Two Saturdays ago I decided to go up for a hike at Taconic State Park. I had visited Sunset Rock last June, and decided it would be interesting to go back up there six months later in the dead of winter.
The trail up to Sunset Point is not very steep except for a few short sections. This is one of the steeper sections.
As you head up the mountain there are some places with broken views to the south, overlook Copake Falls and further south.
Here is the shadow of me hiking up the mountain.
Finally reaching the top of Sunset Rock.
Here is the view off Sunset Rock. The Catskill Mountains are in the distance, somewhat shrowed in haze on this beautiful warm January day.
Last Saturday I went out snowshoeing at Grafton Lakes State Park. I wasn’t planning on going out, until I realized how truly nice it was outside. I quickly tossed my snowshoes in the pickup, packed up my pack, and off I went.
I drove out along Domain Road, past the winter entrance to the Grafton Lakes Park, and parked down along Second Pond. I didn’t realize that snowshoers/skiers could go through the winter entrance, and all the way to the beach on Long Pond. Instead, I snowshowed out along Second Lake to Long Pond. As you can see, Long Pond was not frozen.
I decided to go on the trail around Long Pond. While I’ve been around Long Pond in a canoe and kyack in the summer, I’ve never been all the way around the trail in winter.
Several sections of trail would have been swampy had it been warmer. It instead was ice, in most portions thick enough, that the snowshoes crossed it without cracking through. The trail along Long Pond probably is not very good for hiking on wet times.
The trail around Long Pond is signed with “More Difficult”. It is amusing to see the trail signed “More Difficult”, especially after all of the High Peaks and other mountains I’ve climbed in the Catskills and beyond. This trail is almost completely flat, bar a few rocks and roots sticking up and a few very small hills.
The far end of the lake looking due south towards the swimming beach. You can’t actually see the beach from here, because the lake turns slightly to the west from here.
After going around Long Pond, I headed along the Second Lake. This lake was frozen unlike the other pond. It was a bit too thin to dare cut across it.
On Christmas Eve I decided to go for a quick afternoon hike up Bennett Hill. I had gotten all my stuff together for Christmas Eve, and was on my way out to visit my parents at their house, so I thought it would be a nice time to go out for a hike up there. I didn’t get to the trailhead until 3:15 PM, so things where a bit rushed and some of the pictures are fuzzy, but it still was pretty awesome.
I made it up to the top at 3 minutes until 4 PM. Here I am looking off the south-west opening almost due south in this picture.
I took the main trail up to the top and walked around the top on the yellow trail. Here is Meadowbrook Farm / Delaware Turnpike looking just out above Clarksville.
Here we are looking out the clearing on Bennett Hill out over Clarksville.
Walking along the top of Bennett Hill. It was an awful grey evening up on Bennett Hill on this Christmas Eve.
Looking out at Pinnacle Hill through the trees. You can’t see this in the summer because the leaves on the trees block the views.
I was quite happy to see the Bathtub Spring that was installed last year is still up and running, despite the cold. I wonder if it will ever get cold enough this winter to freeze, or if the tub will fill up with ice, and that will shut it off. I didn’t try drinking from it this this time.
Two Sundays ago I decided to go for an hour hike at Five Rivers. Nothing fancy, I just wanted to try out my snowshoes for the year, get a little pratice, and get some pictures of the first fluffy white snow of the year.
It was a cloudy day, a pretty quiet day. There was a lot of people out walking around, and in many places the trail was quite slushy.
Some of the ponds at Five Rivers where very much frozen for the first time this year.
The trees where all covered with a pretty layer of snow, as seen with this pine tree against a grey sky.
As I walked around the back field it was truly a beautiful winter wonderland.
Heading past the DEC Barn off the North Loop Trail / DEC road.
This morning at the crack of dawn started the sound of big game season across the southern zone of New York. Bang! Bang! Big game season has been under way for about a week in the the Northern Zone, but is finally getting under way down here south of the Adirondacks.
Culturally it is one of the most important times of the year for Rural America. It’s a time of pride for our rural heritage, and a time when people get out in the woods, and observe the natural patterns that make up our world. Most of hunting doesn’t involve shooting, dragging back, or processing the deer, most involves staking it out and waiting for deer to walk out in clear sight, so one get aim and take down the deer. Hunting is more about observing and waiting for deer, then it is about shooting guns.
(Joesph Davis State Park, Lewsiton, NY)
The gun season for big game (deer and bear) lasts for 3 weeks in late November, with bow season and junior archery running on both ends. Yet, gun season is so successful at reducing the buck population — especially in rural areas — that it’s largely over in just one day, with 55% of the gun season buck permits being filled within two days. Hunters who don’t get a successful take the first day will come back, with diminishing results.
