2.4 Mile Walk at Northampton Park
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
7.3 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Monday, May 25, 2009
Today's run was difficult for a couple of reasons. First, my legs are still a bit beat up from Saturday's 20 miler (go figure...) so I ended up walking up most of the hills and took a lot of breaks toward the end. And second, I went on a tour through some of the areas in the Pine Bush where the white pines are being "thinned out" to restore a more natural pine bush habitat... at least, that's what the folks running the show at the Albany Pine Bush commission say. What I saw was a lot of trees cut down, a lot of trail torn up (in a couple of cases it wasn't clear at all to me why the logging company had even gone into certain areas) and woods that I've been running in for almost 10 years disappearing. And it definitely left me bummed out.
After passing through the area currently being logged I ran along the base of the hills that were cleared last fall... basically a huge sand dune, though the greenery that's returned to the other cleared areas offers some hope that it won't be as barren next year. What can I say, it's a bit depressing to run through an area that used to be wooded and it now stripped down to bare ground... I get what they're trying to do, the Pine Bush habitat is unique and the goal is to restore it to what it once was before invasive species and lack of fire allowed it to grow into what I was used to... but I miss the woods I spent many, many hours running through.
On the plus side... I saw an oriole and caught a brief glimpse of a group of turkeys. And I managed to run farther than I'd planned on, even if there was a lot of walking mixed in with the running...
JMH
Monday, May 25, 2009
Today's run was difficult for a couple of reasons. First, my legs are still a bit beat up from Saturday's 20 miler (go figure...) so I ended up walking up most of the hills and took a lot of breaks toward the end. And second, I went on a tour through some of the areas in the Pine Bush where the white pines are being "thinned out" to restore a more natural pine bush habitat... at least, that's what the folks running the show at the Albany Pine Bush commission say. What I saw was a lot of trees cut down, a lot of trail torn up (in a couple of cases it wasn't clear at all to me why the logging company had even gone into certain areas) and woods that I've been running in for almost 10 years disappearing. And it definitely left me bummed out.
After passing through the area currently being logged I ran along the base of the hills that were cleared last fall... basically a huge sand dune, though the greenery that's returned to the other cleared areas offers some hope that it won't be as barren next year. What can I say, it's a bit depressing to run through an area that used to be wooded and it now stripped down to bare ground... I get what they're trying to do, the Pine Bush habitat is unique and the goal is to restore it to what it once was before invasive species and lack of fire allowed it to grow into what I was used to... but I miss the woods I spent many, many hours running through.
On the plus side... I saw an oriole and caught a brief glimpse of a group of turkeys. And I managed to run farther than I'd planned on, even if there was a lot of walking mixed in with the running...
JMH
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
From One Extreme to the Other...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
NYS DEC Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam
There's something both cute and comical about seeing the peregrine falcon chicks sacked out in the shade at the back of the nesting box on a day that felt more like July than May...
JMH
Thursday, May 21, 2009
NYS DEC Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam
There's something both cute and comical about seeing the peregrine falcon chicks sacked out in the shade at the back of the nesting box on a day that felt more like July than May...
JMH
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
LONG DISTANCE 2009 - Race #9
Catskill Mountain Spring Series #2 -
Olana Star Loop 10k Trail Run
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
This is my third year to run the Olana 10k... after running it once I knew I wanted to keep coming back both because it's a beautiful if challenging course (much of it consists of either running up hills so we can run back down them or running down hills so we can run back up them) and the folks who turn out for it tend to be a fun bunch to run with (one of the things I think I enjoy most about the Catskill Mountain Spring series is how low-key all the events are... it's mostly just a bunch of people getting together to run in some really cool places.)
Today we had the newly-returned heat to contend with... after several downright cold days summer poked its nose around the corner and gave us some warm humid air to run in tonight. A definite reminder of what's to come over the next few months... I also had to work against a major lack of sleep, given that we're rocketing toward the end of the school year and I'm buried under work trying to pull everything together so we can wrap up another one... Still, in spite of all of that I managed to push my tired legs over 6.2 miles of hills circling around Olana.
All in all I had a pretty good run, though I felt like I ended up walking more uphills than last year. The heat made it tough to catch my breath but I pushed along at a pretty consistent pace and managed to stay ahead of all the folks who were behind me. There were a couple of previously muddy, washed out spots where they'd put down a layer of stone (not much fun to run on) and the last trail down to the road looks like it's been cleared by a bulldozer - I liked it better when it was covered with leaves and clearly disused, but I suppose it's better for the site if it's set up so that folks will actually realize that it's one they can walk or run on. The final climb up to the house was darn tough, but oh what a sight... and the final 3/4 of a mile, almost all downhill, is a good chance to hammer the pace home. In the end I was fairly pleased with crossing the finish at 1:06:36, almost 5 minutes faster than the previous two years. (I guess it's a good thing I do some shorter events where I can have good runs and an occasional PR, or my slow, slow, slow performance at events like Muddy Moose and Soapstone might have me hanging up my running shoes...)
Afterwards I changed into a dry shirt, grabbed my camera and a water bottle, and hiked back up the hill to the house (because I hadn't walked up enough hills tonight, I guess.) Along the way I saw a bluebird, and the setting sun hitting the house was really cool. Plus of course the views from the top are wonderful... after all, that's one of the reasons Frederic Church, one of the most well-known painters in the Hudson River School style, chose the site for his home. I thought about heading out on one or two of the trails we ran to get some pictures, but it was getting late so instead I headed back to the car, finished changing clothes, and got back on the road to Albany and the work waiting for me there...
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 90.3 mi, 21 hr 17 min
Bike 16.2 mi, 1 hr 25 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Catskill Mountain Spring Series #2 -
Olana Star Loop 10k Trail Run
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
This is my third year to run the Olana 10k... after running it once I knew I wanted to keep coming back both because it's a beautiful if challenging course (much of it consists of either running up hills so we can run back down them or running down hills so we can run back up them) and the folks who turn out for it tend to be a fun bunch to run with (one of the things I think I enjoy most about the Catskill Mountain Spring series is how low-key all the events are... it's mostly just a bunch of people getting together to run in some really cool places.)
