Sunday, December 30, 2007

Hunter

Howie and I did a short hike in the Catskills today. We climbed Hunter mountain via Becker Hollow trail. There wasn't a lot of snow left after the melting last weekend ... and what was left on the trail was packed down. Near the top, I donned stablicers for better traction (they are like flip flops that velcro to your boots and have screw heads to bite into ice/packed snow). At the top there was a couple who had snowshoed over from the top of the chair lift at the ski center. They wanted to know if there was a short-cut to go back. Umm yeah...

Summit Elevation: Hunter 4040 ft
Round-trip Distance: 4.6 mi
Elevation Change: 2200 ft
Hunter

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Xmas Hikes

I did several short hikes over the Christmas holiday (also taking advantage of my new waterfall book). The first was to Carpenter Falls with Anne and Tom on Christmas eve. We did about 1.5 miles of walking.
Carpenter Falls
On the day after Christmas, Howie and I stopped at a couple other parks with waterfalls on the way back to Albany. The first stop was Pratt's Falls. I followed the Falls loop trail down to the base of the falls and then back up to the overlook area. Did about 0.6 miles of walking.
Pratts Falls
The second stop was Chittenango Falls. The Gorge trail was closed for the winter, so I could only see the falls from the top. Walked around 2 miles on various trails and roads in the park.
Chittenango Falls

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Ready for a nap

Howie and I did a hike in the Catskills today in the North Lake area. I parked near the end of Mountain Turnpike Rd off of Bogart Rd. Started out walking up the old road (Sleepy Hollow trail). This was the former stage coach route for guests of the Catskill mountain house (old hotel). Reached the Little Pine Orchard Picnic Area and took a short break. Continued on to the Escarpment trail and the former site of the hotel (burned to the ground by the state in the 1960s). Went over to Boulder rock and checked out a small plane wreck just off the trail. Reached the junction with the horse trail which I took back to my car. Just made it out by sunset. Only saw two other hikers on this partly cloudy day.

Round-trip Distance: 10.5 mi
Elevation Change: 1900 ft

Catskill Mountain House

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Carpenter Falls

After a week of turkey, potatoes, squash, gravy, stuffing, cranberries, pies, candy, cookies, cakes and ice cream (oh my!), I needed to at least try and get a short hike in. Howie and I went to Carpenter Falls Ravine on the west side of Skaneateles Lake. What a nice find. Parked at the trailhead on Appletree Road and started on the trail to the lower falls (also known as Angel Falls). There was a dusting of snow in the woods. The trail followed along the top of the ravine and well above Swamp Creek. I carefully climbed down the steep slope to the creek level, so I could get better pictures of the falls. I returned back to the trailhead and then took the second trail to the upper falls. I got back to the car and then drove down the road to the lake (Carpenter point) where there was another nature preserve. It had a trail which lead back up the ravine eventually connecting to the lower falls trail. Altogether, we did about two miles of walking.

Carpenter Falls Ravine

Sunday, November 18, 2007

The Buck stops here

Howie and I did an easy hike on this late fall day. We climbed Buck mountain near Lake George from Shelving Rock road. It was mostly sunny and cool (in the 30s). Not many other hikers in the woods. Got home and had time to rake leaves...yay.

Summit Elevation: Buck 2334t
Round-trip Distance: 5.5 mi
Elevation Change: 1160 ft

