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January 1 (Tuesday) New Year’s Day at Clarkson
Huge recent snowfalls and crisp, sunny winter weather produced the best conditions in several years for exploring the trails. About thirty or so took part. Some spent an hour or so outside on skis or snowshoes, while others simply enjoyed the pot luck party of simple snacks at the Adirondack Lodge.

January 5 (Saturday) Higley Flow Ski
Ideal snow conditions and pleasant, sunny winter weather created a perfect day for skiing the well-groomed trails of Higley. Some participants were on skis for the first time, and after an hour or two’s practice had already learned the techniques needed to ski in varying terrain. We then enjoyed lunch indoors at the Hide Away Cafe in Colton.
L to R: Louis Tremaine, Pat Alden, TL John Barron, Mona Torabi, Michele LaPointe, Simon & Andreas von Cramon, Tom Ortmeyer.
Photo: Hamid Eisazadeh

January 6 (Sunday) Mt Arab Snowshoe
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: six deer tracks crossing, five yards of visibility, four people hiking, three trees a-blowdown, two dogs a-resting, and a whole lotta snow in the trees!
L to R: TLs John & Susan Omohundro, MaryBeth & Joe Rosenfeld.

January 12 ( Saturday) Phelps Mt. Winter Climb
Brian Baston (TL), Toni Towle, Peter Blood, Tom Ortmeyer. Phelps is a kinder-gentler 4000+ footer snuggled up below Mt. Marcy and an easy one-day go and return from Adirondack Loj. A soft trail with some slush in places found us on a partly sunny day with beautiful views of Upper Great Range and Giant Mt from the top. With 42 degrees F at the summit, not surprising there was little snow visible on the slopes around us.

January 19 (Saturday) Snowshoe Azure Mt
Gene and Carolyn Kaczka (TLs), Tom Ortmeyer. Fresh powder 3 to 5 inches greeted us with an icy hard-packed base of perhaps a foot plus of snow. Few trail markers led to our following the faint dimples in the snow of previous climbers. We discovered that we were off trail for at least half of the ascent finding some impressive rock ledge formations never seen before. High summit winds with virtually no snow cover. This unique Azure climb was topped off with lunch at Deer Valley Trails.

February 3 (Sunday) Winter Climb of Esther and Whiteface
Toni Towle, Peter Blood (TLs), Brian Baston and Tom Ortmeyer. Our group started out for Esther and Whiteface from the ASRC on a beautiful sunny day. The temperature was a bit nippy, but we soon warmed up on the steep climb to Marble Mountain. The trails were very hard packed and we made good time over to Esther, where we enjoyed a break in the warm sun before heading up to Whiteface. It had clouded over by the time we summited Whiteface, but we still had excellent views. For a change of pace we descended via the road to the tollbooth, where we had left a car.

February 9 (Sunday) Stone Valley Snowshoe
Tom Ortmeyer (TL), Kathie Colarusso, John Barron, Jeff Miller, Jonathan Durant. We had a good day and (just) enough snow overall, could have used a bit more in spots. Great views from the west side going up, with lunch at the gazebo in Colton. The stretches right on the river on the east side were even better, and the hills were a bit of a challenge.

February 16 (Saturday) Skiing, Wanakena to High Rock
The conditions could not have been better - sunny and pleasantly cold with a blanket of deep powder snow. At our destination we met Holly and Neil Woodworth who had skied in just ahead of us. Afterwards several of us enjoyed clam chowder at the Pine Cone before leaving for home.
L to R: John & Susan Omohundro, Tom Ortmeyer, Neil & Holly Woodworth, TL John Barron.
Not pictured: Andreas, Karynn, & Simon von Cramon.
Photo: Janet Mellor.

Sunday February 24, 2013 - Stone Valley Snowshoe (rescheduled from February 9)
First photo, l-r near Colton Falls: Kathie Colarusso, Jeff Miller, Jonathan Durant, TL Tom Ortmeyer. Photo John Barron
Second photo, l-r: John Barron. Photo Kathie Colarusso

March 2 (Saturday) Floodwood Mt. Snowshoe
Duncan and Lois Cutter (TLs), Kathryn Benham, Marianne Hebert, Kathy Colarusso. Lots of snow on the ready-made trail brought us up a steady, gentle rise through open hardwood forest, then an abruptly steep climb against the north face among trees delicately frosted at the upper elevation. Summit views included a number of frozen ponds that we saw on scenic Floodwood road driving in. Some of us found the mountain somewhat taller than 10 years ago, but flexible companions adjusted their pace so all enjoyed the climb.

