Select Month for 2018

January 2018

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Jan 2, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- So we had snow and cold. But it actually warmed up to double digits...barely. So since it was slightly warmer and everyone had been hunkered down during the holidays during the even colder weather, quite a few people braved the cold to get some exercise. We broke into 2 groups, the skiers and the snowshoers. Each headed to the opposite sides of Scout Road in the Wilton Wildlife Preserve. Thank you to Sarah King who became the impromptu snowshoe leader! It was the first time at the preserve for some in the group. The snow was hard packed and fast for skiing. We all really enjoyed getting out and into the fresh air. Afterwards, some of us also really enjoyed the hot cocoa at Paneras! Participants: Jim Brown, Mo Coutant, Brian Crouth, Paul Dietershagen, Sarah King, Mary Knutson, Julie Leonelli, Margie Litwin, Kathi Noble, Leland & Mary Loose, Mike Marsh, Malina Stawarz, Joanne Szot.

Cliff and Redfield   Sat, Jan 6, 2018, Wayne Richter and Mike Fuller  
- The forecast of a bitterly cold day with temperatures close to -20 below plus serious wind kept our group to a stalwart six, prepared to turn back if necessary. The crossing of Flowed Lands was spectacular, but the wind was intense and we were glad to return to the trail at the Herbert Brook Lean-to. At our lunch stop at the Uphill Brook Lean-to, Wayne realized that the tips of the toes on one foot were numb, and we decided it was time to turn back. We had a day of great camaraderie in the cold and a good learning experience. Participants: Joe Babcock, Sveet Fokshey, Mike Fuller, Wayne Richter, Ben St. Andrews, Jim Zwynenburg.

monthly Monday Geocache   Mon, Jan 8, 2018, Sarah King and Mo Countant  
- Our outing was short and sweet this month. Winter time can be tough for geocachers. In our area, we are lucky to have the SaraCap Winter series of geocaches which allows us to find "winter friendly" caches. This means they are usually up off the ground and meant to be found in snowy conditions. Our destination this day was Saratoga Spa State Park, where 3 of the 7 caches in the "This Winter is for the Birds" series were placed. All caches were in different parts of the park so we did some car-hopping. We started at the warming hut off Avenue of the Pines. We donned snowshoes and headed out to find the cache, which was in the shape of a bird, as were the other two we found. We continued into the park, finding the provided parking waypoint and making the short walk to the cache. We weren't able to drive through the park to Route 50, where the last cache was so we headed around to the entrance off Route 50. Another short walk and we had completed our mission. I look forward to the other Saracap challenge, the Winter 33, which should be published in the beginning of February. More caches to find with the group! Thanks to all who came out. Participants: Sarah King, Mo Coutant, Julie Leonelli, Todd Earl.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Jan 9, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we hiked up to the Pilot Knob gazebo and then most of us continued on to the waterfall. We met someone who had just hiked up in the parking lot and told us we only needed microspikes, which was true up to the gazebo. But some of us decided to continue onto the waterfall and in a few places snowshoes would have been helpful. But it was mostly in the open area where there was some drifting. It was the first time up to the gazebo for some in the group and many hadn't been up to the waterfall. We all had a great time getting caught up on our lives or getting to know each other...as usual for an ADK outing. Participants: Jan Carlson, Mo Coutant, John Devine, Mary Knutson, Julie Leonelli, Kathi Noble, & Deyanne.

TR Mountain   Sat, Jan 13, 2018, Nick Ringelberg and Jayne Bouder  
- Winter Storm Warning. Cancelled.

Tuesday Outing - FTC   Tue, Jan 16, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This month we stayed close to home and hiked Hadley Mountain as our Fire Tower Challenge hike. We had a light snow covering an icy trail following the rain during the January thaw. Steve decided he needed to join Jan and me in wearing microspikes after slipping in the first 1/4 mile. The snow didn't cover enough of the ice to be able to walk unassisted. Later, Jan also slipped on the way up, even wearing the spikes. The ice was hard and the snow was probably inhibiting the full bite of the spikes. We had a snack near the Rangers Cabin, which was out of the wind. Then, only a brief visit to the top since it was windy and colder up there, plus there was no view. All socked in. So we headed down and that's when it got interesting. Jan slipped on an icy rock and landed on her upper arm. She knew it was bad when she couldn't raise her arm. But she was tough and didn't even shed a tear! We switched her to snow shoes to see if they had better bite and they did. She walked out supported on one side by Steve in 1-1/2 hours. From there...a trip to the ortho ER in Saratoga. Broken shoulder. Jan we wish you a speedy recovery and you did great! Always good to hike with a group and this was one of those reminders of why you shouldn't hike alone! Participants: Jan Carlson, Mo Coutant, Steve Mackey.

Pryamid & Gothics   Sat, Jan 20, 2018, Steve Mackey
- We ended up with 7 skiers/hikers. The weather was warm, somewhere around 30 degrees. The snow never softened up and got packy, and it sure was a lot better than the bitter cold of the week before. The wind on top was very strong; we all guessed around 50 mph. The view came and went, but even when it was clear you couldn't see much past Saddleback. We got an awesome view of Pyramid from Gothics one time when it opened up. Most of us wore microspikes until the Sawteeth intersection and then we all switched to snowshoes. A couple of us tried the little plastic sleds on the way down, but after bouncing off a few trees, we decided maybe it was a little too fast. One of my ski poles got hung up and bent, with all the momentum. The ski out was very good, though there were a lot of little branches to dodge. It also was a little wierd skiing with only one pole. We might have convinced Wayne to come over to the dark side and become a skier. Participants: Sandra Foley, Ingrid Kerscht, Nicole Beaulne, Tim & Maureen Laskey, Wayne Richter, Steve Mackey.

Hudson Crossing / New Year Outing   Sat, Jan 27, 2018, Rich Crammond
- This was a great day to be out there on the trail. The ground was icy but we put on our microspikes to be safe. Liz spotted a golden-crowned kinglet and Ole Eagles Eyes Rich spotted our group's first and only eagle of the outing. Seeing one eagle instead of none was enjoyable to all. Didn't get no better. Thanks hiking buds for sharing your day. "Hike Safe." Participants: Jayne Bouder (A+ hiker), Mark Bodner (great guy), Alan Gee (camera man), Liz Gee (eagle eyes #2), Reg Prouty (trumpet man), Linda Neil (sister), Cathy Fleming (good hiking bud), Rich Crammond (eagle eyes #1).

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Jan 30, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we did a walk around the City of Saratoga trying to avoid the ice. Well, that wasn't all together successful. Ice is everywhere even on the sidewalks. We did manage to walk for a couple of miles and it was nice to get out. I can't say we worked up a sweat or burned many calories, since we had to be so careful with our footing. Actually, we probably ate more calories at Uncommon Grounds than we worked off! Oh well. It was a nice outing anyway! Participants: Mo Coutant, Paul Dietershagen, Susie Imgruth, Sarah King, Eric Krantz, Mary & Roy Knutson, Licia & Steve Mackey, Alison Saville Zoske, Joanne Szot.

February 2018

Glacial Erratic from King Phillips Spring   Sat, Feb 3, 2018, Jayne Bouder
- Leader went out to say "hi", & get KPS water.

Pine Pond Trail   Sun, Feb 4, 2018, Steve Mackey
- We have had on and off skiing conditions this winter, and this was one of the weekends when conditions were off. I canceled due to poor conditions.

Monthly Monday Geocache   Mon, Feb 5, 2018, Sarah King and Mo Coutant  
- We had a cold clear day for our trip to Peebles Island State Park. It was the day after a big snow in Queensbury and we were amazed that there was not much snow here. Just enough for Steve Mackey to get in some great cross country skiing as we walked the trails. He would ski off, meeting up with us after looping around on the trails. But no snowshoes or grippers needed. We were once again searching for winter friendly caches in the Winter 33 series organized by our Saratoga/Capital Region State Parks. Peebles is always a favorite destination for its dog friendliness (I usually bring my dog Sadie, as others are welcome to do if they play nice with others). We enjoyed the very picturesque walk along the bluffs overlooking Cohoes falls, and the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. We always see deer here. They must be used to visitors, as they always seem as interested in us as we are in them. We found all 9 caches without a problem, some taking us to areas of the island we had not visited before. We were 4 people and 3 dogs and as usual enjoyed the walk, caches and company. Participants: Mo Coutant, Sarah King, Licia & Steve Mackey, Sadie, Daisy and Charlie.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Feb 6, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This trip might have to become a tradition! The Moreau State Park Hot Dog Roast hike. We started by walking to the warming hut and dropping off some items and then went up the hill from there along the red trail. Most of us were on snowshoes; Steve tried to ski but finally had to turn back when it became even too challenging for him. We made it to the overlook and then headed down to the beach. At that point a snow angel was made and most of the group went to see if any eagles were visiting a deer carcass on the back pond (no luck). Then we all met at the warming hut and roasted hot dogs and shared other food. Such a great spot! Love the warming hut! Participants: Mo Coutant, Leo Demers, Paul Dietershagen, Liz Gee, Susie Imgruth, Mary Knutson, Margie Litwin, Licia & Steve Mackey, Andrew Paolano, Bill Schwarz, Alison & Joe Zoske, Joanne Szot and joined at the hut by Joy and Mark Munro.

Hoffman Mountain   Sat, Feb 10, 2018, Jayne Bouder
- 4 of us started up in a foot of nice unbroken, dry snow, and the destination became Hoffman Ridge. Made it up to the Bump! Nice views, fun day! Great camaraderie! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Kim Brown, Jeff Levitt, & Jeff Manns.

Colden in the Cold   Sat, Feb 10, 2018, Joe Babcock and Akane Suzuki  
- I cancelled this hike due to questionable weather conditions. I did not want to risk traveling to or from the trail head on icy roads.

Mount Jo and Heart Lake Valentine Hike   Sat, Feb 10, 2018, Reg Prouty and Christina Bombard  
- This hike was cancelled due to lack of interest and signups.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Feb 13, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- We were scheduled for a Fire Tower hike this week, but a busy schedule and icy conditions changed this to indoor skating at the GF Rec center behind the Y. Always a great way to get some exercise during free "open skate"! Participants: Mo Coutant, Licia & Steve Mackey.

Niagra Mtn.   Sat, Feb 17, 2018, Jayne Bouder
- Started up Walker Brook on a clear sunny day, after trading microspikes for snowshoes. Disorientation found us halfway up North Hudson Nippletop... so there we went! This bumpy, semiwooded, many tiered NE summit had us sticking around for quite a while. Fun terrain! Overlooks gave us 360 degrees worth of views: Vermont's high peaks, Sunrise, Marcy, white Skylight, the Dixes, Camel's Hump & Land Bridge, NE Nippletop's SW saddle partner, and a smug Niagara. Beautiful day! Beautiful place! Great group! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Wayne Ellett, Carolyn Jasket, Wayne Richter, Tim Ward.

Banff Mountain Film Festival   Mon, Feb 19, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- Hope you made it to the Banff Mountain Film Festival. We had a sold out crowd of about 400 people. It's been fun to talk to people on recent outings to see which films were their favorites. It seems as if everyone really enjoyed it and we plan to try to do it again next year with the help from our collaborators: SUNY ADK Adventure Sports Club, Rocksport, Fountain Square Outfitters, Meyer and Fuller law office, Cool Insuring, and many other businesses that donated services or door prizes. Thank you! Keep your eye on our website and newsletter to get your ticket next year before they sell out!

