lundi 30 avril 2018

Bar Bottom Hollow Waterfalls-Loyalsock State Forest

https://endlessmountains.wordpress.c...-state-forest/


A beautiful gorge with hemlocks, boulders, several waterfalls, and many cascades.























dimanche 29 avril 2018

Newly launched smartphone X

this plans looks not bad but if not mistaken other telcos also offer plan like this with more affordable price and benefits


samedi 28 avril 2018

NPT thru starts in a week

Any recent trail info would be great to hear. Ice on lakes, ice on trail, snow fields, sections of beavers & blowdowns and a blackflies report. Thanks! Peace, Two Tents and my little black dog, ben.


vendredi 27 avril 2018

West River Rd, Wells, NY

Hello,

Does anyone know if West River Road to Whitehouse is still closed?

Kath


Moose Print "A Walk in the Woods" by Stephen Lyman

I'm redecorating and thought someone here might like this Adirondack-y print. 28" x 38"

$50. Pick-up only. I'm 10-15 minutes east of Albany.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg moose print.jpg (63.8 KB)


Rt. 30 detour in Northern Hamilton County

Yesterday, Tredhed and I were on a trip to visit my daughter at college in the St. Lawrence Valley. We were having a great drive up Rt. 30 through the heart of the Adirondacks. We can confirm what everyone else is saying; most of the lakes are still locked up (a few exceptions).

When we got to the northern edge of Hamilton County, Rt 30 was detoured on to County Rt. 10A (road to Little Tupper/Sabattis).

The electronic sign at the detour read...

"Road Closed Due to Wildlife Activity"

"Local Traffic Only"

Does anyone have an idea what this is about?

Beaver flooding?
Turtle/salamander crossing?
Bigfoot crossing?


The detour was not that big of a deal. Just a little slow and bumpy as we dodged the semis. We checked out NY511 and it had nothing on it. We're just curious as to what the reason is.

Thanks

TM


Whatsapp Marketing In Web Panel

Our current whatsapp bulk marketing will be more on self-managed management system, which may access through browser to our panel. You can create, manage and even edit your own marketing campaigns.

You can also manage credit management system, detailed reporting that you had sent. And also monitoring the campaign that you had scheduled.

Whatsapp marketing in Web panel
Features :-
* Self - managed web panel to executing own Adverts & Business Marketing.
* Can be send whatsapp messages with text, image, audio, video and caption.
* Filtering market / number list for valid whatsapp user.
* Tracking the status of campaign's delivery on everytime.
* Create / edit your own designated marketing format.
* Create user account or re-seller account ( only for re-seller account ).
* Allocate credits to user account from re-seller account ( only for re-seller account ).

Message Format :-
* Text : Up to 1,000 characters
* Image : .jpg (500kb)
* Audio : MP3 (2MB)
* Video : MP4 (2MB)
* Display Picture : .jpg 300x300
* Caption : Up to 300 characters

If you need an user account to test it out our whatsapp blasting panel, please drop me the information :
- Username
- Password
- Email & contact number


jeudi 26 avril 2018

ebikes?

What are the thoughts on ebikes in NY? I see that the "laws" still are very "gray". I personally am loving my Haibike Hard 7 6.0. In Vermont I have no problems where ever I go on it.


mercredi 25 avril 2018

Paddy Run Falls (PA)

https://endlessmountains.wordpress.c...-state-forest/


A beautiful hike, about 2 miles one way, into a mossy gorge with a falls, huge boulders, rapids, pools, and slides. A hidden gem deep in the vast Sproul State Forest, PA.




























WTS: Iqos 2.4 limited edition

Iqos 2.4 limited edition
Color: blue
Price: RM900/SGD300
Cod @ JB area


lundi 23 avril 2018

Hiking NPT/Camping Silver Lake

Looking at late June (hopefully before its too crowded and after black flies hatching) to get a 2 night camping trip up to Silver Lake. We would be hiking the NPT (Northville-Placid Trail) from the southern terminus at the Upper Benson trailhead and hike North to Silver Lake.

Any helpful reviews in terms the lake itself and whether its worth the hike and the two day overnight night stay. We would like to be able to get into the water here as well. The area around the Lean-To looks spacious (from pictures) so that's a plus. We're not looking for a strenuous hike (that will be for me later in the season LOL). Also I hear the fishing is phenomenal so I will probably take a fishing rod.

