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KAYAK POOL SESSIONS start March 10 - rolling, rescues...

XC SKI LESSONS & GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOURS

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Mar 10 - PARTRIDGE RUN WMA.

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 26 - ERIE CANAL TOWPATH from Ferry Rd in Vischer Ferry. Good skiing on few inches of very wet snow - temp above freezing, will be icy when temp drops below freezing. Views of Mohawk river. W to Lock 7 dam. River still mostly iced up except below dam, ducks on open water. Flat beginner terrain. More miles of flat terrain to the E at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve.

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 31 - AIKEN WILDERNESS, Woodford, VT. From Woodford State Park. 3-4" powder on good deep base. Adams Reservoir ice seemed solid & thick but was cracking as we crossed. Broke thru ice while crossing a stream in the 1st meadow. Old logging road S to "Tin Can Junction". W on unmarked path which we soon lost so bushwhacked thru relatively open woods to Beaver Meadows & across going NW with view of Prospect Mt. Picked up another old logging road which lead to Prospect Mt Ski Area's Mountain Trail. Headed back the way we came. 8.5 miles, 5.5 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.

Dec 28 - WILTON WILDLIFE PRESERVE. A few inches, mostly icy base with 1-2" of fresh powder, sticky, fair skiing. Designated ski trails are occasionally groomed, beginner/novice.

Dec 27 - HELL HOLLOW BROOK, PORCUPINE LOOKOUT, LITTLE POND Woodford, VT, from Little Pond trailhead on Rt.9. About a foot of snow - rained some over the last 36 hours but temp stayed above freezing so snow was soft & we had good skiing. A vehicle had driven to the power line, rits made for tricky skiing; nice after that. Soon after powerline, left snowmobile trail & headed WNW on unmarked trail to HHB. Good bridge over HHB, headed N on AT/LT (white paint blazes) gaining 500' to PL. Crossover trail to Little Pond then back out on the snowmobile (saw 2) trail. 4.5 hours. Woodford got another foot of snow Dec 28.

Dec 26 - TOWN OF COLONIE GOLF COURSE. Happy to find 2" of wet snow on the Nehasanemobile this morning. A bit of thin icy base at the golf course, temp just above freezing. Beginner/novice terrain. Very nice glide even with wide Fischer Outtabounds skis.

Dec 22 - LISHAKILL NATURAL AREA walk, Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna. 0-4" crunchy snow, icy trails (use poles). Perhaps the nicest woods in the Capital District, ravines, icy streams.

Dec 21 - PEEBLES ISLAND walk. Lots of ice on Hudson & Mohawk Rivers. Always enjoy visiting the falls & clifftops. Some crusty snow, many bare spots. No admission charge in winter.

Dec 14 - PINE VALLEY, Woodford, VT. 1' of snow, icy crust. Good, fast trail skiing in ski tracks from yesterday; fair skiing off trail. Explored beaver ponds & followed other ski tracks thru open hardwoods that went off-trail (what did they know that I didn't?). Snowmobiles allowed on VAST trails Dec 16. 2.5 hours.

Dec 13 - CAMP SANTANONI - NEWCOMB LAKE skiing. 10" of snow, not a hint of ice, very good novice skiing to old great camp. Side-trip on 0.7 mile trail that connects with VIC trails - intermediate with a steep hill just before VIC land. L on Sage Trail down to Belden Lake. Snowing all afternoon. Popular trip, good chance trail broken especially if you go Sun/Mon. 11.5 miles, 5 hours.

Dec 10 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE ski. 9" with icy crust - fair skiing in tracks of previous skiers. Parks Dept would like skiers to stay off the greens. Best to look for groomed trails if you want to ski locally.

Dec 7 - PARTRIDGE RUN WMA, near Berne. Avg. 5" of snow. 2,000' elevation helps keep snow longer. From CR13 skied down Beaver Pond Rd (unplowed but driven on), R on snowmobile trail then bushwhack over to ski trail near pond. Ski trail had some wet spots & snow started to stick to skis. Southern zone deer hunting season goes thru Dec 13 - wear bright clothing. 2 hours.

