Campsite at Cropsey Pond
On May 21, 2011, I birded some of the ponds and streams in the northeastern Pepperbox Wilderness for the Audubon Society’s Birdathon. The Birdathon is a challenge to locate as many bird species as possible in a single 24-hour period. This would be my second attempt to perform the Birdathon in the Pepperbox Wilderness. On the morning after the Birdathon, I bushwhacked from Cropsey Pond to Raven Lake Road so as to report my results before noon.
Date: May 22, 2011
Length: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
After spending the majority of morning of the Birdathon following the Deer Pond outlet stream, recording mostly common bird species of the Adirondacks, and the afternoon struggling in a race against time to get to Cropsey Pond, the morning after the big event was considerably less hectic. My only goal was to be out of the backcountry by noon to report my results via a conveniently located payphone in the parking lot forming the nexus of activity of the hamlet of Stillwater Reservoir.
View Day Three in a larger map
As dawn came and went at Cropsey the sky was overcast and a thin layer of fog hung around the surface of the pond. Since I had a rather leisurely agenda for the morning, I took my time and listened to the cacophony that was the morning bird chorus. As usual the birds sounded more active the morning after the Birdathon, as if rejoicing the big day was finally over, or more likely, in mockery of me no longer being able to count them in my results.
Listen to early morning bird chorus at Cropsey Pond.
From the comfort of my sleeping bag, sequestered safely from any blood-sucking insect swarm, I made some recordings of the rich morning bird chorus using my SONY PCM-M10 recorder
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds at Cropsey Pond.html”]Birds singing during the morning at Cropsey Pond.[/popup]
Finally, feeling a tug of urgency to ensure my exit from the backcountry at a reasonable hour, I forced myself up and out from under my tarp and began to go about the morning tasks of packing up my campsite soon to be followed by a brief breakfast.
After eating my breakfast and completing some last minute packing, I took some time to make the very short trip downhill to the shoreline of Cropsey Pond. My campsite was located on a small rise along the pond’s southern shore (point #45) and thus provided a nice view of the majority of the larger southern portion of the water body. Unfortunately, the stubborn low-lying fog had yet to burn off and the normally picturesque view of the pond was somewhat obscured.
Cropsey is an irregularly-shaped little pond with a narrow northern channel somewhat separated from the main portion to the south by two forested peninsulas. The northern channel has its own inlet and outlet resulting in a pair of streams flowing into and out of the pond. Exposed rocks along the shore provide some steep cliffs in several places visible from the southern shore.
Northwestern shore of Cropsey Pond
After returning to my campsite, I picked up my Pinnacle backpack
and set a bearing southeast toward Raven Lake Road. But despite the new bearing, I just headed south through some thick sampling growth to a series of small beaver ponds along one of Cropsey’s inlet stream.
After crossing the stream below a very large beaver dam, just as I did the previous year, I started bushwhacking along the new heading toward the dirt road providing my way back to my vehicle. The route to Raven Lake Road provided the shortest bushwhack possible; heading more east than south through a couple possible steep sections.
Immediately upon crossing the stream the elevation increased sharply, climbing through dense hardwood blow down and thick new growth. Luckily the thick saplings and young trees had not fully leaf-out otherwise navigating would have been exceedingly more difficult. The nascent foliage covering much of this new growth gave the canopy a chartreuse glow.
Blow down new growth south of Cropsey Pond
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds within blow downs and new growth.html”]Birds observed within the blow downs and new growth.[/popup]
The black flies must have loved the color since they were in great abundance; covering much of my legs and arms, not to mention doing some serious damage to my exposed hands and face. For such a little pest they can do some serious damage in large numbers.
When I reached about a third of the way to the road I was stymied from heading further east by cliffs with a small open wetland below (point #48). I was forced to continue further south to skirt the cliffs (and the wetland) until I could return to my original bearing.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds Detected at cliffs with wetland below.html”]Birds observed at the cliffs overlooking a wetland.[/popup]
The detour caused by the cliffs got me seriously off my original bearing and when I soon encountered a rock stream heading down steeply to the southeast I could not resist following it further. But when the black flies became increasingly intolerable, I took a new bearing directly east to attempt to intersect the road as soon as possible (point #49).
After crossing contours for a while I was stymied from further eastward progress due to some very steep and high cliffs with a stream at their base (point #50). Since there was no chance of climbing the cliffs, I headed north to try to avoid them instead. As I continued through some dense conifers, the cliffs slowly leveled off until I could resume my original eastward bearing (point #51).
Black fly ravaged hand
Covered in black flies
At this point I knew the road was close since I heard a vehicle driving along it. After a short stretch uphill I finally caught sight of the road and hurried directly toward it (point #52). The road provided me an opportunity for a brief rest to recharge before heading down the road to my vehicle. As I was resting, a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation truck, most likely the one I heard previously as I approached the road, sped past me apparently not even catching sight of me as it flew past.
Rock cliffs on the way from Cropsey Pond
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds detected near Raven Lake Road.html”]Birds observed while approaching Raven Lake Road.[/popup]
After the brief rest I kept a good pace all the way back to my vehicle at the end of Necessary Dam Road, across the bridge over the Beaver River. By 10:40 AM I was back at my vehicle where I washed up leisurely before heading to the hamlet of Stillwater Reservoir to report my findings via pay phone.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds detected at parking lot.html”]Birds observed at my vehicle at parking lot at the end of the Necessary Dam Road.[/popup]
With the results reported I took a quick walk through the store, purchased something to drink and headed out for the long drive back to Syracuse. Another somewhat successful bushwhacking Birdathon within the Pepperbox Wilderness was now under my belt.
Perhaps I will even return for a third time next year.
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