|
2123 Plaza, 2123 Central Av. (Rt.5)
Colonie (Albany/Schenectady), NY
Phone: (518)346-3180
Email us
TRIP REPORTS - Think Out of the Tracks with Nehasane.
Adirondacks - Greater Capital District - Catskills - Other
Most links are to products sold at APnP
LATEST TRIP REPORTS: OneWithWater.com
WINTER GEAR CHECKLIST
SNOW DEPTH MAP
Now available: NEHASANE'S BC SKI REVIEW - comparative reviews, rankings & comments on backcountry skis - glide, grip, turning, downhill control - tested in a variety of conditions (below trips) - $15. ORDER ONLINE or call (518)346-3180.
2006:Mar 27 - GREAT CLIFF on HORRID MOUNTAIN hike from Rt.73. Little snow, icy up higher. Views S, W to Gore Mt., E to NH. 650' gain. Drove short distance E to CHITTENDON BROOK. Area has 7.5 miles of trails. Sections of corn & icy snow but much bare. Sunny, temp in 40s. Carried skis more than skied - what skiing there was was ok. Rocky brooks with clear cold mountain water. All streams bridged. Worth a revisit. 5 miles.   Mar 26 - LINCOLN GAP, VT. 1 mile of unplowed road on either side of the gap - thin icy cover to the W (the way we came up) - good coverage to the E. Cloudy, flurries, temp in 30s. Gained 650' from car to top of gap. Catamount Trail to the N (2,400') had over 1' heavy wet snow - good advanced skiing - turned around at about 2 miles from gap at steep uphill below Mt. Abraham, Vermont's 5th highest peak. CT to the S (1,800') thin icy cover but very good fun & fast novice skiing (even had nice glide going uphill) on forest road - turned around after 1.5 miles at a burned clearing with good views W. Used plastic boots with 3-pin bindings for good control in dense snow; climbing skins on most of way down from pass to slow me down on ice & thin cover. Legs tired. Sugarbush & Mad River Glen reported 6"-18" of new snow a few days ago. 8-9 miles, 5 hours.  Mar 24 - BURNT VLY, E of Stratford. Snowmobile Corridor 8 trail from Rt.29A N toward Spectacle Lake. 0-8" heavy snow with some bare spots. 1.9 hours.4.5 more miles of Bog River-Lows Lake shoreline above Lows Upper Dam newly protected - details.Mar 20 - ARLINGTON-WEST WARDSBORO ROAD aka KELLEY STAND ROAD. Temp in the 20s; 4" powder on variable icy base at start inreasing to 8" powder as elevation was gained. The road is not plowed W of the E Br Deerfield River & is used by snowmobiles (none this weekend) & can be used to access the Long, Appalachian, Catamount, Stratton Pond & Branch Pond Trails. Generally uphill gaining almost 700' to the top of the pass where there are good views W across the valley to the Taconics. Dropped down on the W side some before returning. Pleasant easy run back E with views of Stratton Mtn. Ran into a moose at the junction of the Stratton Pond Trail. It started to come toward me as I was photographing it & I turned to ski away & tripped over my feet creating a nice face-plant. I turned toward the moose fully expecting its mouth to be right there ready to take a piece out of me..... 6 miles, 2.7 hours.  Mar 19&20 - GROUT POND winter leanto camping in Vermont. 2"-3" powder on variable base, very nice skiing on lakes & unplowed roads, trails a bit iffy; temp rising thu 20s, snow showers & sun. From Arlington-W. Wardsboro Rd skied 1 mile on unplowed dirt road/snowmobile trail to Grout Pond cabin (1st come 1st served but not real cute + no view of pond), downhill to boat launch (interesting with a sled in tow), then across the pond to leanto (1 of 2) on NE shore. Pond is 0.8 miles long. After setting up camp, skied West Trail to E Branch Deerfield River as it enters Somerset Reservoir. Skied along edge of reservoir with nice views of Mt. Snow & back along Grout Pond outlet. Some open water on pond near outlet but most of pond was solid ice with few inches of powder. 10 miles, 5.3 hours. Light snow overnight produced 1.5"-2" more powder; temp dropped into the teens. Morning ski on pond then packed out.  Mar 17 - GLASGOW MILLS, from Glasgow Rd, W of Rt.10 between Rockford & Caroga Lake. Avg. 5" powder (nearby Royal Mtn had reported 8") on mostly good base, some wet spots; temp rising thru the teens, not a cloud in the sky. Gently uphill never too far from scenic Glasgow Creek for 1.3 miles to Glasgow Mills, the site of an old sawmill in the late 1800s. In fact, this snowmobile trail was once a road dating back to 1799! Checked out trails S & W for a short distance before being tempted by an unmarked old road heading N - after a short uphill thru hemlocks (& thin snow) continued on thru open hardwoods where the skiing was just about perfect. Hit my turn-around-time too soon - still had to get to work. Mar 13 - HIDDEN VLY. E of East Stoner Lake (1.2 miles from Rt.10). In the Shaker Mtn WF. 0-10" wet snow, some bare spots; temp ~50F, rain, thunder, lightning. Old logging road has a rope tied across it at start - no trail markers but easy to follow the 2 miles to Hidden Vly. Wide but hilly route. If the weather was better we would have continued on to explore Whitman Flow. Ref: Discover the Southern Adirondacks. 2.5 hours. Mar 12 - LITTLE POND & PORCUPINE LOOKOUT, Green Mountain NF, Woodford, VT. In the mostly hardwood forest, 10"-20" of heavy wet snow; temp in 40s, some drizzle & a rain shower late. From the Little Pond parking lot on Rt.9 (2.1 miles E of Prospect Mtn Ski Area) headed NE on unmarked snowmobile trail, crossed powerlines & headed N off-trail ( altho, at times, it looked like we might be following an old logging road). Reach snowmobile trail that links Forest Road 275 with FR272 - skied it E for a bit dropping a nice 200' & climbed back up. Continued off-trail around E then N side of Little Pond. Pond's ice covered with a layer of water. Headed SW on unmarked trail to Long/Appalachian Trail. A moderate climb S brought us to Porcupine Lookout where there are views SE. Returned to FR275 - the snowmobile trail was sometimes pleasant but also sometimes worn to dirt or covered in spruce & balsam needles - we detoured off-trail again & back to cars. If you don't know the Woodford area I suggest you just go out & follow other people's ski tracks & you will learn. 4.8 hours.  Mar 10 - LISHA KILL PRESERVE walk, Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna. No snow but fair amount of mud. Tall, majestic old-growth white pines, hemlocks & oaks. The Lisha Kill is still more ice than water as it passes thru a small gorge, a reminder that spring is not quite here yet. 1.2 hours.  Mar 8 - ROCKWOOD SF. 4"-6" powder on good base; main trails well-packed by other skiers, snowshoers & walkers; couple of bare spots; temp in teens - some iciness in areas exposed to a lot of sun. No-one had skied spur to SW leading down to Caroga Creek - pleasant skiing untracked snow thru hemlock grove. 2.1 hours. Mar 6 - AIKEN WILDERNESS, Woodford, VT. Very good base with 8" powder; close to 2' total in woods. In WOODFORD SP skied across well-frozen Adams Reservoir. Took the unmarked route S from Adams Reservoir (shown as broken red line on this map) across a beaver meadow & 2 beaver ponds. L or S on unmarked but obvious old logging road & up 3 moderate hills (fun on way back). Near height of land saw some ski tracks heading E thru the woods (which turned out to be our route back later in the day). Continued on logging road SW to junction (trail R or SW was taken Jan 30) - a blue paint blaze on tree - a new tin can has been wired to the tree & a map showing a loop trip to the E can be found inside . We bear SE & continue to the edge of a beaver pond. Skiing S we soon reach a large beaver meadow. Dropped over the dam at the SE end & into another pond/meadow - these 3 ponds/meadows are referred to as "The 3 Sisters". Continued S staying close to the N tributary of the W Br Deerfield River then along the streambed of the latter (ice was generally trustworthy). Turned around about a mile N of the snowmobile trail to Heartwellville (see Feb 5 trip). Up the W Br for a bit then decided to follow ski tracks E then N (close to eastern edge of the wilderness area) - figure this is the route shown on tin can map - consider this a bushwhack. Went thru more beaver ponds/meadows before turning W passing just S of the highest point of the Aiken. Saw many moose tracks. Dropped down with some nice glade skiing before crossing another meadow, up a bit then down with more sweet thru-the-trees runs before coming out near height of land on logging road. Took the campground road back to Rt.9. 9 miles, 6 hours. Area must have been skied by many over the weekend because there were ski tracks all over the place - if you don't know the Aiken, just follow some tracks. If you get lost, heading N will get you back to Rt.9.  Mar 5 - McGINN MOUNTAIN, N of Indian Lake Village. Temp rising thru 20s getting close to freezing mark - warm in the sun. Good base with few inches of powder - very good skiing - sunny areas got a bit mushy & started to freeze up late in day as temps dropped. From the end of Benton Rd (next to old landfill) take snowmobile trail NW a third of a mile - from here a designated ski trail follows the scenic Cedar River downstream for over a mile to Pasley Falls, a rapid contained by rock walls. Trail then heads SE thru an old blowdown area with many balsams before reaching a 4 corners. R or S is snowmobile trail back to car, straight is snowmobile trail to Lake Adirondack, L or N is 2.5 mile red trail to Elm Island on the Cedar River. Taking the latter (a large downed tree blocks the start) generally uphill for a while we pass thru an almost pure stand of paper birch before dropping to a stream at 1.5 miles from 4 corners - xc ski trail markers are found on either side of trail (an old ski trail used to run along the river from Pasley Falls to here). We head off-trail to the SE staying to S of stream & cliffs on McGinn. Fairly smooth going with little blowdown. Put on climbing skins (the 2 skiers still with me did not & had to work harder) as things steepened. 3 others head above first set of cliffs, take off skis & hike up S side to summit arriving a few minutes before those of us who keep our skis on & take a longer, more moderate route. Round the E side of McGinn at 2,000' & see large gaudy paint blazes leading us W up a short steep stretch (side-stepped) before moderating a bit. The high point can be seen to the SW & we soon reach a ledge (having gained 600' from the Elm Island Trail) with great views to S & E - could pick out Gore Mt., Snowy Mt., The Hudson River Gorge, Indian Lake & lots more. A cloudless blue sky day offers very distant views. A bit to the W a clearing opens up views to the High Peaks to the N & Blue Mt. can be seen thru the trees to the W. Savor the summit. We drop down to the E side again ( I wish I had brought my plastic boots & possibly skis with cable bindings; leather boots got me thru but plastic boots would have offered better control & more fun) then head around N side of the mountain & bushwhack (in every sense of the word) W - not a great route & nowhere near as open as the route to the S. Come out on the Elm Island trail about a quarter mile N of where we had left it. Passed an unofficial sign on a tree which says "Elm Island" (can see the river from here) - actual Elm Island is a mile N of here. Back at 4 corners take snowmobile trail back to cars which offers a fast downhill ride (after climbing a long hill). Description of route can be found in Discover the Central Adirondacks (3rd Edition, 2002) - the Cedar River-Pasley Falls trail/snowmobile trail loop is accurately described & so is the trail to Elm Island (now with red trail markers & some maintenance) but ignore the bushwhack route to summit - the map in the book takes you to a nubble to the N which is 200' lower - actual summit is marked 2,216' or 681m. on most maps - the name McGinn Mtn. I have only seen on a map put out by the Indian Lake Chamber. The Dutton Mt. USGS map shows the old ski trail which used to go around the mountain but we saw no sign of it. Intermediate on marked trails; intermediate+ off-trail to summit if using skins or snowshoes; expert off-trail to summit skis only. 9+ miles, 7 hours. I'll be back!   Mar 3 - MINE KILL SP, Blenheim, Schoharie County. 2"- 5" new powder, little base. Park road to boat launch is a pleasant novice downhill to reservoir on Schoharie Creek. Ski trail from park office to Power Authority Visitor Center is smooth & only needs 3" to be skiable - goes thru open area with cedar plantation - easy. "Nature Trails" are intermediate - steeper hills could use more snow. 6 miles of trails shown in Ski Tips ($7.95). 