Wednesday March, 21st Two Thousand and Twelve
There is no snow left. Gore Mountain and Lapland Lake have closed for the winter. It's 79 degrees F and sunny. The Hudson River is cresting at 6.72 feet on the USGS Gauge in North Creek.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Febuary MTB Bike Ride
The other day I was scouring some topo's looking for a loop trip to ride. I was considering an out and back trip to the Moose River Plains but really wanted a loop. I ended up in the snowmobile parking lot off RT 10 in Arietta. Sitting in my truck I was reviewing the map when a couple skiers pulled in. As we all were gearing up they came over to check out my bike and we got to discussing our routes. When I explained my plan to ride up the snowmobile trail to the Piseco-Powley Road and then down to Clockmill Corners and across to either a spur back north or worst case out to RT 10 and then back north they seemed surprised. "That's an awful ambitous plan", they commented. Great! Just the motivation I needed. When the time comes, when you reach a point of no double backing, when things just are getting sketchy, THAT's when I need that little 'push' to keep going.
So at about Matt's Mountain I had a good idea of what to expect. My plan was to take the next intersection and head north where I might go all the way back to the truck or hop out onto RT 10 for the last mile or so... this plan would not happen.
The trail north was closed, the snow too deep and unpacked. The plan B was to head due east along the shore of Kenells Pond out to RT 10. However, after reaching Kenells Pond the trail was obliterated by a logging operation. I kind of found the trail / skidder track but the ground was so soft that the track was three feet deep and had frozen overnight. The ruts were a mess. Two foot drive would take hours and even longer if I ran into slashing piles. So I considered heading out onto the frozen surface of Kenells Pond. If the ice held I could be out to RT 10 in minutes. I bushwacked down to the ice and walked out a ways with my floatation device which also doubled as a bicycle. There are videos of the Pugsly floating and even supporting the weight of a swimmer. But I didn't want to test it out through a broken hole in the ice. There was no slush under the couple inches of snow so I decided to go for it. If at any time I ran into slush my plan was to bolt for the shore. About a 100 yards down pond I saw that a good portion of the bank was shear rock wall. Oh well drop it a couple gears and pedal faster...
Here was the culprit.... with the soft ground conventional skidders would be problematic...
Ok, so that's me riding. Where I can free up a hand.
Two areas of concern. First riding on frozen water. I had no intention of venturing out on any lakes or ponds. Maybe a stream crossing or across a vly. But not out and exposed. The winter has been mild and although the nights have been down in the single digits and teens, the days have not been all that cold and lake ice is borderline. Second, riding on the road. With it snowing the roads were just covered and the visibility diminished. Plus drivers don't expect to see a cyclist on the road. Both concerns would eventually come into play.
There is about a foot, foot and a half of snow in the woods. That's a hundred inches shy of a mediocre winter. The first leg on the snowmobile trail was soft in spots. Not bad, a good warm up. Temperature was about 20 degrees F and light snow.
I had on three light layers on top with a goretex shell. On the bottoms, EMS cycling shorts under my EMS Fencemender trousers. The Fencemenders are lined with a thin layer of primaloft but are still cotton on the outside. I was cognizant of the fact that these were the weak link in my kit. However, I did have a pair of fleece long underwear and shell pants in my pack. Dam Fencemenders are too comfy. I'm still wearing them working in the woods, but also have wore them skate and telemark skiing. I've got better than a hundred miles biking in them as well this winter. The only sign of wear are the cuffs. Note about cycling shorts: every cyclist has their favorites and what works best for them. I really like the EMS brand. Both the six and eight panel models work well for me and they're considerably cheaper than PI. They've held up well over two years of year round usage. Too bad they don't make a long legged pair.
Once I reached the Piseco Powley road I found it well packed by snowmobiles with 2 to 3" of fresh snow on top. Headed towards Stratford and Clockmill Corners I was cruising at a pretty good clip.
I stopped to check out some side trails and it didn't look as though many snowmobilers were venturing off the main trails.
