7.4 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
2 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, March 29, 2010
Didn't really want to go running today, but it was chilly and at times rainy so riding didn't sound like a very good option either... in the end I decided to walk around Five Rivers a bit and see if any critters were about.
The deer were very active tonight... first in the orchard neat the parking lots, then I saw them again over by the entrance to the service road. Even watched (and listened) to one getting a drink from a puddle. They seemed wary, but they're clearly used to the idea that people don't bother them here.
There were a few noisy pairs of geese in a couple of the smaller ponds, and a larger group down in the beaver pond when I finally got down there. I also heard a kingfisher chattering away and of course lots of the usual suspects (robins, juncos, red-winged blackbirds, and so on) were around.
The frogs calling in the swamp were something else tonight... it's incredible what a racket they can make, even on a chilly spring night.
Spent a few minutes watching muskrats in Heron Pond near the road, then crossed over and headed out on the bridge across Beaver Pond. As I was approaching the bridge I realized that the beavers seem to have dammed the wetlands along the southwest shore... I don't know if that's something new or if the water was just high enough today to make it obvious by flowing over the dam in spots. When I reached the middle of the bridge I saw two dark shapes on the shore on the pond a ways ahead... at first I thought they might be muskrats (BIG muskrats) but when they slid into the water and submerged, the tail-slap made it very clear they were beavers. I spent a while watching them swim around - a third actually joined them for a bit - and even managed to get a couple of fairly poor pictures using the flash on my camera (it was getting pretty dark by then.)
When it came time to leave the beavers to their business I was very glad that the Five Rivers staff takes good care of their trails and that I know the trails well, because it was definitely too dark to see very much. Since I was just walking and didn't have far to go, no big deal... and getting to watch the beavers was well worth it.
JMH
Monday, March 29, 2010
Didn't really want to go running today, but it was chilly and at times rainy so riding didn't sound like a very good option either... in the end I decided to walk around Five Rivers a bit and see if any critters were about.
The deer were very active tonight... first in the orchard neat the parking lots, then I saw them again over by the entrance to the service road. Even watched (and listened) to one getting a drink from a puddle. They seemed wary, but they're clearly used to the idea that people don't bother them here.
There were a few noisy pairs of geese in a couple of the smaller ponds, and a larger group down in the beaver pond when I finally got down there. I also heard a kingfisher chattering away and of course lots of the usual suspects (robins, juncos, red-winged blackbirds, and so on) were around.
The frogs calling in the swamp were something else tonight... it's incredible what a racket they can make, even on a chilly spring night.
Spent a few minutes watching muskrats in Heron Pond near the road, then crossed over and headed out on the bridge across Beaver Pond. As I was approaching the bridge I realized that the beavers seem to have dammed the wetlands along the southwest shore... I don't know if that's something new or if the water was just high enough today to make it obvious by flowing over the dam in spots. When I reached the middle of the bridge I saw two dark shapes on the shore on the pond a ways ahead... at first I thought they might be muskrats (BIG muskrats) but when they slid into the water and submerged, the tail-slap made it very clear they were beavers. I spent a while watching them swim around - a third actually joined them for a bit - and even managed to get a couple of fairly poor pictures using the flash on my camera (it was getting pretty dark by then.)
When it came time to leave the beavers to their business I was very glad that the Five Rivers staff takes good care of their trails and that I know the trails well, because it was definitely too dark to see very much. Since I was just walking and didn't have far to go, no big deal... and getting to watch the beavers was well worth it.
JMH
Sunday, March 28, 2010
2 Mile Muddy Walk at Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center
Sunday, March 28, 2010
After lunch Ann and I headed up to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center preserve, first to look for owls and then to wander the trails a bit. When we parked the car, dozens of turkey vultures were streaming by overhead, with even more following for the first part of our walk. Must be migration time for them.
As expected it was very muddy... we slogged around under the evergreens in the Owl Woods getting stiff necks, but no luck with the owls... all I managed to find was the remains of a deer carcass.
When we reached the intersection where we've typically looped back past the hawk banding station, Ann commented that some day we'd have to see where the other trail went and I said "Why not today?" Usually we turn back because that trail is very wet and muddy... but our feet were already wet and muddy today (well, at least mine were... maybe Ann's boots were water resistant.) So we made our way through the mud and water and eventually came out on a nice stretch of beach. There was a house not far away heading east, so we walked down the beach in the opposite direction for a while, checking out the waves and all the rocks and shells that littered the sand.
