2014 Adventure I

We're Ba-ack! After a two year hiatus for rehabbing Colyn's blown ACL, we're back to serious adventuring again. 

Date of Adventure: 8 Aug. 2014

Type of Adventure: Kayak and hike

Place of Adventure: Osmore Pond, Groton State Forest

Length of Adventure, miles: Kayak=1.5 miles, Hike=2 miles

Length of Adventure, hours: Kayak=1 hour, Hike=2 hours

Weather: Beautiful, sunny with a few clouds, temps in low 80s

Companions: Mom, A, Aunt D

Other Adventurers  Encountered: A couple people kayaking, a couple people fishing, a few people at the remote sites.

Notes of Interest: 1. This was my Bday adventure. I chose Groton because I wanted to take Mom to the Vermont Flower Farm in Peacham and I wanted to check out the remote camp sites at Groton. The remote sits are awesome. Three of the four have backcountry toilet set ups. They all have lean-tos, and fire pits. Several have easy water access. Remote site 3 is the best; it is way off the trail, has a toilet, has lake access, and really isn't so far from the trailhead as to make it impossible to carry my gear. 2. We saw a pair of Loons, a pair of Kingfishers, a pair of Herons, and a pair of snakes. One of the snakes was hiding under the bark of a tree and scared the crap out of A, who reached over to touch the bark for some reason. 3. The kayak/canoe rentals were very reasonable. Either for $8 per hour, $20 for 4 hours, or $30 for the day. We brought the two kayaks, and rented a canoe. 4. We also had lunch at a nice little country store in Peacham. They had fresh made sandwichs, along with other stuff.  

2012 Adventure XIX

Date of Adventure: Tues. 21 Aug. 2012

Type of Adventure: Kayaking

Place of Adventure: Richville Dam

Length of Adventure, miles: ???

Length of Adventure, hours: 3

Weather: Sunny, blue sky with big fluffy clouds, temps in 80s, low humidity, light breeze.

Companions: Mom

Other Adventurers  Encountered: None

Notes of Interest: 1. We saw tons of Herons. Green ones, Blue ones, Great Blue ones. They were everywhere. Also saw kingfishers and a family of Osprey.

2012 Adventure XVII

Date of Adventure: Tues. 13 Aug.

Type of Adventure: Kayaking

Place of Adventure: Goshen Damn, Moosalamoo

Length of Adventure, miles: approx. 2

Length of Adventure, hours: 2

Weather: Slightly overcast, temps in 70s, not too humid, very light breeze.

Companions: Mom, Ash, Colyn

Other Adventurers Encountered: A large group of kids were on the their way out when we arrived, a couple people were fishing, and a pair of kayakers arrived as we were leaving.

Notes of Interest: 1. We saw no wildlife at all. It was rather disappointing. 2. Colyn was mostly well-behaved. He completely ignored the noisy, obnoxious children. He did seem reluctant to swim at first, but he joined us after awhile.

2012 Adventure XII

Date of Adventure: Tues., 12 June 2012

Type of Adventure: Kayaking

Place of Adventure: Sugar Hill Reservoir/Goshen Dam

Length of Adventure, miles: approx. 2

Length of Adventure, hours: 2

Weather: Rainy. It rained the whole time we were out, but it was mostly just sprinkling. Temps were in the 70s.

Other Companions: Mom and Colyn

Other Adventurers Encountered: A lone fisherman in a rowboat. We tried to give him plenty of space.

Notes of Interest: 1. We saw tons of wildlife. It started on the drive up when we encountered a Partridge on the side of the road. She didn't move away from the car, even when we stopped to look at her. She fanned her tail and ruffled her neck feathers. There was another adult and several young flitting around in the bushes at the side of the road. At the reservoir we saw two loons, separately. Each followed us for quite awhile and came within 30 or 40 feet. We were trying to give them plenty of room, but they kept coming up to us. It was amazing. We also saw a kingfisher, and two families of geese with a total of 6 goslings. On the way home we saw a snapping turtle, about 10" in diameter in the road. He was quite the fierce beast. 2. Colyn had a great time swimming. I strapped him into his life vest and sent him off. At first he didn't realize he could just swim to shore when he needed a break. We stayed pretty close to shore, but a few times I had to almost beach my kayak to make him get out of the water. After he understood the game, he did great. He swam at least 2/3 of the way around the lake, plus a lot of swimming around while we were just floating peacefully. The last 1/3 or so, he decided to walk along shore. In fact, I couldn't get him back in the water after that. He refused to admit he was tired, though, and when we got home he still had a bounce in his step. Tomorrow he'll be sorry.

