Backtracks    

New Year's Day Outing. Tom & Ann Ortmeyer, Duncan & Lois Cutter, organizers. The snowstorm that made driving difficult also made very nice trail conditions. About a dozen intrepid souls braved the weather - most hadn't traveled far - and took to the trail on either skis or snowshoes. We then gathered in the lodge for late afternoon snacks and tales. It was an excellent way to bring in the New Year.

Peavine Swamp Trail Ski, January 5, 2008
Fresh powder snow in early January created outstanding skiing conditions on this trail near the SUNY Ranger School in Wanakena. A few downed trees and branches made for short, tricky bushwhacks. Thanks to Blair for fixing the trip leader's frozen binding and letting her ski out rather than walk.
l-r: John Barron, Jean Gilbin, TL Ann Spencer, Blair Madore, Joel Foisy, Nancy Skiff.
Photo: Anonymous snowshoer (Blair Madore's camera).

Jan. 19 - Ski to Grassy Pond. TL Duncan & Lois Cutter. Very little snow in flatlander country, and maybe that's why no one signed on for this trip. But we found 2 to 3 inches of new snow over a firm base, all the balsams decked out in the intermittent snow showers throughout the day and a lovely dazzle off the snow-covered pond when the sun poked through as we picnicked at the lean-to (Nicely cared for by Sandy Hildreth & Marilyn Gillespie). A trip through mature pines and the crossing of the Osgood river in a "Christmas Card" setting.

Pinnacle Mountain Snowshoe, January 26, 2008
Weather and snow conditions were perfect for an enjoyable ascent to the summit. This is an excellent short trip needing a relatively short drive to the trailhead yet giving the feel of the higher mountains.
l-r: Carol LaDue, Art Boni, Geri Ames.
Photo: TL John Barron.

Mt. Marcy Climb, January 27, 2008 (postponed from Jan 20).
You couldn't have asked for better weather to climb New York's highest. The trail was in such great condition with weather going from cloudy to sunshine. It started out around 12 degrees and got up to 27. There was no wind until we started to ascend and then it was strong. The views on the trail of the top were picturesque. I was also fortunate to spend some alone with a Pine Marten looking down at me from a tree while I waited for the others. At the end of our hike I could tell by the smile on everyone's face that it was a day to remember. A great supper at the Downtown Grill in Lake Placid to review such an eventful day.
l-r: TL Nancy LaBaff, John Tyo, Lyle Montgomery.
Photo: Nancy LaBaff.

Cascade and Porter, February 2, 2008
Cascade's summit was fierce with howling winds that drowned our voices and threatened to knock us over with each strong gust. Crampons were required to ascend the rocky summit covered in ice. Porter's summit was a contrast -- eerily still and quiet, the dwarf summit trees barely visible through the heavy fog.
On Cascade, l-r: TL Lyle Montgomery, Nancy Skiff, John Tyo.

The Broadleaf/Conifer Trail at Higley Flow, February 9, 2008
A slightly overcast day at about 30 degrees F and a good snow cover made almost ideal conditions for a lovely snowshoe hike, winding above Warm Brook through conifer plantations, down through marshy lowlands and up across ridges covered with a variety of broadleaf trees, and down again into a hemlock forest before returning to our start amid pine plantations. Good conversation and company along the way.
l-r: Alex Neubert, Ann & Tom Ortmeyer, Pat & TL Bill Mueller, Armond Spencer.
Photo: Ann Spencer.

Bushwhack a Little Mountain, February 29, 2008
A cold start quickly warmed up with the sun shining brightly and no wind. We snowshoed across Mountain Pond to a place where we started climbing. The round trip took 3 1/2 hrs. With only views through the pines we did not stay too long. Great powder snow!
l-r: Eloise Leedom, TL Geri Ames, George Leedom.
Photo: Wayne Ratowski.

Stone Valley Snowshoe, March 1, 2008
It was a very nice day. We went up the west side of the valley from Brown's Bridge, on a trip that included two recently rerouted sections of trail, and had great views of the river. We lunched overlooking Lucy's Hole, and then enjoyed a nicely-packed trail on the way back.
Front row, l-r: Kathy Conway, Aviva Panona.
Back row, l-r: Gene Kaczka, TL Tom Ortmeyer, Alex Neubert.
Photo: Carolyn Kaczka.

Mount Gilligan, March 15, 2008
The Ides of March did not prove ominous, as it turned out. The six of us climbed resolutely over steep pitches and down dips on wet snow. We lunched at a viewpoint from which we could see the lower portions of Macomb and Rocky Peak below the cloud cover. Fortified, we dropped into the last col and climbed to the wooded summit. Descent on snowshoes had its own difficulties. The leader, ever an educator, gave several demonstrations of how to fall on snowshoes. Coffee and spicy soup at the deli in Saranac Lake revived us nicely. Rain held off until the drive home.
Front row, l-r: Ann & Armond Spencer, Art Johnson, Gene & Carolyn Kaczka.
Photo: Duncan Cutter.

Owen and Copperas Ponds Snowshoe, March 22, 2008
The wind made it a chilly day but the sunshine was glorious. We started at the western trailhead and visited Owen pond before heading up and over to Copperas pond for a magnificent view of Whiteface. After hot chocolate with lunch at the leanto we headed up over and down steeply to the eastern trailhead. Winch pond will have to wait for a summer visit. A beautiful trip on a beautiful day.
Photo: Blaire Madore.
Not pictured: Betty Peckham, Gretchen Koehler, Joel Foisy, Gaetan Foisy, Sylvain Foisy, Blair Madore, Gromit the dog.

Pitchoff Mountain Snowshoe, March 30, 2008
On a perfect day of brilliant sunshine and relative warmth, we traversed Pitchoff ridge over many little summits in deep snow. Frequent panoramic views south to Marcy and nearby High Peaks, west toward Lake Placid, north toward Whiteface, and east into Vermont provided many photo ops. We concluded tired but elated, agreeing that on a scale of 1 to 10, this was a 10.
Front row, l-r: John Barron, Darcy La Combe, Alicia Schantz, Tom Ortmeyer.
Back row, l-r: Hollis Easter, TLs John & Susan Omohundro.