Trailless Dixes   Sat, Feb 24, 2018, Wayne Richter and Mike Fuller  
- Crampons were our friends! Upon our arrival at the Elk Lake Road winter lot, it was some variant of, "Whoa, this is slick; be careful" from the first person out of each car. The previous night's combination of light snow and rain had left a nearly frictionless surface on the road. It was microspikes on first, and fortunately they easily penetrated the crust. Secure on our feet, we got our gear together and headed up the road to the trailhead. Once on the trail, the light layer of new snow made for easy going. We met a few groups of friends as we made our way to and then up the herd path to the Macomb slide. It was right before entering the slide that we switched to crampons. They were just the thing for a slick crust on top of icy snow on a moderately steep slope - total security. We had great views of Elk Lake and Clear Pond on our way up and from Macomb's summit. Some of the higher peaks to our west were shrouded in the clouds but we remained in the clear for the entire day. We dropped down to the col below South Dix and cast around a bit for the Lillian Brook herd path so we could find it later if we wanted to. Its marker cairn stood only a couple of inches above the snow on the trail. It was then up the rocky face of South Dix, trying with general success to stay in the snow to keep our crampons off the rock. We noted the herd path to Hough, continued over the summit - don't miss that summit disk up in a tree on a slight rise in the trail - and took a break on the overlook to the north. Mike brought out his the oatmeal raisin cookies to general acclaim. On we went to Grace, a treat as always. Warm weather allowed us an enjoyable half hour or so on the summit, not something we often get in winter. Arriving back at South Dix in early afternoon, the group unanimously decided, yes, we would go to Hough! We found the other branch of the Lilian Brook herd path in the col between "Puff" and Hough, as this was now to be our way out. Hough was well worth the trip and everyone felt well rewarded for the extra climb: great views of Dix and peaks to the west, and a fourth new winter peak of the day for some of the group. The first part of the way down the Lilian Brook path had icy patches. Those who had switched their crampons for snowshoes had a dicier time of it, but we all made it down in good form. We reached the marked Dix trail just as it was getting dark. The headlamps came out and we all switched back to microspikes. Not much more than an hour later, we reached the road where the half moon gave us plenty of light to walk out without headlamps. Participants: Jen Ferris, Svitozar Fokshey, Mike Fuller, Eric Kimmelman, Kimberly Labrecque, Karen Provencher, Wayne Richter, Mark Seymour, Dan Stewart, Akane Suzuki.

Cobble Hill   Sun, Feb 25, 2018, Jayne Bouder and Jeff Mans  
- The 6 am forecast was massive rain, ice, and sleet. But Kim was waiting at Panera at 8am, and Jeff was waiting on his porch in Loch Muller, so off we went on hard old snow. We visited two big, cracked glacial erratics, one of them locally famous, before heading up a notch to Cobble Hill. From there we descended to Bailey Pond in the shadows of Hayes Mountain's cliffs, where a massive, original growth, lone white pine stood tall and ever so impressive. From Bailey Pond we followed a ridge up the north side of Hayes Mountain where the Cathedral Rocks live, and then to Marion Pond. There were no views there or anywhere all day, but the forest was foggy mysterious, with trees lightly frosted beautiful. Walking was easy on top of the snow to Bailey and then Marion Ponds. We had a couple of exciting crossings of Bailey Pond's inlet and outlet (one on cables - on snowshoes!) on the old road back to Loch Muller. Great day! Great group! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Kim Brown, and Jeff Mans.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Feb 27, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- So this was after the February warm spell, so outdoor skating wasn't an option. But luckily Glens Falls has an indoor rink with free skating on Tuesday mornings. So we skated for an hour and then headed over to Paneras for lunch. Great way to get some exercise in the winter. Participants: Mo Coutant, Julie Leonelli, Licia & Steve Mackey, Joy Munro.

March 2018

Boreas Ponds   Sun, Mar 4, 2018, Steve Mackey
- I only had two people sign up, and then they both canceled, so I did this trip by myself. There was good news, bad news. The good news was that the skiing was really good and fast. There was a nice base with a little bit of fresh snow on top. Most of the time I skied next to the snowmobile track on untracked snow. Unfortunately, when I got to the ponds, it was snowing and there was no view. I tested the ice and it felt plenty safe to travel on, but without the view, no good reason to go very far. I timed myself on the way out and it took an hour and fifteen minutes, so I was out by noon. I passed 5 DEC Rangers skiing in, near the end. I'm sure they were there to enjoy the good skiing, since there wasn't anybody else signed in, or on the trail.

Monday Monthly Geocache   Mon, Mar 5, 2018, Sarah King and Mo Coutant  
- Today we headed down to Chatham, NY. Our destination was a 2.5 mile long rail trail used by horses and quads, and geocachers of course. A fellow geocacher had put out 22 caches along this trail so it really was about the caches today. Not too many scenic vistas but lots of caches, and good company. We had planned to spot cars on either end of the trail but Steve Mackey graciously offered to drop us at one end and drive around to the other, park and walk toward us. This saved us walking back and gave us some time to do a few P&Gs before heading home. Temps were in the 30s but with the wind it definitely felt colder. We did see some horses and a group of turkeys, which is actually called a "crop^ "dole^ "gang^ "posse^ or "raffle" according to Google. After finding 22 on the trail, and replacing some wet logs and baggies, we hopped in the car and drove around, finding 7 more caches before heading home. A fun day with some old friends and one new. Thanks for joining us Judy! Hope to see you again. Participants: Sarah King, Licia and Steve Mackey, Diane Demetriou, Steve Gray, Julie Leonelli, Judy Tower.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Mar 6, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we hiked up Prospect Mountain from the back side (starting at the Lake George Rec area). This is a much nicer approach than from the village, and some in the group had not been this way. It's a beautiful walk along the stream, and in the Lake George rec area it was mostly packed down. We only needed microspikes for this section. In this area there was a large tree down, but Steve was with us and after we went under or around, he stayed and cleared most of it. Then he caught up to us near the top as we were headed down. Every hike is a trail work hike for Steve! Once we headed up the mountain, a few of us in snowshoes moved to the front to pack down the trail a bit. This is an unmarked trail and without it being packed out, it took a little extra effort to stay on the unofficial trail. But we made it and enjoyed the hike through the woods and beautiful views from the top! Participants...I have to find my list! It's MIA! I'm sure I'll forget people if I try by memory!

Blue Mountain Fire Tower   Sat, Mar 10, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- What a great hike this turned out to be, with friends new and old! This trip turned out to be my first year anniversary with the Glens Falls - Saratoga chapter and my first official hike as leader! I was quite thrilled with the turnout. Since I have been involved with this chapter, I have met some amazing people! Now let's keep this up and it's going to be another great year! Now back to the hike, it was truly winter up on Blue! The trail was mostly broken. As we climbed, the marshmallow snow on the trees became thicker and heavier. We were completely socked in at the top and the wind was blowing quite a bit atop the cab. The snow/ice had crusted up the cab windows making for a winter wonderland of snow, ice and smiles. Participants: Steve Barlow, Cathy Bunk, Amanda Gomez, Nathan June, Steve Mackey, Reg Prouty.

Cheney Cobble   Sun, Mar 11, 2018, Nick Ringelberg and Jayne Bouder  
- The Mt. Adams snow trail was broken, and after the Allen bridge over the Opalescent we began on the unbroken Dudley Brook roads. They were wide, with lots of clearings, and one cabin. We had mountain views and crossed an otter's track enroute to Dudley Brook, then bushwhacked southeast toward Cheney Cobble. Fairly open woods at first, then slowed as we got into eye-poking hemlock thickets. The snow up there had melted to ice, with powder on top. It was way slippery - the thicket kept us from sliding down far, fortunately. A half mile from and 900 feet below the summit we turned tail and followed our tracks back. Participants: Jayne Bouder, Kim Brown, Jeff Mans, and Nick Ringelberg.

Outings Leader Gathering   Mon, Mar 12, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- We had a great group of experienced leaders, newer leaders and prospective leaders. We got to trade stories and tips about leading, and to meet some new people. We'll try to do this again later in the year. Participants (not a complete list, alas): Joe Babcock, Brian Coville, Joanne Conley, Mo Coutant, Amanda Gomez, Cole Hickland, Sarah King, Steve Mackey, Jeff Mans, Andrew and Rashna Meunier, Ann Paolano, Reg Prouty, Wayne Richter, Bill Schwarz, Jim Zwynenburg.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Mar 13, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we were going to do Black Mountain as our Fire Tower Challenge hike, but there was a storm forecasted so we stayed closer to home and did a ski in Crandall Park. The conditions were pretty good and only got better with more snow later in the week. We did the 5K trail and then tacked on a few more little sections since it was so nice out. Any XC skiing in mid-March is a bonus outing! Participants: Mo Coutant, Licia & Steve Mackey, Joy Munro.

Bog Hollow Ski   Sat, Mar 17, 2018, Reg Prouty
- After checking out the condition of the Bog Meadow Hollow trail we decided it was not suitable due to the warm weather and overuse to safely ski on. So we moved the cross-country ski to the golf course at Spa Park and found very good conditions with only a few icy spots. We skied as far as the bridge over by Route 9 and back to the park office parking lot. Two of us went to Moreau Lake for a walk around the lake later. Three participants: Reg Prouty, Nate June, and Kathleen Barney.

3410ft   Sun, Mar 18, 2018, Jayne Bouder
- Tim and Jayne visited at 2710 ft. Beautiful day! Great views!

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Mar 20, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we hiked Black Mountain as our monthly Fire Tower Challenge hike. The trail was packed down by a snowmobile which was helpful. We were able to mostly walk in microspikes, but in some areas we started to posthole, and some of us switched to snowshoes. We did a straight up and back, and had a great view from the summit. For some reason it seemed even more beautiful in winter. Great hike. Great view. Great company. Participants: Mo Coutant, Dan Forbes, Liz Gee, Susie Imgruth, Mary Knutson, Margie Litwin, Joy Muller McCoola, Jim Pierce, Karen Provencher.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Mar 27, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we thought the Warming Hut at Moreau State Park (MSP) would still be open, so we planned one last outing to have lunch there after our walk. They actually closed it with official spring...not when the snow is mostly gone. But luckily, they were nice enough to open it up for us. After walking around the lake and Mud Pond, most of us returned to the warming hut and enjoyed our lunches and each other's company. This is such a great spot and we are so lucky to have MSP in our backyard. Participants: Sharon Charbonneau, Cathy Corrigan, Mo Coutant, Paul Dietershagen, Susie Imgruth, Sarah King, Licia & Steve Mackey, Kay Mence, Karen Provencher, Bill Schwarz, Joanne Szot, Alison & Joe Zoske, Barb & Rich Zuccaro; joined briefly by Joy and Mark Munro and Anne Paolano.

April 2018

Potash Mountain   Sat, Apr 7, 2018, Steve Mackey
- The weather was cold and cloudy. The sun came out a couple of times, but very briefly. There was a couple inches of snow that got "packy" as the day warmed up. We didn't need snowshoes and micro spikes were worn by most. We had a pretty large group and even picked up a few extras at Panera that had originally planned on hiking near Lake George. The group included lots of old ADK friends, and lots of new Crooked Canes friends. We got word from Jungle that there are only two DEC people that need to sign off on the project, so we should be improving the trail shortly. 20 Participants: Cathy Flemming, Jim Appleyard, Jen Ferris, Karen Provencher, Joe Babcock, Jeff Levitt, Jayne Bouder, Mark Janey, Shelly Janey, Neal Van Dorsten, Peter Fedorick, Reg Prouty, Carolyn Jaskot, Margie Litwin, Claudia Rosenholz, Nathan June, Christina Bombard, Nao Nozawa, Steve and Licia Mackey.

Barton High Cliffs   Sun, Apr 8, 2018, Jayne Bouder and Jeff Mans  
- Mostly overcast day, with nice snow underfoot and occasional sunshine. Made a loop of the Cliff tops and the Tallus field below. Jeff had never been here and was duly impressed. And - the ancient caribiner was not found this time. Great trip! Great group! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Mark Bodner, Jeff Mans, and Linda Neil.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Apr 10, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we walked along the Harry Betar Walkway in South Glens Falls. We walked along the paved portion down by the Hudson River and continued on to the upper section along the bluff. After visiting Sand Bar Beach we returned to the parking area and over to Spot Coffee for a bit to eat. Great morning out. Particpants: Richard Bennet, Mo Coutant, Licia and Steve Mackey, Kay Mence, Joy and Mark Munro, Karen Provencher, Bill Schwarz, Joanne Szot.

monday Monthly Geocache   Thu, Apr 12, 2018, Sarah King and Mo Coutant  
- Today was a beat the rain day, which I'm happy to say we did. Our plan was to do a through hike from Indian Meadows Park to the new Andersen Day park on the corner of Van Buren Road and Swaggertown Road. We dropped a car at the dog park and headed over to Indian Meadows to start our adventure. The trails were muddy. There were 10 new caches there and many other older caches. We had 9 people and two dogs so we did attract some attention wandering around in the woods looking for caches. There is a new connector bridge from Indian Meadows to the dog park and another new bridge over a marsh heading to the dog park that we enjoyed. We found all the caches we looked for but found two older caches that were iced in. As we headed out of the woods at the dog park around 1pm, we felt raindrops. Great timing for our trip today. Nice to meet some new cachers (Lauren and Mark). We hope to see you both again. Thanks Licia and Mo for the treats. Fun day out. Participants: Sarah King, Mo Coutant, Licia and Steve Mackey, Lauren Kraut, Dorean Page, Mark Haynes, Diane Demetrious, Steve Gray.

