Today, I had the opportunity to do a little "Forest Bathing" back into the North Branch of the Sacandaga River, deep in the Silver Lake Wilderness Area. This is a good winter walk because the path is usually very wet and the cold/snow helps freeze the shortcut across a prominent tributary. However, today's weather was anything but winter-like; more like early April.
Undeterred by the warm temperatures and bright sunshine :cool:, I hit the "trailhead" on Rt. 10 in Arietta around 9:00.
There's not really a formally marked trail here, more of an old logging road that strikes out into the wilderness. However, the first several hundred yards of the path goes right through the ruins of the Arietta Tannery. A very cool historic site.
I chose to wear micro spikes and strap my Tubbs to the pack. It proved to be a good decision as the path was either bare ground...
...or well packed from recent use.
I took the 3/4 mile detour around the swampy area because I knew that crossing the marsh would end in disaster. Soon enough, the by-pass reconnects with the main path up the valley. I was pleasantly surprised to see a well packed trail and some very recent trail maintenance.
I noticed many reflective thumbtacks stuck in trees; most likely used by hunters to find their way in the dark. There were also several fresh blazes along the route. The seemed a little unnecessary, but who am I to say.
The old road crosses many small drainages and the corduroy still provides ample support after all these years.
While the path winds through some fabulous forest, it also passes close by the North Branch as it tumbles through the woods...
...and as it meanders through several large flows.
After about 2 miles, the recent maintenance on the old road ceased and at times, it became very difficult to follow the trace. However, just when I was about to turn around, I found the road again and followed it to a nice vly. I spotted a nice log and sat down to have my lunch. Even though the clouds were starting to move in, the view was pretty good.
After lunch, I started back for Rt. 10. I walked for a little over two hours to get this far into the Wilderness Area and knew I had a walk ahead of me to get back out. Just as I was coming out through the old tannery site, I passed a young man walking his 5 month old Husky. Beautiful dog. All told, I spent about five hours in the woods on a spectacular mid-January day.
Undeterred by the warm temperatures and bright sunshine :cool:, I hit the "trailhead" on Rt. 10 in Arietta around 9:00.
There's not really a formally marked trail here, more of an old logging road that strikes out into the wilderness. However, the first several hundred yards of the path goes right through the ruins of the Arietta Tannery. A very cool historic site.
I chose to wear micro spikes and strap my Tubbs to the pack. It proved to be a good decision as the path was either bare ground...
...or well packed from recent use.
I took the 3/4 mile detour around the swampy area because I knew that crossing the marsh would end in disaster. Soon enough, the by-pass reconnects with the main path up the valley. I was pleasantly surprised to see a well packed trail and some very recent trail maintenance.
I noticed many reflective thumbtacks stuck in trees; most likely used by hunters to find their way in the dark. There were also several fresh blazes along the route. The seemed a little unnecessary, but who am I to say.
The old road crosses many small drainages and the corduroy still provides ample support after all these years.
While the path winds through some fabulous forest, it also passes close by the North Branch as it tumbles through the woods...
...and as it meanders through several large flows.
After about 2 miles, the recent maintenance on the old road ceased and at times, it became very difficult to follow the trace. However, just when I was about to turn around, I found the road again and followed it to a nice vly. I spotted a nice log and sat down to have my lunch. Even though the clouds were starting to move in, the view was pretty good.
After lunch, I started back for Rt. 10. I walked for a little over two hours to get this far into the Wilderness Area and knew I had a walk ahead of me to get back out. Just as I was coming out through the old tannery site, I passed a young man walking his 5 month old Husky. Beautiful dog. All told, I spent about five hours in the woods on a spectacular mid-January day.
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