1.8 hours. 1 hour drive from APnP. Mar 1- ROCKWOOD SF. 10" powder over good base; 1" new in ski tracks. Wide, smooth trails; varied hills & flat sections. A skiing experience questionnaire can be found at register - I am asking for no grooming (sometimes they run over the trails with a snowmobile & call it grooming). Area offers a skiing experience somewhere inbetween touring centers & wilderness. 4+ miles, 1.9 hours. DEC State Lands - enter Fulton County. Fischer Snowbound skis.  Feb 27 - SHAKER MOUNTAIN WF/SILVER LAKE WILDERNESS from N end of Pinnacle Rd in Bleecker. 1'-2' powder on excellent base - sunny, temp rising into mid-teens. The 1st 2.4 miles along an unmarked old logging road is described well in Discover the Southern Adirondacks - one gradually gains 600' while passing thru an attractive stretch thru hemlock woods & near Pinnacle Creek. We ski out onto a large vly with views of the surrounding small mountains. At the height of land between Pigeon & Panther Mts. we headed NNE making turns down thru the trees dropping a quick 300'. After lunch we headed a bit further E then S up the N side of Panther Mt. before dropping back down 300' again thru the open widely-spaced trees. Very enjoyable run back down from the pass back to the car. Streams crossings not a problem - less blowdown than we've found on marked trails recently. Best skiing of the season - took quite a while for the grin to leave my face! 7 miles, 5 hours. Fischer Outtabounds skis. Used Swix Special Green wax on tips & tails of skis to improve glide & grip in the cold dry powder - Maxiglide on the grip pattern. To improve glide one could also use Swix F4 which is easy to apply to full length of bases. Feb 26 - NORTHVILLE-PLACID TRAIL S from Piseco. 1' powder over mostly deep base. Temp in single digits rising into low teens, mostly sunny. Interesting, rolling intermediate terrain with some steep spots. Leanto at 3.7 miles; suspension bridge over Hamilton Lake Stream at 4 miles; turned around at junction with Big Eddy trail (see Jan 8 trip) after playing on hill to SW which has an open area. 11.7 miles, 6.8 hours. Fischer Rebound skis. Used Swix Special Green wax on tips & tails of skis to improve glide & grip in the cold dry powder - Maxiglide on the grip pattern. Wore Mountain Surf Aquashell tights under my shell pants for warmth - comfortable, stretchy, wind/water resistant, hydrophobic - also use as wetsuit for spring & fall paddling.  Feb 20 - PEAVINE SWAMP SKI TRAIL, W of Cranberry Lake. 6" of powder on about a foot of firm base - very good skiing. Main trail & all 3 loops are well marked with yellow xc ski trail markers (contrary to what you may read in the guidebooks). Most streams are bridged but there are a few trees down across the trail. Some old-growth hemlocks, red spruce, black cherry along the way. 2 hemlocks are mentioned in the guidebooks - the 1st at 40" diameter at breast height is still standing but alas the 2nd one of 42" DBH has recently come down across the trail (possibly in the wind storm 3 days earlier). Leanto on Inlet Flow reached by most direct route in 4.1 miles - nice spot among tall pines - snowmobiles use the flow. Took the 3 loop trails on the return. Rolling terrain - fun intermediate skiing with a couple of steep spots. The only map that shows the 3 loops correctly is the TI-Old Forge/Oswegatchie. Saw pileated woodpecker, grouse, nuthatches & deer. 11 miles, 5 hours. Got speeding ticket (45 in a 30) leaving Cranberry Lake Village before the trip - a portion of the next month's sales at APnP will go to the Keep Nehasane on the Road Fund - direct contributions can also be made, please make checks out to "Adirondack Paddle'n'Pole".  Feb 19 - PA'S FALLS on the BOG RIVER near Tupper Lake. 2"-4" powder on variable base. 1st 1.5 miles on unmarked old logging road from Rt.421 - rest was bushwhack It was a looooong 1.5 miles further to get to the falls over rough terrain. 30' falls in 3 drops - lots of brown tannin-rich water gushing between rock walls - ice clung to nearby rock & vegetation - an awesome sight & worth the work to get there. A short distance above the falls is a good bridge & an old dirt road comes in from the Round Lake area - this should be state land in the near future & should offer an easier 11 mile round-trip route to the falls. Decided to return up & away from the river to see if it was any easier (no). Found a hunters' path marked with ribbon but it went N & W & I abandoned that idea after going too far. 7.5 miles, 6 hours.   Feb 15 - ROCKWOOD SF, a few miles WNW of Johnstown. Large parking area on S side of Rt.29. 2"-3" powder on good base; temp ~32F, sunny. Forest has 5 miles of designated xc ski trails + more unmarked trails most of which are fairly wide & smooth, hills can be novice thru intermediate+. Much of it is thru red pine plantations. 1.7 hours. Fischer Snowbound skis.  Feb 13 - CATAMOUNT TRAIL south from Somerset Reservoir near Wilmington, Vt. Parked near a building below the dam - steep hill to parking area beyond may be a challenge even with 4WD. 4"-6" powder over good base; areas that were wet spots last weekend are now mostly frozen but could use more snow, where there was good base the skiing was excellent. Snowing over half the time we were out. Headed S on the CT - Twisty narrow downhill at the start - if you survive this then you will be ok the rest of the trip. Trail soon leaves the E Branch Deerfield River & gains elevation (nice runs on the return), passes some beaver flows/ponds with views E of Mt. Snow before dropping along a streambed (tricky crossings, some blowdown) & rejoins the river. Many moose tracks from here & S. Continued S on old RR bed & turned around where 2 downed trees block trail just before junction with East Branch Trail. 9 miles, 6 hours. Fischer Outtabounds skis. Pick up a copy of the Catamount Trail Guidebook at APnP. Got speeding ticket (45 in a 30) after the trip leaving Bennington.Feb 12 - KUNJAMUK CAVE, Speculator. Variable base with 1"-3" powder; stream crossings mostly iced over but could use more snow. Picked up the Kunjamuk Loop ski trail behind the playground/skating rink. 1st mile has nice views of the Sacandaga River but one is also paralleling a snowmobile trail. Trail close to the rivers was icy (looks like rivers may have flooded over a week ago). Section of trail away from river had better skiing & more fun hills (with the inevitable stream crossings at the bottoms). At N end of loop went E on logging road (used by snowmobiles) ~0.5 mile to the cave. Explored just about any spur trails we saw. 7 miles, 5 hours.  Feb 9 - PARTRIDGE RUN WMA near Berne, from Sickle Hill Rd (CR13). Close to 2,000' elevation attracts & keeps snow. 2" powder on thin icy base. A beauty of a crisp, chilly but sunny morning - great to be outdoors. Unplowed Beaver Rd (sign says 'Becker & Wood Ponds") & flatter portion of ski trail skiable with "rock skis". Wet areas are almost all iced up.  P & H Kayaks - Top-of-the-line British composite sea kayaks & plastic touring kayaks now in stock.Feb 6 - NORTHVILLE-PLACID TRAIL N from Piseco. Lake effect snows kick in again - over a foot of firm base with a little give to it & 4"-8" of new powder. Temp in mid 20s. Snowing most the time but sun peaked out several times, too. Many wet spots avoided by skiing thru open woods (skiing was actually nicer off the trail), several small stream crossings. Mostly novice except for one long hill that is intermediate+. Turned around near Fall Stream. 9 miles, 5 hours.  Feb 5 - STAMFORD POND from Rt.100 in Heartwellville, Vt. Green Mountain National Forest S of the Aiken Wilderness. Parking is next to bridge over W Br Deerfield River at the start of Forest Road 73 (aka Old Stage Rd, 1,800' el) which is used by snowmobiles (did not see any but a couple must have gone thru). Plenty of snow, 15" in woods, temp around 40F, very good skiing. Some wet spots, easily avoided. Headed NW on the wide dirt road for over 2 miles (novice) then took a left on a lesser trail marked with ribbons. Passed Mud Pond which has a camp on it. Thru an area that must have been logged not too long ago; berry bushes & small trees. Picked up Reservoir Brook, left trail & skied near brook to SW end of Stamford Pond (2,400' el). N summit of Houghton Mt. rose to the W. Crossed Reservoir Brook on a beaver dam (pic) with a small breach in it. Bushwhacked NE never too far from the brook. Passed more beaver ponds & an area with much moose activity - saw many tracks, scat. After skirting private land, picked up snowmobile trail a bit W of where we had left it & a nice mostly downhill run back to the car. 9.5 miles, 4.7 hours.   Jan 30 - AIKEN WILDERNESS, Woodford, Vt. 10" wet powder - nice skiing. Started from Woodford State park, along road thru campground. Pick up blue trail & soon reach a 4-way junction. Blue marked trails L & R - we went straight on short unmarked path to a vly. Followed stream up thru 2 more beaver ponds - some slush. Picked up an old logging road (no markers, no signs - this is wilderness now) & followed it S. At tree with blue paint blazes ( the metal can i s no longer here) we took a right. Went some distance & returned. Saw trees that moose have gnawed on. Intermediate skiing. 3.5 hours. Cloudy, misty & lots of snow up in Woodford at well over 2,000' elevation - sunny & almost no snow a few miles away in Bennington - Prospect Mtn's website gives a good indication of snow in this area. Drove back to Merck & walked to cabin - nice colors as sun set over the shoulder of Mt. Antone. Note: gas is 20 cents/gal. cheaper in Vermont.  Jan 29 - 4" of wet powder. Skied the 1 mile (half is uphill) along farm & forest dirt roads to the cabin. Dumped the big backpack & strapped on fannypack. Skied 1.5 miles to summit of Mt. ANTONE (over 800' el gain from parking lot) where, despite cloudy skies, there were some wonderful views especially N & W (drop down to the W of actual summit for best views). Went part way om Masters Mt. Trail then back to cabin. Some rocks showing. Rain late in the day pretty much wiped out all the snow.  Jan 29-31 - MERCK FOREST. 2 nights of "soft" winter camping in Spruce Cabin. Wood stove for heat but there are so many holes in the cabin that cold air leaks in. Nice views of small mountains to S & W.   Thule cargo boxes carry your skis on your car's roof rack - Frontier & Cascade XT 1100.Jan 26 - NISKAYUNA HS POOL. Ceeb & the boss take time out from teaching a kayak class to test some boats.Jan 27 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE. 3", a bit of crust softened as the sun rose in the sky - good skiing. Someone had made a 6' snowball. 20degF. Fischer Snowbound skis. Jan 25 - "METHANE MOUNTAIN", Blatnick Park, River Rd, Niskayuna. 5" wet powder; temp in low 30s. This capped landfill between the park & the Mohawk River (minimal ice) makes a good smooth hill to practise telemark turns & downhill technique. I was pretty lousy today perhaps partly due to having a cold - fresh air & skiing should be a cure. Good exercise climbing back to the top for another run. Fischer Outtabounds skis, cable bindings, plastic touring boots. Jan 23 - ALBANY PINE BUSH ski from W end of Madison Av. Ext. 5" heavy new powder - nice skiing. Skied just about every trail in Madison Av. Pinelands & Great Dune areas - did most of the blue trail twice for it's sweet hilly runs. Most of red, white & yellow trails are novice; blue trail is intermediate. 8 miles, 3 hours. Fischer Rebound skis. Temp in low 30s. Someone had been out before us on skis & left divots in their tracks from snow sticking to their skis - should have been using Maxiglide on nowax skis - Nehasane did not have this problem.  Jan 22 - HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN hike, near Wilmington, VT. 0"-20" icy hardpack, some wet spots but not a major problem. Carried snowshoes on pack but for the most part did not break thru the hardpack & did not use. Spent a sunny, wind-free hour enjoying the views from the summit (1,030' gain in 2.4 miles) - mostly N & E but if you move around you can get limited views in other directions - nearby Mt. Snow across from Haystack Pond below; White Mts of NH, Catskills & more. Walked further N on the Deerfield Ridge Trail (views W across Deerfield River to Appalachians incl. Glastenbury Mt.) to top of Haystack Mtn Ski Area (now closed) - good views E from the chairlift. Delux did ski part of the way. 7.5 miles, 5.5 hours.  