Long Island Mountaineer · Visit us at NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB LONG ISLAND...
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Visit us at www.adkli.org NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB LONG ISLAND CHAPTER JULY — AUGUST 2013 U nlike fishermen, who never want to tell you about the best spots, hikers are always eager to share the word about the beautiful and inspiring places that we visit. In fact, one of the most important missions of our club is to spread the word about hiking and conservation, particularly about the work of our own chapter. Unfortunately, for the past two years our chapter has been without a publicity chairperson — a member especially devoted to sharing our chapter news. I am hoping that someone will volunteer to do this. To make that a little more possible, I would like to explain a bit more about what the job entails. Our chapter Policy and Procedures manual defines two main responsibilities for the chapter Publicity Chair to publicize ADK-LI and our activities: The first is to prepare a schedule of upcoming public events. This includes our monthly meetings, special outings, and selected activities that may be of interest to new members. The chairperson then works to have these schedules produced as flyers (like this recent one), and establishes a network of members who agree to post the flyers in good locations, such as public bulletin boards, at EMS, REI and other outdoor-oriented stores, schools, libraries, health clubs, and workplaces. It is a pretty straightforward task. The second main responsibility is more exciting. It involves using public media to publicize these events. This includes writing and distributing press releases to newspapers, posting notices in the community sections of pennysavers, local and regional newspapers, and even radio and TV community and activity news spots. I say that this is more exciting because much of this can now be done electronically. and we need a person who is willing to research and take advantage of these media opportunities. So this is a great job for someone with good computer and computer resource skills. It is a job that can probably be done in that spare internet surfing time that many of us enjoy. Would you be willing to give this a try? I would be so grateful to have one person or perhaps a small team who would be willing to help your chapter in this way. Please just drop me a note at [email protected] Visit us at www.adkli.org Long Island Mountaineer Highlights: In This Issue Features: The Quest for the Plaque—see page 9 ADK Alert! Your support is needed now for the creation of a new Wilderness Area with access to Essex Chain Lakes and the Hudson River – page 3 Columbus Day Weekend at ADK Loj: Oct. 11-14. Last call! Still some lodgings available! See page 3 Outings Highlights: (Schedule begins on page 4) Annual BBQ-Picnic–August 25th. Let’s party! Fun, games and food in Southampton. Enjoy beaching, biking, exploring and more. 15 newly listed Outings, rated from “C” (easy) to “A” and “A+” (strenuous.) You pick ’em. Help Us Get the Word Out President’s Corner Mike Vetrano
Transcript of Long Island Mountaineer · Visit us at NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB LONG ISLAND...
Visit us at www.adkli.org
NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB
LONG ISLAND CHAPTER JULY — AUGUST 2013
U nlike fishermen, who never want to tell you about the best spots, hikers are always eager to share
the word about the beautiful and inspiring places that we visit. In fact, one of the most important missions of our club is to spread the word about hiking and conservation, particularly about the work of our own chapter.
Unfortunately, for the past two years our chapter has been without a publicity chairperson — a member especially devoted to sharing our chapter news. I am hoping that someone will volunteer to do this. To make that a little more possible, I would like to explain a bit more about what the job entails.
Our chapter Policy and Procedures manual defines two main responsibilities for the chapter Publicity Chair to publicize ADK-LI and our activities:
The first is to prepare a schedule of upcoming public events. This includes our monthly meetings, special outings, and selected activities that may be of interest to new members. The chairperson then works to have these schedules produced as flyers (like this recent one), and establishes a network of members who agree to post the flyers in good locations, such as public bulletin boards, at EMS, REI and other outdoor-oriented stores, schools, libraries, health clubs, and
workplaces. It is a pretty straightforward task.
The second main responsibility is more exciting. It involves using public media to publicize these events. This includes writing and distributing press releases to newspapers, posting notices in the community sections of pennysavers, local and regional newspapers, and even radio and TV community and activity news spots. I say that this is more exciting because much of this can now be done electronically. and we need a person who is willing to research and take advantage of these media opportunities. So this is a great job for someone with good computer and computer resource skills. It is a job that can probably be done in that spare internet surfing time that many of us enjoy.
Would you be willing to give this a try? I would be so grateful to have one person or perhaps a small team who would be willing to help your chapter in this way. Please just drop me a note at [email protected]
Visit us at www.adkli.org
Long Island Mountaineer
Highlights: In This Issue Features: The Quest for the Plaque—see page 9
ADK Alert! Your support is needed now for the creation of a new Wilderness Area with access to Essex Chain Lakes and the Hudson River – page 3
Columbus Day Weekend at ADK Loj: Oct. 11-14. Last call! Still some lodgings available! See page 3
Outings Highlights: (Schedule begins on page 4)
Annual BBQ-Picnic–August 25th. Let’s party! Fun, games and food in Southampton. Enjoy beaching, biking, exploring and more.
15 newly listed Outings, rated from “C” (easy) to “A” and “A+” (strenuous.) You pick ’em.
Help Us Get the Word Out
President’s Corner
Mike Vetrano
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People and Perspectives… Arlene Scholer
across a hot parking lot." Now a Jones Beach access path links the 4.3-mile Wantagh Shared-Use Path (Ellen Farrant Memorial Bikeway) and Jones Beach Parking Field 6, located to the east of the pedestrian underpass that leads to the Jones Beach East Bath House.
The path shared by bikers, pedestrians and in-line skaters is 13’ wide, meets Americans with Disability Act require-ments and will include parking for 100 bikes at a “storage plaza” near the bath house. The new path includes landscap-ing, fencing, informational kiosks and a brick-faced concrete seat wall at the bicy-cle storage area, all designed to blend with the original architectural of Jones Beach State Park. Information about cy-cling in New York State is available at www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/bicycle
To obtain the Long Island Bikeways map and additional information regarding bike facilities in our area, as well as in New York City and the Hudson Valley go to the Department of Transportation’s 511 Ride Share web site: http://tinyurl.com/kc9effb
Valuables on the Trail….Decades ago I pulled off a turtleneck and sent an earring flying never to be found. This spring, Sue Stricker lost an ear-ring at Caumsett, but someone had left Sue’s earring with the parking lot at-tendant . I was not so lucky on a Cats-kill winter hike. After my mom’s death in 1979, her engagement diamond was put into a pinkie ring that I wore 24/7, so it wouldn’t be stolen by a burglar. Taking mittens off and on all day left me with a ring but no diamond at the end of the day. Thereafter, when lead-ing Catskill hikes, I frequently suggest-ed that valuable rings be placed in a secure place. We take precautions about leaving money in our cars; per-haps leaving jewelry at home would be a smart move.
