Little Tupper Lake Sunrise

2005:

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.

Nov 21 - SCHENECTADY MUSEUM NATURE PRESERVE walk, from Lock 7. Mohawk River is being drawn down for the winter. Stream, river views, variety of trees.

New York State 2005 Draft Open Space Conservation Plan - comments are now being accepted - determines how Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) monies are spent for next 3 years.

Nov 20 - HOUSATONIC RIVER canoeing. Put-in: Decker Canoe Access on New Lenox Rd, S of Pittsfield, MA. Downstream 4 miles to Woods Pond, checked out the dam below & toured the pond, light development here but most of route stays relatively wild. A dirt road goes along much of steep E shore (October Mtn SF) & saw some light traffic incl. ATVs. W shore is mostly marsh/swamp. Current somewhat noticeable but no trouble paddling back upstream. 50'-60' wide most of time, no obstructions. No hunting on Sundays in Mass. but did hear a few shots from firing range near put-in. Being not far downstream from a city one sees a bit more trash than one would like. Quiet bays were often iced up. Red-tailed hawks, kingfishers, gb herons, mallards, mergansers, cardinal, damselflies. Dagger Reflection 16, a 16'4" tandem canoe made of Royalex (a good unsulator due to its foam core).

OR Outdoor Research - gloves, mitts, gaiters, hats, balaclavas.

Nov 14 - CHRISTMAN SANCTUARY walk, Schoharie Turnpike in Duanesburg. Loop trail then spur trail along the Bozen Kill - pass several small falls then an 8' falls then end at 2-tiered 30' falls & stone-walled leanto - lots of excuses to linger. Crossed the BK onto loop trail which goes thru red & white plantations & to top of ravine S of the stream. 2.5 miles, 1.5 hrs.

Nov 13 - MOHAWK RIVER kayaking from Forts Ferry Rd in Latham. 20mph S winds not much of a factor if you stick to the S shore. Deeper than average water made for easy going into the S bay (normally shallow) then inside the islands to the old train station. Saw the eagle's nest (unused this year). Into the bay beside Niska Isle, under the bike path & a short distance up the Lisha Kill to a good size beaverdam. Back on the river past Vischer Ferry - 1'+ waves here due to current & possibly the narrowing of the river. Turned around just short of Lock 7 - lot of water going over the dam. Ducks, gulls, gb herons, red-tailed hawks & accipiter/harrier type hawk. 3 motorboats, pair of duck hunters (I wore a blaze orange cap). 9.3 miles, 4 hours. Swift Saranac 14.6 - a roomier Saranac for the larger paddler.

Kayak Intl Soft-Wear - quick-drying nylon shirts, pants & shorts.

Nov 6-8 - WHARTON STATE FOREST, NEW JERSEY PINE BARRENS canoeing. High temps of 62-74F, lows 38-51F, mostly sunny. Camped at Godfrey Bridge drive-in camping area - very nice, right on Wading River,but $20/nite for pit privies, no showers ?! Paddled 3 small rivers upstream (can be hard work at times) then returned with the current - not one beaverdam, rivers mostly clear of debris. Wading was shallowest & had the most current, Batsto the deepest & least current. River bottoms mostly sand or gravel, water color like tea & fairly clear. Higher & drier ground usually pitch pine & oaks with blueberry (red leaves in fall) understory; wetter ground usually has white cedar, some red maple & cranberry. Oaks & some maples were in full fall color. Dirt/sand roads often not too far from the rivers. Most folks set up shuttles & paddle these rivers downstream only - not Nehasane, tho. You better know how to turn efficiently because you will be doing a lot of it. Merrimack Traveler, a 17' tandem canoe. Ref: Paddling the Jersey Pine Barrens by Parnes.

Nov 8 - WADING RIVER. Upstream of Godfrey Bridge. Not as twisty as the other rivers, shores drier. Formation of snow geese overhead. 5 miles, 2.75 hours. Drove to nearby coast & visited FORSYTHE NWR. 8 mile car tour, short trails. Snow geese, brants, northern harrier, Cape May warblers, herons, egrets, cormorants, black ducks, hooded mergansers, mallards, wood ducks, swans, C geese.

Nov 7 - BATSTO RIVER. Put-in on Batsto Lake, stay to E shore to find deep water river mouth. Pine & cedar shores give way to more hardwoods upstream, very scenic & peaceful. Turned around short of Quaker Bridge. 12 miles, 6.75 hours.

Nov 6 - OSWEGO RIVER. A tributary of the Wading. Start next to dam on Harrisville Lake. Mile to river (stay to SE shore to avoid shallows). River averages 20' wide, first passes thru cedar swamp then past pitch pines with an occasional high sandy bank. Widening into Martha Pond where shallow channels wind around islands. Upriver some more before turning around for the easy cruise back downstream. 8 miles, 4 hours.

Oct 31 - SKY TOP - MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE & PRESERVE hike. West Trapps section of Shawangunks west of New Paltz. Rocks, cliffs & wonderful fall foliage. Carriage roads are wide smooth crushed shale, trails can be rocky & rough. Preserve charges day use fee of $8 per hiker (no camping). From West Trapps parking area on Rtes.44/55 started out on Overcliff Carriage Rd with views across Rondout Valley to the Catskills. Barely squeezed myself thru "The Crevice" - had to take my pack off to do it - ladders help get up thru it & to the tower (there are easier ways of getting to the tower). Super 360 view - Mountain House is a huge hotel on Lake Mohonk below. Gazebo-like "summerhouses" dot the route - good places to rest & enjoy the views. Dropped to the lake then thru a maze of talus, caves, crevices thru Giant's ... Returned via Undercliff Carriage Rd below 300' cliffs & views E across Wallkill & Hudson Valleys. White-tailed deer, turkey vultures. 500', 10 miles, 4.2 hrs.

Oct 24 - HANNACROIX CREEK PRESERVE, Coeymans & New Baltimore. Hudson River Interpretive Trail. Recycled plastic bridge. 2 bald eagles flew across the river. Irving Trail to falls. Spur Trail to steep overlook. Red Trail view of Hudson. Drove over to HOLT PRESERVE near Clarksville. Great view across Hudson Valley from access road. On Copeland Hill. View of Helderberg Escarpment from openings in trees. Ravine, pond, tree plantations. Trails are wide & smooth - could be good xc-skiing. Wild turkeys, grouse. Ref: Natural Areas of Albany County.

Oct 23 - HUDSON RIVER from Coeymans Landing (concrete ramp) in Coeymans. Relatively calm wind-wise but river & creeks swollen from rains. HANNACROIX CREEK. MILL CREEK in Swyer Preserve. Stuyvesant - gravel ramp for a break. COXSACKIE CREEK. Tough paddling upstream on the creeks - went about a half mile up each one - all interesting in their own ways. 3 eagles, ducks, geese, vultures, hawks, pileated woodpecker - a beaver dove in from 5' above the water & landed on its back. Little development except around New Baltimore. Good fall color in spots. 16 miles, 5.7 hours. Swift Saranac 14. Ref: The Hudson River Water Trail Guide ($24.95).

