adk long island mountaineer · christopher morley park parking lot (searingtown road, just north of...

Ed

President’s Corner

ED MORAN

ADK-LI

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Happy holidays! I hope you are enjoying a great season. Winter is getting off to a slow start, but there is no guarantee the mild weather will last. I think it might, but recall that last winter also started slowly, yet in the end, we all remember it as a very cold snowy winter. As we near the end of the year (at least as of this writing), we have a tendency to make resolutions for the New Year. Some of the bigger life changes we may be pledging are difficult to achieve. A good strategy is to make a habit of doing small things whenever we can. I’m not knocking planning, but sometimes we create barriers for ourselves when everything doesn’t go according to plan. Of course, my focus in this column is on activities that are directly or indirectly related to our club, which means recreation and conservation and volunteerism. If you’ve been putting off getting back into shape with some hiking, sign up for one of our shorter easier “C-rated” hikes, or try a “B” hike if you are ready. If you are unsure about that, take a walk around the block when you have a few minutes. Anything is better than nothing, and you won’t regret it. If you do get on a trail and see some litter, pick it up. If there is lots of litter and you only pick up one piece, it’s the start of something big. Little things matter. If you notice a lot of invasive plants in your local woods and it seems hopeless, start by learning to identify them, and clean the invasive weeds out of your own yard before they can spread. If you know of some little gem of a park or preserve near your house and don’t understand why the club never schedules a hike there, mention it to our outings committee. If you are feeling like you could lead a hike

there, mention that as well. You won’t be the only one that it matters to. Getting back to barriers and the recent mild weather, take advantage of the nice weather, but don’t overlook the joys of winter hiking, snowshoeing and skiing when the opportunity does arise. Don’t be afraid to start small, or ask for help, or help someone else to get introduced to winter recreation in some small way. Little things matter. Finally, here is an old story about little things that my son recently reminded me of. A man was walking along the beach after a big storm and there were thousands of starfish washed up on the sand. He saw a woman down the beach walking toward him. Periodically, the woman picked up a starfish and threw it back into the water. As they passed each other, the man stopped and asked her why she did that since there were so many on the beach that it didn’t matter. The woman stopped, picked up another starfish, threw it into the water and said, “It mattered to that one”.

Highlights: • Monthly Meeting Highlights - page 2 • New Empowerment Hike Series - page 3 • Outings - Schedule begins on page 5 • Last Chance Winter Weekend in the Catskills. See

page 11 - Reserve Now!

LITTLE THINGS MATTER

www.adkli.org

ADK Long Island

Mountaineer

NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB LONG ISLAND CHAPTER

WINTER 2016 JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH

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ADK-LI Monthly Meetings — All Welcome!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 - “ABOUT FRACKING” Jane Fasullo from the Sierra Club will discuss this topic. Wherever there is a shale formation underground, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” can take place to extract natural gas. Chemicals are involved as well as explosions to break up the rocks. Jane will inform and update us about fracking in New York and other states. The DEC has worked on regulations in NY, but there are still places that use this practice. Come to the meeting for this very important PowerPoint presentation!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 - “HIKING IN CANADA” Bill and Tom Schneider will present a slide show of their ADK trip to Lake Louise. You will want to view the awesome vistas of the Canadian Rockies, which may be the most beautiful in the entire world. The word is majestic for Banff National Park and Lake Louise, with proud glaciated alpine peaks, gor-geous lakes and much more. Bill and Tom will describe their pictures, hikes, aura and great time of their nine-day trip. Don’t miss this wonderful hiking adventure!

TUESDAY, MARCH 1 - “GET READY TO HIKE” Certified Personal Trainer Carlos Cannone will talk and demonstrate a combi-nation of cardio and resistance training exercises to help you have an opti-mum hiking experience. A strong core equals a healthy lower back, and that translates into greater capacity to do leg workouts. Carlo will concentrate on how to obtain stronger legs, better upper body strength while controlling your heart rate. Nutrition, being an integral part of exercise, will also be explained in his informative presentation. Find out how you can prepare your body to get an optimum experience on the trail!

Regular meetings start at 8:00 P.M. Come early at 7:30 P.M. to socialize, network and enjoy light refresh-ments. WHERE: ST. LUKE LUTHERAN CHURCH (EDUCATION BUILDING)

20 CANDLEWOOD PATH AT VANDERBILT MEMORIAL PARKWAY, DIX HILLS, NY DIRECTIONS: (GPS Coordinates Latitude: 40.810493, Longitude: -73.336918 (or N 40° 48' 36”, W 73° 20' 12'') From Northern State, Exit 42 (Deer Park Ave. South) Go south about 0.8 miles to light at Vanderbilt Parkway. Turn left (east) on Vanderbilt. In about 2/10 mile, turn right onto Candlewood Path. Continue to St. Luke Church. From L.I.E. Exit 51 (Deer Park Ave. North.) Go north 1 mile to Vanderbilt Pkwy. Turn right (east.) In about 2/10 mile, turn right at Candlewood Path, and continue to St. Luke Church. Park and go to Education Bldg. behind main Church building. Look for ADK sign on the outer door. As you enter, our room is on left.