Any feedback would be appreciated. :)


samedi 21 avril 2018

Kokatat Goretex paddling jacket

like new, mens royal blue medium Goretex Pac lite
pullover waterproof breathable $30, photo on request via email


vendredi 20 avril 2018

Sinking Fly Line

Looking for suggestions on sinking fly line for pond fishing. Avid fly fisherman but never used a sinking line.
Thanks.


jeudi 19 avril 2018

Ascend H12 Kayak Question

Has anyone had any experience with the Ascend H12 Hybrid kayak from Cabellas? I am curious if you liked it or not and why. I am thinking about getting one for fishing on some beaver ponds in our area? That and the fact I am 6'9" tall and 350+ limits me on choices.


Canoe Buying Advice

My father is about to retire in a few months and as a gift I am thinking of getting him a real canoe. Currently he has one that a summer camp sold off when they got new ones and it is fiberglass and made for just the basics. He really wants a wood based canoe and has been looking all over at them. Essentially the criteria would be this: he is about 225 or a bit more in weight, 6' tall, we use it for day trips with my son and a weekend or two camping. I want something that tracks well and is easy to manuever. We don't port the boats much on trips so weight isn't too big a deal. I have a Catch 120 kayak and it is a bit too unstable for him so he is sticking with the canoe. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have. Either what is the best for him or at least what ones to stay away from. I want him to have the best experience possible because he loves it and he would never go out and buy one for himself. Not new anyway. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!


Fly Fishing Hewitt Pond?

Hi all,
I'll be heading up to fly fish on Hewitt Pond for a few days May 4-6th, I got myself a few classic deceivers before finding out that there aren't many if any baitfish in the pond. Does anybody have any tips on what flies might work to catch some nice brookies up there? Any/All advice is appreciated!
(I know the regulations up there pretty well as I am friends with the caretaker at the Hewitt Lake Club)
Thanks!


[News] Western Digital launches 14TB Ultrastar DC HC530 drive

This is Western Digital's largest capacity hard drive based on conventional magnetic recording.

View full story here...


mercredi 18 avril 2018

Pharaoh Mountain Conditions ?

Any info on current conditions at Pharaoh Mountain for a backpack hike would be much appreciated. Will Microspikes be enough?

Also, info on ice out in the area?
Thank you.

I'd like to hike over and add some mileage and challenge to a trip but would hike around the lake if conditions are unsafe for my ability/gear level.


Last minute trip

Need some last minute suggestions for this Friday. Prefer to hike into a pond/lean to. Probably S/W or Central, no high peak area, southeast or NW

Star Lake still has 1' of ice on it so I know fishing will be nil.

May be one night, if weather greatly improves may stay till Sunday. Supposed to be somewhat sunny so we'll take our time leaving Saturday if we don't spend the night, so a fun side trip from lean to would be nice.

Kind of a shakedown trip for the season....if it ever starts.

My buddy is 70 and prefers less than a 5 mile hike in. Heading in from Syracuse.


mardi 17 avril 2018

lightweight kayaks

Does anyone have any suggestions for kayaks that weigh 28 lbs or less?


Turkeys strutting

Gearing up for spring turkey season. But, might have to wear snowshoes for the opener ? Still a good snow pack in the woods and received 3” more last night.
Hoping the forecast starting Sat. Is correct and it starts to get into the 50’s ?

Anyone else gearing up , youth weekend is 10 days away ?


Farmers Daughter 2018

Who’s signed up?
What are you riding?
‘18 Salsa Cutthroat for me...


lundi 16 avril 2018

It's Not All About Song and Dance



CCS Canoe Pack

For Sale: Hybrid Canoe Pack from Cooke Custom Sewing, Pioneer model, standard torso, red, located in western New York. Used three times, very clean. I found that 4700 cubic inches is too much for my style of camping. Asking $100.00
https://www.shop.cookecustomsewing.c...?productId=193


Pillsbury Mountain Fire Tower Trail Head access

Group-

I am planning on hiking the West Canada Lakes loop from Pillsbury Mt. tail head. Is there limited access to the Old Military Road to get to the parking lot? If so when does it typically open?

Thanks for any help.


Smartphone access

HI

Anyone having any issues opening your screen on your phone to the forum? Every time I try to access the forum from my phone it comes to a warning screen stating a potential virus may be present. I ran a cleaner and virus remover but it didn't help. My PC has no issues, just my phone. Maybe a bug or virus looming around.


Bear Canister Questions

I'm new to the Daks and have read about Yellow Yellow and getting into bear canisters. I just have some questions on this. I read bits and pieces over time but wanted more on the story. Was Yellow Yellow the only bear to get into the canisters or were her offspring doing it as well? Was it other bears in the region as well? Did this happen many times or just a one time deal? I'm curious because Yellow Yellow was referenced on a different forum about bear canisters an I'd like to know the history with it.


