ROAMING THE WILDS OF NORTHEASTERN COLUMBIA COUNTY
3.3 Mile Walk at Ooms Conservation Area
2.0 Mile Walk at Wilson Powell Wildlife Sanctuary
Saturday, October 31, 2009
I left the house heading toward a hike to the summit of Harvey Mountain, on the NY-MA border, and possibly a hike to the Beebe Hill Fire Tower and No Bottom Pond. On the way home I planned to swing by Ooms Conservation Area, one of the Columbia Land Conservancy properties that's supposed to be a good birding site. Unfortunately, as I drove east the clouds moved in and it started drizzling... so I headed to Ooms first, hoping the sky would clear a bit. That never really happened to any great degree, and I didn't feel like hiking up Harvey in the drizzle, so in the end I visited another birding site nearby, the privately owned Wilson Powell Wildlife Sanctuary.
more to come...
Friday, October 30, 2009
If I Were a More Suspicious Person...
Friday, October 30, 3009
... I'd be wondering how many accidents have occurred in this area recently, and if they have any connection with the fliers for a local body shop that were on a lot of car windows when I got home...
But maybe I'm just cranky because I'm still working on getting my car fixed after last weeks hit-and-run. My insurance company looks like they're going to make the body shop where I'm having the work done fight and claw for every penny they deserve for the work they'll be doing. That must be what I get for paying premiums for all these years. I won't mention any names at this point, but think little green lizard cavemen with googly eyes and you'll have it. Once it's all done, I suspect I'll be telling them to take a hike and find a company that will treat me a little better if and when I actually need them to do the job I pay them to do.
JMH
Friday, October 30, 3009
... I'd be wondering how many accidents have occurred in this area recently, and if they have any connection with the fliers for a local body shop that were on a lot of car windows when I got home...
But maybe I'm just cranky because I'm still working on getting my car fixed after last weeks hit-and-run. My insurance company looks like they're going to make the body shop where I'm having the work done fight and claw for every penny they deserve for the work they'll be doing. That must be what I get for paying premiums for all these years. I won't mention any names at this point, but think little green lizard cavemen with googly eyes and you'll have it. Once it's all done, I suspect I'll be telling them to take a hike and find a company that will treat me a little better if and when I actually need them to do the job I pay them to do.
JMH
A Long Week...
Friday, October 30, 2009
... and I'm going a bit stir crazy after being stuck indoors pretty much the whole time. I've had a lot of kids out sick recently and have ended up staying pretty late to help them catch up.
Tonight was particularly rough... a warm breezy evening. When I was out running errands, I found myself really wishing I'd changed into running gear so I could have gone out for a short run and enjoyed the nice night.
So it goes... with luck my knee will be feeling better next week and I'll have one less excuse for not getting my backside out the door.
JMH
Friday, October 30, 2009
... and I'm going a bit stir crazy after being stuck indoors pretty much the whole time. I've had a lot of kids out sick recently and have ended up staying pretty late to help them catch up.
Tonight was particularly rough... a warm breezy evening. When I was out running errands, I found myself really wishing I'd changed into running gear so I could have gone out for a short run and enjoyed the nice night.
So it goes... with luck my knee will be feeling better next week and I'll have one less excuse for not getting my backside out the door.
JMH
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
No Bobcat Trail Marathon For Me... Sigh.
Monday, October 26, 2009
I was really looking forward to running a new race and seeing some new sights (and adding Ohio to my slowly growing list of places I've run marathons) but Sunday's race at Thacher made it very clear it just isn't going to happen. Lack of training has left me at the point where I finished the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon feeling like I'd run a full marathon... and with a 7 hour time limit at Bobcat, the likelihood I'd even finish the race is very low. Add in the expense of getting my car repaired from last week's hit-and-run and a trip to Ohio to run a race I probably wouldn't finish makes zero sense.
And that doesn't even begin to factor in how much my knee has been hurting since yesterday's race...
Maybe next year...
JMH
Monday, October 26, 2009
I was really looking forward to running a new race and seeing some new sights (and adding Ohio to my slowly growing list of places I've run marathons) but Sunday's race at Thacher made it very clear it just isn't going to happen. Lack of training has left me at the point where I finished the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon feeling like I'd run a full marathon... and with a 7 hour time limit at Bobcat, the likelihood I'd even finish the race is very low. Add in the expense of getting my car repaired from last week's hit-and-run and a trip to Ohio to run a race I probably wouldn't finish makes zero sense.