Oct 17 - PUTNAM POND. E side of Pharoah Wilderness between Schroon Lake & Ticonderoga. All state land - put-in at boat launch next to state campground. 5-6 miles paddling the circumference - wind ~15mph early, 20+mph later - 1' waves. Pair of loons, pair of hawks & mink swims right in front of me. Broke up the paddling with 5 mile hike to Treadway Mtn. - trailhead starts on W side of pond. Super views incl. "Putts" Pond & Pharoah Lake. Good fall colors but past peak. 5 hours. Dagger Blackwater 12.5, a 12'8" plastic rec kayak.

Oct 16 - PLOTTER KILL PRESERVE hike, Rt.159 Rotterdam. It's been raining for a week & what better thing to do than to visit 3 spectacular waterfalls all in one preserve. Blustery 50 mph winds rocked the treetops. The Plotter Kill drops 900' in its final 3.5 miles before emptying into the Mohawk River. 10 miles of trails in the preserve - one can easily spend a full day - pick up a good map at trailhead register. I visited the tops & bottoms of all 3 falls - some of the time on trail & some off - steep & slippery in spots. Continued downstream in bottom of ravine a ways. 3 hours.

Oct 10 - NANTUCKET SOUND from Red River Beach in S Harwich - relatively calm with land blocking the NE winds. Side-trip into Taylors Pond. SE past Hardings Beach. STAGE HARBOR in Chatham - windy, waves to 1'. Watched as they unloaded bags of shellfish at Chatham Fish Pier. Large school of fish feeding with tail fins sticking out of water - interesting sight. Groups of white-winged scoters on the sound. 11 miles, 5 hrs.

Oct 12 - HERRING COVE BEACH, Provincetown. Very windy, wind from ENE, beach faces SW. Paddled along beach to Hatches Harbor - Race Point Light closeby. Trio of loons, seal, billions of gulls. View of P'town Monument on way back. Also walked Atlantic beach at N of Highland (big surf) & bike trail near Race Point (good mushrooming).

Mon Oct 3 - Mt. ADAMS hike. Tahawus Tract in Southern High Peaks. Very steep trail thru balsam fir & red spruce over final mile to top (make sure you are on red marked trail, a junction is not well signed). No view without climbing the firetower (officially closed) - handrails but no fencing - took me a while before I summoned up the courage to go to the top. Mts. Marcy, Colden, Algonquin, Santanonis, Sewards, etc. - all-encompassing view - Henderson Lake (could see canoes on it), Upper Preston Pond, too. Colors close to peak. Adjustable poles handy for balance & knee-saving on way down (Masters & MSR poles available at APnP). 1,800', 4.8 miles, 4.3 hrs. HUDSON RIVER SANFORD LAKE canoeing. Put-in next to small 2' dam (~1.25 mi. N of last road junction) & paddled upstream ~1.5 miles - wide at first but became more streamlike - turned around at rapid a little below metal suspension bridge carrying hiking trail across river. Able to go downstream from dam for ~half mile to causeway at mine where 2 culverts (1 blocked, 1 too small) carry the river under. The widening of the river here is called Sanford Lake. Very interesting despite being near road & mine with nice views of Adams & Wallface Mts. Waded thru some shallows - thanks Chota Mukluks. Baboosic.

Sun Oct 2 - GARNET LAKE canoeing. Some cottages at N end & down E shore but rest of lakeshore is state land. No-one camped at the several sites on the lake or on road near put-in. Red-tailed hawk(s), many ducks. Paddled a circuit of the 2 mile long lake. S end particularly interesting with tree stumps of all shapes. Crane Mt. looms to the NE. 4.5 mi. 2 hrs. Mt. BLUE hiking. Trailhead (boat access only) on W shore. Took trail to just before Lixard Pond then bushwhacked NNW staying on or just W of ridge. After half hour start coming out onto areas of open rock. Below summit there is large area of rock with great views NE, E (across Garnet; could just about see the Green Mtns.), S, SW. Early fall colors. 1,300', 4+ zig-zag miles, 4 hrs. Merrimack Baboosic, a 14' solo canoe, based on a Prospector design. Camped near the put-in - the Nehasanemobile converts to (not quite) a leanto for the purpose.

Tue Sep 27 - HUDSON RIVER from Waterford at S end of First St. Headed up to Lock 1 again. Pair of bald eagles, great sunset - just another day onewithwater. Swift Saranac 14, a 14' touring kayak.

Sun/Mon Sep 25/26 - HENDERSON LAKE, UPPER & LOWER PRESTON PONDS, DUCK HOLE. High Peaks paddling - 2+ miles of carries - stunning mountain views from lakes/ponds. Very good fall color - peak colors should be about a week away. Easy 0.25 mi. carry from Upper Works to Henderson Lake put-in next to dam. 1.5 mi. paddle on Henderson to NE end with super view of Wallface & other mountains - 2 loons. Picked up trail for 1.8 mi. carry to Upper Preston Pond - very rough in spots, gain of 400' most of which occurs a little over a mile in. Mountainsides come steeply down to pond. Cabin at SE end is rumoured to be on private land & will stay - rest is wilderness. 100yd carry S of outlet into Lower Preston Pond. Carried around top of outlet to the R for 100' & paddled outlet sometimes wading to line thru shallows/obstructions to a 100' carry on L which drops steeply around a 12' falls to Duck Hole. Stayed at Duck Hole Leanto #2 (leaks a little) next to the dam with a good view SE. In the other leanto were 2 axemen (Cold River Bob & Gary who are into saving Duck Hole). Saw 1 loon but reports say there have been 2 adults & chick seen thruout summer. Ran into Nehasane's old time nemesis, Fengshee, who had tripled the carry; after exchanging unpleasantries we continued on our ways. Starting raining on the long carry down from Upper & trail got wet muddy quite nasty. Great trip! An old 16' 40lb Apple canoe.

Mon Sep 19 - SHALLOW LAKE. Pigeon Lake Wilderness Area. Put in next to outlet of Lower Browns Tract Pond on Uncas Rd (mostly dirt) near Raquette Lake Village. Crossed the pond passing an interesting pine-topped island with rocky W end & cliffs on N side. At W end of state campsite (site 69), picked up the yellow trail which leads 0.2 miles to an old road. Jog L then R onto the yellow Shallow Lake Trail which is rough at first then goes thru a muddy spruce bog, crosses a 3 log bridge that is almost underwater. 2nd half of trail is better & I finish the carry from Lower Pond in 40 min. Shallow is a gem of a wilderness lake, only a mile long but with a varied shoreline for exploration. Paddled W on 30' wide Sucker Brook for ~1.5 mi. before narrowing & reaching a beaver dam which I went over but then a log blocked the way - tamarack & black spruce dominate, white pines' needles are yellowing (I think due to higher than normal water because of a beaver dam on the outlet which I was able to paddle down ~0.25 mi.). Smooth rocks on N shore make for nice spots to sun oneself & the rocky point is interesting. There are some campsites that are reachable only with boat. On return, took the old road S 0.3 mi. (easier walking) then a path to Lower Pond & put in on a sloping rock. 7 mi. paddling, 3 mi. carry, 7 hrs. Bell Bucktail, a 12' open kayak/pack canoe - at 18 lbs a breeze to carry.