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| Closed Loop |
Wasn't long and I was at my first decision point: Clockmill Corners. Here there is a trail off to the east and Clockmill Pond. It looked like there had been a couple machines down the trail so I headed off that way. The snow was decent enough and there were a few open patches but noting the Pugs didn't take in stride. I was able to hop from packed snow to rocks and back with out missing a beat. There were a couple hills where I had to shift down to 'two foot' drive, but no worries.
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| Rock Lake |
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| Matt's Mountain (turn coming up) |
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| Broke through into mud... and almost took a trip. |
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| Point of No Return |
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| But the trail is closed and unpacked.. so plan B |
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| Plan C with trepidation.. |
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| Bigger... |
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| Road grime... and salt... |
After six miles on RT 10 and no issues with traffic.. (mid week winter there are few travelers out)... I was back no worse for wear. Covered about eighteen miles in just under three hours. Consumed a liter of water and a pack of shot blocks... strawberry....
Monday, February 6, 2012
Black Fly Challenge
Because this winter… at least in the Southern ADK’s is really starting to … frustrate the desire to ski… so my thoughts and motivation have remained circular… looking forward to June 9th and …
The Black Fly Challenge.. so far I have recruited five associates to compete... three (including myself and lovely 'RiverMongoose' have registered.
Work has wrapped up early on my bike modifications and I'm just about ready to start training.... still somewhat in the research phase...
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| 32X18 |
I rode the Kona as a SS right into mid January 2012. Building trails in the morning and riding in the afternoon. But then the BFC.... hmmm.... 40 miles, point to point 'MTB' race over the Moose River Plains. Not much single track, mostly road, paved and dirt. To be 'competitive' I started to think... and rationalized that it'll be temporary... really, I'll swap it back to single speed on June 12th, 2012.
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| 1X9 |
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sprite Creek 2011
Hey, I'm throwing this up quick so please forgive the grammar, spelling and inaccuracies...
Sprite Creek runs during the draw down of Canada Lake and other assorted times when it rains and water spills over the dam at Stewart's Landing. (Not to be confused with Stewart's Bridge Dam on the Lower Sacandaga River.)
Water is let down each year beginning on Nov. 15th until the water is so low the top tanner gate is wide open. After that it's a free flowing creek once again. The exception is Leap Years when the lake is dropped about four feet starting on Oct. 15th. Then on Nov 15 the water is dropped to winter levels. This is for any dock repairs that shore owners need to make.
Locals: This is NOT boater country. My friends are hunters, four wheelers, snowmobilers, ATV's and loggers. I have managed to turn a couple to the dark side. But, if you all have a problem with diversity in the great outdoors... well we just don't want to hear about it. While I hunt, I still believe in the right to arm bears and while I'll hug a tree, I do have the "Earth First, We'll Log the Rest of the Planets Later" T-shirt. (Cotton T-shirt).
No body thinks banjo jokes are funny any more.
The Creek:
The get in is where the fish bump their heads.... DAM! (ok I'm tired, coming off a 24 hr shift...)
Once the Tanner Gate is open it has been known to provide a thrill ride to Sprite Creek. Highly advisable to scout this before committing. It also helps to know you can clear the gate as it is GRADUALLY raised over the week.
The creek I split into two sections: above the RT 119 bridge and below the RT 119 bridge.
Upper section is tight technical and blind in spots but can be boat scouted the whole way with the right skills. If you need to land scout every blind corner than you are going to be awhile. BIG caution <WOOD> collects on this creek like a bad metaphor on a blog. Beware, I carry a saw, and sometimes I cut wood with it.
Before you get to the lower section you'll have to pass under the RT 119 bridge. Three hazards: the drop immediately above the tunnels, the bridge support that splits the channels and the hole at the other end. At high water the hole at the other end is a stopped and a recirc'er... beware.
Below here the river character changes to more pool drop. A little harder to boat scout and at least two drops need to be scouted from shore. Wood still collects in many inconvenient spots. There are two water falls that have fun technical lead ins to... the rocks have been moving around on many drops and at the base of the second falls.
I guess I can start measuring my boating career geologically.
There are names to the drops... some like Crack Whore are more specific to events at a particular drop... I personally retired Wild Child and now just call the whole thing the "Bridge Drop"....
