Bushwhacking through the Adirondack backcountry can produce a myriad of environmental impacts. Examples include crushing vegetation underfoot, squishing amphibians and other small creatures hiding in the leaf litter and adversely affecting wildlife behavior simply by your presence. These impacts are typically incidental and accidental, usually going unnoticed and/or unobserved. Unfortunately, my lack of forethought at
Birdathon Recon 2014: Hiking Through Time on Old Logging Roads to Evergreen Lake
Rescuing a tent stake in the middle of the backcountry is truly like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Originally, I thought I might have to bushwhack over to Sunshine Pond for another search if Cropsey Pond did not yield my lost stake, but thankfully, this was not to be. By the time I
Stake Rescue 2014: Departing Cropsey Pond With All Stakes Secured Safely
Exploring the Adirondack backcountry is never about comfort. If coziness and comfort is your thing, being sweaty, surrounded by vicious biting flies and exposed to the elements most of the time in the middle of nowhere is probably not your cup tea. Nothing, not even successfully rescuing a lost piece of gear is going to
Stake Rescue 2014: The Great Stake Rescue at Cropsey Pond
Losing gear in the backcountry is never a pleasant experience. Feelings of loss (“Where did it go?”), denial (“It has to be in my backpack somewhere!”), guilt (“I never should have put it in my pocket”) and even frugality (“Now I have to buy a new one”) engulf you, each chewing off another portion of
Birdathon 2014: The Case of the Missing Tent Stake at Sunshine Pond
Where to end my Birdathon bushwhack in the Pepperbox Wilderness always becomes a difficult decision. There is always the constant incentive to push on, hoping that the next destination will provide the big breakthrough of a plethora of bird species, producing the banner year I continue dreaming about during the weeks leading up to the
Birdathon 2014: Birding Up Deer Pond Outlet to Sunshine Pond
Birds tend to be less active in the late afternoon; that is just a fact. The singing dies down, with many birds taking their siesta after feeding during the earlier morning hours. This phenomenon makes Birdathon afternoons a time of profound desperation, where the frantic search for any new species to add to a scant
Birdathon 2014: Unproductive Bushwhack to Deer Pond Outlet
After exhausting the beaver ponds along the Cropsey Pond outlet during the early morning hours, an unproductive bushwhack over a couple of ridges, separated by a series of wetlands, are all that lies between me and the more bird diverse Deer Pond drainage. The afternoon hours, when most self-respecting birds are taking their siesta, is
Black Friday/Cyber Monday Outdoor Gear Sales not to be missed
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here again. It is hard to believe they have gotten here so soon, but another year has zipped by. One of the more positive aspects of this time of the year is the numerous discounts that come along with the high holidays of the shopping season. The outdoor retailers
Shopping Guide 2013: Great Black Friday/Cyber Monday Outdoor & Backpacking Gear Deals
The outdoor and backpacking shopping gear gift guide for 2013 includes many Black Friday and Cyber Sunday deals on all types of gear for the gift-giving season.
Gear Review: Vasque Sundowner hiking boots
Note: The following is a retailer-sponsored review of the Vasque Sundowner GTX hiking boot. Although a small payment has been provided for writing the review, this is no way has influenced the opinions found in review; these are completely my own. When I started hiking almost a couple decades ago, finding a durable and comfortable
