Backtracks

New Year at Higley Flow State Park, Jan 1, 2023
About 20 Laurentian Chapter members celebrated the New Year at Higley Flow State Park with a hike (too little snow for skiing or snowshoeing), a fire (courtesy of Higley staff), food (courtesy of Marg Madore and others), and presentation of 2022 photo contest winners.

Upper and Lower Lakes WMA, Jan 7, 2023
We had to move the venue from Dewey mountain, as warm weather and lack of snow made it unfavorable for a snowshoe. We opted to walk the access roads of the Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area north of the Indian Creek Nature Center. Nine of us turned out for a cold but fun exploration of the road and side trails. It was icier than expected due to the December holiday blizzard. We saw two swans and met some pheasant hunters and their hunting dogs.
Group Photo, L-R David Katz, Rita Lewis, Anne Csete, Jane Khondker, Brenda Curley, Ellie Menz, Jane Subramanian, Carol Rossie-Fries, Jeanna Matthews, photo TL Marianne Hebert
Boardwalk, Kiosk Photos Jeanna Matthews

Southville State Forest Snowshoe, Jan 14, 2023
We were lucky to get fresh snow the day before, leaving us with just enough snow to actually snowshoe. Fresh snow also meant we were enveloped by the atmosphere of lovely snowy branches. Some participants were snowshoeing for the very first time and all were excited to be able to get out on the snowy trails. We hiked about 3 miles including a lovely stretch along the West Branch of the St. Regis River. This was a joint ADK and Potsdam Public Library Event led by Blair Madore and William Eckhart.
Participants: Blair Madore, William Eckhart, Andrew & Tracy Robinson, Eudora Watson, Marianne Hebert, Rita Hyunh, Sara Poisson, Sarah Coupal, Emily Reinhardt, Erin Wiggins, Gabrielle Smith, and Olivia Briggs.
Photos: Blair Madore. More photos at flic.kr/s/aHBqjAoe2u.

West Parishville Snowshoe, Jan 22, 2023
We had a cloudy but not too cold day for a snowshoe walk of 1.4 miles that ended with some snacks in our warmed-up cabin. It was a nice way to celebrate another stage on the path to completing this little structure. We hope to do it again.
Present for this event: Tom Ortmeyer, Joan Trivilino, Marianne Hebert, Debra Mitchell, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Bob Josephson, Rose Rivezzi, David Trithart.

Grass(e) River Snowshoe, Jan 29, 2023
We had a good bit of fresh snow on our start from Rte. 3 and broke trail along the old Grass River Rail line. We got out to the kiosk, and then went down to the first and second put-ins, enjoying the winter scenery throughout. We had a brief (and wind blown) snack at the second put-in, and then decided to head back along the snowmobile route for a bit of a change. We had great conditions, and all enjoyed the hike.
Participants: TL Tom Ortmeyer, John & Susan Omohundro, Sarah Coupal, Dana Chudzinski
Photo: Snowshoeing down the old Grass River rail line. Photo Tom Ortmeyer

Azure Mountain Snowshoe, Feb 5, 2023
Because of extremely cold weather we moved this hike from its original date of February 4th. Our crew was smaller – five of us set off to conquer the mountain. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Despite good conditions we were forced to turn back half way, when one of our hikers got an emergency phone call from home. The mountain will be there is the future – family comes first. This was a joint ADK and Potsdam Public Library Event led by Blair Madore and William Eckhart.
Participants: Jeff Miller, Blair Madore, William Eckhart, Massooma Pirbhai, and Thea How Choon.
Photo: Blair Madore. More photos at flic.kr/s/aHBqjAuxqc.

Snowshoe Catamount Mountain (South Colton), Feb 11, 2023
We had a perfect bluebird day for our climb with bright sunny skies and temps rising in the mid-20s. It was a fairly easy walk to start out along the groomed ski trail. About midway, as we left the red trail, we were surprised to find that no one had been to the summit recently. We each took turns breaking trail until we reached the summit where we located the remnants of the fire tower and observer’s cabin.
Participants: John Barron, Jeff Miller, Ruth Baltus, Kevin Ball, TL Marianne Hebert
Photos by M. Hebert

Jones Creek Trails, Thousand Islands National Park, Feb 18, 2023
A weather sequence including warm weather, heavy rain, freezing rain, some snow, ice pellets, and a cold day in the days leading up to the trip threatened icy conditions for skiing in Murphy’s Point, as originally planned. The plan was revised to a hike in Thousand Islands National Park near Brockville. We used microspikes and had a fine time exploring the trails. First came the eastern part of the system, about 2 miles of well-marked trails with a number of scenic views. There remained enough time for a short drive and another short excursion in from the western entrance for another 2 miles of hiking. Red Adirondack chairs have become a popular unofficial symbol of Parks Canada, and are found at scenic locations in national parks throughout the country.
L-R TL John Barron, Marianne Hebert
Photo Jean Giblin.

