several turns, pay attention to directions in guidebook by Cilley Adirondack Paddler's Guide. Easy 0.42 mile portage to the flow. Paddled to roomy campsite near the dam. Short carry past dam & old road, rough put-in on Quebec Brook. Soon take a R on Onion River, stays fairly wide for over a mile then gets narrower - a couple of beaver dams to go over. Eventually too little water to continue. Jennings Mtn to the N. Back to QB & further downstream to rapids which I ran solo in the Royalex Prospector then carried back up along a path. Stopped at a designated campsite which looked like it has never been used - has my vote for worst backcountry campsite in the Adirondacks. After a quiet night & misty morning we drop off our overnight gear & continue upstream on QB. The main channel has multiple "S" turns but shortcuts can be taken if you are willing to push thru the lilypads. After exploring a spur to the SE we paddle SSW on QB which soon narrows. Views of Jenkins & St Regis Mtns. We go over 3 beaver dams before entering Quebec Pond which is ringed with red & white pines. A private leanto is seen. Headwind on the return. In general black spruce & tamarack seen on the lowest land, pines on drier land, harwoods up on the hills. 3 or 4 camps seen en route, otherwise very nice wilderness feel. 4-6 hours of actual paddling each day. Loon on the flow. 
Aug 26 & 27 - MOHAWK RIVER Lock 7. The canal & locks have been closed this week due to high water. A common loon (a non-breeding adult) has been hanging around near the boat launch. A baby turtle (shell only 1.5" long) swimming, green herons, gb herons, ring-billed gulls, cormorants, mallards, great egrets. 
Aug 24 - MOHAWK RIVER from Kiwanis Park in Rotterdam. Current had slowed to ~1.5mph. A couple of bateaus from the Mabee Farm were out. Interesting currents & textured water for the advanced paddler to play in below Lock 9. WS Zephyr, a 16' kayak.
Aug 23 - Mohawk River near flood due to recent rains. A canoeist I know took 70 mins. to go from Kiwanis Park to Lock 9 & 18 mins. to get back!
Aug 22 - CHITTENDEN RESERVOIR, NE of Rutland, VT. From boat launch near end of Dam Rd. 5mph speed limit, water-skiing & jetskis not allowed. W shore has some light development, rest undeveloped. Nice views of Green Mountains - light rain, clouds & mist draped the mountains. Several campsites on the lake - only one was occupied (a very large group with kayaks & inflatable motorboats). 4 otters in a group, loon. 3.2 hours. 
Aug 16 - BOG RIVER from Lower Dam to Bog River Falls. A couple of thunderstorms passed thru early while we were in camp but rest of the day ended up real nice - had time to solo (using kneeling thwart) the kevlar Bell Northstar canoe & explore the N end of Hitchins Pond. Dropped off camping gear at the cars & spotted a car at Bog River Falls on Rt.421. In contrast to yesterday's route this section will need a few years to see a 100 paddlers, we saw no-one. The river has mostly wooded shores - mainly alders & spruce but also some very tall white pines & some hardwoods. From the dam we carry on river R past the powerhouse to the flat water below. All carries after this are on river L - expect to step over logs, etc. Soon come to a short rapid which we lined. At the next & longer rapid a rough carry trail well-marked with ribbons goes steeply up before leveling out somewhat. Ceebotar & Oceebota had a royalex canoe & decided to line instead of carry. The next carry starts above Split Rock Falls, rough at first it soon takes a R on an old logging road which leads to an old bridge. I have skied much of this area & am somewhat familiar with the paths. From the bridge the carry continues alongside the river passing a campsite & soon bears L at a red marker to the pool below Pa's Falls. Bearing R at the fork leads to the best view of the falls & is a great spot for a break. Here the river drops & turns R shooting down thru vertical rock walls, the roar of the water makes it difficult to carry on a conversation - a great spot. After a short paddle across the pool there are 2 shorter carries (not as well-marked, stay close to the river). Good stretch of flat water follows & a sign for the Bog River Ski Trail is seen on the L. We go over a couple of beaver dams. We almost miss the start of the next & longest carry which follows the ski trail with views of the river. Eventually the ski trail turns L along an old logging road while the carry trail jogs L & R. Occasionally could not see the next ribbon & the path is little used so one has to pay attention so as to not get lost. We arrive at the river just above the confluence with Round Lake Outlet. Flat water for last 1.75 miles to take-out. 5.4 hours for the trip from the Lower Dam to BR Falls. No bad bugs except for a few mosquitoes in camp. 
Aug 15 - BOG RIVER, HITCHINS POND, LOW'S RIDGE from the Lower Dam. This is a paddlers' superhighway - probably saw close to 100 other paddlers (half canoes half kayaks, motors not allowed) either coming or going (most headed to & from Low's Lake). Most campsites early on on the Bog River & Hitchins were available mid-day Sunday & we chose #4 because it has room for 3 tents & it is away from the traffic. Paddled over to start of the Upper Dam portage. From there it is ~1.25 mile hike to the lookout on Low's Ridge - great views of the Bog River & distant High Peaks from the open rocks. Loons, black ducks - others saw a bald eagle & a swimming red squirrel. 
Aug 12 - The fifth annual Canal Splash! weekend kicked off today at the Waterford Canal Harbor in Saratoga County with the opening of a handicap accessible pathway leading to new floating docks for canoes and kayaks - press release. Unfortunately, the canal authority later announced that they are buying an additional dock since the new "paddlers" dock is indeed NOT a paddlers dock but a small motorized boat dock. Someone dropped the ball and they were NOT open to discussion about it prior to installation! Duh!!! Politicians doing what they do best: spending our money - there is already a good boat launch 200 yds away!
Aug 10 - HUDSON RIVER from Corning Preserve boat launch in Albany. "Aqua Duck" attack.
Aug 8 & 9 - CEDAR RIVER FLOW canoe camping. Snagged a campsite on the E shore - saw previous occupants leave, they also left some trash, beer cans & fire burning (all no-nos). Paddled into Buell Brook then up the Cedar River (lots of spruce; some balsam; no cedar) to the lean-to, a motorboat made it up past the leanto. Walked the Northville-Placid Trail N for a third of a mile to footbridge over unnamed stream (US) to see if it looked navigable. Next day I paddled up the Cedar River again, carried over to the NPT taking a short-cut on overgrown old road a bit N of lean-to. The carry took 9 minutes - I just slung the Merlin II over my shoulder & went (had left the removable yoke in the Nehasanemobile). Put in next to footbridge on US. US sort of parallels the Cedar River but goes right thru the heart of the vast wetland S of CR Flow. Shores are grassy with some tamaracks, spruce & alder. Went over ~5 small beaver dams, then a confusing area with multiple channels & then after 15 mins. reached the spot where I had turned around on July 4. The stream gets wider & I sometimes push thru lilypads before reaching the flow. Lots of flowers incl. Joe-Pye weed, turtlehead, gentian, goldenrod, yellow pond lily, bladderwort. Loons, mergansers, wood ducks, gb herons, C geese, muskrat. 