2012 Adventure XI

Date of Adventure: Sun. 20 May 2012

Type of Adventure: Kayaking

Place of Adventure: Leffert's Pond

Length of Adventure, miles: ?

Length of Adventure, hours: 1.5

Weather:  Sunny, blue sky, temps in upper 70s, light breeze

Companions: Mom

Other Adventurers Encountered: Swimmers and boaters

Notes of Interest: 1. The place was packed. We could barely find a parking space along the road. 2. I can almost lift the kayak onto the car by myself. Hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be able to. 3. We saw a pair of Loons, a pair of Blue Herons, a pair of Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, a Spotted Sandpiper, and some ducks.

2012 Adventure X

Date of Adventure: Sun. 13 May 2012

Type of Adventure: Kayaking

Place of Adventure: Chittenden Dam

Length of Adventure, miles: ?

Length of Adventure, hours: approx. 1

Weather: Overcast with thunder and light showers

Companions: Mom, Dad, Ash

Other Adventurers Encountered: lots of swimmers and boaters

Notes of Interest: 1. This was my first trip out with the kayaks Mom and Dad just bought. It was great.

2012 Adventure VI

Date of Adventure: Thurs. 8 March 2012

Type of Adventure: Winter hike

Place of Adventure: Shrewsbury

Length of Adventure, hours: 1.5

Length of Adventure, miles: approx. 2

Weather: Sunny, very light breeze, temps around 60.

Companions: Mom and Colyn

Other Adventurers Encountered: 1 snowshoer

Notes: 1. The snow was extremely soft, and about 1 foot deep in the open areas. We didn't absolutely need snowshoes on the trail, but they might have been helpful. 2. We heard what might have been a Pileated Woodpecker, but we were unable to confirm it. 3. I borrowed Dad's GPS. I have no idea how to use it, but hopefully I successfully tracked today's hike so I can see how closely it matches my map.

2012 Adventure IV

Date of Adventure: Sun., 5 Feb. 2012

Type of Adventure: Hike

Place of Adventure: Pittsford

Length of Adventure, miles: 2.4

Length of Adventure, hours: 1

Weather: Very sunny, blue sky, temps in 20s, light wind. This trail was completely snow free, and was even slightly muddy.

Companions: Colyn and Mom

Other Adventurers Encountered: Two hikers coming back as we headed out.

Notes: 1. The weather was perfect. 2. Irene chewed away at a good bit more of the river banks. 3. There are now chickens at one of the trail heads. Colyn showed great interest, but managed to control himself.

2011 Adventure II

Date of Adventure: 2 July 2011

Type of Adventure: Canoe Paddle

Place of Adventure: Benson Landing

Length of Adventure, miles: maybe 1? We spent more time just floating and watching the Osprey than actually paddling.

Length of Adventure, hours: approximately 2.5

Weather: Beautiful! Temps in upper 70s, sunny, light breeze.

Companions: Mom

Other Adventurers Encountered: Canoers, kayakers, boaters

Notes of Interest: 1. We saw a pair of Osprey on a nest. They were on platform 1. We may have drifted too close to them accidentally. I took about 120 pictures, and maybe 4 came out really nicely. 2. We heard a bird we saw, but could not identify. Even Mom had never heard the bird call before.

Adventure XL

Date of Adventure: 21 July 2009

Type of Adventure: Canoe paddle

Place of Adventure: Sugar Hill Reservoir

Length of Adventure, miles: 2

Length of Adventure, hours: 2

Weather: Cloudy, light breeze, temps in low 70's, humid, light rain

Companion(s): Mom

Other Adventurers Encountered: Several folks fishing

Notes of Interest: 1. The reservoir is deceptively shaped. There are 3 sections, 1 of which is almost completely hidden. There is also a small island in the middle. 2. We saw great bird life: 3 kingfishers, 2 geese, 1 blue heron. 3. This is a gorgeous, peaceful place to paddle.

Monthly Recap

Month: June

Total Adventures: 8

Total Miles Adventured: 62.5

Total Hours Adventured: 14.5

Adventure Destinations: Rutland Area, PWMA, Moosalamoo, Pittsford Trails

Adventure Companion(s): Colyn, Mom, RCHS Adoptee Paws

Notes of Interest: 1. I know I missed 2 bike commutes, each of which was 12 miles and 1.5 hours. 2. This month has been extremely wet. I started out well with the bike commutes, and then wasn't able to bike for almost 2 weeks due to rain. 3. The rain has all the trails extremely wet. 4. I've been able to explore new trails in familiar areas, and I'm hoping to do more of the same during the rest of the summer.