Thanks for any details.


dimanche 15 avril 2018

Delaware Water Gap

https://endlessmountains.wordpress.c...are-water-gap/


A great hike to a famous landmark. The views of the gap were impressive as the Delaware River sliced through the ridge. There were also rhododendron jungles and cascading streams.



















Quebec Run Wild Area, Forbes State Forest, PA 1/27 - 1/28/18


The last weekend of January brought with it unseasonably warm temperatures, that I was not about to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of. I picked the Quebec Run Wild Area as it had been on my "to hike" list for a while, but also because it was close by to where I was working. It's also an area that can easily be traversed in two days, which was perfect as I only had a single night to get away from work.

The area has an extensive trail network that allows for a number of different options. I decided to start and end at the Skyline Drive Trailhead, and loop through nearly the full extent of the area via the Hess, Rankin, Mill Run, and Tebolt Trails. As I would be getting a somewhat late start on the first day, I decided to camp somewhere along the Rankin Trail, about a third of the way through the loop.

Saturday afternoon saw me pulling up at the trailhead, donning my pack, and setting out into the Wild Area. Skyline Drive is at the highest point of the Wild Area, meaning that my hike would be downhill first and then uphill last, but in the winter, this is the most reliably accessible trailhead.

The junction between the Hess and Tebolt Trails isn't far downhill from the trailhead- here, I turned left to begin the loop. As I was traversing the Hess Trail, I had a bit of a shock. Someone had left a doll perched in a tree. The doll was weather battered and beaten, with pale skin and missing all of it's hair. I chuckled and continued on.


Much of the Hess Trail passes through open hardwood forest, with occasional patches of rhododendron. I did see a few small clumps of snow here and there. A fire had also burned through parts of the area a few years prior, and the evidence of this was obvious in the blacked bases of the trees.



The trail undulated gently up and down, mostly down, and I made good time. I passed junctions with West Road and the Brocker Trail, and soon the trail started to descend more steeply as it approached Quebec Run itself. A bridge relayed me across the creek, which itself was enshrouded in rhododendron.



Across the creek, I reached the junction with the Rankin Trail, which descends along Quebec Run. The vicinity of this junction is clearly a moderately popular destination for camping, and I counted at least 4 or 5 fire pits in the vicinity. Most of the sites weren't that great, but I did find one large site a short distance north of the junction on the continuation of the Hess Trail. As darkness was approaching, I selected this as my site for the night.



Rain was in the forecast but it held off until well after I turned in for the night. I was able to enjoy a relaxing evening next to a small fire, reading and cooking dinner. During the night I awoke to the sound of steady rainfall, always a nice sound to hear... when one is safe and dry and snug in a warm sleeping bag inside a tent. :)



The rain let up well before the next morning, and I awoke to a dry (if partly to mostly cloudy) day. I took a leisurely morning packing up, and was on the Rankin Trail hiking eastward around midday. Quebec Run has some nice cascades that I took the time to climb down to from the trail to photograph.





The hike downstream went quickly and easily. I soon crossed Quebec Road (an administrative access road that is maintained for PA DCNR motor vehicle use only), and passed a nice campsite not far beyond. Several stream crossings were facilitated via nice bridges that had been constructed by the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps.

It didn't take me long to arrive at the Mill Run Trail, which follows Mill Run until that stream is joined by Quebec Run, and then Quebec Run from there downstream. (I found it interesting that the downstream portion is still Quebec Run, when Mill Run is very visibly the much larger tributary). Also nearby was a junction with the Grist Mill Trail, which is carried across Quebec Run by way of an impressive bridge.



The stretch of the Mill Run Trail downstream along Quebec Run is particularly scenic, as there are numerous views of the stream.







This stretch is also pretty clearly popular for camping, as I counted perhaps 8 or 9 well-established campsites. Some of them were quite nice.





There were also a few spots where ice was piled up along the banks of the stream. It looked as though the arrival of warm weather had resulted in some significant flooding not long before.



About a mile south of the junction with the Grist Mill Trail, the Mill Run Trail turned west and climbed away from Quebec Run to cross the ridge towards Tebolt Run. I noticed a few stone walls atop the ridge- evidence of past attempts at settlement. The trail also passed a few junctions with Tebolt and West Roads (more administrative use roads) and the Brocker Trail, respectively. Near the junction with West Road I spotted a clearing, which the DCNR was trying to turn into a wildlife food plot, presumably for deer, through use of planted apple trees. Unfortunately, some idiot had ripped many of the apple trees out of the ground. :banghead:



Beyond the junction with West Road, the trail becomes the Tebolt Trail, which I would follow along Tebolt Run all the way back to the trailhead. The trail drops southward off the ridge, before angling west when it arrives at Tebolt Run. I did spy a small but nice established campsite a short distance downstream on Tebolt Run where the Tebolt Trail first arrives at the stream.