And that doesn't even begin to factor in how much my knee has been hurting since yesterday's race...
Maybe next year...
JMH
Monday, October 26, 2009
So Much for Getting Back to Training...
Monday, October 26, 2009
I don't recall anything specific tweaking my knee (the one I injured way back at the end of June, precipitating my downward slide into the ranks of out-of-shape runner-hood) yesterday, so maybe it was just having run 13 miles when I haven't been training... but my knee is the sorest it's been in quite a while. So no running for me for at least a couple of days - right now, even next Sunday's 20k at beautiful Minnewaska is questionable, though I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
If this keeps up, I may actually end up breaking my long-standing tradition of avoiding the doctor's office and get it checked out, to see what my options are for trying to fix the problem... while rest definitely helps, it doesn't seem to be going away (or at least becoming much more manageable over time, like my other knee problems.)
JMH
Monday, October 26, 2009
I don't recall anything specific tweaking my knee (the one I injured way back at the end of June, precipitating my downward slide into the ranks of out-of-shape runner-hood) yesterday, so maybe it was just having run 13 miles when I haven't been training... but my knee is the sorest it's been in quite a while. So no running for me for at least a couple of days - right now, even next Sunday's 20k at beautiful Minnewaska is questionable, though I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
If this keeps up, I may actually end up breaking my long-standing tradition of avoiding the doctor's office and get it checked out, to see what my options are for trying to fix the problem... while rest definitely helps, it doesn't seem to be going away (or at least becoming much more manageable over time, like my other knee problems.)
JMH
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A BIT O' POST-RACE WALKIN'
0.8 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
0.9 Mile Walk at Normanskill Farm
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Many of the previous times I've run Hairy Gorilla I've gone back out afterwards and walked around the Indian Ladder trail - both up on the escarpment and down along the trail that goes behind the waterfalls. My legs were fried this year and my left knee was more than a bit sore, but the afternoon was also bright and sunny... so I decided to head for easier walking instead, to take in some of the late-fall colors.
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
My first stop was at Five Rivers, where I walked the Woodlot Trail next to the parking lot before crossing the road and heading down toward Beaver Pond. Going down the hill definitely hurt, and unfortunately there wasn't much to look at on the bridge - the fish, turtles, and frogs would seem to have headed to their winter quarters, either in deeper water or burrowed down into the mud. The birds around were smaller and harder to spot as well, not at all like the swallows or cedar waxwings I spent so much time watching during the summer. Still, the golden, orange, yellow, and red trees were awfully nice to look at. After walking the boardwalk across the swamp, I decided against circling the pond, and instead headed back across the road and up the hill back to the parking lot. Slow going, but it was a nice day to be outside... given the number of other people there, it looked like a lot of folks felt the same way.
Normanskill Farm
I first walked the Normanskill Farm trail back in June and honestly wasn't that impressed... not many views of the Normanskill and the last part of the trail runs through a golf course. While it's not a bad option for a short walk, there are many nicer places to go walking/running in the Albany area. On the plus side, there are some interesting ruins and historical sites in the park. I headed back there today because when I drove by on Friday I could see rows of colorful trees along the banks of the creek and thought they might look pretty spectacular in today's sunshine. As it turned out, I was right...
Again there were a surprising number of cars in the lot, possibly because of the dog park located on the property. I followed the trail through the woods with a detour down to the banks of the creek. The water was much higher than it had been back in June, probably because of yesterday's rain. I wandered around the remains of an old ice house for a little bit then followed the path along the stream just because the sunlight through the brightly colored leaves was really pretty. I didn't go far - stopped before reaching the National Grid station on the property - in part because as with Five Rivers, there weren't nearly as many birds visible as back in June, and in part because my legs were getting really tired by that point. But I still found the energy to walk over to the old bridge across the Normanskill, where I found two other people taking pictures of the trees along the shore. The view up and down the creek was gorgeous, with the sunlight making the trees positively glow with color. Even the Delaware Avenue bridge just downstream didn't do much to detract from the scenery.
