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Jul 15 - HUDSON & MOHAWK RIVERS from 123rd St. concrete ramp boat launch in Lansingburgh. Crossed the Hudson & into Mohawk River channel S of Peebles Island to the falls - quite a bit of water coming over, squirrelly currents, nice eddy line on river R to practice peel-outs. Back to the Hudson & headed upstream. Some interesting bluffs on E shore then mostly woods to Campbell Island - beavers. Up E side of island & around smaller islands - 2 mature bald eagles & nest, lots of gb herons. Back along W side of CI. 8 miles, 2.1 hours. Swift Bering Sea, a 15'10" composite touring kayak, faster than most touring kayaks.

Jul 13 - OTTER CREEK, S of Middlebury, VT. Put-in next to confluence with Halnon Brook on E side of OC. 80' wide, light current. Mostly undeveloped & away from roads. Silver maples line the muddy banks. Had to lift over one logjam. Pass Cornwall Swamp but cannot get good look from the river. Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge being rebuilt - road closed. Glimpses of Green Mountains. Mosquitoes on land; bug-free on water. 12 miles, 4.6 hrs.

Jul 11 - INDIAN KILL PRESERVE walk. Hecheltown Rd, Glenville. See Natural Areas of Schenectady County for details.

Jul 8 - HUDSON RIVER & HANNACROIX CREEK from Coeymans Landing in Coeymans. NY Thruway Exit 22, go 4.5 miles S on Rt.144, take a L on Westerlo St. Concrete ramp boat launch. Short distance upstream & into Coeymans Creek where there is a small falls in a gorge. Downstream on the Hudson, around point & into Hannacroix Creek which can be paddled to just past the road bridge. Back on the Hudson we follow edge of bay & sandy shore of Hannacroix Preserve. Creek & Bay can be shallow near low tide, we were out 6:30-8:30pm with high tide ~9:30pm, current going upstream. Crossed to E side of river to Schodack Island SP's undeveloped shoreline. An immature bald eagle did not seem phased by our presence. Setting sun glowed on the horizon. Light development on W shore. Unusually quiet on the river this evening, saw tug & 3 motorboats in 2 hours. Worth stopping at Yanni's Too right next to launch for food & drink. Wilderness Systems Zephyr 16, a 16' sea/touring kayak - most fun touring kayak I've paddled since the P & H Cetus (& a third of the price), more playful than the Tempest - available to rent.

Jul 6 - Is it possible to find peace & quiet on July 4 weekend? Well, yes... COD POND & STEWART CREEK. From Rt.8 in Oregon; Wilcox Lake Wild Forest. 1 mile carry to the pond, 1st 0.4 miles generally uphill & rough underfoot (so forget the wheels). Cod Pond is half covered with lily pads. Channel to Stewart Creek is obscured by pickerel weed. Upstream on the creek, we cross over some small beaver dams & then a big one. Arrive at rocky rapids, carry up streambed a ways & then bushwhack thru nasty woods, over downed trees, etc. 200 yds then another 200 yds on little-used trail. Continue paddling upstream, over another big beaver dam, stream gets deeper & wider around North Bend, under foot bridge then less than a mile to where the stream gets shallow & rocky. Take a rest & head back. Shores mostly wet & marshy, small mountains. Nice wilderness feel. Black ducks with cute little chicks, gb herons, swallows, beaver, leeches, snake(rat snake?). Non-biting flies; some skeeters in woods (20% deet is fine). 7.7 hours. Bell Northstar, a 16.5' light weight tandem canoe.

Jul 4 - MOHAWK RIVER from DEC Freeman's Bridge boat launch in Glenville. On the water before 6:30am, many skulls out, some fishermen in motorboats. Headed dowmstream to past Rexford Bridge & back. Light development. Gb heron, lots of duck familes with chicks of all sizes. 6 miles, 1.4 hours. Perception Essence 17, very good tracking but not too hard to turn, all the features one wants in a touring kayak these days.

Jul 1 - ROUND LAKE & ANTHONY KILL. E across the lake & down the AK for about a mile. Purple flowers of pickerel weed & white lilies starting to appear; over 30 gb herons on their nests. Returned to lake at sunset. Some mosquitoes in parking lot afterwards. 2 hours. Perception Prodigy 12, a 12' poly kayak, tracks well & is very stable.

Pakboats Puffin Sport packcanoe/kayak 17 lbs $675

May 30 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions/Railroad Station Park, Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna. Scouting trip for cleanup on 6/2. Got out near old eagle's nest, ferns are shoulder height, stinging nettles waist high - couldn't spot the old nest - easier in early spring. Have been seeing goslings many places lately; immature bald eagle, muskrat, gb herons, gulls, mallards, sandpipers, red-winged blackbirds, fish jumping. Mellow morning. 4 miles, 2 hours. Bell Yellowstone Solo, a 14' solo canoe.

