May 11 - GREAT POND, near Simsbury, CT.  Loop hike around pond.  Pines, mountain laurel, Pink lady's slipper.  1.5 miles.

May 10 - PEOPLES STATE FOREST, near Winsted, CT.  Loop hike on Charles Pack, Jesse Girrard & Robert Ross Trails - nice views from Chaugham Lookout & The Overlook of Farmington River 600' below & the hills beyond.  Swarming blackflies at sunny lookouts but not biting.  6 miles, 3+ hours.

May 5 - MOHAWK RIVER & ERIE CANAL from Freddie's Park SE of Rt.9 Crescent Bridge.  Upstream past islands (columbine growing on rocks), Colonie Mohawk River Park, under the Northway then R into the old Erie Canal to Clute's Dry Dock.  Beaver, muskrat, gb heron.  8 miles, 2+ hours.  Wilderness Systems Zephyr.

May 3&4 - CEDAR RIVER FLOW from Wakeley Dam.  Up Buell Brook ~half mile & several small rapids.  Camped at NE part of flow - picnic table & thunderbox.  Cedar River - no beaverdams.  Carry lean-to - helicopter came down nearby for a few minutes - stocking trout?  Surrounded by mountains rising up to 2,000' above the flow - very scenic & peaceful.  Loons, osprey, mergansers (many males), trout.  A few blackflies (not hungering for blood yet).   

Apr 28 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions Park.  Paddled up to the Lisha Kill but water too shallow & did not reach bridge to Niska Isle.  Downstream past the 3 islands.  Immature bald eagle, gb herons, mallards, C geese, wood ducks, snapping turtle, muskrats.  1.5 hours.  Wilderness Systems Zephyr 16.0, a 16' sea/touring kayak - did extremely well in the gusty wind.

Apr 26&27 - PUTNAM POND canoe camping.  Told that ice has been out for over 2 weeks.  Paddled out & set up camp on the island - one must pay for these on-water sites once the campground is open, not today - fire ring, picnic table, outhouse.  Paddled around N end of pond then to S end.  Romancing pairs of loons, mergansers & mallards.  Hiked to & around Grizzle Ocean (an "ocean" that is much smaller than the "pond") - 3 miles.  Yellow violets.  A beaver passes our campsite both evening & morning.  Hike Treadway Mountain (trailhead 5 min. paddle from our campsite - very pleasant route, excellent views from the rocky summit, still snow on Mt. Marcy & other High Peaks - 5 miles, 900"+.  Garter & green snakes on rocky upper trail; hawks, osprey fly over the summit; a few blackflies (not biting yet).  Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo touring canoe, & Bell Northstar, a 16.5' tandem touring canoe.

Apr 20 - AIKEN WILDERNESS skiwhacking.  Walked a short distance down FR74 (mostly snow-free) then headed W to where we saw larger patches of snow.  Continued along snowy route mainly on N facing slopes past a meadow, to a beaver pond & to the high point of the wilderness where there is a large rock, some thru-the-trees views (last April 21 we reached this spot but started from Woodford SP).  Saw the "Blind Man's Trail", someone had once blazed a trail in here with blue paint, ranger has since gone in & painted them over with brown.  Elevation 2,300-2,600'.  0-10" corn snow, very good skiing just watch out for hobblebush.  3.5 hours. 

Apr 19 - STEWART MTN hike.  Short hike on private land E of Loon Lake in Chestertown to wonderful lookout - see across Loon Lake to Crane, 11th & Gore Mountains.  BRANT LAKE canoeing - put in at state boat launch in the village - scenery is nice but much of shore has camps along it, not far from roads & a manufacturer of beautiful wood motorboats was taking folks for rides (noisier than a bunch of motorcycles).   

Apr 17 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions Park in Niskayuna.  Muddy put-in.  No other boats of any kind out this morning.  Water level low - will be raised before they put the locks into action - little chance of getting out to main channel between the islands.  3 crows chasing hawk, all land on same tree, another red-tail screams in & all fly away, 2 hawks seen soaring.  Watch a muskrat come out of the water & onto island.  Geese, ducks, heron, turtle. White-throated sparrow sounds, fish jumping, eagle nest inactive.  1 hour.  Perception Carolina 12, a 12' recreational kayak - very adjustable seat, perimeter deck lines for safety, medium size cockpit.  Mohawk River Paddling Guide & other local spots.   

Float planes allowed on Lows Lake for 3 more years - story.

Apr 16 - Ice out on many Adirondack lakes incl. Pharoah, Loon, Schroon, Long, Cranberry... 

Apr 5-12 - Kayaking MD & NC.  Highs 55F-80F, lows low 40s-60F; winds mostly 15-20mph. 

Apr 12 - MERCHANTS MILLPOND.  Northern NC.  Rented a canoe ($14 for 4 hours).  Lassiter Swamp, Bennett's Creek.  Turtles.  Bald cypress trees & their "knees" are so neat.     

Apr 11 - OUTER BANKS, NC.  Oregon Inlet Campground.  Bodie Lighthouse.  National Seashore beach.

Apr 10 - BEAR ISLAND from Hammocks Beach SP HQ.  Much wider & better marked than route from Shell Rock.  Lagoon. 

Apr 9 - BEAR ISLAND from Shell Rock Landing.  See dolphins as we get ready to launch.  Cross Intracoastal Waterway.  Brown canoe trail marker posts thru marshes.  Up the Trout Channel along the island to Ferry dock - ranger told us middle of island closed due to heavy machinery on beach (backcountry campsites also closed) so we headed back to W end of island ~low tide.  Sandy bluffs & dunes, very scenic.  Bear Inlet very narrow route out to Ocean.  Tricolored herons, egrets.  Very shallow in spots on way back (even 4 hours after low tide for Bogue Inlet), we also take a wrong turn for short time.   

Apr 8 - WHITE OAK RIVER from Cedar Point.  Estuary, over a mile wide, now a couple of miles before the river meets the ocean, tidal. Also explored Dubling & Boathouse Creeks.  Clammers.  Tricolored herons.  Undeveloped on E shore & islands, W side developed.   

Apr 7 - WHITE OAK RIVER & tributaries from Haywood Landing.  River averages 100' wide here.  To Long Point & back - also explored Mulberry & Grants Creeks.  Fire in evidence in pines on E shore, Croatan NF.  Undeveloped shores.  Wood ducks, turtles, osprey, prothonotary warblers. 

Apr 5 - ASSATEAGUE, MD.  Chincoteague Bay.  Wild horses, little blue heron, loons.   

Mar 30 - AIKEN WILDERNESS skiing.  Mostly off trail.  1'-2' of wet granular snow topped with up to 2" new.  Raining down in Bennington, snowing up in Woodford.  Skied down FR74 for ~10 mins. then R or W on old logging road which we soon left.  Reached old logging road S of the state park.  One tricky stream crossing.  3 hours.   

Mar 29 - HOOSIC RIVER kayaking.  From Johnsonville upstream.  Bald eagle, Canada geese, red-tailed hawk, muskrats.  2.6 hours.