www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER WINTER 2016 - JANUARY - FEBRUARY - MARCH

Adirondack Mountain Club Long Island Chapter

2016 Executive Committee President

Ed Moran [email protected] Vice President Mike Vaughan

*******.*.*************.***

Treasurer Nancy Hodson

***********64******.*** Secretary

Sue Kenyon [email protected] Director to Main Club

Mike Vetrano ****.*************.***

Alternate Director to Main Club Micheline Kagan [email protected]

Board of Directors Grace Gargiulo [email protected] Christine Gillen *********.***

Mike Kaiser ********************.***

Tom Loscalzo drtomloscalzo.com Eric Markowitz ****.***********.***

Dave Sweeney [email protected] COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Conservation Cathy Stare [email protected]

Education Jerry Licht ******61****.***

Hospitality Tom Loscalzo drtomloscalzo.com

Mountaineer Grace Gargiulo [email protected]

Orrie Frutkin [email protected] Membership

Mike Kaiser [email protected] Outings

Sue Kenyon [email protected] Bill Schneider [email protected]

Jeff Ritter [email protected] Programs

Shelley Weber [email protected] Publicity

Co-Chair - Traditional Media Lynda Adams [email protected]

Co-Chair - Social Media David Reisfield [email protected]

NY/NJ Trail Conference Diane Grunthal [email protected]

Trail Maintenance Pat Wachter [email protected]

Website Mike Vetrano ****.*************.***

Yahoo Group Moderator Allen Grunthal *****************.***

Bad Weather? Is ADK-LI Meeting Cancelled? Find Out Before You Go.

In case of bad weather or other hazardous conditions: ♦ Call St. Luke Lutheran Church to find out if the building will be closed or if

activities are cancelled: 631-462-5216 ♦ Check the ADK-LI Group for messages

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adkli/ ♦ Contact Ed Moran or other Board Member (see listing on this page)

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Wanted: ADK-LI Meeting Ideas Contact Shelley Weber, [email protected]

Consider sharing your adventure, outdoor expertise or interest in issues affecting wilderness conservation and recreation by presenting a program at one of ADK-LI’s meetings. Or if you know a person or organization that may be of interest to our members, or if you have any ideas for fu-ture presentations or meetings, please contact Shelley.

Lawrence Adler, Bronx Gordon McLeer, West Islip

Lynda Lees Adams, Port Washington George Cocks, Northport

Lawrence Donnelly, Centerport Jonathan & Marcy Farrell, Cedarhurst

Robert Fitting, Wantagh William & Janet McCarthy, Oceanside

Paul Molnoski, Sea Cliff Gerald Rardin, Hauppauge

Patricia Reeves, East Northport Neil Robinson, East Setauket

Charles Rosen, Setauket Barry Sosnick, Greenlawn

Timothy Vetrone, Port Washington David Weber, Sayville

Daryl & Ilkay Wells, Germantown, MD Linda Zilli, Glen Head

Douglas Brown, Glen Cove William & Maureen Cullen, Franklin Square

Thomas & Lynn Dragos, Holbrook Mary & David Ford, Oyster Bay Alejandra Gallardo, Bethpage

J V Gerbe, Copiague Vincent Guidi, Babylon

Brian Hamm, Garden City Lenore Lewis, Great River

Leslie Miller, West Islip Athena Ojeda, Queens Village Caryl Oris, Port Washington

Gary Parker, NYC Patrick & Joann Rodgers, Merrick

George & Anne Romano, Patchogue Joe Santillo, Merrick

Emilio Squillante, Long Beach Catherine Urso, New Hyde Park John Bekisz, Lords Valley, PA

Lee Knudsen-Hanwick, Riverhead Dawn Lewis, Kings Park

Joan Barnes, Garden City

Welcome New Members!

And Welcome Back!

New Empowerment Hike Series

The Empowerment Series is de-signed to get you up and moving while building your stamina to achieve longer, higher hikes. Our goal is to finish with winter snow shoe hikes.

The series offers you a chance to participate in Long Island, Harriman, Hudson, Catskill and Adiron-dack hikes with varying terrain, vistas and places of interest.

If you’re not able to make a specific hike, not to worry! The Series is built with several hikes in each phase of endurance. Please see the Outings Schedule (starting on page 5) for list of Empower-ment hikes.

PHASE I - Start Moving – Warm Up & Stretch: will occur in March/April/May. PHASE II - Pick Up The Pace–Cardio: will occur June/July/August. PHASE III - Peak Performance: will occur September/October/November. PHASE IV - Beyond The Top: will occur December/January/February.

Future Presentation May 3, 2016 - By Jerry Licht

The Great Divide Mountain Biking Route (GDMBR) runs 2,800 miles from Banff, Alberta, Canada to the Mexican Border, and is North America’s longest and premiere off-pavement route. It climbs a total of over 200,000 feet as it follows the Continental Di-vide, crossing it 32 times. Come hear Jerry Licht, past Chapter President and avid long distance hiker/biker, tell his adventures of bike-packing the route. Hear about his encounters with grizzly bears, CDT through-hikers, and other interesting characters, as he rides through Canada and five states. See images of his two-month adventure, as he travels through Canada’s Flat Head Wilderness, through the Teton and Wind River mountain ranges, Colo-rado’s High Passes and ski towns to New Mexico’s Deserts.