Dec 6 - GREEN MOUNTAIN NF from Pine Valley parking area on Rt.9 in Woodford, VT. Skied N then E on FR272, then across Little Pond Brook bridge & N on snowmobile trail 7N. Side-trip to beaver pond from which Mill Pond Brook flows. Avg. 4" of snow. Some rocks, many wet spots - Maxiglide helped minimize sticking on no-wax skis & used scraper a couple of times. 4+ hours.

Nov 30 - TACONIC CREST TRAIL walk S from Petersburg Pass. In the clouds but some views to the Little Hoosic Valley. A few very small patches of snow. Stayed in NY - Hopkins Memorial Forest (N & E of the pass) closed for hunting - MA shotgun deer hunting season started today (thru Dec 12).

Nov 29 - WOODFORD STATE PARK, VT xc skiing. Prospect Mtn Ski Area reported 7" of heavy wet snow. Avg. 6", less on paved road, more in the beaver meadows. Skied campground road, blue trail & off-trail a bit. Moose tracks. No ice on Adams Reservoir. Also checked out snowmobile trail N of parking area. 4.3 hours. Reports of others skiing the Whiteface Mtn road today too.

Nov 23 - NORTHVILLE-PLACID TRAIL hike from Wakely Pond, Cedar River Rd. New section. 1st 1+ miles are on old 4WD trail, soon pass new handicap accessible campsite. Trail slowly gains 400' then drops passing big boulder, thru-trees view of Blue Ridge to the N. Reached turn-around time but heard Brown's Brook & had to check out the pretty bouldery stream. Red squirrel, hairy woodpecker, grouse. 9 miles, 4.7 hours. Plan to ski S from Stephens Pond this winter & check out rest of new section.

Nov 22 - SPRUCE MOUNTAIN & RAYCROFT LOOKOUT hike. A bit E of N Adams, MA in Hoosac Range. Monroe State Forest. From Monroe Rd which becomes a fairly narrow dirt road. Trail (faded blue paint blazes) goes up shoulder of Spruce with thru-the-trees views the whole way, gains 700'. Lots of downed trees, recently cleared. Small lookouts on the E & main summits with distant views S. Nearby Crum Hill is highest point in MA outside of the Mt. Greylock massif & only 100'+ higher than Spruce. Back to car & continued down to Raycroft Lookout 1,000' above the Deerfield River with views of Upper & Lower Reservoirs. No hunting in MA on Sundays - still heard gunshots. 3.5 hours.

Nov 18 - HOLT PRESERVE walk, near Clarksville, Albany County. Good view across Hudson Valley from Appleby Rd on drive to trailhead. Walked most of trails on Copeland Hill. Cute pond. Mostly smooth wide trails - good for intermediate skiers. <2 hours. Drove to LAWSON LAKE COUNTY PARK & walked the 1.25 mile loop trail - not too interesting. Fisherman in canoe on the small lake. Maps & descriptions in Natural Areas of Albany County 4th edition (available at APnP).

Become a better canoeist - Bill Mason's videos.

Nov 15&16 - LAKE LILA canoe camping. No cars in parking lot when we arrived Sunday morning - we had Lila to ourselves for both days (did see/hear couple of vehicles on private road N of lake). 0.3 mile carry to the lake. Paddled to lean-to & set up camp then across lake & up Shingle Shanty Brook (fun - lots of turns) to the carry at edge of private land (more on Shingle Shanty & navigational rights). Several beaver dams. Temp stayed above freezing overnight; mice in lean-to. Paddled over to campsite #5 & hiked up (no trail) unnamed rocky peak - gain 350' in 22 mins. Great views across Lila (more expansive than views from Mt Frederica); could also make out Cat Mtn (near Cranberry Lake) to the NW. Paddled down the Beaver River ~1 mile to rapids & private land; no obstructions, shallow in spots. Very mellow; no gunshots. Bell Northstar, a 16.5' tandem canoe.

APA reverses its decision on Low's Lake wilderness classification - 3 members change their votes, a Survivor-like backstab - more.