Today we had the newly-returned heat to contend with... after several downright cold days summer poked its nose around the corner and gave us some warm humid air to run in tonight. A definite reminder of what's to come over the next few months... I also had to work against a major lack of sleep, given that we're rocketing toward the end of the school year and I'm buried under work trying to pull everything together so we can wrap up another one... Still, in spite of all of that I managed to push my tired legs over 6.2 miles of hills circling around Olana.
All in all I had a pretty good run, though I felt like I ended up walking more uphills than last year. The heat made it tough to catch my breath but I pushed along at a pretty consistent pace and managed to stay ahead of all the folks who were behind me. There were a couple of previously muddy, washed out spots where they'd put down a layer of stone (not much fun to run on) and the last trail down to the road looks like it's been cleared by a bulldozer - I liked it better when it was covered with leaves and clearly disused, but I suppose it's better for the site if it's set up so that folks will actually realize that it's one they can walk or run on. The final climb up to the house was darn tough, but oh what a sight... and the final 3/4 of a mile, almost all downhill, is a good chance to hammer the pace home. In the end I was fairly pleased with crossing the finish at 1:06:36, almost 5 minutes faster than the previous two years. (I guess it's a good thing I do some shorter events where I can have good runs and an occasional PR, or my slow, slow, slow performance at events like Muddy Moose and Soapstone might have me hanging up my running shoes...)
Afterwards I changed into a dry shirt, grabbed my camera and a water bottle, and hiked back up the hill to the house (because I hadn't walked up enough hills tonight, I guess.) Along the way I saw a bluebird, and the setting sun hitting the house was really cool. Plus of course the views from the top are wonderful... after all, that's one of the reasons Frederic Church, one of the most well-known painters in the Hudson River School style, chose the site for his home. I thought about heading out on one or two of the trails we ran to get some pictures, but it was getting late so instead I headed back to the car, finished changing clothes, and got back on the road to Albany and the work waiting for me there...
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 90.3 mi, 21 hr 17 min
Bike 16.2 mi, 1 hr 25 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
14.4 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tons of work to do tonight... but the weather was simply too good to stay indoors, so I packed up my bike and headed over to Lock 8 to do some riding on the bike path that I ran last week...
Initially I didn't think I'd be doing much more than riding, but I encountered an incredible amount of wildlife tonight. Two beavers - one in the Mohawk River about half a mile from the Lock 8 dam, and one down at the end of the old Erie Canal at Scrafford Lane. A kingfisher. Two muskrats. A female wood duck with a whole passel of wood ducklings (one nice thing about the ducklings - until they get older she can't really fly away, so it's a good photo op if you can get the shots before she leads the little ones under cover.) Two green herons. Two geese with a group of goslings. Turtles and a couple of big fish. And lots of the usual birds - catbirds, robins, and red-winged blackbirds. All in all a good evening for photographing critters... and for getting in a few miles on the bike!
JMH
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tons of work to do tonight... but the weather was simply too good to stay indoors, so I packed up my bike and headed over to Lock 8 to do some riding on the bike path that I ran last week...
Initially I didn't think I'd be doing much more than riding, but I encountered an incredible amount of wildlife tonight. Two beavers - one in the Mohawk River about half a mile from the Lock 8 dam, and one down at the end of the old Erie Canal at Scrafford Lane. A kingfisher. Two muskrats. A female wood duck with a whole passel of wood ducklings (one nice thing about the ducklings - until they get older she can't really fly away, so it's a good photo op if you can get the shots before she leads the little ones under cover.) Two green herons. Two geese with a group of goslings. Turtles and a couple of big fish. And lots of the usual birds - catbirds, robins, and red-winged blackbirds. All in all a good evening for photographing critters... and for getting in a few miles on the bike!
JMH
Monday, May 18, 2009
Chilly Chicks
Monday, May 18, 2009
NYS DEC Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam
Given the unseasonably cold nights we've been having (and a fairly chilly day, for that matter!) I suspect the female falcon has her wings full working to keep the two chicks warm. The remaining two eggs have been abandoned unhatched and pushed toward the front of the nest. A shame really - I was hoping for 3-4 chicks, since it's not uncommon for one or two to be killed during the fledging process. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best...
JMH
Monday, May 18, 2009
NYS DEC Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam
Given the unseasonably cold nights we've been having (and a fairly chilly day, for that matter!) I suspect the female falcon has her wings full working to keep the two chicks warm. The remaining two eggs have been abandoned unhatched and pushed toward the front of the nest. A shame really - I was hoping for 3-4 chicks, since it's not uncommon for one or two to be killed during the fledging process. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best...
JMH
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Eaglets Again
Saturday, May 16, 2009
I really debated over whether or not to stop by Lock CS-1 on the way home today, given how little sleep I'd already be getting before my drive to CT in the morning... but in the end I decided that if I didn't stop I'd regret it, so at exit 41 I was off to (hopefully) see some eagles.
Once again, no adults... but those eaglets are getting big! Both were sitting up on the nest and flexing their wings every once in a while. If I had to guess I'd say they'll be fledging soon...
JMH
Saturday, May 16, 2009
I really debated over whether or not to stop by Lock CS-1 on the way home today, given how little sleep I'd already be getting before my drive to CT in the morning... but in the end I decided that if I didn't stop I'd regret it, so at exit 41 I was off to (hopefully) see some eagles.
Once again, no adults... but those eaglets are getting big! Both were sitting up on the nest and flexing their wings every once in a while. If I had to guess I'd say they'll be fledging soon...
JMH
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Rain, Rain, Rain
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Sore tired legs, general exhaustion, and rain kept me off the trails tonight... I'd been hoping to get in 4 or 5 miles before class. Instead I ate some dinner and listened to the rain (and thought about how much I'd like to be lying in bed listening to it... except I would have very swiftly fallen asleep.)
