The Cloudsplitter Is Published Quarterly by the Albany Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club and Is Distributed to the Membership
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The Cloudsplitter Vol. 77 No. 1 January-March 2014 published by the ALBANY CHAPTER of the ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB The Cloudsplitter is published quarterly by the Albany Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club and is distributed to the membership. All issues (January, April, July, and October) feature activities schedules, trip reports, and other articles of interest to the outdoor enthusiast. All outings should now be entered on the web site www.adk-albany.org . Echoes should be entered on the web site www.adk-albany.org with your login information. The Albany Chapter may be Please send your address and For Club orders & membership For Cloudsplitter related issues, reached at: phone number changes to: call (800) 395-8080 or contact the Editor at: Albany Chapter ADK Adirondack Mountain Club e-mail: [email protected] The Cloudsplitter Empire State Plaza 814 Goggins Road home page: www.adk.org c/o Karen Ross P.O. Box 2116 Lake George, NY 12845-4117 7 Bird Road Albany, NY 12220 phone: (518) 668-4447 Lebanon Spgs., NY 12125 home page: fax: (518) 668-3746 e-mail: [email protected] www.adk-albany.org Submission deadline for the next issue of The Cloudsplitter is February 15, 2014 and will be for the months of April, May, and June, 2014. Many thanks to Gail Carr for her drawing of snow laden winter woods. January 8, February 5, and March 5 (1st Wednesdays--***except the Jan. 1 meeting will be Jan. 8) Business Meeting of Chapter Officers and Committees 6:00 p.m. at Little’s Lake in Menands Chapter members are encouraged to attend - please call John Sheehan at 674-8121 Chapter Meetings are held at the West Albany Fire House (Station #1), 113 Sand Creek Road, Albany. Education Sessions start at 6:30 prior to the membership meeting. Programs begin following the Chapter business meeting. Refreshments are served after the meetings. January 14 (2nd Tuesday) MONTHLY CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP MEETING 6:30 P.M. Education Session: Used Gear Sale: Bring your used gear to sell and look for some bargains at our annual sale. No education session will be held this month to make time (and room) for the sale. Program: Climbing Devils Tower-- Called “Grizzly Bear Lodge” by the Lakota, Devils Tower is a monolithic volcanic rock rising to over 5,000 feet in the Black Hills of Wyoming. It was the first National Monument in the U.S. and starred in the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Only 1% of Devils Tower’s annual 400,000 visitors ever attempt to climb it. Tom Denham will show how he and his team climbed more than 600 vertical feet, a feat that tested him on every level. February 11 (2nd Tuesday) MONTHLY CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP MEETING 6:30 P.M. Education Session: PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons): Personal Locator Beacons and other personal electronics are being used more and more in the outdoors. We will examine pros and cons of using a PLB and will share ideas for use of other electronics while hiking and paddling Program: Alaska’s Katmai and Kenai Fjords National Parks-- Jake Bortscheller has spectacular photos of salmon, puffins, and bears (oh my!) he encountered when he visited these two Alaskan national parks, one of which is accessed only by float plane. The scenery is nothing short of stunning. March 11 (2ndTuesday) MONTHLY CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP MEETING 6:30 P.M. Education Session: Season Paddle Preview: Our chapter paddling chair, Rich Macha, will bring his crystal ball and will look into the prospects for paddling during the coming season. Rich will be glad to answer your canoe and kayak gear and technique questions as well as discuss places to paddle. Program: “The Mountains Will Wait for You”-- The story of Grace Hudowalski, the first woman to climb all 46 High Peaks, is lovingly told in this DVD narrated by Johnny Cash. Many an ADK member wrote to Grace over the years to share tales of climbing the Adirondacks heights. She always responded with enthusiasm and encouragement. Her devotion to the mountains and to mountaineers made her beloved. This is a special treat. Copies of the DVD will be available for purchase by special arrangement with the producer. 