Aug 3 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7 boat launch. Lots of green herons. Some light rain felt good on this humid evening. Dagger Tybee, a 14'10" ruddered touring kayak, fast for a 15-footer.
Aug 1 - SOMERSET RESERVOIR in southern VT. Paddled most of the undeveloped perimeter. A few small motorboats (fishing), fewer paddlers. Jetskis, waterskiing not allowed. Deerfield River. Views of Mt. Snow, Stratton Mtn, Glastenbury Mtn. Osprey, loons, mink, C geese, gb herons, kingfishers, mergansers. Lots of flowers incl. bottled gentian. Lunched on one of several islands at N end. No bad bugs during the paddle. ~15 miles, 7 hours. Stopped at the dam after paddling for the view up the reservoir - saw 5 loons together & got 2 blackfly bites. 
Fred LeBrun's Times Union article on the Great Hudson River Paddle & more: click here.
Jul 27 - HUDSON RIVER from Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem.
Jul 25 - HOOSIC RIVER, N Adams MA (Ashton Ave) to Pownal VT (path off Lincoln is well-hidden, plants incl. stinging nettles are growing in). Class 1 rapids, one easy class 2 near the end - played quite a bit on the way. Recent rain had brought summer river levels up - 5.6' today on the Williamstown gauge (best to run at above 5.5'). Minimal signs of civilization, no other boaters, no fishermen. Mink, lots of kingfishers. 9+ miles, 4 hours. Had installed a center seat in Mad River Reflection 15 & paddled it solo - worked out very well. The Reflection 15 is an old Dagger design now being made by Mad River, despite only 1" of rocker I was able to pop into some small eddies behind rocks without too much trouble. Good boat to paddle both tandem or solo. 
Jul 21 - HUDSON RIVER from Hudson Shores Park in Watervliet, just east of I-787 Exit 8. The low dock here is nice for launching canoes & kayaks (fishermen like it too). Remember that the Hudson is tidal here - approaching low tonight - S wind created 1' waves. Stopped & listened to blues guitarist Albert Cummings just N of Green Island Bridge in Troy (downtown Troy is pretty much inaccessible to paddlers) - the Perception Carolina 12 kayak danced on the waves to the music. Only 1 motorboat out. Story. 
Jul 20 - HUDSON RIVER from 123rd St boat launch in Troy. Upstream against light current to islands below Lock 1 dam. Bald eagle at water's edge, eagle's nest sighted. The river gets a little less urban as you paddle upstream here. Some interesting sculptures. 2 hours. 
Jul 18 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER upstream from 1st (easternmost) Rt.10 bridge. As one paddles upstream one goes deeper into the Silver Lake Wilderness. Saw no-one, great wilderness feel. 0.2 mile carry at the start on unmarked path near N shore, put in above rapids, several beaver dams, lift over downed tree, some lining thru rocky shallows. The river winds thru grassy banks topped with spruce & alder, some sandy & rocky banks. Break on rock. Skied to around here on 2/25/09. Eventually gets rocky & shallow, walked upstream a ways to check things out. Moose tracks. Avoided the carry on return by lining & paddling short distances, very rough & rocky - next time will do the carry. 5.5 hours. Prospector canoe (Bell & Swift versions are the same design). 
Jul 16 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7. 8-10pm. Warm & very humid. Red sun going down, a brief shower, one motorboat, colorful post-sunset, stars, crescent moon, ducks, gb & green herons. Pulled off a scramble/cowboy self-rescue in the Zephyr.
St. Regis Canoe Area: DEC and Student Conservation Association crews will be working throughout the summer to move 8 campsites, close 23 campsites and create 21 new campsites. An online map of the St. Regis Canoe Area depicts the campsites that are being moved, closed or created. Please help protect this work by respecting closure signs. Work will occur during the week, and only on one or two campsites at a time.
Jul 13 - HUDSON RIVER from Coeymans Landing. A couple of warm showers, very few motorboats, calm winds, bald eagle. Poked up Hannacroix Creek - love that giant sycamore tree. Curious about that chimney stack hidden among the trees of otherwise undeveloped shores of Schodack Island - ice operation - detailed history.
Jul 11 - RICH LAKE & FISHING BROOK near Newcomb. Very picturesque, not far from road but minimal signs of civilization. VIC lands & trails are E of the lake; most other land is Huntington Forest (no camping). Sandy beaches, Goodnow Mtn firetower is visible from many spots, swimming (surface water was so warm that it was hardly refreshing, could find some cooler water 4' down), rapids at the outlet (optional, yeah, Rongwae & I ran them, or most of*). Took deeper S channel into Fishing Brook & only had 1 beaver dam to go over. Able to paddle up ~2 miles. Shallow N channel back into Rich Lake has 2 small beaver dams which we ran over. Loon, northern harrier, lots of little fish. Flowering: pickerelweed, cardinal flower, joe-pye weed. 9.5 miles, 5+ hours incl. playing at the put-in beach. See Quiet Water; NY for directions. *Rapids start at footbridge, scout top section from bridge, rapids are class II at first. 1st half went smoothly for me then popped into an eddy on the R from which I boat scouted next section, looked doable. Soon popped into another eddy on the R. Could not determine a good route over last 50' so got out & lined the kevlar Merlin II to the flatwater below. Easy carry trail back to footbridge. 
Jul 9 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7. Started at 8:15pm, clouds obscured sunset but stars incl. Big Dipper came out on our return in the dark. Headwind on way back downstream blew bugs in our faces & created some chop. No motorboats out after sunset. 1.9 hours. Dagger Axis 12.0, very loose with skeg up (looking forward to doing some class 1&2 stuff in this kayak), good tracker with skeg down.
Jul 7 - MOHAWK RIVER from Canal Park at the end of Flight Lock Rd in Waterford. Above Lock 6. Too hot & humid to paddle hard. Took a look at the upstream ends of islands (do not go downstream of buoys, a kayaker got ticketed recently, dam below), checked out a marina tucked in behind a huge mat of water chestnut, thankfully no S wind to blow the smell of landfill over the river, turned around just past the Rt.9 bridge. 2 hours. 
It's hot & humid - try these well-ventilated life jackets: Astral V-Eight, Kokatat Orbit Tour.