After that all that was left was to make our way back through the mud and water... we stopped at the banding station but no one was there, so we headed back out of the woods and home to dry socks and shoes.
JMH
Sunday, March 28, 2010
After lunch Ann and I headed up to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center preserve, first to look for owls and then to wander the trails a bit. When we parked the car, dozens of turkey vultures were streaming by overhead, with even more following for the first part of our walk. Must be migration time for them.
As expected it was very muddy... we slogged around under the evergreens in the Owl Woods getting stiff necks, but no luck with the owls... all I managed to find was the remains of a deer carcass.
When we reached the intersection where we've typically looped back past the hawk banding station, Ann commented that some day we'd have to see where the other trail went and I said "Why not today?" Usually we turn back because that trail is very wet and muddy... but our feet were already wet and muddy today (well, at least mine were... maybe Ann's boots were water resistant.) So we made our way through the mud and water and eventually came out on a nice stretch of beach. There was a house not far away heading east, so we walked down the beach in the opposite direction for a while, checking out the waves and all the rocks and shells that littered the sand.
After that all that was left was to make our way back through the mud and water... we stopped at the banding station but no one was there, so we headed back out of the woods and home to dry socks and shoes.
JMH
REBUILDING DISTANCE 2010 - Race #2
Spring Forward Distance Run 15k Road Race
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Spring Forward 15k is an oddball race for me... it's a somewhat challenging 15k (lots of hills) and honestly the scenery isn't spectacular this time of year (when everything is still mostly shades of brown and grey.) At the same time, even in shades of brown the Mendon countryside can be nice to look at, there's often wildlife to check out, and any race organized by the folks at Yellowjacket Racing is bound to have a ton of positive energy associated with it. So far that's made it worth doing for the last three years...
Last June I tore something in my knee (probably my meniscus) which derailed many of my running plans for the year, then re-tore the same thing in mid-November. So I didn't run nearly enough last year and spent a lot of time eating way too much... in other words I jumped into 2010 substantially heavier than I should be and definitely out of shape. Snowshoe running this winter helped a bit (though my enjoyment of food didn't!) and I'm trying to gradually (so as not to aggravate my knee) build back up to longer distances. Since I haven't run over 9 miles since the end of October, I felt pretty confident about today's race in two areas - it would be slow, and it would hurt.
My knee grumbled on and off most of the time but didn't give me any major trouble. I kept at a fairly slow but steady pace near the back of the pack, with a few people behind me (including two runners that seemed familiar - I realized later they were at the Darts Lake Dash snowshoe race up in the Adirondacks at the end of January.) It turns out that there were more folks "behind" me than I realized, since some of the slower runners had opted for the 7:30 AM "early start" (I had enough trouble getting myself in gear for the 8:30 start!)
My legs really felt sore and sluggish for the first couple of miles, then felt decent for the middle miles, then started to lose it for the last two or so... never so much that I felt myself slowing all that significantly from the high 11's to mid-12's I was running, but enough that I could tell I hadn't run this far in a while. I also spent much of the run with my inner thighs chafing... turns out my compression shorts had worn through, so that's no great surprise, but it will be uncomfortable for a few days. I managed to hold off the folks behind me for the last few miles and finished with a respectable (for me) time of 1:56:08 - under two hours (my overall goal) and slightly longer than in 2008, but well above my 2009 PR (again, no surprise... last year I was in much better shape at this point.) My knee was sore but manageable, so I also met my goal of not doing anything more than somewhat aggravating it.
Along the way we were treated to a bit of wildlife (half a dozen deer running across the road ahead of us as we were leaving Mendon Ponds Park, a northern mockingbird singing happily in a tree right near the 8 mile mark) and a few nice views of the countryside, even if they were in shades of brown and grey. The volunteers, as always, were absolutely awesome, and I thought it was really cool that they held up the awards by 15 minutes to wait for the last runners to come in and also encouraged everyone who was still hanging around to come to the finish and cheer on the last runners to come in. Like I said, there's always tons of positive attitude at Yellowjacket Racing events - just one of the many reasons I keep coming back to their races and will continue to do so!
JMH
2010 Event Totals
Run 12.5 mi, 2 hr 30 min
Bike
Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
states visited: CT, MA, NY, VT
Spring Forward Distance Run 15k Road Race
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Spring Forward 15k is an oddball race for me... it's a somewhat challenging 15k (lots of hills) and honestly the scenery isn't spectacular this time of year (when everything is still mostly shades of brown and grey.) At the same time, even in shades of brown the Mendon countryside can be nice to look at, there's often wildlife to check out, and any race organized by the folks at Yellowjacket Racing is bound to have a ton of positive energy associated with it. So far that's made it worth doing for the last three years...
