2010 HIKING TRIP REPORTS
December 4
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Saturday (Urban) Hike
Usually we are wandering around in the woods, but occasionally we do
something different. Today, 16 hardy hikers spent 2 hours wandering around
downtown Rochester and nearby. We peered into the old canal aqueduct and
noted interesting historical architecture. Since there had been heavy
precipitation the previous week, the Genesee River was full and roiling,
helping us imagine the potential power of the River before the Mt. Morris
dam was built. At the High Falls overlook we found a new-to-us observation
deck with a see-through grate deck. On the way back we passed through the
Corn Hill neighborhood, admiring the beautiful old houses.
Trip leader -- Carol
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November 20
Saturday
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First Annual Trip Leaders Recognition Dinner
By Mary Norman
Approximately 40 ADK-GVC trip leaders gathered at the King's Bend
Park North Lodge for the first annual Trip Leaders' Recognition Dinner.
Some of the attendees have been leading trips since the 1970s while others
recently volunteered to lead during the 2010 season; regardless, our
chapter could not be more appreciative of these leaders' efforts! What a
great, dynamic, and diverse group; it was very gratifying to see folks who
we normally only see on the trail in a relaxed social setting and it was
also an opportunity to put a face with some of the names that we have only
seen in print! A special thanks to Bob Krenzer, Rich Sensabaugh, Anne
Bohan, Nancy Donny, and Charlie Helman for helping us set up and clean
up--and make that urgent last-minute trip to Wegmans! We are especially
happy that Erv Tschanz, who leads the annual winter backpacking training,
agreed to be our keynote speaker and give us an insider's view of some of
the hidden hiking gems in the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, and Pennsylvania
area. Kudos also goes to Carter Thomas, Charlie Helman, Larry Telle, and
Joanne Mitchell for helping us recognize the people who keep the Younger
Members Committee, Waterways, and Saturday and Sunday Hikes alive and
kicking. We hope this dinner turns into an annual event to honor those
that do so much for the rest of us by planning, organizing and leading
events throughout the year.
Our thanks to ALL of our trip leaders, whether or not they were able to
attend, for their dedication and contributions. 2010 was a great year and
we're looking forward to 2011!
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October 17
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High Tor, Naples, NY
Younger Members and Trails ganged up for an awesome hike through High Tor
in Naples Sunday, October 17. The hike took about two hours, and the round
trip from Perinton was another two. Many thanks to Mary and Carter for
bringing the two groups together for this! Also, special thanks to Bob
Krenzer who helped Mary scout the trail twice this summer and acted as our
fearless leader on the trail--making sure we all took the right turns up
and down the hill.
Foliage and spirits were at their peak, with 26 human hikers and three
well-behaved dogs. This was the first hike for a handful of new, inactive
and potential members, and they all mingled right in with active members.
The weather was perfect, too! Mostly sunny with spotty clouds, a bit cool
and breezy, which was very comfortable for a hike.
In addition to a few hawks, we crossed paths with a giant slug named Bob,
and a hitchhiking caterpillar.
After the hike, eight of us met for lunch at the Pittsford Pub. Everyone
else perished.
Trip leaders - David Schott and Carter Danforth (YM), Mary Norman (Trails)
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September 23-26
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Northville-Placid Backpack
By Judy Pitoni
The ADK Genesee Chapter sponsored a 30 mile hike on the Northville-Placid
trail the last weekend in September that I was fortunate enough to participate
in. The section between Wakely Dam and Piseco is very remote with the midpoint
being 16 mile from civilization in any direction, and did I say BEAUTIFUL! We
traversed a string of pristine lakes known as the West Canada Lakes with beaver
dams, wildlife, gorgeous views, serenity, and well cared for trails and
lean-tos.