Given how dry Thacher was last night... I'm glad we had the rain tonight. We definitely need it.
JMH
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Sore tired legs, general exhaustion, and rain kept me off the trails tonight... I'd been hoping to get in 4 or 5 miles before class. Instead I ate some dinner and listened to the rain (and thought about how much I'd like to be lying in bed listening to it... except I would have very swiftly fallen asleep.)
Given how dry Thacher was last night... I'm glad we had the rain tonight. We definitely need it.
JMH
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
11 Mile Run at Thacher Park
Wednesday, May 12, 2009
What can I say, I really enjoy running at Thacher Park. Part of it is the fact that it's a very different environment than most of the places I run closer to Albany. Part of it is all the memories that get stirred up from the dozen or so races I've run up there. And part of it is that it's just a really cool place to be.
I parked up on Beaver Dam Road so I wouldn't have to be worried about getting locked in at one of the official parking lots. Started out with a loop down along the Hop Field trails and over to the Paint Mine area... along the way two things became very apparent: my legs were definitely tired from Monday's long run, and we need more rain, because I've never seen Thacher this dry in May.
From there I ran along the escarpment, with the late day sun shining down... that was really nice, despite all the grumbling from my legs. Followed the road up to the water treatment plant and then took the Long Path to the base of the big hill going up to the OSI property trails. Since I didn't feel like running up a hill just to turn around and run back down (and I didn't have enough time or energy to run the loop) I headed back through the fields and along the Long Path behind the Haile's Cave picnic area.
Another loop along the escarpment brought me back to the Paint Mine area, where I headed up the hill for the final stretch of my run. My legs were tired enough that I walked a lot. Stopped at the ledge overlooking the beaver pond... initially there was nothing in sight, but then a mother duck and her passle of ducklings headed away across the water, and when I looked back down after watching them disappear into the swamp grass - a beaver was swimming in the water. I spent quite a while watching him circle around, dive to the bottom to bring up plants to eat, and push a sunken branch around. Beavers are simply fascinating... there's something about the way they move through the water that's really cool. This one was a bit unusual in that he didn't slap his tail against the water when he submerged. I finally stopped watching him when (1) it started getting too dark for me to get halfway decent pictures, and (2) the mosquitoes figured out where I was and started having a feast.
Fortunately, there's only a bit of hill left after that, and then the rest was fairly level running. Made it back to the car and didn't want to stop quite yet, so I crossed the road and ran a little bit of the way up the hill toward the ski slope... essentially until the spot where it really started heading uphill and my legs let me know what a bad idea that would be. I really miss the path up to Roemer's High Point - it's really a shame the landowner withdrew permission for the Long Path to go through his property, I loved doing the run/hike up to the high point and then running back down either the way I'd gone up or down the other side and taking the road back to the car. That's a route I will definitely miss!
JMH
Wednesday, May 12, 2009
What can I say, I really enjoy running at Thacher Park. Part of it is the fact that it's a very different environment than most of the places I run closer to Albany. Part of it is all the memories that get stirred up from the dozen or so races I've run up there. And part of it is that it's just a really cool place to be.
I parked up on Beaver Dam Road so I wouldn't have to be worried about getting locked in at one of the official parking lots. Started out with a loop down along the Hop Field trails and over to the Paint Mine area... along the way two things became very apparent: my legs were definitely tired from Monday's long run, and we need more rain, because I've never seen Thacher this dry in May.
From there I ran along the escarpment, with the late day sun shining down... that was really nice, despite all the grumbling from my legs. Followed the road up to the water treatment plant and then took the Long Path to the base of the big hill going up to the OSI property trails. Since I didn't feel like running up a hill just to turn around and run back down (and I didn't have enough time or energy to run the loop) I headed back through the fields and along the Long Path behind the Haile's Cave picnic area.
Another loop along the escarpment brought me back to the Paint Mine area, where I headed up the hill for the final stretch of my run. My legs were tired enough that I walked a lot. Stopped at the ledge overlooking the beaver pond... initially there was nothing in sight, but then a mother duck and her passle of ducklings headed away across the water, and when I looked back down after watching them disappear into the swamp grass - a beaver was swimming in the water. I spent quite a while watching him circle around, dive to the bottom to bring up plants to eat, and push a sunken branch around. Beavers are simply fascinating... there's something about the way they move through the water that's really cool. This one was a bit unusual in that he didn't slap his tail against the water when he submerged. I finally stopped watching him when (1) it started getting too dark for me to get halfway decent pictures, and (2) the mosquitoes figured out where I was and started having a feast.
Fortunately, there's only a bit of hill left after that, and then the rest was fairly level running. Made it back to the car and didn't want to stop quite yet, so I crossed the road and ran a little bit of the way up the hill toward the ski slope... essentially until the spot where it really started heading uphill and my legs let me know what a bad idea that would be. I really miss the path up to Roemer's High Point - it's really a shame the landowner withdrew permission for the Long Path to go through his property, I loved doing the run/hike up to the high point and then running back down either the way I'd gone up or down the other side and taking the road back to the car. That's a route I will definitely miss!
JMH
Monday, May 11, 2009
14.6 Mile Run Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Monday, May 11, 2009
Initially I didn't think this run was going to go all that well... my legs were pretty tight and I wasn't feeling particularly motivated... which just goes to show what a difference a few miles can make!
In the end I did something I've never done before - ran the entire length of the bike path from SCCC to Rotterdam Junction out and back (OK, I actually ran two out-and-back segments from Lock 8... first west to Scrafford Lane and then east the SCCC.) While 14.6 miles isn't much in the marathon/ultramarathon scheme of things (or even considering the 20 mile race I'm signed up for in just under 2 weeks) it felt good to put in the miles tonight, especially after skipping the Thom B trail race on Saturday.