The upper section I grade... eh, get the guide book... I never was good at grades.
The following videos are for entertainment only and are not a substitute for river running or creeking skills. Watching them may make you feel superior...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOnbIRv1yM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyaCjJnXgI
Sprite Creek runs during the draw down of Canada Lake and other assorted times when it rains and water spills over the dam at Stewart's Landing. (Not to be confused with Stewart's Bridge Dam on the Lower Sacandaga River.)
Water is let down each year beginning on Nov. 15th until the water is so low the top tanner gate is wide open. After that it's a free flowing creek once again. The exception is Leap Years when the lake is dropped about four feet starting on Oct. 15th. Then on Nov 15 the water is dropped to winter levels. This is for any dock repairs that shore owners need to make.
Locals: This is NOT boater country. My friends are hunters, four wheelers, snowmobilers, ATV's and loggers. I have managed to turn a couple to the dark side. But, if you all have a problem with diversity in the great outdoors... well we just don't want to hear about it. While I hunt, I still believe in the right to arm bears and while I'll hug a tree, I do have the "Earth First, We'll Log the Rest of the Planets Later" T-shirt. (Cotton T-shirt).
No body thinks banjo jokes are funny any more.
The Creek:
The get in is where the fish bump their heads.... DAM! (ok I'm tired, coming off a 24 hr shift...)
Once the Tanner Gate is open it has been known to provide a thrill ride to Sprite Creek. Highly advisable to scout this before committing. It also helps to know you can clear the gate as it is GRADUALLY raised over the week.
The creek I split into two sections: above the RT 119 bridge and below the RT 119 bridge.
Upper section is tight technical and blind in spots but can be boat scouted the whole way with the right skills. If you need to land scout every blind corner than you are going to be awhile. BIG caution <WOOD> collects on this creek like a bad metaphor on a blog. Beware, I carry a saw, and sometimes I cut wood with it.
 | |
| Thanks Brabunit |
Before you get to the lower section you'll have to pass under the RT 119 bridge. Three hazards: the drop immediately above the tunnels, the bridge support that splits the channels and the hole at the other end. At high water the hole at the other end is a stopped and a recirc'er... beware.
Below here the river character changes to more pool drop. A little harder to boat scout and at least two drops need to be scouted from shore. Wood still collects in many inconvenient spots. There are two water falls that have fun technical lead ins to... the rocks have been moving around on many drops and at the base of the second falls.
 |
| Thanks Brabunit. |
I guess I can start measuring my boating career geologically.
There are names to the drops... some like Crack Whore are more specific to events at a particular drop... I personally retired Wild Child and now just call the whole thing the "Bridge Drop"....
The upper section I grade... eh, get the guide book... I never was good at grades.
The following videos are for entertainment only and are not a substitute for river running or creeking skills. Watching them may make you feel superior...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOnbIRv1yM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyaCjJnXgI
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Eastern Mountain Sports Insulated Fence Mender Pants
Let's cut to the chase: These are the best pants since they started putting legs on shorts.
They're lined with a thin and LIGHT primaloft insulation. Not too much bulk, excellent movement, non restricting and I've actually mended fences while wearing them... I've also worked in the woods, built MTB trails, went canoeing (but stayed in the canoe), but they really excel at sitting around the campfire on a cold fall night.
Pockets... The pockets are lined with puppy dogs' ears. Soft. It would be nice to have one zippered pocket. The hammer loop is made from a tough nylon material that's rolled for easy access. The two aft belt loops are also made from nylon but I don't know why. The inner waist band is also reinforced with nylon and the stitching and rivets go all the way through including the lining.
There is one negative review on the EMS Website. http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10919680&cp=3707807.12194889
I don't know what this guy was thinking. He bought them... then discovered they aren't nylon???
If you're looking for a pair of outdoor, bang around, working trousers than buy these... not mine. I've been wearing them since I got'em.