Sun Sep 18 - INDIAN LAKE. State Campground (boat access sites) closed but a number of folks are taking advantage of free camping. W shore has some development, most of E shore & S arm undeveloped. To the W Snowy Mt. rises over 2,000' above the 14 mi. long lake. Paddled down the narrow S arm leading to the Jessup River. Some campsites have sandy beaches. Some foliage color change. Distant high peaks views going N. Light motor traffic. 18 miles, 6.5 hrs. Swift Bering Sea.

Sat Sep 17 - HUDSON & MOHAWK RIVERS from Waterford (boat ramp next to Battery Park at S end of First St.). Visited falls S of PEEBLES ISLAND (water very clear, many zebra mussels, 2.5' fish swims under me) then paddled upstream on Hudson a bit til after sunset. Swift Bering Sea, a 15'10" composite touring kayak.

Mon Sep 12 - QUEBEC BROOK. Santa Clara/Northern Flow Rivers Tract. Put-in is on Blue Mountain Road (good dirt) next to bridge ~ 13 miles W of Paul Smiths. In 1st 5 minutes see a beaver then 3 otters. Narrow winding stream (gets wider as you move upstream), banks of grass & alder. Soon reach 1st carry, an easy 5 min. Paddle a short distance & have to get around a logjam. 2nd carry is not far beyond & a little longer than the 1st. Then the trouble began..... Not long after putting in again I am getting out to line up a short rapid; soon after there is a much longer rapid but no marked carry. I find a path near the S shore & looked for portage signs (none). Having gone too far on a rough path, sometimes around deadfall, I eventually push thru the alders & get back on the brook. Hindsight suggestion: do not put in where marked on the 2nd portage but continue on path for ~5 mins. to a rocky spot on the brook at the top of the rapids - there is an orange ribbon on a tree here which is easily missed when you have a canoe overhead. Upstream, the brook is wider now & all flatwater. I stop at a campsite marker but find no evidence of a fire ring or that anyone has ever camped there. Hear then spot a red-tailed hawk. Duck under an old railroad bridge before the confluence of the Onion River (a river that runs into a brook?!) Couple of DEC trucks nearby doing some work. Maples are already turning red on Jennings Mt. to the N. Short carry around bridge (tough take-out) & dam & into MADAWASKA FLOW. Much boggy shoreline with white pines on N shores - couple of camps will be torn down after leases expire. Continued E up Quebec Brook thru many lilypads & the steep side of Rice Mt. to the NE. See 2 more camps before turning around into a headwind & see another otter. Recommended. 15 miles, 7.3 hours. Bell Merlin II, a 15' solo canoe.

Sun Sep 11 - OSGOOD POND & RIVER. Put-in on CHURCH POND in Paul Smiths. A channel leads to LITTLE OSGOOD POND, then an interesting shallow 15' wide canal leads into Osgood which has some light development. I paddle around the W end (Whiteface Mt. can be seen to E) then N down the river. Boggy shores are topped with tamarack & black spruce, lily-pads line the 80' channel - white pines dominate the high ground. Can see Debar Mt. to the N. Stop at nice piney campsite for some RnR in the sun. Turned around at a logjam/rockdam when river narrows. Returned past White Pine Camp; St. Regis Mt. to the W. 12 miles, 4 hours. Swift Saranac 14, a 14' touring kayak. Camped on MOUNTAIN POND N of Paul Smiths which has several primitive drive-in campsites. 2 adult loons & a juvenile - quite vocal & active in the morning. Walked along horse trail half mile to Osgood River which is faily narrow & small-streamlike here.

Sun Aug 28 - ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK, Ontario tripping. Camp at Kiosk Campground Site 17 (on water) in the NW part of the park. Drive 500 miles from APnP in 9.5 hrs on way up, 11.5 hrs.(longer breaks) on return. Buffalo farm on access road to Kiosk. Algonquin is a place where you can trip for a week or more without crossing paved roads & running into much signs of civilization. Before you go, get the Canoe Routes of Algonquin Prov. Park map to plan the trip - even better for this part of the park is The Adventure Map's Algonquin 2 Northwest which adds topo lines & lake elevations + is waterproof. Permit required which cost us $9C pp per day. Most of trip was on small to medium size lakes up to 4 miles long. Not many trippers out this week & we got pick of above average campsites each night. I generally like to go the long way around each lake along the shoreline rather than cutting straight across. Great variety of mushrooms on the portages.

Mon Aug 29 - Starting with full SealLine pack - 60lbs. Kioshkokwi Lake p635 (gentle uphill) Little Mink p450 Mink (saw a mink!) p440 (rough up & over) Cauchon (interesting cliffs at W end, nice feel), Little Cauchon Lake (2 nites, some cottages & remains of railroad detract from wilderness feel, good loon activity tho; rocky campsite at W end, small leeches in water. ) tp=1,525

Tue Aug 30 - day trip to Carl Wilson Lake p1070 (twice - smooth gentle uphill on way in)(lunched & swam with loons on beach at N end then explored inlet to NW which narrowed to nothing, saw moose, visited cliffs on E side of lake.) tp=2,140

Wed Aug 31 - Little Cauchon, Cauchon p440 Mink p1190 (smooth gentle uphill) Club (someone makes wrong turn down outlet; 2 small lakes connected with shallow area with pickerelweed) short stream to p640 Mouse Lake (sandy put-in; take campsite next to a beach on E shore, shallow sandy bottom goes out at least 100 yds; many cedar trees; mild northern lights) tp=2,270

Thu Sep 1 - Mouse p1700 (uphill but smooth) Mink Creek (lots of moose sign; shallow; grassy banks with tamaracks dotted about) p230 Big Thunder (nice spot for lunch at campsite on red pine point) p1645 (rough) Erables Lake (campsite on sloping rock on W shore; 5 loons in nearby bay) tp=3,575

Fri Sep 2 - Erables (great sunrise) p175 Maple p440 Ratrap & Dahinda (starts raining) p1135 Boggy (sun back out; small but cute pond) p455 N Sylvia (sandy beach put-in) p500 (steep downhill at end) Three Mile Lake (wind kicking up 1' waves; go 32 hours without seeing anyone else since Mouse; loon fly zone; more spruce along shoreline than other lakes which are mostly red & white pine & cedar; great northern lights at 9:30pm) tp=2,610