The run out to Rotterdam Junction was definitely the more scenic, at least in part because I had daylight for the whole thing! I was a little bit surprised at the lack of geese and ducks in the old canal... maybe the area isn't as attractive to them since all the bushes along the shore have been razed? Did see a lot of smaller birds - tons of red-winged blackbirds, quite a few catbirds, and even some swallows and a couple of orioles. I spent a while at Scrafford Lane watching a fairly large beaver -it's very cool that they're back in the old canal - and on the run back to lock 8 saw the first green heron of the season. Also spotted a couple of snapping turtles and several painted turtles. Needless to say, the first part of the run took a lot longer than it needed to, with all my stops to check out the birds and other wildlife.
On my way back to Lock 8 I spent a while debating over what to do... stop when I reached the car, keep going for another mile or two, or run the rest of the length of the bike path. In the end I convinced myself to go long, since I wouldn't have another chance to do so this week. Picked up a jacket, refilled my water bottle, and ran the 2 1/2 miles to SCCC. By the time I got there the sun had completely set, but there was still more than enough light for me to see the path for the run back. One plus about running in the dark - no distractions! So I ran the 2nd out and back a bit more consistently than the first, and was reminded once again of all the reasons I like running at dusk - the quiet (even with 890 nearby for much of the distance), the cooler temperatures... all in all, I can say I had a pretty good run back to the car... though I suspect I'm going to be a little bit sore tomorrow...
JMH
Monday, May 11, 2009
Initially I didn't think this run was going to go all that well... my legs were pretty tight and I wasn't feeling particularly motivated... which just goes to show what a difference a few miles can make!
In the end I did something I've never done before - ran the entire length of the bike path from SCCC to Rotterdam Junction out and back (OK, I actually ran two out-and-back segments from Lock 8... first west to Scrafford Lane and then east the SCCC.) While 14.6 miles isn't much in the marathon/ultramarathon scheme of things (or even considering the 20 mile race I'm signed up for in just under 2 weeks) it felt good to put in the miles tonight, especially after skipping the Thom B trail race on Saturday.
The run out to Rotterdam Junction was definitely the more scenic, at least in part because I had daylight for the whole thing! I was a little bit surprised at the lack of geese and ducks in the old canal... maybe the area isn't as attractive to them since all the bushes along the shore have been razed? Did see a lot of smaller birds - tons of red-winged blackbirds, quite a few catbirds, and even some swallows and a couple of orioles. I spent a while at Scrafford Lane watching a fairly large beaver -it's very cool that they're back in the old canal - and on the run back to lock 8 saw the first green heron of the season. Also spotted a couple of snapping turtles and several painted turtles. Needless to say, the first part of the run took a lot longer than it needed to, with all my stops to check out the birds and other wildlife.
On my way back to Lock 8 I spent a while debating over what to do... stop when I reached the car, keep going for another mile or two, or run the rest of the length of the bike path. In the end I convinced myself to go long, since I wouldn't have another chance to do so this week. Picked up a jacket, refilled my water bottle, and ran the 2 1/2 miles to SCCC. By the time I got there the sun had completely set, but there was still more than enough light for me to see the path for the run back. One plus about running in the dark - no distractions! So I ran the 2nd out and back a bit more consistently than the first, and was reminded once again of all the reasons I like running at dusk - the quiet (even with 890 nearby for much of the distance), the cooler temperatures... all in all, I can say I had a pretty good run back to the car... though I suspect I'm going to be a little bit sore tomorrow...
JMH
FALCON CHICKS!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Just before heading to lunch today I pulled up the NYS DEC Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam and got lucky - one of the adults was feeding the two chicks that have hatched so far!
Apparently my timing was just right, since when the chicks are first born they're very susceptible to cold and the female keeps them warm by brooding (essentially sitting on them) so that the only time they're visible is when they're being fed.
The pictures show two more eggs in the nest... hopefully those will also hatch in the next week or so and we'll have a full nest of 4 chicks...
JMH
Monday, May 11, 2009
Just before heading to lunch today I pulled up the NYS DEC Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam and got lucky - one of the adults was feeding the two chicks that have hatched so far!
Apparently my timing was just right, since when the chicks are first born they're very susceptible to cold and the female keeps them warm by brooding (essentially sitting on them) so that the only time they're visible is when they're being fed.
The pictures show two more eggs in the nest... hopefully those will also hatch in the next week or so and we'll have a full nest of 4 chicks...
JMH
Sunday, May 10, 2009
15.2 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A chilly, windy day for a ride, with my legs still feeling tired, sluggish, and sore. Riding with a tailwind was fun about half the time was fun, but the other half - heading into the wind - was rough. At times the gust were strong enough that it seemed like I needed to keep pedaling just so I wouldn't get pushed backwards!
I had very little difficulty convincing myself to call it a day after a little over 15 miles...
JMH
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A chilly, windy day for a ride, with my legs still feeling tired, sluggish, and sore. Riding with a tailwind was fun about half the time was fun, but the other half - heading into the wind - was rough. At times the gust were strong enough that it seemed like I needed to keep pedaling just so I wouldn't get pushed backwards!
I had very little difficulty convincing myself to call it a day after a little over 15 miles...
JMH
Saturday, May 09, 2009
6.6 Mile Run at Schodack Island State Park
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Well, based on this afternoon's run, I definitely made the right choice to pass on the Thom B race out near Ithaca this morning... finishing the 1st 8 mile loop would have been rough, much less making the cutoff time to run the 2nd loop. And that would have bummed me out...
Since I had the afternoon "free" I decided to check out the trails at Schodack Island State Park down near Castleton. The park first came to my attention when the Albany Running Exchange moved their spring trail race, the Dodge the Deer 5k, there in response to ever-increasing numbers of runners and increasing reluctance on the part of the Albany Pine Bush Commission to grant permission for large-scale events to be held on the Pine Bush trails. I visited their briefly last July, but unfortunately discovered that the miles of "multi-use" trails only included a short stretch of trail open to bicycles... I still managed to walk a couple of miles before it got too late (and saw a large group of herons out on the mud flats, very cool!) but knew that if I wanted to see more of the park I'd need to come back with my running shoes.