Mar 25 - SPECULATOR TREE FARM ski.  From parking area just off Rtes 8&30 near bridge on Old Rtes 8&30 which is not plowed shortly after the bridge.  Avg. 1.5' of snow.  Icy at first but real nice as temp rose well over 40F + lots of sun to soften things up.  S on Old Rtes 8&30 for ~1 mile, rapids of Sacandaga River seen to the R.  L on Fly Creek Rd, a snowmobile trail (mountain bike trail in summer).  Pass 3 Camp Rd which goes to Elm Lake then pretty much stay close to Kunjamuk River (mostly ice-free).  Pass Long Level Bridge & continued on E side of Kunjamuk to site of Upper Bridge, there is no longer a bridge here.  Some nice views along the way with Upper Pine Mtn's cliffs to the E & East & Dug Mtns to the W.  I wouldn't ski here on a winter weekend due to snowmobiles but makes for a good late season weekday trip.  Mostly novice but with enough hills to make things interesting.  15 miles, 5.1 hours.  Nehasanes's 52nd ski day of the season.  Snowmobile Snow Report.   

Mar 23 - PORCUPINE LOOKOUT.  Same start as yesterday.  Determined to find & follow old road W of Hagar Hill.  Found & followed & lost it but stayed on course running into Little Pond-AT/LT connector trail then W to AT/LT then SW to lookout.  Long break, wonderful view E & S Mts, Snow & Haystack, meadows - no sign of civilization except for Searsburg Wind Farm.  N on AT/LT to find our tracks from yesterday, down to Little Pond Trail, off-trail short cut to "Secret Trail".  Temp below freezing so a bit icier in tracks than yesterday; nice in untracked areas; snow here should last well into April.  Elevation ranges from 2,400' to 3,100'.  4.3 hours.    

Mar 22 - LITTLE POND LOOKOUT.  From Little Pond trailhead on Rt.9 a bit E of Big Pond in Woodford.  Snowmobile trail.  W side of Hagar Hill - old road & bushwhack.  Spur to Little Pond.  Off-trail NW uphill to Appalachian/Long Trail (return on this open woods route is a blast).  N on AT/LT to lookout.  Back on "The Secret Trail".  Very nice skiing away from snowmobile trail: avg. 20" firm base topped with soft granular topped with 1" new; snowing for over half of trip; temp above freezing; a bit sticky, make sure you use Maxiglide or Easy Glide.  No stream crossing issues.  Almost too much fun!  4.3 hours. 

Nehasane's go-to skis - Fischer Outtabounds Crown - like them more every time I'm out.

Mar 18 - HOLMES & LITTLE HOLMES LAKES, FRIE FLOW from Peters Corners.  Still ~2' of snow.  A bit icy at start but softened up as temp rose over 40F.  Snowmobile trail for couple of miles, spur trail to new lean-to S of Holmes Lake faces E but far enough from the lake that there are no views of the lake.  Off-trail to connect with unmarked path/old road to Little Holmes & along E side of Frie Flow where there is some blowdown.  Reached a stream we did not want to cross & found a way onto the flow passing an old boiler from logging operation ~100 years ago.  7 miles, 4 hours. 

Mar 16 - DUNVILLE HOLLOW, Woodford, VT.  Excellent conditions as sun had softened the surface - area is mostly hardwoods.  Parked on City Stream Rd just off Rt.9.  Out on Forest Road 273, a snowmobile trail.  Crossed 3 trails of Prospect Mtn Ski Area then R "off-trail" heading W.  Soon found an old logging road going in our direction, then another one R or N up unnamed 2,315' hill.  Turned around, enjoying the downhill then R or W on original old road & down along stream that dumps into Stamford Stream in Dunville Hollow after 650' drop from our highest elevation - exhilarating!  Looped the long way back on snowmobile trails.  3 hours. 

Mar 15 - CRANE POND & GLIDDEN MARSH.  Pharoah Wilderness.  Firm base, bit icy in shady spots to soft surface in sunny areas - mostly good skiing + one can't complain about the cloudless skies & temp in upper 40s.  After noon start to allow snow to soften.  Falls on Alder Creek.  Lonnnnng break sun-worshipping at mostly snow-free piney campsite on pond with view of Pharoah Mtn to the S.  6+ miles, 4.7 hours.   

Mar 11 - SPECTACLE LAKE from Rt.29A between Canada Lake & Stratford.  ~2' snow - temp well above freezing.  Rained last night & this morning - cloudy on way in, sunny on way out.  Snowmobile trail - packed trail softened by the warmth - good to very good skiing (wet & heavy off trail, slow going).  Pass by Burnt Vly & Third Lake.  Arrived at middle lobe of Spectacle.  Easy intermediate on well-packed trail to Third Lake, rougher (especially for snowmobiles) from there to Spectacle.  Some wet spots, easily avoided.  Nice & quiet midweek, no snowmobiles.  11 miles, 4 hours (shorter break than usual).  ADK guidebook & NatGeo map have mileage wrong - they say it is 4 miles to Spectacle but upon examination one can easily see that it is 4 miles as the crow flies & not trail mileage.  Until we get new snow expect things to be icy hard & fast when temp is below freezing, nice spring skiing when well above freezing.   

Mar 9 - WILTON WILDLIFE PRESERVE.  Very good skiing on groomed (not today) trails N of Scout Rd - 2" of new heavy powder on 1'+ base.  The ~5 miles of trails they groom are easy, almost comical the way they have "Hill" signs at top of small hills.  Wide smooth trails.  4.5 miles, 1.3 hours.  Amazing how Saratoga area still has lots of snow & Albany nothing just 30 miles away.   

Mar 8 - PINNACLE CREEK from end of Pinnacle Rd in Bleecker.  Shaker Mtn WF.  Over 2' of snow, fair to good skiing.  Rained a lot last night & streams were up - had to go way upstream to cross 1st stream.  Pinnacle Creek even wider so we just followed it's E branch upstream off-trail a half mile to a vly between Pinnacle & Panther Mtns, skirted the edge of vly on the SE & past a lot of pretty icefalls on small cliffs.  Temp in 40s made for very comfortable lunch break in the sun.  5.5 miles, 4.5 hours.   

Mar 4 - CONGDON SHELTER from Notch Rd (S off the Rt.9 hill @ ~1,450'el), Woodford, VT, drive short distance to parking area on L.  Walk/ski to end of road & take a right on 4WD road to R of house.  3"-6" powder on crunchy base - very nice skiing.  Going up Dunville Hollow along Stamford Stream.  Eventually reach couple of fancy camps & some very interesting moose statues.  At ~2.3 miles, after gaining over 400', take R at a clearing & pass another camp, now climbing moderately (great for telemark turns on way back).  At 4-way junction take R on Old Stage Trail (occasionally marked, but obvious old road, aka Dunville Hollow Trail on the Stamford USGS map).  Gain of 800' from start as we take L on Appalachian & Long Trails (lots of moose tracks).  AT not as easy to follow & we lose it a couple of times down to Congdon Shelter.  After lunch we cross the stream next to the shelter & find an old trail which soon leads to our tracks on Old Stage.  Explore a clearing with blackberry bushes which has view of Houghton Mtn.  Back to 4-way, we take R then L on snowmobile trail then L back on Old Stage & out.  Nice variety.  8-9 miles, 4.4 hours.       