Spruce Mountain (Fire Tower)   Sat, Apr 14, 2018, Rich Crammond
- What a cool and neat day to be on the trail. The weather turned much colder so it was good to have extra windbreakers on. (Tips to fellow hiker buds:) Always bring rain gear, windbreakers, etc., to put on. If you get hot, you can't take it off if you can't put it on when cold. And you can't "get 'er'done," and that's not good hiking fun! Highlights of this outing were checking out deer striped maple browse, views from the fire tower, hiking with good friends, and staying out of the freezing rain after the hike. Thanks to all for sharing this day in the great outdoors! Participants: Cathy Fleming, Jayne Bouder, Susie Imgnuh, Reg Prouty, Rich Crammond,

Minnewaska Scenic Ramble   Sat, Apr 14, 2018, Wayne Richter and Brian Coville  
- Whether it was clairvoyance or just blind luck that sent us south rather to the Adirondacks, we swapped a day of dreadful weather up north for beautiful, sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s at Minnewaska. Since the park doesn't open until 9 am (!), we stopped at The Bakery in New Paltz to pick up a few treats. Once in the park, we headed counterclockwise about halfway around the lake, with a pause for photos with the "ice not safe" sign in front of the open water. We took the Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road to the Gertrude's Nose Trail. We spent lots of time along the way having fun with the giant rock blocks, cliff edges (safely, of course), and the views along the edge of the escarpment. We stopped at Gertrude's Nose for a snack, then continued along the escarpment to Millbrook Mountain. We walked further along the escarpment to a final view of the Mohonk Mountain House and the Catskills, then began our return by dropping down to the Trapps Carriage Road. We took this to the Coxing Trail and then to the Millbrook Mountain Trail. It was here that we encountered our first water running down the trail, a relief since we weren't sure it would count as an ADK hike without some water and mud along the way. We emerged on the carriage road near the lake and completed the walk around the lake to return to our cars. We had amazing scenery all along the way. Thanks to Brian for co-leading. Participants: Joe Babcock, Brian Coville, Scot Jacoby, Eric Kimmelman, Karen Provencher, Wayne Richter, Dave White.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Apr 17, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This has been a strange spring! I think there were a few flurries mixed into the sprinkles at the end of this outing. Due to the forecast, we didn't do a trip to a fire tower this week. Decided to save that for a better day. We stayed close by and walked along the trails in Gurney Lane in Queensbury. Steve rode his fat bike, but finding the biking trails closed, he rode up Gurney Lane while the rest of us wandered around the trails. There was still snow and ice in a few places, but not too many. Participants: Mo Coutant, Licia and Steve Mackey, Liz Mulshine, John Schneider, Jim Ralston, Bill Schwarz, Neil Van Dorsten.

Vanderwhacker Mountain   Sat, Apr 21, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- What an incredibly gorgeous blue bird day! The weather was excellent as we ascended using only spikes down the access road, which was all hard pack. Ice was melting off the tops of the trees and nearly missing us in the process. There was very little wind as we sat underneath the tower for lunch. Ice and snow encrusted the tower as we peered out toward the High Peaks covered all in white. Snowshoed the steep decent but returned to spikes at the cabin while exchanging laughs on such a pleasant day! A wonderful bunch of people to be in the woods with. Participants: Wayne Richter, Karen Provencher, Jennifer Ferriss, Andrew Meunier, Mike DeSocio.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Apr 24, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we did a "Pre-Trail work day" hike. Our Chapter clears the downed trees and does some maintenance the last Saturday in April every year on a section of the Tongue Mountain trail. So, I decided to hike out along the Dear Leap trail to scout out the work. Plus, with Steve along I knew we'd get a little trail work done so there would be less to do on Saturday. We built a couple of water bars at the beginning of the trail, cleared some blow down, clipped back some brush, plus we picked up a bunch of garbage in the parking lot area. It was a nice day and we all enjoyed the view from Dear Leap while we ate lunch. We all had fun doing a little trail work and an ice cream in Bolton also! On Saturday, the crew was able to skip the mile from the junction to Dear Leap saving 2 miles of hiking. Participants: Sharon Charbonneau, Mo Coutant, Karen Darfler, Leo Demers, Mary Knutson, Licia and Steve Mackey, Kay Mence, Karen Provencher.

May 2018

Tuesday Outing   Tue, May 1, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we hiked around Lake Bonita and up to Lake Ann in Moreau State Park. It was a beautiful day and we were all so glad to be out. We stopped at all the clearings along the lake and at one, we could see a bunch of salamanders swimming in the water. Looks like they were just getting ready to come on land for that stage of their lives. It was very neat. We had lunch at the lean-to at Lake Ann and were glad to see the new walkway out to the edge of Lake Ann. So many nice trails in MSP. Great day out. Participants: Mo Coutant, James Jordan, Licia and Steve Mackey, Kay Mence, Kathi Noble, Karen Provencher, Joanne Szot, Jerry White, Laurie Williams.

Pillsbury Fire Tower   Sat, May 5, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- Had to be canceled last minute. I will make up the hike at a later date.

Spring ADK HQ workday   Sat, May 5, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Our workday came the day after the big windstorm brought down many trees and power lines, but luckily not at the ADK property. Some of our volunteers didn't have power at their homes and others had to take some detours to get there. But we had a good turnout and got all the critical jobs done. Soooo many pinecones!! Thanks again for all your help and I know the staff at ADK appreciate having the building looking better for the summer and having screens on their windows!! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Jim & Mo Coutant, Nancy Hill, Sarah King, Leland Loose, Licia & Steve Mackey, Kathi Noble, Anne & Andrew Paolano with friend, Dan Stec, Stan Stoklosa, Eberhardt ???, Scott ???, and Jack Freeman and Tillie came by and worked on the Archives and kept us company.

Spring Bird Walk - Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park   Sat, May 5, 2018, Rich Speidel
- Our group had an enjoyable morning with increasing sunshine and a nice variety of birds. Starting at the pond, we had close-up views of several common mergansers and yellow-rumped warblers, and a great blue heron on the far shore. Then a Baltimore oriole sang brightly overhead, with its vivid orange and black plumage on full display. On the trail, there were excellent views of two pine warblers, along with field and chipping sparrows. Many other birds were seen in flight or heard across the fields and woods, resulting in 33 species on our list. 9 participants: Sue Booth-Binczik, Patricia Brennan, Sharon Charbonneau, Cathy Fleming, Fran Herve, Barbara Hultay, Licia Mackey, Mary-Beth Wagner, Rich Speidel.

Blue Ridge from Big Marsh   Sun, May 6, 2018, Jeff Mans and Jayne Bouder  
- Wayne was wary, but talked himself into the bushwack so we could have a bare 3 of us for Jeff's 3rd co-lead. We slogged up the Hoffman Notch trail to the north end of Big Marsh, then east through beaver marshes to Hoffman Brook's north side. Hiked to its tune half the day. It was a cheerful participant going our way. Overcast, and some hemlocks and cedars, kept us from baking under the leafless hardwoods, fortunately, because we all ended up short of drinking water. West southwest of the summit, near the col, with maybe 500 feet of ascent left to go, we agreed was our high water mark. We went back to Hoffman Brook and followed it down. Lots of waterfalls! Very refreshing! So was a lightening storm and downpour near Big Marsh. After that we didn't have to worry about keeping our feet dry. Started around 7:30 am, came out 12 hours later. Great day! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Jeff Mans, Wayne Richter.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, May 8, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we did our annual trip up to Crown Point to visit the bird banding station. This is their 43rd year and the longest continually operated station on the east coast. They collect birds, take down info, fit them with a band, and hand them over to a visitor to hold briefly and release. Gordon Howard explained the process and answered questions for over an hour. We could have stayed all day, but we were getting hungry! We took a short walk to the nearby remnants of a lime kiln and almost stepped on a woodcock that was nesting in the grass. Almost scared the crap out of me, but it was the highlight of the outing for some in the trip ... which is saying something since releasing the birds was pretty cool! Then we wandered amongst the ruins of the British and French forts before heading out to a restaurant in Ti. (The diner across the bridge in Ti is closed on Tuesdays!) Participants: Mo Coutant, Judy & Leo Demers, Laurie LaFond, Licia & Steve Mackey, Rich Myette, Kathi Noble, Karen Provencher.

Spring Bird Walk - Pack Forest, Warrensburg   Sat, May 12, 2018, Rich Speidel
- Because of damp, chilly weather on May 12, we had this outing on Sunday, May 13. The wait was worthwhile, as we were treated to sunny, pleasant weather on Mother's Day. Our feathered friends put on a good show, especially a rare extended view of the spectacular Blackburnian warbler. For several minutes we saw a brilliant male at the top of an evergreen tree, its orange "fire throat" aglow in the sunlight; a memorable sight! Another highlight was seeing both the Cape May warbler and bay-breasted warbler, two colorful birds that can be missed each spring as they migrate to the far north. We saw a pair of loons on Pack Forest Lake, and a red-breasted nuthatch pop out of a tree hole (like a cuckoo clock), among the 39 species identified by our group. 10 participants: Kevin Albert, Beau Bessen, Seema Chaudhari, Cathy Hall, Nancy Kimball, Licia Mackey, Wanda Moccio, Mike Moccio, Edna Van Dorsten, Rich Speidel.

monday Monthly Geocache   Mon, May 14, 2018, Sarah King and Mo Coutant  
- Today we visited the Moccasin Kill Sanctuary in Schenectady. The Moccasin Kill Sanctuary is a 95 acre area owned by the Nature Conservancy. There are several inconnected loop trails that cover 1.3 miles. Our goal was to find the 8 caches placed here. The trails wind around a deep ravine and are fairly well marked. We found all our caches and then headed over to the Mohawk Hudson Bike trail to find a cache there and then on to Kiwanis Park/boat launch where we had lunch at a picnic table overlooking the Mohawk. We enjoyed getting to know Ed and Jo, who are ADK members and geocachers and are new to our area. Todd narrated our drive home from Schenectady for them as they hadn't been there before. Participants: Sarah King, Todd Earl, Ed Kopf, JoAnne Pedersen.

Blue Mountain Fire Tower   Sat, May 19, 2018, Rich Crammond
- This hike was cancelled due to no minimum participants. Leader hiked to the summit solo, a dry trail up the mountain and a wet one on the way down. Two icy spots, too, up higher. Safe outing, got a little wet, but had a good, get 'er done day in the 'dacks. Didn't get "almost" no better.

Sleeping Beauty-Bumps Pond Loop   Sat, May 19, 2018, Reg Prouty and Christina Bombard  
- It was a warm and mostly dry spring day for viewing Lake George from Sleeping Beauty. We had lunch on the summit and honored Grace Hudowolski with 2 verses of "Amazing Grace" on the pocket trumpet before dropping down to the Bumps Pond outlet. The harder rain held off untill we got back to Dacy Clearing. Participants: Reg Prouty, Chrysi Bombard, Nate June and Tony Giorgianna.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, May 22, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- Last fall we did a great paddle on Lake George from the Shelving Rock area. I decided to do it again before the lake got too busy and hopefully share it with more people. The lake was like glass, great temperature, and only a few motor boats. We put in off the end of Shelving Rock Rd. There's a short portage down to the water and from there we paddled north along the shore. In a few places we saw the cribbing from a dock or pier just below the surface, we saw some mergansers, and lots of turtles in Paradise Bay. We had lunch on an island and then headed back to end a perfect outing. Participants: Maureen Coutant, Mary Knutson, Licia & Steve Mackey, Mike Marsh, Kay Mence, Joy Muller-McCoola, Rich Myette, Anne Paolano, Dave Roeger

Mountain Bird Hike - Hadley Mountain   Wed, May 23, 2018, Rich Speidel
- Sunny, warm weather made for a pleasant morning hike up Hadley Mountain. It was a gradual ascent, as we stopped to look and listen for any birds along the trail. There were many colorful wildflowers to enjoy, as well. Several birds were with us for most of the climb, with the songs of red-eyed vireo, black-throated green warbler, and American redstart leading the way. We saw two woodpeckers from close range: yellow-bellied sapsucker and flicker. Later we were excited to hear a few mourning warblers near the trail. We spent time trying to see this uncommon elusive species, but they stayed just out of sight. There were good views from the summit and fire tower, with a broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures in the sky. The highlight on the way down was to hear, then see, the dazzling scarlet tanager. We completed a nice day on the mountain with 28 species of birds, including 11 different warblers. 5 participants: Sharon Charbonneau, Cathy Fleming, Wanda Moccio, Mike Moccio, Rich Speidel.