Today was hot and humid, more like June or July than early May... no great surprise, the vast majority of park users were boaters and people fishing. In fact, most of the parking spots were taken up by boat trailers. That, plus the $6 weekend entry fee, reminded me that if I come back again I should do so during the week.
I ran a loop along the perimeter trail, with two short out-and-back stretches - 1st south to the edge of an area that's closed to the public for much of the year to allow nesting for endangered birds (most likely eagles, though the herons also apparently nest pretty extensively in the Bird Conservation Area) and later east to the lookout where I saw the herons last July. To be totally honest, the trails were a bit dull... not a lot of wildlife to see (though I could hear lots of birds in the trees, and saw a nuthatch and a rose-breasted grosbeak in addition to the ubiquitous robins) and very few views of the river. It should have been easy running, but my legs were tired, sluggish, and sore... possibly leftovers from Wednesday's Platte Clove torture session and last night's ride.
Things got a bit more interesting toward the end of the run as a thunderstorm blew through... just as I was coming back to the main picnic area the the wind started blowing like crazy and the skies opened up, so I dashed under a picnic pavillion to wait out the heavy rain and avoid the lightning. It eased up after a few minutes, so I headed to the car and changed into dry clothes for the trip home.
After leaving the park I decided to go south on 9J for a bit and see what there was to see... in particular I was hoping for someplace to pull over and get some nice shots of the river, but no such luck. I did find the parking area for Nature Conservancy's Lewis A. Swyer Preserve, but didn't realize the trailhead was a bit further down the road from the pulloff (so now I have someplace to go back and visit later!) I also stopped at the entrance to Schermerhorn Park and watched a rainbow disappear before I could photograph it; I briefly debated hiking the trail through the park but decided I wanted to head home instead, since it about an hour until sunset and I had no idea how wet the path would be after the storm.
JMH
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Well, based on this afternoon's run, I definitely made the right choice to pass on the Thom B race out near Ithaca this morning... finishing the 1st 8 mile loop would have been rough, much less making the cutoff time to run the 2nd loop. And that would have bummed me out...
Since I had the afternoon "free" I decided to check out the trails at Schodack Island State Park down near Castleton. The park first came to my attention when the Albany Running Exchange moved their spring trail race, the Dodge the Deer 5k, there in response to ever-increasing numbers of runners and increasing reluctance on the part of the Albany Pine Bush Commission to grant permission for large-scale events to be held on the Pine Bush trails. I visited their briefly last July, but unfortunately discovered that the miles of "multi-use" trails only included a short stretch of trail open to bicycles... I still managed to walk a couple of miles before it got too late (and saw a large group of herons out on the mud flats, very cool!) but knew that if I wanted to see more of the park I'd need to come back with my running shoes.
Today was hot and humid, more like June or July than early May... no great surprise, the vast majority of park users were boaters and people fishing. In fact, most of the parking spots were taken up by boat trailers. That, plus the $6 weekend entry fee, reminded me that if I come back again I should do so during the week.
I ran a loop along the perimeter trail, with two short out-and-back stretches - 1st south to the edge of an area that's closed to the public for much of the year to allow nesting for endangered birds (most likely eagles, though the herons also apparently nest pretty extensively in the Bird Conservation Area) and later east to the lookout where I saw the herons last July. To be totally honest, the trails were a bit dull... not a lot of wildlife to see (though I could hear lots of birds in the trees, and saw a nuthatch and a rose-breasted grosbeak in addition to the ubiquitous robins) and very few views of the river. It should have been easy running, but my legs were tired, sluggish, and sore... possibly leftovers from Wednesday's Platte Clove torture session and last night's ride.
Things got a bit more interesting toward the end of the run as a thunderstorm blew through... just as I was coming back to the main picnic area the the wind started blowing like crazy and the skies opened up, so I dashed under a picnic pavillion to wait out the heavy rain and avoid the lightning. It eased up after a few minutes, so I headed to the car and changed into dry clothes for the trip home.
After leaving the park I decided to go south on 9J for a bit and see what there was to see... in particular I was hoping for someplace to pull over and get some nice shots of the river, but no such luck. I did find the parking area for Nature Conservancy's Lewis A. Swyer Preserve, but didn't realize the trailhead was a bit further down the road from the pulloff (so now I have someplace to go back and visit later!) I also stopped at the entrance to Schermerhorn Park and watched a rainbow disappear before I could photograph it; I briefly debated hiking the trail through the park but decided I wanted to head home instead, since it about an hour until sunset and I had no idea how wet the path would be after the storm.
JMH
Falcon Chicks?
Saturday, May 9, 2009
NYS DEC Dunn Memoral Bridge Peregrine Falcon Webcam
The latest photos of the Dunn Memorial Bridge peregrine falcon nest show what looks like eggshell fragments in the nest - looks like the eggs are hatching!
This afternoon I stopped at the Rensselaer Riverfront Park to see what's visible first-hand... unfortunately, the nesting box is almost all the way across the river from the park, so even with my camera at full zoom very little was visible. But that might improve once the chicks get bigger and start venturing out of the nest... I'll just have to keep track of what's going on with them!
JMH
Saturday, May 9, 2009
NYS DEC Dunn Memoral Bridge Peregrine Falcon Webcam
The latest photos of the Dunn Memorial Bridge peregrine falcon nest show what looks like eggshell fragments in the nest - looks like the eggs are hatching!
This afternoon I stopped at the Rensselaer Riverfront Park to see what's visible first-hand... unfortunately, the nesting box is almost all the way across the river from the park, so even with my camera at full zoom very little was visible. But that might improve once the chicks get bigger and start venturing out of the nest... I'll just have to keep track of what's going on with them!
