Snow Depths

Snow depth data from 02/01 & 02/02

• Northwoods Club Rd, Minerva: 11.4in
• Goodnow Flow Road, Newcomb: 12.6in
• Tahawus, Upper Works, Newcomb: 14.9in
• Blue Ridge Road, Newcomb: 15.6in
• Elk Lake Road, North Hudson: 13.3in
• Lake Colden Caretaker Cabin: 31.5in
• Cedar River Road, Indian Lake: 13.3in
• Sagamore Road, Long Lake: 11.3in
• Haskell Road, Ohio: 12.4in
• North Lake Road, Ohio: 14.8in

Waterfalls of Catlin Brook Gorge-PA

https://endlessmountains.wordpress.c...-gorge-sgl-57/

A challenging off trail trek to the spectacular Catlin Brook Gorge and its many waterfalls. The gorge is very steep with about ten falls and towering cliffs. A beautiful, wild place.

What does fire damage look like 110 years later?

I think a lot of different things... but, using some past experience and GIS data I was able to trace at least one place.

A good portion of what is now Ha-de-ron-dah WA burned, and I believe prior to state acquisition, although it may have been right after for some areas.

At any rate, I was able to figure out by using the UMP and tax maps, at least when some areas were acquired (some require a little more digging as the UMP is unfortunately vague).

Most of what escaped fire in that area is to the northeast of Moose River mountain and east of Otter Lake - this was logged prior to the fires, but also was perhaps logged later on as well but I didn't look that deep into the later acquisitions. The northern portions were significantly impacted by blowdown in 1950, so that may be their defining character today.

As far as I can tell, where this picture was take was acquired in 1909 and also burned sometime recently prior, or shortly after:




I'd buy those yellow birch are 110 years old, but honestly this does not look that old to me. Which makes me wonder if it's really not, and this a second successional step and perhaps in the 1950-60's, this area looked a lot different and had different speciation (besides those persisting yellow birch). I realize this is only one shot, but the area that burned looks this way.

Anyway, all this had made me wonder how long it takes for forest preserve to resort back to some semblance of its former self pre-logging, pre-fire.

Van Scott Nature Reserve (PA)

https://endlessmountains.wordpress.c...s-conservancy/

A nice place to hike with great views and extensive meadows, located in the Poconos. You can see both the Catskills and High Point in NJ.

DEC developing Big Moose Tract Conservation Easement draft RMP

The DEC is seeking input about their plans to develop a Draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Big Moose Conservation Easement. This easement is south of Stillwater Reservoir. Comments are accepted until February 28, 2022.

Attachment 20251

For more detail on participating, see the DEC webpage for the Independence River Wild Forest located here (see the Planning and Management section near the end of the webpage):
https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58192.html#Planning

This webpage has a link to a copy of the conservation easement.

I’m always looking for new places to paddle and camp. Anybody familiar with the area?

DSettahr, seeing that this lies between two wilderness areas, perhaps there is a round trip hiking loop you could propose?

Please consider participating in this if you can contribute!

Attached Images

BogMoodeTract.JPG (73.7 KB)

Hooray! It's back!

Did anyone else just experience literally the worst week of their life? :rolling:

XC Boots and skis for the oversized person

I used to ski as a kid on 3 pin bindings, and when I got past shoe size 13 I stopped due to lack of boots. Later on my father found some "universal" ski bindings being closed out at a shop and bought 3 pairs which he sent to me, and I have used them. They are far better than nothing, but also far from ideal. They go around the outside of my snow boots, so my feet end up more than twice the width of the skis, which means in any loose snow I plow a wide track as I go. Also the plastic sometimes breaks where it flexes, which can lead to hopping ungracefully home.

I'm wondering if any of the wise folks on here know if if it's possible to get size 16 ski boots, and what length of skis would be appropriate for a 7 foot 200 pound person. The ones I have had for the last 20 years are a good bit shorter than me, so that seems doubtful in my mind. I am thinking that next winter when I plan to be living in Piercefield it would be nice to be able to ski up there. I'm used to breaking my own trail, and when I was a kid we used to ski in snowmobile tracks. I have heard that there are groomed trails in Tupper Lake, which would be a novelty for sure, and there are a lot of hiking trails that might be skiable in the area. I lack the gumption to try to learn any kind of downhill skiing, as I am trying to save my knees for later and have already had some trouble with them in my later teens. I'll be grateful for any advice.