Mountain Bike near Gore Mtn   Sat, May 26, 2018, Steve Mackey
- Somehow when I wrote this up, I messed up, and rated it an A+. It should have probably been rated a B+. Consequently I ended up with only one other participant. Neither of us had ever ridden any part of it, so like I said in the description, I printed up maps and we looked at them frequently to make sure we were on route. It actually was part of the fun. We made a couple of very minor errors, but in general we did pretty well. The route is mostly dirt roads with very little traffic. Several of the roads had very few houses, especially along the Hudson. It had more elevation gain then I expected, but nothing we couldn't handle. At the end, when we were approaching the Gore Mountain Ski Bowl, we knew that somehow we could get on some trails, so we were being extra vigilant. We noticed a trail way down an embankment as we neared North Creek, so then we just needed to figure out how to get on it. We asked in town and the beginning was by the Town Hall. It turned out that it was a specially designed Mountain Bike Trail that leads to a whole network. We rode a big loop back to the car, and I think I even saw some fresh moose tracks in there. The Ididaride folks did a good job coming up with this new route, and I would definitely ride it again. Participants: Carolyn Jaskot, Steve Mackey.

What do you Say to a Jay Range Spring Hike!   Sat, May 26, 2018, Joe Babcock and Andrew Meunier  
- It was an overcast day for the most part, but we managed to get a nice hike of the Jay Range without getting wet. The trail up to the first overlook was as pleasant as I remember from last year, with plenty of switchbacks to keep the climb steady. One of the sections along the way was still blocked by blowdown, so the trail straightens out for a short section. We took time to enjoy the views, with interesting cloud formations, looking threatening at times, but never letting loose on us. We headed out along the ridge from this point, and were treated to fairly nice views considering it was a cloudy day. The breeze kept the flies and other insects away for most of the hike. We did change plans and decided not to eat lunch on the actual summit. There was a better spot with more of a breeze on our way back. After eating a good lunch and not rushing, we made our way back across the ridge and back to the trailhead. Plenty of wild flowers to enjoy, as the sun peeked out and it warmed up enough for the flowers to open up. Great day in the Park. Participants: Jen Ferris, Karen Provencher, Andrew Meunier, Wayne Richter and Joe Babcock.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, May 29, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- Usually I hike Hadley in mid-May to see the wildflowers, but I was sick then, so it was delayed a couple of weeks. But luckily so were some of the flowers. We saw: Solomon Seal and False Solomon Seal, lady slippers, bunch berry, violets, star flowers, jack in the pulpit, and a bunch of flowers past their prime. We also appreciated all the water bars and trail work. The black flies weren't terrible, but they were out. So we quickly headed to the north side of the mountain to check out the "rock garden," did a few repairs and original art, and then headed back down. Participants: Mo Coutant, John Devine, Bill Glendening, Mary Knutson, Licia & Steve Mackey, Liz Mulshine, Tina Palmero, Karen Provencher, Dave Roeger, Jerry White, Donna & Mitch Zimmer.

June 2018

Three Lakes Bike Loop   Sat, Jun 2, 2018, Joanne Conley and Cole Hickland  
- An overcast morning turned to sunny blue skies and comfortable temperatures for riding. On a counter-clockwise loop from The Hub we hugged the west shore of Brant Lake along Palisades Road. A narrow and winding road, but at 9am we only saw two cars. Keep to the right on this road! Bear Pond Road was crackled blacktop, but views of the pond were picturesque. A stop at the North Brant Lake Cemetery to check out some interesting gravestones (thank you Tom Ward) and gorgeous countryside views. On to the Adirondack Country Store to regroup and have a snack; some got ice cream. Yum. Another beautiful stretch along Schroon Lake to Glendale. A few miles on Routes 9 and 8 back to Chestertown and Brant Lake. You can't beat the views on this lake ride with relatively little elevation change. Back at the Hub, most of the group stopped for lunch and a cold drink. The Hub welcomes riders, bikers, hikers and paddlers to use the gravel parking lot as a base for their Brant Lake adventure. Say hello to Drew and Noah and the solid team in the kitchen when you are there! Eleven people: Joanne Conley, Cole Hickland, Karen Provencher, Jen Ferris, Mary Ward, Tom Ward, Laura Fisk, Warren Wallis, Joan Jenkin, Tom Jenkin, Peggy McKeown.

Pharaoh Mountain   Sun, Jun 3, 2018, Jeff Mans
- On a clear, overcast morning we crossed the bridge over Crane Pond Outlet and began our woodland journey towards the summit of Pharaoh Mountain. Along the way we were greeted by a variety of flora, fauna, little toads and many brightly colored orange juvenile Eastern Newts (efts). As the summit neared, the trail increasingly turned to sections of solid rock slabs and offered views of the Blue Ridge Range to the west, including Hoffman Mountain, and Schroon Lake and Goose Pond below. Once upon the main summit we enjoyed a leisurely lunch and good conversation, together with the survey markers and brass plug from Colvin's 1896 Adirondack Survey. An exploration of the various open rock summit vistas was undertaken in every direction, including Pharaoh Lake to the south, Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains to the east, and Crane and Pyramid ponds to the north. To our surprise, we were delighted to see over 100 Pink Lady Slippers at peak bloom displaying a rich pageant of pink and soft red shades, not to be outdone by small pine-cone clusters gathered about the crowns of several summit pines. At one point Jayne counted 76 Pink Lady Slippers in 45 seconds on the NE overlook! The high cloud cover eventually made way for blue skies. One last stop was made on the way out to linger on a large boulder just over the Crane Pond Outlet bridge to enjoy the ending to such a pleasant day, and a steady breeze that offered a brief respite from the pesky mosquitoes and a few black flies that just could not compete with the mosquitoes. Happy go-lucky participants included Jeff Mans, Jayne Bouder and Nancy Hill.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Jun 5, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we paddled into NW Bay on Lake George from the inlet. This is a great little area where you don't have to worry about big waves or motorboats. Although they can go in to the inlet, most don't or they go slow. We saw a loon on its nest on the way out to the bay and on our way back. Hopefully, it did well there this season. We pulled up to shore and got out and stretched our legs a little bit with a short walk along the lake trail. Then we headed back to the inlet. Some in the group saw an eagle and I saw a water snake all curled up on a little area of land that serves as a breakwater before going into the inlet. Anne and I had pulled over to fish a bunch of debris from the shore and that's when we saw the snake. We all also saw a large map turtle. Great day out! Participants: Mo Coutant, John Devine, Bill Glendening, Licia & Steve Mackey, Anne Paolano, Dave Roeger.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Jun 12, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This was my monthly Fire Tower Challenge (FTC) hike. We did a short one in nearby south Corinth...Spruce Mtn. This is one of the tallest (actually I think it is the tallest) towers in the FTC. Good thing too, since there's no view until you climb the tower. I also showed a couple of the participants where the nearby geocache was located. We found out it had moved since I was last there! Nice trip and chance to get some exercise! Participants: Jim Cebula, Mo Coutant, James Jordan, Mary Knutson, Licia & Steve Mackey, Mike Marsh, Kay Mence, Karen Provencher, Dave Roeger.

Azure Mountain Fire Tower   Sat, Jun 16, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- Canceled due to not enough participation.

Balm of Gilead, Hooper Mine, William Blake Ponds and Elizabeth Point Lunch Break   Sat, Jun 16, 2018, Rich Crammond
- This was just a real nice day in the 'dacks: bunch berries, garter snakes, soaring hawks, and Reg playing his pocket horn on Balm of Gilead summit. Some bugs along the way but not too bad. The view from up at the Hooper Mine was the best of the day, I think. Thanks to Reg and Rich for sharing their day. Didn't get no better. Participants: Reg Prouty, Rich Myette, Rich Crammond.

Young Members: Lake George Leader's Choice   Sun, Jun 17, 2018, Stephanie Graudons and Megan McLaughlin  
- A group of 10 made up of eight hikers and 2 dogs set off for Black Mountain. Warm weather didn't keep people away from doing family Father's day hikes and we passed multiple groups on the trail. We enjoyed a spectacular view of Lake George that was unusually quiet for Black Mt. as the wind turbine was not going. We considered taking the longer trail down but were discouraged by the heat and reports of high numbers of ticks, and opted to go back the way we came.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Jun 19, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we paddled the Hudson River from Nolan Road in South Glens Falls. It was a bit breezy, so we headed over to the remnants of the booms and then to a little inlet to get out of the breeze. An osprey flew overhead and we were so busy looking up that I almost paddled into a tree that had fallen into the water! The water level was a bit higher than normal and the bugs were fewer, so we were able to paddle much further than normal into this inlet and another one upstream. It was really fun to explore these areas. Afterwards, we returned to the river and some headed back to the launch while others went further upstream to the inlet that takes you just south of the Hudson River bridge. We saw a lot of little yellow birds and luckily by the time we came back the wind was dying down. Great evening out...as usual! Participants: Mo Coutant, Bill Glendening, Mary Knutson, Gary McCoola, Joy Muller-McCoola, Deborah Murray, and Dave Roeger.

Buck Mountain   Sat, Jun 23, 2018, Brian Coville
- The weather held out for the most part until the end of the hike so we were able to enjoy some views of Lake George mountains from the summit. The trail wasn't too crowded.

Tuesday Outing - evening picnic   Tue, Jun 26, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- We had a great evening for our end of season picnic on top of Pinnacle Mtn. The slight breeze kept the bugs away, as well. This easy hike takes you to a view of the south end of the lake and a little bit over to the tip of Tongue Mtn. A perfect spot for an evening picnic. Thanks for everyone for coming out this evening or during the past 9 months. From this point until the fall, I mostly do paddle trips. Participants: Jim Brown, Mo Coutant, Laurie LaFond, Licia & Steve Mackey, Andrew Paolano, Karen Provencher, Dave Roeger, Bill Schwarz, Lynne Silverberg.

Seymour Saunter   Sat, Jun 30, 2018, Joe Babcock
- We had a great day for a hike. More butterflies than black flies! We got to the summer parking lot as it was almost full. We found spots to park, and headed off to Seymour. The trail in to the lean-tos was fairly dry. We ran into a small bit of blow down, and Wayne used my saw to clear the trail for hikers. We stopped at Ward Brook Lean-to for a quick snack before heading up the trail to the summit. This section had some significant mud, but not the worst we have encountered in the Adirondacks. It is a steep climb, but everyone made it up at their own pace. Up on the overlook, after some pictures for the first-timers on the summit, we all enjoyed the sunshine and views while we had lunch. I parked out on the lower section of bare rock, where the breeze kept bugs away. I did not hear a lot of complaints from hikers. I should have let Jim lead us back down, because I took a bit of a side trail for a short distance before recovering to the path. Jim seemed to think it was clearly marked as he came down the true path. It was a nice climb down and we stopped at a spot with a trail to the stream that offered a nice view and a chance to enjoy more of the great day in the Park. Once back to the main trail, we made good time back to the trail head. Participants: Jennifer Ferriss, Karen Provencher, Jefrey P. Martin, Jim Zwynenburg, Erica Halbrook, Anne Mania, Jackie Bogardus, Wayne Richter, Carol Christensen and Joe Babcock.

July 2018

Young Members Moreau Lake State Park Sunset Hike - Southern Hudson River Overlook   Tue, Jul 3, 2018, Brian Coville and Megan McLaughlin  
- Hot weather inspired half of the group to arrive early and take a very enjoyable dip in the Hudson River across the street from the trail head. We then met up with the rest of the group at the trail head. Luckily the combination of the early evening hours and coolness of the woods made for a more enjoyable temperature for hiking. The overlook provided a very pleasant view of a bend in the Hudson River with the mountains behind, including Spruce fire tower in the distance. Sunset was enjoyed with cookies and conversation. Participants: Megan McLaughlin, Brian Coville, Richard Rogers, Jen Shepherd, Jules Greiner, Mike DeSocio, Emily Litwin, Elizabeth Harding and family, Liz Quandt and 2 adorable dogs.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Jul 10, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This evening paddle was along the Hudson River from the South Glens Falls put in just below the Route 9 dam upstream to the dam at the beginning of the Feeder Canal. We had a nice leisurely paddle and checked out the inlet near the Harry Betar Walkway looking for turtles, but just saw a heron. On our way back to we heard the music from the pavilion in South Glens Falls. They sounded pretty good, but most of us had to head home. Participants: Mo Coutant, Bill Glendening, Licia & Steve Mackey, Kay Mence, Joy Munro.

The Vly and Botheration Pond   Sat, Jul 14, 2018, Rich Crammond
- Sure am glad I had a headnet for this outing. Never seen the deer flies so bad - Eeks! Low turnout for this hike; only Reg showed up. We made the best of it and had a good day in the 'dacks. Had lunch at Botheration where Ray played a few tunes on his pocket horn, and saw some red efts on the trail and great views from the ponds. Didn't get almost better! Participants: Reg Prouty, Rich Crammond.

Whiteface Wander   Sat, Jul 14, 2018, JP Martin and Joe Babcock  
- Hike was cancelled due to possible thunder and lightening storms. A group of us hiked up Esther and Whiteface on Sunday, but not a led hike.

Young Member- Tuesday Sunset Hikes   Tue, Jul 17, 2018, Megan McLaughlin and Brian Coville  
- A group of 9 hikers and 4 dogs set out directly from the Lake George outlets to hike French Mt. We enjoyed an easy 1 mile warm-up strolling down the bike trail to the trail head. From there it was 1.3 miles to the French Mt. overlook. The first southwest facing overlook offered views of the Lake George outlets, Great Escape and Queensbury High School in the distance. The second northwest overlook offered views of lower Lake George, the Northway winding into the mountains and the local zip-line. Fascinating to get a mountain view of the area many of us traverse daily.

Adirondack Fire Tower Challenge hike   Wed, Jul 18, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we hiked to the Wakely Mtn fire tower. This trail and tower had just recently opened after doing a bit of restoration. It's a very high tower, possibly the second highest. It was a warm day, but as you climbed the stairs, it got chilly with the breeze. If I'd brought my jacket I would have stayed up there longer to enjoy the 360 degree wonderful view! We all enjoyed the hike, side trip to the beaver meadow, and time in the tower. Great day! Participants: Mo Coutant, Leo Demers, Sue Howard, Mary Knutson, Licia Mackey, Kay Mence, Karen Provencer, Jim Ralston, Dave Roeger.

Hiking Wright, Algonquin and Iroquois   Sat, Jul 21, 2018, Joe Babcock and Andrew Meunier  
- This turned out to be a spectacular day to be in the Park. Skies were clear and the views were excellent. We could have gotten up earlier to meet and thus get a parking spot in lot at the Loj, but we did not expect to be turned away at 6:45 in the morning. We found parking, and hiked to the lot to find the 4 other hikers who planned to meet us at the trailhead. This is not a long hike, and we made our way up at a fair pace to the junction to Wright. We waited for a re-group, but I sent some of the hikers ahead since they were getting cold sitting for a bit. We all made it to the top of Wright and were able to take time to enjoy the nice day and the views. Karen mentioned that this was her favorite for the day. After checking out the plane crash debris and the plaque, we all headed on down to continue to Algonquin. It was actually a bit warmer on the higher summit and we relaxed a bit and had a bite to eat before heading off to Iroquois. Andrew brought the last of the hikers to Algonquin and they waited for our return. We made good time getting to Iroquois over Boundary, and I had to laugh when Karen remarked that Boundary was "cute." I guess that is one way to describe a mountain. We all either enjoyed the views or took a quick nap in the nice temps on our third peak of the day. We then headed back to Algonquin and were able to snap a group shot before heading back down for the day. We did have the honor of visiting with Wayne Richter, who hiked through Avalanche Pass and up to Iroquois first. He ran into us as we were approaching Iroquois and was on Algonquin when we returned. A great hiking day with great friends! Participants: Jen Ferriss, Karen Provencher, Anne Mania, Tony Hoppa, Jake Hoppa, Jerry Hoppa, Justin Murphy, JP Martin, Mike Badagliacca, Maryanne Mullany, Andrew Meunier and Joe Babcock.

Kane Mountain Fire Tower   Sat, Jul 21, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- canceled due to not enough participation.

Phelps Peak From Klondike Notch Trail -   Sat, Jul 21, 2018, Reg Prouty
- Three of us had no trouble finding the herd path after we were lucky enough to find a parking spot at the trailhead and were headed to the lean-to at 9:20. We took a short break near the lean-to and had no trouble easily reaching the summit by lunch time. We visited with 4 Canadians and Reg played "Oh Canada" on his pocket trumpet for them. Jayne took a nap for a few minutes. A good day was had by all and the views were fabulous as usual. Three hikers: Reg Prouty, Jayne Bouder and Jim Appleyard.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Jul 24, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we paddled around Lake Luzerne. We were planning on exploring the inlet, but just as we entered, we all heard a boom of thunder. With some threatening clouds upon us, we decided to cut it short and head back to the launch. Luckily, that was the only thunder and we didn't even get wet. So I guess if we had continued up the inlet we would have been fine, but I don't take risks like that with an ADK group! Afterwards we headed to Stewarts for an ice cream. Participants: Mo Coutant, Lorraine DelRosso, Julie Leonelli, Licia Mackey, Marjory Moeller, Jim Ralston, Joanne Szot, Donna & Mitch Zimmer.

Basin and Saddleback   Sat, Jul 28, 2018, Wayne Richter and Ben St. Andrews  
- Not surprisingly, the Garden parking lot had filled before 6 am. Fortunately, Dave had parked there the night before and, after returning from camping out up the trail, shuttled our drivers from the Rooster Comb lot while the majority of the group occupied and protected his parking space. We were underway by 7:00 under clear skies and a pleasant temperature. With all the rain in the previous few days, that old, familiar Adirondack mud was back in abundance. We took a break in the sun at Johns Brook Lodge, visiting with numerous other hikers, and another break at Bushnell falls. While there, we saw a young fellow run by and take the right fork to the Van Hoevenberg Trail. Not long after we crossed Johns Brook, his mother caught up with our group, then set out in hot pursuit when she learned that he had taken the wrong direction (we later learned that they had gotten back together). The skies clouded up as we headed to Slant Rock, but cleared for another break there. We now began serious ascent on the Shorey Shortcut - as always this trail afforded wonderful views of Basin and one great view of Haystack. A bit of mutual support on the way up soon found us on top of Basin. We had an enjoyable time on the summit for lunch, then noticed a shower heading our way. We packed up, put on our rain gear, and headed for Saddleback. After a bit of a sprinkle, the rain stopped, and we had sun and dry rock for our climb up the cliffs of Saddleback. This was a first ascent for ten of our group. We had a good long sit on top of Saddleback, then headed down the other side. The steps along the Saddleback slide were definitely needed as the slide has become mossy and looked slick. We had a final snack stop at the interior outpost and finished nicely before dark. Thanks to Ben for co-leading. Participants (* = first ascent): Joe Babcock, Maryanne Badagliacca*, Mike Badagliacca*, David Bennett*, Kim Brown*, Jen Ferris, Ralph Keating, Anne Mania*, Sunny Martinson*, Karen Provencher*, Wayne Richter, Erin Roberts*, Ben St. Andrews*, Dave White, Corey Wood*.

Racquette Lake Paddle & annual Chicken Barbeque on Long Point   Sat, Jul 28, 2018, Jayne Bouder
- Camped at Big Island. DOH cancelled the barbeque.

August 2018

Rooster Comb and Snow Mountain   Sat, Aug 4, 2018, Andrew Meunier
- Some mixed forecasts kept our group relatively small but we had a dry start to the day and were treated to closeup views of a blue heron minutes into our hike. The walk up Rooster Comb was steep in places and the humidity was very high. But breezier conditions and sunny skies awaited us at the top where we spent plenty of time taking in excellent views of the Great Range and Keene Valley. An unusual number of dragonflies darted among the summit scrub and a few (somewhat dehydrated) blueberries were sampled. A descent and short walk brought us to Snow Mountain where we enjoyed more views and watched as fast-moving clouds and distant rain showers continuously transformed our views of Giant and Noonmark. An always pleasant stop at Martha's Ice Cream on the way home capped off a rewarding hike. Participants: Jolie Navatka, Wayne Richter, Amanda Gomez, Benjamin St. Andrews, Andrew Meunier.

Trailless Dixes   Sat, Aug 11, 2018, Wayne Richter
- We had a fine day for our hike: Although skies were generally cloudy, we had some patches of sun, the air was quite a bit clearer than it has been on the many hazy days this summer, and the rain held off to only a brief shower about an hour before we finished. We also had pleasant temperatures and something approaching reasonable humidity - a welcome change from much of the past few weeks. We were lucky enough to be able to park in the summer lot and overall saw surprisingly few people for what was a pretty nice day. The Macomb slide was a new experience for about half the group, and I think all enjoyed the experience. We spent some time on the summit enjoying the view, then continued on to climb South Dix, pausing again on one of the open spaces near the top to enjoy the scenery. After a stop at the overlook just past the nondescript summit of South Dix, we went on to Grace. We had more time on this summit. While a couple among us napped, most of the group went around to the back side where we found some blueberries (most not that great - it seems to be a tough year for them) and greeted a couple of people who had come up the slide. After lunch, we headed back to South Dix. A few, under Jef's able leadership, headed back on the south branch of the Lilian Brook herd path while the rest of us went on to Hough before returning on the north branch of the Lilian Brook herd path. Participants: Nicole Durocher Beaulne, Paul Durbin, Erica Halbrook, Michael Letzring, Elizabeth McLanahan, Jef Martin, Rashna Meunier, Wayne Richter, Erin Roberts, Mark Seymour.

Street and Nye High Peaks   Sat, Aug 18, 2018, Alison Laurin and Ben St. Andrews  
- We had a great hike up Street and Nye, with a little warmup first; those there know what I'm talking about! The day never got wet from above and actually turned out to be pretty pleasant! We sloshed through lots of mud in the middle of the trails and were saddened by the ever-widening herd paths in spots on this trailless peak. We ended up with a small group as the rain in the forecast caused several last-minute cancellations! Attendees included Marlene Killian, David Bennett, Anne Mania, Karen Provencher, Ben St. Andrews and Alison Laurin.

Hour Pond Moose Watch!   Sat, Aug 18, 2018, Rich Crammond
- What a great day for hiking in the Adirondacks. No bugs, cool weather, and son Rich to hike with. We saw many, many red efts on the trail and one very nice Hour Pond with a lean-to to ourselves for lunch. It rained lightly but no downpours. A good outing for this summer day. Didn't get no better. Participants: Rich Crammond. Richard Elvis Crammond.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Aug 21, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we paddled the Spier Falls section of the Hudson River. A mixed forecast must have kept people away, but it turned out to be a very calm, peaceful, and perfect evening paddle. There were only 4 of us on the hike, so we got to get caught up on what we'd all been doing over the summer. The cardinal flower and a yellow flower were blooming and reflecting in the water which added to the beauty of this always pretty area. Participants: Mo Coutant, Mary Knutson, Licia Mackey, Kay Mence.

Young Member Backpacking -- Seward Range   Sat, Aug 25, 2018, Amanda Gomez and Jason Waters  
- We started out as a backpacking trip into a fun filled day trip. Threats of thunderstorms had our group re-evaluate and we decided to do all four peaks of the Seward Range in one day. We headed in and went up Calkins Brook Trail. Donaldson was the first peak we summited, then heading over to Emmons. From there we headed back past Donaldson and over to Seward. After descending Seward we headed out to finish our day on Seymour. Seymour was rather a muddy day for some of us! Participation: Jason Waters, Amanda Gomez (trip leaders), Jill Moretto, Nikki Rogers.

Colden from East Slide with trip to Lake Colden and Avalanche Pass to Boot.   Sat, Aug 25, 2018, Joe Babcock
- This was a good challenge for me as a leader, hiking up a different route to a familiar summit. We had a great day for the hike and were lucky to get spots in the Loj parking lot. We all gathered at the trail head and hiked in to Marcy Dam. It was nice getting to know the new hikers along the way, as well as starting conversations with other hikers heading up the Lake Arnold Trail. Before long, we were at the junction for the main trail to Mount Colden. JP volunteered to take two of the hikers up the main trail to the summit while the rest of us continued down to find our way up the slide from the east. We found the spot that was pointed out to me last winter on a hike to Gray, Skylight and Marcy. It was not long before we were winding our way up the slide and enjoying the expanding views of the other peaks to the east of us. It looks like there are a couple of slides to hike up, but I chose to follow the slide that gave us a clear path and less bushwhacking. We made our way up what at first looked like a very steep climb. It turned out to be climbable and we eventually made our way to the main trail near the summit. We enjoyed lunch on the summit and then made our way down the trail to Lake Colden. The hike out through Avalanche Pass was as awesome as usual, but some beavers have made the water level rise in Avalanche Lake and the beach area to the north was under water. We all enjoyed the hike back out to the trailhead. It was a great day on the trails. Participants: Jen Ferriss, Karen Provencher, JP Martin, Mike Badagliacca, Maryanne Badagliacca, Erin Roberts, Renee Shields, Kim Brown, Kimberly Labrecque, Jim Zwynenburg, Anne Mania, David Bennett and Joe Babcock.