In Remembering George Form, Lan-ny Wexler, wrote this: “George and I became the 5th and 6th recorded per-sons to hike the entire Long Path,” a 356 mile trail from Ft. Lee, NJ to its end near Albany.
Moose Dying in Droves….I logged enough hiking days in New Hampshire to climb 42 of its 48 peaks, but never saw a moose! Biologists are investigat-ing an epidemic of moose deaths in the state. Their numbers have declined by 52% over the last two years, leaving about 2760 survivors. “Adult moose are literally tipping over dead.” Is warmer weather causing stress among these cold-weather-dependent animals causing them to take shelter instead of foraging for food? Such behavior would make them ‘more vulnerable’ to dis-ease and parasites. Warmer temps have caused a population explosion of northern ticks which could be spread-ing more disease among the moose or simply sucking so much blood from them that they become anemic. (The Week magazine, 3-1-13)
Biking to the Beach…Lanny Wexler reports that “ for the first time you can bike to Jones Beach without walking
Adirondack Mountain Club Long Island Chapter
2013 Executive Committee
President Mike Vetrano
[email protected] Vice President
Ed Moran [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Hodson (516) 692 5754
Secretary Kathleen Berger
Director to Main Club Martha McDermott
(631) 581-4574
Alternate Director to Main Club Micheline Kagan
Board of Directors Jackie Beattie
Kathy Daly [email protected]
Mike Kaiser [email protected]
Sue Kenyon [email protected]
Ross Moore [email protected]
Mike Vaughan [email protected]
Position Open
Committee Chairs Conservation
Cathy Stare [email protected]
Education Tom Farre [email protected]
Hospitality Arlene Scholer (516) 354 0231
Mountaineer Micheline Kagan
[email protected] Orrie Frutkin [email protected]
Membership Michael Vaughan
[email protected] Outings
Sue Kenyon [email protected] Bill Schneider [email protected]
Jeff Ritter [email protected] Programs
Ed Moran [email protected]
Publicity Position Open
NYNJ Trail Conference Diane Grunthal
[email protected] Trail Maintenance
Pat Wachter (631) 669-6450 Website
Mike Vetrano [email protected]
Yahoo Group Moderator Allen Grunthal
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ADK's Education Department has some exciting new pro-grams this summer at the Heart Lake Program Center (adjacent to the ADK Loj.) Here are a few:
Summer Naturalist Series: ADK's Summer Naturalist Interns offer free naturalist programs at the Heart Lake Program Center. Hands-on learning. Experience the natu-ral world of the Adirondacks. Fun for all ages. For the schedule of events, visit http://tinyurl.com/ntjgchc
High Peaks Information Center Saturday Lecture Se-ries: Free and open to the public. For schedule go to http://tinyurl.com/nryawdm
June 29 — Natural History of Black Bears. Learn about the bears’ life cycle, behaviors, and habitats -- and how you can live conflict-free in bear country.
July 6 – The Rustic Riders Join this Adirondack-based band as they play original music with traditional roots.
July 13 – Environmental and Health Risks of Hydro-fracking: Get the low-down on this controversial method for extracting natural gas from deep wells in shale.
Skills Workshops: Courses are taught by experts and require pre-registration. Visit web page for more in-formation about the courses, instructors and fees http://tinyurl.com/npcmddk or call 518-523-3441.
July 7 — Map and Compass Fundamentals. Learn basic skills of map reading, identifying terrain, compass use, and triangulation. Feel more confident in the backcountry.
July 14 Make Your Own Garden Basket. Create your own basket from start to finish with skilled craftspeople from Clear Creek Weavers. At the end, you’ll have a beautiful garden basket and a sense of accomplishment!
August 2nd — Paddle Making Workshop. Create your own wooden canoe or kayak paddle with step-by-step instruction by Caleb Davis of Tremolo Paddles.
August 16-18 — Survival Skills. An intensive three-day workshop taught by an expert.
Learn Something New this Summer at ADK’s Heart
Lake Program Center ADK needs you to sign a petition, send a letter or e-mail to the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) by July 19, 2013 to show your support for "Alternative 1A," a new Wilderness Area that provides public access to the Essex Chain Lakes and the Hudson River. July 19th is the cut-off date for comment.
It is vital that ADK members support Alternative 1A in re-sponse to the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) and APA's classification proposal for this tract.
Alternative 1A creates a 38,500-acre Wilderness Area, and will keep 10 ponds and lakes of the Essex Chain as a motor-free area, and protect 22 miles of the Hudson River between Newcomb and the confluence of the Indian River.
Why Does ADK support Alternative 1A?
We believe that the Essex Chain Lakes must be kept motor-free because of the scarcity of easily accessible motor-free paddling experiences like Lake Lila, Little Tupper Lake, and Lows Lake. Proposals put forth by DEC would provide float-plane access to Third Lake in the heart of the area from Sep-tember 15 until DEC deems access roads should be opened in the late spring. The DEC proposal would also allow motor boat use and motor vehicle access to primitive campsites around the lakes during the same time period. Proposals by the surrounding towns would permit year round motorboat, float-plane, and snowmobile access to all the lakes and primitive campsites around the lakes. Floatplanes can already access First and Pine Lakes, a short paddle from Third Lake.
Alternative 1A provides parking for canoe and kayak access to within 0.33-mile, equivalent to the carry into Lake Lila.
Alternative 1A reclassifies the Hudson River from Newcomb to North River as Wilderness.