Clear Pond Snowshoe, Mar 5, 2023
We postponed this trip by one day because of snowfall but that did not stop people from coming out. There were 9 of us who snowshoed the 2 miles into Clear Pond together, then explored some of the shoreline and even a few ventured carefully onto the ice of the frozen pond. Warm temperatures (32-40) over the course of the trip plus a bit of sunshine and blue sky made things even more pleasant. This was a joint ADK and Potsdam Public Library Event led by Blair Madore and William Eckhart.
Participants: Jeff Miller, Blair Madore, William Eckhart, Massooma Pirbhai, Thea How Choon, Alanna Gillis, Ruth Baltus, Kevin Ball, Lynn Crump, and Sarah Razis.
Photo: Blair Madore. More photos at flic.kr/s/aHBqjAuwXo.

Whippoorwill State Forest Snowshoe, Mar 11, 2023
The sun peeked through the clouds and the day warmed up nicely for an exploration of the trails at Whippoorwill SF. The pine trail was a nice diversion through an old pine plantation, and we had a chorus of crows to escort us along the way. The Plumb Brook trail had many sapling stumps from all the beaver activity.
Participants: Ling Zhang, TL Marianne Hebert

Spring Road Walk, Cemetery Rd, S Colton, Apr 22, 2023
We had a gorgeous warm and sunny day. We explored many of the side trails along Cemetery Rd for a total of 3 miles. The beach and water views were lovely. We saw beaver activity and wildflowers. All-in-all a perfect outing!
L-R: Marianne Hebert (TL), John Dewar, Gabrielle Smith, Pete Biesemeyer, Sandy McCloy. Photo by Linda Moerschell

Chaffey's Lock, Apr 29, 2023
Due to forecast rain and several difficulties of ground conditions the route was shortened and simplified to be entirely on the Cataraqui rail trail. Despite the rain we had five participants and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. There was plenty to see including cottages, the natural channel between Indian and Opinicon Lakes, the old rail trestle, many wildflowers, an old cemetery, the Opinicon Hotel, and Chaffey’s Lock of the Rideau Canal (pictured). We even found a small but adequate roofed picnic shelter to have lunch out of the rain.
L-R:TL John Barron, Marianne Hebert, Toni Towle, Marie-Reine Fournier. Photo Jean Giblin.

Orebed Creek State Forest Wildflower Walk, Apr 30, 2023
Wildflowers were everywhere. We tramped through the woods, up an un-named stream to three increasingly large beaver ponds, then down Orebed Creek for the walk back to the road. Spring at Orebed Creek is a bit behind spring in the lowlands, but we were able to identify about two dozen species, some in bloom, some still thinking about it. Anne Johnson’s encyclopedic knowledge of St Lawrence County wildflowers was an added treat.
Participants: Anne Johnson, Pete Biesemeyer, Jane Khondker, TLs David Katz & Anne Csete

Monitor My Maple, Apr 30, 2023
We had a small and enthusiastic group who visited a sugar bush in Parishville to learn how to identify maples. The rain held off long enough for Nature Up North Project Manager, Kayla Edmunds, to teach us how to distinguish maples from other native trees. We learned how to measure and observe seasonal changes in maples, and how to record data for the citizen science project.
Photo by M. Hebert: Have the leaves fully unfolded?
L-R: Kayla Edmunds, Ellie Menz, Marnie Salisbury Becht, and Leo.

Whippoorwill Corners Wildflower Walk, May 7, 2023
Four inches of rain in the last 2 weeks made the trail to Harper Falls a bit too wet, so we walked the upland sections of Whippoorwill Corners State Forest instead. Sunny skies, a slight breeze, and comfortable spring temperatures made for a nice walk on the Loop PFAR [Public Forest Access Road] where fourteen humans and one dog identified blue cohosh, white trillium, red trillium, miterwort, violets (purple, white, and striped), wood violets (yellow) bellwort, sedges, toothwort, dutchman’s breeches, foam flower, spring beauty, trout lily in blossom, plus several other species that were already done or not yet open. The dog, not being particularly interested in the flowers, led two of the humans around the loop twice in the time the rest of us circled once. The green-carpeted hillsides wowed us on a brief supplemental walk on the trail between CR24 and CR17.
Participants: John Barron, Jean Giblin, Regina Willette, Kathy MacKay, Chris Rediehs, Neal Burdick, Barbara Burdick, Laura Rediehs, Marianne Hebert, Jane Khondker, Eleanor Menz, Carol Rossi-Fries, TL David Katz, TL Anne Csete, and Marcy.
Photo David Katz

Grasse River RR hike, May 21, 2023
This was a joint outing with North Woods and Laurentian chapters, comprising a dozen walkers from six communities, ranging from Ottawa to Lake Placid. For most, today was a first visit to this recently-marked carry trail for intrepid paddlers on a boney stretch of the South Grasse. The trail parallels the river on the railroad bed that originally connected lumber mills in Conifer to mills in Cranberry Lake. Now the trail ends two miles in from Route 3 where a bridge once crossed the river. Old ties are still visible through the turf. The day began with a cool mist but ended in a warm cloud of black flies. Along the way we saw foam flower, painted trillium, a gravid turtle, coyote and bear scat, and evidence of deer kills. The birds were plentiful too: Northern Flicker, green and blue warblers, Northern Parula, ovenbird, and our first hermit thrush of the year.
Photo: Jerry Gnann