Cascade Peak   Sat, Aug 25, 2018, Reg Prouty
- Only one caller named Beau signed up so we did it anyway as an unofficial hike. At the trail-head, the 46ers had an educational presentation for those who didn't know how to leave no trace. Since I didn't have a recording device on me I promised them that at the return to their table I would give them an encore of the tribute to Grace Hudowalski on my pocket trumpet as I do on all my hikes.

Wakely Mountain Fire Tower   Sun, Aug 26, 2018, Jayne Bouder
- Forecast: 8am rain. We got an early soaking from the hardwoods - bombarded with big drops from their overloaded leaves. Higher up we escaped into the softwoods, and thickening fog. Fortunately the ranger's cabin had a dry porch - with an amusing bench that had to be sat on carefully. The tower was foggy beautiful, the cab shrouded, with 360 degree views of the closest treetops. Great day! Great group! Participants: Bob Aspholm, Jayne Bouder, Christine Holle, and Debbie Hummel.

September 2018

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Sep 4, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This was a hot day at the beginning of September, so we went for a paddle on the east side of Lake George where we could go swimming! We put in at the end of Shelving Rock Road and paddled south to the bay below Log Bay. The wind was coming out of the north, so we decided to head back into the wind and pulled into Log Bay Island. There we got out and had lunch and tried to light candles on some scones we brought to celebrate Licia's birthday. The light breeze spoiled that plan, but it was the thought that counts! Happy birthday Lic! Then we swam a little bit and reluctantly had to head home. Great day out! Participants: Mo Coutant, Jim Gedney, Bill Glendening, Julie Leonelli, Margie Litwin, Licia Mackey, Kay Mence, Liz Mulshine, John Schneider, Alison Zoske.

Allen   Sat, Sep 8, 2018, Wayne Richter
- After what was surely an unusually warm start to September, fall blew in on a strong Canadian cold front, giving us starting temperatures in the upper 40s, and not much higher throughout the day. Our 6:30 arrival at the parking lot found us among the later starters for Allen, but we did not find much crowding on trail. We had a mix of sun and clouds throughout the day, and not too much mud. We picked our way carefully up the notorious red algae along Allen Brook, and had lunch on the summit with splendid views to the north. It was a first ascent of Allen for Kimberly, Rashna and Scott. We got down without any real damage from the usual slips, and finished well before dark. Participants: Joe Babcock, Jen Ferris, Kimberly Labrecque, J.P Martin, Andrew Meunier, Rashna Meunier, Wayne Richter, Scott Springer.

Noonmark and Round   Sat, Sep 15, 2018, Benjamin St. Andrews
- A spectacular day! With the fog rolling off on the drive up in the morning, our small group of 5 was able to quickly scramble up the rocky and rewarding Noonmark. After taking a small snooze up at the top and getting our fill of the 360 degree views, we made the decent down to Old Dix Trail and around, then began our ascent to Round. We were rewarded with a seldom used path up Round and had second lunch-sies at the top. We were able to peek off the cliffs coming down back towards the Ausable Club and topped the day off with a well earned ice cream! Participants: Mark Rye, Wayne Richter, David Bennett, Alison Laurin, Benjamin St. Andrews.

Pinnacle Ridge and Blake Peak from Elk Lake-Marcy Trail   Sat, Sep 15, 2018, Jeff Mans and Jayne Bouder  
- After squeezing into the parking lot, we began our journey on the Elk Lake-Marcy trail and soon crossed Elk Lake outlet on a suspension bridge, and then onto a forest road for several miles with little effort. As the morning passed, unseasonable humidity made its presence known, while the clouds and rain were held in abeyance, eventually giving way for an afternoon filled with some mixed clouds and sunshine. Leaving the Elk Lake-Marcy Trail at the junction of the Pinnacle Ridge trail, we turned north on this lesser travelled route and began our ascent in earnest towards Pinnacle Peak, Pinnacle Ridge and Blake Peak. We were rewarded with inspiring views of Elk Lake and the Dix Range to the east, and Marcy, Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, Gothics, Pyramid, Sawteeth and the Ausable lakes to the west, at various lookout points along the way, including 72 steps, more or less. From our vantage point, there was no doubt how Pyramid got its name. After several rather steep climbs and descents, we reached the fourth Blake, or so it seemed, by the time we arrived at Blake Peak and met a continual flow of hikers coming over Colvin from the north. Maybe not as exciting as the meeting of the transcontinental railroad, but for a moment it felt like being there. Since there were no available cable cars or heliports, we returned the nine miles from whence we came. A challenging and rewarding hike on the longest possible route to Blake with a great group. Participants: Erin Roberts, Mike Badagliacca, Maryanne Mullany, Eric Kimmelman, Akane Suziki, Jeff Mans and Jayne Bouder co-leading, and the one-and-only Jim Z. Thanks to everyone for helping out, teaching me a thing or two, and having a great day!

T Lake Falls   Sun, Sep 16, 2018, Nick Ringelberg
- A small group of 4 on a crisp pre-fall morning, we hiked 3 miles on a rough trail/old logging road, rock-hopped and got our feet a little wet crossing the West Canada Creek, and bushwhacked about 3 miles following an old trail/herd path to the base of T-Lake Falls in about 3 hours, then 3 of us lazed around in the sun for an hour while one hardy fool climbed to the top for a view of the West Canada Creek valley and surrounding hills. More impressive from the top, was the report, but a dangerous, rounded top. Next time a thru hike from Piseco Lake? The return trip bushwhack was a little more problematic and after losing the herd path, we crossed the creek to the north west side and found a well traveled fisherman's trail to finish the day.Pleasant weather on the hike, but scattered rain showers had dampened the paved roads that we traveled on the drive home. Participants: Catherine Bunk, Margarita Mayo, John Newell, Nick Ringelberg.

Monthly Monday Geocache   Mon, Sep 17, 2018, Sarah King
- We had a great day hiking and finding some amazingly creative geocaches at Thacher Park and Thompson Lake State Parks. After a bit of detouring due to a closed road within Thacher, we dropped a car at the Ryan Road parking and then drove to the Carrick Road parking. This area is so cool with the limestone pavement and the many fissures that are common in the escarpment of the Helderbergs. We were anticipating some very creative hides here and we were't disappointed! Mo took several videos of us attempting to reach the caches and photos of several homemade birdhouses which contained the logs. After we finished at Thacher, we drove over to Thompson lake where we enjoyed lunch at a covered picnic table and the very clean bathrooms nearby at the campground. We continued our day by finding several more caches and were on our way home by 3pm to beat the Northway traffic. As always, a great time out with some fun folks. Participants: Sarah King, Mo Coutant, Licia Mackey, Diane Demetriou, Todd Earl, Gwen Bizol and Jo Pedersen.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Sep 18, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we did our annual picnic dinner on the rocks just below the bridge between Hadley and Lake Luzerne. We put in at the boat launch on East River Road and paddled upstream against the current and a light breeze. I always forget how long a paddle it is. A few participants were probably wondering what they'd gotten themselves into...especially when we had to paddle past where the Sacandaga River dumps into the Hudson. That was a real challenge, but the rocks were just beyond. We made it and got out to enjoy our dinner and shared some items with the group. Great time as always. Took us half the time to paddle back, which was good since we were losing daylight quickly! Participants: Mo Coutant, Paul Dietershagen, Jim Gedney, Kay Mence, Liz Mulshine, Jim Ralston, Dave Roeger, Lynne Silverberg.

Young Member Backpacking -- Cranberry 50   Fri, Sep 21, 2018, Amanda Gomez and Jason Waters  
- We started our trip by hiking in 18.5 miles the first night to set up camp right next to Cranberry Lake. We all took a swim in the lake and ate dinner before the wind and rain picked up. It was comfortable sleeping weather while the lake splashed next to our campsite. The second day we did the same millage and set up at Cowhorn Pond. We all watched the amazing Adirondack sunset colors above the lake and enjoyed dinner next to the campfire. It was in the low 50s the second night with the nearly full moon illuminating the mist covered pond through the trees. We covered 15.5 miles for our last day and took a pit stop at High Falls to enjoy the beautiful blue bird day we were having. While enjoying a celebratory beer in the parking lot after our finish a husband and wife trail workers walked past us. The guy asked us what chapter we were from and as he walked away he stated his name was Neil Woodworth! What a pleasure to say hello to him! On the way home between Tupper and Long Lakes a moose was spotted roadside only to duck back into the woods as we drove past. What a fabulous trip with excellent company! Participants: Jason Waters, Amanda Gomez (trip leaders), Sarah Gutenmann, Jim Zwynenburg, David Trestick, Ashlyn Miranda, Collette Levinstein, Michael Popp.

Big Slide and Yard Mountain   Sat, Sep 22, 2018, Joe Babcock
- Yet another great day in The Park! We met up at Panera parking lot to car pool and headed up to The Garden to start the day. We met up with Mike Fuller on the road up (the lot was full as expected). We met up with the rest of the hiking crew at the lot and started off to Big Slide. All was going well for the first mile or so, when suddenly two new hikers headed back down the trail looking for a third friend in the group. Somehow they made it past my best sweeping defenses and headed back to the lot. Wayne and JP headed off in pursuit like a couple of border collies to round them up, They did a fine job (I consider JP more of a Saint Bernard type, though). Eventually we were back on the trail and had an enjoyable time making our way up to a crowded Big Slide summit. We enjoyed our lunch while visiting with everyone and enjoying the great views. After a good break, we headed off to Yard where we had a quick lesson of Yoga on Yard led by Tania. We then made our way down to Johns Brook Lodge where we enjoyed sitting on the porch for a bit before heading back to the trailhead. Participants: Jen Farriss, JP Martin, Mark Seymour, Dave White, Kimberly Lebrecque, Mark Swanson, Marjan Zahedi, Heidi Daneshgar, Tania Ahiuwalia, Maria Baiulescu, Wayne Richter, Mike Fuller and Joe Babcock.

Indian Head and Fish-hawk Cliffs   Sat, Sep 22, 2018, Reg Prouty
- After being lucky enough to get the very last parking spot at the Ausable Club for one of our two cars, we parked the other car .7 mile east at an overflow parking area. After visiting Rainbow Falls we discovered that due to heavy rains the night before the falls was as terrific as I'd ever seen it any time of year. Then on to Indian Head we went to relax for lunch and pictures and a tribute on the trumpet to Grace Hudowalski. The steep descent to Fishhawk Cliffs was adventurous as usual but the obvious shape of the Indian Head from these cliffs was worth it. The flumes along Gill Brook were very good, again due to earlier heavy rains. 9 hikers: Reg Prouty, Anita Morzillo, Lynn Mayack, Cathy Gilcrest, Karen Briggs, Laura Fiske, Franciska Galerui, Rob Furlong, Ray Boucher.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Sep 25, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- Cancelled

Marshall, Marshall, Marshall! Da Plane! Da Plane!   Sat, Sep 29, 2018, Joe Babcock and Ben St. Andrews  
- This is a hike I have been on many times. It was not until my 3rd trip that I actually was rewarded with views from the top. This year's hike started out with some cloudy conditions, but I was hopeful that things would clear up. We ended up with a group that included first timers. The weather improved quickly and we were treated to partly sunny skies on our way to the summit. With the recent rains, the streams and brooks along the trails were flowing well. There was plenty of mud to enjoy as well. We did get great views from the summit and we enjoyed our lunches before we packed up and headed to the plane crash site. The damp, muddy trail down was challenging in spots, but we made it to the familiar rock that provides a great view of Wallface, in no time. We were soon down to the junction with the Cold Brook Trail and on to the plane. The group enjoyed seeing the site, took some pictures and enjoyed a snack before we headed on down to Lake Colden. We did have a small amount of misting rain while on the trail down, but it did not last and we enjoyed more sunshine at the lake. After another relaxing break, we headed back out to the Upper Works trailhead. It was a good day in the park. Participants: David Bennett, Cherie Bellamy, Ben St. Andrews, JP Martin, Chip Kilduff, Donna Ruppel, Alix Shepard, Sue Jordan, Wayne Richter and Joe Babcock. By the way, Cortlands Rock!

The Wolfjaws and Armstrong   Sat, Sep 29, 2018, Andrew Meunier
- The weather was cool but pleasant and the trees had just started to take on their fall colors. The summit views from Armstrong included a soaring bald eagle. Relatively high water meant Beaver Meadow Falls were particularly picturesque. This hike had representation from Finger Lakes and Laurentian ADK Chapters. Participants: Rebecca Kleinman, Ashley Oxenford, Karen Provencher, Diane Beckwith, Rashna Meunier, Andrew Meunier.