Alternative 1A provides a car accessible take-out north of the confluence of the Hudson and Indian Rivers allowing paddlers and rafters to enjoy a "safer, gentler paddle" without having to tackle the difficult whitewater of the Hudson Gorge.
Alternative 1A provides for disabled access to the Essex Chain Lakes.
What Can You Do?
Sign the Online Petition and see more information and a map of the proposal at: http://www.adirondackparkpetition.com/
Send your comment letters or e-mails to by July 19th:
Mr. James Connolly NYS Adirondack Park Agency PO Box 99 Ray Brook, NY 12977 Fax: 518-891-3928 Email: [email protected]
“Thank You!” Arlene Scholer, who has contributed so much, in so many ways to our Chapter has made a generous donation to ADK-LI to support our efforts in conservation and trail maintenance. She suggested that the donation “might be helpful to purchase tools that are on the trail crews’ ‘wish lists’ to make their work easier.”
Please help continue and expand our activities and pro-grams with a tax-deductible donation. Download the donor form at www.adkli.org — Thank you.
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LONG ISLAND ADK OUTINGS SCHEDULE FOR JULY — AUGUST 2013
LEADERS: To list Outings in SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013 Mountaineer, send them to [email protected] Following your outing, be sure to mail the “Release of Liability/Sign-In Form” to Bill Scheider, 2631 Central Ave., Bald-
win, NY 11510-3634. Also send “Trip Report” to Micheline Kagan at [email protected] Forms for leaders can be downloaded from www.adkli.org Click on the “For Leaders” tab. HIKERS: Be sure to check www.adkli.org for additional outings, cancellations and changes to the schedule!
CARPOOLING/PARKING LOCATIONS
MEETING PLACE IS LEADER’S CHOICE. HIKERS: BE SURE TO ASK LEADER PLACE AND TIME TO MEET. Most Outings meet at one of the following locations for carpooling: Christopher Morley Park parking lot (Searingtown Road, just north of LIE Exit 36.) In parking lot, turn right and go to end, the Park & Ride area. NOTE: A $10 per car fee for non-Nassau County residents between 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m. on weekends through Labor Day. (No fee for Nassau residents; driver can show driver’s license as ID.) Plan to meet and leave before 8 a.m.
Lake Success Shopping Center (Union Tpke, west of New Hyde Park Road) LIE to Exit 34 or Northern State Pkwy to Exit 26, New Hyde Park Rd south. After gas station, turn right on to Union Tpke. Turn left at first traffic light to enter Lake Success Shop-ping Center. Turn left and go past HSBC bank for carpool site. Park at east end of lot.
OUTING RULES AND PROCEDURES – PLEASE READ
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OUTINGS. Call leader several days in advance if you have any questions. Leaders accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis after the outing is officially listed in the Mountaineer or on the Outings page at the ADK-LI web site – www.adkli.org
Leaders may refuse to take anyone not registered or prepared. Registered participants are expected to show up or call the leader to cancel. Simply sending or leaving a message does not constitute registration. If you do not receive a re-ply to your message, it is your responsibility to follow up and contact the leader prior to the deadline for registration. Participants should provide leader with their phone numbers in case of last minute changes.
Guests are welcome on all outings. Where space is limited, members of the ADK Long Island chapter will have priority. If you go on two or more outings, please help support the Adirondack Mountain Club and the L. I. chapter by be-coming a member Go to www.adkli.org and click “Join.” Be sure to select “Long Island Chapter” for your affiliation.
GROUND RULES
Minors (younger than 18 years) must have signed permission of a parent or guardian. Participants are responsible for their own safety and comfort. Food, snacks, water and extra clothing/raingear must be carried by participant. Check with leader to learn of any special requirements for the hike. Hiking boots are recommended for all ADK hikes.
CARPOOL RATES A $5 surcharge will be added to the following suggested guidelines whenever gasoline prices are more than $4 per gal-lon. Carpool rates shown are for roundtrip per rider: L.I. East End $10, Harriman $18, Shawangunks $25, Catskills $35, Adirondacks $60 (all rates for roundtrip.) For upstate rides: If 2 riders, deduct $2 each; 3 riders deduct $3 each; 4 riders deduct $4 each from these rates. Drivers set the final rate. Leaders should try to equalize number of riders in each car.
HIKE CLASSIFICATIONS (Hike classifications are subjective. If you are uncertain if you are up to the hike, consult the leader.)
A: Strenuous, long distances over rugged terrain with lots of climbing or more than 35 miles on bike.
B: Moderate, shorter distances with less climbing or 10-30 miles on bike. Moderate hikes may have some steep climb-ing and/or rugged terrain, but are less demanding than strenuous hikes. C: Easy, short distance over flat terrain at a leisurely pace or 10 miles or less on bike. Suitable for beginners.
BE PREPARED FOR SUMMER CONDITIONS
Stay Hydrated: Carry plenty of water and/or other liquids—two liters or more (fruit juice, Gatorade, Nuun or similar can help re-place electrolytes.) Pack sunscreen, snacks that can provide energy and essential nutrients, such as fresh or dried fruit, nuts, etc.
Bugs: Ticks are common, and can cause serious illness: Use bug spray containing DEET, tuck pants legs into socks or wear gaiters. Check yourself for ticks as soon after the hike as possible. Learn about Lyme Disease at http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/
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Outings Schedule Be sure to check www.adkli.org for latest updates,
additions, changes and corrections.
Outings continue on next page
A June 30 Sunday. Westkill. Catskills. A moder-ately paced through-hike over St. Anne's Peak, Westkill and Diamond Notch Falls. Great views. Ap-proximately 8 miles with 2,000-ft. of ascent. Register with leaders Pat Wachter, 631-669-6450 (before 8 p.m. please) or Eunsil Recksiek, [email protected]
B+ July 6 Saturday. Windham High Peak/Burnt Knob. A moderately strenuous but leisurely paced trail hike of 7 miles and an elevation gain of about 2000-ft. We’ll spot cars and take the Escarpment Trail over Windham High Peak, a Catskill 3500 peak, to Burnt Knob. Many fine views from both Windham and Burnt Knob. Please register with leader Sue Kenyon, [email protected] or 917-613-2042 by July 4. Joint with 3500 Club.