Voile 3-pin Cable bindings - Cables can be removed and stowed for free heel touring and re-attached for more performance on the descent.Jan 18 - Welcome to another episode of Desperate Snowseekers, where the secret lives of Albany NY suburbanites residing on rainy Hysteria Lane are not necessarily what they seem. Skee, a Martha Stewart on parabolics, keeps her quiver in the fridge; Pyxie always seems to be on the rebound; Telli & Mark, try to get their marriage off on the right foot again after Mark's brief affair with Sitz (& this after a previous tryst with Fay Splant); Rottefelle & Voilette enter into a binding agreement; and........featuring Nehasane as himself (as well as a couple of other characters) whose life always seems to be on the edge or spiraling downhill. Jan 16 - BELLOWS PIPE TRAIL thru the notch between Mt. Greylock & Ragged Mtn., N. Adams, Mass. Trailhead just before the end of plowing on Notch Rd. Trail is wide, relatively smooth. 8" powder, little base; windblown at higher elevation. More wet stream crossing than I would like due to recent warm spell & rain - pretty tho with the ice & running water. Notch Brook well down in ravine to our E. Intermediate steepness/skiing - a couple of steep pitches before notch can be avoided by switchbacking thru woods. Gain 950' in 2.7 miles to leanto - nice thru the trees views SE of Hoosic River valley & up to summit of Greylock, the highest point in Mass - sun & little wind made for a comfortable lunch stop despite temps in the teens. Continued S on BPT for a while dropping 500' (intermediate+) & crossing the famed Thunderbolt Ski Trail (1,800' drop in 1.6 miles! - read David Goodman's book Backcountry Skiing Adventures VT & NY for history & description - record run of 2 min. 8 seconds was set in 1948). I used skins to climb back up to the high point. Ski back down to Notch Rd was very pleasant & even the stream crossings didn't seem that bad. 7 miles, 5.5 hours. Fischer Rebound skis & Garmont Excursion plastic boots - noticeably better downhill control with the latter. G3 Climbing Skins.  Jan 15 - CAMP SANTANONI on NEWCOMB LAKE. Temp barely above 0degF; windchill -30degF. Icy base with 3' powder. Novice skiing. 10 miles, 3.75 hours. Bring your best gliding skis - waxable Karhu Vela skis - Polar wax (good for up to 5degF) was good enough today.  Jan 9 - SHAKER MOUNTAIN WILD FOREST & SILVER LAKE WILDERNESS from Pinnacle Rd near Bleecker. Few inches of heavy powder over good base at lower elevations; 2' at higher el. Temp rising into the mid-30s. Looking for a route (bushwhack) N of Pigeon Mt. over to the W Br Sacandaga River (~20 miles upstream of yesterday's trip). Generally uphill on old logging road for 1st 1.5 miles past a vly with view of Pigeon Mt. (pic) then steeply uphill to the pass NE of Pigeon Mt. Moderate downhill in a NNW direction usually W of main drainage - fairly open woods - some tricky stream crossings. Got to a large vly with pond within half a mile of the W Br. Hit our turn-around time so we turned back before reaching the river. ~2,150' el. at top of pass & a pleasant run back to the car at ~1,550'. Intermediate skiing (just do traverses thru the woods if it looks too steep for you) + a positive attitude. 8 miles, 6+ hours. Fischer Rebound skis.  Jan 8 - W BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from Whitehouse near Wells. Silver Lake Wilderness. Very nice conditions with good base & few inches of powder. 1st 1.5 miles on unplowed dirt road, side-trip S to suspension bridge over the river, N on NPT for 0.5 mile then W on unmarked path. Able to cross ice on Hamilton Lake Stream & ski over to Big Eddy (pic), a calm area of water between rapids. Very scenic skiing along the W Br. Temp rising into the 30s. Novice. 7.5 miles, 5 hours. Fischer Snowbound skis.  Jan 6 - CHARLESTON STATE FOREST SW of Amsterdam. Elevation over 1,200' helps keep the snow. 20 mile system of xc ski trails - snowshoers/bare-booters are asked not to walk in ski tracks. Skied N loop from Burtonsville Rd. 8"-10" heavy, a bit icy in open areas (hard work breaking trail), less under evergreens & more icy (fast - not bad); wet spots & stream crossings & some blowdown esp NE section made for slow going at times. Varied woods, couple of ponds. Map in Ski Tips & usually at register. Fairly easy but with some intermediate hills. 6 miles, 2.75 hrs. Got chewed out by the boss for opening the store half hour late! Jan 4 - ALBANY PINE BUSH from Willow St. Spent most of time on Blue & Yellow trails to the S - Great Dune, the largest dune in NYS. 1" & icy under the pitch pines; up to 4" heavy snow in the open - fairly lousy conditions. Temp in low 20s. Karhu Rendezvous (aka Qinu) skis with very light touring boots are fine in powder - wished I had my backcountry gear - tough conditions call for tough gear.Jan 2 - TACONIC CREST TRAIL N from RT.2 at Petersburg Pass. 3"-5" powder over minimal base, better off-trail (did some nice thru-the-trees runs) than on trail; some wet spots. Temp in low 30s. Snow stuck to trees like hoar frost. Bare-booted first steep 200 yds to Williams College's Hopkins Memorial Forest signboard. Soon have nice run downhill then moderately steep uphill (tricky on way back; would be better with foot+ of snow). ~1 mile in, bushwhacked E up Jim Smith Hill thru waist high brush for some views; sweet run NW back down to TCT. White Rock lookout @ ~2.8 mi. & 2,500'+ elevation - views of Mts. Greylock, Raimer & Berlin Mt while we ate lunch in the warm sun. Continued N with long sweet downhill run to col S of Bald Mt. Turned back & took 100 yd detour to the Snow Hole, a rocky grotto where ice is often found in summer. Skied in 2 states today - NY, VT - & MA was only yards away. Intermediate (+ today). 7 miles, 4.5 hrs. Fischer Snowbound skis. Use Maxiglide to keep snow & ice from sticking to base of ski especially when temps are over 25 degF.  Jan 1 - NORTHVILLE-PLACID TRAIL from Benson. Good icy base but only 2" of powder - fair skiing, better off-trail. Fair amount of water running thru N Branch W Stony Creek made for some picturesque falls & rapids. Followed it downstream a ways then stayed close to NPT & turned around at Goldmine Brook. Intermediate. Fischer Rebound skis. 
2005:Dec 28 - FIVE RIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER walk in Delmar. 0-2" crusty snow; very icy in trails. 10 miles of trails here in a variety of habitats from open fields to evergreen woods - beginner/novice for skiing; most trails are smooth & would only need 4" to make for good skiing. Did the North Loop & poked around the ponds. Deer, red & grey squirrels, pileated woodpeckers + other birds but I forgot my binos! 3 miles, 1.5 hours.Dec 27 - SCHENECTADY MUSEUM NATURE PRESERVE walk, from Lock 7 in Niskayuna. 1"-2" of icy snow; icy in trail - adjustable Masters poles came in very handy. Close to 4 miles of trails (intermediate for xc ski), stream, wide variety of trees, glimpses of Mohawk River (still mostly iced). Pileated woodpecker, robins, chickadees. Proposed regulations on use of motors on Lows Lake - comments accepted thru Dec 31.Dec 19 - ROCKWOOD STATE FOREST ski. Dusting of new powder in yesterday's tracks. Explored some connector trails & a little off-trail, too. 40 miles & under 1 hour drive from APnP. 2.7 hours. Fischer Snowbound skis. Saw 2 mature bald eagles flying near the Mohawk River on the drive back home.Dec 18 - ROCKWOOD STATE FOREST ski, a few miles WNW of Johnstown. 15" heavy powder (no ice) - very good skiing in a reforestation area of mostly tall red & white pine. 5 miles of designated ski trails (which does not prevent some illegal snowmobile use) & other unmarked trails & spurs. Most trails tracked by other skiers already. Took spur trail down to Caroga Creek which was running pretty good. Many nice hilly intermediate runs. Maps in Ski Tips & Discover the Southern Adirondacks do not show all trails - just go explore, if you get "lost" just head N because you are never more than a mile form Rt.29A. 2.5 hours. Fischer Rebound skis.Dec 15 - Took a walk along the bike-path near Lock 7 - the MOHAWK RIVER is frozen over thanks to 3 nights with temps around zero. 1"-2" of snow.Dec 12 - MINNEWASKA STATE PARK in the SHAWANGUNKS west of New Paltz. 8"-10", some exposed rocks. 26 miles of ski trails on old carriageways - mostly groomed. $4 weekdays; $6 weekends/holidays. Along W side of cliff-lined Lake Minnewaska (mostly open water) then on Castle Pt. Carriageway. Oaks, pitch pine, mountain laurel. Super views much of the way to & from Castle Point (el 2,100'+) - gain 500' in ~3 miles - views S to NJ, N to Catskills. Down below overhanging cliffs to Lake Awosting (over half iced up). Back on Hamilton Point Carriageway (ungroomed) with views across Palmaghatt Kill gorge to Gertrude's Nose & out to Hudson Valley & Highlands. Intermediate. 10 miles, 3.7 hours. Karhu Vela waxable skis - glide excellent, grip ok, very good turning & control.  Dec 11 - G LAKE. 15" - good base & plenty of powder. Conditions good enough to try some turns thru the woods between unplowed road & Evergreen Lake. G Lake now totally frozen over. Went along S & W side until unmarked trail disappeared short of the lake's outlet; then around E side. Layed out the full-length Thermarest pad for relaxing lunch-stop. 7.5 miles, 5 hours. Fischer Snowbound skis.  Dec 9 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE. 3" & still snowing. A quick circuit of the course before work. Karhu Vela (discontinued, 70-60-65 sidecut) waxable skis - blue wax - very good glide but not much grip for 1st 15 min. but then grip kicked in & glide suffered a bit - go figure! the wonders of waxing!Dec 5 - G LAKE. W of Piseco Lake. 8" - nice skiing - I've skied here on less. Over 2 miles on unplowed dirt road past Evergreen Lake. Old logging roads from wilderness boundary - no marked trails - shown as trails on Piseco Lake USGS map. Easy intermediate skiing. Campsite on E shore is a nice scenic lunchspot if it isn't too windy. Trail along S of lake fairly easy to follow; "trail" around N of lake requires tricky crossings of 2 streams & may seem like a bushwhack to some. Lake still has some open water. 8 miles, 4+ hours. Fischer Rebound skis. Red Ledge Thunderlite Full Zip Pants - wear these over base layer long johns on most of my snow trips - a great value @ $49.95.  Dec 4 - BREIA trails xc skiing, S of Booneville, N of Utica. 10"-20" - flatter trails are groomed but not track-set - personally I wish they would just leave the snow alone because they flattened it to 1"-2" of depth. Alder Creek Gorge - skied most of trails S of Egypt Rd - Hemlock Loop is not groomed & hard to follow. Mostly novice except the 4 gully trails are intermediate+. 2 hours. Drove over to PIXLEY FALLS SP. Skied to bottom of falls at park. Then skied 2.5 miles up Black River Canal trail (beginner) to 2 more falls. 5.5 miles, 2.5 hrs. Fischer Snowbound skis.  Nov 27 - LITTLE POND ski, Woodford, Vt. Start from RT.9 2.1 miles E of Prospect Mtn Ski Area at 2,400' el. About a foot of snow. Snowmobile trail (novice) N for 2.5 miles to the Pond gaining 300' - drop to pond a bit rough with rocks & wet spots. Near top of hill took spur trail with some wet spots SW to Long/Appalachian Trail (white paint blazes). SW on LT moderately uphill to Porcupine Lookout with nice views S & E (no signs of civilization except Searsburg Wind Farm). NE on LT generally uphill for ~1.5 miles to Little Pond Lookout (now at over 3,000' el) - some rocks beg for more snow/base. Returned partway then bushwhacked down to snowmobile trail near the pond (often skied so you may see tracks). Pleasant runs on the way out. Saw no snowmobiles (believe they are not allowed on state forest trails before Dec 15) & no hunters. 8 miles, 4.5 hrs. Fischer Rebound skis.  Nov 24 Thanksgiving - MOHAWK RIVER kayaking from Lions Park in Niskayuna. Just had to paddle with white shores (1.5" snow). Water drawn down some, shallow areas between islands. Ice forming in marshy areas & many muskrat lodges seen. Dagger Catalyst 12.8, a 12'10" kayak. WILTON WILDLIFE PRESERVE xc skiing. 5" of new snow. Skied most of trails N & S of Scout Rd parking. Trails are smooth & wide. N of Scout Rd trails are easy skiing; S trails are more hilly. Fairly quiet for being just 1.5 miles from Northway. Fischer Rebound skis.   