Essex Chain Lakes   Sat, Sep 29, 2018, Rich Crammond
- A great day in the 'dacks again for this cool weather outing in a real nice place. We saw two loons, four deer, two little ruffed grouse, and one red eft - good stuff! The trucks were going in and out with belongings from camps that will no longer be there after October 1, 2018. We talked to some of the people as they were moving out. Bitterness for NYS is what some people had. Understandable for sure! Some folks have had their camps around the area for generations. Thanks hiking buds for sharing your day with me. Didn't get no better. Participants: Jayne Bouder, Peter Bishop, Rich Crammond.

Walk around 13th Lake   Sun, Sep 30, 2018, Bill Schwarz
- Four experienced hikers joined the leader for this excursion on a nice fall day. We kept a decent pace and had time for a stop in North Creek to check the ongoing mosaic-wall project. This trip combined parts of the Peaked Rock, Hour Pond, and Puffer Pond trails. A side trip to Elizabeth Point provided a great lunch setting after an aromatic walk through the hemlock stand on the Siamese Ponds trail. Participants: Joanne Armstrong, Beau Bessen, Cathy Corrigan, Gabi Hughes, Bill Schwarz.

October 2018

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Wed, Oct 3, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we paddled down the outlet of Brant Lake to the dam just above the little village of Brant Lake. Then we paddled back upstream to the main lake and just above the island with the house on it. It was a cloudy day, but the sun peaked out every now again and highlighted the bright fall foliage. Participants: Mo Coutant, Jim Gedney, Licia & Steve Mackey, Marjory Moeller, Rich Myette.

Cheney Cobble   Sat, Oct 6, 2018, Nick Ringelberg
- Cheney's Citadel spied our approach, from the south this time ("OH, not YOU again!"), and let us up! Three mile bike ride, 3 mile hike, 3 hour bushwhack (1 mile, 1200 feet elevation gain), 10 hours total. Totally socked in, so not able to get that "awe-inspiring view." I guess we will have to go back again to get the "view," now that we know the way. Participants: Donna Blondell, Jayne Bouder, Jeff Levitt, Nick Ringelberg.

Rocky Peak from East Trail (New Russia)   Sat, Oct 6, 2018, Jeff Mans
- On a rescheduled date with a last-minute change in route, we spotted a car at the Route 73 Washbowl trailhead below Giant, near Chapel Pond, and headed back the short distance towards New Russia and the East Trail for a traverse to Rocky Peak and Giant Mountain, and down to Route 73, never having to retrace our footsteps back. The morning was pleasant and sunny, with some white clouds moving slowly across the azure sky. Taking advantage of the good morning forecast, we quickly obtained increasingly vast open views of the high peaks and Champlain Valley as we trekked along Blueberry Cobbles, Bald Peak and the ridge towards Rocky Peak, displaying a kaleidoscope of peak autumn foliage under the heavens above. Passing through the col between Bald Peak and Rocky Peak we came to one of my favorite spots in the woods with abundant birches and an inviting opening of blue sky just off to the south. Further along in the woods on the ascent towards Rocky Peak Ridge, we passed a boulder supporting two cylindrical stones that appeared to me to resemble the engines of the Starship Enterprise, or just my imagination running away once again. As the trail started to transition from woods to open ridgeline, Lake Mary Louise presented herself with all the charm a small tarn has to offer. The views up along the ridge towards Rocky Peak are among the most spectacular during the fall foliage, and we were amply rewarded before the racing clouds and mist finally caught up to us on the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge, where we stopped to take in some lunch and chatter among the many squatters at the summit. Before too long, a small group arrived and performed some type of ritual with one member of the select group donning a red Superman cape and signage broadcasting his apparent accomplishment of completing the 46. I simply could not resist announcing that we had been waiting for them and what took so long. After a few laughs and well-deserved congratulations, we faced the raging clouds and headed back into the comfort and shelter of the woods on our descent from Rocky Peak Ridge and up towards the summit of The Giant of the Valley. On the summit of Giant we found glimpses of a gathering of Where the Wild Thing Are shrouded in the mist of the anxious clouds. As all good things must end, we descended down the Washbowl trail to our spotted car, but not before we were greeted with inspiring views at the Giant's Washbowl and from a rock ledge with open views of Chapel Pond and the cliffs rising above. A thoroughly rewarding hike with good company on a day that left little regret for beating the forecast most of the day. Participants: Jeff Mans, Jeff Newsome, and Donna O. in mind and spirit.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Oct 9, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week most of the group paddled Lake Abanakee almost from end to end. I say most since my back was bothering me, so while they paddled, I walked my dog along the lake. We still all had a good time. They were treated to loons swimming nearby and we all got to enjoy the peak foliage spotlighted when the sun shone through the clouds. We had lunch at the beach and most of us stopped at Stewarts on the way home. Participants: Mo Coutant, Mary Knutson, Margie Litwin, Licia Mackey, Kay Mence, Rich Myette.

Traverse Of Jay Mountain Range   Sat, Oct 13, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- Beautiful fall foliage all the way to the trailhead. Increasing clouds, and when we got to the ridgeline the wind picked up a bit and started to snow. A light dusting accumulated as we traversed the ridgeline and turned to rain as we headed back to our cars. Participants: Amanda Gomez, Mike DeSocio, Connor Phoenix, Paul Burns, Rich Rogers.

Gore Mountain Fire Tower Hike   Sat, Oct 13, 2018, Rich Crammond
- A real nice fall hike and no heavy rainfall, so real thankful for that. What we did see on the way down the trail was some great views and a "snowbow," a very colorful snow squall! Going up were some real nice waterfalls from all the latest rainfall. I think everyone really enjoyed this cool, fall day outing. That's what it's all about: having a good time. Didn't get no better. Thanks, hiking buds, for sharing your day. Participants: Peter Bishop, Leo Demers, Ray Bouchea, Bob Morrissey, Rich Crammond.

Tuesday Outing FTC   Tue, Oct 16, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- My back had been giving me trouble the week before, so we only did the Red Hill fire tower and not Hunter. So we still need to do another trip down to Hunter to finish up the Catskills ADK Fire Tower Challenge. I was surprised so many people wanted to do the long drive down to do a hike that was less than 3 miles. But it was a beautiful day, so why not? It's always great to be with other ADKers and catch up whether it is in a car or on the trail! The colors were not peak, but the view was still spectacular. Great day out...even avoiding the traffic! Participants: Sue Atwell, Mo Coutant, Leo Demers, Dee Demetriou, Sue Hermitage, James Jordan, Mary Knutson, Lee Loose, and Heather, Licia and Steve Mackey.

Mt. Colden from Lake Arnold/ADK Lodge   Sat, Oct 20, 2018, Jeff Mans
- Cancelled due to weather and lack of participants foolish enough to follow through upon more rational reflection. Maybe next time.

Traverse of Western Ridge Trail in Moreau Lake State Park   Sat, Oct 20, 2018, Reg Prouty
- We could not have chosen a better fall day to do this scenic traverse. Views at all of the overlooks were great and we had lunch at the best one, which is even with the dam on the Hudson. We also spent a little time at the overlook near the end of the traverse where the river looks either like an eagle or an amoeba. A great day with good friends and new friends. 7 hikers: Reg Prouty, Jim Jordan, Suzanne Winkler, Joanne Walczak, Robert Gammon, Mary Gammon, and Jayne Bouder.

Tuesday Outing - Paddle   Tue, Oct 23, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week I changed the trip to a walk at the Skidmore Northwoods instead of a paddle since it was chilly and rainy. We actually started in a sprinkle, but it stopped after about 15 minutes. We walked around the woods and saw most of the highlights, but missed a few that we'll have to come back to another time. Afterwards, most of us headed to Uncommon Grounds for a hot drink and snack. Always good to get down to Saratoga. Participants: Jim Brown, Mo Coutant, Mary Harrill, Jim Jordan, Lee & Mary Loose, Heather, Licia & Steve Mackey, Ted Orosz & Diane White, Joanne Szot, Alison & Joe Zoske.

November 2018

Porter and Cascade via Blueberry Mtn.   Sat, Nov 3, 2018, Eric Kimmelman and Akane Suzuki  
- Bad weather moved our Porter and Cascade via Blueberry Mountain to the Hudson Highlands. Four of us scrambled up Breakneck and then hiked along the highlands to the fire tower on Mount Beacon. After some early fog and rain, the sun came out and we had some spectacular views of the Hudson Valley. We saw late fall colors, Storm King Mountain, the Manhattan skyline, Bannerman Castle and many other sights in the lower Hudson Valley. Participants: Eric Kimmelman, Joe Babcock, Kimberly Labrecque and Dave White.

Gore Mountain Ski Bowl-Mtn Bike   Sun, Nov 4, 2018, Steve Mackey
- I only got one other biker to join me, but we had a great time. I think we rode all the trails, (but it's possible we might have missed a part of one or two). They are the perfect difficulty, pretty hard, but rideable. We had the trails all to ourselves, and had a cold, sunny day to enjoy them. I will definitely return and ride them again. Kudos to Matt for being such a strong rider. Participants: Steve Mackey, Matt Karkoski.

ADK Workday...continued   Sun, Nov 4, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- Thanks for everyone who came out on either of the two mini-workdays at the end of October and beginning of November. On the last Saturday in October we started out with a light mist, and a bunch of crazy ADKers kept raking even when it turned to rain...then sleet! We got quite a bit done considering. Then the next weekend we finished up in much better weather. Thanks for all who stopped by and volunteered a bit of their time and effort to get the property ready for winter! Participants: Mo Coutant, Licia & Steve Mackey, Lee Loose, Anne Paolano, Shana Ederer, Kim Brown, Karen Provencher, Bill Schwarz, Barb Tomko, Bill Wasilewski, Mary Knutson, Jayne Bouder, Tom Kenney, Peter Benoit, Englehard ?? ... and anyone else I may have forgotten!

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Nov 6, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we moved the hike to Wednesday to get a drier day. With the sprinkles and low clouds on the way up, I thought maybe we should have moved it further in the week. But we were all glad we didn't when we got to Marcy Field and saw a rainbow beginning and ending on either side of the airport. Actually, it was a double rainbow. Absolutely spectacular. We were treated to other partial rainbows throughout the day. Mostly in the distance, and we didn't get the rain that we feared they would bring. We did get spectacular views and almost blown off the ridge along the Jay Range. The wind was really whipping and kept us moving literally and figuratively! Participants: Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, Licia & Steve Mackey, Liz Mulshine.

Potash Mountain   Sat, Nov 10, 2018, Reg Prouty
- Due to slippery and steep trail conditions, this hike was almost as much a challenge as an A hike. We found a place just beyond the summit to get out of the wind for lunch and the traditional honoring of Grace Hudowalski by Reg. There is a great overlook before the summit that is better than the summit itself. Coming down, we took the alternate trail, as it was a little less steep and made a loop of it as it rejoins the main trail. We had six and Jayne caught up to us, making it seven. We all went to Jungle Jim's Deli for some great homemade food afterwards, but his wife's cream puffs and eclairs were all sold out. The sandwiches and soup were good, and Jayne liked the hand-packed ice cream. 7 hikers: Reg Prouty, Joe Pawlusko, Bob Bedore, Megan McLaughlin, Rich Pen, Rich Crammond, and Jayne Bouder.

Monthly Monday Geocache   Mon, Nov 12, 2018, Sarah King
- Today's destination was Woods Hollow Nature Preserve located in Milton, NY. We parked in the large parking lot off Northline Road and began our walk. The weather was in the mid 40s but no wind, so it didn't feel too cold. There were 12 new caches here and 4 older ones. These caches were mostly not winter friendly, meaning they were placed on the ground. We had had a dusting of snow the previous Friday in Queensbury but luckily the ground was bare for us today. We walked the trails stopping to look for each hide, some more difficult than others. Two of the easier ones were birdhouses hanging from trees. We also found a plastic chipmunk, a large spider, a little witch, and a plastic rat. Not all geocaches are pill bottles. We had a good day finding all 16 hidden here. Treats provided by Licia and Sarah. Another good day out with fun folks. Participants: Sarah King, Licia Mackey, Diane Demetriou, Ed Kopf, Jo Anne Pedersen.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Nov 13, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- I hadn't thought about getting down to the trailhead until a couple of nights before. Luckily, they'd sanded the hill or we would have hiked into Inman Pond as our backup hike! The trail up to Shelving Rock Mountain is such a nice hike. It's very gradual since it is an old carriage road. We were at the top before we knew it! From there, we headed west to the ledges that allow an unobstructed view to the south, west, and over to the tip of Tongue Mountain. It was chilly so we didn't stay long and many of us headed back to Paneras for some warm food! Participants: Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, Dan D'Angelico, Leo & Tim Demers, Emilie Gould, Karen Johnson, Mary Knutson, Julie Leonelli, Licia & Steve Mackey, Kay Mence, Karen Provencher, John Schneider, Joanne Szot, Neil Van Dorsten.