Sat Sep 3 - Three Mile p 500 N Sylvia p455 Boggy p1135 Dahinda (water lilies) & Ratrap (interesting, stopped for lunch on rocks, a shower interrupts) p440 Maple Lake (scenic; take campsite above rocks on S island; E & N islands also have nice sites.) tp=2,530

Sun Sep 4 - Maple p130 Maple Creek p805 (some ups & downs before doing down steeply thru very attractive hemlock woods) pp630 p90 p190 p775 (creek paddling is so much fun & super scenic; mostly grassy banks with some alders, spruce away from creek; couple of beaverdams to go over; some rocks to maneuver around). Shallow muddy put-in on Kioshkokwi Lake to backcountry site (high up on rock again; not as loony as interior lakes despite being bigger) tp=2,620

Mon Sep 5 - out to Kiosk on calm misty morning, drive home.

p=portages in meters (1 mile=1,609m) tp=total portages for the day. Bell Northwind, a 17.5' tandem canoe. MSR lightweight tents: Hubba Hubba, Trekker Tarp &

Aug 23 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7 in Niskayuna. Do not launch immediately next to docks - very slippery. GB & green herons, egret. Fair amount of boat traffic tonight - but that just gave us a chance to play in the wakes. Water has been drawn down a couple of feet for the herrings. Bell Northwind, a 17.5' Kevlar tandem canoe, handled boat wakes admirably, in fact we had so much confidence we attacked the waves with abandon - very seaworthy canoe.

Aug 22 - MIDDLE SETTLEMENT LAKE hike in Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness Area from Okara rest area, W of Old Forge. Areas of rock & leanto to hang-out at. 2 adult loons with one chick, nice peaceful (on a Monday pm) lake/pond - destination more interesting than the trails which go thru hardwoods. Minimal bad bugs. Did a circuit around Cedar Pond. 8-9 miles, 5 hours.

Aug 21 - NORTH LAKE in Atwell near Forestport (SW Adks.). 3.5 mile long lake - some development on S half - dirt road with campsites along W shore - I take one near N end of lake. Several backcountry campsites on E shore all unoccupied. Loons; snake eats frog. 4 motorboats, 2 PWCs over an afternoon - all quiet after dinnertime. Some deer flies; no skeeters. Slept under the tarp. Merrimack Traveler, a 17' tandem canoe, paddled solo using kneeling thwart - nice, handled well in breezy conditions (some credit goes to the paddler); heeled it over til gunwales 2" from water, firmed up nicely, very good initial & secondary stability.

Aug 16 - ROUND LAKE & ANTHONY KILL from small dirt parking area on Rt.9 (just N of the last house) in Round Lake. Along the S shore to the AK (outlet) which winds for about a mile. Many empty heron nests to the S. Turned around at a large beaverdam. Continued around the N end of lake. Bunch of cormorants on dead trees silhouetted in post-sunset color - moon is up - water calm - nice evening. Dagger Catalyst 13.0, a 12'11" rec/touring kayak, is a fine middle-of-the-road(waterway?) boat.

Aug 7 & 8 - LITTLE TUPPER & ROUND LAKES. Parking area almost full Sunday. Put-in at usual spot on motorless LTL (some development near put-in but most of lake is undeveloped state land). Paddled a mile E then into wide mile long channel with lily-pads & boggy shores. Did a circuit of triangular-shaped Round Lake (saw no-one until we were almost off) - shores owned by The Nature Conservancy awaiting purchase by NYS - couple of old camps still around on W side. E shore has some sandy beaches, is mostly red & white pine & will someday make for some sweet campsites. Spent 4 hours exploring. Back on LTL W wind ~15mph (forecast called for 5-11mph) - waves on LTL 1'+, occasionally whitecapped but fun - expect to deal with waves if winds above 10mph & are from W, SW, E or NE. Camped on site #2 (camping is only allowed on designated sites) - above average for LTL. 10 campsites now have "thunderboxes" or roofless outhouses ala Algonquin Park - unlike the ones at AP these have smaller lids that will make for wet sitting if it has been raining & they do not necessarily face away from the campsite proper; at Algonquin when you raise the cover it shields you from view affording more privacy. Sunset paddle on the bay & up an inlet for almost a mile, almost ran over a beaver, mist was already rising over the stream. Super clear starry night, abundant loony tunes. Light mosquito activity for about an hour after sunset. 14 miles. Misty morning paddle down to SW end then up Rock Pond Outlet (with much purple-flowered pickerelweed) to Rock Pond - 100 yd. easy carry as one gets close with a good size beaver dam to hop both before the carry & after. Rock Pond is very scenic; loons called & responded & gulls flew noisily, took a swim from the island. Back on LTL, still relatively calm, past the islands in the S end saw male white-winged scoter (rare in Adirondacks, esp in summer), many gulls & loons. 12 miles. Bell Merlin II, 15' solo canoe, handled the waves well. More on the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area. Public Navigation Rights in New York State (pdf), New Bell canoes for 2006: a Chestnut Prospector, Bill Mason's fave canoe, in composite & Royalex - not an interpretation of a Prospector like many other manufacturers have done. Also a 12' Rob Roy kayak with new seating system.

July 31/Aug 1 - St. REGIS CANOE AREA. Little Clear Pond - I pass 8 loons incl. a group of 5. On 0.6 mi. carry trail I go by an exhasperated-looking couple wheeling a canoe & 3 young adults carrying 2 rec kayaks - they are day-tripping, I am carrying an 80lb. load! Entering St. Regis Pond red pines dominate E shore - camped on white pine point with view of St. Regis Mt. Short carry around fish barrier dam then paddle down outlet (W Br St Regis River - very unriverlike here) to Ochre Pond - pink flowers of swamp rose - very shallow at first but gets deeper (over 1') the further one goes - returned upstream. Paddled long way back to camp along N shore. Day 2 - 7 loons gather for "breakfast club". Short carry to Green Pond (I just sling the canoe over the shoulder & not bother with the removable yoke), Little Long Pond (2 adult loons & 1 chick), Bear Pond (2 adult loons & 2 chicks; youth group campers at private leanto). Back to St. Regis Pond explored a channel to SE which leads into a small pond; an unmarked but obvious trail leads in 7 mins. to Little Clear. Back to St RP, break camp & out. Minimal bad bugs, some skeeters on trails, went DEETless. Stopped at Little Green Pond & watched a summer storm blow thru. Bell Merlin II, a 14' solo canoe.