The upstream hike along Tebolt Run was rarely steep especially in the lower portions of the drainage. In between the junctions with Tebolt and Quebec Roads, I passed another nice campsite. Much of Tebolt Run itself was hidden from view in the rhododendrons, but I did get a few nice views.



As I climbed further up into the drainage, the trail did start to get a bit steeper in spots, but it was never overly arduous. I passed a couple more campsites- one which was right smack in the middle of the trail (why do people do this?), and one that I saw from a distance down in a hollow to the north of the trail but did not climb down to investigate.

As approached the headwaters of Tebolt Run, darkness started to settle into the forest- perfect conditions to get some longer exposure shots of falling water. I was able to get this particularly nice shot of cascades on Tebolt Run:



The trailhead at this point wasn't far, and I made it back to my truck well before needing to use my headlamp.

This was a nice, easy trip to get away into the woods for a night without doing anything too involved. I would definitely recommend Quebec Run to anyone living in southwest PA (or the Maryland panhandle) that is looking for an easy overnight. This area especially would make the perfect destination for a first time backpacking trip for beginners as well.


Coastal Prairie Trail, Everglades National Park, 12/2 - 12/3/17


During my time spent working in Florida, I was able to get out on two short backpacking trips. The first of these was the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. The second time I was able to slip away from work for a night, I decided to undertake one of the few trails in the Everglades that can be hiked- the Coastal Prairie Trail.

While the Everglades isn't exactly rife with hiking opportunities (most of the backcountry use is paddling), there are nevertheless a few opportunities for foot travel into backcountry campsites. The Coastal Prairie Trail is a 6 mile trail through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness that stretches west from the Flamingo visitor center along the extreme southern coast of mainland Florida, terminating at a moderately popular beach camping area named Clubhouse Beach. I selected this trail in particular as none of the other foot trails in the park could be used to access a remote beach campsite right on the ocean.

Backcountry camping in the Everglades requires a permit, but during the off season (the summer months), the permits are self-issued via an unmanned kiosk in Flamingo. My arrival at the park coincided with the normal beginning of tourist season (early December), but with much of the park still closed due to the impacts of the hurricane, there were no park employees around when I arrived. I found the binder with the permits, filled out the necessary info, and pocketed my copy without any issues. A small gang of black vultures eyed me closely as I did so, perhaps hoping that I'd drop some morsel of food for them (or even fall dead in my tracks).



The trailhead for the Coastal Prairie Trail is located at the back end of the Flamingo campground. There's no parking right at the trailhead, and the campground was still closed for the season besides, but I was able to find a place to park without issue and was soon passing through the campground on foot. It appears as if a lot of the campground had been under water during the hurricane- there was a layer if dried mud, 1-2 inches thick, covering much of the ground. Many of the trees also appeared quite battered.



My arrival at the trailhead proper presented me with a not-so-encouraging sight. I can't recall ever having seen a more foreboding trailhead in all of my travels. The trail was covered in blowdown, and clearly had seen no amount of maintenance at any recent point. I'd heard that this particular trail was not well maintained to begin with (as is the case with many trails in Federal Wilderness Areas), but this exceeded my expectations. Not that I can blame the National Park Service- they certainly had their hands full repairing and rebuilding facilities in the non-Wilderness areas of the park after the extensive damage from the hurricane.



After a brief foray through a dense buttonwood stand, the trail turned slightly to the north and emerged into the first section of coastal prairie proper. There was no blowdown to be found here, but what I did find instead was a thick, wet layer of mud. The kind of mud that takes extra effort to life your foot from, and also the kind of mud that forces you to exert twice the energy to walk through in comparison to walking on solid ground. This trail was definitely going to be slow, hard going.



Before long, the thick mud gave way to standing water, anywhere from ankle to knee deep. For the next few miles, the trail would alternate back and forth between the mud and the water. The water as generally preferable to the mud- despite having soaking wet feet, I found that the ground beneath the water was more firm and solid, and thus easier to move across. My understanding that is that everything dries up into a firm, packed surface that is easy to hike on by about mid-January. I was simply in the area too soon to take advantage of the dry season (which starts in November but it takes several months for the Everglades to dry out).