May 28 - HUDSON RIVER from 123rd St. boat ramp in Lansingburgh. Upstream to Lock 1, played in the waves below lock for a bit. Went around N end of Campbell Island & saw bald eagle & nest. 6 miles, 2 hours. Swift Raven, a 15.5' solo tripping canoe - would like to try some river-running with this one - turns easier, is a bit deeper, longer, heavier than the Bell Yellowstone Solo. Swift Saranac 14LT, a lightweight (32lbs) 14' touring kayak - sweet. Venture Ayr 165, a 16.5' sea/touring kayak - nice paddling, 47lbs fiberglass, nice price, skeg, dayhatch.

Float planes allowed to land on Lows Lake - press release.

May 26 Memorial Day - BATTEN KILL from above Arlington, VT to Eagleville, NY. Put-in below Rt.7A bridge 2 miles N of Arlington, take-out just before Eagleville Covered Bridge. Class 2 at "the rock" a mile from the start where Roaring Branch comes in (land & scout from river L) - a log blocks the main current to the R of the rock so one must make a hard L then R while the current tries to put you into the rock. After that rapids are class 1. Very scenic valley; road noise often intrudes; many other users in canoes, kayaks, rafts (coolers & beer often in evidence). Gauge at Battenville was at 4.65' (fairly scratchy, river will be less scratchy at over 5'), visual gauge on Rt.313 bridge (river L, downstream side) in Arlington read 2.3'(best if above 2.5'). Interesting frogsongs in the afternoon. 14.2 miles, 5+ hours. Battenkill Conservancy.

Area Water Level Gauges

May 25 - HOOSIC RIVER from N Adams, MA to Pownal, VT. Put-in at Girardi Memorial Access Area on Ashton Av., N Adams, MA. - take-out: from Rt.346 in Pownal, VT. take Main St then R before bridge onto Lincoln St for 0.3 mi. to Clayton/Conservation Park (sign is missing, basically looks like a wide trail that goes to the riverbank) on L. Gauge at Williamstown was at 5.5', some scratchy rapids, would have been better with water level closer to 6'. Mostly class 1 with a class 2 before the finish. Despite passing thru Williamstown, the river remains mostly development-free becoming especially scenic in the 2nd half as it butts up against the Taconic Range. Stopped for lunch near Hopkins Memorial Forest, unfortunately soon heard gunshots from nearby firing range, otherwise trip was quite peaceful. Hoosic River Watershed Association. 9.7 miles, 5 hours. Dagger Approach, a fun river-runner yet stable enough for fishing/birding on flatwater.

Safety Code of American Whitewater & International Scale of River Difficulty

May 20 - HUDSON RIVER, VLOMAN KILL, PAPSCANEE CREEK from boat launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. Some 1' waves on the Hudson due to S wind going against the current. VK at high tide to falls, bad smell from water treatment plant (avoid S winds). Crossed the Hudson & into PC where we were entertained by bald eagles, saw nest. Turned back at 2nd bridge. A double barge threw us some 2' waves before recrossing the HR. Venture Easky 15, a versatile 15' poly touring kayak.

May 19 - SOMERSET RESERVOIR in southern VT. Undeveloped shores. W winds gusting to 30mph, some horizontal sleet (temp in low 40s), some sun. Quickly got over to W shore to minimize wind exposure. Loons, bald eagle, mallards, beaver; moose tracks. Flowering: hobblebush, trout lily, painted trillium; still looks like early spring here, trees only starting to leaf out. Views of Stratton Mt. & Mt. Snow (still some snow left on N side). Too windy for bugs. 4 hours.

May 18 - SCHROON RIVER whitewater canoeing from Starbuckville dam to Riverbank. Light development. Riverbank gauge at a hair over 3'. Several class 2 rapids, a class 2+ & a class 3. Nehasane & Pinkpartner take a swim on the latter, throw rope came in perfectly but thrower did not have feet planted well & had to let go so we had to swim further; portage trail on river L. Items needed & used: floatation bags, dry bag, bailer, throw rope/bag, helmet, wet or dry suit. 7 miles, 3.5 hours.

May 14 - MOHAWK RIVER from Freddie's Park off Rt.9 SE of Crescent Bridge. Old Erie Canal - watch for shallow rocks. Clute's Dry Dock. 8.5 miles, 2.2 hours. face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Mohawk River Paddling Guide. Dagger Exodus, a 17' poly touring kayak.

Adirondack Loons

May 12 - LAKE ABANAKEE & ROUND POND BROOK. Put-in E of causeway on Big Brook Rd. Headed SW past camps & private shores & 2 loons to where Indian River rapids enter; took a short walk upstream to a pool. Back on Abanakee & under Jerry Savarie Rd bridge into SE lobe. Up Round Pond Brook, undeveloped & very nice, best part of this trip. Portaged around a log jam (went over it on way back) & stopped at a small rapid with 1' drop (tried to paddle up it but when paddling hard my paddle hit a rock & the grip hit my ear; the ringing eventually stopped). Bushwhacked (in every sense of the word, some blackflies) on river R for 25 minutes & the stream looked quite paddleable, will have to return. Went up Big Brook past some camps to road bridge then returned. 4 hours.

The Indian Lake boat launch is closed for construction thru May 16 - you will see a new concrete ramp launch.