Apr 17 - HAYSTACK MT. & MT. SNOW ski. Karhu Dorado skis.
OR Seattle Sombrero hat & MSR Hubba Hubba tent get Backpacker magazine's 2005 Editor's Choice awards. Nehasane loves his solo MSR Hubba . MSR Missing Link tent got the award in 2004. What these tents have in common is light weight & a feeling of roominess.
Mar 27 - CATAMOUNT TRAIL ski. Nehasane's 50th day of skiing this season. Started at Rt.9 a few miles W of Wilmington. Trail follows along old railroad bed alongside the Deerfield River - Rt.9 is on other side for a while & then a pipeline is in view for the 2 miles to Searsburg Reservoir & dam. Trail is rough getting around dam but then levels out again past the reservoir. Continue on E shore of East Branch of Deerfield River. Another trail enters from the W soon crossing the river on a swinging suspension bridge. Catamount follows E Br for another couple of miles then climbs gently along a stream which is crossed several times. After a moderate uphill the trail levels out some. Rolling terrain from here to Somerset Reservoir dam with some beaver ponds & views of Mt. Snow. Returned same way. Major stream crossings have good wood bridges, some minor streams will make spring skiing tough. Next time I will skip Rt.9-Searsburg Res. section - middle & northern sections are more scenic & offer more interesting skiing. Lots of moose tracks & some fresh droppings. 14 miles, 7 hours. Fischer Rebound Crown skis, leather boots.
We carry a wide variety of NRS products - paddling jackets, gloves, duffels, straps, Hydroskin & more.....
Mar 24 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE ski. 2" wet powder, icy base in some areas - good skiing won't last a day - cloudy, temp ~32°F. Saw a great blue heron near small open area of pond. Fischer Rebound Crown skis.
Hydro Star MultiStrobe kayak light.
Mar 20 - LOST & LITTLE PONDS , Woodford, Vt. Snow 2'+; mostly sunny, temp rising thru 30s & 40s (did my thermometer really read 52°F?) Very good skiing on snowmobile trail (we didn't hear any snowmobiles on this Monday til near end of trip); good offtrail. Start at 2,400' elevation; Little Pond at 2,600'; Lost Pond at just under 3,000' (over an hour lunchbreak in the warm midday sun); we probably hit 3,200' en route. Snowmobile trail from Rt.9 to just before Little Pond - at point where trail starts dropping down to pond we bushwhack NW thru open woods (should have come back this way) & soon join Long Trail/Appalachian Trail (white paint blazes may be hard to spot). Mostly beech & other hardwoods. Pass a lookout toward Little Pond then L off trail around W side of Little Pond Mt. to remote Lost Pond. Good views of Glastonbury Mt. to NW. Skied around N side of LP Mt. then traversed its E side (views of Mts. Greylock, Snow, Haystack) thru semi-open woods down to Little Pond. Cross pond & head S thru open woods paralleling the snowmobile trail to the powerline where we pick up a spur snowmobile trail not far from the cars. SE facing snow getting a bit mushy in the afternoon. Intermediate. 8.7 miles, 5.6 hours. Fischer Rebound Crown skis, 3-pin bindings, leather boots.
BRUNTON kayak compass - essential kayaking gear.
Mar 20 - MERCK FOREST. Bit hard & hint of iciness early; turning to soft wet powder as day progressed - depths in 15"-25" range - temp rising thru 30s into the 40s - mostly sunny. 800' climb to Spruce Peak via Gallup trail - first half is steep, second half moderate - wished I had brought the skins but made up with herringbones & sidesteps - view from lookout of Mt. Antone & lowlands beyond. Down Gallup across Hammond (great views), across Meyer, visit Ridge Cabin, down Old Town (nice run, semi-groomed), around on Silviculture (signboards gave me an education in forestry), partway on Antone then back out on Old Town. Maple syrup is running. Intermediate to advanced intermediate. Karhu Dorado skis, cable bindings, plastic boots - a good heavy duty set-up makes sense when attacking spring snow conditions.
PRINCETON TEC waterproof headlamps - essential gear anytime.
Mar 14 - PRESTON PONDS & DUCK HOLE . Weather much like yesterday: a bit of everything; winter still here for quite a while yet. Woke up to temps in low teens. Trail climbs gently then moderately with short steep pitches - I used skins for about a half mile but they weren't absolutely necessary (advanced intermediate on way down - can ski thru open woods to the N of trail) - gained 400' in 1.5 miles to pass before Upper Preston Pond. Nice mountain views while crossing the pond. A carry trail runs S of the outlet (an oar handle sticks up out of the snow at the start). Soon we are on Lower Preston Pond with views ahead to the Sewards & Sawtooths. Picked up the outlet & skied along its S shore (some open water here). After a while, the outlet narrows between steep walls as it goes over a waterfall as it enters Duck Hole - a bit before this there was a ribbon marking the start of a short narrow steep carry (side-stepped it). Out onto Duck Hole & crossed over to the 2 leantos on W side - the Santanonis pear over to the S. A large dam holds back the pond's water but will not be maintained - will Duck Hole survive? Probably not as we know it. Visited a nice cabin on S shore of Upper Preston which will probably be torn down after NYS acquires the land from the Open Space Institute. Outstanding skiing & views. Fischer Rebound skis, Super Tele 3-pin bindings, leather boots. Gloves, mittens, gaiters, hats by OR - Outdoor Research .
PALM drysuits & semi-dry touring jackets - essential cold water paddlewear.
Mar 13 - HENDERSON LAKE & INDIAN PASS ski & camp from Upper Works, the main entry point to the High Peaks from the S. 2 to 3 feet of snow; offtrail 3"-5" powder on top of breakable crust. Temp ~30°F; partly sunny with snow showers. Skied 1.5 miles across Henderson Lake to the new leanto at the NW end of the lake. Leanto is more Lincoln Logs than traditional Adirondack log & has a thru-the-spruces view of the lake. Dropped off overnight gear then skied the Preston Ponds trail 0.6 miles E to the Indian Pass trail. Soon reach Henderson Leanto - the narrow, winding, balsam-lined mile of trail from here to Wallface Leanto has short ups & downs & can be a challenge for even the intermediate skier. Skied further toward Indian Pass with views of the shear 1,000' cliffs of Wallface then turned around where the trail crosses to the E side of Indian Pass Brook. Back in camp, got a nice fire going, changed into dry clothing & stayed pretty toasty. Transported overnight gear on Pelican plastic sled - tracked well as long as I had it loaded stern heavy, no skeg or rudder needed; its flat bottom with keels provided good stability & better glide than one might think from a sled with this much wetted surface, I was able to maintain a cruising speed of just under 2 knots over Henderson Lake; maneuverabilty was fair; strictly for recreational use & not a "serious" sled but then what do you expect for $20 (incl. buckle straps & bungie).
USED SKIS FOR SALE
Mar 10 - ALBANY PINE BUSH from end of Willow St, Guilderland. 2" of powder over icy base in trail; nicer 8" in woods - very good skiing. Temp in teens, sunny. Blue trail loop - relatively quiet - some snowshoe tracks some virgin snow - nice hills in open woods on dunes off-trail to the SE. 3" more on Fri/Sat would make for excellent skiing here. Karhu Pyxis skis, leather boots. Fischer Europa 99 Crown skis.
CHOTA mukluks, booties, sandals, gloves - essential 4-season paddlewear.
Mar 7 - CRANE & OXSHOE PONDS in Pharoah Wilderness near Schroon Lake. Temp upper 20s to low 40s - cloudy at first but then mostly sunny. 2 miles to Crane is along an old dirt road - easy intermediate - thru wonderful stands of towering white pines & hemlocks. Trail crosses outlet & passes thru attractive woods (add birches to the pine/hemlock mix) to Glidden Marsh & a good view of Pharoah Mt. Quite the variety of animal tracks en route. We take a L & climb steeply (do some switchbacks offtrail - "think out of the tracks") for a while before continuing on to leanto at Oxshoe Pond. The pond has steep rocky shorelines & is surrounded by beautiful red pines. Skied around its perimeter & up & down some of the steep rock just for the fun of it (some 30' drops at 45° angle). After a short siesta, skied back out the way we came. Billions of snowfleas were out sunning themselves. The route to Crane Pond is well-used but the further we went the less evidence of previous travellers. Intermediate. 7.5 miles, 5 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis. Use Maxiglide XC Quick Wax on bases of nowax skis when temp is above 20°F to prevent sticking.
EMOTION KAYAKS affordable, recreational sit-in & sit-on-top kayaks - the Edge has the most comfortable seat in kayaking.
Mar 6 - JACKRABBIT TRAIL . From Whiteface Inn Rd in Lake Placid west to McKenzie Pond & back. Trail is an old logging road/fire trail & so is wide; turns are gentle. Temp just under freezing - snowing all the time we were out - 20"-30" already on the ground, trail "groomed" by previous skiers. Gain 500' in 1.5 miles to Placid Leanto. Trail levels out for a mile & then climbs to the top of McKenzie Pass (700' gain from start). The trail now drops 950' in 1.5 miles & is a blast in good snow conditions - this is no harder than the "Most Difficult" trails at Garnet Hill (Skullbuster, Duffany's) & a lot easier than coming down from Avalanche Pass; there are no sharp curves & just a few bumps - advanced intermediate. Steepness moderates occasionally for a quick breather. I do some tele turns, some sideplows & some just straight ahead "point 'em downhill" skiing. Took a R turn at a light blue sign & soon arrived at McKenzie Pond - skied up the E shore a bit to find a good lunchspot. I was able to ski back up to the pass without herringboning or skins (did see some folks using both techniques tho) - even went back down a ways a couple of times for seconds. A ravine is to the N. Rest of trip was relatively easy with a sweet run down over the last 0.8 miles - intermediate. 8.5 miles, 1,650'++, 4.8 hrs. Fischer Outtabounds Crown skis, Rottefella Chili bindings, Garmont Excursion plastic boots. Experimented with Maxiglide XC Quick Wax on the grip pattern to keep warm snow from sticking & Swix V42 blue wax (for "new & fine-grained snow 14°F to 32°F") on rest of ski base to improve grip & glide.