March 9 (Saturday) Skiing at the Paul Smiths VIC
John Barron (TL), Jim Lynch. Warm sunny weather and immaculately groomed trails created excellent conditions for skiing under springlike conditions. We skied the outer perimeter “green loop”, a circuit of about six miles. Anyone who likes cross country skiing or wants to check it out should give these trails a try.

March 30 (Saturday) Spring Road Walk Hike Near the Grasse River
Tom and Ann Ortmeyer (TLs), Marianne Hebert, Sylvia Haq, Jon Montan, Joe & Kathie Colarusso, Brian Baston, Jeff Lang, Jim Williams, Maria Hernandez, Sarah Jenack, Erica Gardner, Todd McDonald, Shawn Gillette, Greta Bellardini, Patrick Parmeter, Chris Brooks, Sean Tiernan, Britney Wilson, Adam Hicks, Eric Ashley, Stuart Rudd. We had a nice sunny day for a walk along the Tooley Pond Road. We started from Sinclair Falls, and walked past Twin Falls and Stewart Rapids for a total of nearly 6.3 miles.

April 21 (Sunday) Mud Season Potluck
A good turnout of chapter members enjoyed a lively presentation by Hadley Kruckzek-Aaron of SUNY Potsdam Department of Anthropology about Timbucto, a resettlement area for free black people established near Lake Placid by Gerritt Smith prior to the Civil War. As well as being a fascinating insight into an early social experiment, the talk reflected Hadley’s objective of instilling in her students an understanding of and enthusiasm for archaeological field work.
Pictured: Kruckzek-Aaron displaying an artifact excavated from what is believed to be the Epps-Lawence homestead, the most successful of a number of operations that made up Timbucto.

April 21 (Sunday) Red Sandstone Trail Work Party
John Omohundro (TL) and fifteen members of SUNY Potsdam History Student Association. Eight newbies and seven veterans of past student work parties performed some repairs to the switchback, erected an interpretive marker at the canoe put-in, and nailed up some trail markers. We were passed by a number of hikers enjoying the fine spring weather.

April 22 (Monday) Earth Day Walk
We noticed ramps (wild leeks), bloodroot, and trout lilies coming up, admired the blue beeches, and saw signs of porcupine and beaver. Each hiker shared a reading for the occasion, from poetry or essays about nature.
L to R: Duncan & Lois Cutter, Janet Green, TL Susan Omohundro, Armond & Ann Spencer.
Not shown: Eleanor Rosenthal.
Photo: TL John Omohundro

April 27 (Saturday) Everton Falls Cleanup
Duncan & Lois Cutter (TLs), Armond Spencer, Joanne Ferris, Doug Monroe - The Nature Conservancy Rep. Sunny, 40’s, no black flies. We worked a dry roadside and filled 6 sacks of discarded beer cans. These will be donated to the Potsdam animal shelter. We pruned the rock ledge above the falls for visitors to picnic and watch the tumbling water.

April 28 (Sunday) Frontenac Park
We had a warm, sunny spring day for our circuit of the Gibson Lake and Testmine Lake Loops of the Frontenac Park trail system. We saw abandoned mica mines, old homesteads and lumber mills, many lakes and beaver ponds, and an overview of Moulton Gorge. We encountered a trio of fishermen on their way to a backcountry lake and a dozen backpackers from Brock University out for five nights; otherwise we saw very few people.
L to R: Brian Baston, Marianne Hebert, Toni Towle, Peter Blood.
Photo: TL John Barron

May 12 (Sunday) Coney Mountain
Marianne Hebert (TL), Tim & Julie Rapczynski, Carolyn Kaczka, Jane Subramanian. The weather was not cooperative for Saturday, May 11th, so participants opted to do the hike on Sunday, May 12th. Weather was sunny and chilly, so the hike was pleasantly free from black flies and other winged pests. Spring wild flowers were in bloom, and we saw lots of trillium (red and white), trout lilies and spring beauties. Tim discovered a mysterious white cross just below the summit looking west, and Jane later discovered a newspaper article (www.tlfreepress.com/tlfp081029/page6.pdf) explaining the origin of the cross. Look for it next time you are on the summit!