I briefly contemplated walking up to the Whipple bridge to see the view up and down the ravine it crosses but decided that my legs wouldn't be able to handle the hike up and back (it's a moderately steep hill, and by then my legs were definitely running on empty... not to mention my left knee hollering at me.) So instead I headed home, for a well-deserved shower and possibly a nap.
JMH
0.8 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
0.9 Mile Walk at Normanskill Farm
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Many of the previous times I've run Hairy Gorilla I've gone back out afterwards and walked around the Indian Ladder trail - both up on the escarpment and down along the trail that goes behind the waterfalls. My legs were fried this year and my left knee was more than a bit sore, but the afternoon was also bright and sunny... so I decided to head for easier walking instead, to take in some of the late-fall colors.
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
My first stop was at Five Rivers, where I walked the Woodlot Trail next to the parking lot before crossing the road and heading down toward Beaver Pond. Going down the hill definitely hurt, and unfortunately there wasn't much to look at on the bridge - the fish, turtles, and frogs would seem to have headed to their winter quarters, either in deeper water or burrowed down into the mud. The birds around were smaller and harder to spot as well, not at all like the swallows or cedar waxwings I spent so much time watching during the summer. Still, the golden, orange, yellow, and red trees were awfully nice to look at. After walking the boardwalk across the swamp, I decided against circling the pond, and instead headed back across the road and up the hill back to the parking lot. Slow going, but it was a nice day to be outside... given the number of other people there, it looked like a lot of folks felt the same way.
Normanskill Farm
I first walked the Normanskill Farm trail back in June and honestly wasn't that impressed... not many views of the Normanskill and the last part of the trail runs through a golf course. While it's not a bad option for a short walk, there are many nicer places to go walking/running in the Albany area. On the plus side, there are some interesting ruins and historical sites in the park. I headed back there today because when I drove by on Friday I could see rows of colorful trees along the banks of the creek and thought they might look pretty spectacular in today's sunshine. As it turned out, I was right...
Again there were a surprising number of cars in the lot, possibly because of the dog park located on the property. I followed the trail through the woods with a detour down to the banks of the creek. The water was much higher than it had been back in June, probably because of yesterday's rain. I wandered around the remains of an old ice house for a little bit then followed the path along the stream just because the sunlight through the brightly colored leaves was really pretty. I didn't go far - stopped before reaching the National Grid station on the property - in part because as with Five Rivers, there weren't nearly as many birds visible as back in June, and in part because my legs were getting really tired by that point. But I still found the energy to walk over to the old bridge across the Normanskill, where I found two other people taking pictures of the trees along the shore. The view up and down the creek was gorgeous, with the sunlight making the trees positively glow with color. Even the Delaware Avenue bridge just downstream didn't do much to detract from the scenery.
I briefly contemplated walking up to the Whipple bridge to see the view up and down the ravine it crosses but decided that my legs wouldn't be able to handle the hike up and back (it's a moderately steep hill, and by then my legs were definitely running on empty... not to mention my left knee hollering at me.) So instead I headed home, for a well-deserved shower and possibly a nap.
JMH
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Hit-and-Run... Living in the City Sucks
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I'm a country person. Always have been, always will be. The only reasons I stay in my apartment in Albany are (1) it is a major pain to move, (2) the rent's cheap, compared to most of places I've checked, and (3) it's convenient to work. But overall I detest living in Albany. I know I've grumbled about the idiotic college kids and their loud drinking parties on more than one occasion. Last night gave me yet another reason to hate living around here, when someone hit my parked car and drove off... the @$$*&^%*!! couldn't even have the integrity to stick around and, as my kids would put it, "man up" to what he or she had done. Of course, that's no great surprise, since it was probably some scumbag who was drunk or high and/or driving illegally.
To be honest, I'm mainly aggravated because this is another thing now that I have to deal with (getting my car fixed) and it's going to cost money that I was saving for a trip next March with Ann. The good news is the car is still driveable and it's secure... but this is a pain in the backside I definitely didn't feel any need to deal with right now.
On the plus side, I am almost definitely not going to Ohio for the Bobcat Trail Marathon now... between travel and the room that trip would cost roughly 1/3 of my collision deductible, and the money will be better spent on the car at this point.
Sigh.