LI

Type of Adventure: Hike

Date of Adventure: 28 June 2009

Place of Adventure: Moosalamoo, Silver Lake Trail

Length of Adventure, miles: 4

Length of Adventure, hours: 3.5

Weather: Overcast, intermittent breeze, temps in high 70's.

Companion(s): Mom, Colyn

Other Adventurers Encountered: Several hikers and dogs at camp/picnic area, but no one else on the actual trail.

Notes of Interest: 1. This trail is extremely rocky, and follows along the very edge of the lake. It would be a great place for a dog to go swimming, although there are some signs asking for dogs to be on leash. 2. We were told there had been a Bald Eagle sighted numerous times this spring. 3. Hiked up along the power lines a short ways and had a beautiful view of Lake Dunmore and the Adirondacks. 4. Apparently the Rattlesnake and Leicester Hollow trails are unhikable right now. Rattlesnake is closed due to nesting Peregrines, and Leicester Hollow is washed out.

Monthly Recap

Month: May 2009

Number of Adventures: 11

Miles Adventured: approx. 63.5

Hours Adventured: 13

Adventure Destinations: Pine Hill Park, Moosalamoo, Town Farm Trail, Shrewsbury, Pittsford

Adventure Companions: Colyn, Mom, RCHS Adoptees

Thoughts: The spring hiking was pretty good. We haven't had too much rain, so the trails haven't been too wet. I really enjoyed all the spring bird song.

Adventure XLIV

Type of Adventure: Hike

Date of Adventure: 31 May 2009

Place of Adventure: Pittsford Trails

Length of Adventure, miles: 2.4

Length of Adventure, hours: 2

Weather: Heavy rain in the morning, but clouds and intermittent sun while we hiked. Temps in low 60's. Trail very wet.

Companion(s): Mom, Colyn

Other Adventurers Encountered: None

Notes of Interest: 1. We saw tons of birds including: Kingbird, Blue Heron, Geese with Goslings, Catbird, Common Yellow Throated Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Oriole, Redwing Blackbirds, Mourning Doves.

Adventure XXIX

Date of Adventure: Sat. 7 Feb 2009

Type of Adventure: Snow shoe hike

Place of Adventure: Shrewsbury/PWMA

Length of Adventure, miles: approximately 2

Length of Adventure, hours: 1.5

Weather: Temps in upper 20's, bright and sunny changing to overcast. Still all the snow.

Companion(s): Colyn and Mom

Other Adventurers Encountered: 4 cross country skiers.

Notes: 1. The weather was so perfect. 2. We did the same loop again, although this time I managed to take the trail that comes out below the parking area on the way back. That way, I avoided all the snowmobilers. I just followed the x-c ski tracks. I found where I went wrong last time; the path really isn't obvious where I got confused, although later it becomes as wide as a wheel track. It's mostly downhill to the parking lot. I'm not sure if it is more or less steep than the snowmobile trail. 3. My hiking time has definitely improved. We could have done the hike quicker, but we stopped a bunch of times and we threw snow balls for Colyn. I should be able to manage this hike in an hour easily in the summer. I can't wait to try some of the other trails.

Map:

Monthly Recap

Month: Dec. 2008

Number of Adventures: 9

Miles Adventured: Approximately 19.5

Hours Adventured: approximately 12.25

Adventure Destinations: Pine Hill Park, Rugby Field/Swamp, Town Farm Trail, Pittsford Trails, Moosalamoo, Shrewsbury aka Plymsbury Wildlife Management Area

Adventure Companions: Colyn, Mom, and Reno

Thoughts: I got started kind of slow this month, but I managed to pack in quite a few adventures at the very end. I had some great adventures this month as well as a couple misadventures. I saw quite a few interesting sights. The "aquatic crop circle" and the debris damn in Pittsford were particularly interesting. The snow at the end of the month was fabulous. Moosalamoo sees a lot more traffic in the winter. I may have to find a different parking area and different trails to use. I found a new set of trails in Shrewsbury that will allow me to avoid the snowmobilers. Shrewsbury is closer and has easier parking, so I may end up hiking there quite a bit this winter. I think I managed to hit all of my main adventuring locations this month.

Adventure XIX

Date of Adventure: Sun. 28 Dec. 2008

Type of Adventure: Snow shoe hike

Place of Adventure: Plymsbury Wildlife Management Area aka Shrewsbury

Length of Adventure, miles: about 3

Length of Adventure, hours: 2

Companions: Colyn and Mom

Weather: Temps in the low 30's, sunny at first but clouding up quickly. The wind came up towards the end and it started to rain right after we got back to the car. About 10" of snow on the ground.