May 18 (Saturday) Lampson Falls Clean-Up
Gene & Carolyn Kaczka (TLs), John & Tresa Wilson, Charles & Lila Hunnewell, John Barron, Joann Ferris, Raelyn Erdner, Marie & Lissette Fernandez, Gildo Torres, Andrea Torres. It was a great day for a hike anywhere. Our group of 13 swept the trails leading to Lampson Falls leaving not even a cigarrette butt in sight! All were delighted to meet a new chapter member, Marie Fernandez from Cuba via Miami, along with son, Gildo, daughter-in-law Lissette and grandaughter, Andrea (2 years old).

May 18 (Saturday) Bushwhack: Blue Ridge East via Stephens Pond
Mike & Cindy McLean (TLs), Denise Mongillo, Valerie Keene, Bill Brizzell, Pete Biesmeyer, Pete Nye, Tom Folts, and Dan Wilson. On a rather warm and sunny day nine hardy folks headed south on the NP Trail via Lake Durant to arrive at the beautiful Stephens Pond. From the pond, we set a compass bearing and bushwhacked the 2.5 miles to the wooded summit, enjoying the wildflowers and identifying numerous scat found along the way. Occasional views of Blue Mountain and the High Peaks seen along the way and from the summit. The way was very open but for a couple of spots on the way up which we managed to avoid on the way back down. A nice day in the woods.

May 25 (Saturday) Indian Falls instead of Mount Marcy
With a forecast for Mount Marcy for 5” of snow and 50 mph winds, we agreed to set our sights on Indian Falls instead of Mount Marcy. Eight hardy souls set out in light snow with temperatures hovering around freezing. As we climbed, the trail, which started out as a stream, gradually turned into a slushy flow as the snowfall became thicker and the temperatures colder. By the time we got to Indian Falls there was a foot of snow on the ground. We paused for photos at the falls, had a quick lunch, and headed down. It was very nice to arrive back to the warm trail centre where we could change into warm dry clothes.
Front, L to R: Kathie & Joe Colarusso, Marianne Hebert.
Back, L to R: Brian Baston, TL Peter Blood, Tom Ortmeyer, John Barron.
Photo: TL Toni Towle

June 1 (Saturday) Owl’s Head Lookout
Unpredictably hot and muggy (80+ degrees), the group was grateful for the woodland shade along the trail, and stiff breezes on the summit of Owl’s Head Ledge. Several turkey buzzards entertained us with an air ballet performance. Columbine was in bloom, and we saw many toads and garter snakes.
L to R: Kathie Colarusso, Joe Colarusso, Julie Rapczynski, John Wilson, Tresa Wilson, Marie Fernandez de Alaiza, and Derek Habermas.
Photo: TL Marianne Hebert.

June 9 (Sunday) Cycling from Cape Vincent to Alexandria Bay
We postponed by one day in favor of perfect weather - sunny, ideal temperature, and even our hoped-for tail wind. Highlights included a visit to Tibbetts Point Lighthouse with its historic exhibits and terrific view of white-capped Lake Ontario, and a wine and beer sample tasting at the Thousand Islands Winery. We had supper afterwards at Monaghans in Cape Vincent, which we recommend.
L to R at Tibbetts Point Lighthouse: Toni Towle, Peter Blood, TL John Barron.
Photo: Cyclist from another party.

June 14-16 (Friday - Sunday) Spring Outing A Great Success!
Spring Outing 2013 is now history, and we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Details

June 6, 13, 20, 27 (Thursdays) Stone Valley Trail Work
Members of the St Lawrence County Mountain Biking Association and the Laurentian Chapter open up a new mountain biking trail in the O’Malley Brook area in the Town of Colton. The five-mile trail is slated to be opened in early fall.

July 5 (Friday) Tour the Timbucto archeology site, Lake Placid
John & Susan Omohundro (TLs), Dorothy Moore, Marianne Hebert, John Barron, and ten members of North Woods chapter. Rained out on the scheduled date, we managed to visit Dr. Kruczek- Aaron’s archaeology site four days later, before the afternoon rains again drenched the field crew. We learned much from professor and students about this 150-year-old African-American farm community experiment.

July 6 (Saturday) Algonquin Peak
Brian Baston (TL) Tom Ortmeyer, Tim Brown. Brian and Tom set out from the High Peaks Information Center with new ADK-Laurentian chapter member Tim, under cloudy and cool conditions. The summit was socked in with rain, fog and mist, when we joined about two dozen others at 11:30 AM for our lunch break. Since both Tom and Tim needed Iroquois Peak, we decided to do that as well. On the way the sky opened up to a beautiful day with excellent views of the rest of the Peaks. As a side note, legendary mud holes between the two peaks are now covered with boardwalks!

July 13 (Saturday) Bicycle the Sabbatis Loop
Tom Ortmeyer (TL), John Barron, Mark Bayer, Carolyn Kaczka. We cycled from the south end of Tupper Lake to the southern entrance to the Sabbatis Circle Road, then back to Little Tupper Lake, where we lunched and enjoyed the views. We then completed Circle Road, and took a brief side trip to view the Bog River entering Tupper Lake. We finished the day with a welcome ice cream break courtesy of Carolyn.
L to R, near the mouth of the Bog River: Mark Bayer, TL Tom Ortmeyer, Carolyn Kaczka, John Barron.
Photo: Mark Bayer.

Sunday July 21 - Paddling the 1000 Islands near Ivy Lea, Ontario
L to R TLs Peter Blood and Toni Towle.
Our route led us from Ivy Lea to a full circumnavigation of Hill Island, one of the largest in the area. We saw many smaller islands along the way, and passed through the narrow channel that marks the U.S./Canadian border. We paused for lunch and a swim on Constance Island. There were boat wakes and river currents to add interest. Supper on the sun deck of a local pub was an enjoyable end to the day.
Photo: John Barron.

July 27 (Saturday) Gothic & Armstrong via Beaver Meadow Fall
Brian Baston (TL), Marie Fernandez de Alaiza, Tim Brown. We went in on the Lake Road at the Ausable Club about 7:45am. Up the Beaver Meadow Falls trail summiting Gothic around 12:45pm on a beautiful day! On the way back we decided it would be a shame not to do Armstrong as it was only 0.8 mi round trip. A great day in the Great Range!

August 3 (Saturday) Dead Creek Paddle
Ann & Armond Spencer (TLs), John & Susan Omohundro, Bob & Janet Wakefield, Alison Charles, Mary Jane Watson. We did not find Dead Creek dead! Indeed we found a strong current. After battling our way up for about an hour, we collectively decided that that wasn’t fun and turned around. We had a nice (fast) trip back down to the Raquette and then up the river for a ways. We had lunch at a nice spot on the river and when we did get back to the cars decided we had had enough.

August 24 (Saturday) Wright Peak
Tom Ortmeyer (TL), Brian Baston, Marie Fernandez de Alaiza, Bill Mueller, John Wilson, John and Susan Omohundro, Edward Walker, and Andres, Karyn, and Simon von Cramon. We found a busy Saturday at the High Peaks Information Center, but hit the trail right on schedule. We had a good group, and enjoyed the challenges of the trail on the way up. We broke out onto the Alpine tundra just after noon, and arrived on the peak soon after. We took an extended lunch, and had outstanding views of both the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains, which led to an extended discussion of which peak was which. Following lunch, we stopped briefly to view the airplane wreckage, and then headed back down the mountain. The trip back seemed a bit long, but by the end several in our group were planning their next High Peak hike.

Sunday August 25 - Rock Dunder, Ontario
The Rock Dunder hike is a favorite for good reason. It’s not too strenuous or too long, but offers varied forest, challenging climbs and descents in places, and excellent sweeping views of the Rideau waterway where we could watch the activities of boardsailers, boaters, and water skiers. Five of us enjoyed the trail and also a short walk around the impressive Jones Falls Rideau Canal lock station located nearby. Other obligations in the evening regrettably prevented the leader from staying for supper with the others at nearby Hotel Kenney.
L to R, at one of the backcountry lodges: Lila & Charles Hunnewell; Duncan & Lois Cutter; TL John Barron. Photo: a passing hiker.
Emerging from a swim in Morton Bay: TL John Barron. Photo: Duncan Cutter.

Sunday, September 7 - Paddle Middle Saranac Lake to Lake Flower
The annual “14 Miler” for sea kayakers and canoeists came off nicely. Ellie Menz, Jason Pfotenhauer, Jim Plumley, Dick Mooers found Middle Saranac Lake in fine fettle, with good rollers forming by 10:30 AM in a light breeze. The rest of the trip was, as they say, all down hill. Winding river, fern gardens on old snags, the DIY State lock, the huge grey boulders, the looming cliffs of Bluff Island, the beginning autumn colors, even the various power boats and sneak routes through the weeds, done so many times previously, were preciously familiar. Come with us next September, readers, and don’t miss a great paddle!

Sunday, September 8 - Street and Nye Mountains
The air had a feel of early fall - cool, sunny, and dry, perfect for hiking. The paths were in very good condition and the views were better than we expected.
L to R, at the summit of Street: Tom Ortmeyer, Brian Baston, Tim Brown, Ed Smith, Ann Charlebois, Tom Lawrence.
Photo: TL John Barron.

October 2 (Wednesday) Jay Mt. Wilderness
Duncan Cutter (TL), Eileen Wheeler, Barney Gage, Vasili Cateforis, Dick Mooers. Low overcast lifted as we reached the scenic overlook below Jay Mt.’s summit. We were then treated to full-fledged fall colors sweeping up from the valleys and on across the myriad high peaks to the north and west, and across Lake Champlain and Vermont to the east. Vasili Cateforis and Dick Mooers made earlier ascents that day.

October 5 (Saturday) Ampersand Mountain
John Wilson (TL), Tresa Wilson, Brian Baston, Marie Fernandez de Alaiza. The weather forecast for the weekend wasn’t great. As it turned out, the temperature was perfect for the hike and we ran into no actual rain. In a mist or cloud all the way up, as well as during lunch at the top. The sky began to clear on the way down, and we saw some sunshine as we crossed the last brook. We walked to Middle Saranac beach before we left. While on the top we all got to see the commemorative plaque and where the fire tower stood (thanks to Brian).

October 12 (Saturday) Lilypad, Long & Little Rock Ponds
It was a beautiful Fall day so we extended our hike to Little Rock Pond. John Barron was inspired to go for a swim in Long Pond. His response to the “How was it?” was “brisk”.
L to R at Long Pond: Bill Mueller, Jeff Miller, TLs Armond & Ann Spencer, Susan Omohundro, Carole Sheppard, John Omohundro, James Engle, Jean Giblin.
Photo: John Barron.

October 25 (Friday) thru October 27 (Sunday)
Stone Valley Trail Work Weekend. Mark Simon with a handful of crew leaders and over 50 students from area colleges, turned out this weekend to make repairs, clear brush, fix embankment erosion, clear trash and other general maintenance on the Stone Valley trail. Nearby, Ben Yandeau and Bob Dowman with crews from SUNY- Canton and the St. Lawrence Mt. Bike Association continued work on the new and amazing mountain bike trail in the county forest east of Lenny Road.

November 6 (Wednesday) Red Dot Trails and St. Regis Cafe
John & Susan Omohundro (TLs), Gene & Carolyn Kaczka, Bill & Pat Mueller, Cliff & Gloria Daly, Mary Jo Whalen. Prior to a sumptuous noonday meal at the cafe in Paul Smith’s College, we took a morning walk through woods trails nearby. We passed two nice lean-tos, and three placid ponds, one with thin ice forming. Two white birds Gene identified as Australian pelicans, but we didn’t believe him. One large shaggy-bark tree Bill identified as red maple; we believed him (especially when we checked our tree books later).

November 7 (Thursday) Snow geese in Malone
Ann Spencer (TL), Armond Spencer, John Baron, Jean Giblin, MaryBeth & Bill Warburton, Alison Charles, Mary & Marshall Garner, Bruce Felin. Our timing was a bit off, so there were quite a few geese already on the river, but we did see a fair number coming in. Some goose stories, and dinner added to our enjoyment.