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Stillwater Reservoir to Cranberry Lake Trip Report Day Seven

Oct 23rd, 2010 / 0 Comments

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The following is an account of day seven of my epic hike from Wanakena, NY to Stillwater Reservoir, Cranberry Lake and then back to Wanakena. The entire trip required backpacking via trail into the heart of the Five Ponds Wilderness, a lengthy bushwhack to the northern terminus of the Red Horse Trail and another trail hike, and then a short bushwhack to Gun Harbor on Stillwater Reservoir. The trip back followed a similar route except heading to Cranberry Lake before returning to Wanakena. The seventh day consisted of a short bushwhack from Streeter Fishpond to the Sand Lake trail followed by a long haul via trail to Cat Mountain for fireworks and sleeping on the rocky cliffs.

Date: July 3, 2010
Length: 0.8 miles bushwhack, 9.8 miles trail
Difficulty: Easy (long trail distance)

Reports, Trips

Aside: Bushwhacking over balloon litter

Oct 16th, 2010 / 4 Comments

Balloon release

What kinds of thoughts does the sight of a balloon illicit for you? Birthdays? Weddings? New babies? Grand openings? Circus clowns? UFO sightings? Unfortunately, I no longer associate balloons with joyous occasions, instead I think of litter. Yeah, litter. Like the type of refuse you see strewn along the side of the road. Except this balloon litter is not located near any roads but somewhere in a remote forest or wetland. This is where I typically find the remains of balloons when I am out bushwhacking. And I find this balloon litter way too often. And it infuriates me every time.

Asides

Stillwater Reservoir to Cranberry Lake Trip Report Day Six

Oct 9th, 2010 / 1 Comment

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The following is an account of day six of my epic hike from Wanakena, NY to Stillwater Reservoir, Cranberry Lake and then back to Wanakena. The entire trip required backpacking via trail into the heart of the Five Ponds Wilderness, a lengthy bushwhack to the northern terminus of the Red Horse Trail and another trail hike, and then a short bushwhack to Gun Harbor on Stillwater Reservoir. The trip back followed a similar route except heading to Cranberry Lake before returning to Wanakena. The sixth day consisted of bushwhacking west from Toad Pond through the interior of the Five Ponds Wilderness to Streeter Fishpond.

Date: July 2, 2010
Length: 2.3 miles
Difficulty: Moderate (pockets of blow downs and thick conifers)
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Reports, Trips

Central Pepperbox Trip Teaser

Oct 1st, 2010 / 0 Comments

Threemile Beaver Meadow

From August 31 to September 4 I took what is most likely my last bushwhacking trip in the Adirondacks for 2010, where I journeyed deep into the heart of the central Pepperbox Wilderness. Although I have explored much of this 22,560-acre wilderness area in the past (e.g. the northwestern Cowboy Beaver Meadow area during Labor Day weekend 2009, the ponds west of Threemile Beaver Meadow as recently as 2008 and the northeastern ponds for my Birdathon adventure in May 2010 (see teaser here)), I never bushwhacked through the heart of the Pepperbox Wilderness. This area is devoid of large ponds or wetland complexes but contains many smaller beaver vlys along waterways and is bisected by the Moshier Creek running from the Moshier Ponds to the north down into the Moshier Reservoir along the Beaver River to the south.

Reports, Trips