Please be patient - we are trying hard to get Nehasane off the snow & back to work to finish his reports - Rich.
OK I'm back, can I get a day off? I'm going thru a bottle of ibuprophen a day! - Nehasane.
Mar 4 - COLONIE TOWN PARK . Park at locked gate or bike path parking on Schermerhorn Rd. Followed park road to nature trails on R. Temp ~20°F - 8"-12" powder on little or no base. Most trails novice/easy intermediate but there are a couple of short steep spots at E end on orange trail. Some use by snowmobiles & barebooters. Mostly hardwoods but hemlocks are common near Mohawk River. At boat launch I went out a short distance on the river - too chicken &/or smart to go out too far despite the fact bilers have been out there. Fairly peaceful in a suburban sort of way; distant traffic noise from rush hour commuters on Northway. Map in Ski Tips & Natural Areas of Albany County. 1.5 hrs. Fischer Outbound skis, NNN-BC bindings w/old boots.
Mar 3 - LISHA KILL PRESERVE , Rosendale Rd in Niskayuna. About a foot of powder over minimal base - temp ~20°F. The Lisha Kill runs thru a ravine amongst tall white pines & hemlocks. Steeply rolling terrain. Karhu Karver Sweeper skis w/lite hiking boots - sort of like snowshoes that you can slide; now that most modern snowshoes have crampons the fun of glissading downhill is gone - the Karvers bring that feeling back. Very maneuverable; they climb much better than they glide.
Mar 2 - PLOTTER KILL PRESERVE ski from Coplon Rd, Rotterdam. 15"-25" powder, little base - temp in 20s, sunny, very windy. Snow to my knees in some areas. Did one run each with the telemark skis & skinned back up - the pipeline hill starts gently, becomes moderately steep & finally drops very steeply to the creek (losing 300' guesstimate) - it is possible to cross & ski the steep powerline on the other side (I only went part way). Karhu Rox & Fischer FX7.0 telemark skis - felt I could have used longer & wider skis for more floatation - these are mid-length (short for my 200+lbs.) & narrow (73 & 70mm at the waist) for modern tele skis. Skied N on the red trail past the powerline then bushwhacked a little to the top of the gorge with views to the hills across the Mohawk River. Fischer Outtabounds skis. Garmont Excursion plastic boots. BTW, if you have never visited this preserve, what are you waiting for? Check out Natural Areas of Schenectady County ($7) for map & more details.
Werner Paddles - lightweight yet durable touring & whitewater kayak paddles. Optional small shaft for smaller hands & ergonomic bent shafts.
Feb 28 - COD POND ski from Rt.8 NE of Wells. Wilcox Lake Wild Forest. 5" of powder on breakable crust over good base (~15" total). Trails packed by skiers, snowshoers & bilers - saw no-one today. Crossed Cod Pond to S end then bushwhacked around W side of pond slowly climbing a hill (NW of pond). Thru-trees views N of rugged mountains of southern Siamese Ponds Wilderness & Harrington Mt to E. Dropped to the E for short distance - if it was any steeper I'd have to call it a cliff (made my way down with a series of traverses) - soon moderating before running into the trail. Back to Cod & across N end of pond to Oregon Trail by the outlet (watch for thin ice). Returned on snowmobile trail. Nice downhill run back to the car. Intermediate. Karhu Dorado skis.
Feb 27 - SOUTH BRANCH WEST CANADA CREEK & T LAKE FALLS ski near Hoffmeister. Foot of powder on top of over a foot of base, just about perfect - temp teens to low 20s. Yet another gorgeous sunny Sunday! West Canada Wilderness. Start at end of Mountain Home Rd - this is private land & you may have to get permission to park here or ask at nearest house. First mile or so is on unplowed dirt road to the summer parking area before the register - The Floe, a widening of the S Branch is seen on the R. We are the only ones to sign in in the month of Feb. Continue on an old logging road with no markers for 3 miles to crossing of S Branch which is about 60' wide here. We ski up the creek on thick snow-topped ice for about a mile occasionally skirting holes of open water. A little past a pair of cables across the river (hunters use these to cross the creek during high water) we go into the woods on the S side & pick up a path sporadically marked with reddish-orange paint blazes. Losing the path we head for the creek in an "open" area (map would make one think this would be a marsh or vly) but alders make for hard going & we ski along the edge of the creek until one of us breaks thru the ice (you carry spare socks in a ziploc bag, right?) Back into the woods & we soon find the path again - look also for axe blazes (scarred tree bark as it heals over the wound). Finally, we see yellow paint blazes & follow them uphill E along T Lake Outlet to the foot of the 350'(?) falls - a pretty awesome sight - mostly snow-covered ice with a little open water dropping into a pool. Ski in (breaking trail all the way) took 4.5 hours including stop for lunch, ski out took 2.5 hrs. Mostly novice terrain; intermediate hill just past register & close to falls. 14 miles, 7.2 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis.
Feb 24 - "METHANE MOUNTAIN" ski. Parked at Blatnick Park on River Rd in Niskayuna. Beyond the park is a capped landfill with a wonderful view of the Mohawk River from the top. Unfortunately there was only 1"-2" of crusty snow left over short grass & my dreams of turning some teles ended but it wasn't too bad just making some straight runs across the hill. I'll be back! Karhu Dorado skis.
Feb 23 - ROCKWOOD STATE FOREST ski. Borders the Adirondacks between Johnstown & Caroga - less than an hour's drive from APnP. Large parking area on S side of Rt.29 E of Rockwood. 4"-6" powder over excellent base - temp in 20s. Fair amount of wide smooth novice trail but there are nice intermediate hills to the W & NE (SE of parking) of the forest. Spur trails can add mileage. Some trails showed evidence of snowmobile (illegal) & skier use but also found some virgin powder. Ended up on the hill SE of parking area. Near the top is an old fireplace & 4-way junction. I came up gentle route from the E. Trail to S is a straight easy intermediate downhill. Trails to N & W (virgin powder on the latter) are advanced intermediate but seemed easier due to the excellent conditions - both trails have a couple of steeper drops & some turns - such a blast I had to do both trails twice! 6 miles, 2.6 hrs. Fischer Rebound skis.
Feb 22 - ALBANY PINE BUSH ski, Blueberry Hill section S of Washington Av Ext. Trailhead at end of Columbia Circle. Good skiing on 3"-4" - temp around freezing. Skied most marked trails & some unmarked. Blue trail is easiest; red trail has a nice view of the Helderberg Escarpment; N part of yellow trail has a tricky steep section (short steep drop going clockwise; winding narrow drop going counterclockwise best with deeper snow) - most trails are wide & smooth. Snow a bit sticky - use Maxiglide. Altho never too far from roads, houses & office buildings traffic noise was minimal & a variety of birds sang & called. Interesting skiing around controlled burn areas. 4 miles, 1.5 hrs. Fischer Outbound skis.
Feb 21 - PARTRIDGE RUN WMA ski near Berne. Oh so nice 6"-8" fresh powder over some base - temp in 20s. Partridge Run is a large natural area intersected by roads - elevation close to 2,000' - about 40 min. drive from APnP. Trails bordered by Beaver Rd (unplowed), Bradt Hill Rd, High Point Rd, Sickle Hill Rd are designated xc ski. Start on Sickle Hill Rd (CR13) - quite the 1 mile drive up the hill from CR1 with drifting snow & a hairpin curve (thank God for AWD). Skied down Beaver Rd 0.3mi. (ignore the snowmobile trail to the R) then R on yellow marked xc ski trail (also some blue trail markers along the way). If you keep turning L at any junction you will loop back to Beaver Rd about 0.75mi. from where you left it. We decided to return on the ski trail the way we came rather than on Beaver Rd. Spur trails lead to above roads. Nehasane couldn't resist going off trail for some glade skiing. Mostly novice terrain but 3 hills are intermediate - the first hill about 1.5 mi. from Beaver Rd has several L & R right-angle turns, so much fun I had to run it 3 times. Several beaver ponds en route - saw otter tracks at one. Woods vary but plantations of red & white pine, hemlocks & red spruce stand out. 7 miles, 4 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis.
Feb 20 - STEPHENS & CASCADE PONDS ski, near Blue Mt Lake. 3"-5" powder over good base - temp in teens to low 20s. Another blue sky Sunday! Northville-Placid Trail goes thru Lake Durant State Campground (some snowmobile use) then heads S on an old truck road into the Blue Ridge Wilderness (no motors). Generally uphill for a mile (nice run on return). About 1.5mi. from campground look for a red paint circle about 10" in diameter on an old birch to the L. About 50' beyond bushwhack SW (230° magnetic) 0.25mi. thru open woods to shore of Stephens Pond. It is about 0.75mi. to the leanto at the SW end of pond but I take the long way around the E side. Blue Ridge dominates to the SW. Looking N from the S end one can see Blue Mt. Careful of thin ice E of the island - one of Hombrua's skis went thru. Leanto is set back from pond & lacks a view of it. Picked up the NPT behind the leanto & climbed for 0.6mi. to a junction (tricky downhill ski if going in other direction). L for 1 mi. to Cascade Pond. Skied perimeter of pond with good view of Blue Mt. Hung out at leanto before making the extremely enjoyable mostly downhill 3.5 mi. run out. 9 miles, 6hrs. Fischer Outbound skis.
Feb 17&18 - MOHAWK HUDSON BIKE PATH walks from Lock 7 Rd in Niskayuna. Path W is icy & hard to walk so I ducked into the SCHENECTADY MUSEUM NATURE PRESERVE. Trails were a bit icy but much of woods were ice & snow free. View of Lock 7 with lots of water pouring over the dam - most of the Mohawk River is still iced over. Path E is usually plowed for walkers & runners as far as Lions Park (2 miles). A lake effect snow squall created a wintry scene & deposited almost an inch in an hour. The beaverdam on the Lisha Kill seems to get bigger every time I see it. Robins looked fat. As I finished up the sun came out but the snow was still flying.
Feb 14 - PHAROAH LAKE ski from Beaver Pond Rd. 5"(on trail)-10"(in open areas) powder on icy base - popular trail was well-tracked from the previous day. Temp rising thru the 20s. Good skiing but some rocks exposed - could use another 6" to sweeten things up. Fairly flat for over a mile along unplowed rough dirt road to wilderness boundary at Mill Brook then slowly gain 250' in next 2.4 miles to the lake. Last mile is thru attractive hemlock/white pine/birch forest with glimpses of Pharoah Mt. across the beaver flow on Pharoah Lake Brook. Skied along S shore of lake to Leanto #1 & spread out the Thermarest for a long break - view across the lake to Treadway Mt. Started snowing mid-afternoon. Glide out took 1.5 hrs. Easy intermediate. 8 miles, 5.2 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis, leather boots.
