the Way of the Turtle

11.1 Mile Run at Plotter Kill Nature Preserve
Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The trails at the Plotter Kill Nature Preserve west of Schenectady are probably some of the toughest in the area to run. The trails are rocky and root-covered, and in some spots very muddy. And the hills are a killer, though there are also level stretches which provide a little bit of a break from climbing and descending. Whenever I'm there I'm always struck by how much it's like running on the gnarly Berkshire trails where I first started trail running, and where now I run a decent number of trail races each year. I first learned about Plotter Kill from two sources - Jon Binder's waterfalls site, which prompted a visit there with Ann in December 2004, and the Albany Running Exchange, which has hosted several informal trail runs there. Since then I've run there twice, and both times it proved to be a real challenge. I hadn't gotten back there yet this summer, so today I took advantage of not needing to be at work during the day (though I'd have to go during the evening to get my classroom ready for the first day of school tomorrow) to head over there for an afternoon of torturous fun on the trails.

Plotter Kill is home to three high waterfalls (50 to 60 feet each) and a variety of smaller step falls and cascades. Unfortunately, the only really good views of them require walking along the creek, and I'd never managed to do that. Ann and I did get some distant views of the Upper Falls from the ridge trail, while the leaves were off the trees, but all we could really see was that the waterfall was frozen and there were folks ice-climbing on it. I had hoped to get there this year while there was a decetn amount of water flowing, but my first glimpse of the creek (a bed of mostly dry rocks) showed me that wouldn't happen today. But at least it would be easy walking along the creek bed...

I started out running the small loop near the parking lot that passes by two "overlooks" on the cliffs above the major waterfalls. Unfortunately, between the trees and the lack of water, nothing was visible. Then I headed down into the main portion of the preserve. Since no one was around I decided to detour to the top of the Upper Falls (a popular gathering spot for local teenagers) to get some people-free pictures. I suppose I could get more impressive shots if I was braver and willing to go right out to the edge of the waterfall... but better safe than sorry, I think. There are multiple signs around the preserve warning hikers that the cliffs are unstable and undercut in spots, and there's ample visible evidence of collapses and landslides along the edges.

From there I headed out on the Highland Trail, which was much less muddy and overgrown than it had been back in 2006 when I was here last. Initially it seemed like the trail wasn't as steep as I remembered either... but then I hit the steep section! Fortunately not long after that the trail leveled out and then headed back downhill through the woods until it rejoined the main trail overlooking the gorge.

At that point I took a side trip I'd never done before - a trail down to the creek, which came out by a very nice step waterfall (well, it would be if there had been any real water in the creek.) Hiked upstream and had a great view of the upper falls from below. I spent a while wandering around the area, startling frogs in the various pools of water that were trapped among the multitude of rocks on the streambed. I was also surprised to see a number of fish in the pool below the falls. Then I hiked back downstream to the top of the middle falls... had a bit of a view down the gorge, but nothing spectacular. Instead of retracing my steps to back up to the main trail, I climbed a steep hillside along a "herd path"... that was a mistake, the footing was terrible and I expended far too much energy getting to the top, but once I'd gone part of the way up it was safer to keep climbing instead of trying to go back to the bottom.

The next stretch of path was probably the toughest of the entire run. First there's a steep descent to Rynex Creek, just upstream of the top Rynex Falls, then a steep climb up the other side. I took a break in between to wander along the streambed and check out the top of the falls. After climbing up the far side, the trail wanders up and down, before passing a trail down to the streambed... I passed by that and continued along the north rim, under one of the several sets of power lines that pass through the preserve, and then down the 2nd trail to the bottom of ravine and the streambed.