Jul 6 - MOHAWK RIVER upstream of Lock 7. I was teaching a kayak class when out of the corner of my eye I spot an overturned kayak ~250 yards away. 2 other kayakers in rec kayaks were close but had no idea how to help. I paddled hard & performed a standard assisted T rescue. Later a paddler in my class capsized & I got to do another recovery. Assisted rescues can be fast & empty the kayak of most of the water (kayaks with 2 bulkheads are easiest to rescue, 1 rear bulkhead is not too bad, no bulkheads very difficult) - many kayakers do not learn/practice rescues - wouldn't you rather paddle with people who are able to rescue you if you capsize?.
Jul 4 - CEDAR RIVER FLOW. Put-in next to Wakely Dam, a few car campers at this end. Soon saw my 1st loon du jour. Paddled down the E shore & up Buell Brook. 1st 3 campsites occupied, all rest unoccupied. Stopped at my May campsite for lunch, 3 small motorboats went past. Up the Cedar River to campsite at the big bend. Back down the river & turned S thru lilypads & up unnamed stream that comes in from the SW - some beaverdams to go over but deep water for quite a ways - thru flat grassy shores sometimes topped with tamarack & black spruce - turned around short of the NPT. Side-trips into E arm that ends close to Cedar River and WNW up Wilson Brook which after going over several small beaverdams gets narrow & shallow. Tailwind helped back across the flow. Stopped on an island for a break & bite to eat - not in any hurry to leave. Despite the motorboats, fairly mellow. Very scenic surrounded by Adirondacks highest mountains outside of the High Peaks. Varied shoreline offers much to explore. Northern harrier, black & wood ducks (some ducklings would dive as I approached), gulls. All big 3 bad bugs in evidence - blackflies, mosquitoes, deerflies. Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo canoe. 6.3 hours. 
Jun 29 - HUDSON RIVER from boat launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. Paddled upstream & turned around at high tide taking advantage of the tidal current. Lightly developed shores. Bald eagles, gb herons. Dagger Alchemy 14, a playful 14' touring kayak.
Jun 27 - HUCKLEBERRY POINT, Catskills hike. In 2nd half of June I like to take a hike in the hills S of Albany to see the mountain laurel bloom; saw some nice blossoms but was likely past peak. Driving up Platte Clove Rd to the trailhead is a minor adventure in itself. Uphill hike on wide snowmobile trail then R on yellow trail. Interesting rockpiles, why? The woods get more interesting as one goes over a hill & approaches the point; laurel, pitch pine & oaks. View from the rocks at the point are to the S across the clove (a deep steep valley): Hudson River, Ashokan Reservoir, Overlook Mtn firetower & the peaks along the Devils Path. Blueberries. Some mosquitoes in the woods - did not use protection & got 1 bite. 4.8 miles, 4.1 hours (over a third spent hanging out at the lookout). 
Jun 25 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7 boat launch. Started at 8pm, full moonrise at 8:16 & sunset at 8:39. Ducks, gb herons, mosquitoes. A few motorboats out - make sure you shine a white light. Very nice returning with the moon in sight, going in & out of clouds (once looking like a werewolf with fiery eyes). 2.2 hours. 
Jun 22 - HUDSON & MOHAWK RIVERS from 123rd St boat launch in Troy. Downstream on the Hudson & up the southern branch of the Mohawk. Immature bald eagle. WS Tempest 170, a 17' sea/touring kayak.
Jun 20 - SCHROON RIVER from Horicon boat launch at S end of Schroon Lake. Downstream. Jenks Swamp is quite interesting & has some distant mountain views. Quite a few cottages, some motorboats (going slowly, all wave to us), roadnoise (never too far from the Northway). Lots of yellow & white lilies. 4.5 hours. Across the street from the boat launch is a sandy beach on the river - good for a swim. 
Jun 19 - Saw a bear in a field as I was driving along a country road in southern Washington County.
Jun 15 - HUDSON RIVER from Coeymans Landing. Needed both hands to count the bald eagles we saw; also got close to a couple of great blue herons on dead trees. S from the concrete ramp boat launch & into Hannacroix Creek (best within 2 hours of high tide) under the Rt.144 bridge past a huge sycamore tree & house & turned around when things got too shallow below some rocky cliffs. Back out on the Hudson & shore of Hannacroix Creek Preserve. Went in & out of some small bays & passed a marina. At the house with waterfall (just a trickle today) we crossed the river & headed back along the undeveloped shores of Schodack Island State Park. 2.4 hours. 
Jun 13 - BATTEN KILL from NY picnic area near NY/VT state line to Rt.22. Battenville gauge at a little over 5' - makes for a nice relatively easy float. Class 1 rapids & riffles. Surfed some waves. Went under 3 covered bridges. Bald eagle, osprey, oriole, kingfisher, mergansers (ducklings getting bigger), mink; some nice flowers too incl. yellow-flowered mossy stonecrop growing on wet rock. Saw no other paddlers other than our group, no tubers; some people fishing from shore; less road noise than VT section. Quite the contrast from Memorial Day trip. 12 miles, 4.6 hours. 
So many paddlers are attracted to Lake George. Motorboats can create large confused waves - you need good skills in this environment. 2 paddlers have died on this lake in the last 2 weeks - neither was wearing a life jacket. Story.
Jun 9 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions/RR Station Park. Able to get out to the main river between the islands despite a fair amount of water chestnut weeds. Raining half the time & temp in low 50s - sprayskirt, waterproof/breathable paddling jacket & hat, pogies on the hands upped the comfort level. Beaver, muskrat.
Jun 7 - HOUSATONIC RIVER from Rannapo Rd, Sheffield, MA. downstream past Bartholomew's Cobble soon into CT to broken old Canaan Dam. Light current, headwind was more of a factor on way back upstream. Very little development seen from the 100' wide river, mostly wooded shores, some pastures; quite peaceful. Cows, turkey vultures, turtles (adult & little one, shell ~4" long). ~8 miles, 2.5 hours. 
We carry many guidebooks for states along the east coast from Maine to Florida.
Jun 6 - GREAT ISLAND, Old Lyme, CT from boat launch at end of Smith Neck Rd. Connecticut River Estuary Canoe/Kayak Trail. Started ~3 hours before low tide. Great Island undeveloped, mainland lightly developed. After exploring the shallow bay behind Griswold Point went around the point & into Long Island Sound, played in moderate 1'+ waves. S wind was picking up so back (small standing waves created by wind opposing the current were interesting) & up a creek into the heart of Great Island. Back out & N up Judges Creek to Watch Rock, landing a bit rough but nice spot for a break. Poked into Duck River before heading back S. Just had to go back & look at Griswold Point at low tide - Sound now white-capped. Up the Black Hall River before calling it a day. Mute swans, lots of osprey, great & snowy egrets, gulls, terns, sandpipers, plovers, willet, crabs. My favorite place to paddle in CT - great variety, wildlife. 4 hours. WS Zephyr 160 Pro. 