From Wakely Dam we hiked into Carry lean-to and because it was early
afternoon we decided to hike further to the Cedar Lakes lean-to #1 (a grand
total of 9.7 miles for our first day) and settled in at 6pm. The site sat atop
of a hill a short distance from the waters edge – we soaked our hot feet as we
looked at great fall foliage. We had the first of our warm fires, listened to
great past hiking stories and the calling of the loons! We also followed moose
tracks big and small between Carry lean-to and Cedar Lake lean- to.
The next day we hiked from Cedar Lakes lean-to to the South Lake lean-to,
approximately 7 rough miles, the trail definitely had more ups and downs than
the previous day. It was a warm for this time of year which turned out to be a
good thing. We checked out camp sites and lean-tos along the way and about
midpoint met three young men who advised us that the bridge across Mud creek
that had been intact last month was now washed out but they had managed to
cross on a log upstream. We ran into another backpacker who gave us his
perspection on crossing and made it sound easy. Hah, it was a tricky one. The
water was 3-4 feet deep, moving swiftly, and 12 feet across. There was only one
log over the water with not much to hang onto until you got past the middle,
then it was a leap to shore (a little tricky with a heavy backpack shifting
your weight). After a "trail blazer test crossing" some people walked the log,
some waded through the creek. This is where the warm day came in handy because
it's no fun to be soaked to the waist when it's cold! We had lunch at the
water's edge after we bush whacked our way back to the trail. Again we checked
out other lean-tos before crossing the wide bridge to the South Lake. Another
great campfire, stories, no loons, rumbling thunder to the north, and winds
that picked up and persisted all night with a noticeable temperature drop. We
woke to even more beautiful fall foliage catching the sun on the west side of
the lake. We chased our gear from the clothesline that had blown away during
the night, nursed our feet and hit the trail again.
Saturday's weather was cooler and better suited to hiking. We started out
with layers but were soon shedding them as we headed toward the Jessup River
camp site 9 miles away. The day was uneventful and we made camp with everyone
tenting in the woods on the banks of the river. We found an even more
attractive campsite over the hill to the East but no one was moving! We had
another nice fire, lots of mosquitoes, and again (some of us) soaked our hot
feet in the river.
Sunday, we tended to our blisters in the morning, thanks to our trail
doctor, and set off to for Piseco and our cars. The miles went by quickly; the
trail was relatively flat crossing the Piseco Airport cross country ski loop
before reaching the parking lot. We collected our cars from both ends of the
trail, lunched at the Ox-Bow Inn and celebrated our accomplishments before
heading back to the city.
Our group was very diverse; we had a gourmet chef, a great story teller, a
medicine man, a scout leader, someone who completed his N-P trail on this
segment, a photographer who captured the memories, a creek trail blazer, and a
strong hiker who graciously battled a cold.
Many thanks to Sue Sciortino, our group leader who made this trip possible,
she did an outstanding job! She scouted the route, parking, and familiarized
herself with the trails, which made us all confident and able to thoroughly
enjoy our trip. Kudos.
Participants: Dave, Jim, Chuck, Tony, Judy, Brenda, Pete
Trip Leaders - Sue Sciortino, Jim Luening
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September 3-6
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Adirondack High Peaks
We celebrated nearing the end of a great summer with the second
Younger Members' backpacking trip of the season. Getting off to a rocky
start with a near collapse of meeting place at the "Eastview Mall Park
'n' Ride" (which, it turns out, is posted near L.L. Bean) foreshadowed
the climbs on the days that would follow. Leaving the city and work behind
on Friday afternoon, we set up our first camp of the long weekend at the
Sharp Bridge State Campground at around midnight. Rorschach demonstrated
his excitement with the new surroundings with the expeditious execution of
a certain ritual common to his type. The predicted rains we had readied for
never came and the said ritual endured on my shoe.