B- July 12 Friday. St. Regis Mountain — Adiron-dacks. We’ll hike this lovely mountain – 3.1 miles and 1,270-ft. elevation gain to the bald summit and its fire tower. Great views abound. Please bring lunch and at least a liter of water, and your camera. Pace, slower moderate. To register with leader Elie Bijou: e-mail [email protected] or call 518-873-2119 be-tween 9 am and 9 pm.
B+ July 13-14. Saturday-Sunday. Kayak and Camp in the Adirondacks. Paddle the calm waters of the St. Regis Canoe Wilderness in the Adiron-dacks for two full days with wilderness camping on Saturday night. Enjoy the quiet waters, home to birds, water fowl, turtles, wild flowers and beavers. Guided trip costs $269 and includes 2 lunches, 2 breakfasts, 1 dinner and a boat. Participants must be fit enough to paddle for two full days. Contact Pat Wachter, [email protected] or 631-669-6450.
B+ July 13 Saturday. Schunemunk Mountain Loop. This strenuous, but moderately paced hike will pass the beautiful cascade on Baby Brook and fea-ture a ridge walk on unusual 250 million-year old “puddingstone” conglomerate studded with pink/purple pebbles and smoothed by glacial action. Many fine views. We’ll also visit the Megaliths, a group of huge stone blocks that split off from the bedrock and makes a great spot for lunch. Approximately 7 miles and 1100-ft. elevation gain (700-ft. in 3⁄4 mile.) Reg-ister with leader Bill Schneider. Contact by e-mail to [email protected] (preferred) or 516- 378-3043 before 9 p.m. by Friday July 12.
A July 20 Saturday. Catskills Peekamoose and Table. Hike approximately 9 miles at a moderate pace from Peekamoose Road past Reconnoiter Rock to reach both 3840+ foot peaks and then re-
turn. Elevation gain 2650 feet. Register by Thursday, July 18th with Pat Wachter, 631-669-6450 (before 8 P.M.) or Eunsil Recksiek, [email protected]
B+ July 27 Saturday. West Mountain Loop, Harri-man, from Anthony Wayne Rec. Area. Moderately strenuous 7.5-mile hike, moderate pace. We'll climb to the ridge of West Mountain (1200-ft.), passing expan-sive viewpoints of surrounding hills and the Hudson, with a stop at West Mtn. shelter. Some challenging climbs and steep descents on a variety of rocky woodland trails. Blueberries a possibility. Bring 2 liters or more of water or Gatorade/fruit juice, etc., lunch, snacks, bug repellent. Boots or sturdy hiking shoes – no sneakers. Forecast for temps over 90, or rain can-cels. Register with Orrie Frutkin [email protected] or (516) 883-3369 by Thurs., July 18 (no phone after.)
C August 3 Saturday. Nissequogue River, Long Island. Paddle close to home. Approximately 5 miles. Kayak and canoe rentals available. Register with leader Nancy Hodson, [email protected] or 631-239-1867 by August 1. Families welcome.
A August 6 Tuesday. Whiteface, Adirondacks. Hike 3.3 miles, 2900-ft ascent from the ASRC (Atmospheric Sciences Research Center) parking and 5 miles, 3400-ft descent to Connery Pond parking. Possible alternate: return to ASRC start with side trip to Esther (adds about 2.5 miles round trip of level hik-ing.) Rain date: August 7th. Register with Michael Vaughan [email protected] before Au-gust 4th. Or by phone, call 631-495-6888 before July 9, or 518-637-9495 after July 10. [This will be Mike Vaughan’s and Keelin Murphy’s 46er finish.]
A August 8 Thursday. Seymour. Adirondacks. Slow to moderate paced hike approximately 14 miles (5.5 approach with 1.5-mile climb) with 2000 feet. of elevation gain. Outstanding views from the summit’s several viewpoints. Register with leader Elie Bijou, [email protected] or 518-872-2119 by 9 p.m.
B+ August 24 Saturday. Panther—Catskills. Hike approximately 7 miles with an ascent of 1600-ft. This is a leisurely paced trail hike. Panther is one of the Catskill 3500 peaks and there are many fine views from both Giant Ledge and Panther. Register with leader Sue Kenyon, [email protected] or 917-613-2042 by August 22. Joint with 3500 Club.
NR August 25 Sunday ADK-LI Annual Picnic. This year to be held in Southampton, heart of the Hamp-tons. See page 11 for details. Volunteers welcomed! Contact Micheline Kagan, [email protected])
B September 7 Saturday First Annual George Form Catskill Trail Maintenance Hike Honoring George Form Jr. Join us for Fall Trail Maintenance on part of the Long Path southeast of Peekamoose Mountain. The trail covers Bangle Hill and Samson
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Outings continue from page 5
Mountain. There will be a memorial service honor-ing George Form Jr. for his dedication during 18 years of maintaining this trail section between 1992 and 2010. Please register with leader Eunsil Reck-siek, e-mail [email protected] (preferred) or call 631-921-0028 by Thursday, September 5th.
B September 14 Saturday. Rocks Trail, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester. About 7.5 moderate miles, almost all on shaded woodland trails. We’ll visit six of the WPRR’s major rocks not-ed for their historic, scenic, or Native American cul-tural significance. Short ups and downs, some steep, but little elevation gain. Some trails are rocky, so wear boots or sturdy hiking shoes – no sneakers. Hiking poles helpful. Bring plenty of water (none available in WPPR), lunch, snacks. Bug re-pellent/head net may be needed. Car pooling strongly recommended ($10 per car entrance fee after 9 a.m.) Register with leader Orrie Frutkin, [email protected] or (516) 883-3369 by Thurs-day, September12, 10 p.m.