Jun 3 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions/RR Station Park Niskayuna. Water chestnut weeds starting to grow in. I was able to go downstream a bit then out to the main river between the middle & downstream islands. Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 - a 17' sea kayak.
Jun 2 - MOHAWK RIVER from Kiwanis Park, Rt.5S, Rotterdam. Downstream & around Dalys Island. Mad River Explorer 14TT, a 14' canoe.
May 31 Memorial Day - BATTEN KILL. Rt.7A in Arlington VT to Eagleville Covered Bridge NY. "The Rock" class 2. Scratchy at this level (walked one section): 2.2' at the Arlington gauge & 4.65' at Battenville. Just a few others in the morning; tons of people on the river in the afternoon, quite a zoo with beer-drinking tubers & makeshift rafts - one had to be quite skillful to get by them. 14+ miles, 4.6 hours. Somebody remind me not to do the BK on a holiday again. Dagger Axis 10.5 - an excellent choice. 
May 30 - HOOSIC RIVER Hoosic Junction to Johnsonville. Morning: Hoosic Junction to New DEC/Rensselaer Land Trust car-top boat launch on Rt.67 W of Eagle Bridge (11.1 miles E of Rt.40 in Schagticoke) - class 1+ whitewater, 1st rapid is trickiest with strainers on the L (we had some carnage, paddler swam out ok but kayak got stuck under strainer, one rescuer also capsized). Saw no-one. Immature bald eagle. 4.75 miles, 2 hours. Afternoon: Flatwater from new launch to Johnsonville dam. Mature bald eagles, deer, muskrat; colorful flowers incl. buttercups, forget-me-nots, yellow flag. Saw a handful of other paddlers. Water high enough to explore some of the shallow backwaters. 9+ miles, 3 hours. Bell Chestnut Prospector 16' canoe. 
Nehasane's Top 10 List for Bad Bug Bite Avoidance:
May 24 - SADAWGA POND in Whitingham VT. Most interesting is the large floating island in the middle of the pond. Some houses on shores & hillsides. Soloed the Prospector Omer Stringer style. Island had flowering sheep laurel, labrador tea, cranberry? + pitcher plant & tamarac trees; yellow water lily. If you need more mileage the S end of Harriman Reservoir is a couple of minutes away. 
May 23 - JESSUP RIVER & INDIAN LAKE from Perkins Clearing. Some blackflies & mosquitoes at start but minimal during trip - started out wearing my Original Bugshirt but eventually took it off. Several pull-overs & one rough carry around a big logjam in first couple of miles. Scenery varies nicely on the narrow twisty stream. ~1.5 miles below Rt.30 is a class 2 ledge runnable on the R then ~0.5 mile of rocky rapids, water fairly low today so we hit some rocks but were able to stay in the boat. Most of the rest of group carried past the first half on the R then paddled/lined the shallow & rocky 2nd half. Indian Lake was just easy paddling in comparison. Distant view of High Peaks, Snowy Mtn nearby. $6 day use fee at boat launch. Mergansers with chicks, much birdsong incl. white-throated sparrow. 14.9 miles, 7 hours. Bell Chestnut Prospector 16' royalex canoe was an excellent choice - royalex is slippery, tough & light enough for short portages. 
May 22 - MOHAWK RIVER CLEANUP. Lions/RR Station Park. Muddy landing on the upstream island. Soloed a Mad River Explorer 14TT - a 14' polyethylene canoe - turned it around & paddled it backwards from the bow seat.
May 18 - MOHAWK RIVER from Freeman's Bridge NYSDEC fishing access in Glenville. Rain. Downstream on the Mohawk & up Alplaus Creek. Perception Carolina 12 in lightweight airalite - nice combination of tracking & turning, features seen mostly on longer touring kayaks incl. perimeter deck lines, 2 hatches with Kajaksport hatch covers.
May 16&17 - ROUND LAKE canoe camping & LITTLE TUPPER LAKE. Enjoyed exploring the irregular S shore. Clockwise around triangular-shaped Round Lake, eventually settled on a breezy campsite to ward off blackflies. Campsites have a thunderbox-style privy, small lids make for a wet seat if it has been raining. All undeveloped state land. Stayed above freezing overnight & 1st blackflies seen ~9am but never got really bad. Loon, beaver, fresh moose tracks on a sandy beach. After dropping off some gear at the car, we cruised the NE end of LTL (very light development) with break on an island beach. Saw only 2 solo canoeists in Bell canoes Sunday heading out, we had the place to ourselves after that, 1 solo canoer on LTL, no kayakers... 
Didymo (aka Rock Snot) found in Kayaderosseras Creek - more info.
May 12 - HUDSON & MOHAWK RIVERS from boat launch at the S end of First St in Waterford. Peebles Island. Beavers. 
May 10 - MOUNT ANTONE hike. Merck Forest, VT. Up Antone Rd, down via Lookout, Buechner (passing Ned's Place cabin & its view of Mt. Equinox), Lourie, stop at Spruce Cabin, up & over Viewpoint. Cool & breezy (no bad bugs); sunny & clear - views to snow-capped Adirondack High Peaks, some snow on Gore Mtn ski trails, farm below... Wildflowers mostly violets incl. white & yellow varieties. 6 miles, 820' el, 4.5 hours. 
May 4 - MOHAWK RIVER & ERIE CANAL from Freddie's Park, SE of Rt.9 Crescent Bridge. Mohawk River Paddling Guide. 
Gate to Moose River Plains is closed & may remain closed due to the state's budget crisis - news release.
lost recent trips - may take a few days to get them rewritten...
May 3&4 - CEDAR RIVER FLOW. Canoe camping. Up inlet that parallels Cedar River - grassy shores with spruce & tamaracks - turned around at 2nd beaver dam. Up Cedar River to leanto - watched a northern flicker peck at the ground. A few blackflies, got one bite, did not use protection. Side-trip into Buell Brook. Noisy C geese, osprey, spring peepers. Loons, mergansers (males are more common in spring), teal, muskrat, beaver. Very scenic area with some of the Adirondacks highest mountains outside of the High Peaks. Saw 3 canoes, 2 kayaks Sunday, had the place to myself Monday. 
Apr 26 - GARNET LAKE. 
Apr 19 - Skiing Arlington-W Wardsboro Rd - drove up from the E until skiing looked better than driving. Skied up to the top of the pass. Paddling GROUT POND - hairy 1 mile drive (some snow, mud; 4WD necessary) to cabin, carried the Merlin II down past downed tree to pond, views of snow-capped Stratton Mtn. Loon, goose nesting next to beaver hut. 
Apr 15 - North-South Lakes in Catskills - Canoe overturns, she gets to shore, he is missing (which leads me to believe he was was not wearing a PFD which is illegal thru May 1). At an elevation of over 2,000', ice-out was probably quite recent & I doubt if the water temp was more than 40F - one should be wearing a wet or dry suit when water is cold. You will be safer by staying just a few feet from shore & paddling with others who have practiced rescues. More info. Story.