Last June I tore something in my knee (probably my meniscus) which derailed many of my running plans for the year, then re-tore the same thing in mid-November. So I didn't run nearly enough last year and spent a lot of time eating way too much... in other words I jumped into 2010 substantially heavier than I should be and definitely out of shape. Snowshoe running this winter helped a bit (though my enjoyment of food didn't!) and I'm trying to gradually (so as not to aggravate my knee) build back up to longer distances. Since I haven't run over 9 miles since the end of October, I felt pretty confident about today's race in two areas - it would be slow, and it would hurt.
My knee grumbled on and off most of the time but didn't give me any major trouble. I kept at a fairly slow but steady pace near the back of the pack, with a few people behind me (including two runners that seemed familiar - I realized later they were at the Darts Lake Dash snowshoe race up in the Adirondacks at the end of January.) It turns out that there were more folks "behind" me than I realized, since some of the slower runners had opted for the 7:30 AM "early start" (I had enough trouble getting myself in gear for the 8:30 start!)
My legs really felt sore and sluggish for the first couple of miles, then felt decent for the middle miles, then started to lose it for the last two or so... never so much that I felt myself slowing all that significantly from the high 11's to mid-12's I was running, but enough that I could tell I hadn't run this far in a while. I also spent much of the run with my inner thighs chafing... turns out my compression shorts had worn through, so that's no great surprise, but it will be uncomfortable for a few days. I managed to hold off the folks behind me for the last few miles and finished with a respectable (for me) time of 1:56:08 - under two hours (my overall goal) and slightly longer than in 2008, but well above my 2009 PR (again, no surprise... last year I was in much better shape at this point.) My knee was sore but manageable, so I also met my goal of not doing anything more than somewhat aggravating it.
Along the way we were treated to a bit of wildlife (half a dozen deer running across the road ahead of us as we were leaving Mendon Ponds Park, a northern mockingbird singing happily in a tree right near the 8 mile mark) and a few nice views of the countryside, even if they were in shades of brown and grey. The volunteers, as always, were absolutely awesome, and I thought it was really cool that they held up the awards by 15 minutes to wait for the last runners to come in and also encouraged everyone who was still hanging around to come to the finish and cheer on the last runners to come in. Like I said, there's always tons of positive attitude at Yellowjacket Racing events - just one of the many reasons I keep coming back to their races and will continue to do so!
JMH
2010 Event Totals
Run 12.5 mi, 2 hr 30 min
Bike
Snowshoe 71.7 mi, 18 hr 26 min
states visited: CT, MA, NY, VT
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A Brief Visit to the Ashantee Five Arch Bridge & Ashantee Falls
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Ashantee is a small town south of Rochester near Avon, noted in Rich and Sue Freeman's 200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY as being the site of a man-made waterfall over a dam and the cut stone Five Arch Bridge which was built in 1857 to carry the Genesee Valley Railroad across Conesus Creek. At its peak the bridge carried 13 trains a day across the creek, before many of the local railroads were shut down in the mid- and late-1900's. This line was closed in 1941 and now the large stone bridge is part of a small park. Today the creek was absolutely roaring under it, which precluded getting a closer look from the creekbed.
Across the road and upstream slightly water was also roaring over the dam, but we were only able to catch glimpses of the waterfall, since both sides of the creek are private property - a residence on one bank (complete with a bright red water wheel near creek level) and a sprawling antique shop on the other. The guidebook recommends viewing the falls from the windows of the antique shop, but they were closed, so we had to settle for brief glimpses of the creek. At least we had a nice view of the almost-full moon high in the sky...
JMH
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Ashantee is a small town south of Rochester near Avon, noted in Rich and Sue Freeman's 200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY as being the site of a man-made waterfall over a dam and the cut stone Five Arch Bridge which was built in 1857 to carry the Genesee Valley Railroad across Conesus Creek. At its peak the bridge carried 13 trains a day across the creek, before many of the local railroads were shut down in the mid- and late-1900's. This line was closed in 1941 and now the large stone bridge is part of a small park. Today the creek was absolutely roaring under it, which precluded getting a closer look from the creekbed.
