September 2015 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Running | Hiking | Biking | Paddling Triathlon | Skiing | Fitness | Travel FREE! SEPTEMBER 20,000 CIRCULATION COVERING UPSTATE NEW YORK SINCE 2000 2015 A HIKER SURVEYS THE ADIRONDACK HIGH PEAKS LOOKING SOUTHWEST FROM THE SUMMIT OF NOONMARK. Visit Us on the Web! AdkSports.com Facebook.com/AdirondackSports Noonmark Summit CONTENTS 1 Fall Hiking An Incomparable View Noonmark Summit 3 Paddling & Hiking By Dave Kraus Canoe Camp & Hike: In your dream you are standing on top of the world. Gone to the Dogs You look out, around, and down, and all the lands of the 5 Around the Region News Briefs earth are spread out before you. The peaks and valleys are spangled in all the colors of the season – green, red, yellow, 5 From the Publisher & Editor orange, and everything in between. You could enjoy this view forever, and it all belongs to you. 6-10 CALENDAR OF EVENTS “Hey Dave, how long do you want to stay up here?” September to November Events The shouted question drags you back to reality, way too soon, and you’re with a few friends on the bare summit of 13 Hiking & Backpacking Noonmark Mountain, near Keene Valley. It’s a crisp, bright Bennies Brook Slide autumn afternoon, and you have timed the day just right in the foliage season. The midday sun lights up the Great Range 15 Athlete Profile spread out before you as you look west from the summit. Biking & Skiing with Skip Holmes The air is so clear today it almost looks as if you could reach out and touch the closest ridge with Lower and Upper 17 Canoeing, Kayaking & SUP Wolfjaw, Armstrong and Gothics. Look down and the build- Fall Paddling is the Best! ings of the Ausable Club are tiny boxes in the valley. Farther off are Haystack and Marcy, and off to your left are Dix and 20-24 RACE RESULTS Nippletop to the south. Turn right to look north and you can Top Finishers in 30 Events see Keene Valley in the distance. Turn around, walk a bit, and find a vantage point to see 25 Bicycling & Mountain Biking Giant and Rocky Peak. At 3,556 feet, Noonmark is not even Summer Wanes, Think Cross one of the Adirondack 46, but its location and easy accessibil- ity make it one of the best spots for a day hike to see the fall & Gravel colors of the North Country in all their glory if you pick just 26 Triathlon & Duathlon the right day to go. According to Adirondack Mountain Club’s “High Du It, Tri It, Love It Peaks Trails” hiking guidebook, “the prominent, pointed peak of Noonmark lies almost directly south of Keene 27 Running & Walking A HIKER SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE AFTERNOON SUN AS SHE Valley and therefore ‘marks noon’ when the sun is directly CLIMBS FROM THE ROUTE 73 TRAILHEAD TOWARDS ROUND POND. Fall Races with a Difference over the summit.” PHOTOS BY DAVE KRAUS/KRAUSGRAFIK.COM See HIKING & BACKPACKING, 19 ▶ 2 Adirondack Sports & Fitness I CAN’T RUN 26.2 MILES BUT I WILL GO Start Point: THE DISTANCE 90-Miler Adk Canoe Classic Route THE DISTANCE Northern Forest Canoe Trail Family Friendly Waters FOR YOU Spectacular FALL FOLIAGE Hiking,Biking Driving Tours McCauley Mountain Representing sellers, buyers, and those who won’t quit. Summer Scenic Chairlift Views to the High Peaks Walter Hertik Magnificent Lakes and Mountain Vistas NYS Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 55 Railroad Place, Unit #303 Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 Mobile 518-951-6623 [email protected] Hiking Trails topnetrealty.com Mt. Biking Picnic Areas Go To: OldForgeNY.com Free Guide/Trip Planner St. Regis Canoe Outfitters Guided TripsGuided – WinterDay and Trips Overnight BackcountryOutfitting Skiing– By the & SnowshoeingPiece or Package Daily CampingCanoeing & & Backpacking Kayaking in Florida Rentals RetailRetail Paddlesports Paddlesports Shop Shop NewNew & & Used Used Canoes, Canoes, Kayaks & & Gear Gear NewNew Adk Adirondack Paddler’s Paddler’s Map – Map South 73 Dorsey St, Saranac Lake (518) 891-1838 • (888) 775-2925 www.canoeoutfitters.com Introducing RUN IN THE FIRST ANNUAL the New Ultra Line SPATEN SPRINT 5K Road race part of the Oktoberfest celebrations hosted by Wolff’s Biergarten The Finest Paddling Boats on the Water Just Got Lighter! Saturday, Sept 26 • 10am 895 Broadway (and Ferry St) Albany, NY $30 through 9/18, $35 through 9/24 Your Entry Fee Includes: Awards: Individuals ⦁ Race Entry ⦁ Overall: Top 3 male and female: ⦁ Commemorative 5K Beer Stein $150, $100, $50 cash ⦁ Free Beer x 1 (or beverage - ⦁ Age Group: Top 3 male and poured into above stein) female 19 and under, 20-29, ⦁ Refreshments 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+ ⦁ Chip timing by Green Leaf Racing Teams ⦁ Free access to North Albany ⦁ Top 3 male and female Oktoberfest, 11am-7pm (3 minimum to score): ($20 value) $300, $200, $100 This is a USATF-sanctioned event. Monomoy Island Excursions Seal, Seabird and Harbor Cruises Cape Cod, MA Portion of Proceeds to benefit: Monomoy Island