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LONG ISLAND ADK OUTINGS SCHEDULE LEADERS: To list Outings in the Mountaineer newsletter, send them to: [email protected] Following your outing, be sure to mail the “Release of Liability/Sign-In Form” to Bill Scheider, 2631 Central Avenue., Baldwin, NY 11510-3634. Also send “Trip Report” to Micheline Kagan at [email protected]

Forms for leaders can be downloaded from www.adkli.org Click on the “For Leaders” tab.

HIKERS: Be sure to check www.adkli.org for additional outings, cancellations and changes to the schedule!

CARPOOLING/PARKING LOCATIONS

MEETING PLACE IS LEADER’S CHOICE. HIKERS: BE SURE TO ASK LEADER THE PLACE AND TIME TO MEET. Most Outings meet at one of the following locations for carpooling:

Christopher Morley Park parking lot (Searingtown Road, just north of LIE Exit 36.) In parking lot, turn right and go to end, the Park & Ride area.

Lake Success Shopping Center (Union Tpke, west of New Hyde Park Road) LIE to Exit 34 or Northern State Pkwy to Exit 26, New Hyde Park Rd south. After gas station, turn right on to Union Tpke. Turn left at first traffic light to enter Lake Success Shopping Center. Turn left and go past HSBC bank for carpool site. Park at east end of lot.

OUTING RULES AND PROCEDURES – PLEASE READ REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OUTINGS. Call leader several days in advance if you have any questions. Leaders accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis after the outing is officially listed in the Mountaineer or on the Outings page at the ADK-LI web site – www.adkli.org Leaders may refuse to take anyone not registered or prepared. Registered participants are expected to show up or call the leader to cancel. Simply sending or leaving a message does not constitute registration. If you do not receive a reply to your message, it is your responsibility to follow up and contact the leader prior to the deadline for registration. Participants should provide leader with their phone numbers in case of last minute changes. Guests are welcome on all outings. Where space is limited, members of the ADK Long Island chapter will have priority. If you go on two or more outings, please help support the Adirondack Mountain Club and the L. I. chapter by becoming a member. Go to www.adkli.org and click “Join.” Be sure to select “Long Island Chapter” for your affiliation.

GROUND RULES Minors (younger than 18 years) must have signed permission of a parent or guardian. Participants are responsible for their own safety and comfort. Food, snacks, water and extra clothing/raingear must be carried by participant. Check with leader to learn of any special requirements for the hike. Hiking boots are recommended for all ADK hikes.

CARPOOL RATES We encourage carpooling and sharing expenses. Suggested carpool rates shown here are for roundtrip per rider: Driv-ers set the final rate with agreement of riders. L.I. East End $10, Harriman $18, Shawangunks $25, Catskills $35, Adi-rondacks $60 (all rates for roundtrip.)

HIKE CLASSIFICATIONS (Hike classifications are subjective. If you are uncertain if you are up to the hike, consult the leader.)

A: Strenuous, long distances over rugged terrain with lots of climbing or more than 35 miles on bike. B: Moderate, shorter distances with less climbing or 10-30 miles on bike. Moderate hikes may have some steep climb-ing and/or rugged terrain, but are less demanding than strenuous hikes. C: Easy, short distance over flat terrain at a leisurely pace or 10 miles or less on bike. Suitable for beginners.

WINTER ALERT: Check whether the hike you’re interested in requires “full winter gear.” That means traction aids, i.e. MicroSpikes or Stabilicers (no Yaktrax), snowshoes, and crampons for ice. Check with hike leader for gear needed for current conditions at your hiking venue. Dress in layers and carry extra gloves, socks, etc..

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Outings Schedule Check http://www.adkli.org/html/outings.asp

B Friday, January 1 - New Year's Day hike on the Osborn Loop + Sugarloaf Hill We'll hike from the In-tersection of Rtes 9 and 403 near Graymore. Returning with a loop on the Osborn and AT. Optional dinner af-terwards. Might need traction devices depending on weather and trail conditions. 5-6 miles relaxed pace. Leader Micheline Kagan 516-659-8852 or email: [email protected]

A Saturday, January 2 - Slide Mtn, Catskills A mod-erately paced winter hike of approximately 6 miles with 1750-ft elevation gain to the highest peak in the Cats-kills. One of four required Winter hikes of 35 Catskill Club peaks. Hike will be cancelled if driving conditions warrant. Full winter gear required. Please register by Wednesday Dec. 30 with leader Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] (preferred). 631-921-0028.