Buck mountain

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Rocky XXXV

Howie and I did a big hike in the Catskills today. We climbed Lone and Rocky mountains - the last two peaks I need for the Catskill 3500. Got to the trailhead near Denning at 9 AM and it was a balmy 27 degrees out. Started out on the trail/old road and there was a dusting of snow. At the trail junction, I turned onto the trail headed for Table mountain. Crossed the first new bridge which was a little disconcerting being so high up on a two log bridge with no railing. So, on the second bridge which was similar, I just rock hopped and bypassed it. Passed a few hikers and backpackers/campers on the way up to the Table. Stopped at the ledge for a quick break just below the summit. It had a nice view to the south (toward VanWyck mountain). I eventually reached the summit of the Table and then went to its east end to start the bushwack for Lone mountain. After getting off the summit of Table, the woods were pretty open. I veered a little too far east and lost more elevation than I should have. With the leaves off the trees, I could navigate visually though (i.e. I could see the mountains through the trees). I corrected course and picked up a dog track which eventually led to human tracks. I stayed with the previous hikers' track for most of the ridge walk. The advantages being that (1) they had already knocked the snow off most of the limbs and (2) I didn't have to think about navigating so much. Snow depths varied from 4-6 inches along the ridge. There was one nice view point at around 3600 with a view toward Ashokan High Point/Mombaccus and also back to Peekamoose and Table. There were some cliffs to skirt around, but for the most part it was easy going. I got to the summit of Lone, but didn't linger too long, as it was already noon and the days are short this time of year. So, I continued on the ridge over to Rocky mountain still following the previous hikers tracks. They dropped down the north side of the ridge below the col and then back up to Rocky. The woods were not too terrible until near the top where there was a band of thick spruce guarding the summit. At around 1:10 pm, I made it to the summit clearing and then signed the cannister. This was my last Catskill high peak. (Insert Rocky Theme music here). Again, I didn't stick around too long. Scarfed down a sandwich, signed the log, took some pictures and then headed out. I dropped down off the summit and into the north drainage which led me back to the east branch of the Neversink River. I picked up the hunters path that I followed back to the main trail. Met two bow hunters on the way out. Eventually made it back to the car by 4 pm ... very tired but satisfied with my little accomplishment.


Summit Elevation: Table 3847, Lone 3721 ft, Rocky 3508 ft
Round-trip Distance: 13.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2440 ft

Lone and Rocky

Sunday, November 04, 2007

I'll sleep when I'm dead

I took advantage of the "extra hour" to go hiking today. Howie and I climbed Big Indian and Doubletop in the Catskill mountains. It was a long adventure involving a lot of off-trail navigation. I started from the Seager trailhead where two other hikers were also starting out (they were climbing different mountains). At the trail junction, I continued on the old unmarked road until it seemed to peter out. From this point, I decided to bushwack directly to Big Indian. Anyway, I found the canister easily enough and then headed over to Doubletop following the land boundary for most of the way. There were some traces of a path here and there. Reached the herd path on Doubletop which led me right to the canister. Went back and found a couple of view points, but not a great day for views with the dark skies. Headed off the summit initially west (toward Graham) and had to correct my direction - contouring around and then down in a NE direction eventually ending up in a drainage and then back at the old road/trail. Contrary to the weatherman, it was not a mostly sunny day.

Summit Elevation: Big Indian 3700 ft, Doubletop 3860 ft
Round-trip Distance: 11.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2470 ft


Big Indian and Doubletop

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Vly not

Howie and I did a short hike in the western Catskills today. We climbed Vly mountain from the north side. Parked near the last house on CR 3 (with the white porcelain toilet planter ... nice touch) where the pavement ends. Then, we walked up the steep, gravel road to the ridge where there was a hunting shack (nobody there). Opposite the shack a path begins that follows the state land boundary and leads all the way to the summit. I lost it in the middle section, but the woods were open enough to allow for easy passge. Found the path again and then reached the top. I signed the notebook in the canister and had a snack. Looked for some views but found only partial views through the trees. Headed back down to the car.

Summit Elevation: Vly 3529 ft
Round-trip Distance: 4.5 mi
Elevation Change: 1860 ft

Vly

Friday, October 26, 2007

Signs, signs, everywhere ....

The second hike was at the OSI nature preserve adjacent to Thacher Park. Parked at the end of Ryan road. There was a couple there put up new hiking signs at the trailhead. I followed the yellow trail down to the Long Path (aqua paint markers) which I took over to the Hails Cave picnic area. One of the park workers stopped by in his truck and said the park closed in an hour. I had a quick snack and headed back to the car as it started to rain lightly. This was around a 2.5 mile trip.

OSI Preserve

New path

I left work a little early this afternoon, and did a couple short hikes with Howie near Thacher Park. The first was up a newly re-routed section of the Long Path to Roemers High Point. Parked on Elm Drive and walked up the well-marked trail to the view point. It was about a 1.75 mile trip.

High point

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Beebe

The second hike was up Beebe Hill near Austerlitz. At the top was a fire tower which I climbed.

Summit Elevation: Beebe Hill 1760 ft
Round-trip Distance: 2.0 mi
Elevation Change: 300 ft

Technicolor

Howie and I did a couple of hikes today. The first adventure was a climb up Alander mountain. We started out on the Southern Taconic trail from the NY parking lot on Route 344. Got to the first view point and took a break. It was quite warm out (70s) so I converted my pants to shorts. Continued along the ridge in bright sunshine all the way to the summit. On the return, I took the blue side trail over to Bash Bish falls. It was a very popular spot today.