JMH
NO THOM B FOR ME
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Alram went off at 4 AM and I was just plain beat... couldn't muster up any enthusiasm for a 3 hour drive followed by 16 miles of running (assuming I made the cutoff for the 1st loop) and then another 2 1/2 hours to Rochester. It's been a rough week, especially sleep-wise... in this case I think it really did make the most sense to crawl back into bed.
Maybe next year...
JMH
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Alram went off at 4 AM and I was just plain beat... couldn't muster up any enthusiasm for a 3 hour drive followed by 16 miles of running (assuming I made the cutoff for the 1st loop) and then another 2 1/2 hours to Rochester. It's been a rough week, especially sleep-wise... in this case I think it really did make the most sense to crawl back into bed.
Maybe next year...
JMH
Friday, May 08, 2009
18.6 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, May 8, 2009
The first thing that struck me during tonight's ride was how green everything has gotten since I was last on the bike path a couple of weeks ago. It's a nice change from all the grey and brown, even if it does make it a lot harder to see the wildlife.
It's also nice to have the river back to its summer levels, now that the canal has re-opened for the 2009 season.
One minus - many of the waterfowl that were migrating through a month ago have moved on... but I guess we'll see them again in the fall. Happily, the eagles don't seem to have moved on - I saw one out on the river half a mile or so above the Lock 7 dam, and managed to get some good photos of him before a stupid powerboat came through and scared him off. Looks like a juvenile a couple of years old... his white feathers are starting to come in...
At the top of the old landfill I had a nice view of two swallows in/on a birdhouse alongside the path... they were pretty active around Lock 7 as well. Plenty of geese in view, and I saw a couple of big fish jump at different points. Unfortunately it was getting dark when I saw a heron hunting across the water, so none of my photos really came out... but he was a lot of fun to see, first stalking a fish or frog, then blasting into the water to get it (a bit unusual, typically they just dart their heads forward) and swallowing it down followed by several sips of water and a major shimmy, presumably to shake the water off his feathers.
While I was riding a storm blew through, cooling things down a bit - fortunately nothing more than light sprinkles of rain for me, though there was lightning off in the distance and some pretty strong wind for a bit.
JMH
Friday, May 8, 2009
The first thing that struck me during tonight's ride was how green everything has gotten since I was last on the bike path a couple of weeks ago. It's a nice change from all the grey and brown, even if it does make it a lot harder to see the wildlife.
It's also nice to have the river back to its summer levels, now that the canal has re-opened for the 2009 season.
One minus - many of the waterfowl that were migrating through a month ago have moved on... but I guess we'll see them again in the fall. Happily, the eagles don't seem to have moved on - I saw one out on the river half a mile or so above the Lock 7 dam, and managed to get some good photos of him before a stupid powerboat came through and scared him off. Looks like a juvenile a couple of years old... his white feathers are starting to come in...
At the top of the old landfill I had a nice view of two swallows in/on a birdhouse alongside the path... they were pretty active around Lock 7 as well. Plenty of geese in view, and I saw a couple of big fish jump at different points. Unfortunately it was getting dark when I saw a heron hunting across the water, so none of my photos really came out... but he was a lot of fun to see, first stalking a fish or frog, then blasting into the water to get it (a bit unusual, typically they just dart their heads forward) and swallowing it down followed by several sips of water and a major shimmy, presumably to shake the water off his feathers.
While I was riding a storm blew through, cooling things down a bit - fortunately nothing more than light sprinkles of rain for me, though there was lightning off in the distance and some pretty strong wind for a bit.
JMH
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
8.2 Mile Run Along the Streets of Albany
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Took me a while to get my backside out the door but I'm glad I did... Albany's not the greatest place to run, but it was still better than sitting around here getting fatter and lazier... all in all it turned out to be a pretty nice evening, despite the threat of showers.
JMH
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Took me a while to get my backside out the door but I'm glad I did... Albany's not the greatest place to run, but it was still better than sitting around here getting fatter and lazier... all in all it turned out to be a pretty nice evening, despite the threat of showers.
JMH
Sunday, May 03, 2009
A Brief Visit to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Sunday, May 3, 2009
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Montezuma NWR site
Friends of the Montzuma Wetlands Complex site
Since I was in the immediate area anyways I decided I might as well visit some of the portions of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge that were easy to access (ie. I didn't want to take the wildlife drive, since that's typically time consuming.) What I saw told me that Ann and I were fortunate we stopped a couple of weeks ago... the water level has dropped in a number of spots, and there were far fewer waterfowl visible in the places I checked. Given the profusion of wildlife we saw during our last visit, I can only conclude that we timed it just right...
Stopped briefly to snap some photos of an osprey on one of the nests along Rt 5/20, and verified that the nesting platform we saw in the North Spring Pool appears to be the one that's visible on New York Wild's osprey-cam. Watched a few ducks in the Mays Point Pool and stopped at the visitor's center where I watched the swallows zooming all over the place - their maneuverability is incredible!
JMH
Sunday, May 3, 2009
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Montezuma NWR site
Friends of the Montzuma Wetlands Complex site
Since I was in the immediate area anyways I decided I might as well visit some of the portions of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge that were easy to access (ie. I didn't want to take the wildlife drive, since that's typically time consuming.) What I saw told me that Ann and I were fortunate we stopped a couple of weeks ago... the water level has dropped in a number of spots, and there were far fewer waterfowl visible in the places I checked. Given the profusion of wildlife we saw during our last visit, I can only conclude that we timed it just right...
Stopped briefly to snap some photos of an osprey on one of the nests along Rt 5/20, and verified that the nesting platform we saw in the North Spring Pool appears to be the one that's visible on New York Wild's osprey-cam. Watched a few ducks in the Mays Point Pool and stopped at the visitor's center where I watched the swallows zooming all over the place - their maneuverability is incredible!
JMH
NO EAGLES BUT - EAGLETS!
1.5 Mile Walk at Cayuga-Seneca Canal Lock 1
Sunday, May 3, 2009
While Ann was at the Braddock Bay Birds of Prey days last weekend, she heard several folks talk about an eagle nest near Lock 1 at Montezuma. A bit of on-line research led to these photos (which unfortunately didn't give much description as to the location of the nest) and Cayuga-Seneca Canal Lock 1, just a bit southeast of Montezuma NWR at the northern tip of Cayuga Lake. Armed with a map from Rich & Sue Freeman's Take a Paddle - Finger Lakes, I decided to stop at Lock CS-1 on the way home and see if I could locate the nest.
The lock was easy to find, parking less so - apparently everyone and his brother (and sister) goes there to fish on a warm sunny spring day. The nest was also easy to spot - atop an electrical tower across the water, near a dam which I assume controls water levels in the lake and canal.
A head was peaking up over the edge of the nest, but it was too small and too brown to be an adult eagle, so it must have been one of the eaglets. I hung around for a while taking pictures and hoping one of the adults would show up, but no luck. After helping a kid free his fishing line from some branches, I decided to go for a short walk along a rough trail overlooking the river and see what I could see... which turned out to be not too much.
When I got back to the lock, there were two eaglets visible, but still no adults... I hung around for a bit longer, then decided to call it a day and headed back to the car for a brief visit to Montezuma (I was right there, after all) before getting back on the Thruway for Albany.
JMH
1.5 Mile Walk at Cayuga-Seneca Canal Lock 1
Sunday, May 3, 2009
While Ann was at the Braddock Bay Birds of Prey days last weekend, she heard several folks talk about an eagle nest near Lock 1 at Montezuma. A bit of on-line research led to these photos (which unfortunately didn't give much description as to the location of the nest) and Cayuga-Seneca Canal Lock 1, just a bit southeast of Montezuma NWR at the northern tip of Cayuga Lake. Armed with a map from Rich & Sue Freeman's Take a Paddle - Finger Lakes, I decided to stop at Lock CS-1 on the way home and see if I could locate the nest.
The lock was easy to find, parking less so - apparently everyone and his brother (and sister) goes there to fish on a warm sunny spring day. The nest was also easy to spot - atop an electrical tower across the water, near a dam which I assume controls water levels in the lake and canal.
A head was peaking up over the edge of the nest, but it was too small and too brown to be an adult eagle, so it must have been one of the eaglets. I hung around for a while taking pictures and hoping one of the adults would show up, but no luck. After helping a kid free his fishing line from some branches, I decided to go for a short walk along a rough trail overlooking the river and see what I could see... which turned out to be not too much.
When I got back to the lock, there were two eaglets visible, but still no adults... I hung around for a bit longer, then decided to call it a day and headed back to the car for a brief visit to Montezuma (I was right there, after all) before getting back on the Thruway for Albany.
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2009 - Race #5
Medved Madness 15mi Trail Race
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Short Version: PR! PR! PR! And on a course which is apparently the longest one yet and the closest to 15 miles. I ran a good race (for me) on a beautiful spring day and didn't come in last. What I did do was cross the finish in 3 hr 3 min... 17 minutes faster than in 2007, and a whopping 43 minutes faster than last year. (In the interest of full disclosure... the very dry spring we've been having left the mud a mere shadow of its former self... sections that were previously pretty gloppy were merely sticky, and sections that were previously ankle deep soupy muck under a layer of water were merely gloppy. That certainly contributed to my faster pace... but I'm still very pleased with how well I did. Now I just have to be ready to run 20 miles in three weeks and 26.4 miles in 5 weeks... and 31 miles in 2 months...)
The Long Version: coming soon
2009 Event Totals
Run 63.6 mi, 14 hr 58 min
Bike 6.2 mi, 39 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Medved Madness 15mi Trail Race
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Short Version: PR! PR! PR! And on a course which is apparently the longest one yet and the closest to 15 miles. I ran a good race (for me) on a beautiful spring day and didn't come in last. What I did do was cross the finish in 3 hr 3 min... 17 minutes faster than in 2007, and a whopping 43 minutes faster than last year. (In the interest of full disclosure... the very dry spring we've been having left the mud a mere shadow of its former self... sections that were previously pretty gloppy were merely sticky, and sections that were previously ankle deep soupy muck under a layer of water were merely gloppy. That certainly contributed to my faster pace... but I'm still very pleased with how well I did. Now I just have to be ready to run 20 miles in three weeks and 26.4 miles in 5 weeks... and 31 miles in 2 months...)
The Long Version: coming soon
2009 Event Totals
Run 63.6 mi, 14 hr 58 min
Bike 6.2 mi, 39 min
Snowshoe 54.6 mi, 13 hr 05 min
XC Ski 3.3 mi, 1 hr 2 min
states visited: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Saturday, May 02, 2009
May Morning
Saturday, May 2, 2009
For some reason I always end up thinking of this song on a warm sunny spring morning...
I'm alive again on a May morning
Going to wipe the slate clean
Follow my dreams
All the yearning buds are here again
With the the promise of a new life to come
Spring is here again
The sun is melting over the hills
All our roads are waiting
To be revealed
For this in history has brought us to here
Now it's all there for the taking
The day is what you see
The light's returning, the work is in hand
All the cynics have vanished
From where we stand
All the chances wasted are drawing me near
And all around there's new life rising
From the winter fields
I'm alive... I'm alive... I'm alive, again
I'm alive... I'm alive... I'm alive, again
Runrig, from the CD In Search of Angels (1999)
For those who wonder what this sounds like - two versions of May Morning on Youtube. The first is from a concert in 2003 and the 2nd a selection of pictures of from Scotland with the original track from In Search of Angels. I like 'em both! Though the 2nd is what I "hear" when I think of the song, since it was the first version I heard.
JMH
Saturday, May 2, 2009
For some reason I always end up thinking of this song on a warm sunny spring morning...