Across the road and upstream slightly water was also roaring over the dam, but we were only able to catch glimpses of the waterfall, since both sides of the creek are private property - a residence on one bank (complete with a bright red water wheel near creek level) and a sprawling antique shop on the other. The guidebook recommends viewing the falls from the windows of the antique shop, but they were closed, so we had to settle for brief glimpses of the creek. At least we had a nice view of the almost-full moon high in the sky...
JMH
Thursday, March 25, 2010
1.7 Mile Walk at Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Originally I had planned to ride today, but it was grey and chilly when I finished work and my legs were feeling a bit fried... so instead I headed over to Ann Lee Pond to see the sights. Lots of birds around... there were robins, red-winged blackbirds, starlings, grackles, and possibly even a few brown cowbirds right near the parking area and flocking in the orchard across the road. Only spotted two ducks in the pond, and no geese until it was almost dark. There was also a kingfisher chattering away, but I could only catch slight glimpses of it as it flew from spot to spot.
I started out walking the open shore of the pond near the parking area, then headed through the fields along the north shore back to the crazy bridge, which at least did not get any crazier this winter. As I crossed the bridge there were a couple of muskrats swimming in the shallow water - given that the water looks to be less than a foot deep, I don't know how they managed to submerge and hide, but they did... maybe it's deeper than it looks. From there I walked back into the woods toward the beaver pond, and repeatedly heard wood ducks squawking as they flew off, though I didn't actually see any. Didn't see any beavers either, in part because it was getting darker and I didn't go very far since I hadn't brought a light. That turned out to be a good choice, because on my way back to the car it started raining lightly. I'll have to wander back there another day and see if I can spot the beavers.
JMH
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Originally I had planned to ride today, but it was grey and chilly when I finished work and my legs were feeling a bit fried... so instead I headed over to Ann Lee Pond to see the sights. Lots of birds around... there were robins, red-winged blackbirds, starlings, grackles, and possibly even a few brown cowbirds right near the parking area and flocking in the orchard across the road. Only spotted two ducks in the pond, and no geese until it was almost dark. There was also a kingfisher chattering away, but I could only catch slight glimpses of it as it flew from spot to spot.
I started out walking the open shore of the pond near the parking area, then headed through the fields along the north shore back to the crazy bridge, which at least did not get any crazier this winter. As I crossed the bridge there were a couple of muskrats swimming in the shallow water - given that the water looks to be less than a foot deep, I don't know how they managed to submerge and hide, but they did... maybe it's deeper than it looks. From there I walked back into the woods toward the beaver pond, and repeatedly heard wood ducks squawking as they flew off, though I didn't actually see any. Didn't see any beavers either, in part because it was getting darker and I didn't go very far since I hadn't brought a light. That turned out to be a good choice, because on my way back to the car it started raining lightly. I'll have to wander back there another day and see if I can spot the beavers.
JMH
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
MUSKRATS & MOONLIGHT
6.6 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tonight was definitely muskrat night along the bike path... I must have spotted a dozen or more swimming in the water, and even one right up in the grass along the path munching intently on dinner... so intently that he didn't scurry away when I stood there taking pictures.
The water was even higher than last weekend when I rode my bike over there - portions of the construction road parallel to Ferry Road were actually submerged, which must be a hassle for the workers trying to build the new Ferry Rd bridge.
I got off to a late start, so it was getting dark by the time I reached Lock 7 Road, and I was surprised to see my shadow on the path under me... when I finally looked up, there was a bright half moon shining in the sky. I should have realized it, since last week the moon was a waxing crescent, but instead it was a nice surprise - I love running on moonlit nights. It almost made up for the fact that it was too dark to see very much (like the water roaring over the Lock 7 dam.)
JMH
6.6 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tonight was definitely muskrat night along the bike path... I must have spotted a dozen or more swimming in the water, and even one right up in the grass along the path munching intently on dinner... so intently that he didn't scurry away when I stood there taking pictures.
The water was even higher than last weekend when I rode my bike over there - portions of the construction road parallel to Ferry Road were actually submerged, which must be a hassle for the workers trying to build the new Ferry Rd bridge.
I got off to a late start, so it was getting dark by the time I reached Lock 7 Road, and I was surprised to see my shadow on the path under me... when I finally looked up, there was a bright half moon shining in the sky. I should have realized it, since last week the moon was a waxing crescent, but instead it was a nice surprise - I love running on moonlit nights. It almost made up for the fact that it was too dark to see very much (like the water roaring over the Lock 7 dam.)