Mar 1 - CATAMOUNT TRAIL - HARRIMAN RESERVOIR S of Rt.9 near Wilmington, VT.  Rained a couple of days ago.  Lightly used snowmobile trail  for ~3 miles - a hint of iciness, very gentle grades, easy skiing.  CT bears L from snowmobile trail (sign points L & says "Dam") & follows old railroad bed - slightly icy powder, not a crust, not bad skiing.  Pass thru interesting rock cut.  After crossing Wilder Brook, took an unmarked trail to the reservoir.  Water drawn down ~40' lower than high; looked like a snowy moonscape.  8 miles, 4.6 hours.   

Feb 25 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER upstream from Rt.10.  Old roads (unmarked)into Silver Lake Wilderness.  Broke trail thru lots of deep snow.  Missed the turn for the "path" that parallels the W Br so continued on N Br "trail".  After ~2 miles crossed the N Br at a vly, went off-trail SE over a small ridge, down to a stream, along the stream thru a wetland to the West Branch.  Followed the bank of the W Br upstream for a while - a very beautiful spot in the wilderness.  The river looked like a 20'-30' wide white ditch, not much open water.  Warm cloudless wind-free day - very very quiet.  Followed my tracks back.  Would love to get a canoe back in here.  Ref: Discover the Southern Adirondacks.  Skiing: novice; route-finding: intermediate+.  6.7 hours.  Nearby Piseco reported 49" snow depth earlier in the week.   

Feb 23 - HOPKINS MEMORIAL FOREST from Rosenburg Center, Williamstown, MA.  Parking area well-plowed.  Up to 8" powder on good base.  Did Upper & Lower Loop Trails (the former twice - once in each direction) + spur to Northwest Hill Rd.  500' elevation change from start to high point.  Wide smooth trails with some good hills.  900'+ el, 8.3 miles, 3.5 hours.   

Feb 22 - HOFFMAN NOTCH from Blue Ridge Rd.  Parking area not plowed recently, we shoveled out one spot.  8" powder on good base, snowing lightly, temp around freezing, a bit sticky in the afternoon (make sure you use Maxiglide or Easy Glide on skis to minimize sticking).  Worth a short sidetrip to bottom of wonderful icy waterfalls W of trail.  Scenic brook much of the way, crossings easy.  Gain over 500' on way in, fun run out.  Lunch at Big Marsh.  7.4 miles, 4.6 hours.     

Feb 18 - HELL HOLLOW BROOK & PORCUPINE LOOKOUT from Little Pond trailhead in Woodford, VT.  Green Mountain NF.  Snowmobile trail to just past powerline, L at clearing to unofficial (aka "secret") trail (sparsely marked with ribbons, old axe blazes & cuttings) heading NW, downstream on S side of HH Brook to Appalachian/Long Trail bridge at 2,300'.  Uphill on AT/LT to Porcupine Lookout at 2,800' where there is a good view S & E.  Down to connector trail to Little Pond for short distance then S off-trail picking up headwaters of HHB.  Many beaver ponds/meadows along HH Brook.  Moose tracks & piles of scat - & look! there goes the moose, a good look at its tail end!  4.7 hours.   

Feb 16 - LITTLE POND, N of Rt.9 in Woodford, VT.  Avoided the snowmobile trails by finding a "secret trail" marked with ribbons (mostly yellow, some orange).  Same excellent conditions as yesterday.  Had the pond all to ourselves for pleasant 1.5 hour relax in the sun.  Run back out was heavenly, losing over 300' in ~2 miles.  6 miles, 4.5 hours. 

Feb 15 - AIKEN WILDERNESS from Woodford State Park.  6" powder on top of firm deep base - best skiing of the season!  Across Adams Reservoir to end of campground, over 3 beaver ponds/meadows, L on old logging road (unmarked) uphill, down to large meadow for long break in the warm sun, to "the tin can" junction & bear L, now beaking trail (easy), down to string of beaver meadows/ponds to W Br Deerfield River then returned.  Moose & otter tracks.  8 miles, 5 hours.   

Feb 11 - WEST STONY CREEK from Benson Rd, 4.7 miles from Rt.30.  Very good skiing, spring conditions with temp in 40s.  Very roughly followed route of proposed continuation of Northville-Placid Trail, bushwhack thru mostly open woods at this time.  About halfway picked up an old road in a N-S orientation marked with ribbons before turning E & dropping 400' down to the creek (we stayed high over steepest section, maybe should have gone below it).  Creek is ~50' wide where we met it below 1,000' elevation, mostly iced over, probably crossable but we didn't have to.  See Discover the Southern Adirondacks 2005 4th edition 2nd printing Map 3 trip 97.  7+ miles, 5 hours.   

Feb 9 - THOMAS MOUNTAIN.  Stopped at Lake George Rec Center - not groomed, icy hard, skied a loop, not much fun.  Drove over to Thomas.  Trail was packed hard & I could have bare-booted whole way without post-holing but donned snowshoes for the grip of their crampons.  Great view from cabin near top: south end of Lake George, Cat Mtn not far to the S, Crane & Gore Mnts to the W.  Enjoyed the sun on the cabin porch for 1.5 hours.  Explored a bit - sunk up to 1.5' even with snowshoes on off-trail.  Some distant road noise (I-87 is ~1 mile away).  700', 3 miles, 3.6 hours.   

Feb 8 - HOUR POND.  From Old Farm trailhead.  Siamese Ponds Wilderness.  Temp slightly above freezing at start (mostly heavy wet powder), slightly below freezing at end (tracks icing up).  Branched off Puffer Pond Trail to Hour Pond & lean-to.  Took new red trail back down to 13th Lake - advanced skiing today, intermediate+ in perfect conditions.  Crossed lake with lots of slush/water to Elizabeth Point & back up to start.  8 miles, 6 hours. 

Feb 4 - MUD LAKE.  Silver Lake Wilderness.  2.5' of snow.  From end of plowing to Whitehouse ~2 miles novice.  Cross long suspension bridge over W Br Sacandaga River, now on Northville-Placid Trail.  Soon start climbing 650' to height of land then slow drop to Mud's lean-to, intermediate.  Broke trail all the way - a lot of work for just 2 skiers.  3.5 hours in, 2.5 hours out.  Only 2 parties signed in at Whitehouse in January.  Last entry in lean-to register was Nov 23, 08 (Bill Ingersoll).  10 miles, 6.8 hours. 

Feb 2 - MERCK FOREST from little-used S entrance at end of plowing on Hidden Valley Rd.  Poor skiing - over a foot of snow topped with icy crust.  Old Town Rd never far from a stream.  Dunc's Place.  Long lunchbreak in one of lean-tos with view to the S.  800' gradual elevation gain in ~2.5 miles to Birch Pond.  Workers getting maple sugaring apparatus ready - will tap trees in a couple of weeks.  Easy intermediate in good powder conditions; intermediate+ today.  3.5 hours. 

Feb 1 - DIPPIKILL.  Skied old logging roads from a friend's house to Dippikill then down to Dippikill Pond for lunch then down 450' in a mile on wide trail to Rt.28 at The Glen where we had spotted a car.  6 miles, 3 hours.  Back to Dippikill Rd & did the run down to Rt.28 again.  2.5 ' snow , foot of new powder on top of an icy layer - very good skiing.  700' loss, 2.6 miles, 1+ hours.  Intermediate+ the last half mile. 

Jan 28 - WASHINGTON COUNTY WOODS & FIELDS.  Over 1' with some new snow made for good skiing in the morning; alas, rain in the afternoon left an icy crust on top!  2.5 hours.