July 25 - FOURMILE RIVER, LI SOUND. Put-in at state boat launch on W side of river - Rocky Neck SP is on E side. Paddled under rr bridge & into the sound. Waves under 2'. Did not go out too far since I was solo today. Surfed back in & up the river. Great & snowy egrets fed in the shallows & mudflats a little after low tide. Able to only go about half mile before river narrows & a downed tree blocked the way. Went back out into the sound to play in the waves. Drove over to Guilford. EAST RIVER, LI SOUND in Guilford/Madison, CT. Put-in at end of Neck Rd on E side of river - most of parking area & 200' of access road floods at high tide! Few minutes downstream to Guilford Town Marina (alternate launch) & sound. Back up river thru wide saltmarsh - some ospreys, egrets. Noisy as I pass under Rt.1 & I-95 bridges - takes a while to get out of earshot. Slowly marsh diminishes & shores become treed. After about 4.5 miles pass under some low overhanging oak branches & river narrows to almost nothing & I turn around. An occasional house is seen. Paddled along with a mute swan for a while. Arrived back at parking lot a bit after high tide & there was a foot of water in road so continued on to point (Grass Island) & hung out on sand, grass, rock, shell beach with sound view for a while - an abandoned cottage stood nearby. Ref: AMC Quiet Water MA, CT, RI. Dagger Halifax 17.0, a 17'3" PE sea kayak with rudder.

July 24 - GREAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND SOUND, CONNECTICUT RIVER. Put-in 2.5 hrs. before high tide at end of Smith Neck Rd in Old Lyme - lots of kayaks, some canoes & motorcraft. Started out around Griswold Point (a Parrothead gathering on the beach) & into the Sound. Waves mostly 1'-2' breaking in the shallows. Headed E to White Sand Beach & turned back. We all had a hard time catching a good surf in these waves - something weird about these waves. Saw some other kayakers out here - some not wearing PFDs, some on sit-on-tops, some in touring kayaks. Ducked thru gap in point into a back bay with clouds of shorebirds - most of land on point is owned by The Nature Conservancy & is fenced off to protect nesting piping plovers. Rounding S side of Great Island (mostly grasses), Hiwayman capsized (it was relatively calm here!) & Enjnir did an assisted T rescue. Continued on up W side of island now on E side of Connecticut River which is 0.5 to 1 mile wide here. Motorcraft stay in the deep water channel to the W side of river. Highest concentration of ospreys I've ever seen - each nest usually had 1 to 3 on it. Turned E into Lieutenant River - outgoing tide opposed by wind waves/ boat wakes made for the best surfing of the day. We pass a couple of adult swans with 4 good-size grey chicks. A channel leads into a bay on E side of island - several cormorants here. 10 miles, 5.5 hrs. Highly recommended for variety & natural setting - the only negative is the constant hum of motors on river & sound. Ref: Sea Kayaking along the New England Coast. Swift Saranac 14, 14' touring kayak with skeg, did quite fine as usual. Brunton removable deck compass, SealLine Taper dry bag, Werner Kalliste bent shaft primary paddle, Werner Cascadia straight shaft spare paddle.

July 20 - HUDSON RIVER, VLOMAN KILL, PAPSCANEE CREEK from boat launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. Started out about 2 hours after high tide. Water level on the VK was dropping fast revealing a rock here & there - a tree is down across the stream but we managed to squeeze between the branches. Less than a mile in the waterfall had a fair amount of water going over it but we didn't linger long. Crossed the Hudson thru exposed pilings & into the PC (a bit shallow at the mouth) & up past the railroad bridge - lots of great blue herons here. Full moon made its appearance as we loaded the boats. Hurricane Aquasports Santee, a 10' 33lb rec kayak.

July 18 - MASON LAKE. Camped at drive-in site on Perkins Clearing Rd (dirt) near the outlet of the lake. Hazy morning paddle - nice setting marred only by the proximity of Rt.30. 2 adult loons dove & rose to feed 2 growing but still fuzzy-looking chicks. Boggy shores along the outlet offered much interest - pitcher plants, sundews, bladderwort's yellow flowers; white fragrant & yellow pond lilies in the shallows. Drove over to G LAKE. 0.4 mi. easy carry to campsite at E shore - wheelable, but Nehasane uses a removeable Bell yoke with CVC pads. Shallows filled with floating hearts & pipewort (white button flower heads). Pair of loons called wildly as I entered their space - good wilderness feel. Drove Rt.10 over to NORTH STONER LAKE for a paddle & swim - not as nice as described in McMartin's Southern Adirondacks guidebook - fair amount of trash at put-in & campsite. Note: gate at Shaker Place on W Br Sacandaga River is still locked. Bell Merlin II solo canoe.

July 10 - HUDSON RIVER from Dutchman's Landing in Catskill. Relatively calm morning with a little motor traffic sending wakes of up to 1.5'. Headed up the mostly wooded W shore which has some light development. Olana can be seen on the hill to the E. Ran into (not literally) the GHRP group of ~40 kayakers. Stopped at the Cohotate Preserve to stretch the legs & read the educational signboards. Return was a lot faster going with the outgoing tide. 5 miles at an easy pace, 2.5 hrs. Dagger Exodus 16.8 a 16'11" polyethylene sea kayak.

June 21 - HUDSON RIVER from Lock 1 in Halfmoon (Rts.4&32 N of Waterford). 3.5 miles to Lock 2 - some development, some woods. Current stronger than usual due to recent rains up N - took a lot less time to return than to go upstream. Played in waves below Lock 2 (experienced paddlers only). Other than canoes & kayaks, saw only 1 motorized boat & a bicycle (!) on the river this fine evening. 7 miles, 2 hrs. Dagger Exodus 16.8, a 16'10" PE touring kayak - fun, speedy, comfortable, predictable in waves.

June 20 - ALANDER MOUNTAIN hike from Mt. Washington SF HQ (SW Mass.) Mountain laurel is in full pink bloom in sunny areas - white variety is just starting to blossom in shadier areas. Views in all directions if you move around a bit on the summit - Catskills, Appalachains, Taconics, Harlem Valley. 5+ miles, 3.8 hrs. MOHAWK RIVER Lock 7 kayak rescue practice - paddlefloat self-rescue, assisted T rescue & Eskimo bow rescue. Almost full moon rose large over the lock.

June 19 - HOOSIC RIVER VT/NY line to just past Rt.7 bridge. Was going to do the Batten Kill but it was close to flood level. Riffles, class 1 rapids & a class 2 drop about 2 miles into the trip (take it just L of center) with nice wave train. Nice valley scenery with very little development altho never too far from road or railroad. Wood duck & ducklings, sandpipers, killdeer, cormorant & many songbirds. See ADK East-Central guidebook for more info especially best water level info (Eagle Bridge gauge read about 3' today). 7 miles, 4.5 leisurely hours. Dagger Reflection 16, a 16'4" tandem canoe made of Royalex. DUNHAM RESERVOIR - S of Rt.2 in Grafton SP. Beaver. Picnickers with bbq chicken & loud country music. 3 miles, 1.5 hrs. Bell Northwind RX, a 16'6" tandem canoe made of Royalex - stiff hull, no oil-canning.