Feb 13 - MERCK FOREST ski, W Rupert, VT. Merck has 28 miles of hilly forest roads & trails - pick up free map at gate. Blue skies - temp 20-25°F. Joining me today: the Masochistic Institute of Ski Tourers And Keg Emptiers (MISTAKE). Thru the farm & up Old Town Rd then R on Antone Rd. At a cabin a ski trail makes a moderate climb along the side of a knob with valley views (Antone Rd climbs steeply over the knob then drops to junction with ski trail). Snow was piled on overhanging trees - winter wonderland. Skied S a ways over Masters Mt. & down a little to get a look at a trail that drops 1,500'. Turned around & made the final steep climb to top of Mt. Antone (gaining over 800' from start in 2.4 miles). View N from the summit. Skied W a little to a large open area with super views of Green Mts & eastern Adirondacks + a gap in trees with views SW - could make out the ski trails on West & Gore Mts. 2' of powder here. All MISTAKErs fell on the drop off the top - Nehasane stayed up. Skied back down Antone Rd with some nice runs (the steep drop off the knob was a bit hairy, next time I'll take the ski trail). Headed over to Spruce Cabin which has nice views across an open field & catches the warm afternoon sun. Field has a perfect slope to play with telemark turns - burned off a few calories yoyoing up & down the hill. Off along Meyer Rd to Gallup Rd which then winds & drops (sweet intermediate run) eventually to Old Town Rd. Mostly gentle climb back up OT Rd. With over a mile to go a binding tore out of the ski! Experimented with single ski touring - scootering, boarding with 2 feet on one ski, boot drag on downhill - the last part of the downhill was a bit too steep & I took off the ski & walked the rest of the way. At the farm there is an open view to the W - a post-sunset multicolor glow silhouetted the Adirondacks - ahhh! MISTAKErs breathed words like "Heaven" & "Nirvana" throughout the day. Advanced intermediate to Mt. Antone; rest of route intermediate. 8++ miles (repeated several hills & detoured offtrail a bit when glades beckoned), 7.5 hrs. Karhu Orion skis, plastic boots. Used Swix F4 wax to improve glide.
Feb 7 - GOOD LUCK MOUNTAIN CLIFFS ski from Rt.10. Ferris Lake WF. Well over foot of snow with good base & few inches of wettish powder. Temp rising from 20s to 40°F; more clouds than yesterday. Skied Dry/Dexter lakes snowmobile trail for 0.7 miles then headed SW offtrail following snowshoe tracks. Climbed moderately at first then very steeply (skins on). Barebooted maybe 200yds due to iciness, steepness & downed trees. Crossed summit over to the cliffs on W side - views SW across Spectacle Lake with hills S of Mohawk River on the horizon. Stretched out the Thermarest on the rocks for some RnR. After studying the maps, decided the drop to the W should be more moderate. Dropped very steeply on trail a short distance then bushwhacked W over a small knob - nice open woods with moderate grade for a while. Things got very steep again but was able to make some switchbacks to more moderate terrain again. Turned N thru open woods for a sweet run down to the snowmobile trail - so sweet I went back up and did it again. Half mile back to where we had initially left the snowmobile trail then out. Neither saw nor heard any snowmobiles on this Monday - you may get a different experience on a weekend. Intermediate+/easy expert. 600', 4 miles, 4.5 hrs. Fischer Outtabounds skis, Chili bindings, Garmont Excursion plastic boots . I strongly believe the boot/binding combination made all the difference between just hanging on and having a blast.
Feb 6 - N BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER ski, Silver Lake Wilderness from Rt.10 N of Canada Lake. Over 2' of snow in vlies; less in woods; wet powder on excellent base. Bit icy in snowshoe tracks early; nice in untracked snow at all temps; bit sticky when warm (Maxiglide does the trick). Temp rising from 20s to mid 40s; 70s in direct sun at lunchtime. Started at the bridge over the W Branch & followed an old unmarked logging road. Hit the N Branch about 2 miles in. At an old foundation one can ski out onto a large vly with a beaver hut in the middle. Snowshoe tracks ended here; after that we broke trail (easy - only sinking in ~4"). Back on faint logging road headed generally N (river generally out of sight) - some orange tape occasionally reassured us we were on the right track. Approached the stream again and followed it upstream firstly thru the woods then along banks. Lunched at a small vly with views W to North Branch Mountain. Brought out a full length Thermarest & worked on my tan. Upstream, the N Branch is a 15' wide rocky stream much of it topped with a foot of ice then a foot of snow. Very interesting skiing up the stream. Finally, Hombrua went thru some thin ice with 2' of air underneath before hitting water - he only dipped his skis in & managed to keep the rest of him dry. We decided to turn around here and "run the rapids" back downstream - white water skiing. Ski out was faster in our own tracks. Good description of route in Barbara McMartin's Discover the Southern Adirondacks. Novice terrain. 8 miles, 5.5 hrs. Fischer Rebound skis with leather boots.
Feb 5 - ASHFORD GLEN PRESERVE ski in Latham. 3"-6" a bit icy in the early morn; temp in low 20s. Main trail is hard packed from snowshoers & walkers - no sign of anyone having skied here since the last snow. Off-trail the skiing was nice. To the S of the preserve there is more unposted land with old dirt roads which have received little use - saw some snowshoe & ATV tracks on some. Got close to Denison Rd & returned with some detours in open woods. Novice/Intermediate. Fischer Rebound skis.
Feb 2 - Nehasane sees his shadow - declares 10 more weeks of winter!. PLOTTERKILL PRESERVE ski, from Coplon Rd in Rotterdam. The preserve trail starts in the woods below the parking area but there is also a cleared gas pipeline area all the way down to the Plotterkill which could make for nice steep area to make some turns - it has been used by sledders but you can find some powder off to the sides). The red marked trail crosses the pipeline half way & I took it N - trail is well-packed & people have been barebooting it so it's not as good for skiing as it could be. Soon cross a powerline - I go to top & ski down pretty far but not all the way to the Plotter Kill knowing I had to climb back up without the aid of skins. Started on the Karhu Orion skis then went back & did most of same route with the Karhu Dorado - there is quite a difference between these skis. Used the Garmont Excursion plastic boots & let me tell you these provide at least 100% (that's twice) more downhill control & turning than my leather Garmont Tour boots - they are worth the investment if you like hills (or you are just a plain lousy skier;).
Jan 31 - SHAKER MTN. WF backcountry ski from end of Pinnacle Rd in Benson/Bleecker area. Temp in upper 20s, not a cloud in the sky - 15"-25" with excellent base topped with powder, perfect conditions - offtrail, sank in 6"-8" making breaking trail reasonably easy. My longtime nemesis, Fengshee, & cronies went in 2 days earlier so we had a nice broken out route. Took an old unmarked logging road (shown on most maps as a trail, a downed tree obstructs the start) NNW past a couple of vlies to a spot between Pigeon & Panther Mts. Saw otter tracks. Woods are a nice mix of hardwoods & hemlocks. Backtracked to open area that used to be a camp (an old rusted barrel marks the spot) then took a lesser old logging road (not shown on maps) NW to just S of Pigeon Mt.'s summit gaining 700' in 1.5 miles from the barrel - climbs gently to moderately at first then steeply (donned climbing skins, gain 400' in about 0.5 mile). Less mature woods here indicate that logging may have occured in more recent times. Thru the trees view of Panther, Pinnacle, Shaker Mts. & , to the W, down to Little Oxbarn Lake. Ski back down is expert - I used a combination of snowplow & traverses thru the woods (fell once), Delouxe used the pole-drag method (& got up without skins!), Hiwayman skinned down. After the big drop, the last 2.5 miles out has several sweet intermediate runs. Went thru the ice crossing Pinnacle Creek (not much water under, minor ice-scraping on one ski). 7 miles, 1,100'+, 5 hours. Karhu Orion skis with leather boots & softwire cable binding .
Jan 30 - Mt. BRACE ski. From Mt. Washington SF HQ in SW Mass. Temp around freezing - 10"-15" - mostly sunny. Skiing good - some steeper sections have exposed rocks - just be careful. Start on the Alander Mt. Trail then L on Ashley Hill Brook Trail, an old carriage road. From this junction one gains 800'+ in 4.5 miles to Brace - climb is gentle to moderate with a couple of short steeper spots. For a while a ravine drops steeply to the R. Go straight when Ashley Hill Trail makes a L following blue paint blazes on a connecter trail which after crossing Ashley Hill Brook will get you to the S Taconic Trail 1.25 miles N of Brace. Mountain laurel grows among the hardwoods as you near the ridgetop. Go N 100 yds to a nice view of valley & Catskills to the W. The 1.25 mi. S (& another 200'+ gain) to Brace had seen some snowmobile use & made for nice easy intermediate ridgetop skiing with super views along the way. A large cairn marks the summit. Stunning 360 views - Stissing Mt, The Gunks, Catskills in NY; Mts. Greylock, Alander, Frissell in Mass; Mohawk & Bear Mts. in Conn (Brace is in NY). Warm temp & light wind encouraged us to linger - Popolsku had to be awakened from a nap. Intermediate - even Dagang's tail end made it to Brace. 10.5 miles, 6.5 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis with plastic boots, 3-pin bindings .
Jan 26 - SCHENECTADY MUSEUM NATURE PRESERVE ski from Lock 7 Rd in Niskayuna. 6"-12" soft powder, temp in teens. Good skiing, would be better there was some base. Intermediate, some easier stuff in section the the W. Bridge is out over one iced-over stream. Karhu Pyxis with leather boots .
SNOW DATA
Jan 25 - ALBANY PINE BUSH full moon cross country ski from end of Madison Ave Ext. Wasn't too hard persuading 10 others to accompany me tonight. 10"-15" powder; temp a sweltering 20°F. Red trail (novice) well packed-out by skiers, snowshoers & walkers; blue trail (easy intermediate) less used but tracked - very good skiing. Mostly cloudy but moon did peek out a few times. Brought along a headlamp but didn't use it - enough ambient light to see one's way. 2 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis with Excursion plastic boots .
Jan 24 - Mt. EVERETT ski. Mt. Washington SF in SW Mass - probably the most wildernessy area of Mass. encompassing the Appalachian & Taconic Ranges. Parking area on East St. not plowed - parked at Mt. Washington Town Hall 0.25 mi. S at Plantain Rd. 6"-18" powder on thin icy base - windblown at higher elevation. Temp: single digits rising to 13°F. 1.5 miles on unplowed road gaining 750' to a shelter with great view N. Then 0.2 mi. on rough, rocky, icy trail to summit - would be better with snowshoes. Stunted "bonsai" pines & oaks on summit. Great tri-state views - Mt. Greylock to the N, Catskills to the W. Appalachian Trail. Upper half of road is steeper (intermediate+) & would have been a sweet run if the wind had not blown the snow off leaving icy sections that I had to side-plow down. Trail around Guilder Pond was very pretty with snow-laden hemlocks & mountain laurel but could use a better base - hit several hidden rocks. After going half way around we went back across the pond - at the outlet near the road were some wet spots - careful! Lower half of road is novice. 900', 4.5 miles, 4 hrs. Still daylight left so drove S to Mt. Washington HQ (unplowed) & skied Alander Mt. trail to camping site - occasional hidden rock. Lee Pond & Ashley Hill Brooks crossed on bridges but we did have couple small wet streams to hop. Mostly hilly & fun. Fischer Outtabounds skis, Rottefella Chili cable bindings, Garmont Excursion plastic touring boots . Swix F4 wax on skis improved glide noticeably.
Thru the ice rescue video
Jan 23 - THACHER STATE PARK ski. Nice to find the Hop Field parking area plowed; heated restrooms & warming hut a bonus - pick up a trail map here. 10"-15" soft powder, little or no base but nice skiing. Temp in single digits. Blue, white & red trails have some fun intermediate hills - snowmobiles allowed but none seen. Varied terrain & scenery. Finished on 2 mile ski loop (yellow, beginner). 4 hours. Karhu Pyxis skis, Super Tele 3-pin bindings on a 10mm riser, leather Garmont boots .
Graphical Forecast from National Weather Service in Albany
Jan 20 - CHARLESTON STATE FOREST ski. From NY Thruway (I-90) Exit 28 take Rt.30A S for about 10 miles then take a L on Burtonsville Rd & go 0.8 miles to parking area on L - about 50 min. from APnP. There are maps at the register. 10°F (warm for this week) as the sun rose & sent its golden rays thru the trees. Best conditions of the season so far: 7" mostly powder, no wet spots, 2"-3" new powder in ski tracks. Local ranger, Tom Edmunds, does a great job of maintaining a 20 mile xc ski trail system. Did the double loops to the N - lots of flat but some hills that would challenge a novice - trails are wide & relatively smooth. Pileated woodpeckers. 5 miles, 1.7 hrs. Fischer Outbound skis .