JMH
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
8.3 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tonight was a good night for a run... cool but not too cold (until the end, after the sun went down!) and the trails were nice and soft from the rain we had recently. I haven't been for a run in the Pine Bush for a while, but over the past 10 years I've run there so often that it always feels a bit like coming home when I'm back on those trails again, even with all the changes that have happened over the past few years.
Since I expected to be out after dark I didn't bother with my camera... in once sense that was a good thing, since it let me concentrate on running, but it was also light long enough that I probably could have gotten some decent photos. Just as I was starting out a large bird flew off from some of the pines - couldn't tell if it was a raptor or an owl. And later in the run I saw a large group of deer (twice, actually... once when I scared them into the woods, and then later when I startled them running through the woods they'd run into.) The frogs were also singing a froggy mating chorus when I came back through in the dark - they quieted right down as I got close, but I could see them head for the bottom of their vernal pool when directed my headlamp toward the water.
Started out tired with somewhat fried quads (presumably a result of four tough days of snowshoeing, running, and riding at the end of last week!) and things didn't improve much, though I did end up running further than I thought I would, in part because I headed off on some trails I don't run very often... that added both extra interest and made it a little bit tougher to end the run early. Right now it's hard to imagine the two race weekends I have coming up in April - Merrimack (10mi) and Great Bay (half marathon) in a little under two weeks, and the Flower City Challenge in about a month. I'm expecting slow times at all three, and I suspect they're going to hurt more than a little... but hopefully they'll help keep me on track for getting ready for NIPMUCK at the beginning of June.
JMH
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tonight was a good night for a run... cool but not too cold (until the end, after the sun went down!) and the trails were nice and soft from the rain we had recently. I haven't been for a run in the Pine Bush for a while, but over the past 10 years I've run there so often that it always feels a bit like coming home when I'm back on those trails again, even with all the changes that have happened over the past few years.
Since I expected to be out after dark I didn't bother with my camera... in once sense that was a good thing, since it let me concentrate on running, but it was also light long enough that I probably could have gotten some decent photos. Just as I was starting out a large bird flew off from some of the pines - couldn't tell if it was a raptor or an owl. And later in the run I saw a large group of deer (twice, actually... once when I scared them into the woods, and then later when I startled them running through the woods they'd run into.) The frogs were also singing a froggy mating chorus when I came back through in the dark - they quieted right down as I got close, but I could see them head for the bottom of their vernal pool when directed my headlamp toward the water.
Started out tired with somewhat fried quads (presumably a result of four tough days of snowshoeing, running, and riding at the end of last week!) and things didn't improve much, though I did end up running further than I thought I would, in part because I headed off on some trails I don't run very often... that added both extra interest and made it a little bit tougher to end the run early. Right now it's hard to imagine the two race weekends I have coming up in April - Merrimack (10mi) and Great Bay (half marathon) in a little under two weeks, and the Flower City Challenge in about a month. I'm expecting slow times at all three, and I suspect they're going to hurt more than a little... but hopefully they'll help keep me on track for getting ready for NIPMUCK at the beginning of June.
JMH
Sunday, March 21, 2010
21.7 Mile Ride Along the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path & to Cohoes Falls Overlook Park
Sunday, March 21, 2010
After snowshoeing, riding, and running for the last three days I would have preferred to take today as a rest day... but between going back to work tomorrow and a forecast of rain for the next two days I decided to get out on the bike instead... the end of April (and the Flower City River Challenge Paddle Triathlon) is approaching much too quickly!
I ended up over at the Niskayuna Lions Park once again, and headed east along the bike path toward Cohoes. Lots of birds along the way, especially red-winged blackbirds. The unseasonably warm weather has also managed to melt most of the ice that had built up along the shores of the Mohawk River. Of course, the tradeoff is that the river is very high right now, which is why I headed over to Cohoes Falls. In late spring, summer, and fall, the waterfall is typically almost dry, because water gets diverted from the river into both the canal (which bypasses the falls using a flight of locks to the east) and the hydroelectric plant near Cohoes Falls Overlook Park. As I rode east from Colonie Mohawk River Park, I could hear water going over the Crescent Dam (the point where water gets diverted from the river) so I was pretty sure the falls would be impressive.
Spent a few minutes at the falls taking pictures and just enjoying the view... definitely a lot more water than I remember seeing the last time I was there. Someone was riding a mountain bike on the cliff across the river; one of these days I need to get over there and check out the trails. Unfortunately, the relatively new Falls View Park doesn't re-open until May (there's a gate across the bridge to the park) so I had to get what side views I could through the fence running along N Mohawk Street. All in all it was really impressive, so much so that I decided to ride up the road to check out the Crescent Dam. Sadly, the views there were not as good, which is unfortunate since more water than I've ever seen was going over the top of the dam.