Summit Elevation: Alander 2250 ft
Round-trip Distance: 7.0 mi
Elevation Change: 1500 ft

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Indian Head

Howie and I did a short hike in the Catskills today. We did a loop over Indian Head mountain from Prediger Road. When we started out, it was sunny with some clouds. As we approached the view points, the sky was completely grey. On the drive back, the sun was out again. I think the sun is conspiring against me. We also checked out Plattekill falls. A nice cool day for ambling. Fall colors seem to be past peak.

Summit Elevation: Indian Head 3573 ft
Round-trip Distance: 6.7 mi
Elevation Change: 1600 ft

Monday, October 08, 2007

Suburban escape

Our last hike was in the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. This was an easy walk through a mostly wooded area in the middle of sprawling suburbia. Highlights included seeing a deer, squirrels, chipmunks, lots of birds, a pond and a small garden with tobacco.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Bahhhhh

After a scenic train ride on Saturday, our next hike was on Sunday to Great Falls. We did a trek along the Billy Goat trail (section A) which was only 1.7 miles long. It seemed much longer since the the trail was surprisingly rugged. Total distance covered was around 4 miles.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Going underground

Our next outing was to Lurary caverns. We went on a guided tour which was about a mile walk underground. Even got to hear an organ that used stalactites to produce the notes.

Da bears

I went down to visit my sister Anne in Virginia this weekend. We did some hiking and other activities. Our first outing on Friday was to Shenandoah National Park. We hiked down the White Oak Canyon trail to the first (higher) cascading falls, and then a little beyond the viewing ledge before turning around. There were some early Fall colors. We thought the highlight of the trip would be seeing a large snake. But, that paled in comparison to seeing three black bears (a momma and her cubs). Covered at least 5 miles.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Don't wake me

The second hike was Wakely mountain. Parked at the lot off of Cedar River road and started out on the old logging road. There was some beaver activity flooding a section of the trail. The climb up was steep and tiring. We had the summit to ourselves except for a lone chipmunk who drove Howie nuts. I climbed the very tall tower (ten flights of stairs!) for some spectacular views. Two great hikes on a beautiful Fall day.

Summit Elevation: Wakely 3744 ft
Round-trip Distance: 6.0 mi
Elevation Change: 1635 ft

Doughboy

Howie and I climbed two fire tower peaks on Sunday. The first hike was up Pillsbury mountain. I parked at Sled Harbor and we started up the road. It was a quick trek on the marked trail up to the summit where I climbed the tower to soak up the views. Had a quick lunch break and then headed back down. Only saw three other hikers.

Summit Elevation: Pillsbury 3597 ft
Round-trip Distance: 5.2 mi
Elevation Change: 1730 ft

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Easy Street

Howie and I did a hike on this perfect first day of Fall in the Adirondack high peaks. We set out from the Loj at 11 AM. Our destination was Street and Nye mountains. There seemed to be a better view from Street than I remember. Nye had no view, like I remember. Trees had some nice color, but not quite peak yet.

Summit Elevation: Street 4166 ft, Nye 3895 ft
Round-trip Distance: 9.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2200 ft

Friday, September 21, 2007

Holt Preserve

I took the afternoon off and drove to southern Albany County for a short hike with Howie. Our stomping grounds was the Winifred Mathews Holt Preserve. Howie and I walked many of the trails in the preserve, which were mostly woods roads that looped around near the top of Copeland Hill. The lower trails were overgrown and full of scratchy plants. There was also a small, murky pond.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Crane mountain is the sh*t

I slept in this morning, so that limited my hiking options today. I chose to revisit Crane mountain in the Southern Adirondacks. Even with the late start, it was still cool (56 degrees) when Howie and I reached the trailhead at around 1 pm. The trail to the peak from the south was short, but strenuous. There were a couple of ladders to negotiate. Howie made it up the first one, but opted to climb along the side of the second and longer ladder. There was an expansive view to the south from the summit. I had a sandwich break. Howie got to eat about half of it after I accidentally dropped it on the ground. After the lunch mishap, I headed along the summit ridge where there were several viewpoints - the last one overlooking Crane pond. Continued on the trail down to the pond. Circled around the pond and passed a group of hikers. One dude noticed my Camelback and said that is was the sh*t ... which I guess means that it is good. At the pond outlet, we followed a faint path up to the rocky sub-summit (elevation 2876). There some views to the north from the top of the knob. Returned to the pond and continued down the steep trail. Crossed an unusual natural bridge over a creek (my guidebook mentions a cave). Then reached the old farm road which we followed back to the trailhead.