JMH
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I'm a country person. Always have been, always will be. The only reasons I stay in my apartment in Albany are (1) it is a major pain to move, (2) the rent's cheap, compared to most of places I've checked, and (3) it's convenient to work. But overall I detest living in Albany. I know I've grumbled about the idiotic college kids and their loud drinking parties on more than one occasion. Last night gave me yet another reason to hate living around here, when someone hit my parked car and drove off... the @$$*&^%*!! couldn't even have the integrity to stick around and, as my kids would put it, "man up" to what he or she had done. Of course, that's no great surprise, since it was probably some scumbag who was drunk or high and/or driving illegally.
To be honest, I'm mainly aggravated because this is another thing now that I have to deal with (getting my car fixed) and it's going to cost money that I was saving for a trip next March with Ann. The good news is the car is still driveable and it's secure... but this is a pain in the backside I definitely didn't feel any need to deal with right now.
On the plus side, I am almost definitely not going to Ohio for the Bobcat Trail Marathon now... between travel and the room that trip would cost roughly 1/3 of my collision deductible, and the money will be better spent on the car at this point.
Sigh.
JMH
Sunday, October 18, 2009
1.3 Mile Walk at Tinker Nature Park
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tinker Nature Park trail map (5 MB PDF)
After Ann got back from the 2nd day of her EMT conference, we decided it was too nice a day to stay indoors and headed over to Tinker Nature Park for a bit of walking before I had to get back to Albany. We chose Tinker because it's fairly flat, not a very long walk, and there's usuually a decent amount of wildlife around. We saw several groups of geese in the pond, and Ann spotted a snake on the hillside that houses the hibernaculum. I was pleased to see a number of bat houses in the park... with the massive die-offs bats are suffering in the northeast, I think we need to do everything we can to help them survive. We also saw a very shaggy-looking rabbit... perhaps the cold weather has his winter coat coming in early?
As we completed the trail loop through the woods and came out by the bird blind, a deer came out and started munching on berries in the trees. From the way she approached us it was pretty clear she was used to people... we almost got her to come over and take some berries out of our hands, but in the end she didn't want to get quite that close. A little while later another group came out of the woods, and eventually they all ended up in the weeds chowing down. They let me get pretty close before deciding they'd had enough and running off a short distance... this group didn't seem quite as comfortable as the first deer we saw, but they were still obviously used to having people around... not at all like the deer I'm used to seeing in the Pine Bush!
JMH
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tinker Nature Park trail map (5 MB PDF)
After Ann got back from the 2nd day of her EMT conference, we decided it was too nice a day to stay indoors and headed over to Tinker Nature Park for a bit of walking before I had to get back to Albany. We chose Tinker because it's fairly flat, not a very long walk, and there's usuually a decent amount of wildlife around. We saw several groups of geese in the pond, and Ann spotted a snake on the hillside that houses the hibernaculum. I was pleased to see a number of bat houses in the park... with the massive die-offs bats are suffering in the northeast, I think we need to do everything we can to help them survive. We also saw a very shaggy-looking rabbit... perhaps the cold weather has his winter coat coming in early?
As we completed the trail loop through the woods and came out by the bird blind, a deer came out and started munching on berries in the trees. From the way she approached us it was pretty clear she was used to people... we almost got her to come over and take some berries out of our hands, but in the end she didn't want to get quite that close. A little while later another group came out of the woods, and eventually they all ended up in the weeds chowing down. They let me get pretty close before deciding they'd had enough and running off a short distance... this group didn't seem quite as comfortable as the first deer we saw, but they were still obviously used to having people around... not at all like the deer I'm used to seeing in the Pine Bush!
JMH
NOT-SO-LONG DISTANCE 2009 - Race #27
Jensen Stables Ultimate XC Challenge
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The short version: This was definitely a good choice and a "keeper" for my race schedule. We had fantastic weather, with beautiful views from the hilltops. Some parts of the course also move this up into the ranks of my "craziest race" list... while mud and water crossings are no longer enough to earn a spot on that list (even the thigh deep water crossing and well over ankle deep mud this course offered) - climbing over rolls of hay, running down mountain bike trails that include jumps for the crazy fools that usually ride there, and using a rope to pull myself 30 m through a very cold pond, submerged up to my chin, definitely are. A tough but fun course with some unique challenges... even though it took me slightly over 2 hours to cover 8 miles (I missed a turn and added a little distance) I had a good time. But next time I have to figure out a way to bring my camera along (and not have it die a watery death crossing the pond.)