New York State has a deer management problem. Hunting helps out, however many areas are becoming off limits for hunters. Farmers are less likely to allow people access to their land to hunt off it, because of problems with irresponsible individuals leaving gates open and littering. Suburban sprawl means there are increasing areas where hunters are too close to buildings or roads, to legally be able to hunt. Few areas of New York State are designated bow only, but for practical reasons, it’s impossible for people to hunt by gun, which means a much lower deer take.
(Five Rivers Education Center, Delmar, NY)
Deer hunting is good for our state and collective conscience. It teaches us where food comes from, it reminds us of our deep bond to nature. Driving around seeing a freshly harvested deer on a person’s car roof or in the bed of a pickup truck, reminds us of our deep connection to world. Seeing a deer being hung from a tree, allowed to drained out or being processed, and ultimatley eaten, is probably the closest that most people will ever come to nature.
Hunting is an important part of our society. Most hunters are very responsible people, who do it out of their passion. Venison tastes awesome. If your heading out hunting or doing other things in the woods be safe. Observe where you are in the woods. Notice where hunters are parked, spot them in the woods, make your presence known. Avoid them, don’t disturb the natural world around them; stay on roads and trails. And wear blaze orange — it could save your life!
This past year I have spent a great deal of time hiking up mountains and visiting fire towers. Here are pictures of the second five fire towers I visited this year, along with a short description and maps in the second part of this series.
June 29, 2009 & June 30, 2009:
Sugar Hill Fire Tower
The Sixth Tower I visited, was Sugar Hill State Forest / Horse Camp is located outside of Watkins Glen. It’s an equestrian facility with 50 miles of trail, along with a small hiking/no horses area. They have free camping, and 3 equestrian lean-tos and one hiker lean-to on the Finger Lakes Trail. A definitely cool place to visit if your in the Finger Lakes.
The seventh tower I visited, Red Hill Fire Tower is located south west of the Catskills, barely in the park, with views of the south-western Catskills, the High Peaks, and down towards the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.
The Eightieth Tower I visited, was Balsam Lake Fire Tower is located in about 10 miles south east of Margretville in a very rural portion of the Catskill Mountains. It is the only tower in the Catskills actively staffed by DEC Fire Rangers on weekend (mostly acting as guides).
August 7, 2009 & October 10, 2009:
Leonard Hill Fire Tower
The Nineth Tower, Leonard Hill Fire Tower is currently inaccessible, pending renovation. They have removed the bottom to flight of stairs to discourage people from climbing the tower. That said, the DEC Forest Ranger has cleared out a camp site/viewing area directly to the west of the Tower for those who want to enjoy the amazing view due west of the Western Catskills and Upper Schoharie Valley.
October 11, 2009 & October 12, 2009:
Mount Utsayantha Fire Tower
Mout Utsayantha was the Tenth Tower I visited. This fire tower is on a public village park, above Stamford, NY. You can drive right up to it — I visted it twice one weekend. It gives you amazing views of the western Catskills, the area around Summit and Emmenece State Forest, the Upper Schoharie Valley, and on clear days out towards Oneonta.
The Eleventh Tower: Rising 1,000 feet above the low lands of Pine Plains, this firetower gives you beautiful views of small towns, lakes, farmlands, mountains, and a five state region of the Hudson Valley on clear day.
This past year I have spent a great deal of time hiking up mountains and visiting fire towers. Here are pictures of the first five fire towers I visited this year, along with a short description and maps.
The first fire tower I climbed this year was Overlook Mountain Fire Tower outside of Woodstock. This tower is nearby the remains of the Overlook Mountain House and has some rather awesome views.
The second fire tower I climbed this year was Hunter Mountain Fire Tower outside of Hunter. This is the second highest mountain in the Catskills at 4040 feet. The views are less exciting compared to other mountains I’ve been up. I took the much steeper Beecker Hollow Trail, but one can take the longer horse trail in from the west side, if you don’t mind stepping in horse manure.
The third fire tower I climbed was Hadley Mountain Fire Tower in the Adirondacks near Hadley and NY 9N. This has some amazing views of the Great Sacanadaga Lake along with the Southern Adirondacks.
April 19, 2009 & August 2, 2009:
Beebe Hill Fire Tower
The fourth firetower I climbed this was Beebe Hill in the Taconics near Exit B3 of the NYS Thruway Berkshire Spur. It has great views of Northern Columbia County’s rolling country. There also is the Chance of Thunder Lean-to nearby the fire tower, so you can climb it up at night like I did one beautiful Saturday in August.
The fifth fire tower I climbed this was Mount Tremper in the Catskills. Despite having almost no views until you climb the tower, it does have some interesting views of the interior Catskill Mountains. It was a somewhat hot and hazy day when I climbed the mountain.