May 11 - JESSUP RIVER & MOSSY VLY BROOK near Perkins Clearing. The dirt road to Perkins Clearing is closed thru the end of May so we started from the Rt.30 bridge & headed upstream against a noticeable current. Very scenic stream, some obstructions for the 1st 4+ miles to Perkins Clearing Rd bridge, carried around class 1 rapid (ran it on way back) on river L. Flatwater for another mile to a set of rapids with 2' & 3' ledge drops (on return I lined down these but ran the rest of the rapids). Carried/lined on river L 0.25 mile; scouted rapids; there is a nice campsite along the way. Flatwater again for a mile to junction with Mossy Vly Brook. Over a beaverdam on MVB & up a ways; muddy shores contrasted with the Jessup's 5' banks. Met up with a very nonchalant beaver on way back, saw bear tracks in sandy bank, many songbirds. Return trip took 60% of the time of the upstream trip. Very light blackfly activity. A fun trip for the adventurous paddler. 12.9 miles, 7.5 hours. Bell Yellowstone Solo, a 14' solo canoe - mine is made of durable Royalex which can stand much banging around, not too heavy for short portages, good glide on flatwater, easy to turn - very versatile canoe for lakes thru class 2 rapids. Also used several face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Bell accessories incl. Glove Compartment dry thwart bag, Portage Yoke w/CVCA Pads, kneeling pads (available at APnP).

May 6 - ROUND LAKE, ANTHONY KILL, DWAAS KILL from Rt.9. Crossed windy (waves to 1') Round Lake & down the outlet, the Anthony Kill, for about a mile. Heron rookery has 15 nests, 10 or 11 less than a year ago. The usual beaverdam was more like a short class 1 rapid, shortly after we took a right & headed upstream on the Dwaas Kill, banks topped with fiddleheads & violets. Went thru large culvert under old railroad & then under a road bridge (Ushers Rd), some shallows & downed trees. Saw bald eagle just before heading back out on the lake. 1.8 hours. Dagger Blackwater 10.5, a 10.5' kayak with skeg (skeg can help tracking in quartering winds).

May 4&5 - FLOODWOOD PONDS canoe camping - short carries (100yd avg), beautiful ponds with clear waters. Put-in from Floodwood Rd, paddled short distance to campsite on Floodwood Pond (some cottages on W shore but most of pond undeveloped). After setting up camp, paddled down Fish Creek, around Little Square Pond, further down Fish Creek, into Copperas Pond, carried 0.3 miles to Whey Pond, short carry across campground road to Rollins Pond. Followed W shore to stay out of W wind. Narrow outlet leads back to Floodwood. 10 miles, 3.5+ hours. Next day: down Fish Creek all the way to Fish Creek Ponds (only part of trip where there is moderate development), up Spider Creek, into Follensby Clear Pond, short carry to Horseshoe Pond where we had lunch & soaked in some sun. Short carry to Little Polliwog Pond then carry to Polliwog Pond. Carry back to Follensby Clear, carry to Fish Creek & back upstream to break camp. 14 miles, 6+ hours. No bad bugs. Loons (& calls), marsh hawks, otter. Bell Northstar, a 16'6" lightweight tandem canoe which can be soloed. SealLine> Boundary Day Pack 35, a dry bag with shoulder straps.

Apr 29 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions Park, muddy launch area near old train station. Very shallow, mud flats near islands. Paddled S of islands downstream into the bay then back upstream to the mouth of the Lisha Kill. Lots of gulls & swallows, muskrats. Perception Carolina 14, a 14' light touring kayak, handled the 20mph winds without use of a rudder.

Apr 27 - SCHOHARIE CREEK canoeing. From N Blenheim Covered Bridge to Rt.30 bridge in Middleburgh. First few rapids close to class 2 at this water level; then mostly class 1, scratchy riffles & lots of flatwater. Very scenic valley, cliffs, steep hills, Vroman's Nose. After 1st bridge one paddles next to cliff of Walhalla Rocks. Water level at Breakabeen 3.6', Burtonsville 1.4' - this is about as low as is runnable. 14 miles, 5.7 hours.

Apr 22 - MOHAWK RIVER canoeing from Lock 7 in Niskayuna. Water level low, mild current. Upstream on N shore, some very shallow spots, small waterfalls. Downstream on S shore, bigger waterfalls, impressive cliffs. Mohawk River Paddling Guide.

Apr 21 - AIKEN WILDERNESS from Woodford SP, Woodford, VT. 0"-20" corn snow - most snow on N facing slopes. Left the campground road near the swings & bushwhacked generally SE following areas of best snow. Reached a 2,500' hill not far from FR74 - no snow on top but nice thru the trees views. On the way back checked out a snow-free beaver meadow with a small stream running thru it. Still ice on Adams Reservoir but won't last long now. 4.5 hours. Fischer Rebound skis.

Apr 20 - FARMINGTON RIVER from Rt.185 bridge in Simsbury, CT. Pinchot Sycamore - largest tree in CT with 24' circumference. Heublein Tower on Halcott Mtn in view most of the time. Upstream against fair current, return took half the time. Golf courses, light development. 2 hours. Bell Northstar, a 16'6" tandem canoe - spent a few fun minutes soloing it from a kneeling thwart, the canoe has excellent secondary stability & can be heeled way over to the gunwale.