tours with an onboard guide SIGN UP: Come See the Light SpatenSprint5K.com SpitFire 13 Ultra – 20 lbs 263 Station Street Volunteers: All receive a T-shirt, refreshments, and free entry into Oktoberfest ($20 value) 702 Route 28 • Harwichport (opposite Brax Landing) • Reservations Recommended! RapidFire Ultra - 22 lbs Lake Placid Please email: [email protected] Shadow Ultra - 22.5 lbs 518-524-2949 508-430-7772 • www.monomoysealcruise.com www.placidboats.com www.AdkSports.com SEPTEMBER 2015 3 PADDLING & HIKING Canoe Camping and Hiking Gone to the Dogs JAN AND MAV AT THE TOP OF LONG POND THE CARRY FROM MOUNTAIN. SLANG TO LONG POND. PHOTOS BY JOE MOORE/JAN FAILING By Joe Moore stop when it came to packing the cooler – he’s a Lab, after all. aving lived with dogs my whole life, I’m Finally, it was time to stuff all of the gear Hfairly certain they can read our minds. into the back of the car and head out. Jan Not just sometimes, but most of the time. and I split the tent, bedding, food, firewood And not only can they read minds, and cooking gear proportionately between but they actively influence our behavior. our Placid Boatworks 12-foot SpitFire and Everything from the “Jedi mind tricks” they 15-foot RapidFire canoes, balancing the employ – sitting politely and staring alter- loads fore and aft. The 80-pound Mav would nately at the treat cupboard, then us, then ride in the bigger boat with me – or, would back again – to the seemingly prescient, allow me to chauffer his canoe for the week- high-alert level they achieve the instant they end. The goal was to paddle across Hoel get the slightest whiff something fun might Pond into Turtle Pond and set up camp happen soon. before it got dark, or rained, or both. Our three-year old chocolate lab, As I told Mav to “hop in” and he settled JOE AND MAV IN THE Maverick, is no exception. The normally onto his foam pad behind me in the canoe, I LOADED RAPIDFIRE. calm Mav was on to us long before we even remembered back to his first spring. He was the boat at all times to help ensure compli- Well worth the trade (one man’s opinion, began to dig out our canoe camping gear. about six months old and had recently experi- ance with “boat rules.” anyway!). Regardless, the tent was dry and His excitement was palpable. Something fun enced swimming for the first time amongst the The trip across Hoel, although a bit cozy that night, with Mav taking his portion was going to happen with me and my wife last remaining ice chunks in the Chubb River. choppy, went smoothly. The RapidFire was of the bed out of the middle. Jan, and he wasn’t about to miss it! Shortly after that, Jan and I trained him to loaded with about 400 pounds total; Jan’s The plan for the next day was to paddle No use trying to disguise the packing. It get into the canoe; he was reluctant at first, SpitFire had around 200 pounds – nowhere through Turtle and Slang ponds, carry to would have been futile anyway, as we dug but didn’t want to be left behind. When he near its capacity. Did I mention we don’t Long Pond, and paddle across to the start through what seemed like endless stacks of refused to get into the boat initially, a couple travel light? The portage up and over the rail- of the carry to Mountain Pond. There, we plastic totes filled with dry bags, tents, camp of short laps around the pond while he was road tracks between Hoel and Turtle ponds would leave our boats, switch from sandals stoves and tarps that we hadn’t looked at left chasing us up and down the shore, con- was uneventful, though not accomplished in to hiking boots, walk to Mountain Pond, since we picked up a small, used popup vinced him he didn’t want to miss out. Some one trip... then climb Long Pond Mountain for some camper a few years ago. All this while being treats to coax him into the boat and onto a And we would have beaten the rain and terrific views – and, hopefully, some ripe closely monitored by our very attentive comfortable pad sealed the deal, and we the dark had we not built a fire upon arrival blueberries. Day-trippers can easily access friend. And the monitoring certainly didn’t were off. Back then, we kept the treat bag in at our site and sat around having a cocktail. See PADDLING & HIKING, 19 ▶ STAND UP PADDLE BOARDS Sales, Rentals and Lessons Available BOTE, DOYLE AND NAISH BOARDS It’s Always SummerO’Brien Tubes, at Patty’s!Skis and More PattysWaterSports.com • 518-656-9353 or 793-5452 Monomoy Island Excursions Seal, Seabird and Harbor Cruises Cape Cod, MA Get Your Adirondack Sports & Fitness Monomoy Island tours Gear! with an onboard guide Gender-specific tech or cotton shirts $10 Black or white running hats $10 • Car magnets $2 702 Route 28 • Harwichport (opposite Brax Landing) • Reservations Recommended! To order, call us at (518) 877-8788 508-430-7772 • www.monomoysealcruise.com Apparel and promotion items produced by Screen Designs inc.com endesigns Apparel and Promotional items Produced b y www.scre Screen Designs Inc.