The longer version: coming soon
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 259.8 mi, 64 hr 24 min
Bike 58.6 mi, 4 hr 29 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, PA, RI, VT
Jensen Stables Ultimate XC Challenge
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The short version: This was definitely a good choice and a "keeper" for my race schedule. We had fantastic weather, with beautiful views from the hilltops. Some parts of the course also move this up into the ranks of my "craziest race" list... while mud and water crossings are no longer enough to earn a spot on that list (even the thigh deep water crossing and well over ankle deep mud this course offered) - climbing over rolls of hay, running down mountain bike trails that include jumps for the crazy fools that usually ride there, and using a rope to pull myself 30 m through a very cold pond, submerged up to my chin, definitely are. A tough but fun course with some unique challenges... even though it took me slightly over 2 hours to cover 8 miles (I missed a turn and added a little distance) I had a good time. But next time I have to figure out a way to bring my camera along (and not have it die a watery death crossing the pond.)
The longer version: coming soon
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 259.8 mi, 64 hr 24 min
Bike 58.6 mi, 4 hr 29 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, PA, RI, VT
The Weather Gods Are Laughing...
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Looks like I called it... the forecast now calls for a generally sunny day, with temperatures in the low 40's... great weather for the Ridgewalk events. At the same time, I know how tough the 15 mile course is, and I know what shape I'm in... I made the right call to stay closer to Rochester today and run the Jensen Stables race instead. (And the good news is - the weather should be great here too!)
Maybe next year I can have my lazy backside ready for Ridgewalk again... that course may be one of the toughest ones I've ever done, but it's also absolutely gorgeous.
JMH
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Looks like I called it... the forecast now calls for a generally sunny day, with temperatures in the low 40's... great weather for the Ridgewalk events. At the same time, I know how tough the 15 mile course is, and I know what shape I'm in... I made the right call to stay closer to Rochester today and run the Jensen Stables race instead. (And the good news is - the weather should be great here too!)
Maybe next year I can have my lazy backside ready for Ridgewalk again... that course may be one of the toughest ones I've ever done, but it's also absolutely gorgeous.
JMH
Saturday, October 17, 2009
No Ridgewalk for Me... But Maybe a Mudslog...
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Between the potential for bad (really bad) weather, my general lack of conditioning, and just being more than a bit tired due in part to a challenging teaching schedule this year, I've decided not to make the trek down to Wellsville for the Ridgewalk 15 mile trail race tomorrow. That bums me out a bit, because it's a gorgeous course... but it's also one of the hardest courses I've ever done, and tackling it in much-less-than-optimum shape in conditions that will make hypothermia a very real risk just doesn't make sense. Of course, now that I've made this decision it will be a bright sunny day tomorrow!
Depending on how I'm feeling in the morning I may head over to Fairport for the Jensen Stables 12k Ultimate XC Challenge... a race that used to be called the Jensen Stables Mud-Slog and includes a variety of obstacles on the course, including water hazards and piles of hay bales to climb over. I've been interested in trying it ever since it started a few years back, but it's usually on the same day as the Black Diamond Du, and I do few enough duathlons that I don't like to skip one. While I'll be a bit bummed about bailing on Ridgewalk, I definitely won't mind leaving here at 8:30 or so instead of 5:30 AM!
JMH
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Between the potential for bad (really bad) weather, my general lack of conditioning, and just being more than a bit tired due in part to a challenging teaching schedule this year, I've decided not to make the trek down to Wellsville for the Ridgewalk 15 mile trail race tomorrow. That bums me out a bit, because it's a gorgeous course... but it's also one of the hardest courses I've ever done, and tackling it in much-less-than-optimum shape in conditions that will make hypothermia a very real risk just doesn't make sense. Of course, now that I've made this decision it will be a bright sunny day tomorrow!