June 17 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7. Fairly quiet this morning. 2 steam launches were parked at the lock - very interesting craft that burn wood. Dagger Catalyst 13.0 - a speedy yet stable 12'11" kayak for the larger paddler.

June 13 - WOODS POND & HOUSATONIC RIVER, Lenox, Mass. After a quick tour of the pond (some very shallow areas) headed upstream against a light current. For about 4 miles there is little sign of civilization. River averages 50' wide. Continued for less than a mile past the Decker Canoe Access near the New Lenox Rd bridge before returning. Lowland floodplain forest of Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area to the W; transitional forest of October Mtn to the E. Lots of flowers incl. yellow pond lily, yellow & blue flag, bittersweet (deadly) nightshade (violet/yellow); forget-me-nots. Wildlife aplenty: beaver, muskrat; C geese & growing goslings; mallards & tiny ducklings; cliff, bank & tree swallows; killdeer, sandpipers; gb herons, rw blackbirds; yellow warblers, many songbirds; dragonflies, damselflies. Some mosquitoes at the put-in; swarming flies a nuisance but rarely biting. Hot & steamy day - looked for cover under silver maples but much of river has liitle shade. Do not drink the water or eat the fish - PCBs. Ref: Water Trails of Western Massachusetts. 10 miles, 4.7 hrs. Dagger Element 10.0 kayak.

• June 8 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7. Electrical storms - stayed close to shore - best not not to be on the water - do as I say, not as I do! Dagger Specter 14.0 - a 14' touring kayak, great on edge.
• June 8 - MOHAWK RIVER downstream from Lock 9 in Rotterdam Junction - put-in on N side of river - path from end of parking lot leads to mud/sand "beach" or take a nearer steeper rocky route to shore. Paddled with folks from Schenectady Planning to gather info for county's section of Blueway Trail. Stopped at Mabee Farm for a quick tour of Dutch history. Swift Saranac 14.5 - a well-behaved 14.5' touring kayak.
• June 7 - HUDSON RIVER, VLOMAN KILL & PAPSCANEE CREEK from state boat launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. VK - nice waterfall. PC - went up mile+. Dagger Specter 15.0 - a 15' touring kayak that likes to carve turns, fun.
• June 6 - GERTRUDE'S NOSE hike in Minnewaska State Park Preserve (parking $6), in the northern Shawangunks (or "Gunks") W of New Paltz. Started down E side of Lake Minnewaska, a small clear lake ringed with woods & white quartzose cliffs. Then Millbrook Mtn Carriageway to Gertrude's Nose Path which is often near cliff edge. Super view altho hazy with today's humidity. Rumblings of thunder hastened my return on W side of the lake. Pitch pines, oaks, blueberry & mountain laurel (just starting to blossom - should be in full bloom in a week). Bugs minimal - some blackflies in parking lot. 6.5 miles, 4.25 hrs. Storm came thru 15 min. after I was done. Hunkered down at The Gilded Otter in New Paltz - $3 special pint of Oatmeal Stout - good food, too.
• June 5 - MOHAWK RIVER Lock 7. Water warming up to comfort level. Hurricane Aquasports Santee - a 10' rec kayak made of Trylon - tracks & turns well, very lightweight for a kayak with 2 hatches.
• June 5 - HUDSON RIVER in Moreau. 3.5 mile stretch between Spier Falls & Sherman Island Dams. Put-in at Sherman Isl. Boat Launch on Spier Falls Rd - a good gravel launching area. Mostly in Moreau SP so very little development, in fact, middle section is near wilderness. Steep hills surround the river here. S shore near Sherman Isl Dam has some interesting bays & islands with rocks that tempt you to take a break. 7 miles, 2.6 hrs. Swift Adirondack 12 - still working on my tan - tracks great.
• June 3 - MOHAWK RIVER from Kiwanis Park, Rt.5S, Rotterdam. Concrete boat launch. Paddled downstream to Lock 8 & around Dalys Island. Light development, fairly scenic but highway noise is bit too much for this quiet-water guy. 3.5 miles, 1 hour. Swift Adirondack 12 - a 12.2' rec kayak - large cockpit opening so that I can get a tan on my legs - a classy-looking gentleperson's kayak - lightweight in Trylon, lighter in Goldenglass, lightest in Kevlar. Had a chance to weigh a couple of 9.5' kayaks today - Old Town Otter 44 lbs. (manufacturer claims 39 lbs.); Dagger Zydeco 37 lbs. (manufacturer claims 38 lbs.) Zydeco also has extra deck bungies, padded seat, footbraces, drainplug; the Otter does not. Beware what manufacturers tell you - lift the boat up yourself.
• June 1 - MOHAWK RIVER upstream from Lock 7. Paddled both ides of river as far as waterfall on S shore just before powerline - 5-6 miles. Water is very clear for this time of year. Dagger Blackwater 10.5 - a fun 10'8" kayak that a better paddler can still enjoy on edge. Stohlquist comfortable personal floatation devices (PFD/aka life jacket).
• May 30 - HURRICANE MT. hike. One of DEC's recommended mud season hikes. Outstanding 360 views of High Peaks, Lake Champlain & lots more. Spent long time sunning myself on top. Very light blackfly activity - went DEETless. 2,000', 5.3 miles, 5.4 hrs.
• May 29 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lock 7 boat launch in Niskayuna. Sunset cruise. Swift Saranac 14 (Trylon version), a 14' touring kayak with skeg.
• May 29 - MOHAWK RIVER from Lions Park, Niskayuna. Went downstream, around the last island then upstream to Lock 7. Lots of thrashing carp in the shallows; an albino Canada goose; osprey; great egret. Paddled past the old bald eagle nest - they have not returned this year (last year 2 liitle ones were born). Light motor traffic but fairly quiet on this morning. Honeysuckle in bloom (some pink, some yellow & white). 6.5 miles, 2.5 hours at an easy pace. Dagger Catalyst 13.0, a 13' rec touring kayak - stable like a rec kayak, glide like a small touring kayak.
• May 24 - MOHAWK & HUDSON RIVERS from boat launch at S end of First St in Waterford. Paddled W around N end of historic PEEBLES ISLAND 0.6 miles to cliffy island - channel to the R (river L) had a pretty good current - presence of Mohawk Paper Mill makes this the less attractive side of Peebles & its impressive cliffs. Back past put-in & around S end of Peebles 0.8 miles to "Whirlpool" Falls & played in the waves below the falls - cool place but be careful of currents & shallows. Watched a beaver walk along shore then dip into the water. Dagger Blackwater 12.5 - a playful 12'7" kayak that is designed for use on flatwater & up to class 2 whitewater.
• May 23 - SUNSET ROCK loop hike, Taconic State Park in Copake Falls. Scenic blue-marked Cedar Brook Trail follows brook to S Taconic Trail. Reach Sunset Rock after ~1.5 miles & 950' elevation gain - interesting vegetation at top of ridge: mountain laurel, stunted pines & oaks; flowering: pink azalea, blueberry & pink lady's slipper. View of nearby farms & Catskills beyond. Kept going N on STT to seasonal dirt road, W to return on yellow trail. Light blackfly & mosquito activity. 5 miles, 3 hrs. BASH BISH FALLS just inside the Mass. border - went to top & bottom (can't see all of the 200' drop from either) - wild columbine & rock cress clinging to rocks. Pick up the South Taconic Trails mapset at APnP.
  