Apr 18 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions Park, Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna. Water level low. Muddy launch with tree washed up next to shore, watch out for cinder blocks in water close to shore. Upstream to the Lisha Kill, in & out of the islands, downstream to the south bay. Mature bald eagle, muskrats, C geese, mallards, mergansers, wood ducks, carp jumping. Bell Yellowstone Solo, a 14' solo canoe, only boat on the water this morning.

Apr 6-13 - NC kayaking. WS Tempest 170, a 17' polyethylene touring kayak.

Apr 13 - BOGUE SOUND. From Hoop Pole Woods (behind closed Hardee's & shopping center) in Atlantic Beach. Marshy islands at start, many oyster beds. Headed W on the sound, very shallow at low tide. Shores mostly developed after the marshes. 8 miles.

Apr 12 - WHITE OAK RIVER. Upstream from Haywood Landing boat launch. Explored some feeders incl. Holston Creek. Turned around at power line. Water snake.

Apr 11 - HUGGINS ISLAND. From Bear Island, marked trail around Huggins then to visitor center. Most of the islands between the barrier islands & the mainland are marshy (saltmarsh cordgrass), Huggins has a maritime forest & lies at the mouth of the White Oak River. Drove to Cedar Point campground, our base for rest of trip - convenient, some road noise, not much privacy.

Apr 10 - BEAR ISLAND. Trout Channel on N side of the island to sandy beach at Bear Inlet. Got lost for over an hour in a maze of channels trying to follow the marked trail to Shell Rock Landing. Egrets, tricolored herons, black skimmers.

Apr 9 - BEAR ISLAND. Get camping permit & launch from Hammocks Beach SP Visitor Center. 3 mile marked trail thru marshy islands to Bear, a shallow channel leads into a lagoon & landing near campsite #7 - we have to walk the beach to site #6 which is in the dunes. From our site it is a 10 min. beach walk to restroom/shower building. Atlantic Ocean surf zone - played/practiced, got wiped out when I didn't edge enough into a large breaking wave & lost my prescription sunglasses because in the excitement I had forgotten to attach Croakies & floater. Bottlenose dolphins, brown pelicans, jellyfish (washed up on beach).

Apr 8 - GREAT LAKE. In the heart of Croatan NF. About 2 x 3 miles - paddled most of perimeter - some small sandy beaches on E shore - coffee colored water. Windy - waves to 1.5'. No development - wilderness shores - pocosin> (raised bog) habitat - shapely trees in water. Osprey nest. 8.7 miles, 3.5 hrs.

Apr 7 - BRICE CREEK. From NC Wildlife Resources Commission boat ramp to SR 1111 bridge & back. Paddled upstream, explored many inlets & side-channels. Osprey with fish in claws & nest. Mostly undeveloped, W shore is in Croatan NF. 14.9 miles.

Apr 6 - NEUSE RIVER upstream from Seven Springs. Noticeable current. White, yellow & pink blossoms. Cliffs of the Neuse rise 70' above. Above the cliffs explored a swampy inlet with interesting bald cypress trees. Mostly undeveloped. Watch out for poison ivy on shore. Deer. 10.8 miles, 4.5 hrs. Drove to Neuse River campground - nice, fairly private sites, nearby sandy beach, got some great paddling maps of Carteret County from campground host.

33-39 acres on Hoosic River in Eagle Bridge preserved - parking & boat launch to come by the fall - Rensselaer Land Trust - article.

Mar 31 - "THE BURNING" from Somerset Rd. Green Mountain National Forest. 6" wet powder on 3' base, a liitle icy in open spots early, one tricky stream crossing. Trailhead is ~5 miles from Rt.9. FR326 is an old road that doesn't look maintained, paralels Rake Branch for a while. Mile long open area on either side of Redfield Brook burned over a few decades ago - there is supposed to be an old steam boiler around here somewhere. Moose tracks; pair of ducks (buffleheads?). 4+ hrs.

Mar 30 - CASCADE POND & MITCHELL PONDS. From Rt.28/Lake Durant Campground. 4" powder on 3' of base - very good skiing - gorgeous cloudless blue sky day. Nice view of Blue Mtn from S side of Cascade. Explored an off-trail route to Wilson Pond from Cascade Pond via Mitchell Ponds. Got to within ~0.25 miles of Wilson before hitting our turn-around time. 6+ hrs.

Mar 24 - CAMP MEADOWS. Aiken Wilderness near Woodford, VT. S on FR 273 snowmobile trail from Rt.9 (limited parking) for 2 miles then cross over to Old Stage Rd snowmobile trail which goes just S of the Aiken Wilderness. At height of land we head NE off-trail to the meadows. Crossed over 3 beaver ponds/meadows. From the middle one we go N thru open hardwoods, see fresh moose scat & tracks. Eventually hit a trail & follow it W to Prospect Mtn Ski Area & back to FR273. A few inches of powder on top of icy base - ok on snowmobile trail, very good elsewhere. 9.6 miles, 4.5 hrs.