Apr 5-11 - NC kayaking. Outer Banks/Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 15-25 knot winds from S or SW for 1st 4 days, temp in lower 60s to upper 70s, lows in 50s & 60s. Saw alligators, dolphins, pelicans... More paddling info can be found in Guide to Sea Kayaking in NC by Malec. Started at Oregon Inlet Campground (colder showers, some traffic noise, little privacy, dunes for tenting, short walk thru dunes to beach & dolphins, more convenient to shops restaurants etc) on Bodie Island, moved to Frisco Campground (cold showers, quiet, more trees bushes privacy, longer walk on boardwalk to ocean, more mosquitoes, ocean view from sites higher up on hill) on Hatteras Island then back to Oregon Inlet. 
Apr 11 - COLINGTON ISLAND. 1st a walk in Jockey's Ridge SP to highest natural sand dune on the E coast. Paddled into Blounts Bay, in & around marshy islands, down Colington Creek (could see Wright Bros Memorial, dunes of Jockey Ridge), Sloop Creek. Osprey & nest, fish jumping 10' thru the air. Light motorboat traffic, more development than previous trips.
Apr 10 - CURRITUCK SOUND from Whale Head Club at the county park. Corolla Lighthouse (Currituck Light) is nearby. Followed shoreline N to Ships Bay, came back around point & islands. Not much development here, only saw one small fishing boat, had the sound to myself most of the time, very nice. Climbed the lighthouse ($7) & enjoyed the views in all directions. Duck/Corolla area is more upscale than Kitty Hawk/Nags area to the S on Bodie Island - still quite touristy. 
Apr 9 - MILLTAIL CREEK from Buffalo City Rd (dirt). Morning storms so visited the NC Aquarium ($8) in Manteo on Roanoke Island until skies dried up - alligators, otters, sharks... Alligator River NWR. Went downstream a bit to where the wide creek narrows, I had seen alligators at this spot on previous trips & saw 2 this time. Turned around & paddled S (upstream) for over 2 miles (wide & lake-like, some bald cypresses), then returned (another alligator) & poked into the red trail along a narrow stream then up to Sawyer Lake. Bald eagles, wood duck, osprey, egret. 
Apr 8 - Sunrise at the beach. Took ferry to Ocracoke Island. Kiteboarding seems to be very popular on Hatteras & Ocracoke Islands. Spent some time in the village & at beaches. Walk on Hammock Woods Trail. Little blue herons, snowy egret. No paddling today. 
Apr 7 - PAMLICO SOUND. Sandy Bay. Hatteras Island. Really windy & we didn't paddle long. Visited Hatteras Light & took a walk in Buxton Woods.
Apr 6 - PEA ISLAND NWR, Hatteras Island. In & out of marshy islands & creeks on Pamlico Sound. Oystercatcher, pelicans, cormorants, snowy egrets.
Apr 5 - ROANOKE SOUND & BROAD CREEK, Roanoke Island. Out along the sound, nice beach at point for lunchstop (fishing village of Wanchese across mouth of creek), back on the wide creek with quartering tailwind creating 1.5' waves, John's Ditch & Sand Beach Creek. Brown pelicans, gulls, tern, whimbrel, osprey & nest at the launch. Nice. 
Apr 4 - BLACKWATER RIVER. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge near Cambridge MD. Very wide especially at start. Twisty; low (0-5') piney shores, some holly. Bald eagles, Osprey, turkey vultures, gb heron, terns, scary fish thrashing in the shallows. Wilderness Systems Zephyr 16.0, a 16' touring kayak.. Drove down to the Outer Banks of NC, camped at National Seashore campground at Oregon Inlet. 
Round Lake boat launch closed - story - I have been told there still may be access from the inlet.
Mar 29 - FOREST ROAD 273 from Rt.9 in Woodford VT. Rained overnight, possibly freezing rain because the snowmobile trail was somewhat icy; better softer snow off-road. Raining & temp in mid-40s. Trail climbs a hill (exciting on way back in icy conditions), crosses 3 trails of Prospect Mountain ski area then proceeds S over rolling terrain. 1.6 hours. My 50th day of skiing this season; it would be nice to be able to ski at least once in April. 
Mar 28 - AIKEN WILDERNESS from Rt. 9 in Woodford VT. Temp at freezing as we started out & snowmobile trail along FR74 was a bit icy. After less than a mile we head W off-trail into the wilderness area climbing to a small beaver pond then along SE side of hill at about 2,500' elevation. Firm snow with a little give to surface - excellent skiing as things warmed up. After lunch at a stream we head E mostly downhill & run into the Yaw Pond Trail. We cross Yaw Pond Brook on a fallen tree/beaver dam & continue N until we are back on the snowmobile trail. Moose tracks, tree scrapings & scat. 9.3 miles, 5.5 hours. 
Mar 21&22 - GROUT POND from Kelley Stand Rd near Stratton VT. Is this winter or spring camping? 2'-3' of snow - good (in the woods) to excellent (on lakes & open area) skiing. Trail to cabin before pond sees some light snowmobile use, down to pond then along N edge of pond to one of two leantos where we set up camp with a view of Mt. Snow across the pond. Pond had some wet slushy areas. Catamount Trail to Somerset Reservoir & past point of turnaround of Feb 15 trip. Back N along sloped side of reservoir - the water gets drawn down in the fall & leaves a lot of open rock & gravel shoreline, the open slopes were great for practicing telemark turns. Lots of sun, temp in 50s, 10+ miles. Nice sunset on Grout. Stayed above freezing overnight. Next morning skied East Loop Trail ~4 miles. Best skiing was slightly off-trail alongside stream & beaver pond; view of Stratton Mtn. Packed up camping gear & headed out. Temp in low 40s. Started raining 5 minutes before reaching the car. Most skiing novice to easy intermediate. Get a free GMNF map of Grout Pond trails from ranger station E of Manchester. 
Mar 19 - THACHER PARK from Hop Field parking area. There is a xc ski loop on this side of the road but I wanted to get to the edge of the escarpment to enjoy the views so I crossed the road & explored Yellow Rocks & Glen Doone areas. Nice stream with small waterfall. 2 whitetail deer. Temp in upper 40s, good skiing on 0-20" of corn snow, open grassy & paved areas are snowless, plenty of snow in treed areas.
Mar 17 - BOULDER ROCK, Catskills. Trail from Scutt Rd was icy hard early at 40F so started from South Lake because of early morning sun exposure. Skied on & off South & North Lakes then headed up the red & blue trails to Boulder Rock at the edge of the escarpment. Great view of the Hudson valley & across Kaaterskill Clove - had very pleasant 1.5 hour break. Nearby large rocks have split off the cliff - cool spot. 52F when I finished & snow was much softer. 65F on drive home - Palenville is just a few miles down the hill & 1,700' lower than North & South Lakes & has no snow. 10"-30", 8 miles, 5 hours. 