With two cars, we left one at the trailhead on the north side of Giant
Mountain, and the other- with beverages – by Chapel Pond where the descent
from Giant meets the ascent to Dix Mountain via Round Pond. Our hike on
Saturday was pleasant and leisure-filled, as we made our way through the
seldom traveled north side of the Giant Mountain wilderness area. The Owl
Head lookout offered us an impressive view of Giant, as well as the Green
Mountain range off to the East. We got very lucky and were able to claim
the lean-to for ourselves as the much anticipated light rain started in the
evening. It continued sporadically into Sunday, as we carried everything up
to the summit of Giant. 39 degree temperatures and a surreal experience of
dense clouds obscuring and then parting to reveal a view made the summit
memorable.
Two hours later, with the sun out, some of us were feeling warm enough once
again to bathe in the "Washbowl" of the giants along the crowded trail
which descends the South side of Giant. We all envied the adoration
Rorschach received from other hikers, and decided it must have been for the
lavender-hued bedroll he proudly carried on his pack. We were still feeling
good by the time we crossed rt-73 and started back up again to swim in
Round Pond. The water here was notably warmer than in the "Washbowl". The
Bouquet River lean-to was practically a small village, and we were able to
find an area just big enough to set up our four tents. Tofu-soba-curry for
dinner was a big hit according to everyone; except for Rorschach who hadn't
requested dinner beforehand, changed his mind, and then decided noodles
were not to his liking.
We left camp up, and set out with light bags for the summit of Dix. The
trail was steep and rocky- good thing we had decided against leaving a car
at Elk Lake! Superb views from the top provided the inspiration for more
adventures.
Participants - Andrea, David, Eric, Eric, Jesse, Tess and Rorschach
Trip leader - Eric Boxer
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August 6-8
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High Peaks Challenge
Our group set out on Friday morning for the Keene Valley, arriving
mid-afternoon. We rented an ADK club leanto by Johns Brook Lodge which
worked out very nicely. Saturday morning we awoke to temperatures in the
30s but the mercury creeped up a little as we began our day. Saturday's
goals were 5 peaks; Basin, Saddleback, Gothics, Armstrong, and Upper
Wolfjaw. With the temperature in the 60s all day and sunny skies, we had
perfect conditions. So good that several of us tacked on Lower Wolfjaw
for a total of 6 peaks. With lower Wolfjaw, it was about a 13 hour day.
Everyone slept well that night. Sunday, we headed out for a brunch in
town and back home.
Trip leader - Jim Luening
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July 16-18
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Colvin, Nippletop and Dial
Will Soles, Patrick Rault and Eric Boxer set out on a Friday
morning and headed to the hills for the first Younger Members' backpack in
"a while". An unexpectedly delicious lunch stopover in Holland Patent at
Grande's is highly recommended for future trips. Our plan had been to camp
near the Ausable Club trailhead, and we agreed that Round Pond looked
ideal. The Round Pond camp thus became a mini-backpack as we started out at
about 6pm from the car with light packs for one night. Once at camp, we
each got the idea to go for a swim in the beckoning waters of Round Pond.
We quickly realized that swimming in round pond would require walking out
about a hundred feet before the water was waist deep. Definitely worth it.
Great campsite.
On Saturday morning, we headed up the road two miles to the Ausable
trailhead, loaded up packs again, and started up the Ausable River, hitting
several waterfalls along the way to the Indian Head lookout. It's hard to
describe how awe-inspiring this view is, but let's just say it's one of
the great places in the state to take it in.
After setting up camp near Gill Brook, we decided we had enough energy to
continue up with light packs to Mt Colvin. We hiked part of the way to
Colvin with a group of young campers, most of whom were climbing their
first peak. It was fun to share that experience with them and see how much
a bunch on city kids with no experience were capable of, but also a little
painful to see the inexperienced counselors growing frustrated.
Hiking up Gill brook again in the morning, this time with full packs, was
slightly more difficult than the day before. This was compounded by our 730
am start from camp extra water weight after a rainy night. We reached Elk
Pass shortly, and then made the arduous ascent of Nippletop, where we were
the first to summit that day. We had been expecting a slightly different
form of the summit, but it was explained that it gets its name from the
view at Elk Lake.