Mar 23 - BUCKHORN LAKE & PRIEST'S VLY from Rt.8 in Piseco. 1"-2" powder on deep hard base; good skiing off-trail, ok on Northville-Placid Trail. Left the NPT & skied across scenic Buckhorn Lake then bushwhacked around N side of Buckhorn Mtn thru open woods. After top of the draw dropped down to a stream & followed that to Priest's Vly. Returned on the NPT. Stream crossings getting difficult. For a comfortable lunch stop, Nehasane always brings along a Z-Lite> pad, skis can act as backrest. 4+hrs. Osprey nest on top of dead tree on Buckhorn Lake (aka Fiddlers Lake).

Mar 17 - ROSS, BIG BAD LUCK & WHORTLEBERRY PONDS. Hudson River Gorge Primitive Area. Deep hard base; lousy (shaded areas icy) to good (sun-softened areas & out on ponds) skiing; without new snow best skiing will be when temp is above 40F. Some blowdown; stream crossings ok. Trail seemed like it was rarely flat, fairly steep up to the notch. Quick icy drop/slide to Ross; tight, narrow trail thru evergreens to BBLP (view of Snowy Mtn, some ATV & snowmobile tracks); tight, narrow drop to WP. Each pond has a totally different character. Explored WP Outlet a short distance - area downstream should be added to the Forest Preserve in near future, hopefully giving access to OK Slip Falls. Otter tracks. Intermediate+ in good conditions, advanced today. 9 miles, 5.7 hrs. What's a whortleberry?.

Mar 16 - STRATTON POND from Kelley Stand Rd near Stratton, VT. 3"-4" of wet powder on deep base - very good skiing. Drove W from Stratton & parked at end of plowing next to E Br Deerfield River. Quarter mile W on Kelley Stand Rd/snowmobile trail then R on well-marked Catamount Trail. Gain elevation gently on wide old road thru young hardwoods. The CT joins the Stratton Pond Trail, narrower & twistier thru nice woods of balsam, spruce & birch. Visited the Stratton Pond Shelter - much fancier than our simple Adirondack lean-tos. Skied to W side of the pond for lunch & view of Stratton Mtn which rises 1,400' above the pond. Took the SPT all the way back to the snowmobile trail. Moose tracks & tree scrapings. Elevation in 2,250'-2,700' range. Easy intermediate. 10 miles, 5+ hrs.

Mar 13 - IRVING POND from Nick Stoner Golf Course in Wheelerville. 1st checked out trailheads at Rockwood SF & Glasgow Vly - did not like conditions. 1" powder on deep hard icy base; fair to good skiing. Snowmobile trail to the pond had decent skiing. The dam at the outlet was removed in 1997 & there is much open shoreline to explore. Major Nicholas Stoner, patriot soldier, statue at the edge of the golf course. Wishing for more powder or temps above freezing.

Mar 10 - PINNACLE CREEK. Shaker Mtn WF from the end of Pinnacle Rd in Bleecker. Good skiing on 1"-5" powder (thanks to previous day's lake-effect) on deep crunchy base with a bit of give to it. Skied NNW on the unmarked old road. After the initial uphill there was a wet stream crossing - we went well upstream before finding a good place to cross. About a mile from start we went off trail NE following the eastern arm of Pinnacle Creek. After a half mile we reached a good size vly with a view of Pinnacle. Continued thru open woods past height of land close to the county line. Saw coyote & fisher tracks. Just one of those beautiful clear sunny days of late winter.

Mar 9 - LAKE COLDEN via AVALANCHE PASS. 1"-2" powder on top of deep icy hardpack - fair to good skiing. Started out on the Old Marcy Dam trail from Heart Lake, easy except for the hill just before joining the regular hiking trail to Marcy Dam. Stopped for lunch at the new relocated Avalanche Camps leanto - nice spot farther off the trail. Used climbing skins to get up to the pass (never used skins here on previous trips). At the pass, impressed by the slide created by the avalanche of 1999. Narrow trail passes by ice-covered rock walls. Avalanche Lake as scenic as ever with its steep rocky mountainsides & the trap dyke. One of our group members went thru the ice on Avalanche Lake just before the outlet on the W side (stay to the E side). 4' of snow on bridge before Lake Colden. Skiing down from the Pass was hairy in these conditions. From Av. Camps to Marcy Dam was a nice run. From MD to Old MD trail was fun. Took the hiking trail back, missed the ski by-pass & had another hairy drop then climb back up to the trailhead at the HPIC. AC to AP advanced; rest intermediate in good conditions. 10 miles, 5.6 hours. Lake Placid Area Ski Conditions.

Mar 3 - HOPKINS MEMORIAL FOREST. From the Rosenburg Center skied the Hoosic River Trail on up to 6". Nice to see the river from this perspective. Some commercial development on opposite shore. 3 miles, 1.5 hrs. Left the Nehasanemobile at RC & drove up to Petersburg Pass Rt.2 at the NY/MA border. Skied N on the Taconic Crest Trail (tracked by skis & snowshoes) for 1 mile (couple of steep uphills near start) & took a R onto Birch Brook Trail. Dropped 1,100' in 1.5 miles (untracked, what fun! Trail wide enough to link some telemarks, open hardwoods. Intermediate+ in favorable snow conditions, advanced in most conditions) to the Upper Loop Trail then on to Lower Loop & the Rosenburg Center. Loop trails (intermediate) had seen fair amount of recent ski & snowshoe traffic but few (none recently) attempt the BBT. 4+ miles, 1,500' total elevation loss. 1'-2' of snow, powder slightly heavy from 50F temp. Gas is a lot cheaper in MA. Fischer Outtabounds skis with cable bindings.

Mar 2 - SIAMESE PONDS cross country skiing from Rt.8. 15" powder on deep base, 3'+ total. 200' climb & 400' drop in 1st 1.5 miles (intermediate in good snow), nice views of cliffs on 11th Mtn. Another 2.5 miles (novice) along the E Branch Sacandaga River to leanto & bridge. Climb over 400' in 2+ miles to the remote ponds, this is a very enjoyable run out (intermediate). Trail packed until a little past the leanto then we broke trail for over 2 miles, much slower going. 13 miles, 7 hrs. Fischer Rebound skis with 3-pin bindings.

Feb 28 - ALBANY PINE BUSH PRESERVE from Willow St. Shortest way to get to the blue trail (intermediate) over the Great Dune. Yellow trail goes thru open area of a prescribed burn. 6"-8".

Feb 27 - H. G. REIST WILDLIFE SANCTUARY skiing from Morgan Ave in Niskayuna. 6". Maintained by Hudson Mohawk Bird Club. Yellow trail mostly flat, beginner; rest novice. Made tracks to the side of trail hoping that barebooters would not be tempted to walk in them.

Feb 25 - MT. BRACE from Mt . Washington State Forest HQ in SW Mass. Average of 6" dense powder with little base - a bit more in woods & N facing slopes, less in the open & S facing slopes; fair to good skiing, quite a few exposed rocks especially on steeper hills, tricky stream crossings. Started on the trail to Alander Mt. & soon took a L on Ashley Hill trail high up Ashley Hill Brook ravine. Trail is wide old carriage road. AH trail turns L & we continue straight ahead. Cross AHB & climb up to the S Taconic Trail. Views open up as we headed S to Brace & its huge cairn. Wonderful views in all directions from the open summit, Catskills off to the W. Mostly intermediate with a couple of steep spots. 700' gain from start, 850' from low point. 9.5 miles, 4.8 hrs.

Feb 24 - LOST POND - Woodford, VT from Little Pond trailhead on N side of Rt.9. 2'+ of base with 7" powder - excellent skiing Trailhead is at 2,400'. Snowmobile trail for 2 miles then straight on hiking trail, before it starts to drop to Little Pond we head off trail NW climbing to the Appalachian/Long Trails (this was a fun downhill thru relatively open woods on the return). Headed N past Little Pond Lookout but turned off trail before top (3,331') of Little Pond Mt. Thru mostly open woods to Lost Pond. The spruce-bordered pond has a good view of Glastenbury Mt. Relaxed in the warm sun. Back to the snowmobile trail then E then S bushwhacking S. Wandered a bit too much E & came out on the snowmobile trail not far from the Pine Valley parking. Skied thru woods never far from Rt.9 back to start. 800' elevation gain/loss,10.5 miles, 7 hrs.

Feb 18 - REDFIELD BROOK. From Pine Valley parking, Rt.9, Woodford, Vt. Snowmobile trails 7F, 7AS, 7S. Good skiing on 2'+; wet powder surface; temp ~50F. Streams up & flowing from last night's rain but well-bridged on this dirt road. Crossed Redfield brook & explored open area to the N at junction with Little Pond Brook - this is at the W end of what locals call the "burning". Moose signs: scat, tracks, scrapings. Rain on the return. 2.8 hours.

Feb 17 - OXSHOE POND. ~2' of snow, light breakable crust off-trail; most trails broken out by skiers & snowshoers; skiing was good. Pharoah Wilderness. Goose Pond, off-trail alongside Alder Pond, Crane Pond, Glidden Marsh, broke trail to Oxshoe Pond & leanto (nice spot), back out via Crane Pond Rd. Views of Pharoah Mt from GP, GM & CPR. Nice woods: lots of pines & hemlocks. 7+ miles, 4.6 hours.

Feb 11 - HOUR POND. Good base with foot of powder - excellent conditions. Started at the N end of 13th Lake, skied 0.8 miles along the lake (some slush under the snow) with winds over 20mph, temp 7 degrees. Onto the Peaked Mountain Pond trail where we gain 400' in less than a mile - I get good grip & acceptable glide with Swix Polar grip wax on glide zone of Fischer Outtabounds skis, Maxiglide on nowax pattern. Crossed Peaked Mtn Brook on good ice bridge. From vly with view of Slide Mtn headed off-trail to the S (described in latest 2005 edition of Discover the South Central Adirondacks) thru open woods climbing gently to a beaver meadow. Crossed above a beaver dam & broke thru the ice, one foot getting very wet. Changed into a dry sock (because boots will still be wet, I recommend that you carry spare wool socks & plastic bags or waterproof socks like Sealskins) & scraped the ice off skis. Height of land ~2,200', dropped down in view of beaver pond on Hour Pond Trail but stayed high & circled the hill to Hour Pond where we went up the E side to a brand new leanto. Returned via Hour Pond Trail to junction with new red trail to 13th Lake (junction recently marked). Uphill on new red trail to top of pass at 2,163'. The next mile is a wonderful mostly downhill run ENE to 13th Lake dropping almost 500'. The red trail continues above the lake shore for a third of a mile on rolling terrain until it crosses Peaked Mountain Brook & joins the Peaked Mtn Pond Trail ~100 yds from 13th Lake. Intermediate if snow conditions are excellent. 8.6 miles, 5 hours. Can't wait to do it again - without the wet feet!

Feb 10 - HOFFMAN NOTCH & BIG MARSH. Over a foot of base with over a foot of powder - excellent. Headed N from Loch Muller. Pleasant stretch next to a stream, several dips into stream crossings (good snow bridges generally), many short ups & downs, some blowdown. Nice mountain views from the pond at Big Marsh - Hoffman Mt rises over 2,000' above, Texas & Washburn Ridges with snow-covered trees. Marten, grouse. Intermediate. Fischer Rebound skis. 8 miles, 5 hours.

Feb 4 - SOMERSET RESERVOIR near Wilmington, VT. Snowmobile trails - hard packed topped with powder - very good skiing. From Somerset Rd, skied Recreational Hwy 71 (aka Arlington Rd) N - soon pass an old airstrip, main branch of Deerfield River seen to the W. At ~3 miles there is a view W across Shep Meadow. Soon take a R on C7-100, not quite as wide as RH71. After ~1 mile take L on narrow unmarked trail which soon drops down to the reservoir half way up its W shore. View of Stratton Mt. across the reservoir from tip of peninsula. Saw ~30 snowmobiles on a Monday. Mostly easy terrain. 4 hrs.

Bell Canoes - top-of-the-line Kevlar & Royalex canoes.

Feb 3 - GARNET HILL groomed granular, easy & more difficult trails were plenty fast. Took shuttle bus back to ski shop. 13th Lake quite scenic. Short backcountry trip (1+ mile roundtrip) to WILLIAM BLAKE POND following new red & blue ski trail markers - icy crust (occasionally breakable) on good base, broken up a bit by snowshoers, ok on the flats but downhills a bit scary in these conditions. 4.5 hours.

Jan 28 - PINE & KETTLE MOUNTAINS from Northwoods Club Rd near Minerva, a mile W of Boreas River. Good base with 6" powder - easy breaking trail. No trails but much open hardwoods, some dense growth too. Spectacular views from Pine 900' down into Hudson River Gorge, Gore Mtn off to the S. Larger open area on Kettle, super views of Snowy & Blue Mtns, OK Slip Falls across the gorge with its 250' drop. A cedar swamp had quite a few downed trees, not too hard to avoid. Finished by skiing on edge of road back to car. 5+ miles, 5+ hrs., 1,200' cumulative elevation change (altho highest point was only 350' above start.) Some of the best views that most folks will never see. Route described in Discover the South Central Adirondacks.

Jan 27 - STONY & CENTER PONDS thru trip ending in Irishtown. Good base with up to 8" powder - packed by snowmobile from Rt.28N to half mile S of Sherman Pond. From SE end of Stony went up Center Pond's outlet (trailless) - mostly open with 2 spots where one has to bushwhack 100-200 yds. thru woods - easier than taking the trail. Lunched at island on remote Center Pond. Back to Stony, steep up & down to Sherman Ponds, 900' drop in the last 2 miles down to Irishtown (after 1st drop the snowmobile tracks turned R thru a private inholding, bear L to stay on trail) - exhilarating. Interesting bench made of old downhill skis before last stretch run to road; rentable yurts> not far from trail; icy spot after bridge over Falls Brook. 8 miles, 5.5 hrs.

Jan 21 - SECOND POND from Chatiemac Rd near Johnsburg. No sign at trailhead - start at well over 2,000' (one of the highest winter trailheads in the Adirondacks on a plowed road). After some ups & downs climb a moderately steep hill (fun on way back) & continue on rolling terrain (more downs than ups) to the scenic pond where there is a good view of Gore Mtn. Tried to find the old trail to Highwinds on Gore Mtn that is shown on older maps but no luck after bushwhacking around a fair amount of blowdown. Ice on pond covered with snow felt quite solid. Very good hard base with up to 10" powder. 6 miles, 5 hrs.

SportRack J Staker - a "j" style kayak carrier that fits most factory & aftermarket car racks - $99.95.

Jan 20 - SHAKER MTN WF from the end of Pinnacle Rd in Bleecker. Headed NNW on unmarked old road, soon go thru beautiful hemlock forest with Pinnacle Brook to the L. At ~1.5 miles went out onto a large vly with views of the mountains, some wet spots. Continued up to the pass between Pigeon & Panther Mtns. On N side of pass the terrain quickly drops 300' thru semi-open woods - so much fun that we climb back up & ski down again. Very good hard base with up to 10" of powder. Intermediate. 4.5 hrs.

Jan 17 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE cross country skiing. Beginner thru intermediate. Ski it while you can!