2 ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE PARTICIPANTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES FITNESS: Know your level of fitness and limitations. The trip leader will ask questions about your experience, fitness, equipment, medical condition, expectations, etc. Be Honest! TRIP RATINGS: Understand that the level of effort is not the same as the level of difficulty. Trip ratings are for level of effort. Realize that “moderate” for a physically fit person may mean outrageously strenuous for a novice and/or unconditioned person. HIKERS EFFORT ELEVATION MILES TIME RATING LEVEL GAIN (FEET) (HOURS) A+ Very Strenuous 4,000+ 10+ 10+ A Strenuous 3,000+ 5 – 10 8 – 10 B+ Moderately Strenuous 2,000+ 5 – 10 6 – 8 B Moderate 1,000+ 8 --10 5 – 7 C+ Fairly Easy 1,000+ 5 – 8 4 – 6 C Easy Under 1,000 Under 5 Under 5 Not all trips fit cleanly into one of these categories. Whenever you are unclear about a rating for a trip, leaders will be happy to explain what their designated rating means. PADDLERS MILES PORTAGES WATER CLASS A 12+ Long (½ mile+) II – Whitewater B 6 – 12 Short I – Moving C Under 6 None Flat BIKERS MILES TERRAIN A 30+ Moderate to steep B 15-30 Moderate C Less than 15 Flat to Moderate Please Note: Unless otherwise stated, please sign up with the leader for all Chapter activities. Do not simply show up at the designated meeting place. Arrive at the carpooling site before the stated departure time. Please pay the driver to offset the costs of driving. Do not bring a pet unless the trip leader agrees that it is okay, and bring a leash. Please stay with the group or ask to proceed and stop at the first intersection and wait for the entire group to re-assemble. You are expected to carry adequate equipment, water and food. If in doubt about what to bring, ask the trip leader! Suggestions for all seasons: Water: 2 - 3 Quarts Layered Clothing (NO cotton) Extra Socks Hat Shell (wind & rain) Extra Sweater or Jacket Headlamp Gloves Sturdy Boots Sun Glasses/Screen (SPF 15) First Aid Kit Food Map & Compass Waterproof Matches Emergency Blanket Winter Add-ons: Skis or Snowshoes Crampons Ski Pole or Ice Axe Extra Food Warm liquids Extra layers 3 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN It seems like we've been talking about this forever, but it is big news. The Oct. 1st deadline for a decision on the classification of the newly purchased land around the Essex chain of lakes has been postponed for the state to gather more information. Fortunately, the ADK has been able to provide some of that information. Our Executive Director, Neil Woodworth was invited to spend an afternoon fishing with Governor Cuomo on Follensby Pond. Neil went armed with a briefcase full of data to support our position that the land around the Chain Lakes should be a Wilderness Area. He was also armed with a one-day fishing license just in case a ranger decided to stop the Governor's boat. Neil came away with the feeling that it was a very productive day. One of the big controversies is the contention that the motorized crowd spends more money in the Park than hikers. Yes, they have big noisy machines and everyone notices them, but compared to hikers they are really not there much. Hikers are there week after week for all 4 seasons. On weekends, the 200 car parking lot at Heart lake is mostly full. Sometimes it's only a tank of gas or a cup of coffee but often it's a meal after a hike or even an extended stay at a motel. Year round, all this adds up, and we have statistics to show it. We tend to keep a lower profile than the motorized crowd and we may go unnoticed much of the time, but we are always there in numbers supporting the local economy. I suggest that we find a way to let the North Country merchants know that we are there for them. Politics aside, even though the classification is not yet determined, the area is open to the public. On Oct 1st when the Gooley Club lease expired there was an Albany Chapter paddle trip on the Chain Lakes. Reports are that it is a spectacular area. Curiosity also got the best of me, and I hiked the outer Gooley Club Road from the end of the Chain Lakes Road in the town of Indian Lake to the Cedar River. Although an old logging road does not feel like a real wilderness experience, it was a very pleasant hike and is very skiable. It remains to be seen how far Chain Lakes Road will be plowed in winter, but who cares-- we'll just ski the rest of the way. In other Chapter news: The 2014 fall outing hosted by the Albany Chapter is taking shape. The event will be held in the Keene Valley. The event will feature a conservation showcase and cocktail hour on Friday. After-hike activities on Saturday will include a spaghetti dinner and a folk concert. Sunday there will be a pancake breakfast and some short hikes for anyone interested. This is a Club-wide event so information can be found on the Club's main website and in the Adirondac magazine. Registration will open in the spring of 2014. I hope the Albany chapter will make a good showing.