NR Saturday, January 9 - ADK Winterfest A family friendly winter event at ADK’s Heart Lake Program Center in Lake Placid. http://www.adk.org/page.php?pid=466&pname=Winterfest

B Sunday, January 10 - Sears Bellows Park Hike or snowshoe approximately 6-8 mostly flat miles at a lei-surely pace in Sears Bellows Park on various trails including the Paumanok Path. Ground conditions will determine route and traction aids needed. Register by January 8 with leaders Sue Kenyon, 917-613-2042, [email protected] or Rich Niegocki, [email protected]

NR January 11-18 - Cross Country Skiing in Crafts-bury VT This is a Road Scholar program that also in-cludes New England Music and Country Dancing. In-cludes 5 nights at Craftsbury Outdoor Center lodge. 3 meals daily, 2 ski classes per day, ski 6-12 Km per day. $699 double occupancy. Group discount may be available with sufficient registration. Cancellation insur-ance available. For more information contact: Mich-eline Kagan [email protected]

A January 15-18 - Adirondack Winter Weekend, Part 1 Several outings including winter hiking and XC skiing during Saturday and Sunday of MLK weekend. These include climbing one or more high peaks (for your "W") – Giant, Big Slide, Lower Wolf Jaw, and Dial. Easier climb options include Hurricane, Owl Head Lookout and hikes on the CATs (Champlaign Area Trails System). Back-country skiing along many of the logging roads in the area, including the Jackrabbit Trail. Contact leader Michael Vaughan, *******.*.*************.*** 518-637-9495 for trail and lodging information.

NR January 29-31 - Winter Outing on the Tug Hill Plateau Cross country skiing and snowshoeing on an ADK Adventure Travel trip. For more information: http://www.adktravel.org/winterouting.htm

C+ Saturday, February 6 - Avalon Park, Stony Brook Hike or snowshoe Avalon Park and adjacent Nature Conservancy Park in Stony Brook village. The trail is a 3-mile loop with several ups and downs in the quiet woods. Then we may take a 0.5 mile road walk through the Stony Brook Village to the Forsythe Meadow Suffolk County Park for an additional 1.5 mile trail walk in the woods. The park was opened to the public a few years ago. Register with leader Yo-shiko Takeshita, [email protected] 631-848-6432 by 9:00 pm, Thursday, February 4.

B+ Sunday, February 7 - LI Pine Barrens Trail - Paumanok Path Moderately paced 9-mile hike on the western-most section of the LI Pine Barrens Trail - Paumanok Path from Route 25A in Rocky Point to Route 25 in Ridge. Terrain rolls gently through a pitch pine and oak forest. Ground conditions will determine what traction aids, if any are needed. Car shuttle re-quired. Register with leader Sue Kenyon, 917-613-2042 or [email protected] by February 5.

A Friday, February 12-15 - Adirondack Winter Weekend, Part 2 Several outings including winter hiking and XC skiing during Saturday and Sunday of President's weekend. These include climbing one or more high peaks (for your "W"): Giant, Big Slide, Lower Wolf Jaw, and Dial. Easier climb options in-clude Hurricane, Owl Head Lookout and hikes on the CATs (Champlaign Area Trails System). Back Coun-try skiing along many of the logging roads in the area, including the Jackrabbit Trail. Contact leader Michael Vaughan, *******.*.*************.*** 518-637-9495 for trail and lodging information.

C+ Saturday, February 20 - Caumsett State His-toric Park Hike or snowshoe at a relaxed pace for 6-8 miles. The 1,750 acre park is the former Marshall Field III estate acquired by NYS in 1961. Besides the miles of hiking and bridle trails, it offers great views of LI Sound, marshes, beaches and historic structures. Regis ter w i th leader , B i l l Schneider , [email protected] (preferred) or 516-378-3043 by February 18

B+ Sunday, February 28 - LI Pine Barrens Trail - Paumanok Path Moderately paced 8 mile hike on the LI Pine Barrens Trail - Paumanok Path from Route 25 in Ridge to the Trails Information Center in Manorville. Terrain rolls gently through a pitch pine/oak forest. Ground conditions will determine what traction aids, if any are needed. Car shuttle required. Register with leader Sue Kenyon, 917-613-2042 or [email protected] by February 26.

Outings continued on next page

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A+ Saturday, March 5 - Wittenberg, Cornell & Slide This 10 mile traverse is one of the most challenging and rewarding trail hikes in the Catskills. We'll climb the famous Cornell Crack and hike through one of the largest and most pristine wilderness areas in the Cats-kills. This is a long hike, climbing over 4000 ft. Car shuttle required. Joint hike with 3500 Club. Register with leader Jerry Licht, 516-477-8602, before 9pm be-tween February 21 and March 2.

C Saturday, March 12 - Long Island Greenbelt Trail: Empowerment Hike #1 Nissequogue River State Park to Sunken Meadow State Park and back. Hike approxi-mately 5 miles with great water views. Ideal for begin-ners. Must be able to enjoy friendship of a great hiking poodle, Winter. Register with leaders Pat Wachter [email protected] 631-338-3711 or Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] by Thursday, March 10.

NR March 18-20 - Winter Weekend in the Catskills Last Chance Winter Weekend. Join us for a weekend of hiking, skiing and socializing on the last weekend of winter. Contact Christine Gillen at *********.*** or 516-671-3542 before 9 PM.

A Saturday, March 19 - Sugarloaf and Twin, Cats-kills This is a challenging winter hike of 6.2 miles climbing 2400 ft., including the west side of Sugarloaf which is often covered by thick flow ice offering a great views and a chance to use your crampons. Joint with 3500 Club. Register with leader Jerry Licht, 516-477-8602, before 9pm between March 5 and 17.