I'm alive again on a May morning
Going to wipe the slate clean
Follow my dreams
All the yearning buds are here again
With the the promise of a new life to come
Spring is here again
The sun is melting over the hills
All our roads are waiting
To be revealed
For this in history has brought us to here
Now it's all there for the taking
The day is what you see
The light's returning, the work is in hand
All the cynics have vanished
From where we stand
All the chances wasted are drawing me near
And all around there's new life rising
From the winter fields
I'm alive... I'm alive... I'm alive, again
I'm alive... I'm alive... I'm alive, again
Runrig, from the CD In Search of Angels (1999)
For those who wonder what this sounds like - two versions of May Morning on Youtube. The first is from a concert in 2003 and the 2nd a selection of pictures of from Scotland with the original track from In Search of Angels. I like 'em both! Though the 2nd is what I "hear" when I think of the song, since it was the first version I heard.
JMH
Friday, May 01, 2009
R.I.P Canon Powershot A570IS
Friday, May 1, 2009
I had originally thought I'd take my older camera, a Canon Powershot 570IS, with me on tonight's run, since there was a slight chance we might see some showers later on... but when I checked it before putting it in my gear bag, it was dead. Tried new batteries, but it remained dead. No great surprise, really... I bought my new camera because this one was acting up, and last weekend it got very hot when I transferred the pictures from Muddy Moose to the computer... I suspect something finally gave up the ghost inside it and burned out/melted down.
It served admirably for the 20 months I had it... while that seems like a very short time for a camera, I took somewhere between 40 & 50 thousand pictures with it and put it through conditions that probably should have killed it long before now. I'll definitely miss it - it was nice having a beat up camera I could take on messy runs and not worry about it - and I may look for a realtively inexpensive camera to replace it, so I can save the new one for actvities where I can be more careful with it.
JMH
Friday, May 1, 2009
I had originally thought I'd take my older camera, a Canon Powershot 570IS, with me on tonight's run, since there was a slight chance we might see some showers later on... but when I checked it before putting it in my gear bag, it was dead. Tried new batteries, but it remained dead. No great surprise, really... I bought my new camera because this one was acting up, and last weekend it got very hot when I transferred the pictures from Muddy Moose to the computer... I suspect something finally gave up the ghost inside it and burned out/melted down.
It served admirably for the 20 months I had it... while that seems like a very short time for a camera, I took somewhere between 40 & 50 thousand pictures with it and put it through conditions that probably should have killed it long before now. I'll definitely miss it - it was nice having a beat up camera I could take on messy runs and not worry about it - and I may look for a realtively inexpensive camera to replace it, so I can save the new one for actvities where I can be more careful with it.
JMH
7.7 Mile Run at Five Rivers EEC
Friday, May 1, 2009
The hazard of running at Five Rivers is the abundance of wildlife... the first couple of miles I ran this evening were very much stop and go as I kept pausing to watch the wildlife (and take pictures!) I started with a pass through the orchard, where the trees were in full blossom and the bees were buzzing around feeding and pollinating. From there I looped down around the old Beaver Pond, where there was an abundance of distractions - geese and tiny goslings, turtles galore, and muskrats swimming around squeaking away at each other.
The route along the Vloman Kill was a bit less eventful, though I did see a large snapping turtle crawling through the stream and a few frogs further along. Up on the ridge I saw a real treat - a pileated woodpecker. Unfortunately, he only stayed long enough for me to snap one fairly fuzzy photo.
Spotted several deer in the fields as I made my way to and from the Wild Turkey trail, and more geese with goslings down by the sunfish pond. Spent a few minutes watching the little ones crowd together to huddle under mother goose's wing. Also heard a kingfisher but it was getting dark at that point, so all I saw was an occasional flash of blue as he flew off. Had a brief encounter with a rather testy goose defending his nesting mate as I made my past the various small ponds and around along the access road.
After a ways I headed back into the woods... it was still light enough for me to see any hazards on the trail, and in any case they were pretty clear on the way out. I love running at dusk... the air cools, everything gets quieter... except of course for the insects and animals calling. Made another loop around the beaver pond... a few more geese had come in, and the muskrats were still out and about, with just enough light for me to see them swimming.
Ended up back at the parking lot just as it was getting fully dark... it would have been nice to stay out a bit longer, but it was getting late and I hadn't brought my headlamp... and I do have a 15 mile race on Sunday morning...
JMH
Friday, May 1, 2009
The hazard of running at Five Rivers is the abundance of wildlife... the first couple of miles I ran this evening were very much stop and go as I kept pausing to watch the wildlife (and take pictures!) I started with a pass through the orchard, where the trees were in full blossom and the bees were buzzing around feeding and pollinating. From there I looped down around the old Beaver Pond, where there was an abundance of distractions - geese and tiny goslings, turtles galore, and muskrats swimming around squeaking away at each other.
The route along the Vloman Kill was a bit less eventful, though I did see a large snapping turtle crawling through the stream and a few frogs further along. Up on the ridge I saw a real treat - a pileated woodpecker. Unfortunately, he only stayed long enough for me to snap one fairly fuzzy photo.
Spotted several deer in the fields as I made my way to and from the Wild Turkey trail, and more geese with goslings down by the sunfish pond. Spent a few minutes watching the little ones crowd together to huddle under mother goose's wing. Also heard a kingfisher but it was getting dark at that point, so all I saw was an occasional flash of blue as he flew off. Had a brief encounter with a rather testy goose defending his nesting mate as I made my past the various small ponds and around along the access road.
After a ways I headed back into the woods... it was still light enough for me to see any hazards on the trail, and in any case they were pretty clear on the way out. I love running at dusk... the air cools, everything gets quieter... except of course for the insects and animals calling. Made another loop around the beaver pond... a few more geese had come in, and the muskrats were still out and about, with just enough light for me to see them swimming.
Ended up back at the parking lot just as it was getting fully dark... it would have been nice to stay out a bit longer, but it was getting late and I hadn't brought my headlamp... and I do have a 15 mile race on Sunday morning...
JMH
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