News
April 1, 2015

Spring
Chapter Chair Tom Wheeler’s Musings on the Season
My favorite season in the North Country is spring. It is not the classic spring of my childhood in Ohio where spring rapidly develops into summer. No, in the North Country spring begins with long periods of anticipation when the longer days and bright sunlight promise warmth but the landscape still holds the remnants of winter.
The first sign of the end of winter are those longer days. With the sine wave of day length, the most rapid changes in the length of daylight occur at the equinoxes. While around Christmas the change in day length is measured in tens of seconds, in the North Country the daylight increases more than three minutes each day for the thirty days centered on the equinox. The sunset appears to move rapidly north during this time.
The response of the natural world is also rapid . Take the time to observe and savor the changing world. The ice in the rivers melt rapidly, on the lakes it melts more slowly. A spring rain will accelerate the process and ice flows (and ice jams) make the river thaw dramatic along our rivers. I believe this should especially be so this spring with the frigid winter. When the spring melt is at its peak our north flowing rivers offer dramatic opportunities for observing the power of nature. One of my favorite hikes in this period is on our Stone Valley trail, with its dramatic waterfalls now roaring from the meltoff and the sunlight creating rainbows in the spray. Other opportunities abound. Some of the best are on the Grass River at Lampson Falls and along the Tooley Pond Road.
As the ground thaws there are new smells and new sights. Stepping outdoors you breath in the smells of a myriad of odors of both decay and rebirth. It is a time in the woods for some early wildflowers to poke up out of the soil before the forest canopy steals the sunlight. Take a slow walk along any forest path and look for trillium. At the Indian Creek Nature Center near Rensselaer Falls (part of the Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area) there are developed trails and boardwalks. At the East entrance there is a wildflower loop, a trail which features a number of species of early spring flowers. The west entrance provides opportunities to observe waterfowl and songbirds as they pass through on their spring migration.
In the Adirondacks and North Country spring brings mudseason. You only get mudseason where the winters are harsh enough to freeze the ground well below the surface. As the sun warms the topsoil the ice and snow melt but the lower ground is still frozen. The meltwater is trapped and is unable to percolate through the soil. We are cautioned to keep to more rocky trails. Nonetheless it is fascinating to observe these trail conditions as the land thaws, often with patterns caused by the mixture of frozen and unfrozen ground.
It is about this time as well that you begin to hear the spring peepers. Within a week or two the sound of the peepers can grow to become a cacophonous end to the day near every swamp or wetland.
Keep an eye on the birds as well. Some of our winter birds linger while others leave at the first sight of spring. Some of the early arrivals in spring include the redwing blackbird and, of course, the robin. The wood warblers wait until early and mid May to make their appearance. We are fortunate to have one of the greatest varieties of these birds anywhere with our geography ranging from lowlands to the Adirondack mountains. A good ear and a pair of binoculars are helpful. They are best observed just as the trees begin to fill with leaves in May.
While autumn is best known for colors, take the time this Spring to also observe the subtle changing shades of green as the first leaves appear. As the leaves come out the colors around you change virtually daily. Of course there are the insects as well. Be especially careful this time of year to protect against ticks. With the spread of lyme disease northward, it is wise to tuck pants in your socks and wear insect repellent. The flying and biting insects are bothersome, but they are the food for many songbirds so we should appreciate them as well.
Spring is a time to use all of your senses to appreciate the nature. In the north country where we really have winter (unlike further south) it is an especially dramatic time of birth and rebirth and a great time (and place) to savor the living world.
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Mar 25, 2022: Fiftieth Anniversary Celebrations
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Jan 24, 2022: Trailhead Stewardship Program
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Nov 28, 2021: 2021 Photo Contest Winners Announced
Oct 18, 2021: 2021 Chapter Elections
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Dec 10, 2020: 2020 Photo Contest Winners Announced
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Apr 1, 2020: Third Annual Cycle Outing
Apr 1, 2020: Mud Season Hiking
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Jan 1, 2020: Ski Trails Groomed and Waiting
Jan 1, 2020: Red Sandstone Trail Maintenance
Nov 16, 2019: 2019 Photo Contest Winners Announced
Oct 1, 2019: Electronic Distribution of the North Wind
Jul 1, 2019: National Trails Day 2019
Apr 1, 2019: Red Sandstone Trail Volunteers Needed
Apr 1, 2019: Recreation Management Plans
Apr 1, 2019: Chapter Member Writes Trails Book
Apr 1, 2019: 2019 Photo Contest Announced
Jan 3, 2019: Invasive Forest Pest Meeting
Jan 1, 2019: Second ADK Cycle Outing
Jan 1, 2019: Outside The High Peaks Region
Dec 6, 2018: Fran Yardley To Speak
Nov 12, 2018: 2018 Photo Contest Winners Announced
Nov 6, 2018: Trail Maintenance Weekend 2018
Oct 1, 2018: First ADK Cycle Outing
Jul 1, 2018: SUNY Potsdam Educational Affiliate Program
Jun 22, 2018: 2018 Photo Contest Announced
Jun 18, 2018: September Acadia Outing
Apr 5, 2018: Military Exercises In Northern Adirondacks
Apr 1, 2018: Who Are Our Members
Apr 1, 2018: Happy Birthday Azure Mountain Fire Tower
Apr 1, 2018: Chapter Representation on Advisory Committees
Jan 5, 2018: E-Letter Editor Wanted
Jan 1, 2018: Paul Jamieson and the Jamieson Fund
Nov 19, 2017: 2017 Photo Contest Winners Announced
Nov 1, 2017: 2017 Trail Maintenance Weekend
Jul 1, 2017: North Country Cycling Guide
May 31, 2017: Marie Fernandez de Alaiza Completes 46
Apr 1, 2017: Great Lakes Water Levels
Mar 15, 2017: Extended New Brunswick Outing Proposed
Jan 1, 2017: 2017 Photo Contest Announced
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Nov 29, 2016: Winter 2017 Outdoors-Indoors Schedule Announced
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Nov 16, 2016: 2016 Photo Contest Winners Announced
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Oct 1, 2016: John Omohundro Passes The Torch
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Jan 1, 2015: 2015 Photo Contest Opens
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Apr 4, 2014: Stone Valley Management Plan Finalized
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Apr 1, 2013: Brian Baston, 46r
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Jul 17, 2012: Raquette River Documentary
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Sep 22, 2010: Nominees Announced
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Jan 1, 2010: Calling Kids For Camp Colby
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Jul 1, 2009: Raquette River Awareness Week
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Apr 30, 2009: Cutters Receive Award
Mar 29, 2009: Hospitality Coordinator Needed
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Mar 16, 2009: Lyle Montgomery Completes Winter 46
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Nov 2, 2008: Anna Gerhard-Arnold Recognized
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