Jan 18 - REIST PRESERVE ski, Niskayuna. 0-2" base, 1-2" powder - not too good, for rock skis only. Morning temp: -1°F. Mid afternoon temp in Saranac Lake: -10°F.
Cold temps + wind chill - time to protect head & face with an OR WS Balaclava .
Jan 17 - WOODFORD SP ski, Vermont. Temp in teens-low 20s. Good base with 2"-5" powder - good skiing on most park trails - loop around Adams Reservoir has some thin spots & you'd be better off just skiing on the lake which we did after skiing the loop trail. Campground road has a nice hill for practising some turns - an unmarked, but wide trail goes E from the hill & has a nice downhill to a stream & finally a cabin (not posted) not far from Rt.9. A full day can be had by going S of the park into the Aiken Wilderness where you might find an old logging road & some beaver meadows to explore - the one beaver meadow I went out on had breakable ice which at some time earlier this winter may have had water under it - the cold is drying up wet spots & with some new snow the skiing should be very good to excellent in this area. Map - solid red line is blue-blazed park trail. Fischer Outbound skis, NNN-BC bindings - feel a lot like the discontinued Pinnacles used yesterday. . The Outbound is also a good ski for someone who occasionally wants to ski in groomed tracks.
Wipe some Maxiglide over bindings to keep snow from sticking under your boot - also works on snowshoe crampons.
Jan 16 - BREIA TRAILS ski, Booneville. 1"-2" base, 2"-4" powder, some thin spots early. Start on W side of Rt.12 just N of Burger King - Rescue building acts as info ctr & a warm place to put your boots on - pick up a free (but lousy) map here (similar to one on website). A mostly flat trail goes several miles alongside the Black River Canal to Pixley Falls SP - small hills are located at several old locks along the way - Rt.46 is crossed twice. At about 2.25 miles a trail crosses the canal on a good bridge & leads to Jackson Hill. Climbing over 500' in 2 miles (Telemark Trail) a couple of open fields are passed (Telemark Field) with views E. A warming hut (closed) is just uphill. Explored the hilltop then returned the way we came - a sweet run with some sharp turns - trail is wide & relatively smooth & should be little problem for intermediate skiers when there is a foot of snow (one thin spot this day with about 6" in most places). Continued SW on the Canal Trail (beginner) to Pixley Falls. The canal turns into a waterfall opposite the main 50' falls - spent some time here. While we were admiring the scenery an icejam must have come loose & the amount of water going over the icy main falls rose tenfold for a few minutes! Returned along the Canal Trail which seemed longer at the end of the day. 13 miles, 5.6 hours. Karhu Pinnacle waxable skis, NNN-BC bindings - decided to go waxable today due to temp in high teens to low 20s which kept me in the green/blue range of waxes which tends to be easier to wax for especially if the temp doesn't change a lot over a few hours - herringboned uphill more than I would if I had used nowax skis. When using NNN & Profil bindings, before stepping into bindings kick your boot-toe on back of skis to dislodge snow from behind the bar - you will have less problems stepping into your bindings. Spray silicone on moving binding parts every once in a while during the season.
G3 climbing skins, ski leashes, telemark bindings - we also carry Glue Renew for climbing skins.
Jan 13 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE ski. Temp 40°F (expected to rise into 50s later in day), 4" wet mashed potatoes - good skiing. Karhu Orion skis. Kayaking later (in the pool).
Staying Warm: Keep several chemical hand/toe warmers handy - they stay warm for up to 7 hrs. when kept in an enclosed area like your mitten. Pick up a supply at APnP before the weekend - 2 hand-warmers are just $1.29!
Jan 11 - H. G. REIST PRESERVE ski from Morgan Rd in Niskayuna (5 min. from APnP). 8" in woods - icy in others' tracks - temp in 20s. Couple of miles of novice trail good for a quickie before work. Fischer Rebound skis.
Staying Warm: do not wear any cotton clothing - it has no insulative value when wet. Clothing should combat wetness (from sweat or melting snow) & wind chill.
Jan 10 - T LAKE ski. Trailhead parking unplowed - parked across the street at Poplar Point State Campground which is plowed for the ice fishermen on Piseco Lake. 12" snow - half base, half powder. Temp in low 30s - blustery with snow showers. West Canada Lakes Wilderness area. Trail starts out steeply gaining 800' in 1.2 miles - the Orions gripped so well that I didn't need to herringbone. Cliffs of Piseco Mt. rise precipitously to the E. Round Stacy Mt. & drop 300' - trail is narrow & tricky - skied most of drop zigzagging thru woods but walked a short distance too. Crossed Mill Stream, grades now easier. Trail turns N & is a bit steep - I decide to use climbing skins. More wet stream crossings than I would like. Drop down to T Lake - leanto sits well up on hill & has little view of the lake. I'm past my turn-around time & cannot linger long plus I feel tired already - used the climbing skins most of the way back, they allow for better traction on the uphills & they slow you down on the downhills (sort of like going downhill in low gear in a car). Thru-the-trees views of Piseco Lake on the final drop. Too tired to ski well - couldn't snowplow very well but did a few telemark turns - go figure! Expert - for most people this would be best on snowshoes - if I do this again I might try the Karhu Karver skis with integral climbing skins, their short length make them more maneuverable. 7.3 miles, 5.7 hrs. Karhu Orion skis, Rottefella BC 75 (similar to Riva 3 but without adjustment plate) soft-wire cable bindings with risers, leather boots - should have used plastic boots.
Staying Warm: mittens are a lot warmer than gloves. On day trips, Nehasane usually brings along thin polypro or OR liner gloves, insulated gloves, fleece liner mittens, water-resistant/windproof shell mitten & heavily insulated mittens.
Jan 9 - KUNJAMUK LOOP ski. 6"-8" mostly powder - nice skiing - temp in high 20s. Start at the Speculator recreation area on Rt.30 - 'bilers start here too & have their own network. Took the loop counterclockwise following blue xc ski markers. On the flat for the 1st couple of miles with views of the Sacandaga (much open water) & Kunjamuk Rivers. Come out on biler trail & R a half mile to Kunjamuk Cave. Back to ski loop which now goes up & down some easy intermediate hills. A couple of crossover trails have some nice downhill runs. Much deer activity. 6 miles. Fischer Rebound skis, Rottefella Magnum manual NNN-BC bindings, leather boots ; Magnum bindings are easier to use & are wider underfoot than the manual bindings they replace.
Staying Warm: I usually make hot Gatorade at home which when placed in an insulated Nalgene bottle in pack stays warm til past luchtime - beats drinking cold water. This is usually in addition to hot chocolate in a vacuum bottle.
Jan 7 - ALBANY PINE BUSH ski, from W end of Madison Av Ext. 3" dense new snow with a little crust. Skiing good in other skiers' tracks, fair breaking trail. Early red trail beginner/novice (more highway noise), more southerly blue trail novice/intermediate (quieter). Karhu Pyxis skis .
Top Ten Reasons To Enjoy Cross Country Skiing This Winter…& more.
Jan 6 - COLONIE TOWN GOLF COURSE ski, Consaul Rd just minutes from APnP. 3" fresh snowfall & still falling (altho changing to sleet); no base but this snow was more dense than last week's soft powder. Terrain mostly beginner; trail fee collected when they groom (not today). Fischer Jupiter skis .
Domtar Land Deal will add more state land to the northern Adirondacks.
Jan 3 - JIMINY PEAK telemark skiing. $17 lift ticket with ecoupon on this day. Thank god for snowmaking. Temp in 40s softened the snow to make for some very good conditions. Spent some time practicing on the novice slope then on to intermediate terrain to see if I had learned anything. Karhu Rox skis, Cobra R4 bindings - ok, took me a while to get several facets of tele technique down. Fischer FX 7.0 , G3 Targa bindings - my best skiing of the day, still wonder if it was the skis or that my skills were improving. Fischer Outtabounds Crown skis, Chili w/riser bindings - slower (noticeable drag due to nowax base), so allowed skis to point straight downhill more but I was getting tired & my turns were lousy. Garmont Excursion , a plastic touring boot used in all cases. Wondered if a pure tele boot would help power the skis more in the wet heavy snow (especially the Rox) - a tele boot allows one to lock the ankle in a forward-leaning position (the Excursions pivot at the ankle).
Jan 2 - PLOTTER KILL PRESERVE hike, Rt.159 in Rotterdam. Some ice on trails - brought along a Masters Snowtour adjustable 2pc. pole & should've brought both. 0-1" snow. Crossed the creek on a good bridge then headed W on an unmarked trail about half mile to field of Gifford Farm (no posted signs, novice trail for skiing, never far from creek), explored some sidetrails. Returned to yellow Highland Loop trail & after a short steep climb took a path W toward farm & explored a bit. Returned to loop & slowly dropped to Rynex Creek which eventually drops over a 40' falls before joining the Plotter Kill. Be extremely careful near the top of any falls! Back on red trail past the 60' Upper Falls then on blue loop with views of the Upper & 40' Lower Falls. Tough ski (intermediate/expert) if over 1' of snow - most folks are better off snowshoeing. 4 miles, 2 hrs. 10 miles of trails in the preserve.
Nehasane's updated winter daytrip gear checklist.
Jan 1 - PISECO AIRPORT/FOXY BROWN LOOP xc ski. Temp in the 30s. From the airport parking lot follow the S side of the field going E til a sign points you into the woods for the 6 mile loop. Avg. 6" of snow in woods, a bit icy in ski tracks, better off-trail - thinner but quite skiable around airport - will make for nice base for any future powder. Looks like loop trail has been recently cleared. Lots of animal tracks. Only had time to ski part of the loop because the boss wanted me to be at work by noon. Karhu Dorado skis with Rottefella Chili cable bindings & leather boots .
Public can now make reports of violations of Forest Preserve laws and regulations by users and state agencies; new "Potential Violations Reports" are now available.
Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks.
2004:
Dec 29 - SANDERS PRESERVE & INDIAN MEADOWS PARK ski, Glenville. 3" on grassy areas skiable; thin cover on woods trail barely skiable. Spent about 10 min. at Sanders - blue trail S of trailhead on Sanders Rd is wide but just too little snowcover. Indian Meadows is relatively flat - you can do a circuit of the ballfields but I found the southern section more interesting. In the woods, cross Indian Kill on a new bridge, pass a swampy area, bear L to school fields (nice skiing), back in woods followed Indian Kill upstream to bridge - best with 6"+ (Nehasane is desperate & will ski just about anything at this point). Karhu Qinu/Rendezvous skis - couldn't think of a better all-purpose beginner ski that can do groomed, golf courses, nature areas & light backcountry. Ski Tips is a guide to winter trails in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Fulton, Montgomery & Schoharie counties - $7.95. These locations are also described further in Natural Areas of Schenectady County ($7).
New Snow, Snow Total & River Levels all on one page!
Dec 28 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE ski. Avg. 4" powder, temp in single digits. Robins, red-tailed hawk. Fischer Outbound skis .
Dec 27 - LAPLAND LAKE cross country ski. 5"+ new powder, temp in teens. If I was rating the difficulty of their trails the way I rate backcountry then their "more difficult" trails are novice/easy intermediate, "most difficult" are intermediate & "expert" are intermediate+. Most interesting skiing is on Napa Piiri & Tunturi loops. The perimeter of Woods Lake was groomed & made for pleasant skiing below Little Cathead Mtn. altho I found myself skiing thru the 6" of virgin powder instead of the groomed. Visited with the reindeer before heading out. Fischer Outbound with Rottefella NNN-BC binding system . Fischer Jupiter skis with Rottefella NNN binding system .