They're lined with a thin and LIGHT primaloft insulation. Not too much bulk, excellent movement, non restricting and I've actually mended fences while wearing them... I've also worked in the woods, built MTB trails, went canoeing (but stayed in the canoe), but they really excel at sitting around the campfire on a cold fall night.
 |
| The EMS pose. |
There is one negative review on the EMS Website. http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10919680&cp=3707807.12194889
I don't know what this guy was thinking. He bought them... then discovered they aren't nylon???
 |
| Yep, the pockets are this soft! |
If you're looking for a pair of outdoor, bang around, working trousers than buy these... not mine. I've been wearing them since I got'em.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Deep In the Drainage ELF
It rained in the drainage. Hard. Flash Flood warnings. The rain pelted the roof all night. I could barely sleep. Eagerly anticipating the next day. Creeking in August on free flowing streams.
I got up and looked out at the river. I could see rocks. Not a good sign. I checked the 24hr cumulative on the radar. It showed yellow all throughout the watershed. I checked the USGS gauges online. They were shooting straight up but not to the point that provided any confidence.
Puttering around the house I was skeptical that any local creeking was going to happen, at least in a hard shell boat.
Plan B: Load up the ducky, mountain bike and fly rod. I figured it was a safe bet that I would be able to mix all three into an adventure for the day, maybe into the evening. So I ran off to load everything up and search for a few vital components. As I was leaving I thought better of my plan B and ran back into the house to leave a note.
I headed north up into the drainage- some of the smaller creekers looked promising but as I started to pick off the favorites it became clear that nothing was going on this side of the drainage. I gassed up in Sparkle City- ripped of by gas prices a good 20 cents a gallon higher than down in the valley and bought an over priced sub that turned out to be pretty good.
Next valley over, things were looking good so I dropped off my boat and fishin gear and drove the truck down to the take-out. Here the water looked low but still paddlable. It was a short, 3mile bike ride back up.
I felt better about leaving the note as I wound up at the last resort destination on my list of possibilities and there is not any DEC sign in boxes where I was going.
The paddle in on the flatwater section showed renewed beaver activity and one did startle me as it slapped its tail right along side my boat.
The clouds looked like it may produce the forecasted thunderstorms.
The water level is quite a bit lower than I thought it would be. This is ELF boating (Extremely Low Flow) good times.
I did not get any interest from the local brook trout population throwing out a nymph with some attractor colors, but the dry flies sure piqued their interest.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Paddling with an Old Friend, In Old Boats, On an Old Favorite River
Hey, they're not making 'old' friends like they use to, at least as the older I get. So when I got a phone call, not a text or an email, an actual phone call, to go paddle the Sacandaga River, I jumped at the chance.
This old friend showed up one late night on my door step decades ago. Back when we lived in a trailer next to the river. He had paddled by and from the river saw our kayaks loaded on the roof of our van. By the time he got to his car and drove back to where he thought we lived it had gotten pretty dark. Persistent he is, and after driving some back roads he finally stumbled upon our home and knocked on the door. Now not too many people ever come out our way unannounced so we thought someone was in trouble. But our future old friend explained it was his first day out with his Dancer and he was looking for someone to paddle with or take him paddling. We agreed to take Dancer out and show him some local rivers and give him a couple pointers. But we really thought he would be like most beginners and get tired of swimming or get too busy with life and eventually quit. But Dancer kept with it and developed into a competent, independent and safe boater with class V skills.
Life gets in the way but fortunately the river was still there waiting.
This old friend showed up one late night on my door step decades ago. Back when we lived in a trailer next to the river. He had paddled by and from the river saw our kayaks loaded on the roof of our van. By the time he got to his car and drove back to where he thought we lived it had gotten pretty dark. Persistent he is, and after driving some back roads he finally stumbled upon our home and knocked on the door. Now not too many people ever come out our way unannounced so we thought someone was in trouble. But our future old friend explained it was his first day out with his Dancer and he was looking for someone to paddle with or take him paddling. We agreed to take Dancer out and show him some local rivers and give him a couple pointers. But we really thought he would be like most beginners and get tired of swimming or get too busy with life and eventually quit. But Dancer kept with it and developed into a competent, independent and safe boater with class V skills.
Life gets in the way but fortunately the river was still there waiting.
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