C- Sunday, March 20 - Target Rock National Wild-life Refuge Come join me on my "say good-bye-to-winter" hike. Target Rock is located on the east shore of Lloyd Neck. It is 80 acres of mature oak-hickory for-est. Most of the hike will be on somewhat rocky beach. We will hike a total of about 4 miles. There is a small entrance fee. Rain cancels. Register with leader Tom Loscalzo, [email protected] 516-532-0706 (cell) by March 16.

C+ Saturday, March 26 - Nassau–Suffolk Trail: Em-powerment Hike #2 Hike approximately 6 miles from Cold Spring Harbor State Park (wonderful harbor views) continuing to Trail View State Park in Wood-bury. Car shuttle required. Ideal for beginners. Must be able to enjoy friendship of a great hiking poodle, Win-ter. Register with leaders Pat Wachter [email protected] 631-338-3711 or Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] by Thursday, March 24.

C+ Saturday, April 2 - Spring Trail Maintenance Schunemunk Mountain Please join us for the annual Spring clearing on our section of the Long Path on Schunemunk Mtn. Distance is about 4 miles with good views from the top. Bring loppers or pruning shears if

you have them. Excellent Beginners hike. Contact: Pat Wachter [email protected] or 631-338-3711 by March 31.

B Saturday, April 16 - Spring Trail Maintenance - Catskills Join us for Spring Trail Maintenance on our chapter’s adopted section of the Long Path southeast of Peekamoose Mountain. The trail covers Bangle Hill and Samson Mountain. Distance is about four miles. Bring work gloves and loppers or pruners, if you have them. Beginners are welcome. Contact Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] or 631-921-0028 by April 15.

B- Saturday, April 23 - Fahnestock State Park: Em-powerment Hike #3 Hike 7.2-mile loop on the Char-coal Burners, Cabot, Perkins and Fahnestock trails with gentle ups and downs. This hike has a little bit of everything that makes Fahnestock a great place to hike in all seasons. We’ll pass 3 ponds, open fields, mountain laurel thickets and follow a gurgling stream. Reg is ter w i th leaders B i l l Schne ider , [email protected] or Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] by Thursday, April 21.

C Saturday, May 7 - Minnewaska State Park: Em-powerment Hike #4 Hike an 8 mile loop to Awosting Falls, Rainbow Falls and Castle Point over trails and historic carriageways. (Park fees required). Register with leaders Pat Wachter [email protected] 631-338-3711 or Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] by Thursday, May 5.

NR Thursday, May 12 - Learn How to Backpack Tentative dates for this year's course are Thursday May 12, 6:30-9 PM. for the classroom session, and the overnight in the Catskills will be June 11-12. Please email to confirm dates before registering. The clinic is geared toward people with little or no experience and will cover basic gear selection and use, trip planning and more. Most of the learning will occur in the field, so if you're not serious about the overnight, this clinic is not for you. Fee $20 non-refundable. Please send check payable to Jerry Licht with SASE including your phone number to 260 Crombie St., Huntington Station NY 11746. Deadline for registration is April 28. For information call 516-477-8602 before 9 PM or email ******61****.***

C+ Saturday, May 14 - North South Lake, Catskills: Empowerment Hike #5 Hike a 5.5 mile loop with 800’ elevation gain. From the gatehouse, hiking to North Point with great views, continuing to Badman Cave and Ashley Falls, back to North/South Lake. Must be able to enjoy friendship of a great hiking poodle, Win-ter. Register with leaders Pat Wachter [email protected] 631-338-3711 or Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] by Thursday, May 12.

Outings continued on next page

Outings continued from page 5

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Looking Back continued on next page

NR Monday, May 16 - Bike and Barge Paris to Montargis (on the Seine river) 11 days. Ride 15 -35 miles a day ( 3-4 hours) Easy to moderate. 2015 price $4600 includes air fare and one night in Paris (other options available). With significant number of regis-trants, a group discount is available. This is a VBT trip. For more info contact: Micheline Kagan [email protected]

C+ Saturday, May 21 - Balsam Lake Mtn. Catskills: Empowerment Hike #6 Hike 6 miles with 1200’ ele-vation gain. Round trip hike from Mill Brook Trailhead to the fire tower and outpost on Balsam Lake Moun-tain. Must be able to enjoy friendship of a great hiking poodle, Winter. Register with leaders Pat Wachter [email protected] 631-338-3711 or Eunsil Recksiek [email protected] by Thursday, May 19.

NR Saturday, May 28 - Brothers Trail Maintenance Adirondacks Save the date! Details soon

NR Saturday, June 4 - National Trails Day June 4, 2016 is American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day®, the country’s largest celebration of trails. Na-tional Trails Day events will take place in every state across the country, including ADK-Long Island Chap-ter. Details to follow.

NR Friday, July 15 - Adirondack Paddle and Camp-ing Two days paddling and two nights of primitive camping with a local guide. Most gear and meals pro-vided. Space is limited. For details, contact Pat Wa-chter [email protected] 631-338-3711.