Jan 26 - HALFWAY BROOK & RAYMOND BROOK TRAILS.  Thru ski from Old Farm Trailhead to Rt.28.  Climb over 400' on HB Trail, drop to The Vly & campsite with view of Gore.  Cross Barton Mines Rd & pick up newly marked RB Trail which climbs moderately before dropping 1,200' in ~3.5 miles to Rt.28.  Initial drop from height of land is steep but there is room to move & pick your best way down.  Things moderate for ~2 miles, pass historic "Sled Shed" from the 30's, even some uphill.  Raymond Brook in ravine to our L.  Good new bridges over streams.  Another steep section before Rt.28 parking area.  Exhilarating!  Intermediate+.  9 miles, 4 hours, 15 min. shuttle (one-way)between trailheads.  Another trip report - this one did not go as well as ours.   

Jan 25 - BOTHERATION POND loop from Old Farm trailhead near 13th Lake.  2'-3', excellent snow conditions, trail broken.  2 miles of new trail from the crossing of the E Br Sacandaga River (aka Botheration Brook/River) to the Halfway Brook Trail marked with red ski markers.  Some slush under the snow on Botheration Pond, view of Gore Mtn.  Side-trip toward The Vly on Halfway Brook Trail - nice downhill.  Easiest to ski out onto William Blake Pond & small beaver pond to its E & fun run out.  Interesting scenery & skiing.  8+ miles, 4+ hours.

Jan 23 - WOLF CREEK FALLS PRESERVE.  Did all of the trails N of the road & some to the S.  Could not find the unmarked trail that goes down to the creek from near the wall on the white trail so bushwhacked down & upstream a bit to 15' icy falls, opposite wall rises 50' from creek - nice spot.  1' snow; off trail icy crust topped with 4" powder; most trails broken by skiers & snowshoers.  Intermediate.  1.7 hours. 

Jan 22 - MOHAWK RIVER STATE PARK aka SCHENECTADY MUSEUM NATURE PRESERVE, from Lock 7 parking lot in Niskayuna.

Jan 21 - ROCKWOOD STATE FOREST.  A few miles NW of Johnstown.  Over 5 miles of designated ski trails (generally wide & smooth) + more on spurs, etc.  Most trails broken out - excellent skiing; off-trail there is 2.5' incl. an icy crust topped with 8-10" powder (somewhat hard to herringbone).  Some exciting hills especially from top of hill (an old chimney can be found here) SE of parking lot.  Broke trail on side-trip to Caroga Creek.  Main trails shown in Discover the Southern Adirondacks.  3+ hours. 

Jan 19 - PHAROAH LAKE skiing, from Beaver Pond Rd.  Pharoah Wilderness.  Very good skiing; ~1.5', off-trail mostly powder but with some crust midway; someone had taken snowmobile in (illegal in wilderness areas) so trail was packed.  ~2 miles in, go off trail at the bridge over outlet to campsite with good view of Pharoah Mtn across the beaver flow; mighty impressive beaver dam, too.  Great view of Treadway Mtn & lower flanks of Pharoah Mtn from Watch Rock.  Easy intermediate.  9 miles, 4.5 hours. 

Jan 18 - DYKEN POND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER near Grafton.  ~1.5' mostly powder over good base.  Only 1 other car (snowshoers) in parking lot on a Sunday of holiday weekend!  Trails to the W had not been broken in over a week!  Easy intermediate.  Some blowdown.  3 hours.   

Jan 14 - EASTMAN LAKE from Green Lake.  Shaker Mountain Wild Forest.  2'+ incl. sometimes breakable icy crust topped with 5" powder.  Started on the ski trail to Pine Lake with temp at -3F but soon went off-trail & across Otter Lake.  After crossing outlets of Stewart & Indian Lakes started climbing a ridge heading NE - I hate to admit it but this might be more appropriate for snowshoes & we turned around before making it to Eastman.  Fairly remote.  600' elevation gain, 5 hours.

Jan 14 - Piseco hits the 40" mark!  NY Snow Totals.

Jan 12 - BELLOWS PIPE TRAIL from Notch Rd.  NE side of Mt. Greylock near N Adams, MA.  Parking lot uphill from trailhead not a priority for plowing (got plowed just after we got there).  Great conditions - good base topped with up to a foot of powder.  Some blowdown; stream crossings not too bad (just make sure its been cold lately).  Climb for 2.7 miles to lean-to; thru-trees view of Hoosic River valley.  Continued on to  Thunderbolt Ski Trail; watched a couple of guys come down using alpine touring gear.  Fun run back; intermediate with only 1 steeper hill.  1, 000'+ elevation, 6.5 miles, 4+ hours.     

Jan 11 - THE SNOW HOLE & BALD MTN.  Taconic Crest Trail from Petersburg Pass at NY/MA border (~2,000').  Quite a few cars here ahead of us at 10:30am - telemark skiers & boarders like the old ski trails on Mt. Raimer.  Great conditions - good base topped with over 6" powder.  Very steep hill at start can be walked or skinned; one more fairly steep hill but intermediate overall.  Had to break trail over half the way.  Nice view from White Rocks a little before the Snow Hole.  Continued on to Bald Mtn (2,480'), trail gets very steep, found unmarked trail to the L which was less steep, used climbing skins, no open views.  7 miles, 5 hours.   

Jan 9 - INDIAN MEADOWS PARK,  Droms Rd, Glenville.  Report of 5" new snow in Glenville.  Up to 10"; sometimes breakable crust with 1"-5" powder on top.  Groomed trail around ballfields is beginner.  More scenic ungroomed trails in woods & marsh to S around the Indian Kill are novice.  Ran off a few telemark runs on the sledding hill.  1.2 hours.

Head N or W of Capital District to avoid trails with much blowdown from ice storm.  Thacher Park trails are closed (over 100 trees down) & they are looking for volunteers willing to help with cleanup - call park office at 872-1237.

Jan 5 - WILTON WILDLIFE PRESERVE.  Freezing rain earlier in day.  Skied Camp Saratoga section both sides of Scout Rd.  10" - icy hard & poor skiing on groomed sections (maybe they don't groom on Mondays?); good skiing in untracked snow wherever no-one had gone.  Groomed trails are easy terrain; ungroomed intermediate.  2 hours. 

Jan 4 - ROCK LAKE.  Northville-Placid Trail from Upper Benson.  Deep base with 5"-8" powder - nice skiing.  Trail well-used by skiers & snowshoers early but use diminished the further we went & we had to break trail as we got closer to Rock Lake.  Mostly uphill on way in; nice ride back out.  Very nice peaceful wilderness destination.  700' elevation change, 9.5 miles, 5.5 hours.   

Almy Coggeshall dies - his "25 Ski Tours" guidebook was Nehasane's 1st xc ski guidebook.  Quite a character, you shoulda heard him at UMP public comment meetings.

Jan 2 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE.  Very good skiing on 6" powder, variety of terrain.

Jan 1 - HOPKINS MEMORIAL FOREST, Williamstown, MA.  Fair to good skiing on 6" powder on top of thin icy base, some rocks & an open wet area on one hill. Did a figure 8 on Lower & Upper Loop trails - wide trails, 500' elevation change.  3 branches of Birch Brook.  N of Lower Loop there are interesting platforms 75' up in 2 trees connected by 25' walkway - used for research.  Mile-long trail to Hoosic River drops 250' - ice forming in its green waters.  6 miles, 3.6 hours.   