Mar 15 - STONY POND. Minerva area. 15" avg heavy wet snow, some thin & wet spots, will have lots of stream crossings by end of the week. Temp in mid-40s. Water on top of snow & ice on the pond - altho ice is thick I wouldn't want to ski on this. Old rowboat near the leanto. Made a fire at the leanto, ate lunch, had a nap, enjoyed the peacefulness. I usually ski across the pond but this time explored the up & down trail to the E past cliffs. 4.5 miles, 4 hours. 
Mar 14 - LITTLE POND from Little Pond parking area on Rt.9 in Woodford VT. Reports of 4"-6" of new snow; 3'-4' total - very nice skiing on firm base, I only sink in 1"-2" on or off trail. Temp 34F, light drizzle, windy. Snowmobile trail then off-trail W of Hagar Hill. Back to snowmobile trail then trail down to the pond - linked a bunch of telemarks & shot out onto the pond. Back to snowmobile trail & E plummeting downhill quickly dropping 300'. R on trail to Pine Valley parking area for a bit then R off-trail & found the path we often take to & from Little Pond when we want to avoid the snowmobile trails. 6-7 miles, 2.3 hours. 
Mar 12 - FEATHERSTONHAUGH STATE FOREST. From Tidball Rd, Schenectady County. 1,300' elevation. Over 1' dense snow - temp did not drop below freezing last night so snow was soft & not icy. Skied a bit on snowmobile trail 7B but mostly on the designated ski trails. 
Mar 10 - PARTRIDGE RUN WMA. 30"+ dense snow, sometimes unconsolidated, temp approaching 50F softened things up. 2,000' elevation attracts & retains snow. From Sickle Hill Rd (CR13, get good map at kiosk further S on CR13), skied a few minutes down unplowed Beaver Rd & turned R onto ski trail. Skied most non-motorized use trails past ponds & reforestation areas. Spur to Bradt Hill/Hollow Rd where there is an old cemetary. Crossed road, very high snowbanks. Picked up the Long Path. Crossed High Point Rd & did loop on other side then returned to Beaver Rd near Woods Pond. Quick run down Beaver Rd snowmobile trail then up to cars. Intermediate. 10.2 miles, 5 hours includes 1 hour nap in beaver flow with lots of dead tree trunks, that warm sun is so intoxicating. 
Mar 8 - APPALACHIAN & LONG TRAILS from Dunville Hollow. Lots of snow, 2'+ above 2,000', hint of iciness at first but softened up as temp got well above freezing. Park car on Notch Rd off Rt. 9 E of Bennington. Lightly used snowmobile trail alonside Stamford Stream. Moose at couple of camps. Breaking trail from now on (only sink in 3-4"). Old Stage Trail across 2 streams (iced over) then unmarked trail L to Congdon Shelter. N on AT/LT to 2,560' hill. Would like to have reached Harmon Hill but ran out of time (lost trail for a while) - next time. Whitewater skiing on Stamford Stream on way back. 9.5 miles, 5.5 hours, 1,100' elevation gain/loss. See also Mar 4, 2009 trip. 
Mar 7 - EAST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from Rt.8. Over 1' in woods, a bit icy & fast early, softened up in the pm with temp above 40F, some thin spots near river. The initial up & over the shoulder of 11th Mtn was difficult, easier skiing alongside the river & very scenic. Had long lunch across river from leanto - so comfortable in the warm sun that no-one felt compelled to go on to the Siamese Ponds. 8.5 miles, 5.5 hours. 
March 6 - the HUDSON RIVER is open but water temp is 36F - are you prepared to survive in case of capsize? You can die in just a few minutes. Smart paddlers wear a drysuit w/neoprene headwear or at least a wetsuit + take other precautions - do some research on this - more.
Mar 3 - ROCKWOOD STATE FOREST from Rt.29 W of Johnstown. There are about 10 miles of wide trails suitable for skiing here & the adjacent Canajoharie Waterworks land. Lots of fun hills. Western loops had just been "groomed" ~6' wide by running a snowmobile thru a few times - very good skiing (I usually don't like when they do this) - recreational snowmobiling is not allowed in the SF. Some of the rest was tracked but we had to break trail thru fairly heavy wet snow on the SE loop just N of Old State Rd & on a spur trail down to Caroga Creek which is open & running. Map in Discover the Southern Adirondacks shows most trails, map in Ski Tips does not show the SE loop - there are trails here that are not shown on any maps. Intermediate. 8.7 miles, 3.7 hours.
Mar 1 - OVERLOOK MOUNTAIN from the N, Catskills. 4' of snow (snow was up to handrails on a bridge), on the dense side of powder. Looked at Prediger Rd access but nowhere to park. Parked on Platte Clove Rd & started on Long Path thru Platte Clove Preserve - the narrow winding trail goes uphill & can be a challenge on return. After ~1 mile junctions of blue & red trails obscured by blowdown but we persist & are eventually on the blue-marked old road to Overlook. Leanto was cave-like under all the snow & outhouse was half buried. Mid part of route levels out some (we were breaking trail here) & there are views of the Hudson Valley. Occasional overhanging trees & blowdown but trail is fairly wide & obvious. Trail later wraps around W side of Overlook & views open up to the W. Met a tele skier & a bare-booter (gotta be nuts to post-hole like that). Porcupine in a tree. Great views from the top. Did not have a lot of time to linger at firetower. Took about half the time to return. Intermediate skiing. 11.8 miles, 6.2 hours, 1,300' climb/descent. 
Feb 28 - WHALES TAIL NOTCH. Start at HPIC. Old Marcy Dam Trail. Marcy Dam - popular spot due to its magnificent mountain views (+nice & sunny today). Whales Tail Notch Ski Trail (400' up & down in 1.2 miles, wider than most hiking trails) - climbs moderately at first then quite steeply (climbing skins helped make this section easy) - view of Mt. Colden from notch. Quite steep down to Algonquin Trail. Skied out onto Heart Lake for views. 6.7 miles, 3.5 hours. 2'-3', good (WTN) to excellent (packed trail to Dam) skiing. WTN advanced, rest intermediate. Still time to grab a microbrew in Lake Placid. Skiers caught in avalanche on nearby Wright Peak yesterday - story. 