C+ September 21 Saturday Schunemunk Trail Maintenance. Please join us for the annual fall clearing. Distance about four miles with good views from the top. Bring loppers or pruning shears, if you have them. Excellent hike for beginners. Register with leader Pat Wachter at 631-669-6450 by 8 pm Friday, September 20.
NR October 12 – 14 Friday to Monday. Annual Columbus Day Weekend at the ADK Loj, Adiron-dacks. Think of cool autumn in the Adirondacks at ADK-LI’s Columbus Day weekend. Some accom-modations are still available. See the ad on this page. Full details and the registration form are in the May-June 2013 Mountaineer, pages 10-11, available online at (http://tinyurl.com/perldcg). Contact Cathy Stare at [email protected] or (718) 551-6472 with any questions regarding accommodations.
NR October 18-20 Friday – Monday. Fall Outing in the NJ Pine Barrens — Hosted by Southern New Jersey Members-at-Large. Enjoy a weekend of paddling, hiking and biking. Full weekend pack-age includes dormitory-style lodging, Friday even-ing dinner, Saturday breakfast and lunch. Optional Saturday evening catered dinner at country club. For information, see www.adk.org/fallouting/htm for more information, or contact Kathleen Pearce: by e-mail [email protected], or call 856-767-2780.
36th Annual ADK-LI Columbus Day Weekend
at the ADK Loj, Adirondack High Peaks
Friday to Monday, October 11th to Monday,
October 14th, 2013
Enjoy Columbus Day weekend in the Adirondack High Peak Region near Lake Placid, NY.
In addition to hiking the High Peaks, available activi-ties include: easy and moderate hiking, scenic walks, paddling, shopping, antiquing, visiting the Lake Placid Olympic Center and the Adirondack Museum, photog-raphy. Or just enjoy the fall foliage and soak up the unique Adirondack atmosphere. All ADK-LI members and their guests are invited for a great weekend!
For detailed information about lodging options, the ca-tered Saturday night social and supper, rates for the weekend, and the registration form, see the May-June L.I Mountaineer newsletter, pages 10 and 11, at the news-letter archive: ( http://tinyurl.com/perldcg )
ADK Loj is located at 1002 Adirondack Loj Road, Lake Placid, NY (518) 523-3441 GPS Coordinates: 44° 10' 57.5" N, 073° 57' 58.6" W
As we went to press, some accommodations were still available in: The Loj – includes breakfasts. (Dinners op-
tional, reserve in advance with Loj staff) Wiezel Cabin – dorm style, bunk beds, shared
kitchen facilities to use. (Meals not provided.) Campground cabin (accommodates 4. Fridge,
stove, shower, parking space, etc.) One lean-to (accommodates up to 6 people.) Send in your registration form now to reserve your accommodations. Questions? Call Cathy Stare at (718) 551-6472
Saturday Night: All participants are invited to a social and supper in the Wiezel Cabin, pro-vided by the Loj staff (in lieu of the pot-luck supper of years past.) Includes appetizers, BBQ (including vegetarian), desserts, lemon-ade, and ice tea for $22, paid with registration fee. Only soft drinks are provided, so BYOB.
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Looking Back Micheline Kagan
LEADERS: SEND TRIP REPORTS TO: Micheline Kagan E-mail: [email protected]
APRIL 6 — LONG ISLAND PHOTO HIKE. After meeting in Southampton, Mike Vetrano led Mike Vaughan, Keelin Murphy, Alice Peckelis, and Anne Kaiser on a photo walk through scenic woodlands and beaches in the town of Southampton. We began at the Wolf Swamp Sanctuary where the trees were not quite in bloom, but the spring peepers were peeping in abundance. Our rambling hike allowed plenty of time to discuss details of close up pho-tography and the use of foreground and background for perspective. We worked our way around toward the Pe-conic Land Trust and the inlet to Scallop Pond. Changing gears, we drove through the village of Southampton and onto dune Road where we bushwhacked (the boardwalk had been damaged by Sandy) down to the beach along Shinnecock Bay with its great light on the shallow wa-ter. It was a cool and windy day so we finished with a nice warm visit to The Public House for a bite together.
APRIL 13. CATSKILL TRAIL MAINTENANCE. Ten of ADK-LI’s consistent trail work volunteers and four guests gathered early Saturday morning at the junction of Spen-cer Road trailhead of southern Catskill State Park. Our crew included Bill Schneider, Pat Wachter, Eunsil Reck-siek Michael Kaiser, Micheline Kagan, Kathleen Berger, Herb Coles, June Fait, Grace Gargiulo, Joe Guiheen, his brother Jim and friend John, Ranger Robert Dawson, and his friend Doug.
Soon after starting the trail work from the Spencer Road trail junction toward the Peekamoose Road trail head, we faced two gigantic hemlock trees that had come down during Sandy. The only thing we could do was to clear a passage for hikers to walk around them.
There were several more downed trees, which we at-tempted to clear away. However we would have needed power tools for the major work. Even so, with hand saws and loppers, we did a pretty good job of clearing the trail. Jim brought a heavy-duty digging tool, and he was very handy in clearing out water bars. After the previous night’s heavy rain, we could see where water needed to be drained. Jim worked hard to clear them, and we are grateful for his efforts as a volunteer. Ranger Dawson and Doug worked hard replacing trail blazes with “Foot Trail” markers. Overall, we put in a great effort to improve the trail condition, but we ran out of time re-marking near the Bangle Hill section. We ended with a chatty dinner of delicious Mexican food at Gaby’s café in Ellenville.
APRIL 14. STORM KING ART CENTER. Leaders Keelin Murphy and Michael Vaughan shared a day enjoying out-door sculptures with Nancy and Michael Hodson, Yoshiko Takeshita, Betty and Fred Horstmann, Micheline Kagan
Kathy Daly, and guests Godci Tehrani and Pamela McDougall.