Pale Male, a now famous NYC red-tailed hawk, has its high-rise nest removed. Story. Pale Male website.
Dec 26 - RAGGED MOUNTAIN hike, Berlin/Southington, Ct. Clockwise on loop trail (mostly light blue paint blazes with red dot) starting on West Lane. Not long before views appear: reservoirs, woods, hills & some suburbia. A pair of swans occupied a small area of open water on mostly iced over upper of Hart Ponds. Join Metacomet Trail (blue) after 1.7 mi. which soon leads to summit/escarpment edge. Nice waterfall which drops 20' over steps with about a mile to go. Mostly hardwoods, some hemlock - some red cedars up high. 500' el gain (twice as much with all the ups & downs), 6 miles, 3 hrs. Map.
Dec 19 - PUFFER POND ski from Kings Flow trailhead. 5"-6" total, half base/half powder, thin spots, wet stream crossings, exposed rocks, fair amount of blowdown to detour around. Took red trail, the shortest route to the pond & rarely skied. Carroll Brook still flowing but we manage to find a way across - open areas along the brook allow for glimpses of Bullhead & Chimney Mts. Rough trail then climbs 460' in the next mile - I only need to herringbone a little. Trail then drops 200' to the pond (avoid steep drops by bushwhacking a gentler route thru the woods). Hang out at the leanto - comfortable temp in the 30s - Puffer Mt. rises over 1,000' above the pond but top was in the snowclouds today. Skied W on the pond & picked up the trail along the outlet (get off the pond well before the outlet - thin ice even in the dead of winter). Trail is not DEC-maintained (marked with ribbons & paint blazes) & blowdown interrupts some of the sweet downhill runs. Back to cars alongside Kings Flow. Longest 5.1 mile trip in recent memory (due to to some slower skiers in our party) - 6 hrs. Would discourage anyone from skiing this with under 1.5' of snow. With good snow cover: outlet trail is intermediate, direct trail is intermediate+. Nearby John Pond trail makes for better skiing when snowcover is under 1'. Fischer Outtabounds with Garmont Excursion plastic boots & Rottefella Chili cable bindings.
Dec 18 - HUDSON RIVER at Albany is icing over - just in case you are thinking of paddling.
Dec 13 - LOWER AUSABLE LAKE ski, St. Huberts. Several inches of firm base topped with 2" of new wet snow at start, 4" of less-wet new snow at lake - temp ~30°F. Half mile walk from parking to gate on Lake Rd - private road owned by AMR, public (but not dogs) allowed on road & trails. Hemlock branches still loaded with snow - some melting in the morning sun. Took short side-trail past the Flume on Gill Brook, a waterfall drops between vertical 10' walls. Road climbs ~700' in 3 miles & reaches the lake at 3.5 miles. Rocky mountains rise steeply on either side, we cross the bridge over the outlet & lunch with a view of Indian Head across the lake. Ski tracks on the lake ice but I still don't dare test the ice myself (especially near the outlet - expect ice to be thinner wherever there is moving water). A short spur trail (somewhat challenging on skis) leads to Rainbow Falls - a veil of water drops 80' between blue ice into a narrow canyon. Mostly gentle downhill on return, a bit steeper from the Flume down to the bridge over Gill Brook - I link a few ungraceful telemark turns the 1st time down then drop my pack, reclimb & ski back down, this time opting for a straighter line & more speed. Lots of turkeys hanging out near the register. Finished up the ski day on the hilly golf course which has super views of Giant & Noonmark Mts. Broke one of my rules today - didn't put Maxiglide on skis before heading out. Over half way in, the snow started sticking to my skis & I had to stop to apply Maxiglide which then prevented the sticking. If you apply Maxiglide to clean dry nowax skis the day before your trip it will last longer & work better than applying it to wet skis in the field. Difficulty: easy intermediate. 8.5 miles, 4.2 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis - same set-up as yesterday but different snow conditions made for a difference in performance .
Thermarest Lite Seat - a self-inflating, insulating sit-upon pad - just 3.5oz. & rolls up to about the size of a hot dog - bring it along on all your snowshoe & ski tours.
Dec 12 - CAMP SANTANONI - NEWCOMB LAKE ski, Newcomb. 8" dense packed snow, already tracked by earlier skiers - temp ~30°F. 1 mile in saw remains of the barn at The Farm which burned down earlier this year. Skiing is on an old dirt road (closed to motors) which is skiable with as little as 4" of snow - mostly gentle grades, novice. The lake is mostly frozen over. Lunched at picnic tables on the porch of the great camp - flurries limited the views of surrounding mountains across the lake. Went off on a side-trail for a short distance - snow has excellent base but needs a few inches of powder to make for good bc skiing. Tracks a bit icier & faster on return. 10 miles, 4.3 hrs. Karhu Pyxis skis .
Dec 6 - G LAKE xc skiing, west of Piseco Lake. Excellent skiing - average of 5" on unplowed dirt road & deeper in woods around the lake. Parked on Rt.8 2.45 mi. W of West Shore Rd. The dirt road heads N & drops 100' in the 1st mile then climbs 200' in the next mile ending at some boulders after 2.1 miles. It is then 0.4 miles along an old logging road to where a couple of downed trees block the unmarked trail & a path leads L down to a campsite on the E shore of G Lake. The lake is iced over (but not safe to ski on yet). Picked up the inlet just N of the campsite & bushwhacked alongside it upstream for about 0.5 miles to a 15' falls - water flowed over the rock behind a sheet of ice. Headed SW & soon picked up another old logging road (this one goes E-W; if you go E you can ski (or snowshoe) up Big Marsh Mt. especially if you are prepared to go around some downed trees) which I took back to the main trail/logging road near the lake. Skied S a bit then turned NW on yet another old road which approaches the S shore of the lake & continues around the W shore before petering out. A good side-trip is up the peninsula/island in the middle of the lake but be sure the ice is firm in the marshy area that connects it to the S shore. Discover the West Central Adirondacks shows a map on pg.25 with most of the trails I've mentioned except for the E-W one which passes to the N of Big Marsh Mt. Terrain is suitable for the novice (i.e. someone who can stay up on their skis most of the time & is working toward a decent snowplow to control speed on descents) skier. Snowing all the time I was out - 2" of new powder in my tracks on the return along the dirt road. Should be able to withstand a bit of rain Tue. & resulting base would need 2"-3" of new snow to make for good skiing by the weekend. 7.5 miles, 3 hrs. Madshus Kongberg skis with NNN-BC bindings/boots .
Now in stock: Counter Assault Bear Keg bear resistant food container - makes a great gift for the wilderness camper.
Nov 29 - 5 MILE MOUNTAIN hike. Part of the Tongue Mt. Range to the W of Lake George. Started from the N trailhead on Rt.9N. Fair amount of blowdown from yesterday's wind/rainstorm - I used to be the volunteer trail-adopter for this trail & I couldn't help but spend some time clearing debris (much pine) along the way. Oak leaves carpeted the way early on & changed to pine needles at higher elevations. At Brown Mt. (after a 900' climb) there is a lookout across the Narrows of Lake George to Black Mt. & the Green Mts. beyond. At the leanto (which now has a new wood floor) there are views of the High Peaks. Trail passes thru an attractive red pine grove with some ups & downs before reaching 5 Mile Mt. 1 mile past the leanto. The actual summit is easily missed - when you see a lot of rock to the R or W leave the marked trail & find a way to the top - there is barely a herdpath - a USGS marker embedded in the rock confirms you are on the summit. Views are best to the E (Vermont). To the SW there are some rock ledges with great views S & W - Northwest Bay below, Crane & Gore Mts. stand out among the low peaks. Donned Outdoor Research hat (note: Polartec WindPro is a tight fleece weave making it wind-resistant & quite breathable whereas Gore WindStopper is fleece with a membrane in it making it windproof & somewhat breathable) mittens & sipped on hot chocolate. Back to trail & continued S for a few minutes to a rocky lookout E - the Mother Bunch Islands below Black Mt. Headed back with a short detour on the Deer Leap trail to a lookout with views to Huletts Landing. Grouse, ravens, chickadees & a couple of wild turkeys (with smirks on their faces having escaped the Thanksgiving dinner table). Very peaceful today - it was nice not seeing any motors on Lake George. OR gaiters helped keep pantlegs dry. Brought along instep crampons but didn't use - a little bit of ice on rock at higher elevations was easily avoided. 8 miles, 6.25 hrs., 1,200' elevation gain from trailhead to 5 Mile Mt. Still waiting for snow.
Nov 26 - VISCHER FERRY full moon walk from Ferry Dr. The wide trail goes about a mile NW to a power plant at Lock 7 Dam with the Mohawk River on one side & the old Erie Canal on the other. Pass some fancy homes on the way. Returned to the parking area & continued SE on a dirt road with no development. After 0.8 mi. took a L fork on a wide grassy trail which soon leads to old Lock 19 & admired the moon, clouds & stars from here. Moonshadows were quite intense & there was no need to turn on headlamps or flashlights. On the way back, spooked a gb heron & a beaver slapped its tail on the water.
Nov 25 - BAUER ENVIRONMENTAL PARK walk. If one got out early enough one enjoyed record-tying high temp of 64°F. Parking area is on Sand Creek Rd in Colonie 0.7 mi. W of Wolf Rd. Accessible boardwalk leads thru some interesting wetlands. Wide variety of trees. Traffic sounds from Northway intrude. Loop trail under 1 mile. PEEBLES ISLAND walk. Parked at the visitor center in Waterford so I could walk across the bridge over the Mohawk River to the island. Now that it has achieved State Park status there is a parking charge on the island April thru October. Stayed on perimeter trails sometimes on top of cliffs over 50' above the river. Fairly high water level fueled the "whirlpool" falls. Arguably the most interesting natural area in the Capital District - an oasis in the urban wilderness. 2+ miles, 1+ hrs.
OR - Outdoor Research - gloves (Omni, Tour, PL Base, others), mittens (incl. Tempo, Stratus - ooh! they feel so good!), headwear, gaiters (Crocodiles, Rocky Mtn High, Caiman) for cool/cold weather comfort.
Nov 22 - KANE MOUNTAIN & STEWART LAKE hike. Registering the "new" (used) Nehasanemobile II took longer than I would have liked - finally got out of town at noon:30. Did not relish going somewhere in Capital District or south, this being the first day of southern zone deer hunting season so headed for the southern Adirondacks. From Green Lake Rd trailhead it is under a mile (over 500' climb) to the firetower on top of Kane Mt. The summit affords thru-the-trees views but from the firetower there are clear 360 views - Canada, West & Pine Lakes; W. Branch Sacandaga valley; the hills of Ferris Lake WF, Shaker Mtn WF & Silver Lake Wilderness. Headed down on trail to the N marked with red paint blazes which soon passes between 2 massive boulders. Returned on the Pine Lake trail which is marked with yellow xc ski discs. Still plenty of daylight left when I completed the circuit so continued on to Stewart Lake also following xc ski markers. Gain over 400' in a mile (making for a solid intermediate ski). Tried to gain the shore when the lake first appeared but shores are marshy & boggy. A bit further along the trail a faint path leads 200yds. to the shore & good view of the pretty "pond". Back to the trailhead with sunset skies of orange & pink. No ice on any of the lakes. 5+ miles, 3 hrs.
MSR snowshoes.
Nov 19 - ASHFORD GLEN PRESERVE walk. Roadside parking on suburban Ashford Lane in Latham, just a few minutes drive from APnP. Trail soon takes one to Vly Creek (aka Whispering Brook). Trail follows the creek upstream among hemlocks, red & white oaks. Fairly peaceful in the gully. Passed the last of the preserve signs but saw no posted si |