Feb 22 - FLOOD DAM, Somerset, VT. Drive Somerset Rd to bit N of Searsburg Reservoir. Walked across swinging bridge over Deerfield River then skied N to the Flood Dam, following occasional orange ribbons & paint blazes. Soon going uphill in washed out trail (avoided by going thru woods on way back). Things got better at top of hill & for a while to the dam, last section a bit nasty. Lots of open water in the flow above the old dam & in river below. On return took short side-trip (this trail is in much better condition than the Flood Dam Trail) to the swinging bridge over E Br Deerfield River to the Catamount Trail. 6.6 miles, 4.4 hours. 
Feb 21 - STEPHENS POND & NEW SECTION OF NORTHVILLE-PLACID TRAIL TO THE SOUTH. From Lake Durant Campsite. Added a couple of inches of powder to 2/17 total, very nice skiing. Trail well-used to Stephens leanto. After 40 mins. on NPT (1.5+ miles from start) look for an old beech on the left with red paint 10" circle. 100' further on the R there is an axe blaze on a tree with what looks like a 5 in it - the shortcut path to Stephens Pond goes off to the L & reaches the pond in 0.25 miles. Stopped at leanto for a break. Broke trail S along NPT on E slopes of Blue Ridge, have to pay attention to stay on trail. Slowly gain elevation in an up & down way, mostly open hardwoods. Turned around short of Brown's Brook. Out onto Stephens Pond as soon as we see it, go L or W of island, R or E has thin ice. Intermediate skiing. 11.7 miles, 5.7 hours. 
Feb 19 - MOHAWK RIVER SP aka SCHENECTADY MUSEUM NATURE PRESERVE from Lock 7 Niskayuna. Up to 4", a bit icy but will soften as temps rise above freezing - skiing only for diehards. Spent most time on easier (but less interesting scenicly & skiingly) trails in the W half of the preserve. Finished up by skiing on Lock 7. 
Feb 17 - CASCADE & STEPHENS PONDS from Lake Durant Campsite. NPT packed by skiers/snowshoers; off-trail 10" base with bit of crunchy give + 5" powder; very nice skiing. Peaceful 1 hour relax at Cascade leanto - somebody left an old pair of skis & boots here!?. Crossed outlet on 2-log bridge with no guiderails, open water underneath. Continued W. New trail connecting to Wilson Pond Trail is marked with pink ribbons (0.5 miles from leanto when red trail takes a turn N at signs pictured below) & I followed that for 15 mins. - not an official trail yet so has some blowdown. Lots of downhill on way back. Took unmarked path (leaves NPT a little W of an old beech with some fading red paint on it) over to Stephens. Ponds have solid ice with 5" powder, did not run into any slush like I have in previous visits. Views of Blue Mtn from Lake Durant. 9 miles, 5.2 hours. 
Feb 15 - SOMERSET RESERVOIR. Parked below the dam & skied N on Catamount Ski Trail which stays close to the E shore of SR. Catamount Trail Guidebook calls this easy intermediate but I would drop the "easy" - enjoyed the deep drifts but there were some thin washouts, tricky stream crossings, exposed rocks & short steep hills. Nice views across the undeveloped lake incl. N to Stratton Mt & SE to Mt Snow. Turned around after ~5 miles near NE arm of the lake. Fair amount of snowmobiles on the reservoir on this Presidents Day. 5.4 hours. 
Feb 14 - MOUNT GREYLOCK, MA. Checked out the N end of Bellows Pipe Trail at Notch Rd - thin base with an inch or 2 of powder. Later found out that the Thunderbolt Ski Trail race originally scheduled for Sat Feb 20 has been postponed - story. Decided to go elsewhere & ski path N toward Little Pond from Pine Valley parking area in Woodford VT again. A little more powder than Feb 7 trip. Gentle uphill going N, very pleasant downhill runs on way back, stream crossings no problem. 2.4 hours. 
Feb 12 - Mohawk River Freeman's Bridge boat launch. 
EPF money goes to building new non-motorized boat launches in Troy, Watervliet, Waterford, Halfmoon, more - press release.
Feb 10 - HIDDEN VLY & WHITMAN FLOW from E Stoner Lake Rd. Good base with a bit of crunch + a few inches of powder. There is an old road that heads NE above inlet of E Stoner Lake - do we take that route? No, we go on the S side of the stream where a steep narrow path climbs way above the stream & no normal person would ski up this way. Eventually pick up the old road & reach Hidden Vly. Followed a stream N, found another old road that lead E to a hunter's campsite. Bushwhacked downstream again to Whitman Flow. Had to push thru alders to get out into the open. Pushed further N on the vly/swamp occasionally breaking ice shelves left after water receded after rain 16 days ago. Explored some more to make sense of the area. Took the old road back which has some moderately steep downhills. No trail markers, signs, etc. Not for everyone. Snow flurries for 1st half of trip then sun came out. 7.9 miles, 4.5 hours. 
Feb 8 - SAVOY MOUNTAIN STATE FOREST, S of Florida, MA. Good base topped with powder - good skiing. From parking area near North Pond took North Pond Loop trail counterclockwise. R downhill on Blackburnian Loop. L on Old Florida Rd slowly gaining elevation to height of land. Down Blackburnian to North (goes up & over a decent ridge) & South Pond Loops to Tyler Swamp Loop (nice easy skiing on N side but S side had lots of nasty small stream crossings). Most trails at least intermediate. 4.5 hours.
Feb 7 - LITTLE POND & PORCUPINE LOOKOUT from Rt.9 in Woodford, VT. Green Mountain NF & Glastenbury Wilderness. Excellent conditions: deep base topped with a few inches of powder. Short distance on snowmobile trail then followed path which bisects the area between FR272 & FR275 (can be hard to follow if no-one has been there recently). Lunch at windy Little Pond (now in the wilderness area) then crossover trail to AT/LT which we took S to Porcupine Lookout which has nice views with no signs of civilization except for the Searsburg Wind Farm. Mostly very enjoyable downhill on way back as we lose over 400'. 7 miles, 4.3 hours.
Feb 3 - FRIE FLOW via STEWART & INDIAN LAKES 
near Canada Lake. Deep crusty base with up to 6" powder; trail snowshoe-packed topped with 2" fresh powder, some thin spots where last week's rain washed out. Trail to Indian with side-trip across Stewart with view of Camelhump then 1.1 mile bushwhack from Indian to Frie. Quick 200' drop to Frie, long downhill from Stewart back to start some of it fairly steep (but fun). 7.5 miles, 4.4 hours.
Feb 1 - SPRUCE HILL - SAVOY MOUNTAIN STATE FOREST SE of N Adams, MA. 3-4" powder on top of good base. Busby Trail to the 2,566' summit, 700' elevation gain in 1.5 miles. 1st mile climbs gently on smooth wide trail. After passing a cellar hole on the R the trail turns sharp L & things get steeper so I put climbing skins on skis. Side-stepped a very steep section a little before reaching the summit. Grand views: Mt. Greylock to the W, Adirondacks to NW, VT to the N, Mt Monadnock NH to NE, etc. Lost Pond & Blackburnian Loop Trails on way back - more downs than ups passing some interesting ledges, some small stream crossings, somewhat rough trails. At least intermediate+. 3.6 hours. 