NR Sunday, July 17 - ADK Paddle Outing in the St. Regis Canoe Area July 17–28; Over 40 different day trip options in some of the most scenic parts of the Adirondacks. For more information, see: http://www.adktravel.org/canoeouting.htm

Looking Back Micheline Kagan

LEADERS: SEND TRIP REPORTS TO: Micheline Kagan, [email protected]

Outings continued from page 6

September 19, Fall Catskills Trail Maintenance. Pat Wachter, Bill Schneider, Herbert Coles, June Fait, Grace Gargiulo, Joe Guiheen, Joseph Santillo, Kathleen Ryan Berger and Eunsil Recksiek volunteered to help with the fall Catskills trail maintenance on a bright sunny day. We split into two groups, each starting at one end of the trail and we met for lunch at our usual spot in the middle. We cleared one water bar and one downed tree off the trail and clipped where needed. Overall, the trail was in great condition. We finished our work around 3 pm and then stopped at our one of favorite places, Cosimos’ Brick Oven to enjoy dinner.

September 26, Catskill Peaks: Blackhead, Black Dome and Thomas Cole. Eunsil Recksiek and hiking poodle Winter enjoyed the hiking company of Shelley We-ber, Bill Schneider, Elena Cascio, and Eric Markowitz. We started from the DEC trailhead parking lot off Big Hollow Road. At the first trail junction, we took the trail via Bata-via Kill Creek and Lean-to. We saw two tents at the lean-to site, maybe enjoying a late morning sleep. We contin-ued to the junction of Escarpment Trail and arrived at the first viewpoint looking at the Hudson River. We had short snack break and hiked up the steep section climbing to Blackhead. After summiting Blackhead, we enjoyed our lunch at the second viewpoint of Blackhead, facing Black Dome, the Hudson River and a nice view of the Devil’s path. With beautiful fall weather and views, we enjoyed the rest of the hike to the summits of Black Dome and Thomas Cole. Congratulations Elena for finishing her first three peaks of Catskill 3500, and hiking poodle, Winter for finishing his #18, 19, and 20!

ADK Adventure Travel

Sue Kenyon and Eric Markowitz on the ADK Adventure Travel trip that Sue led in September to the Dolomites in

northern Italy

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Looking Back continued from page 7

September 27, Jones and Tobay Beach Bike Ride. Co-leaders Sue Kenyon and Tom Loscalzo led Micheline Kagan and Pat Wachter. On a day where you would have to be crazy to not do something outdoors, we started from Cedar Creek Park in Seaford. We rode to Jones Beach and then on to Tobay beach where we spent time at the 9/11 memorial and also at the beach along the Atlantic Ocean. We covered 17 miles and enjoyed watching the shore birds. October 11, Sawteeth in the Adirondacks. Leader Christine Gillen and participants Dawn Sarno Lewis and Gil and Lorraine Brink started out on a scenic 3.5 miles road walk through the Ausable Club that led to the trail-head to Sawteeth, one of the Adirondack 46's. We had fabulous views of the Great Range as we approached the top. A total of 13 miles for the whole hike, with a long road walk, but well worth it to get to the peak.

October 17-18, Catskill Backpack Pat Wachter, Elaine Tanchin, Vanessa Mejia, Karina Rodriguez, Keelin Mur-phy and Mike Vaughn participated in a fall backpack led by Ed Moran along the Neversink River in the Catskills on an unseasonably cold weekend. After hiking the first mile along the trail, we left the trail and followed the informal “Fisherman’s Path.” We lost and found the path several times and had to cross numerous small feeder streams along the way. After about two or three miles hiking along a river we came upon a designated campsite high above the opposite bank of the Neversink that looked perfect. Rock hopping the Neversink River proved challenging,

especially for some of the backpacking novices on the trip, but everyone made it across. We set up our campsite “by the book”, with the “kitchen” and bear bag hang being nearly 75 yards from where we set up the tents. The weather was very cold, dropping well down into the 20s at night. Snow flurries alternated with sunny periods throughout the weekend. There were even snow flurries reported on Long Island that day, so yes it was cold in the Catskills for mid-October. The campers gathered wood and built a nice fire in an existing fire pit to keep us warm. The next morning after making breakfast we packed up and hiked out, this time trying to find an easier crossing point on the river. We failed to find an easier crossing, but with some trepidation, everyone made it across. We all celebrated having such a great time by sharing an excel-lent lunch at the Blue Hill Café in Claryville while watching from the warmth of the restaurant as a heavy snow squall coated the ground in that part of the Catskills. November 8, Caumsett State Park. Sixteen of us set out on a "perfect", sunny day with its pleasant crisp air that belied the fact that it was November 8. Our anticipation growing, we hiked on, eager to enjoy the 1,500 acres of woodland, meadows, rocky shoreline, salt marsh, former gardens and farmland. We started in the restored walled garden and then headed past the beautiful stone winter cottage. We then passed the horse stables, whose build-ing, from the outside, looks more like a stately mansion. We then proceeded to the "real" mansion, from the Gold Coast era, which overlooks a fresh water pond and the sound. Standing on the back porch we could imagine the elaborate parties that were held there. We then pro-ceeded down to the beach strewn with water-smoothed rocks and a plethora of small discarded shells. The high bluffs allowed us to clearly see the different layers of soil that comprise them. Of course, we had a beautiful view of the Sound and Connecticut. We proceeded on a "rails to trails" path where some of the old track was still in place. The old tracks led out to the ruins of the boathouse and dock for the yacht that was once kept there. For our lunch break we found a wonderful, long, old log which served as our bench, allowing us to sit, chat, eat and look out over the tranquil water. We headed back to where we could stand on top of one of the bluffs and gain an even more panoramic view of the sound and Connecticut. A couple of sailboats off in the distance provided great photo ops. We then headed back to our cars and reality. The lucky people who were on this hike were co-leaders Tom Lo-scalzo and Sue Kenyon with Bill Schneider, Dave and Joan Sweeney, Stan Fronckwicz and his son Justin, Carol Buchman, Betsy Krassner, Amy Strawgate, Susan Dzi-urzynski, Jeanette Denuzzi, John and Maureen Postel, Cheryl Caprio and Maria Mejias. November 14, Harriman Loop. A group of 9 people traveled from far and wide (Long Island, Hudson Valley, New Jersey, upstate NY) to do a 7-mile loop hike in cen-tral Harriman Park that had a little bit of everything. The group included Rich and Wendy Greguski, Dan Neilsen,