Most of us met at Christopher Morley Park at 8:00. We stopped along the way for breakfast at a diner in Tuxe-do Park. My clipboard with the release form was left there by mistake, but was retrieved on the return trip. At the gate of Storm King Art Center, we were directed to the visitors’ center, where we met the Hodsons and a guide. We took a 40-minute narrated tram ride around the park as the guide provided information about many of the sculptures. It was a little chilly and windy, but the tram ride offered a good overall view. Afterward, we walked around the 500+ acre property to visit many of the sculptures not on the tour. Midway, we stopped for lunch at the Art Center’s outdoor café. We finished our stroll by 4 p.m. Some of us had already left, and the rest were ready to go. We saw most of the park but the indoor museum was not open, so we plan to return lat-er in the season. All in all, we walked about 5½ miles.
EAST WILDCAT MOUNTAIN – CATSKILLS; Bill Schneider led Alan Via, Ken Anello, Mike Vaughn and Keelin Murphy on a bushwhack to the summit of East Wildcat Mountain. Of course, Alan, as author of “The Catskill 67” provided an expert’s insight to one of the “67.” His constant companion, Bookah, a friendly choc-olate Lab, made for a delightful trek. We planned to start on County Road 47, but the flow of the Neversink was too high to be safely crossed. It was decided to approach the mountain from Denning Rd, requiring a 20 mile detour. Starting on the Phoenecia East Branch Trail we hiked to a point south of East Wildcat and be-gan our bushwhack to its relatively open summit of 3,340-ft. The typical fabulous Catskill ledges were easi-ly negotiated. After a leisurely lunch, we headed south-west to explore more of the ledges, which proved to be equally spectacular, and we intersected the trail rela-tively close to the trailhead.
APRIL 27 — LONG PATH SCHUNEMUNK TRAIL MAINTENANCE. Wan Lee, Rich and Wendy Gerguski, Ann Mitromaras, Zahra Asadi, Bill Schneider and Eunsil Recksiek joined leader Pat Wachter on a beautiful sunny day for the Long Path spring trail maintenance. The vol-unteers covered the entire section of our Chapter’s responsibility, about 4--5 miles, pruning, lopping and clearing small trees as we went. Along the way we saw hawks and coyote scat. All of us enjoyed the weather and clear
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views, and worked hard for our lunch at the Brick Ov-en. Next time you see any of these folks or other trail volunteers, please give them a hearty “Thank you.”
MAY 4 — BLACKHEAD RANGE TRAVERSE. Bill Schneider led Mike Vaughn, Nancy Fender and Con-nie Duguth on a 7.4-mile traverse of the Blackhead Range. Starting at Barnum Road, we were among wild flowers that were starting to emerge on the south-facing slopes of the Camel’s Hump. Leaves on the trees were not yet out, so we had beautiful views from the usually viewless summit of Thomas Cole. The walk between Thomas Cole and Black Dome goes through a beautiful, level col, populated by dwarf ev-ergreens. We saved the spectacular view point on Black Dome for our lunch spot, before heading to our final peak in the traverse, Blackhead Mountain. The views from Blackhead were equally spectacular. Alt-hough other hikers had warned us there was still ice on the north-facing Escarpment Trail, the group was game to give it a try. There was a fair amount of ice, but with a little care of foot placement MicroSpikes were not needed. The hike ended at the trailhead parking on Big Hollow Road.
MAY 18 — WESTMORELAND SANCTUARY, WESTCHESTER. We had the trails to ourselves, and only saw other hikers in the last hour of hiking. The network of rolling trails took Zahra Asadi, Lori Heppner, Pauline Lavery, Gayle Strauss and Arlene Scholer (leader) to the highest and lowest points in the park. We walked by a bird blind constructed by an Eagle Scout, past walls of boulders and down to a pond, where we had time for lunch in the sun. Along the trail we saw early wildflowers such as jack-in-the-pulpit in full bloom and wild sarsaparilla still in the leaf stage. Arlene pointed out the non-leafy brown vine that is ac-tually poison ivy. The sanctuary’s nature center offers live and stuffed animals for its educational programs as well as clean (!) restrooms for visitors.
MAY 18 – RAMAPO MOUNTAINS, NJ. Diane and Allen Grunthal led Richard Garrison from Long Island, and Michael Reingold of NJ, on a hike in the Ramapo Mountains. We started our 6-mile hike at the trail head conveniently located just off exit 57 of I-287, which is closer for Long Islanders than is Harriman State Park. We enjoyed short, steep climbs to several panoramic viewpoints. The trail passed through stone ruins on a rocky woods road amidst pine trees and a huge glacial erratic. We hiked around Ramapo Lake, and had lunch on a ledge overlooking the lake. A good time was had by all on a beautiful May day.
MAY 25 – BROTHERS TRAIL MAINTENANCE. This was a unique trip. It was the first time that the work couldn’t be done due to snowfall — on Memorial Day weekend! Twelve ADK-LI members came expecting to do trail work. We started out in rain on Saturday
www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER JULY — AUGUST 2013
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morning. Bill Schneider, Pat Wachter, Sue Kenyon, and Eunsil Recksiek would clean out the lower level water bars. Herb Coles, June Fait, Mike Vaughn, Keelin Murphy, Mike Kaiser, and Tom McCormick went ahead to see what had to be done farther up the trail. As we hiked up, the first obsta-cle was a small stream that was now bigger than we had ever seen it. We continued up and gained the first lookout, but all we could see of Keene Valley was a blowing snow storm. Snow accumulated on the ground, and we turned around as no meaningful work could be done. Our next meeting was for dinner at the Baxter Mountain Tavern where Ann Kaiser and Susan Fein joined us. As the saying goes, “wait till next year!”
MAY 20 – ALLEN MOUNTAIN BACKPACK – Only one person signed up for this hike, and he canceled, so Keelin and I did it alone. It was our most difficult hike to date. We signed in, put on our water shoes, and waded across the Hudson (knee deep and cold!) Crossing the Opalescent was similar, although with faster water. I changed back into my hiking boots, not realizing that crossing Upper Twin Brook wasn't trivial. I tried to rock hop, but slipped and lost my Gatorade bottle. At least I didn't fall in! Keelin had the sense not to change her footwear, and just waded through.