The trail down the ridge to Dial didn't look promising for views and we
began to think that Dial was just named because someone wanted the
recognition. The views and napping potential of the summit block on Dial
were a pleasant surprise to us then, even if not well distinguished by
elevation. We completed the loop hiking out over Bears Den mtn and the
Noonmark shoulder back to the golf course.
After a long day of hiking, we made it down to the Noonmark Diner by 4pm
for outdoor BBQ on the back deck where the 19th hole had been waiting all
along.
Trip leader - Will Soles
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June 18-20
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Catskill Park Sampler
By Joe Roth
On Friday afternoon Margaret O'Keefe, Eric Oogjen, Shannon Pattison and Joe
Roth met at the Bushnell's Basin park and ride to carpool to the Catskills. We
caught the start of the camping season and were forced to camp outside the park
near Saugerties. No problem, as long as we had hot showers!
The hiking Saturday and Sunday was about the same for distance and
elevation: 7.5 miles and 2500 feet respectively. We climbed Thomas Cole, Black
Dome and Blackhead one day; Indian Head and Twin the other. Each day's weather
was the same: high 80's and humid. We ducked the thunderstorms that cruised
by, so it was dry hiking and dry camping. Yippee!
The campground had Wi-Fi, so we could Google the restaurants and brew pubs
the area had to offer. The beer was tasty, but the real surprise was the
cactus sauce at El Rancho restaurant.
The trip description promised no black flies. Indeed that was the case.
But it did not promise no house flies. There were clouds of those critters on
all the sunny spots near the tops of the mountains. They were never a problem,
but one always wonders with buzzing on summer hikes.
The other "animal" story involved an attack turkey. Here is how Shannon
recorded the event:
"It seemed like a harmless day of mountaineering. Up in the peaks of the
Catskills, we trudged down a path unaware of the menace lurking ahead with her
brood. One of our companion mountaineers wandered from the safety of our small
group, and forged ahead on the trail alone. Shortly after she disappeared from
sight, we were all startled when she came running back yelling, "A TURKEY'S
ATTACKING ME!" For a brief moment, I thought this might be somehow related to
our conversation about Geodon the previous evening (a whole other story). A
moment later, the terrible meaning of those words were revealed when a fierce
ruffed grouse came charging in our direction. With her feathers ruffled and her
beak sharp and menacing, she clearly intended to peck our eyes out! It was
shear luck when the fowl menace became unnerved by our numbers. She veered off
the path and ran along our flank as our shocked looks thwarted her attack. Once
again, we had survived yet another day of perilous mountaineering in the
magnificent Catskill Mountains. Beware of the menacing ruffed grouse!
Before driving home Sunday we took a cool dip at the Big Deep, a natural
swimming hole created by a gravel dam on the Saw Kill near Woodstock. It was a
fitting end to a good sampling of what the park had to offer.
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June 12, 2010
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ADK Outdoor Expo
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January 16-18, 2010
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Dix Range - Photos by Reinhard Gsellmeier and James Fetten
By: Reinhard Gsellmeier
On Sat. our group of five left the winter parking area at Clear Pond
and headed back to setup camp near the Slide Brook LT.
Our early start provided us with enough daylight left that afternoon
to check out the Macomb slide,just for fun and to stretch our legs.
The next day (Sun.) we left camp for our dayhike that took us over
Macomb, S. Dix, E. Dix, back to S. Dix, Hough & Dix.
We were very fortunate with rather mild temperatures, clear skies and overall great snow/trail conditions.
The Macomb slide was rather easily climbed with snowshoes,
and we were treated with a spectacular view of Adirondack peaks
protruding through a low-lying early morning mist.
All herdpaths had been previously broken out, which enabled us to make great progress.
It was late afternoon by the time we reached the summit of Dix,
tired but all of us very pleased with the day's accomplishments.
We descended from the Beckhorn via. the marked trail,
donning our headlights for the final 3 miles back to camp.
Mon. we broke camp and hiked out.
Overall this was a great trip --
we had a real strong group,
with good camaraderie and fun for all
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