Posts

EAST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER & SIAMESE PONDS hiking & cross-country skiing

Image
  Feb 20, 2025 - EAST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER trail to Sacandaga Lean-to from Old Farm trailhead. Siamese Ponds Wilderness. The first couple of miles were easy, with a slight gain in elevation. The next couple of miles had some ups & several fast downhills as the trail dropped 200' to within sight of the frozen-over river. Crossed on a good bridge. Rolling terrain beyond with some sharp dips in & out of frozen brooks. One big tree across the trail, & a smaller one. Could sometimes make out the river & Big Shanty Flow thru the trees. A moose had postholed the trail. Turned R at a junction & soon arrived at the lean-to. Woods were sometimes open hardwoods, sometimes evergreens. Good skiing on 20", with 3" of powder on firm crust base - unbreakable with skis on, breakable crust in bare boots, poles would sometimes break thru. Mostly sunny, temp rising from single digits to upper teens. 14+ miles, 1375' el gain/loss, 7.2 hours. Legs are tired! Sept 15, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

CHASE LAKE cross country skiing

Image
  Jan 16, 2019 - CHASE LAKE skiing & lean-to camping.  Shaker Mtn WF.  Avg of 3" on ~6" crunchy base - good skiing.  Coyotes howling.  Missed the cheap beer drinkers, tracked & wheeled vehicles & snowmobiles (saw tracks).  Lots of junk in & around the lean-to (actually some of it is useful).  Trail to old lean-to site is novice (this was untracked), rest is intermediate (had seen some snowshoe & ski use).  Very quiet while I was there - nice spot. Jan 1, 2017 - CHASE LAKE ski, from the end of Pinnacle Rd in Bleecker.  Shaker Mtn WF, Adirondack Park.  Excellent skiing (if you used Maxiglide on nowax skis; snow can be sticky with temp close to freezing) - 10" powder on over a foot of base, close to 2' total.  Trail to the newer lean-to (intermediate) which has a nice view then across the lake to the old lean-to site & looped back (easy but less used & more breaking trail).  Ran into a couple on way bac...
Post a Comment
Read more

FALL FOLIAGE PADDLING DESTINATIONS 2024

Image
  In most years, you can find peak fall foliage in the higher elevations of the Adirondack Park around the end of September and in early October.  By Indigenous Peoples'/Columbus Day weekend, the bright red and orange leaves of the red and sugar maple trees will likely have dropped to the ground, but the yellows of the birches and the golds of the beeches may still be evident. Thanks to climate change, in recent years the best colors have been persisting through to the holiday which falls on October 14 this year - perhaps a little bit late for peak in higher elevations in the Adirondacks? After that date, the colors should pop in the lowlands and the Hudson River Valley. Although there are a multitude of great paddling spots in the northern and western parts of the Adirondacks, for this article I will limit the choices to the areas south and east of Indian Lake, and add some choices outside the Adirondack Park that are easily accessible from the greater Capital District. 14-mi...
Post a Comment
Read more

SIAMESE PONDS cross country skiing.

Image
  Mar 2, 2008 - 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. Visit us on Facebook Welcome to the Adirondacks NYSDEC Info
Post a Comment
Read more

NORTH BRANCH MOOSE RIVER paddling

Image
  August 8, 2024 - NORTH BRANCH MOOSE RIVER paddling, from Carter Rd downstream to Green Bridge Rd in Old Forge. Set up a shuttle - a 9.5-mile drive between start & finish. Carter Rd put-in is on river R upstream of the bridge. Meandering stream with wild shores for ~10 miles. Sometimes steeper wooded shores (black spruce), sometimes shrubby (alders), sometimes grassy with Joe Pye Weed flowering. White meadowsweet was also flowering. Lots of sandy banks for breaks along the way. Went under the North St bridge at 5.7 miles (the trip could be shortened by taking out or putting in here but you would be missing some of the best parts). We took one shortcut. To me, the river looked like a cross between the Cedar River above the CRFlow & the rivers of the NJ Pine Barrens. Note that shores are private land - state land (Fulton Chain Wild Forest) is on river L further downstream. Signs warn of the upcoming carry around rapids. The 0.2-mile carry is on the L - barely wheelable, so i...
Post a Comment
Read more

FERD'S BOG & BLACK BEAR MOUNTAIN hike

Image
  August 7, 2024 - BLACK BEAR MOUNTAIN hike. Northern part of Moose River Plains Wild Forest. After visiting Ferd's Bog, we drove 0.5 miles further on Uncas Rd - the parking area & trailhead were hidden on the S side of the road. Started out going 0.9 miles on an old woods road then turned R (too many trails in the area are marked with yellow discs, which can be confusing). Climbed moderately to a junction (I could not spot the xc ski trail). Straight & things got steeper with some rock slabs among spruces. The first view on the L. Continued to the 2454' summit where views are mostly to the S & E (Seventh Lake, Blue Ridge). In my opinion, the best view was a bit off-trail from open rock below the summit looking NE & E to Blue Mtn, the Eckford Chain of Lakes, & the High Peaks in the distance. Back the same way. 4.6 miles, 755' gross el gain, 3.4 hours. Aug 7, 2024 - Short hike to FERD'S BOG, from Uncas Rd (dirt) 3.5 miles W of Brown Tract Pond campgro...
Post a Comment
Read more