2008:

Dec 29 - GAGE BROOK XC SKI TRAILS at Lake George Recreation Center.  Take Rt.9N west from I-87 for over half mile, take R on Transfer Rd & follow signs.  1'.  Less than half of trails groomed, no set track.  Good skiing where groomed.  Some wet areas.  Free.  Nice cascades & falls, good view of falls from lean-to.  Backcountry trail leaves Rec Center to Prospect Mtn.  1.5 hours.

Dec 28 - JOHN POND.  Siamese Ponds Wilderness.  10"-20" heavy wet powder.  Temp up to 50F.  Wet spots.  New lean-to (roof leeks) set back a bit from old location but still a nice view to cliffs across pond.  View across John Pond Brook to Bullhead Mtn.  Side-trip to old burial plot (fun hill).  Tricky stream crossings on log bridges.  John Pond Crossover Trail for less than a mile to another tough stream crossing.  7 miles, 4 hours. 

Dec 26 - WASHINGTON COUNTY WOODS & FARM FIELDS skiing.  8", a bit icy & faster. 

Dec 23 - LISHA KILL PRESERVE skiing, Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna.  ~1' snow.  Trails packed by skiers, snowshoers, bare-booters, animals.  Some steep hills best for better skiers (steepest hills can be avoided by going off trail; snowshoers will love it).  Wonderful old growth woods.  A little blowdown but not bad.  1.2 hours. 

Rangers from Columbia County & Thacher Park stopped in the store & reported much blowdown on trails, in fact Thacher has been closed.

Dec 21 - WASHINGTON COUNTY WOODS & FARM FIELDS skiing.  3 whitetails.  Spent time on wide nowax bc skis & also narrower waxable bc skis - enjoyed the former most.  Over foot of snow.  3 hours.

Dec 15 - ROBIN'S LOOKOUT hike.  Equinox Preservation Trust trails on E side of Equinox Mtn, Manchester, VT.  Up to 2" wet snow & ice.  Up via Snicket, down by Red Gate Trail.  View of Equinox Pond below & across Battenkill valley to Green Mountains.  Most trails are wide.  400' climb, 2 miles, 1.5 hours.

Dec 14 - MUD LAKE.  There are many Mud Lakes & Ponds in the Adirondacks, this has got to be the tiniest, I've seen bigger beaver ponds!  This one is about a mile NNW of Chase Lake in the Shaker Mtn WF.  Started at the end of Pinnacle Rd & Chase Lake trailhead but immediately went off-trail keeping the slopes of Pinnacle Mtn to our left.  Some challenging stream crossings but mostly very good skiing thru mostly open hardwoods with 6" dense powder over good base.  Overshot the lake; after consulting the maps (USGS Caroga Lake & Jackson Summit) headed over a knoll to the hemlock-rimmed "lake".  Stayed closer to its outlet on way back & picked up the Chase Lake trail.  7 miles?, 4.3 hours.  

Dec 8 - DRY, DEXTER & SPECTACLE LAKES from Rt.10.  Very good skiing on ~15".  1st day snowmobiles allowed on state land but no sign of them yet.  Temp 3F as we started out - very sunny with little wind tho.  We broke trail most of the way.  Some downed trees a minor annoyance for skiers - could be major annoyance for snowmobiles.  Intermediate, the hill before Dexter will challenge most skiers (some rocks, water).  Trail from Dexter to Spectacle is obvious (some guidebooks call it a bushwhack but I believe they refer to the old trail).  Probably best to stay off lakes.  8.2 miles, 4.7 hours.   

Dec 7 - REDFIELD BROOK & "THE BURNING" ski, Woodford, VT.  Forest Road 272 from Rt.9.  Snowmobile trail but snowmobiles not allowed for another week yet.  Very good skiing on 3"-6" powder on somewhat crunchy base.  Windy, snowing all afternoon.  Wandered around the open area around Redfield Brook.  Found an unmarked trail which crossed Little Pond Brook (broken bridge) & back over to "The Burning".  6 miles, 3.7 hours. 

Dec 1 - HAPGOOD POND skiing, Peru, VT.  Green Mountain NF - stopped by ranger station on Rt.11 E of Manchester for free maps.  1,500' elevation.  Avg 5" heavy very wet snow - expecting to go for a short hike, glad I had my skis with me.  Campground roads easy, nature trail intermediate.  2+ hours.  The Catamount Trail passes to the E of the park. 

Nov 30 -  PILLSBURY LAKE xc skiing.  Gate open (I suspect they will close it after hunting season & allow snowmobiles to take over) near Mason Lake; Perkins Clearing Rd plowed.  Perkins Clearing to Sled Harbor not plowed but driven by 4WD so we drove on to Sled Harbor.  Skied to summer trailhead (this section multi-use); then past the gate, just ski tracks into the West Canada Wilderness.  Gain 700' in 1st 3.5 miles - fun run out, no sharp turns, intermediate.  15" snow - excellent conditions; some blowdown & a tricky stream crossing near the lake.  Frozen over Pillsbury Lake at 2,500' elevation, snowing, leanto.  9.6 miles, 5 hours.      

Nov 27 - OLD FARM CLEARING xc skiing.  ~10" avg. heavy snow.  Down to Elizabeth Point on 13th Lake (some wet spots & rocks); some ice on the lake but more open water, nice spot.  Over to Old Farm Clearing & Botheration Pond Trail (red ski markers).  E Br Sacandaga has much ice & snow but I could not chance crossing (red trail continues on other side of river to BP & the Halfway Brook Trail).  Back to OFC then from register on blue ski trail up to William Blake Pond.  8 miles, 4 hours.  With the new trail a 7 mile round-trip is possible via Botheration Pond.   

Nov 24 - FLOOD DAM hike from Somerset Rd (W of Wilmington, VT).  Deerfield River creaky suspension bridge at start then bear L on Flood Dam Trail, unmarked for over a mile then sporadic orange or yellow paint blazes.  Half inch snow - stained for quarter mile with the blood of a deer someone had dragged out.  At ~2 mile mark there is a fork - L follows orange tape markers NE (took that 1st then cut over to the flow/vly).  Returned & took R fork to flow on East Branch Deerfield River above the old dam - nice peaceful spot.  Grouse.  6+ miles, 4.25 hours. 

Nov 23 - MOUNT OLGA loop hike, E of Wilmington, VT.  Start at Molly Stark SP.  N trail to firetower goes thru pleasant spruce/balsam woods.  Wind chill must have been below zero, thankfully top of tower is enclosed.  Nice 360 view of 3 states (VT, NH, MA) - incl Mts Haystack, Snow, Stratton, Bromley, Monadnock, Greylock.  Down on S trail thru hardwoods to campground.  2 miles, 2+ hours.   

Nov 19 - G LAKE xc skiing.  Piseco/Speculator region reported 6"-9" & more W of there; Boonville & Tug Hill area over a foot.  So we drive up to Speculator - 2", head west on Rt.8 Piseco 5", things start to look real good west of Piseco Lake.  ~6" at start of the unplowed (4wd vehicles have driven the first 2.1 miles) dirt road & ~10" around G Lake.  Went around E & N side of lake (some ice on lake but mostly open) then down the outlet some - unmarked old logging roads & hunters' path.  Had to take skis off to cross a couple of streams; not as much wet areas as expected, surprisingly good skiing.  The 2.5 miles to the lake is novice/easy intermediate; rest intermediate.  7.8 miles, 4.7 hours.   