Jan 16 - SCHENECTADY MUNI GOLF COURSE cross country skiing. 3"-4" fresh powder, little or no base - nice skiing in open areas. Tested waxable vs nonwax skis (older Karhu Pinnacle/Vela vs newer Pinnacle) - better glide waxable; nonwax had slight edge climbing - temp in low 20s.

Jan 14 - GREEN MOUNTAIN NF, unplowed Forest Road 74 from RT.9 between Woodford & Searsburg, VT. Unmarked old logging roads to the E shown on the 1997 Woodford & Stamford 7.5min maps. Left FR74 heading E, crossed stream (lots of fresh beaver activity), lost the trail, bushwhacked for a while, found another trail, headed S then W. Returned to FR74 across from Aiken Wilderness sign near S end of road. Skied to the 1st pond on Yaw Pond Trail. Up to 4" of fresh powder over deep solid base - nice skiing. 3.5 hrs.

Jan 13 - PROSPECT MT NORDIC SKI CENTER, Woodford, VT. 18" of icy hardpack in the woods - groom it & you have good skiing.

Nehasane's Backcountry Ski Reviews

Jan 10 - MOHAWK HUDSON BIKE PATH xc skiing from Lock 7 in Niskayuna. Up to 6", a bit icy, would have been better in the warmth of the afternoon - this section from Lock 7 Rd W seems to hold the snow pretty well. Mohawk River is open, bays are iced.

Jan 7 - MOTHER MYRICK MOUNTAIN, near Manchester, VT. Parked on Three Maple Dr, walked up Beartown Rd to end of plowing; rest of route groomed by snowmobiles but I did not see any on this Monday. Trails, altho unmarked, are pretty much what you see on color="#336600">the map. Fair amount of posted signs on either side of trails but there is a portion of Nature Conservancy land (got directions from their website). Worked my way up without herringboning to the notch between MM Mtn & Mt Equinox then took the dead end trail further up Mother Myrick. Trip back down was a bit too steep for me & ended up doing more snowplowing than I would have liked. 2 hours to go up, 1 hour to come down. Some nice thru the trees views along the way. Top of Equinox was in the clouds. Some exposed rocks & bare areas. 1,400' climb, 6 miles, 3.5 hrs.

Jan 6 - HOUR POND from 13th Lake. Siamese Ponds Wilderness xc skiing. Took Puffer Pond Trail from Old Farm Clearing, very scenic as one climbs up along Hour Pond Outlet. 1.5 mile trail to Hour Pond is unmarked. Drop down to a stream crossing & the unmarked trail goes L ( a new red trail goes NNE to intersect the Peaked Mtn Pond Trail not far from 13th Lake), across a beaver dam, goes SW for a bit before turning NW & N. Bullhead Mtn rises 1,200' to the W but was in the clouds, Hour Pond Mtn to the N; there is a new leanto on the E shore of the pond. A bat flew by at the pond & snowfleas seen on the snow (those tiny black specks move). Fun run out. Very good base with a few inches of wettish powder - ~20" total. Temp in the 30's. 8.5 miles, 6.5 hours.

The Fischer Rebound skis are Nehasane's favorite for the backcountry.

Jan 4 - LISHA KILL PRESERVE, Rosendale Rd in Niskayuna. Streams, ravines, mature woods. Skiing is challenging - the 1st downhill is steep, has a must make sharp turn & some exposed roots & rocks. You can do an intermediate tour if you are willing to go off-trail at some of the hills. Red & the new Frank's Trails. 1.3 hrs. Used Fischer Outtabounds skis, cable bindings & plastic boots for optimum control.

Jan 1 - GRAFTON LAKES STATE PARK cross country skiing. 10", some wet spots & quite a few rocks - needs better base. Starting at Mill Pond (on Long Pond Rd) we took the Spruce Bog Trail (completing the 3 day "bog" theme) - after a climb the trail levels out for the next 2 miles. Snowmobile trails to Long Pond. Trail around N side of pond has lots of rocks so crossed pond to S side. 4.7 miles, 2.7 hrs.

Dec 31 - BOG MEADOW from Edwards Hill Rd in Bakers Mills. Unmarked trail + bushwhack. Foot of base with 4" fresh powder - nice. Start on driveway (described in latest editions of Discover & ADK guidebooks) which leads to old woods road & a mile of uphill (nice run back to finish the day). After a couple of miles there is no obvious trail - we continue W & SW (some tricky small stream crossings) & stop for lunch next to a scenic stream. 8 miles, 5 hrs.

Dec 30 - PA'S & SPLIT ROCK FALLS, BOG RIVER on unmarked trail from Rt.30 (0.2 miles S of Rt.421). 20" in the Tupper Lake area - bit of an icy crust made for more challenging skiing. 1.5 miles on rolling hilly terrain, soon reach Bog River then follow Round Lake Outlet. A R on dirt road goes over a good bridge, bear R long uphill then drop to cross bridge over the Bog River - a R turn leads to best spot to enjoy noisy Pa's Falls which drops 30'. From bridge continued on old logging road, bearing L then turning L (following orange ribbons) & reach 6' Split Rock Falls in 10 mins. The river upstream is calm - pretty spot. The camps we saw last year have already been removed - area was recently purchased by the state. Lots of deer tracks. Intermediate. 7.5 miles, 5 hrs.