Summit Elevation: Crane 3248 ft
Round-trip Distance: 5.5 mi
Elevation Change: 1450 ft

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Running for Bagels

So today, I realized my fitness goal for this summer ... running a 5K (3.1 mile) race. I ran in the Bruegger's Bagel Run in Albany this morning. My goal was to finish in under 30 minutes. I shattered that goal ... with a time of 26 minutes and 26 seconds. And of course, they had bagels for everyone after the race.

Race Results

Monday, September 03, 2007

Lyon

Sunday night was not as cold as the previous night. Woke up Monday morning, packed up and then headed over to Lyon mountain for the last hike of the weekend. This was the hardest hike in terms of effort. I pushed myself a bit and was able to make the summit in 1:05. Lyon mountain is in the very northern part of the Adirondacks and has distant views of Montreal to the north, Lake Champlain to the east, and the high peaks to the south. After the hike, I headed back to Albany tired, but satisfied.

Summit Elevation: Lyon 3830 ft
Round-trip Distance: 5.0 mi
Elevation Change: 1790 ft


Lyon

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Azure

The next hike was Azure mountain. This was a short but moderately strenuous hike. There was a volunteer from the "Friends of Azure mountain" at the top.

Summit Elevation: Azure 2518 ft
Round-trip Distance: 2.0 mi
Elevation Change: 700 ft

Azure Mountain

St. Regis Mountain

Sunday morning started out very cold (around 40). It was tough to get out of the sleeping bag. The first hike on this day was St. Regis mountain. This was a moderately strenuous hike near Paul Smiths. There were great views from the rocky summit of the surrounding lakes and mountains. The fire tower is closed (no bottom stairs).

Summit Elevation: St. Regis 2874 ft
Round-trip Distance: 6.8 mi
Elevation Change: 1266 ft

St. Regis Mountain

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Cathedral Rock

The second hike Saturday was Cathedral Rock. Another easy hike to a fire tower.

Summit Elevation: Cathedral Rock 1725 ft
Round-trip Distance: 2.4 mi
Elevation Change: 185 ft

Cathedral Rock

Mount Arab

Our first hike on Saturday was Mount Arab. This was an easy hike. There was a volunteer on the summit to answer questions.

Summit Elevation: Mount Arab 2545 ft
Round-trip Distance: 2.0 mi
Elevation Change: 760 ft

Mount Arab

Friday, August 31, 2007

Firetower weekend

Labor Day was a busy weekend filled with camping and hiking. On Friday, Howie and I drove up to Rollins Pond campground near Tupper Lake. We had a site on the water side of the road. There was a short path that lead down to a beach area on the pond.

Rollins Pond

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Big Rip

Howie and I climbed another Adirondack high peak this weekend - Big Slide. This was part of the 70th Anniversary In Memory of Grace climb. Got to the Garden parking lot at 9:15 am. Luckily, there were spaces available. Started out on the route via the Brothers. We had views to start out, but the clouds were pretty low in the sky. By the time we go to the summit, there was no view at all. A guy on the summit joked that he was going to ask for refund when he got back to parking lot (there is a $5 parking fee). After a long lunch break, I headed over the trail to Yard - still no views. Descended down to Klondike notch and out via the Johns Brook trail. By the time I was driving along the highway, the skies were starting to clear out. Go figure.

Summit Elevation: Big Slide 4240 ft
Round-trip Distance: 11.5 mi
Elevation Change: 3000 ft


Big Slide

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Good dog

Howie and I did a short hike near the Adirondack high peaks on this cool, cloudy day. We climbed Mount Adams which had a fire tower at the top. Went with an Internet hiking group. Many commented on how well behaved Howie is. But they don't know the real Howie.