Nov 11 Veteran's Day - NORTH POINT, Catskills hike. Figure 8 route from Scutt Rd parking. Easy at first, steep near top. Extensive views from ledges: Albany & Adirondacks beyond, Taconics, Hudson River from Albany down to West Point. Escarpment Trail to Badman Cave. Ashley Falls at Mary's Glen. Last mile on North South Lake Campground road. 700', 6 miles, 4.3 hours.

Nov 9 - MERCK FOREST hike. Woods roads, old roads & trails to Spruce Peak where there is nice view W & SW without much evidence of civilization. Rentable lean-tos & cabins. Maple syruping. Good view to Adirondacks from the farm. Warm (60s) but windy. 5 hours.

Nov 8 - LAKE GEORGE from Veterans Memorial Park & Beach in Bolton Landing. Paddled across to the Narrows, in & around islands, Red Rock Bay, Paradise Bay & back. Poked into a small cave obscured by low cedar branches. Fairly calm & warm; SSW wind picked up a bit for crossing from Montcalm Point back to take-out creating waves over 1'. Very clear water, excellent scenery with mountains E & W. More motorboats here than last couple of weeks on the Hudson - sunny skies & temp ~60F might have something to do with it. 4+ hours.

Nov 4 - CLAPPER HOLLOW STATE FOREST hike, Jefferson, Schoharie County. From Clapper Hollow Rd. 8 miles of designated xc ski trails (mostly novice, smooth trails would only require ~6" of snow to make for good skiing). Mostly above 2,000' elevation. Lean-to (no trash!) on pond. View from large clearing on Trail #5. See ECOS' Ski Tips for good map (for sale in store). 3.5 hours. Southern zone regular deer hunting season starts Sat Nov 21.

Nov 2 - LITTLE POND hike, Woodford, VT. 2 miles on snowmobile/4WD trail then wilderness boundary & hiking trail down to the pond. Grouse. Not much color - maples & birches have no leaves - 2,400' elevation. 5 miles, 3.6 hours. Vermont rifle deer hunting season Nov 14-29.

In NY State you are required to wear a PFD while canoeing or kayaking between Nov 1 & May 1.

Nov 1 - HUDSON RIVER canoeing from Coxsackie. Coxsackie & Rattlesnake Islands. Coxsackie Creek. Van Schaak Campsite on Bronck Island (not an island) for lunch - picnic table, accessible outhouse, 2 tent platforms. Crossed to E side. Cattail Marsh. Mill Creek. Some fall foliage left, mainly oaks. Bald eagles, buffleheads. Returned after sunset, almost full moon was up, river calm - nice! 15.2 miles, 5.8 hours. Reasons for getting in the water before paddling: burp the air out of drysuit, make sure drysuit works, become onewithwater.

Oct 27 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7. Started in daylight, returned by moonlight.

Kahtoola MICROspikes - pocket-sized traction device is the answer for people who want to stay active in the winter with convenient, effective foot traction.

Oct 26 - BOTHERATION POND loop hike. 2 new bridges over E Br Sacandaga (aka Botheration Brook). Grouse, mergansers, otter. 7 miles, 4.7 hours. More background.

Oct 25 - HUDSON RIVER from state boat launch in Coxsackie. Passed cliffs on W shore. Hudson Anchorage marshes. Murderers Kill to dam which creates Sleepy Hollow Lake. Middle Ground Flats (an island) - red-throated loon, racoon in tree. A seaplane landed & took off, a wheeled plane landed & took off from sandy flats E of Middle Ground Flats! - seems like they were out playing together. E shore - couple of bald eagles. Stockport Middle Ground - eagle & nest. Brant on Gay's Point. Barnyard goose regularly hangs out near boat launch. Some good fall foliage - oaks are unusually colorful this year. 14.5 miles, 5.5 hours.