Along the East River trail, some planks had been nailed to logs or 4x4s, even though there was no water to cross. We reached our campsite, made dinner, and turned in for a rainy, stormy night. At 9 a.m., we set out for Allen. The route was straightforward, but long and tiring. The infamous Allen Slide is not nearly as difficult as Dix or Grace. I've seen the “red slime” elsewhere; MicroSpikes made short work of it. Keelin had been wearing Vibram toe shoes, but they can’t take the ‘spikes, so she changed. We summited about 3 p.m. and had lunch. The view was a little hazy, but we could see lots of summits, from the Santanonis to the Dixes, including the MacIntyres and the Marcy group.
Going down was faster, but we didn't get to the register until 7:20 p.m. Then it started to pour! We slogged back to our campsite, glad we didn't have to go back to the car and cross the rivers in the dark. After we turned in, the rain let up, but overnight it really let loose! It stopped at about dawn, and we got up and left. We soon found out what those boards were for – there was a torrent crossing the trail. Previous floods had swept those "bridges" down-stream. We wrestled one back in place. There was no way we could rock hop across Upper Twin Brook, so I changed into my water shoes, crossed, and changed back. (Keelin was still wearing her “toes.”) At Lower Twin Brook, we quit trying to keep our feet dry, and just waded through. The Opalescent crossing looked dicey, but in we went – almost waist deep! I'm glad I was wearing boots, because water shoes wouldn't have been stable enough. The other streams and the Hudson were high, but it didn't matter – we were already soaked. We finally reached the car at 2 p.m. Total distance: 22.4 miles; hiking time: 18 hours; elevation gain: 4600 feet.
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Ed published an additional clue. By then, it was winter – snow, ice, cold. Eunsil understood the additional clue im-mediately, not so for me. The “twenty-second” is Kaater-skill High Peak. So, we planned and executed another hike for March 9th to Kaaterskill with full winter gear. But the other clues did not fit. Our fourth failed attempt.
At the Winter Weekend at Hilltop Acres in the Catskills (which was amazing), Eunsil and I discussed and rea-soned some more. Finally, the light bulb came on: “North Point near North-South Lake,” Eunsil proclaimed! All the clues fit. We both agreed, and asked Bill Schneider for as-sistance. On the way home on Sunday, we hiked to North Point. There was still plenty of snow and frozen ground to overcome. “Gazing towards the blue” – North-South Lake (now frozen), and even “farther...stands twenty-two”, Kaaterskill. The “sign askew” and “50 yards” to the “stout Balsam” all checked out. But the “flat rocks” lay hidden un-der frozen ice. We tried to chip it away using our poles, but to no avail. It was not our time yet. Fifth attempt: right place, wrong tools = Plaque still frozen in time.
S o, here it is, April 6th, the 3500 Club’s Annual Din-ner, where Bill was accepting his Winter Award.
Congratulations! We planned our final attempt for the morning before the dinner, joined by Plaque Master – Ed and others. This time we came prepared with an ice axe and shovels. We dug and hacked and finally unearthed the prize. After six attempts, we were relieved, amazed, exhilarated – so much happiness: The Plaque Quest was complete!
T he journey started on October 27, 2013 when I opted out of a hike – as co-leader no less (much to my shame) – to search for the elusive ADK-LI
Plaque hidden somewhere in the Catskills. The die was cast; I would never be satisfied until the prize was found. That misty day, on the way to Balsam Lake Mountain, I was so excited. I had solved the clues that would lead me to the Plaque!
Whoa, not so fast! Let's see....
“Where there now is one, there once were two...” Okay. After all, nearby Graham had a cabin/tower on top that was no longer there.
“On a sunny day I gaze towards the blue...” How much more blue can there be than to gaze from a Fire Tower.
The “sign askew...” — of course, there was one. And “50 yards” from the sign up to the tower seemed reasonable.
Finally, “flat rocks under a stout Balsam”, the top is lit-tered with rocks and balsams. I searched and dug for over an hour. Nothing. First attempt – foiled.
Now, I enlisted the help (maybe twisted her arm) of my hiking buddy Eunsil Recksiek. She's intelligent, deter-mined, committed and unstoppable. After discussions and reasoning, we launched the second and third attempts.
I ndian Head and Twin, November 17. Depending on the location you can see one or both Twins (could
this be – “there now is one but once were two”?) How about the Jimmy Dolan Notch. It has a “sign askew” and “50 yards” brings us to “flat rocks and Balsams.” But, as we found, there are lots of balsams and flat rocks around. We searched and dug, and searched and dug, and…nothing.
The best thing about the craziness of the search, is being with good friends,
laughing at each other while thinking what the heck are we doing here? So what if the second and third attempts proved futile?!
By now, the Plaque Master, Ed Moran, surely was tired of our begging for more clues and calling him all sorts of names. We waited patiently (I don’t think so!), and finally
The Quest for the ADK-LI Plaque
by Pat Wachter
2nd attempt. Not here.
Finally, success! Eunsil, Bill and Pat flash the Plaque and bright smiles. Bill holds the instruction card tucked away with the Plaque
with directions about what to do if you find it..
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www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER JULY — AUGUST 2013
Welcome New Members!
Celeste Buckley, East Setauket
Sandra and Fred Cadieu, Melrose, MA
James Clements, Garden City
Marcia Connolly, Northport
Dennis Craine, Roslyn Heights
Elizabeth Doyle, Hampton Bays
Joshua Kolodnicki, Babylon
Ron O’Reilly, Farmingdale
Anthony Petro, Hicksville
Edward Solomon, Ridge
George Vishner, Farmingdale
Gregory and Jane Wirth, Lake Grove
Bill Wisotsky, Dix Hills
Pamel Wolf, Ronkonkoma
John F. Krebs, Farmingdale
Sharon Newman, Woodbury
Jonathan Vestal, Huntington
Margaret Visentin, Flushing
JOIN NOW! ADK Membership Application
Name_________________________________________
Address________________________________________
City______________________State___Zip+4__________
E-mail_________________________________________
NOTE: Your email address will not be distributed to outside organi-zations.
X I want to join as an ADK Long Island Chapter member.