Jan 27 - HOLMES LAKE OUTLET... SNOWMOBILE CORRIDOR 8 TRAIL from Pinnacle Rd off Benson Rd. Expected icy conditions from recent rain & figured the groomed trails of Lapland Lake would be the way to go today. But before forking over some $$ I would check out some trails in the area; the NPT looked a bit shaky but figured I could do a short run on the snowmobile trail. Icy hardpack with 1" fresh powder; off-trail crunchy 15". Trail heads W thru pleasant evergreen forest then turns N. Lunched next to scenic Holmes Lake Outlet. Turned back at junction of trail to Holmes Lake. Peaceful today (don't expect on weekends); snowing lightly. Some novice hills, much flat. Easy in good snow, fast today. Never made it to Lapland. 7+ miles, 3.5 hours. Great base, needs a few inches powder. 
Jan 25 - FOREST ROAD 74. Temp in 50s, raining & wind gusting to 50mph. Parked on Rt. 9 in Woodford, VT. Green Mountain NF. The 1.5 mile road is unplowed & serves as a snowmobile trail - nice kick & glide skiing. Ventured off-road a couple of times (Aiken Wilderness is to the W) & 2'+ snow was wet & heavy making breaking trail hard work. 1.5 hours.
Contest: check out this video, identify the location & email us or stop in store with your answer - we will pick one winner of a $25 gift certificate from those who answer correctly - contest ends Jan 23rd. Ans: Chubb River.
Jan 24 - BOTHERATION POND LOOP from Old Farm trailhead near 13th Lake. 1'+ of snow, a hint of ice, good skiing. Trails broken out by previous skiers & snowshoers. Did the loop clockwise (did it counterclockwise last year). Up the Halfway Brook Trail over William Blake Pond, across another small pond. Continued on nice mostly downhill run to The Vly. Out to a double beaver lodge in the middle. Back to junction. Mostly downhill with lots of bumps to B Pond. Some slush under snow on pond, view of Gore Mt. New bridge over outlet. Mostly downhill to E Br Sacandaga River (aka Botheration Brook) & another new bridge. Rough side-trip down to Elizabeth Point on 13th Lake. 10 miles, 5.3 hours. 
Jan 20 - COLE HILL STATE FOREST, East Berne. 1.5' of snow, a bit crunchy, icier under evergreens. Most parking areas unplowed, Irish Hill Rd one semi-plowed. Long Path. New blue spur trail goes to Willsie Rd. Mostly novice with a couple of intermediate hills. 3 hours. Checked out Thacher Park on way home & there is about 1' of crunchy snow, might be better for snowshoeing than skiing.
Jan 18 - MERCK FOREST. Couple inches of new; wettish powder, over foot total. Old Town Rd, Spruce cabin, down the open field back to Old Town, Birch Pond, Schenk Rd (nice views while climbing), Nenorod cabin, Beebe Pond lean-to for lunch (could pick ou Mt Equinox peeking out over yonder ridge), up Beebe Pond Trail, Buechner Rd, Ned's Place cabin, Lourie Trail (some nice short runs with views), part way down McCormick but looked too steep for me this day, Antone Rd, Wildlife & Discovery Trails (a snowperson on skis blocked our way). Lots of elevation changes. 7.2 miles, 4.3 hours. 
Jan 17 - TIRRELL POND. Well-packed trail, plenty of snow. O'Neill Lean-to is a pleasant spot just E of the outlet. View of Blue Mtn from E side of pond, Tirrell Mtn & others from W side. Intermediate rolling terrain. 7 miles, 4.5 hours. 
Jan 13 - GROFF CREEK & ABNER BROOK from River Rd (W side of Sacandaga River) in Hope. Less than 1' of snow at start, over 1' at higher elevations, some crunchy crust in the mix. Abandoned old town road to maintained unmarked trail, at times Groff Creek is 100'+ down steep ravine with conifers. After 2 miles trail ends & we continued up bushwhacking within sight of the creek, fairly open woods but also some blowdown to skirt. Gained over 700' from near start. Down to beaver pond on Abner Brook (on maps) for lunch - Rongwae broke thru some thin ice near shore & iced up skis, one reason why one should always carry a scraper. Nice run back out. See newest edition of Discover the Southern Adirondacks guidebook for more info. Maiden voyage of Fischer Snowbound skis. Intermediate. 7.5 miles, 4.9 hours. 
Jan 11 - MERCK FOREST, VT just across the border from Salem NY. 30 miles of forest roads & trails. Lots of powder. Old Town Rd had packed snow (occasionally plowed), breaking trail on Hammond Rd. Dropped 1,100' on Gallop Rd (wheeee! what fun!). Lunch in lean-to. Up Old Town & Antone Rds then plummeted down Clarks Clearing Trail (expert, rest intermediate if good snow). Lost Silviculture Trail & got tangled up in some maple syrup lines. 7.5 miles, 4.3 hours, 1,800' gross elevation change. 
Jan 10 - DYKEN POND ENV. ED. CENTER. Plenty of nice powder snow. Did most trails around perimeter and played on the hill near the parking lot. Dyken has close to 10 miles of trails - trails to N thru mostly hardwoods. Check out The Sentinels, a tricky downhill with turns around a couple of boulders. Trails S of the access road mainly thru evergreens and open beaver meadows. Enough tricky hills to make this intermediate. 6.5 hours. 
Jan 6 - CLAPPER HOLLOW STATE FOREST, Clapper Hollow Rd, Jefferson, SW Schoharie County. Excellent skiing on 15" of powder snow. Numbered designated ski trails are mostly smooth & wide. Thru clearing with view S, leanto on pond, spruce reforestation on top of hill. Elevation from 1,800'-2,100'. Novice terrain. 7.5 miles, 4 hours. Good map in "Ski Tips" guidebook available at APnP. 
Jan 4 - HOPKINS MEMORIAL FOREST, Williamstown, MA. Very good skiing on 8"-9" new powder on little base. Lower & Upper Loop Trails (both clockwise - enjoy looking at Birch Brook while climbing) - smooth wide trails, hilly. Check out canopy platforms 75' up trees for research. Hoosic River Trail - nice spot, river mostly open. Intermediate. 7 miles, 3.5 hours. 
Jan 3 - SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. Over a foot of new powder. Skied thru farm fields & woods - very nice skiing. 3 hours. 
Jan 1 - AIKEN WILDERNESS from Woodford State Park, Woodford, VT. 20" - very good skiing. Took the old road past tin can junction. Explored some beaver meadows. No marked trails in the wilderness area. 4 hours. 