At one point, as I was sloshing through ankle deep water, I was startled by a blue crab that darted out of the low brush beside the trail and began to snap its pinchers at me. The crab was soon joined by several others- none of them ever actually pinched me, but they definitely clearly had no fear as they worked to defend their turf from the intruder.



I also spotted an osprey nest, and not long after, observed an osprey itself fly by. The osprey were really neat to watch- they loop and dive and twirl around without end. They're also pretty hard to get photos of for that same reason.





After several miles of muddy sloshing through the prairie, the trail entered a mangrove forest. Here, the surface of the trail was dry and firm, and the going would've been easy had there not been plenty of blowdown and generally overgrown stretches of trail. Thick spider webs also covered the trail, and I was constantly swatting these out of the way with a stick. With one exception, though (where I briefly lost the trail for a minute before finding it again), the tread was fairly obvious and there was no danger of losing the way. In fact, on this stretch I began to notice that the trail was actually following an old road.



At one point, I spotted a turkey vulture watching me from a tree. Several others circled lazily in the sky.





I also saw a box turtle. Box turtles are really neat- they can actually completely seal their shells from the inside, a skill that many species of turtle lack (despite what Saturday morning cartoons have lead many to believe).



I was also lucky enough to be hiking while the buttonwoods (a type of mangrove) were in bloom. Buttonwood flowers are small and unassuming, but their scent is without out a doubt one of the strongest and most intoxicatingly-sweet smells I've ever experienced in my life.



After another mile or so, the trail re-emerged from the mangrove forest into more coastal prairie, and the mud and standing water returned. This prairie was even more expansive than the one I'd hiked through previous, with far-ranging views.



I also started to encounter roving bands of hermit crabs- some of which were comprised easily over several hundred crabs at least. Upon spotting me, they would all begin the process of scurrying out of my path, into the relative safety of the ground cover. At times, I could hear the clicking, chittering, and clacking of thousands of crabs around me as they moved off into the brush. It was a little surreal.



The trail briefly re-entered the mangroves and lead me to a man-made dike. To my initial shock, water was pouring away from the ocean and into the coastal plain. I quickly realized that this simply meant that the tide was up, and not that the laws of physics had in any way been broken.

(Side Note: After my hike, I read that there was once a town located near this dike- the original town of Flamingo. The town featured a hotel, homes, and even a post office. Apparently, it's still possible, with a fair amount of effort, to locate foundations near the dike that are all that remains of the town.)





I knew from the map that crossing the dike meant that I was close to my destination- no more than a mile at the most. The trail soon re-emerged back out into the prairie, and I pressed on.

Not far from the dike, a small plane started to circle around overhead above me. I'd seen a few low-flying planes throughout the day, and paid them no heed- but this one seem particularly interested in my specifically. I suspect that the pilot saw a person, sloshing through knee deep water in the heart of the Everglades, miles from the nearest road, and decided that they might not be there by choice. After a few high passes, the pilot came around for a pretty low pass. I smiled, waved, and have him a visible thumbs up to let him know that I was OK, and he waved back and flew off.



I also came across sea turtle tracks. They will wander inland to lay their eggs. I never saw the turtle itself, but it was still neat the see the tracks.



About a mile beyond the dike, any sign of a visible tread more or less faded into obscurity. I was fairly certain that I was pretty close to Clubhouse Beach- I could hear the surf crashing on the shore nearby. I was also fairly certain that the trail made a sharp left turn just before reaching the beach, but try as I might, I simply could not find any sign of a path in that direction- just deep water. I eventually decided to just press on as the water rose above my knees, almost to my waist. I kept thinking that this would be the perfect time to see an alligator, but I made it through the deep water without incident, and soon I was stepping out on the sands of Clubhouse Beach.



Clubhouse Beach can at times be a popular place to camp (and the NPS will issue multiple permits to camp there for each night), but apart from a sail boat anchored some distance off shore, I had the beach entirely to myself. I picked a spot in an open stand of trees next to the beach, set up camp, and then spent an amazing afternoon by the ocean reading, listening to the crash of the surf, and watching the shore birds as they wandered up and down the beach in search of food. Evening brought with it a spectacular sunset and some amazing scenery.













Evening also brought with it some of the worst bugs I've ever encountered in my life! While the sun was still up, a steady breeze off of the ocean had kept them at bay, but once dark arrived and that breeze diminished, the no-see-ums especially came out in force. I was quick to dive into my tent for refuge. I spent a warm but not unpleasant night sleeping beneath the light of a full moon.

I was up with sunrise the next morning, although I did wait for the wind to pick up again before leaving the shelter of my tent. The beach in the morning was crowded with a wide variety of shore birds.









Continued in next post...