Please choose a membership level
Individual $50 Family $60 Individual Life $1,300
Student $40 * *School_______________________________________
Multi-year membership available at www.adk.org or call ADK headquarters, 1-800-395-8080
For Family membership only:
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___Check enclosed (U.S. funds only)
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Signature____________________________________
Send this form with payment to: Adirondack Mountain Club, 814 Goggins Road, Lake George, NY 12845-4117
...or bring it to an ADK-Long Island Chapter meeting.
ADK is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Membership fees are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please allow 6-8 weeks to receive first issue of Adirondac magazine and Long Island Moun-taineer newsletter.
Senior (65+) $40 Senior Family (65+) $50 Family Life $1,950
ADK-LI on Facebook
ADK-LI has a Facebook page where you can find photos, outings, news, comments, links and more. It’s starting to take shape and take on a personality as members add to it. Why not join them? Check it out at:
https://www.facebook.com/ADKLI
And Welcome Back!
Who’s been nesting in my boot?? After a recent hike, Goodie and I hung our boots on hooks on the back porch. In the morning, we found a bird had built a nest in one of mine. Luckily, there were no eggs. — Orrie Frutkin
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ADK-LI BBQ-Picnic! Sunday, August 25, Noon to 5 p.m.
Southampton, NY
Grab your sun screen, sun hat, beach chair, sports gear — and let’s party!! Everyone’s welcome at the ADK-LI Annual BBQ -Picnic
on the grounds of the Basilica of The Sacred Hearts in Southampton. Take it easy or take on some fun activities before the big ADK-LI BBQ-Picnic!
Bring your bike, kite, Frisbee, ball, running shoes or other summer games you like to play.
**25 mile bike ride will start at 11 a.m. Contact Ross Moore for details: [email protected]
Activities will start at noon. Snacks will be available. BBQ will start at 3 p.m. We will provide BBQ meats (and non-meats), condiments, rolls, and snacks as well as soft drinks. Please bring a side dish to complement the BBQ. If you desire anything stronger than a soft drink, it’s BYOB.
DIRECTIONS: Basilica of the Sacred Hearts, 168 Hill Street, Southampton, NY, 631-283-0097
GPS coordinates: (N) 40.88396, (W) -72.39896
Take Sunrise Hwy East ( Rte. 27). Turn right onto Magee St., Bear left onto Moses Lane, Left onto Hill Street.
YES, I want to attend the ADK-LI BBQ Picnic in Southampton, August 25th noon to 5 P.M. (Please respond by August 17th, so we have time to shop for the food and stuff!)
Name(s)______________________________________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________City_________________________State___ ZIP____________
Tel: ____________________________ Cell:_____________________ E-mail:_______________________________
Emergency contact: ___________________________________________Tel: ______________________
COST: $10 per person for everyone. Children under 12 free.
Amount Enclosed: $________ (make check payable to ADK Long Island–Picnic)
___ Yes, I (we) would like to go on the 11 a.m., 25-mile bike ride. Contact: Ross Moore: [email protected])
___Yes, I would like to go on a shorter bike ride to the beach_____ or to Morton Wildlife Preserve________
___ Yes, let’s play volleyball
I will bring 8 servings of: salad (specify type)_________ side dishes_____ ______ dessert_____ other________
Mail completed form with your payment to Micheline Kagan, 171-08 Gladwin Avenue, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365. Any questions: 718 746 4753 or [email protected]
ACTIVITIES: Guided Bike Rides ( 25 miles**, 11 miles, or
6 miles) Bike rides to Beach Beach and Trail Walking and Running Volleyball Swimming and Fishing in Ocean
Relay races with prizes Explore Morton Wildlife Refuge Walk to the beach through beautiful old
Hamptons neighborhoods Stroll around Agawam Lake
Enjoy sun, sea, friends and food
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ADK-L.I. 171-08 Gladwin Avenue Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
Join now for last-minute info on hikes, outings, gear discussions and carpooling possibilities. Plus photos and downloads. Don’t miss out!
Go to www.adkli.org and click
(on left side of home page)
Change your address?
Don’t tell us — tell ADK headquarters.
They print our address labels.
Write: Adirondack Mountain Club Membership 814 Goggins Road Lake George, NY 12845-4117
Or call: 1-800-395-8080 Or email: [email protected]
DEADLINES FOR SEPT-OCT 2013 ISSUE
OUTINGS DEADLINE: JULY 25 COPY DEADLINE: JULY 30
Send Outings to: [email protected]
Send Articles for Sept-Oct issue to: [email protected]
and to [email protected]
Leaders, send Trip Reports to: [email protected]
ADK-LI MONTHLY MEETINGS RESUME IN SEPTEMBER — ALL WELCOME!
NO MEETINGS IN JULY and AUGUST. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER — WE’LL SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER
FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE OUTINGS LISTINGS, VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.ADKLI.ORG
NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED
WHERE: ST. LUKE LUTHERAN CHURCH (EDUCATION BUILDING) 20 CANDLEWOOD PATH AT VANDERBILT MEMORIAL PARKWAY, DIX HILLS, NY
Regular meetings start at 8:00 P.M. Come early at 7:30 P.M. to socialize, network and enjoy light refreshments.
DIRECTIONS: (GPS Coordinates Latitude: 40.810493, Longitude: -73.336918 (or N 40° 48' 36”, W 73° 20' 12'') From Northern State, Exit 42 (Deer Park Ave. South) Go south about 2 miles to light at Vanderbilt Parkway. Turn left (east) on Vanderbilt. In about 2/10 mile, turn right onto Candlewood Path. Continue to St. Luke Church.
From L.I.E. Exit 51 (Deer Park Ave. North.) Go north 1 mile to Vanderbilt Pkwy. Turn right (east.) In about 2/10 mile, turn right at Candlewood Path, and continue to St. Luke Church. Parking: Take narrow driveway on left side of church to main parking lot at the rear of the church. Park and take the steps to the upper level. Look for ADK sign on the outer door of the educational building. Enter. Our room is on left.
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