Summit Elevation: Adams 3540 ft
Round-trip Distance: 4.8 mi
Elevation Change: 1800 ft

Adams fire tower

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Wet dog

Howie and I did a short hike today in the Southern Adirondacks along the West Branch of Sacandaga River. Drove to the end of West River Road in Wells (which is a very long gravel road) and started out on the path. Soon reached a register and the Northville Placid trail. Headed north on the N-P trail and came upon a split after 15 minutes. Took the unmarked woods road on the left which eventually led to Hamilton Creek. Crossed the creek and continued on the path to the Sacandaga. The path followed along a wide, tranquil section of river. The river became more narrower, with steeper sides as we continued upstream. Soon we reached the first falls. There was a large jumble of rocks to get around to reach the second upper falls. Howie took an unintentional swim and got pulled downstream a little bit. I reeled him back in and we took a well-deserved lunch break. Returned back the way we came for a 4+ hour trek on this sunny, warm afternoon.

Round-trip Distance: 6.0 mi

West Branch Sacandaga

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Slip sliding away...

Howie and I did a nice hike in the Adirondack high peaks today. We climb East Dix (Grace peak) via the Great Slide. Parked near bridge over the North Fork of the Bouqet River on Route 73 and started out on the unmarked path. It was confusing at times and I made a couple wrong turns. Was able to correct our route and eventually made it to the start of the slide. The slide started out at a reasonable grade and got steeper toward the top. We skipped the last bit of climbing (which would have been tricky for the dog) and opted for path on the side. Reached the summit and had a quick bite. Returned the way we came for an eight hour trek in the woods.

Summit Elevation: East Dix (Grace) 4012 ft
Round-trip Distance: 12.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2700 ft

East Dix

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Take a peek

Howie and I did a short hike this afternoon. We climbed Peaked Rock in the Battenkill State Forest (near Cambridge, NY). Parked at a small grass lot off of Route 313 and then started out. The first part of the trail was through a field. Then it entered the woods and followed steep woods roads up to the ridge. Along the ridge, the trail was more of a foot path. There was one bump to get over before we reached the view point. Couldn't get to the actual summit as it was off of State land. Had a quick snack and then headed back.

After the hike, I checked out the Eagleville and Buskirk covered bridges which were in the same general area.

Round-trip Distance: 5.2 mi
Elevation Change: 1270 ft

Peaked Rock

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Cheese dog

Howie and I did a hike in the Adirondack high peaks today. I wanted to stay clear of Lake Placid where the Ironman was going on. So, we climbed Giant mountain from Route 73. It was a great day to be out: sunny, warm (but not hot) with a light breeze. We encountered many hikers and a couple of dogs on the trail. At the summit, a woman gave Howie some melted cheddar cheese that she didn't want.

Summit Elevation: Giant 4627 ft
Round-trip Distance: 6.0 mi
Elevation Change: 3050 ft

Giant

Friday, July 20, 2007

Exploring the Berkshires

I took the afternoon off from work to do some hiking just over the border in Massachusetts. First, Howie and I did a nice walk along the southern portion of Yokun Ridge. Crossed over the summit of West Stockbridge mountain and continued to the end of the ridge where there was a nice southerly view. After our little jaunt, we stopped at Stevens Glen and did a short hike to an overlook with a view of a cascade in a ravine.

Summit Elevation: West Stockbridge Mountain 1822 ft
Round-trip Distance: 6.0 mi
Elevation Change: 500 ft

West Stockbridge Mountain

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Every body (part) hurts

It looked like we would have a break from the hot, humid and rainy weather, so I took the day off on Thursday to go hiking. Howie and I started out from the Garden parking lot at around 8:20 AM. Our destination was Haystack mountain - an Adirondack high peak. We had a gorgeous day for hiking. Since it was a weekday, there were few other people on the trail. I arrived back at the car by 6 pm, tired and sore, but it was worth the effort.

Summit Elevation: Haystack 4961 ft
Round-trip Distance: 17.8 mi
Elevation Change: 3440 ft

Haystack

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Fillmore Glen

Howie and I did a short hike this morning at Fillmore Glen (Moravia). We paid the steep parking fee ($7) and then started out on the Gorge trail. It followed along Dry Creek, crossing it many times on foot bridges. We returned by the North Rim Trail. There was not a lot of water flowing today, but it was still a nice walk (around 4 miles).

Fillmore Glen

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Bromley

Howie and I did a short hike this afternoon in Southern Vermont. Our destination was Bromley mountain. Parked at the lot on Route 11/30 east of Manchester and started north on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail. The first 2.5 miles were through a young deciduous forest. The last stretch was up a downhill ski trail. The summit had an observation tower, shelter and chair lift. There were quite a few hikers out today enjoying the cool weather.

Summit Elevation: Bromley 3260 ft
Round-trip Distance: 5.4 mi
Elevation Change: 1460 ft

Bromley

Friday, June 29, 2007

What the Huyck

I did a quick hike with Howie this afternoon at the Huyck Preserve in Rensselaerville, NY. Saw the waterfalls and then followed the trail around the lake. A nice 3 or so mile stroll.

Huyck Preserve

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Marshall

Howie and I revisited another Adirondack high peak on Saturday - Mount Marshall. I decided to make it more interesting by doing a loop (Indian Pass -Iroqois Pass - herd path - summit of Marshall - Herbert Brook herd path - Calamity Brook trail). We got to the Upper Works trailhead a little before 8 am and it was very cool out (47 degreees). So, I put on my fleece jacket. The trail through Indian Pass was very rugged and interesting. We had a perfect day for a hike - cool weather (never got above 60), mostly sunny and best of all ... no bugs. This was a long and tiring hike, but worth the effort.

Summit Elevation: Marshall 4363 ft
Round-trip Distance: 14.0 mi
Elevation Change: 3000 ft

Marshall

Friday, June 15, 2007

Moose Mckenzie

No, it's not Spuds McKenzie's older brother. (ummm .... yeah, he was that party dog in the beer commercials) These are two mountains that Howie and I climbed today in the Adirondack high peaks (near Lake Placid). The weather was nice, so I took the day off to do some hiking. We started at the end of Chipmunk Lane and did a loop up to McKenzie, followed the ridge to Moose and then came back down. It was a nice route with great views, but unfortunately .... it was very buggy. If you stopped for more than five seconds, there would be a swarm of bugs surrounding you. But, it still beat a day at the office.


Summit Elevation: McKenzie 3832 ft, Moose 3898 ft
Round-trip Distance: 9.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2800 ft



old boat at Bartlett pond


Looking south

Looking east

More photos

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Pitchoff

Today's hike selection for Howie and me was Pitchoff mountain. It's not a high peak, but it's across the street from one of more popular ones (Cascade). Pitchoff has a long summit ridge with lots of little ups and downs. There are many open rocky patches which have great views. I got a late start in the morning, so we didn't start our trek until after noon. It was a little warm and a humid with a slight breeze at times. There were some bugs around, but they weren't biting too much so I didn't even bother putting spray on. We only saw two groups of hikers early on, and after that we had the woods to ourseleves. Afterward we went down the road to Cascade lakes and cooled off. The water looked inviting, but was too cold for me. We took a short trail to a waterfall and then headed back home.

Summit Elevation: Pitchoff 3497 ft
Round-trip Distance: 8.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2000 ft


Mountain views


Howie enjoys some shade and views


Waterfall


Cascade Lake

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Howie is a star!


Phelps

Got up early this morning (5 AM !) and drove up with Howie to the ADK Loj. Our destination today was Phelps mountain. The first time I climbed this high peak, I didn't have any view (clouded in). So, I wanted to revisit it and see what I missed. I thought I would mix it up a little by doing a loop (bushwack up one side and then take the trail down).
So, off Howie and I went down the VanHovenberg trail. Stopped at Marcy Dam for a break. Howie took a dip in the water - one of many for the day for it was a sunny and warm out (70s). Next, we headed down the truck trail to the bridge over Pelkey brook. An older couple were resting here. The lady took a folding stool out of her pack, set it up, and then sat down. (I thought this was kind of funny.) The brook crossing was the start of the off-trail portion of the trek. The couple probably thought I was nuts just heading off into the woods. After a short while, I picked up a trail of sorts (boot-leg ski trail), and then reached a nice, open birch glade. At this point, it was nice to be hiking with no one else around (especially on Memorial Day weekend). Toward the top, the forest changed to conifers, but was never really thick and I didn't have any problems. We reached the summit and there about a dozen people at the large viewing ledge. Had lunch, took some photos and then headed back down the marked trail and returned to the car. It was good to get out and go hiking today ... instead of having to play "dog detective". I was surprised at how few bugs there were ... and they weren't really biting.

Summit Elevation: Phelps 4161 ft
Round-trip Distance: 9.0 mi
Elevation Change: 2100 ft


Howie hiking


On the summit


Foot bridge

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Canine fugitive



So yesterday, Howie decided that he wanted to explore the neighborhood on his own. Ok, so I left the gate open while I was mowing the lawn. I still don't know how he snuck by me. Anyway, when I discovered he was missing, I looked all over the neighborhood for him ... both on foot and by car until it got dark. I figured somebody would find him and bring him back or call since he has an ID tag on his collar. Well, after a restless night, morning came and still no Howie. I printed out some 30 "lost dog" posters and scattered them around the area.
In the afternoon, I went down to the Menands animal shelter to see if he was there. The clerk said that the police had picked up a beagle in Albany. She showed me into the holding room and there he was. I wasn't able to pick him up today as the city has to release him. And that means, I have to pay a fine (for having a loose dog). But, I can't do that until Monday when the city clerks office is open. But, at least he is safe until I can "post his bail."

Sunday, May 06, 2007

It's Friday ... I'm not so much in love

Howie and I hiked two trail-less peaks in the Catskills on Sunday: Friday and Balsam Cap.

I parked near the end of Moonhaw Road and we started on a westerly course up the ridge. The woods were open hardwoods at this point and there were many old roads criss-crossing the area. As we got further up the ridge on Friday, there were some cliffs and ledges to negotiate around. We finally reached the summit and then commenced the search for the cannister. I wandered around for nearly an hour (uttering a few choice words at one point) until I found it. Signed the log and then we headed over to Balsam Cap following the ridge line. The woods were not hiker friendly at this point. Spruce thickets impeded our progress and at times seemed nearly impenetrable. It took us at least an hour and a half to cover the 0.75 miles distance between the two peaks. Luckily, it didn't take long at all to find the cannister on Balsam Cap. Took a late lunch break and then headed down off the ridge. What a relief to be in open woods again. We followed a contour line (roughly north) toward the drainage where there is an old plane wreck at around 2600 feet. It wasn't hard to spot. The day was getting long, so after taking some photos, we headed east back to our awaiting car. A tough day in the woods.

Summit Elevation: Friday 3694 ft, Balsam Cap 3623 ft
Round-trip Distance: 7 mi
Elevation Change: 2830 ft


On Friday


On Balsam Cap


Plane wreck

Friday, May 04, 2007

Cubicle escapee

It was too nice out to sit in a cubicle ... so I left work a little early and went up to Thatcher Park with Howie. We did a quick hike on the Indian Ladder trail and along the escarpment. Covered about 2-3 miles total.


View of Albany

Sunday, April 29, 2007

On top of Massachusetts

Howie and I hiked up the highest peak in Massachusetts today ... Mount Greylock. It was an appropriate mountain on this grey, overcast day.

From Notch Road, we started out on the Bellows Pipe trail which is an old woods road. We stopped at a lean-to for a break and then continued on up to the ridge. We then took the Appalachian Trail (AT) south to the summit area. It was foggy on top with no views. After a quick lunch break, we headed north on the AT over Fitch mountain. The trail along the ridge still had patches of soft,wet snow. We then went down the Bernard Farms trail passing a small plane crash site along the way. It started to sprinkle very lightly (I call it spittle). We made it back to the car before the rain got heavier. Saw only a few other hikers in the woods today.

Summit Elevation: Greylock 3,491 ft
Round-trip Distance: 9 mi
Elevation Change: 2200 ft


Lean-to


In front of the war memorial


Small plane crash

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Earth Day

Howie and I celebrated Earth Day by going hiking. Ok, I didn't know it was Earth Day until I read QM's blog ... but I did go hiking today.

We arrived at the Pilot Knob trailhead near Lake George and it was nearly full. There was even a yellow school bus there. Most everyone's destination was Buck mountain today ... ours was the Pilot Knob ridge. We started out on the marked trail and then took an "unofficial" (but marked very well with orange paint) path up towards the 1900 feet false summit. The woods were predominantly pine and the forest floor was covered with pine needles which were very soft underfoot. There were lots of views on the way up and at the top (and nobody around). We continued east toward a notch and then followed a drainage north/northeast back down to the state trail and then out. It was a very warm and sunny Spring day.

Round-trip Distance: 5.5 mi
Elevation Change: 1460 ft


This is a good spot to roll around


Looking south toward the village of Lake George


Looking north toward the "tongue" (with snow-capped high peaks way in the distance)


Howie on thin ice