The morning after the Birdathon is typically filled with regret, disappointment and self-recrimination. This year is no different, especially given missing my target by a single species. A single darn species! Making matters worse, today is historically where fairly common species missed during the day before make an appearance, seemingly mocking my efforts. This year
Birdathon 2013: A Cold Start to the Big Day at Cropsey Pond
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! Waking from a deep sleep, it takes me a few seconds to recognize the mechanical screech of my radio’s alarm. Scrambling in the dark, I find my GPS, my compass, my hat and about everything else other than the radio. My hand finally connects with the small radio and I switch off the alarm,
Birdathon 2013: Forty-six Bird Species and a Black Bear in the Pepperbox Wilderness
Finally, after a two-year absence due to a nagging knee injury, I once again participated in the Audubon Society’s Birdathon this past weekend. For the third time, I ventured into the wild and trailless heart of the Pepperbox Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. Unfortunately, I was not alone, as a nasty and tenacious head cold
Isle Royale: The Long Drive Home
With my two-week trip hiking from one end to the other of Isle Royale National Park complete, the journey home took center stage. My plan for the two day, one thousand mile sojourn is to repeat the route taken to get Copper Harbor back in August, with the slight exception of avoiding all the construction
Isle Royale Aside: Bearly Losing a Race
Typically, I am not the racing type. At least not the kind involving motorized vehicles. Although I participated in foot races when I was younger, it has been many years since the last one. And in none of those races were any of my competitors a black bear. This all changed when I drove home
Oven Lake Trip: Exodus from Five Ponds Wilderness via Sand and Rock Lakes
The following is a description of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip includes traversing areas of intense blowdown along the oddly-shaped Oven Lake, exploring a cluster of wilderness ponds and following the wild Robinson River. Part two of the
Central Pepperbox Wilderness Trip Report: Bushwhacking up Threemile Beaver Meadow
The first day of a five-day trip through the central Pepperbox Wilderness of the northwestern Adirondack State Park. The majority of the trip follows along streams and beaver vlys with the exit from the area following a marked herd path from the wild interior of this wilderness area. Highlights of the trip include the Threemile Beaver Meadow, Bear Pond, Moshier Creek and Moshier Reservoir. The first day follows a herd path north along the Threemile Beaver Meadow to the first of three large beaver ponds within this vast series of beaver meadows.