Other Adventurers Encountered: A snowmobiler arrived just as we were leaving. There were tracks from another snow shoer, and some cross country skiiers, and someone had been up fairly recently to cut up a tree that fell across the trail.

Points of Interest: 1. The two old stone foundations along the first part of the trail. There is a very large foundation on the right and a smaller one on the left. It makes me want to read up on the history of Shrewsbury. It's never been highly populated, but these foundations are pretty far out in the woods. 2. This is a non-motorized vehicle trail. I'm so glad mom convinced me to try this trail. I've always avoided it because it is so close to the houses, but it veers away from the houses. Now I can hike Shrewsbury in the winter and not have to worry about snowmobiles. 3. What we actually hiked was in a "newly acquired" parcel called the Besseneyey Parcel. We found a sort of map at the trailhead. We're still not 100% sure where we were on the trail but when we came to the first intersection we went right and at the second intersection we went left. We never reached any other intersections. We think we hiked about 1 mile out the trail, maybe a little more. It took 1 hour to hike out, but only 30 minutes to hike back. And it was fairly steep most of the way. When we turned around to come back, I marked a tree on the side of the trail so that we have a reference next time we go up.


This is the mark I left. It is clearly visible from the trail and about 6 feet up the trunk. There is no meaning to the mark, I just got tired of carving and didn't finish the +.



This is the sort of map. We were hiking the red trail, and we started at the southern point of the trail, right where it leaves TH#20.

Adventure VIII: The Fake Adventure

Type of Adventure: Hike

Date of Adventure: Sun. 16 Nov. 2008

Place of Adventure: The Mall Nature Trail

Length of Adventure, miles: <1

Length of Adventure, hours: <1

Companions: Mom, Colyn

Points of Interest: 1. According to the sign, bears have been sighted along the trail. We did not see any bears. 2. Mom picked dried weeds to use in a fall table arrangement.

The sign warning us about bears:

Adventure V

Type of Adventure: Hike

Date of Adventure: Sun. 2 Nov. 2008

Place of Adventure: Pine Hill Park, Rutland, Vermont

Length of Adventure, Miles: approximately 3.5

Length of Adventure, Hours: 2

Weather: bright and sunny. Temps in the upper 40s.

Companion(s): Mom and Colyn

Other Adventurists Encountered: Quite a few hikers, several bikers, and a couple dogs.

Points of Interest: 1. The old rock crusher building, which you can reach by going up Crusher Road, or going up the Middle or Upper Georgetti trail and then onto Crusher Road. It's a totally random seeming falling apart cement building. I think some homeless people live there, judging by all the garbage. Also, it would seem that some high school kids have found it and practice graffiti on the walls. Some of it is quite artistic. 2. The Backstairs Trail, which takes you behind the Rock Crusher building and below the Tim's Vista overlook. It's a short little dog leg of a trail, but it's full of beautiful Birch trees. It's a pocket of peacefulness and I think it would be the perfect place to pitch a tent, except that camping isn't allowed at Pine Hill Park.

Comments: For whatever reason, this wasn't a particularly enjoyable hike for me. Partly it was because I trusted the thermometer at home, which read 36* and I was way overdressed, and partly it was because the sun was in my face the whole time. Colyn also seemed inordinately prone to wrapping the rope leash around trees and then being unable to unwrap himself.

Map of the Adventure:

Adventure I

Type of Adventure: Hike

Date of Adenture: Sun. 19 Oct 2008

Place of Adventure: Pine Hill Park, Rutland, Vermont

Length of Adventure, Miles: approximately 4

Length of Adventure, Hours: 2.5

Companion(s): Mom and Colyn

Points of Interest: 1. Lunch Rock. A nice place for a picnic, with a nice view. Can be reached via a short, dead end trail at intersection 30, Doorknob Trail and Droopy Muffin Trail. 2. Rocky Pond Overlook. A beautiful view of Rocky Pond. Can be reached from Overlook Trail. 3. Suspension Bridge. It was finished and "opened" last weekend, and is impressive. It is on the Overlook Trail.

Map of the adventure:


The Suspension Bridge:




Maybe the weirdest thing we noticed was a section of the trail where quite a few trees had these pieces of burlap wired around the trunk of the tree. They were at roughly the same height on each tree, maybe 4 feet from the ground. They seemed to be only on Oak Trees. We had no idea what the purpose is, but it seems if they are left there for very long the wire is going to kill the tree.