Depending on how I'm feeling in the morning I may head over to Fairport for the Jensen Stables 12k Ultimate XC Challenge... a race that used to be called the Jensen Stables Mud-Slog and includes a variety of obstacles on the course, including water hazards and piles of hay bales to climb over. I've been interested in trying it ever since it started a few years back, but it's usually on the same day as the Black Diamond Du, and I do few enough duathlons that I don't like to skip one. While I'll be a bit bummed about bailing on Ridgewalk, I definitely won't mind leaving here at 8:30 or so instead of 5:30 AM!
JMH
NOT-SO-LONG DISTANCE 2009 - Race #26
Black Diamond Offroad Duathlon
Saturday, October 17, 2009
2009 Black Diamond Duathlon results
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 252.3 mi, 62 hr 24 min
Bike 58.6 mi, 4 hr 29 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, PA, RI, VT
Black Diamond Offroad Duathlon
Saturday, October 17, 2009
2009 Black Diamond Duathlon results
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run 252.3 mi, 62 hr 24 min
Bike 58.6 mi, 4 hr 29 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, PA, RI, VT
Friday, October 16, 2009
350: The Most Important Number on Earth
A Talk by Bill McKibben
Friday, October 16, 2009
For those who don't know, Bill McKibben is a writer and environmentalist who wrote The End of Nature, one of the first books about climate change for a general audience, in 1989. Since then he has written a number of other books about environmental issues and has been very active in promoting awareness and action on a variety of environmental topics. His most recent endeavor is 350.org, "an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis" which is organizing an upcoming day of action around the world to bring people together in support of creating global policies that can perhaps help repair some of the damage we've done to the Earth's environment and climate.
A Talk by Bill McKibben
Friday, October 16, 2009
For those who don't know, Bill McKibben is a writer and environmentalist who wrote The End of Nature, one of the first books about climate change for a general audience, in 1989. Since then he has written a number of other books about environmental issues and has been very active in promoting awareness and action on a variety of environmental topics. His most recent endeavor is 350.org, "an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis" which is organizing an upcoming day of action around the world to bring people together in support of creating global policies that can perhaps help repair some of the damage we've done to the Earth's environment and climate.
I was introduced to McKibben through two books - Long Distance, which chronicled both his efforts to train for a year for elite level cross-country ski racing and his father's coincident decline and death from brain cancer, and Wandering Home, which documents a 3 week hike from his current home in Vermont to his former home in the Adirondacks. I enjoyed Wandering Home but found Long Distance fascinating enough that I've read it several times, not in the least because at times McKibben masterfully articulates the reasons I push myself to do my best in races knowing that I will never win and most likely will never in place in my age group (unless perhaps I'm still doing this stuff when I'm in my 70's or 80's...) So needless to say I was pretty excited when I heard that McKibben would be speaking to us at the Albany Academies as part of a lecture series established in memory of Amanda Morrison '02.
I came away from his lecture both pleased and a little bit disappointed... pleased because he presented some fairly cogent arguments about why climate change is a potentially catastrophic problem and then gave information about the efforts of 350.org to organize people to push for change. The number 350 is significant because 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere is the maximum amount some scientists consider safe (ie. not leading to catastrophic climate change.) Unfortunately, we're currently at just below 390 ppm, with an increase ofabout 2 ppm per year. The hope is that organizations like 350.org can push governments to make changes that will eventually allow that number to drop back down to safe levels; as part of this, they're working to organize a series of demonstrations and rallies on Saturday, October 24, 2009. (For more info, I'd recommend checking out the FAQs at 350.org, which do a nice job of summarizing the main points of what they're trying to accomplish and why.) I know there's still a good deal of disagreement in the scientific community over how much of a threat climate change really is, whether or not it's a natural effect or something humans have influenced, and if we have any hope of actually making significant changes to keep things at safe levels. But it seems to me that the risks of inaction far outweigh the costs of actions which may ultimately have no significant effect, so I definitely support efforts to raise awareness and push for change in how we affect the world around us.
At the same time, I came away a bit disappointed because what captivated me in the two books I read was McKibben's stories about experiencing the outdoors, and that wasn't something he talked about today. With good reason - there's no doubt that global warming is a much more important and urgent topic - but I still would have liked to have heard more about his personal experiences. But so it goes...
Looking around during the lecture, I suspect the vast majority of the students were bored out of their skulls, some were interested because they're concerned about the environment, and some were aggravated because they feel the issue of climate change is a plot to promote a liberal agenda. Ironic, really, that the adults were probably the most interested listeners in the room, seeing that the kids (and their future kids) are the ones who will really have to deal with the long-term effects of these issues, one way or another.
JMH
Thursday, October 15, 2009
SNOW??!!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Two years ago I ran the Ridgewalk 14 mile trail race (now measured to be 15 miles) in the Allegheny region of southwestern NY. It was a gorgeous sunny fall day with the foliage at peak color - a beautiful day for a 4 hour run/hike up and down mountains and through the woods.
I'm signed up for the 2009 race this Sunday... and right now the forecast calls for up to 7 inches of snow over the next few days, and a mix of snow and rain for Saturday and Sunday... with high temperatures in the mid-30's.
Sigh.
JMH
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Two years ago I ran the Ridgewalk 14 mile trail race (now measured to be 15 miles) in the Allegheny region of southwestern NY. It was a gorgeous sunny fall day with the foliage at peak color - a beautiful day for a 4 hour run/hike up and down mountains and through the woods.
I'm signed up for the 2009 race this Sunday... and right now the forecast calls for up to 7 inches of snow over the next few days, and a mix of snow and rain for Saturday and Sunday... with high temperatures in the mid-30's.
Sigh.
JMH
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
BRRR... WHAT HAPPENED TO OCTOBER?
6 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Bloody cold tonight... lately it seems like we've skipped October and jumped straight into late November. I've been pulling out cold weather gear which I usually wouldn't need until a month or more from now. On the plus side... at no point during tonight's run did I feel like I was overheating!
I ended up doing the entire run in the dark, between delays in getting to the trailhead and the ever-earlier sunset this time of year. Tonight I tested a new piece of gear - a headlamp on a belt clip. A while back I read an inteview with Tim Twietmeyer, an extraordinary ultrarunner who is probably best known for his association with the Western States 100 trail race, and he mentioned using a waist-level headlamp because having a light source on your head produces some bothersome contrast issues at ground level (maybe that's why I trip over really obvious roots and rocks sometimes.) So recently when EMS had several decent Petzl headlamps on sale for under half retail price, I picked up two along with a kit to adapt them for a belt clip. Tonight was the first chance I had to try out the more powerful one, and I have to say the results were somewhat mixed. On the one hand I could see a bit more than with just my trusty Black Diamond headlamp, but on the other the belt-mounted light bounced around quite a bit which at times was a little distracting. But maybe that just takes getting used to.
I ended up running what are sometimes called the Columbia Circle trails (officially known as Blueberry Hills East & West, as well as the Kaikout Kill Barrens.) They've undergone a lot of changes over the past few years due to extensive "habitat restoration." Huge stretches of woods have been stripped to get rid of non-native black locust, and two sections of hilly trail were eliminated... I have to admit, they were fun to run and I definitely miss them. Since I was running in the dark there wasn't much to see, beyond the small circle of light in front of me... I did spot a group of deer off in the woods at both the start and finish of the run, with their eyes glowing with reflected light from my lamps. It's always a bit eerie to look into the trees and see glowing eyes, even when I know it's only deer! A couple were right near the trail - I suspect they were chowing down on the acorns that are coming off the oaks.
Tonight's run was much tougher than it should have been, which just reinforces how far I've fallen out of shape, partially from being injured and mostly from laziness. I suspect that after this weekend's duathlon on Saturday and 15 mile race on Sunday I'll conclude that there isn't much point in making the trip to Ohio for the 1st Bobcat Trail Marathon, since I doubt I have a prayer of finishing it in 7 hours. It's very frustrating, given that in early June I was probably in the best distance shape I've been in for a long time. But so it goes... I'll just have to try to do better next year.
JMH
6 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Bloody cold tonight... lately it seems like we've skipped October and jumped straight into late November. I've been pulling out cold weather gear which I usually wouldn't need until a month or more from now. On the plus side... at no point during tonight's run did I feel like I was overheating!
I ended up doing the entire run in the dark, between delays in getting to the trailhead and the ever-earlier sunset this time of year. Tonight I tested a new piece of gear - a headlamp on a belt clip. A while back I read an inteview with Tim Twietmeyer, an extraordinary ultrarunner who is probably best known for his association with the Western States 100 trail race, and he mentioned using a waist-level headlamp because having a light source on your head produces some bothersome contrast issues at ground level (maybe that's why I trip over really obvious roots and rocks sometimes.) So recently when EMS had several decent Petzl headlamps on sale for under half retail price, I picked up two along with a kit to adapt them for a belt clip. Tonight was the first chance I had to try out the more powerful one, and I have to say the results were somewhat mixed. On the one hand I could see a bit more than with just my trusty Black Diamond headlamp, but on the other the belt-mounted light bounced around quite a bit which at times was a little distracting. But maybe that just takes getting used to.
I ended up running what are sometimes called the Columbia Circle trails (officially known as Blueberry Hills East & West, as well as the Kaikout Kill Barrens.) They've undergone a lot of changes over the past few years due to extensive "habitat restoration." Huge stretches of woods have been stripped to get rid of non-native black locust, and two sections of hilly trail were eliminated... I have to admit, they were fun to run and I definitely miss them. Since I was running in the dark there wasn't much to see, beyond the small circle of light in front of me... I did spot a group of deer off in the woods at both the start and finish of the run, with their eyes glowing with reflected light from my lamps. It's always a bit eerie to look into the trees and see glowing eyes, even when I know it's only deer! A couple were right near the trail - I suspect they were chowing down on the acorns that are coming off the oaks.
Tonight's run was much tougher than it should have been, which just reinforces how far I've fallen out of shape, partially from being injured and mostly from laziness. I suspect that after this weekend's duathlon on Saturday and 15 mile race on Sunday I'll conclude that there isn't much point in making the trip to Ohio for the 1st Bobcat Trail Marathon, since I doubt I have a prayer of finishing it in 7 hours. It's very frustrating, given that in early June I was probably in the best distance shape I've been in for a long time. But so it goes... I'll just have to try to do better next year.
JMH
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
A Bit of Walking at Braddock Bay Park & Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center
Saturday, October 3, 2009
NYS DEC Braddock Bay WMA page
Braddock Bay Raptor Research site
Had a tough time getting my backside in gear today, so I didn't get to stop anywhere on the way out to Rochester. The weather was pretty decent when I got there, so we decided to go for a short walk. First we stopped at Braddock Bay Park and walked down to the observation platform out in the wetlands. Not much to see... the reeds and grasses are lot browner than the last time we were there, and there were swans, geese, and ducks out in the bay, too far off to really get a good look at them.
After that we headed west to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center. The trails were a lot more overgrown than when we were there back in the spring, but also a lot drier. I didn't expect we'd see any owls but had hoped we might hear some, but no such luck. In the end we wandered around for a bit checking out the trees and then headed back home.
Ironically, the best place to see raptors this weekend wasn't the woods, it was along 390 and 490, which I sometimes refer to as "Hawk Alley." This time of year it's not unusual to spot red-tailed hawks perched on the light poles; we probably saw half a dozen different birds as we drove around this weekend. While it's always fun to see them, it's also frustrating, since I almost always want to stop and take pictures and that's really a bad idea on a major highway...
JMH
Saturday, October 3, 2009
NYS DEC Braddock Bay WMA page
Braddock Bay Raptor Research site
Had a tough time getting my backside in gear today, so I didn't get to stop anywhere on the way out to Rochester. The weather was pretty decent when I got there, so we decided to go for a short walk. First we stopped at Braddock Bay Park and walked down to the observation platform out in the wetlands. Not much to see... the reeds and grasses are lot browner than the last time we were there, and there were swans, geese, and ducks out in the bay, too far off to really get a good look at them.
After that we headed west to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center. The trails were a lot more overgrown than when we were there back in the spring, but also a lot drier. I didn't expect we'd see any owls but had hoped we might hear some, but no such luck. In the end we wandered around for a bit checking out the trees and then headed back home.
Ironically, the best place to see raptors this weekend wasn't the woods, it was along 390 and 490, which I sometimes refer to as "Hawk Alley." This time of year it's not unusual to spot red-tailed hawks perched on the light poles; we probably saw half a dozen different birds as we drove around this weekend. While it's always fun to see them, it's also frustrating, since I almost always want to stop and take pictures and that's really a bad idea on a major highway...
JMH
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