Looking Back continued on next page

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Mike Kaiser, Connie Duquette and Vanessa Mejia. On a cool, breezy day, substitute leader Allen Grunthal (ably assisted by Sheila Lipshie and Diane Grunthal) led the group up and over Tom Jones Mtn. and Parker Cabin Mtn, with visits to Lake Skenonto and Lake Sebago. With a ban on hunting in Harriman,it is a good place to hike this time of the year. A good time was had by all. November 21, Sugarloaf Hill. Hudson Highlands. 5 enthusiastic pooches led 11 ADK members and a guest on the Chapter’s annual dog-friendly hike on the Osborn loop and Sugarloaf Hill in the Hudson Highlands. Human co-leaders, Eunsil Recksiek and Bill Schneider led Pat Wachter, Sue Kenyon, Eric Markowitz, Vanessa Mejia, David and Joan Sweeney, Mike Camp, Diane Berenberg, Alejandra Gallardo and Jeff Lau on the gently rolling trails for 7 miles. The hike started off with views of the 1880 castle, on aptly named Castle Rock, and the buildings of the USMA across the Hudson at West Point. Most of the group continued on to Sugarloaf Hill, with its picturesque views of the sun-dappled Hudson River flowing under Bear Mountain Bridge.

November 28, Jaynes Hill to Cold Spring Harbor Trav-erse For a 15 mile hike, this was a very relaxed and en-joyable adventure with a great group of members and guests. Orrie and Goodie Frutkin, Sage Diaz, Steve List, Natasha Reznik and Antonio Diaz led by Ed Moran started off at the beginning of the Walt Whitman Trail in West Hills and looped over the high point of Long Island (Jaynes Hill.) We continued on various trails in West Hills, through parts of Melville and into Plainview where we linked up with the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail near the Long Island Expressway. From there we hiked north to Cold Spring Harbor. Along the way, we saw views from every highpoint and ridge we could find, scrambled our way past some large blow-downs and passed an unusual (for Long Island) birch glade. All but ¼-mile of the hike was on wooded trails, although there was also one short section of connecting trail in a narrow right-of-way that passed directly between suburban backyards. A light rain fell for the last three hours of the hike during the after-noon, but we put our raingear on and barely noticed it.

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For one new member, it was his first trail hike and other than some soreness, he loved the hike. We had a couple of very nice guests from Brooklyn who enjoyed the hike and remarked how surprised they were that significant parts of the trails reminded them of Harriman. November 29, Popolopen Torn from Ft. Montgomery. Sue Kenyon, Tom Loscalzo, Maria Mejias, Jim Ansel, Diane and Allen Grunthal, Elena Cascio and Susin Pack-ert joined leader Micheline Kagan for a 6.5-mile hike to great 360-degree views of the Hudson Valley from the Torn. We went up the easy way (!) on the east side and scrambled down the south side. We crossed a gushing gorge on the steel bridge and came back along the Popolopen Gorge trail. Normally, we walk the road back to Ft. Montgomery but because of road work, that was not safe. Tom showed us how to access the Fort Montgom-ery Bridge (or Twin Fort bridge), a hikers bridge which is just below the road. You can reach it from a trail on the left just before the Bear Mountain Bridge. It leads right to Fort Montgomery. Thanks Tom. Great weather, no wind on the Torn, and those new to the hike were awed by the views.

December 6, LI Greenbelt Trail. Sue Kenyon, Bob Mas-sey, Maureen and John Postel, Jerry Rardin, Eileen Reil-ly, Bill Schneider and Dave Sweeney met at Nissequogue River State Park on an unseasonably mild morning. The group was treated to wonderful water views on the hike north toward Sunken Meadow State Park. Once in the park, the group walked along the boardwalk which was quite crowded because of the nice weather. After a short break, the group got back on the trail and headed south. Back at Nissequogue, they stopped for a short lunch break on the steps of the main park office, formerly a ve-terans hospital. After lunch, Sue, Bob, Jerry, Eileen and Bill were back on the trail through Arthur Kunz County park to Landing Avenue in Smithtown and then back north to Nissequogue.

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SOLOING THE SARANAC 6ERS IN WINTER! by Lanny S. Wexler I’m an inveterate peakbagger. In the words of George Mallory I hike the peaks “because they are there”. Peak-bagging presents not only a chance to do a new list, but a chance to explore its wilds, new horizons and challenges. I’ve done the rounds, hiking the Catskill 3500, Adirondack 46ers and Northeast 111 in the 1980s and 1990s and then on to visiting 43 of the 50 U.S state highpoints in the 1990s and 2000s.

So when I heard about the Saranac Lake 6ers, I was off on a new list and a new adventure. The Saranac 6ers comprise a list of six mountains in the vicinity of Saranac Lake that was created by the Village of Saranac Lake in May 2013 as a tourism initiative. The peaks include Baker, St. Regis, Ampersand, Scarface, Haystack and McKenzie. After you climb all six, you have the honor of going to Berkeley Green in downtown Saranac Lake and dinging the bell 6 times for each peak, and then send in $10 to receive a completion number and certificate of ac-complishment.

On a wintry New Years Weekend 2015 I set off on my own to tackle Baker Mountain (elevation 2,452 ft) and St. Regis (elevation 2,865 ft).

I arrived at the Baker Mt trailhead on a Friday morning on Forest Hill Drive next to Moody Pond. I pulled on my insu-lated boots and microspikes with my down jacket and goretex jacket. The first part of the ascent was fairly gen-tle and gradually steepened the higher I climbed. I felt my microspikes crunching into the ice that underlies the trail.

A few sections of the trail were a bit nerve wracking. There were steep pitches in the trail where I felt the mi-crospikes could slip. I approached those sections warily. At times I grabbed a tree trunk or pulled myself up a rock.

Near the top there were a few views of frozen ponds and the Village of Saranac Lake occasionally obscured by clouds. I reached the Baker sign only 45 minutes from the car, snapped a "selfie" and headed down. Once again I negotiated steep and icy slopes. It was a bit hair-raising but I made it safely down in under two hours.

Saturday, I climbed St. Regis mountain located near the small community of Paul Smiths some 15 miles northwest of Saranac Lake. The trail conditions to St. Regis were considerably better than on Baker. Thanks to more snow cover, fewer people and a gently ascending trail, ice was less of an issue. I was able to “barefoot” on a softly packed trail until within a half mile of the summit; only then did I need to put on microspikes. While I was better organized that day, I did not arrive at the trailhead until 10am thanks to the longer drive and a need to stop to buy lunch and gas.

I was somewhat concerned about my late start as the trail to St. Regis was not well marked, and if snow from an

impending storm arrived early and people's tracks were covered over, I could have a serious problem. I took the "leap of faith" and started out on my trek. I set a turn-around time of 1:15 and falling snow, whichever came first.

I found myself hiking at a brisk pace on gentle terrain as the trail gently sloped up or down at times to cross minor stream crossings. I was able to make good time but had to stop once to shed my down jacket as I was beginning to heat up. The climb did wear on me a bit, and I stopped briefly by a large boulder for water and a Milky Way Bar. So far I had seen only two people on the trail and they were well ahead of me. The trail finally began to ascend somewhat steeply.

The trail soon leveled off and I could see an opening in the trees where the fire tower stands. As I reached the top I was treated to a magnificent view of frozen ponds, forest and a sea of mountains extending out to the horizon. In the few minutes I was on the windy summit, where I saw a wall of lowering gray clouds shrouding the high peaks off to the south. This gray curtain of falling snow rapidly approached St. Regis Mountain and in seconds snow-flakes were swirling around me decreasing visibility. I knew I had to get moving as the last thing I wanted was to risk losing sight of the trail. Losing the trail could mean dire consequences considering the limited hours of day-light and this approaching winter storm.

It did start to snow, but not too heavily. I started down, and as the trail leveled off, I passed a few people who were still heading up. That made me feel better to know I would not be the last person on the trail. I chatted with a father and daughter who also decided to turn around, still a few others went on to the summit. After a quick trail lunch, I reached my car about 3:30 pm as the snow re-sumed, this time with greater intensity.

All in all, it was a great weekend. I got to relive the ADK 46ers I climbed some 25 years ago. Good adventure, great winter scenery, good food and good company.

I went on to complete the Saranac Lake 6ers, climbing McKenzie over Memorial Day weekend and Scarface, Haystack and Ampersand on a glorious Columbus Day weekend experiencing the peaks in all seasons.

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L.I. MOUNTAINEER WINTER 2016 - JANUARY - FEBRUARY - MARCH

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Hiking, Skiing & Snowshoeing Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the end of winter with your ADK friends. All levels of hiking, plus downhill and cross country skiing nearby. Saturday night cocktail party, dinner, then back to our venue to party. Location in the Catskills to be determined by the number of participants. Under considera-tion are cabins or an 8 bedroom private house. Cost of the weekend will be approximately $90-$150, which includes 2 nights lodging and Sat-urday night cocktail party. Dinners and lunches are not included. The more participants we have the lower the cost will be.

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