• May 22 - MOHAWK RIVER Lock 7, Niskayuna - from Rosendale Rd in Niskayuna take Lock 7 Rd, as you approach the lock bear L to boat launch. A new metal dock is in - unfortunately most kayakers will find it too high, probably ok for canoes. Dagger Catalyst 12.8 - a 12'10" zippy rec kayak.
• May 22 - KAYADEROSSERAS CREEK - Ballston Spa to state boat launch at mouth of Fish Creek. Put-in on Northline Rd about 300 yds. W of bridge over the creek & not far E of Rt.50 - now part of Saratoga SP - easy to miss - look for picnic tables & portajohn in field S of road. Flatwater with some quickwater - Slam Dunk is a short class 1 drop 3 miles in & Flat Track is a rocky area shortly before Rt.9. Very little signs of civilization except midway thru trip when passing under Rt.9 & I-87 bridges. A little before Saratoga Lake there is a large logjam that must be portaged on river L. Many sandpipers & songbirds, muskrat. Crossed N end of Saratoga Lake along with tens of bass boats (& ensuing wakes) hurrying back for their 3pm finish. 11 miles, 5 hours (80% in the rain - still enjoyable, tho). For more info: Canoe & Kayak Guide East-Central NY State - sold at the store. Dagger Reflection 16 - a 16'4" tandem canoe made of Royalex - a nice all-around canoe.
• May 21 - MOHAWK RIVER cleanup at Lions Park in Niskayuna. I cleaned up part of the nearby island. Soloed the Bell Northwind RX - a 16'6" tandem canoe made of Royalex - very good primary & excellent secondary stability - a fine all-around canoe.
• May 20 - MOHAWK RIVER from Kiwanis Park Rt.5S in Rotterdam. Upstream - pleasant visually with light development but much highway noise. Passed the Mabee Farm & turned around before Lock 9. Many sandpipers. 5.5 miles, 1.3 hrs. Dagger Halifax 17.0 - a 17'3" polyethylene sea kayak - solid performer.
• May 17 - HUDSON RIVER kayaking, from state launch next to Henry Hudson Park in Bethlehem. Crossed the river & paddled downstream past Castleton-on-Hudson & Berkshire Spur bridge. Tug & barge went by & sent some small waves our way which became a bit confused when reflected from the shore. Crossed to less-developed W side & back - saw 2 immature bald eagles. Banks are diked & backed with dredge spoils - this was begun in 1868 & allowed deep water passage to Albany. Swift Saranac 14 - 14' touring kayak - able to keep up with the 16'-18' tourers I was paddling with. The Hudson River Watertrail Guide details the tidal river from Waterford to NYC - available in the store.
• May 16 - SARANAC RIVER. Put-in on Second Pond, a wide part of the river, S of Rt.3. Headed downstream to Lower Lock - attractive shores of cedars & pine, some huge boulders. Buoys mark the deep water route - fair amount of motor traffic here in summer. Carry R 100yds to OSEETAH LAKE with view of McKenzie Mt ahead & Scarface to the E. Passed some ring-necked ducks & up the channel past cottages to KIWASSA LAKE which has some state land & a leanto on W shore but large camps on rest of it. Back across Oseetah to S end & a very muddy (no problem if wearing Chota Mukluks)landing with snowmobile trail marker. Carry 0.4 mile to PINE POND - kettle pond, nice sandy beach, clear green waters, surrounded by red & white pines & white birches, Ampersand Mt. to SW. Carry back to river via Owl Pond about 1 mile - probably not recommended since one could be tresspassing ( I talked with a couple of guys at a camp there) & the 4WD roads are maze-like. Upstream on the river & took a detour up COLD BROOK for a about a mile before downed trees blocked the way - saw a huge old growth white pine among the spruces as well as wood ducks. Bugs no problem - cool & breezy (blackflies like sun & temps above 60F). 12.5 miles, 6.3 hrs. Bell Bucktail, a 12' open kayak/canoe paddled with kayak paddle - 18lbs. makes portaging a breeze (just sling it over your shoulder & go), 400lb. capacity, Dave Yost designed, smooth efficient glide (easy cruising at 3mph) - could use some footbraces. I used a 240cm Aquabound Seaclude paddle which was way too heavy when you have to hold it out front of you for a few hours. Our customers' favorite paddling hats: OR Seattle Sombrero & Tilley Hats .
• May 15 - HORSESHOE LAKE (the one SW of Tupper Lake). Camped at site #5 - point with rock sloping to the water, 100 yard walk to site. Paddled the perimeter - 3 miles, 1+ hrs. Pair of loons. 1,000s of blackflies hatching but not biting. Peaceful. Nice misty sunrise the next morning accompanied by a natural symphony - loons wailed, white-throated sparrow called "Ne-ha-sa-ne-Ne-ha-sa-ne", hermit thrushes sang, woodpeckers added percussion.
• May 11 - MOHAWK RIVER kayaking. Put-in near the end of Forts Ferry Rd in Latham at a gated concrete ramp. 1.5 miles downstream to island, N into shallow bay then L (straight N leads into a ponding that gets filled with weeds in summer - can be seen from the Northway) into old Erie Canal for over a mile. Pass historic Clute's Dry Dock & turn around at causeway. Swift Saranac 14 - new Trylon (thermoformed ABS/acrylic - has the look of an expensive composite boat at a lower cost; stiffer & lighter than polyethylene) version of the 14' touring kayak - well above average in every handling category.
• May 8&9 - FLOODWOOD POND LOOP canoeing - just S of St. Regis Canoe Area. Floodwood area's ponds are closer together making for very short portages. Most ponds & most of Fish Creek are motor-free. Clear green water is common. Sunday - Put in on FLOODWOOD POND (some cottages on W shore but rest of pond is wild) - 15 min. to nice campsite - set up the MSR Hubba in fly-only config. Paddled down FISH CREEK (high mixed evergreen shores incl. red pine stands, some bog, small turtles). Carry to HORSESHOE POND (2 loons, grackles). Carry to POLLIWOG POND (2 loons, headwind). Short carry to FOLLENSBY CLEAR POND (broad-winged hawk) - rode tailwind S. Carry back to Fish Creek (beaver, osprey) & back to camp. 11+ miles. Mostly cloudy skies cleared, starry night. Monday - Fish Creek to LITTLE SQUARE POND. Fish Creek to COPPERAS POND (2 loons). Carry to WHEY POND (3 loons). Short carry over campground road to ROLLINS POND. Over railroad tracks into ROCK POND OUTLET (snapping turtle, marshy shores) to ROCK POND (pine shores with leafless hardwood hills, Floodwood Mt. to W). Back to Rollins then take outlet (narrows into a rocky 4' wide mini rapid) into Floodwood Pond. 13+ miles. Sunny, warm (70F) day brought out some blackflies but they weren't too hungry yet. Merrimack Baboosic, a 14' solo canoe. Strapped my 2 paddles (a Foxworks Foxtail & a Mitchell) to thwarts to make a yoke. Map.
• May 6 - MOHAWK RIVER kayaking, from Lions Park in Niskayuna. Calm morning. Downstream to S bay, thru channel into shallow pond, back across river to N side, cut back in by Niska Isle. Wood ducks, no bald eagles! Dagger Blackwater 12.5 - a 12'7" polyethylene rec kayak with skeg - very stable; good speed; fair tracking with skeg up, very good with skeg down; very maneuverable - good choice for anything from lakes to class 2 whitewater.