Moxham Mountain   Sat, Nov 17, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- Cancelled due to not enough participation.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Nov 20, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we started in the Hudson Pointe Preserve and took the new(ish) connecting trail to the Leon Steves Preserve. These are two areas in Queensbury along or near the Hudson River. We all enjoyed getting out and exploring the trails. Thank you to Karen for leading the way. She and her dog run in there often, so she was able to show us the sights! We also did a little trail work along the plank walkway that gets you over a wet area to the bridge on the Hudson. Hopefully, that will keep others from getting wet feet! Participants: Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, Emilie Gould, Sarah King, Licia & Steve Mackey, Karen Provencher.

Turkey Trot #20 Saratoga Battlefield   Thu, Nov 22, 2018, Rich Crammond
- As cold as it was, it was still nice to hike along with ADKers I haven't seen in a while. We should be used to January, which November sure is feeling like. Glad that everyone had a good time. We saw many, many deer and one black squirrel. Can't beat that, I guess. Didn't get no better (for 20 years). Participants: Laura Fiske, Dan D'Angelico, Kathy Fleming, Rich Crammond.

Whiteface and Esther   Sat, Nov 24, 2018, Andrew Meunier and Ben St. Andrews  
- The waning Beaver Moon lit our objective beautifully as we dodged lethargic deer on the roadway to the Whiteface trailhead in Wilmington. Temperatures were relatively mild as we started the steep hike up Marble Mountain. The trail was still marked by leaves down low, but significant snow led us to strap on our snowshoes as we approached the junction for Esther. The trees on the slopes of Esther were heavily loaded and the summit was a winter wonderland with some nice views of Whiteface and only a few clouds in the sky. As the temperature climbed into the upper thirties, the sun started melting the snow in the trees above, treating us to chilly showers on our way up to the summit of Whiteface. Strong winds near the summit road led us to bundle up, but by the time we arrived at the top, we were socked in and the winds were eerily quiet. After a short snack, we headed back and only had to use headlamps for a few minutes before arriving back at the trailhead. It was a satisfying day in the woods and whet our appetites for winter hiking. This was a first ascent of Whiteface and Esther for Ben and a first descent of Whiteface for Dan! Participants: Ben St. Andrews, Daniel Stewart, Brian Hoffman, Jim Zwynenburg, Andrew Meunier.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Nov 27, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- We hadn't been down to Saratoga in a while and I'd heard that some work had been done on the Bog Meadow Trail, so we returned to this area to check it out. I was hoping that all the old railroad ties had been removed, but that wasn't the case. Maybe one day or they'll be filled in with gravel! But WOW have the beavers been busy since we were last there! They've pretty much submerged the trail leading to and from the walkway in the bog area. Lots of new planking had to be put in place to get you to the walkway and that's where the important work was done. Plus a whole new extension trail was done on the Meadowbook Road end of the trail to move the trail to the parking area and along the bog. Lots of work! Thank you to all those involved with making that happen. It was a great day out. Participants: Nancy Burke, Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, Paul Dietershagen, Karen Dixon, Mary Knutson, Lee Loose, Licia & Steve Mackey, Joanne Szot, Bill Wasilauski.

December 2018

Erebus from Bumps pond   Sun, Dec 2, 2018, jayne bouder
- Forecast morning and noon rain discouraged 9 others, who wisely cancelled. Kim and Jolie showed up! Kim braved the (warned of) icy drive to the state trailhead. The morning rain had quit, and we walked the 3 1/2 miles to Bumps Pond on 4 inches of nice snow. The girls were game! One of the many snow laden hemlocks noisily dumped its load near Kim! We got nearly halfway to Erebus, before the noon rain arrived to ruin the 12 inches of nice snow on the hill!. So we retreated - 4+ miles on a slushy, slippery trail - soaked to the skin! Memorable day! Participants: Jayne Bouder, Kim Brown, Jolie Navatka.

Monthly Monday Geocache   Mon, Dec 3, 2018, Sarah King
- It had rained overnight but the rain was done by the time we met at Panera at 8am. Hopped in the car and arrived at Clay Meadown parking lot/trailhead on 9N around 9am. We all put microspikes on and Steve carried snowshoes in case the trail needed packing down. Temps were in the mid 40s so we all ended up taking off layers on the way up. We were shooting for finding as many of the 12 winter friendly geocaches on the way up to 5th Peak lean-to and beyond. I didn't think we'd make all 12 caches, and we didn't, ending with #7 just past the junction 0.7 miles from the lean-to. We didn't need snowshoes and might not even have needed our microspikes as we encountered very little ice. What we did find was water and lots of it. Licia commented that she had never seen so much water on the trail. In fact many parts of the trail were streams. Steve had his ax and ended up doing some trail maintenance beyond us. He and Mo (with some help from Julie) created about 12 water bars as we hiked up. No problem finding the 7 caches we looked for (all in plain sight and above the snow line) and we stopped after #7 to enjoy a quick lunch before heading back down. We spent 3 hours on the way up and about an hour heading down. Bonus for me was no rattlesnakes and mild temps, even though we walked through lots of water on the trail. Fun hike as always with fun people. Participants: Sarah King, Mo Coutant, Steve and Licia Mackey, Julie Leonelli.

Tuesday Outing   Tue, Dec 4, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- This week we hiked into OK Slip Falls. Having received over a foot of snow nearby the week before, we weren't sure what to expect. We came prepared with snowshoes and microspikes. The trail was packed out and firm, though, so most people switched to microspikes along the way. It was cold and windy in the parking lot and walking along the road to the trailhead, but once we were on the trail and out of the wind, we all warmed up quickly! It was the first time in for some and first time in winter conditions for many. There was a ton of water coming over the falls and it was pretty spectacular - as always. Glad we got in there! (Not everyone made it to the falls ... Steve wound up doing so much trail work on the way in that we were coming out while he was about 10 minutes from the falls - he gets the volunteer of the day award!) Participants: Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, Peter Fedorick, Richard Hall, Karen Johnson, Mary Knutson, Licia & Steve Mackey, Kathy Messina, Rich Myette, Karen Provencher, John Schneider.

Hackensack Mountain   Sat, Dec 8, 2018, Amanda Gomez
- A great short and local hike. We were honored with a sunny and windless day! I was really happy with the day and everyone was home by late lunch. Thanks to all who came out for this hike! Participants: Janay Herbert, Karen Provencher, Jennifer Ferris, Patricia Baugh, Pamela Del Signore, Laura Fiske, Neal Van Dortsen, Reg Prouty, Amanda Gomez.

Mt. Colden   Sat, Dec 8, 2018, Wayne Richter and Mike Fuller  
- Wayne could not be with us on this hike; the Richter family were with their daughter after under going surgery. We all met at the ADK Loj to a nice fall temperature of 10 below. But with sun making its way into the valley we were soon shedding a layer before Lake Arnold. The trail was well broken out to the false summit but not to the real summit. Did someone not familiar with the peak, climbing in a cloud, think they were on top of Colden? We made to the summit for great views and lunch; temps had warmed up a bit. We had a great hike out in the daylight. We all have the power of positive energy and we all channeled that toward the Richter family for their daughter's speedy recovery. 8 positive thinkers: Joe Babcock, Dave "OCHO" White, Mark Seymour, Jim Zwynenburg, Eric Kimmelman, Akane Suzuki, Katherine Bannigan, and Mike Fuller.

Tuesday Outing -Cat Mtn   Tue, Dec 11, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- It was another cold day (started out in the low teens but worked into the 20s during the day). But this didn't stop a big group from joining me to climb Cat Mountain from Edgecomb Pond. There's now a nice, although rutted, parking lot near the pond. So you no longer have to park on the road, which is very nice. The pond looked almost perfect for skating, and on our way out a few ice fishermen were out trying their luck. The trail was hard packed snow/ice with a few patches of bare ground covered in a variety of brown leaves. Microspikes were definitely the best bet for the day. We hiked 2 miles up the blue trail and, with no wind and sunshine, it was comfortable on top for a while. Once we chilled off a bit, it was time to head down the red trail. This trail wasn't broken out and was a bit challenging on the steep parts on top, but everyone butt slid or carefully got down the tricky parts. The next tricky part was finding the trail. Someone had been in there with a black spray paint bottle and painted over the red blazes and even the red markers. This made it more challenging, but thanks to Ripley we found the way whenever it took us a while to find the trail. Participants: Rob Bedore, Mo Coutant, Leo Demers, John Devine, Paul Dietershagen, Mary Harrill, Mary Knutson, Peter Fedorick, Licia & Steve Mackey, Wayne MacFarran, Kay Mence, Joy Muller-McCoola, Patrick Reilly, Neal (& Ripley) Van Dorsten.

Wilton Wildlife Park   Sat, Dec 15, 2018, Rich Crammond
- The coldest Turkey Trot hike for Thanksgiving in 20 years at around 0° F, and then over three weeks later the temperature was over 40° F for this outing. What's with that? Climate change maybe? Whatever it is, sure was mild for December 15th. Highlights for this hike were seeing many bluebirds, hiking with Jayne and Pat, and sharing some holiday cookies. What a mild day in the forest! Didn't get no better for sure. Participants: Jayne Bouder, Pat Reilly, Rich Crammond.

Hopkins Mountain   Sat, Dec 15, 2018, Andrew Meunier and Ben St. Andrews  
- Our small group easily fit into Anthony's Explorer for the trip to the trailhead. Temperatures were already in the upper 30's and occasional sunlight filtered through the forest as we got underway. Deeper snow higher up meant we hadn't schlepped our snowshoes for nothing. Upon reaching the summit, we were rewarded with ample sunshine, still conditions, and exceptional views. It was so pleasant that we spent almost half an hour lounging around - a rare treat for a winter hike. It was great to enjoy a day in the park with such companionable company! Participants: Ben St. Andrews, Kim Brown, Anthony Benson, Andrew Meunier.

Annual Cookie walk   Tue, Dec 18, 2018, Maureen Coutant
- The word is out! This is the outing where you gain more calories than you work off! A nice walk around Moreau Lake. Mud Pond looked good for skating but the main lake had a big open section where hundreds of geese were hanging out and were pretty loud! We also saw a new mini-planetarium that is now on the beach and a green house that was installed last spring. We must not have walked that way the last times we've been there. Once we were at the warming hut, Julie had a festive table cloth and napkins waiting for us. Then everyone put out a container of cookies and everyone enjoyed trying the assortment of creations. Everyone loves Donna's decorated loons, moose, and deer sugar cookies. But there were too many cookies to even try them all! Great seeing everyone ... see you next year! Participants: Chris Bessen, Jim Brown, Kim Brown, Mo Coutant, John Devine, Paul Kietershagen, Kim Dixon, Emilie Gould, Sarah King, Mary Knutson, Julie Leonelli, Leland Loose, Wayne MacFarren, Licia & Steve Mackey, Kathi Noble, Carol Sorenson, Joanne Szot, Bill Wasilauski, Tammy Zaiko, The Zimmer Family - Donna, Mitch, Stephanie, Jerry.

Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge   Sat, Dec 29, 2018, Wayne Richter and Joe Babcock  
- Although the forecast was a little unpromising, we endured nothing worse than sporadic bouts of snow dust falling on us during the first few hours. Trail conditions were not too bad, with microspikes and crampons the order of the day. The open, rocky areas of the Ridge Trail were a treat, even though we couldn't see all that much. Wayne brought cookies (thank you Monica for baking) and Mike brought brownies - all very tasty. We had a pleasant surprise when Katherine Bannigan came upon us near the Giant's Washbowl; she accompanied our group as far as Giant. Giant's summit was socked in and windy, while Rocky Peak Ridge's was equally socked in and even windier. We lingered long at neither. On our way down the Ridge Trail, we dropped below the rising clouds, opening dramatic views of the surrounding mountains. The skies even cleared partially as we neared the end of the trail. Participants: John Acacia, Joe Babcock, Joanne Conley, Dan Finnin, Mike Fuller, Paul Gebhard, Rick Hall, Aaren Harris, Amy Hildreth, Eric Kimmelman, Wayne Richter, Mark Seymour, Dave White, and a surprise guest appearance by Katherine Bannigan.