Oct 21 - HUDSON RIVER from Coeymans Landing. Downriver on W shore then across to beach on state land just S of Stuyvesant. Back along E shore. Good fall colors; Schodack Island somewhat dull (too many cottonwoods). Turned around after low tide & thus rode the current in both directions, very little wind too! Variety of boats on the water: small motorboats, yachts, cruisers, tugs, barges, kayak & cargo ship (very little wake). Bald eagles. 5+ hours. Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo canoe. Break in duck hunting season in SE zone (includes tidal Hudson River) from Oct 19 thru Nov 6 - NYS duck hunting seasons

Oct 20 - HUDSON RIVER from 123rd St Lansingburgh. 2 bald eagles at N end of Campbells Island. Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo canoe.

Oct 19 - MOREAU LAKE STATE PARK paddle & hike. Paddled Moreau Lake's clear green water - could see fish swimming; liftover under the footbridge to get to N lobe where I saw a small turtle swimming. Hiked light blue trail <1 mile to the lookout - steep, fair view SE. Good fall colors. Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo canoe.

Oct 16 - POCOMOKE RIVER upstream of Snow Hill, MD. Wide tidal river slowly narrows to bald cypress swamp. 11 miles, 5 hours.

Oct 14- JANES ISLAND, CHESAPEAKE BAY. Crisfield, Maryland. Circumnavigation of undeveloped 5 mile long island. Fox walking the beach, bald eagle. West Creek. 13.8 miles. Small town but good restaurants (Olde Crisfield, Waterman's) close to campground - crab cakes, seafood.

Oct 13 - BATSTO RIVER. Batsto Lake upstream & back. No obstructions in this section. 10.5 miles.

Oct 11-12 - NEW JERSEY PINE BARRENS, MULLICA RIVER, BATSTO RIVER. From Rt.206. Spotted cars in Batsto. Varied scenery, twisty, undeveloped, one obstruction we had to get out for, beaver dams all runnable. Backcountry camping at Mullica River Wilderness Camp ($2pp) - had it all to ourselves on Sunday night of Columbus Day weekend. River continues undeveloped to Batsto, where we saw & cleaned up some trash. After Pleasant Mills the R shore has houses & river becomes tidal. We turn into & paddle upstream on the undeveloped Batsto River, many obstructions in the last mile to Rt.542. 6.8 miles 1st day, 9.8 miles 2nd day.

Oct 10 - ATSION LAKE, MULLICA RIVER, GOSHEN POND. Set up camp at Atsion Campground then went for a paddle. Put in at E end of campground. From Atsion Lake upstream on Mullica River to low bridge. Carried around bridge & continued - narrow, current, multiple obstructions, persevered & finally into Goshen Pond, a shallow widening of the river with primitive campsites accessible by car. Back to Atsion. 4.4 miles. Wharton State Forest. NJ Pine Barrens - hard to believe one is in NJ.

Oct 6 - MOHAWK RIVER upstream from Freeman's Bridge. WS Zephyr 160 composite version, quite a bit lighter than the poly version.

Oct 5 - JESSUP RIVER from Rt.30. Upstream for 1.5 hours, turned around at a log jam, explored Whittaker Lake Outlet, a narrow tributary. Downstream from Rt. 30 to top of rapids, one beaver dam. 4.7 hours.

Oct 4 - CHIMNEY MOUNTAIN hike. Views in all directions from the open rock dome of actual summit (from the chimney rock 10 mins. on an unmarked path, hung out there for 1.5 hours) - spectacular fall foliage. 2.5 miles, 900', 4+ hours. Camped at primitive site on Mason Lake - full moonrise, 3 loons, beaver, barred owls in stereo.

Sep 29 - MOHAWK RIVER from Freddie's Park at SE of Crescent Bridge, Rt.9. Herons, egrets, bittern, great horned owl. WS Tempest sea kayak.

Sep 28 - OSGOOD RIVER. Meacham Lake, view of Debar Mtn. Scenic twisty stream with only minor beaver dams. Side-trips into Mud & Baker Ponds. Tall white pines on the E shore esker, some colorful maples. Osprey, big gb herons. Mostly wild but did pass 3 private camps & bridges. Took a short walk over the esker & took a peek at McColloms Pond before turning back. Some road noise as one goes further S (upstream). 12+ miles, 6 hours.

Sep 27 - OSGOOD RIVER. Church Pond to Little Osgood Pond to Osgood Pond (some development) to upper Osgood River, part way up Jones Pond Outlet (bald eagle). Maples at peak color (yellow, orange, red, purple), not much else changing yet. River goes thru swamp with tamaracks & black spruce. Also explored a tributary which enters Osgood River from the NE going over 2 beaver dams. 13 miles, 6+ hours.

NYS fall foliage report

Sep 22 - HUDSON RIVER from Corning Preserve Boat Launch in Albany. Many Dutch sailing barges moored at Albany Yacht Club on Rensselaer side (one "tjalk" was built in 1888), Halfmoon replica on Albany side not far S of boat launch. Henry Hudson still in Albany on this day 400 years ago, left on the 23rd - more details. Swift Saranac 14, 14' kayak, always a pleasure.

Sep 21 - RICH & BELDEN LAKES in Newcomb. Some interesting rock shores. Sandy beach. VIC. Easy smooth 100 yard carry to Belden. Undeveloped. Bell Northstar, 16.5' tandem canoe.

Sep 20 - HARRIS LAKES & HUDSON RIVER in Newcomb. It's leaf-peeping time....early fall color. This website makes it sound like an easy trip between Harris & Rich Lakes - we found at least 4 rapids between the 2 lakes from class 1 to class 3 (if enough water)! Geese, ducks, kingfishers, herons, yellowlegs, loon. Couple of small motorboats not too obtrusive; can't say same for the couple of jetskis on Harris - Hudson River was best part of trip. Nice High Peaks views from Hudson River a mile S of Rt.28N bridge. Some development on S shore of Harris. 11 miles, 5 hours.

NEHASANE'S BEST OF THE YEAR AWARDS: Bell Chestnut Prospector 16' canoe (also made in composites by Swift) - would be nice to have one in Royalex for rocky streams & one in carbon/kevlar for portages; Wilderness Systems Zephyr 16' touring kayak; Dagger Alchemy 14' touring kayak. What raises these above others are responsivess & playfulness (Nehasane does not like hard-tracking boats, going straight can get boring).

Sep 15 - HUDSON RIVER from Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. Headed upstream, returned to the sounds of a bagpiper. WS Zephyr.

A rapidly growing problem in some of the rivers we paddle: "Rock Snot". As river users we should do our best to help reduce it's spread. http://vtwaterquality.org/lakes/htm/ans/lp_didymo.htm
Clean and DRY your equipment, especially booties, wetsuits, and drysuits.
Didymo "Rock Snot" is now in the upper reaches of the Mad-Vt, White, Battenkill, Connecticut
and all rivers downstream from those.

Jun 14 - BATTEN KILL, from Rt.313 bridge in Arlington, VT to Rt.64 bridge in Shushan. Mergansers with smalll chicks, deer bounding across the stream. Found some waves to play & surf along the way. Arlington visual gauge at 2.8', Battenville gauge at a bit over 5' - a very nice level. 14+ miles, 5.5 hours.

Jun 10 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions Park (by the old train station), Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna. Muddy put-in (best to wear the Chota Mukluks). Water chestnut weeds getting worse but able to get thru shallow area between upstream & middle islands & out to deep water; a bit deeper & easier between middle & downstream islands on return. Headed up to the Lock 7 dam - saw osprey & ducklings. A few motorboats out this warm evening. 6.5 miles, 2 hours. Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo touring canoe.

What do you burn in your campfire? Plastics can give off nasty chemicals. Some food wrappers (like instant oatmeal) have plastic linings. Read more.

Jun 7 - BATTEN KILL from Eagleville Covered Bridge to Rt.61 in Battenville. 2 more covered bridges in Shushan & Rexleigh. Class 1 whitewater & riffles - some downed trees make the section between Eagleville & Shushan a bit more technical. Very little development/roads until you reach Rexleigh. Water level 4.67' at Battenville gauge. Side-trip: went over a beaver dam & paddled up a stream into the Eldridge Swamp. Deer, woodchucks, osprey & nest, black ducks & ducklings, mergansers & chicks, C geese & goslings, fish; yellow flag & other flowers added color. 15.7 miles, 5+ hours. Dagger Alchemy 14.0, an extremely versatile 14' light touring kayak - flat water, easy rapids, sea kayaking...

Jun 3 - RIVERVIEW PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT. This is a new Town of Clifton Park picnic area off Riverview Rd W of Vischer Ferry (just W of Brian Dr., E of Riverview Orchards). A smooth (wheelable) trail leads ~250 yards to a shale beach on the Mohawk River. No picnic tables here yet. Have seen it referred to as Riverview Landing & Mohawk Landing. Mohawk River Paddling Guide.

Jun 2 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7 boat launch. Tuesday evening & no motor boats. Turtle, muskrat, gb herons, mallard mom & brood. Dagger Blackwater 12, a fun 12' kayak with skeg. Over 40 paddlers in the group tonight thanks to Adirondack Mountain Club - Albany Chapter.

Jun 1 - MELVILLE NAUHEIM SHELTER hike from parking turnout on Rt.9 near top of Woodford hill, a popular spring here & folks regularly come to fill up their jugs. 600' less climb than taking the AT/LT from its Rt.9 trailhead. Old logging road for 20 min, then R on Long Trail/Appalachian Trail to shelter. AT/LT to powerline where there are views E & W. Scouted out the old logging road which continues across powerline across shoulder of Maple Hill then steeply down toward Woodford Hollow. No bad bugs except for few after noon when I stopped for a break - freeze last night & still very cool when I started out. 3.5 hours.

May 31 - MOHAWK RIVER CLEANUP, Lions Park, Old Niskayuna Train Station, Rosendale Rd. Wind picked up in midafternoon (20-35mph) & we had an exciting paddle from N shore downstream back to the put-in. Mad River Explorer 14TT, a 14.5' tandem canoe paddled solo. Mad River Legend 16, a 16' tandem canoe - handled waves from front & quartering very well, a bit rocky in beam waves thanks to its flattish hull (shallow arch hulls like in Dave Yost designed boats seem to do better in beam waves).

May 27 - HUDSON RIVER, VLOMAN KILL, PAPSCANEE CREEK from state boat launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. A couple of barges went by on the Hudson this Wed evening, otherwise no other motor traffic. Waterfall on the VK running nicely. Eagles on both sides of the Hudson on the VK & mouth of Papscanee. 2 hours. Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140, a 14' touring kayak.

May 25 - HOOSIC RIVER from Buskirk Covered Bridge. Downstream for 3 or 4 miles - very little development. Fish jumping, bald eagles, hawk on nest. Dam at Johnsonville creates ~6 miles of flat water.

May 24 - HOOSIC RIVER, Girardi Canoe Access in N Adams MA to Conservation Park (unmarked) in Pownal VT. Class 1+ whitewater. At 5.6' on the Williamstown gauge = water level good for the most part, a couple of boney rapids. Despite passing thru Williamstown, the river remains mostly development-free becoming especially scenic in the 2nd half as it butts up against the Taconic Range. 9.7 miles, 3.6 hours. Dagger Approach, a fun kayak for easy whitewater.

May 19 - HUDSON & MOHAWK RIVERS from 123rd St boat launch in Lansingburgh. Interesting currents & eddies below falls S of Peebles Island. Dagger Alchemy, 14' playful touring kayak also designed to handle whitewater.

May 18 - SOUTH POND. Not very big but lots of stuff to explore. A few cottages but mostly state land. Views of Blue Mtn & other mountains to the E. Islands, inlet can be paddled up quite a ways. Loons, C goose on nest, osprey & nest. Some blackflies on lee side of islands. Temp in 50s. 3.5 hours. Swift Saranac 14.6, a 14.5' light touring kayak.

May 17 - SOUTH INLET (of Raquette Lake). 2 miles to falls. Pitcher plants; flowering: bog rosemary. leatherleaf. Too cold (40s) & windy for blackflies.

May 11 - UPPER GOOSE POND, near Lee, MA. Hike on Appalachian Trail from Goose Pond Rd (dirt). Beech, oaks, mountain laurel. Painted trillium. 5.5 miles, 3 hours.

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.