  Thule Hullavator - now cartopping your kayak has been made lots easier.
• May 3 - BALLSTON LAKE OUTLET canoeing. Put-in next to bridge on Outlet Rd. Soon have to go around a downed tree but after that there was only 1 small beaverdam to slide over. Stream winds over a mile thru interesting swamp to great blue heron rookery with 21 nests. A nesting C goose lies low on a hummock, red-winged blackbirds flutter about noisily, a beaver slaps its tail, another heads for shore. Past the rookery there is a large beaverdam & we turn around. 1.5 hrs. Bell Northwind - 16.5' Royalex version - above average everything - excellent choice if durability & moderate weight are important. Bending Branches canoe paddles.
• May 1 & 2 - COD POND canoe camping - S of Rt.8 in Wilcox Lake WF half way between Wevertown & Wells. 1.2 mile carry (doubled in well over an hour) to pond - uphill the 1st third of the way. Camped at end of trail, good site with rocky area at the water - a bit too much trash here tho. Pines & birches ring the pond. A marshy channel leads from the pond to STEWART CREEK which I paddled upstream for about 1.5 miles going over 3 beaverdams. Reach a 0.25 mile rapid & walked along S shore to top - a short bushwhack to N of rapids brings one to a trail which one can take to access the upper creek where one can paddle for a few more miles (I wasn't up for it today, tho). Pleasant views of surrounding small mountains. Woke up to a nice sunrise but clouds rolled in quickly & snowflakes dropped for half an hour before returning to mostly blue skies in an hour. Paddled to S of pond & bushwhacked S following a stream uphill for under a mile to boggy outlet of LITTLE JOE POND (unnamed on maps) which I followed to the pond. Hiked around perimeter - could sometimes detect a fisherman's path. Pond has 2 very nice clean campsites. Followed orange tape markers back to Cod Pond, a more direct route slightly W of stream. Sleet shower as I returned to campsite. Osprey, Canada geese, great blue herons, mallards, wood ducks, hooded mergansers, ring-necked ducks, tree swallows, red-winged blackbirds, pileated woodpeckers, spring peepers, loon (so happy to hear their call again)..... Carpets of yellow violets; some white violets, purple trillium, spring beauties. No bad bugs. Bell Merlin II. Mitchell Paddles.
• Apr 29 - MOHAWK RIVER from Forts Ferry Rd in Latham. West wind 10-15mph - waves up to 1'. Paddled upstream, bay to south, 1st island - saw bald eagle nest but no eagles - red-tailed hawk & many songbirds. Widest & nicest area of Mohawk River - little development, lots of wildlife - best paddled thru early June, after that the water chestnut clogs the bay & south shore. Dagger Specter 14.0, a 14'2" polyethylene touring kayak - good speed, very maneuverable; very good primary & secondary stability; very comfortable seat (lumbar support can be lowered or raised); used rudder quite a bit in the quartering winds. Werner Paddles.
• Apr 26 - MOHAWK RIVER kayaking from Lions Park, Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna. Headed W then under the bike path & into the Lisha Kill. Water level was much higher than a week ago. Paddled hard & pushed up a 10" high beaverdam without exiting the kayak, turned around at a downed tree shortly thereafter. Headed around Niska Isle (a peninsula) with a gusty SE wind toward Lock 7. Around the Vischer Ferry area waves were ~1.5' & could be surfed, going back into the waves was fun too - the river's current here does some strange things at high water/wind levels. Muskrats, otters?, cardinals, killdeer? Dagger Specter 15.0, a 15'1" polyethylene touring kayak, was a cool confidence-inspiring customer in the waves; high primary stability for a touring kayak; while not a speed demon, it edges & carves turns nicely - nice beginner to intermediate tourer. Aquabound kayak paddles.
• Apr 25 - 1000 ACRE SWAMP canoeing. Put-in off Hitchcock Rd in Southfield, MA. A brief snow shower greeted me as I arrived. Gusty wind blew waves up to 1'. No longer much of a swamp since they built a flood-control dam in 1963. 1,500' elevation. Paddled around N shore of 1000 Acre Lake to piney E side, into inlet that had 6' high beaverdam which I carried around. Able to paddle marsh/swamp (incl. short narrow stretch thru 10' tall Phragmites) for half mile upstream - tree swallows darted about & spring peepers peeped. Back to pond then landed S of above inlet. 0.3 mile carry on good unmarked trail to small Mill Pond (now in Cookson SF). Two 1.5' beaverdams separate Mill Pond from East Indies Pond. East Indies is less than half a mile across but has a wonderful wilderness feel - if it wasn't for the mountain laurel growing thickly along the shoreline one would think one was in Algonquin Park. At least 3 campsites; some covered bog shoreline. Back on 1000 Acre, finished circuit - osprey flies out just as I'm finishing. Ref: Water Trails of Western Massachusetts by Charles Smith (available at APnP). Map. Bell Merlin II, 15' solo canoe.
• Apr 24 - CATSKILLS hike. Was thinking about kayaking the Hudson but south winds at 20mph make for rough paddling - stopped at Coxsackie's Riverside park &, sure enough, whitecaps. Hiked a loop from North & South Lakes. Top of Kaaterskill Falls - 260' down! Layman Monument - ok view, too close to road. Sunset Rock - better view of Kaaterskill Clove. Inspiration Point - nice view of Clove, still snow on Hunter Mtn's slopes. Boulder Rock - super views of Hudson River & valley. 6 miles, 4.5 hrs.

2004: