Backtracks

New Year's Day at Clarkson, Jan 1, 2019
There was no snow at all on the ground this year. A number of people hiked around the trails, under pleasant fall-like conditions. Tasty snacks at the Lodge completed the outing.
At the observation platform, L-R: Tom Ortmeyer, Jean Giblin. Photo John Barron
At the Lodge, L-R: Danielle Jerry, Bob Platte, Jean Giblin, Marianne Hebert, Eileen Wheeler. Photo John Barron

Snowshoe Catamount Mountain (South Colton), Jan 12, 2019
It was a bluebird day, with temperatures starting near zero, warming up to +7 as the day wore on. 12 inches of new snow meant we all got to take turns breaking trail. It was a short but rigorous climb, made especially beautiful by the newly fallen snow clinging to trees. The summit sported a lovely overlook of Carry Falls Reservoir. We ended the trip with hot cocoa at the Lodge and a tour of the quilt show courtesy of the Colton Winterfest.
On the trail, L-R: Jeff Miller, Tom Ortmeyer
At the summit, L-R: Holly Woodworth, Neil Woodworth, Jeff Miller, Tom Ortmeyer
Not pictured: Blair Madore, Margaret Madore
Photos: Marianne Hebert (TL)

Robert Moses State Park, Jan 13, 2019
Sunny, pleasantly cold winter weather. Recent snowfall had established a good skiing surface but not enough depth to need snowshoes; so we made a couple of circuits of the trails, one skiing and one hiking. We covered most of the trail network, including a new-this-year backcountry segment. A highlight was the new Eugene L. Nicandri Nature Center, which is very impressive and is very well supported by the Power Authority.
L-R: TL John Barron, Jeanna Matthews
Photo: Nature Center volunteer

Ski at Paul Smith’s VIC, Jan 26, 2019
It was a cold but sunny day at “the VIC” where the annual “Chilly Ski Fest” was being held. We were joined by five members of the Shatagee Woods Chapter who had coincidentally scheduled a similar outing for the same day. We followed the Loggers Loop trail for ~4.5 miles on a lovely groomed trail with new fallen snow. The two groups split about halfway, but we all ended up back at the VIC lodge where chili and cornbread warmed our bellies.
Participants: John Barron, Jean Giblin, Marianne Hebert (TL), Marianne Goodfellow (Shatagee TL), Marty Sosville (Shatagee), and three other members of the Shatagee Chapter.
Photo 1: John Barron on the Bridge
Photo 2: Marty Sosville on the Bridge
Photo 3: Members of the Shatagee Chapter
Photo 4, L-R: Marty Sosville, three members of the Shatagee Chapter, Marianne Goodfellow (Shatagee), John Barron.

Skiing/Snowshoeing at Summerstown Trails, Feb 24, 2019
Cancelled due to weather.

Riverside Trail Snowshoe, Mar 2, 2019
We had a great welcome to March, with good conditions for our snowshoe along the St. Regis River’s Riverside Trail. We oohed and aahed on the river’s ice formations and deer, woodpecker, squirrel and mouse tracks. At a spot where the ice and rock created a whirlpool, one of us could not resist tossing twigs into the maelstrom, which kept us both entertained for an unreasonable amount of time.
L-R: Jeff Miller, St. Regis River, TL Tom Ortmeyer.

Mt Arab Climb, April 22, 2019
Eleven from North Woods and Laurentian Chapters undertook a short climb to celebrate Earth Day, which turned beautifully blue and warm. We heard a hermit thrush and spotted three soaring hawks (or buzzards—enthusiasts disagreed). Coltsfoot was blooming at the trailhead. On the trail we found much more mud than ice. The hikers we met as we ascended reported they’d encountered a bear at the outhouse. Tidy bear! Sprawled on a south-facing rock slab, we shared our contributions to the Earth Day celebration. There was a cartoon, a history of Earth Day, two original essays, two original poems, and even a harmonica concert. Several of us had attended the original Earth Day events in 1970. We picked up some trash for our good deed. (Notes from TL John Omohundro)

Tooley Pond Road Waterfall Hike, April 28, 2019
The day started cool and damp. Light snow on the trees made everything look hauntingly beautiful, leading many to comment that we were in a fairytale, or even Westeros from GoT. The water levels in the river were extremely high and we enjoyed the thunder and the spray of Basford, Sinclair and Rainbow Falls. This year our hike was in late April so the Copper Rock Falls was not covered in ice, though it was rough and muddy and we had to jump several small streams. Copper Rock Falls is about a half mile of continual rapids and waterfalls. It did not disappoint. And as we returned to the cars the day warmed and the sunshine appeared.
Participants: Blair Madore (TL), Margaret Madore, Ken Williams, Marka Newman, Marie Fernadez de Alaiza, Pamela Mahaffy, Gaetan Foisy, Ahn Ho , Gretchen Koehler, Nancy Foisy, Jim Burdick, Amanda Oldacre, and Anne Badoleto.

Red Sandstone Trail Hike and Cleanup, May 4, 2019
We started with collecting garbage near the Hannawa Falls trailhead (thanks to John Barron for the trashbags) then divided into two groups to sweep different sections of the trail. John and Sue walked from Hannawa to the northern trailhead, collecting garbage, moving debris off the trail and cataloging vandalism and weather damage. Blair, John and Bob walked the Sugar Island section trimming branches and felling three “widowmakers” . The water levels are extremely high – stressing our bridges and boardwalks. They were able to make plans for a bridge replacement and determine a reroute of another section to the highwater route. There are many remaining projects on the trail. If anyone would like to help please contact Trail Coordinator Blair Madore at madorebf@potsdam.edu or 315-261-0751.
Participants: John Barron, Sue and John Omohundro, Bob Platte, TL Blair Madore.
Garbage collector: John Barron
Clearing blowdown: TL Blair Madore (foreground), Bob Platte (background). Photo John Barron.

Clarkson Woods Wildflower Walk, May 5, 2019
We took an afternoon walk in the Clarkson woods looking for spring wildflowers. Despite the spring arriving a bit later than usual, we found a good variety of flowers, including many trout lilies in full bloom, a good number of red trillium, and one white trillium at the end of the hike which we expect had just opened. A side trip to the wetlands proved worthwhile, with many turtles out sunning themselves. Participants: Tom Ortmeyer (TL), Marianne Hebert, Joanne Ferris.

Kate Mountain, May 11, 2019
Two from the North Woods and one from the Laurentian Chapters enjoyed a bushwhacking ascent of this trailless peak near Onchiota. We had perfect weather (cool, mix of sun and cloud) and ground (no snow, ice, mud, or excess water) conditions. The view from the summit included, besides the low-elevation fields of Vermontville, a skyline that featured Esther, Whiteface, the Sentinel Range, and more. We were in agreement that this is a perfect time of year to hike Kate, the lack of leaves both improving the far views and facilitating the navigation.
L-R: Elisabeth Craven, Carol Edmonds
Photo TL John Barron

Inlet Flow Paddle, May 11, 2019
Five of us enjoyed a paddle from Wanakena to Cranberry Lake. We explored a quiet part of the lake that has lots of islands as we looked for loons. Upon returning to the lake we enjoyed the sound of a pair of loons calling out to each other. As we sat listening, the pair popped up next to 2 of the boats. We had lunch at Hawks Nest beach on the way back to Wanakena.
Photo 1: Carolyn Kaczka, Mary Jane Watson, Lowell McBurney, Maggie McBurney
Photo 2: Paddling back into the river
Photo 3: On the lake
Photos TL Holly Woodworth

Cycling in Eastern Ontario, May 26, 2019
We postponed to Sunday, trading a day of heavy rain and storms for one of perfect cycling weather. Our tour featured the outdoor murals of Athens, the Old Stone Mill (which was open and gave us an informative tour) in Delta, and the arched stone bridge in Lyndhurst. We expected the terrain to be flat and for the most part it was; but there were a few steep hills for interest.
At one of the murals in Athens: TL John Barron. Photo Tom Ortmeyer.

Southville State Forest Hike, June 8, 2019
Summer finally arrived, so we had a warm, sunny and cloudless day to explore the trails. We expected hordes of blackflies and mosquitoes, but we were pleasantly surprised with a mostly bug-less hike. Along the way we encountered coyote scat, remnants of a carcass, some lovely wildflowers (pink orchids and bluets) and lots of mud.
Photos:Participants: Joan Trivillino, Jane Subramanian, Marianne Hebert (TL).

Ampersand Mountain, August 17, 2019
Cancelled.

East Branch St Regis River Paddle, August 24, 2019
This paddle is not often on the chapter schedule, so it was new to some in the party. It enjoys relative obscurity, so weekend visitors are few; we saw one other pod of four boats going up as we floated down. Everything was mellow at first, as we enjoyed the Joe Pye weed and cardinal flower in bloom. Then we came to the riffles, through which we had to walk our boats. The underwater rocks were slimy, and the water deep and dark enough we couldn’t see what we were stepping through. No one fell! There were two of these riffles, but then smooth paddling to a lunch spot in the trees high on a piney bank, 4-plus miles and 2-plus hours into our voyage. The return to takeout was comparatively swift and relaxing. Everyone ran the riffles going downstream, and again, no flips!
Participants: Laurentian Chapter members David Katz, Anne Csete, Janet Wakefield; TLs John & Susan Omohundro and 5 other North Woods chapter members
Photos: John Omohundro (portagers), David Katz (paddlers)

Big Pine and Lost Pond Loop, September 7, 2019
The forecast was cloudy then rain, so we opted for an early start. The hike to the “big pine” was pleasant and we had no trouble finding the jumbo tree. Side excursions to a hidden bog and the Oswegachie river rounded out the trip. After a quick stop at the Wanakena farmers market we then caravanned to the new Lost Pond trail head near Cranberry Lake. We made quick work of the 2 mile loop as the clouds were beginning to spit.
Photos: Oswegatchie River; Jennifer Mitchell & Mary Jane Watson on Lost Pond Loop and at the Big Pine. Photos TL Marianne Hebert

Charleston Lake Provincial Park, October 5, 2019
A good-sized group enjoyed the trails of this park north of the Thousand Islands Bridge. The three loops we followed showed a lot of diversity: deciduous forest with colorful leaves; wetlands; high rocky ridges; and expansive lake views. The quality of light was wonderful on this sunny day in early fall.
L-R at Charleston Lake: TL John Barron, Jean Giblin, Tom Lawrence, Marianne Hebert, Toni Towle, Peggy Mooers, Dick Mooers, Tom Ortmeyer
Photo Gisele Gilfillan

Essex Chain of Lakes Cycling, October 12, 2019
Starting off from the Deer Pond parking area, Ellie Menz, Tom Ortmeyer and Dick Mooers (TL) cycled about 10 miles on some of the administrative roads in the Essex Chain of Lakes area in pleasantly cool, partly sunny fall conditions, visiting Deer Pond, Third, Fourth and Fifth Ponds, and Jackson Pond. Jackson Pond is perhaps the most scenic, but all the small ponds and lakes are worth visiting. Best known for paddling, the Essex Chain of Lakes area is pretty good for cycling, too. Most of the roads are in good enough condition for cycling with fat tire/mountain bikes, but there are many places where the ride is rough and a number of short, steep road sections that dictate using a bike with lots of gears. Even though our trip was on Columbus Day weekend we met only two other people.
Photo: Third Lake

Hike Baker Woods Preserve, November 2, 2019
This new preserve, part of the Indian River Lakes Conservancy, was full of delightful surprises. We explored several trails that meander through an old red pine plantation, past wetlands, a beaver pond and the Indian River. Benches, poetry placards and sculpted signs guided us along well maintained trails. We had a slightly overcast day with mild temperatures, and a good time was had by all.
Participants (L-R): Tom Ortmeyer, Holly Woodworth, Ashley Oxenford, Phil Popinny, Linda Quackenbush, David Quackenbush, Jane Subramanian
Photos: TL Marianne Hebert

Parc Guindon, November 16, 2019
We planned an ad hoc exploratory hike to check out the cross country ski trails of this municipal park in Cornwall in anticipation of a winter trip. Improbably, six inches of fresh snow came a couple of days before the outing, turning the recon itself into a ski trip. Beautiful, sunny, winter-like weather. Trail conditions varied from powder snow on the less popular trails to mixed heavy snow and broken ice where there had been heavy pedestrian traffic. Route finding was an enjoyable challenge.
L-R: Jeanna Matthews, TL Marianne Hebert, Jean Giblin
Photo: TL John Barron