Nov 17 - DYKEN POND ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER hike.  I like the trails S of the access road - variety of woods, streams, swamp, vlies. 

Nov 16 - FISH CREEK from Mennen Rd, Victory Mills.  Moderate current due to recent rains; heavy current under westernmost Rt.29 bridge (we were able to paddle up thru it).  Mostly wooded shores; some light development near bridges.  8.7 miles; 3.8 hours. 

Nov 12 - WALLKILL RIVER from Sojourner Truth Park, New Paltz.  Ref: A Kayaker's Guide to the Hudson River Valley by Aber.  Upstream for a bit, turned around at shallow riffles then downstream 4 or 5 miles.  Turned into Cameo Lake Outlet, interesting with its oak & shagbark hickory woods.  Views of white cliffs of the Shawangunks much of the way.  Wood ducks, buck.  Never too far from roads, light development.  Bell Yellowstone Solo, a 14' solo canoe - this one made of Royalex, its foam core insulates better than most materials canoes are made of. 

Nov 10 - AIKEN WILDERNESS hike from Woodford SP, VT.  Up to 1" new snow.  No ice.  New beaver dams & ponds.  Moose tracks & scat.  Don't expect trail markers & signs in the wilderness area; there are old logging roads that can be followed. 

Nov 9 - SPRUCE PEAK hike from Rtes.11&30 E of Manchester, VT.  Long Trail/Appalachian Trail.  View from small lookout on Spruce Peak across valley to Mt. Equinox.  Continued on to Spruce Peak Shelter, a log cabin.  Mostly deciduous trees so thru-trees views most of way; some road noise.  5.6 miles, 4+ hours. 

Nov 7 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7.  Water chestnut gone, able to paddle the shallows & back bay.  Dagger Approach, a 10' kayak.

Nov 3 - MOUNT PROSPECT in MOUNT GREYLOCK STATE RESERVATION hike near Williamstown, MA.  Scouting ski trail.  Money Brook Trail.  The Hopper (glacial cirque).  Steep climb up Prospect (1,600' total elevation gain) where there is a viewpoint 10 mins. before the treed summit - with leaves off the trees there were filtered views the whole way.  Enjoyed most the brookside valley trails.  For skiing purposes, the 1st mile of Money Brook Trail is easy; connector trail to the Hopper Trail climbs 300' in half mile to the Hopper Trail;  Hopper Trail is wide & drops 400' in over a mile.  6 miles, 5 hours. 

Nov 2 - HUDSON RIVER kayaking from end of Station Rd in Stockport.  Started a little before low tide.  Headed S & around Middle Ground Flats, a long island near Hudson.  Interesting Hudson-Athens Lighthouse & view of snowy Catskill Mountains.  N on W side of river, explored backwater & channels in marshy area.  Around Stockport Middle Ground (an island) before going up Stockport Creek.  Bald eagles, r-t hawks, swans.  A ship & a few motorboats but most of time we had the river to ourselves.  Major duck hunting resumes Nov 8.  15 miles, 5.5 hours.  Perception Essence, a 17' touring kayak. 

Oct 30 - THACHER NATURE CENTER & THOMPSON'S LAKE xc skiing.  5"-10" in open areas; up to 4" on woodsy trails.  Stayed mostly in open areas; never got far on any woods trails which eventually had wet spots, snow-laden branches hanging low over trail or protruding rocks.  Also skied campground & beach at adjacent Thompson's Lake SP.  1.8 hours.   

Oct 27 - SWYER PRESERVE trails closed - mud on boardwalk, boardwalk washed out in places.  NUTTEN HOOK RESERVE walk - yellow-marked nature trail loop, old ice factory, bushwhack N along Hudson River.  1+ hours.  OLANA walk.  Home of Federick Church, Hudson River School painter.  Ridge Rd, the lake (nice view & fall colors), Crown Hill.  2+ hours.   

Oct 26 - CATSKILL CREEK, DUBOIS CREEK, RAMSHORN CREEK, HUDSON RIVER.  Put-in on West Main St in Catskill across from High School; gravel canoe/kayak ramp.  Water level high due to 2"+ rain in last 24 hours but nice day today.  Trees in tidal swamp forest of RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary were mostly leafless but still some nice color in dry upland areas.  View across Hudson to Olana.  Bald eagles, red-tailed hawks.  Bell Northwind RX, a 16.5' general purpose tandem canoe (note: the Royalex Northwind is 16.5', the composite Northwind is 17.5'); like most recent Dave Yost designs, very seaworthy, 2' boat wakes no problem.   

Oct 22 - HUDSON RIVER from Waterford boat launch.  Headed upstream to islands below Lock 1.  Started in daylight, finished in the dark.  Bald eagles, osprey, loon, gb herons, thousands of C geese.  6 miles, 2 hours.  Wilderness Systems Zephyr 15.5, a maneuverable & playful 15.5' touring kayak - manufacturer's website is incorrect, it is nowhere near 16" deep, more like 13".

Do you want to avoid duck hunting season on the tidal Hudson River?  Paddle between Oct 20 & Nov 7.  Southeast hunting seasons.

Oct 20 - HOPKINS MEMORIAL FOREST hike, Williamstown, MA.  Foliage past peak but still some good color.  Figure 8 loops on smooth wide trails & up Birch Brook trail for a bit.  Off-trail to waterfalls on South Branch Birch Brook.  5 miles.

Oct 18 - MYSTIC SEAPORT, Mystic, CT.  Toured the museum for 5 hours, very interesting.

Oct 17 - ISLAND BEACH SP, Ocean County, NJ.  Walk thru dunes to Atlantic Ocean.  4WD vehicles allowed on beach.  Sedge Islands canoe & kayak trails on the bay side. 

Oct 16 - FORSYTHE NWR.  Salt water marshy area around high tide from Scott's Landing in Leeds Point.  Creek to Hammock Cove, then Landing Creek to Great Bay (where Mullica River meets the Atlantic).  Can see Atlantic City 9 miles to S.  Lots of egrets, ducks, gulls, turkey vulture.  Interesting marsh plants. 

Oct 11-15 - NJ PINE BARRENS canoeing.  Wharton State Forest.  High temps 72-80F, lows high 40s to low 60s, lots of sun, no rain.  Water levels fairly low so more obstructions than usual.  "Rivers" generally 10' to 30' wide.  Wet areas dominated by red maple (red fall foliage) & Atlantic white cedar; dry areas by pitch pine & oak (red leaves of blueberry in understory).  I paddled bow a lot - lots to do for the bow paddler on these twisty streams icl. draws, cross-bow draws, pries, bow rudder, etc.; Frankenstern took over j-stroking chores from the back.  Would have loved to have a Royalex Bell Chestnut Prospector for this trip for its maneuverability & durability. 

Oct 15 - OSWEGO RIVER.  Oswego Lake to Harrisville Lake.  Wading again early on below Oswego Lake dam but little debris & nice firm gravelly bottom.  Cedars dominate early then pines.

Oct 14 - WADING RIVER.  Yeah!!! wading!!!...from Speedwell we go downstream with lots of debris & liftovers, walking more than paddling, decided to turn back.  Restarted further downstream Hawkin Bridge to Evans Bridge.  Less sharp turns, no major obstructions & more current than the other rivers.  Cranberry farming area NE side of Wharton.

Oct 13 - MULLICA RIVER  from Rt.206 to Pleasant Mills.  Much variety & my favorite.  6 beaver dams - liftover 4 of them; carried 100 yds. around 2 at Old Mullica Camp (easy path).  7+ hours. 

Oct 11&12 - BATSTO RIVER From Hampton Furnace 5 miles & over 3 hours (narrow, several liftovers slowed us down) to designated camping at Lower Forge ($2pp camping permit).  8 more miles to take-out on Batsto Lake.     

Oct 7 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7.  Water chestnut weeds are cutting away.  Paddled upstream to just before Rexford Bridge, good spot for sunset.  Finished up under starry skies with half moon - nice.  Ducks, egrets, herons.  Venture Skye, a 16'7" user-friendly full-featured PE touring kayak (aka Venture Easky 17).  Switched to P&H Quest LV, a 17'7" composite tourer, accelerated & held speed nicely, edged turns came easily, despite its "low volume" Nehasane's 5'11" 220lb frame fit comfortably.   

Adirondack Life & Adirondack Mountain Club 2009 Calendars now in stock.

Oct 6 - BALM OF GILEAD MOUNTAIN hike.  From Old Farm Clearing trailhead, turn L at register on blue trail (not on maps) climbing gently, then R on yellow trail climbing moderately to rocky outcrops. Great view S & E across 13th Lake, Puffer Mtn, Bullhead Mtn, Peaked Mtn, Blue Mtn.  Great fall foliage.  3 miles; 45 mins up; 35 down.  Lunched at N end of 13th Lake - needed long johns & down jacket.  Saw ruffed grouse displaying.  Scouted out trailheads for new Raymond Brook ski trail - will now be able to ski from 13th Lake via Halfway & Raymond Brooks to Rt.28 a mile N of North Creek - 8.5 miles one way, crossing Garnet Mines Rd (4 miles from Rt.28) half way.  1,000' elevation change in 4+ miles on Raymond Brook Trail!  GARNET LAKE paddle.  Surrounded by steep hills.  Some camps near put-in but much state land - very scenic, good view of Crane Mtn.  Loon.         

Oct 5 - FAWN LAKE, W of Speculator.  Nehasane a bit under the weather but peak foliage beckoned.  Wheeled the 0.5 miles to the lake - somewhat rough at the end, think I would have been faster just using the removable yoke.  View of Pillsbury Mtn firetower, several campsites on this 1.5 mile long lake.  Bald eagle near inlet.  Walked trail 15 mins. to flooding thanks to beaver.  Grouse.  Hung out at sandy beach at NE shore.  3 fishermen in gas-powered boat, otherwise pretty quiet.  Bell Yellowstone Solo, a 14' solo canoe.  Wheeleez cart - pneumatic tires, transports up to 176 lbs, wheels come off the Kayak Canoe Cart and re-attach quickly with clip pins, while the aluminum frame folds scissors-style to fit in your boat (beware of poorly-constructed look-alikes).

Sep 30 - MOHAWK RIVER from Freddie's Park SE of Rt.9 Creescent Bridge.  paddled upstream to just beyond I-87 bridges.  Great egrets.  7 miles, 2 hours.  Perception Essence, a 17' touring kayak.

Sep 29 - QUEBEC BROOK.  From Blue Mountain Rd.  Some beaver dams & obstructions.  Portages fairly flat & easy (used to be railroad over 80 years ago).  After 2nd portage there is short rapid that was very difficult to line, then a longer rapid.  On return we took out at top of rapids (class 2 if more water) & portaged along a path with some blowdown within sight of the stream for ~5 mins - much easier than lining.  Personally, I don't see why this is not the official portage.  Moose tracks.  Above the rapids the stream is wider but shallower, grassy in parts.  Views open up - hills aflame with color.  Able to go under old railroad bridge; Onion River enters.  Lunch near dam with view of Madawaska Pond.  6+ hours.  Not paddled often judging by entries in register.  Tough trip but worth it.  Feet in water a lot - Chota Mukluks invaluable.  Bell Merlin II turns well especially when heeled.   

Sep 28 - UPPER & LOWER St REGIS & SPITFIRE LAKES.  From Keese Mill Rd near dam.  Lots of interesting fancy "camps" to ogle as well as the variety of boats in the boathouses - Camp Topridge on Upper St Regis Lake especially interesting.  Loons.  Very light motorboat traffic.  16 miles, 6 hours.  Bell Merlin II, a lightweight 15' solo canoe, tracks well, has good speed.  Camped at Slush Pond (drive in).   

DEC warns motorists to be alert for moose in the Adirondacks - more.

Sep 23 - HUDSON RIVER from state boat launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem.  Close to low tide.  Headed downstream, turned around before boat launch at Schodack Island SP.  Perception Essence 17, a 17' touring kayak.

Sep 21 & 22 - HENDERSON LAKE, PRESTON PONDS, DUCK HOLE.   Easy 0.25 mi. carry from Upper Works to Henderson Lake put-in next to dam. Leanto + 3 new campsites (map near put-in).  Paddled around S end , took a short walk to Masten House, then N with super view of Wallface & other mountains. Muddy landing near leanto then pick up trail for 1.8 mi. carry to Upper Preston Pond - very rough in many spots with rocks, roots & mud; gain over 300' most of which occurs a little over a mile in. Mountainsides come steeply down to Upper Preston Pond. Narrow 100yd carry S of outlet (there is an old oar marking the spot) to muddy landing at Lower Preston Pond. Lined the outlet thru shallows/rocks (Chota Mukluks very useful; for the muklukless, there is also a rough path on the right) to a narrow 100' carry on L which drops steeply around a 12' falls to Duck Hole.  Moved into one of the leantos near dam.  Very good fall colors, superlative mountain scenery; clear waters.  Morning mist.  Hiked Northville-Placid Trail (very easy smooth old road; Cold River, Moose Creek & 2 leantos along the way) 2 miles to Mountain Pond, had to bushwhack short distance to get to its S shore - pretty, view of Sawtooth Mountains.  From Duck Hole paddled up Roaring Brook (one liftover) to within sight of hiking trail.  Took our time heading out, hardly a cloud in the sky, colors & views were outstanding.  Bell Northstar, a 16.5' tandem canoe.     

Sep 20 - HOOSIC RIVER upstream from Buskirk Covered Bridge.  Higher water than last time washed out gravel bars & made for less quickwater.  Soloed Bell Northstar from kneeling thwart.  1 hour.

Sep 18 - The Nature Conservancy purchases 3 mile long 1,000 acre Follensby Pond, 14,600 acres total incl. 10 miles of Raquette River frontage - read more.  We've been waiting a long time for this one...

Sep 16 - ROUND LAKE & ANTHONY KILL.  Beavers have built up the dam on the AK - now over 2' drop.  Sunset from the AK, moonrise from W shore of RL.  Pyranha Master TG, 9' kayak best for river-running but skeg helps tracking on flatwater, very stable.   

Sep 15 - PUTNAM POND circuit hike.  Wind forecast gusts to 50mph so we left the paddles at home.  CLEAR POND - watch out for poison ivy in rocks in front of leanto; the great hat rescue as a gust of wind blows Nehasane's hat into the pond - Pinkpadla teeters on semi-floating logs to retrieve the hat.  ROCK POND loon, very nice. LITTLE ROCK POND. HEART POND.  Snakes.  Much variety in woods & ponds.  Trails over rolling terrain, somewhat rough but rock trailwork has minimized muddy spots.  6 miles, 5.5 hours.     

Sep 14 - HARRIMAN RESERVOIR from boat launch at end of Fairview Ave, Wilmington, VT.  Much rocky shoreline; well over 20 miles of shoreline.  E side very lightly developed, W side undeveloped with small mountains rising up to 1,500' from the lake; Searsburg wind farm can be seen.  A few nude sunbathers at The Ledges.  Haystack Mtn seen to the N 2,000' above lake.  Some motorboats, sailboats, PWCs, kayaks - probably a lot busier in July/Aug.  Swift Bering Sea, a 15'10" lightweight composite touring kayak.  Got half way down, had nice break on a piny island.  4 hours.   

Sep 9 - HUDSON & MOHAWK RIVERS from 123rd boat launch in Troy.  Interesting array of tugboats & more moored in Waterford.  Around both sides of Peebles Island admiring cliffs & falls.  Osprey.  Downstream on Hudson River a bit past historic Matson Boatyard.  2 hours.

Sep 8 - CEDAR LAKE, Sturbridge, MA.  Swift Kiwassa 12.5 LV, lightweight 12.5' light touring kayak for smaller paddler, nice combination of maneuvering/tracking, responsive to edging.  Swift Prospector, 16' classic canoe, nice.  P&H Capella 167 composite sea kayak, solid predictable handling.  P&H Scorpio poly sea kayak, wow! stern slides out when edged & turns are sharp.  WS Zephyr 15.5, 15.5' sea kayak, nice & playful, felt a bit tippier than the 16.  WS Tsunami 120, a 12' rec/touring kayak, no nonsense good tracker.  Dagger Alchemy, 14' touring kayak with skeg capable of doing class 2 rivers, flatwater, ocean, would like to spend more time with this one (not available til spring).  Emotion Bliss, 10'10" sporty rec kayak for smaller paddler, zippy.  Emotion Glide, 9'7" kayak did not glide well but very stable & comfortable.  Emotion Temptation, 10'3" sit-on-top kayak, pleasant for such a short kayak (angler version called Stealth).

Aug 31-Sep 7 - LAKE LILA>LOWS LAKE>OSWEGATCHIE RIVER.  5 miles of carries.  Light fly & mosquito activity; latter more active for an hour after sunset.  Misty mornings on the lakes.  Seems like late morning each day there was noise from military training flights.  Bell Northstar, 16.5' tandem canoe; Swift Kipawa, 16.5' tandem canoe; Bell Bucktail, 12' pack canoe. 

Sep 7 - HIGH FALLS to INLET.  Showers had raised water level a few inches.  13 miles in 5 hours incl. rest stops at Cage Lake Springhole/Buck Brook leanto & High Rock.  Very pleasant scenic paddle; any beaver dams were runnable without having to get out of the canoe.

Sep 6 - HIGH FALLS.  A day of rest.  Firewood scarce around leanto, had to paddle downstream to find some.  Swam in pool below falls. 

Sep 5 - CAMP JOHNNY to HIGH FALLS.  2 miles, more dams, obstructions.  As we arrive at top of falls we surprise a naked guy with hands raised to the sky.  His group was in the leanto to river R.  Leanto on river L was open & we moved in - forecast was for rain 9/6 - my Cobra VHF/weather radio picked up channel 5.  No view of falls from leanto but paths lead to open rocks both above & below falls - great spots to hang out. 

Sep 4 - LOWS LAKE to OSWEGATCHIE RIVER.  0.8 mile carry from Lows to Big Deer Pond fairly smooth, one short steep hill some beaver flooding near end - took 20 mins.  Moose footprint.  3 loons.  Blue ribbons marked the start of 2.2 mile Headwaters Carry to the O.  Mostly smooth & flattish.  Crossing on an old beaver dam, then mailbox with register, then moderate uphill, downhill, then mostly smooth & flat, last section a bit rougher thru area highly impacted by 1995 blowdown.  Lots of piles of bear scat in trail.  Lows to O in under 3 hours.  We work our way downstream for 5 miles going over many beaver dams & log obstructions (on one we had to remove packs from canoes to get over the tree).  Stopped to look at most campsites - most good for 1 or 2 tents.  Ended up at Camp Johnny #11, room for our 4 tents, rock overlooking river, only campsite of trip with no privy.   

Sep 3 - LOWS LAKE, GRASS POND MTN.  Hike up to the open rock on GP Mtn very well marked with ribbons, steep but takes less than an hour to viewpoint (see Discover Northwestern Adirondacks).  Walked W of main viewpoint to where I could see Grassy Pond, bald eagle, ravens & hear loon calls.  Lay my head down on small rock cairn - everything was just right - Nirvana!  Swam, relaxed in camp.  Sunset paddle.  After dark could see flashes of lightning to the SE; above our heads nothing but stars & milky way.  

Sep 2 - CLEAR POND to LOWS LAKE.  Carried directly from campsite N to dirt road, L for a short distance then R on an older dirt road (closed to vehicles) to landing on Bog Lake.  The campsite nearby is nice.  Paddled around W end of lake then down the outlet.  Bald eagle flies overhead; lots of C geese in outlet (Bog River).  Out onto Lows, we take the sneak route to E of the bog & look for a campsite on N of lake.  Settle on #26 - squeeze in 4 tents near the water, box privy, view across bay to eagle's nest, Grassy Pond Mtn, view S across lake from lookout.  Shallow sandy bottom good for swimming out to island.  Sunset paddle.  Lots of loons. 

Sep 1 - LAKE LILA to CLEAR POND.  Paddled short distance & landed just W of Harrington Brook.  Ribbons mark the rough 0.3 mile carry to flatwater.  Up the brook & into shallow lilypad-filled Harrington Pond.  Back a bit & up Rainer Brook for over a mile going over 3 beaver dams.  Back down to railroad tracks.  Carried E along tracks for 0.5 miles then left on 0.4 mile trail marked with yellow canoe carry discs to Clear Pond.  2 of us paddled to check out the campsite & go for a swim.  3 loons (1 chick).  Back at the carry, 2 of the group had not yet arrived.  After 3 hours we find them - they had continued on the tracks past the well-marked L turn & added 3 or 4 miles to their carry!  Lousy steep landing at campsite, not much of a view but it had plenty of room for a few tents & did have a box privy.  Some traffic on dirt road to N of pond, believe there is logging going on to the W.  Coyotes across pond at night.  Carries shown on Adirondack Paddlers Map 2nd Edition & in the book Adirondack Paddlers Guide by Cilley - not in older maps & guidebooks.     

Aug 31 - LAKE LILA.  0.3 mile carry to the lake.  A group was just leaving campsite on Canada Island & we move in.  Box privy (aka "thunderbox"), sandy beach, large smooth rocks.  Paddled up Shingle Shanty Brook, 3 beaver dams, new signs at carry & edge of state land warn canoes/kayak to stay out.  Bald eagles.  4 barred owls hooted away in the evening.