The ride back to the Lions Park was tough, mainly because the worst hills are in that direction... first the climb away from the river back to the bike path (which I struggled up not realizing that I wasn't in my lowest gear... d'oh!) and then after passing Colonie Mohawk River Park and heading down toward the riverbank again a series of climbs in short succession to get back to the old railroad grade (the Troy & Schenectady Railroad ran along the route of the bike path from 1842 until the 1970's/1980's, when the final sections that remained operational were shut down and abandoned. The rail line actually crossed the Northway just south of the Twin Bridges when it was first built in the 1960's, until New York State told the owners they needed to build a bridge or a tunnel for safety reasons and the financially prudent decision was made to break the line at that point instead. For more about the T&S, check this site which has quite a bit of info.) Along the way I stopped a couple of times to take pictures of birds and some interesting cloud formations. I was very pleased to finally get back on the relatively level stretch of path from Forts Ferry Road back to the park.
Even though it was getting a bit chilly as the sun went down I decided to ride a few more miles out to Lock 7 Rd and back, which gave me a chance to check out the construction site for the new Niska Island bridge... several muskrats were swimming around, and while I was watching them a number of ducks and geese flew overhead, presumably heading toward wherever they were planning to spend the night. A little further down there was a decent-sized group of mallards in the stream alongside the path, but no mergansers today. I would have liked to keep going all the way to the base of the old landfill, but tired legs, failing light, and ever-colder temperatures convinced me to head back. In any case, I still did my longest ride this year, with a bit of hill work... now I just have to keep at it once work starts back up again tomorrow!
JMH
Sunday, March 21, 2010
After snowshoeing, riding, and running for the last three days I would have preferred to take today as a rest day... but between going back to work tomorrow and a forecast of rain for the next two days I decided to get out on the bike instead... the end of April (and the Flower City River Challenge Paddle Triathlon) is approaching much too quickly!
I ended up over at the Niskayuna Lions Park once again, and headed east along the bike path toward Cohoes. Lots of birds along the way, especially red-winged blackbirds. The unseasonably warm weather has also managed to melt most of the ice that had built up along the shores of the Mohawk River. Of course, the tradeoff is that the river is very high right now, which is why I headed over to Cohoes Falls. In late spring, summer, and fall, the waterfall is typically almost dry, because water gets diverted from the river into both the canal (which bypasses the falls using a flight of locks to the east) and the hydroelectric plant near Cohoes Falls Overlook Park. As I rode east from Colonie Mohawk River Park, I could hear water going over the Crescent Dam (the point where water gets diverted from the river) so I was pretty sure the falls would be impressive.
Spent a few minutes at the falls taking pictures and just enjoying the view... definitely a lot more water than I remember seeing the last time I was there. Someone was riding a mountain bike on the cliff across the river; one of these days I need to get over there and check out the trails. Unfortunately, the relatively new Falls View Park doesn't re-open until May (there's a gate across the bridge to the park) so I had to get what side views I could through the fence running along N Mohawk Street. All in all it was really impressive, so much so that I decided to ride up the road to check out the Crescent Dam. Sadly, the views there were not as good, which is unfortunate since more water than I've ever seen was going over the top of the dam.
The ride back to the Lions Park was tough, mainly because the worst hills are in that direction... first the climb away from the river back to the bike path (which I struggled up not realizing that I wasn't in my lowest gear... d'oh!) and then after passing Colonie Mohawk River Park and heading down toward the riverbank again a series of climbs in short succession to get back to the old railroad grade (the Troy & Schenectady Railroad ran along the route of the bike path from 1842 until the 1970's/1980's, when the final sections that remained operational were shut down and abandoned. The rail line actually crossed the Northway just south of the Twin Bridges when it was first built in the 1960's, until New York State told the owners they needed to build a bridge or a tunnel for safety reasons and the financially prudent decision was made to break the line at that point instead. For more about the T&S, check this site which has quite a bit of info.) Along the way I stopped a couple of times to take pictures of birds and some interesting cloud formations. I was very pleased to finally get back on the relatively level stretch of path from Forts Ferry Road back to the park.
Even though it was getting a bit chilly as the sun went down I decided to ride a few more miles out to Lock 7 Rd and back, which gave me a chance to check out the construction site for the new Niska Island bridge... several muskrats were swimming around, and while I was watching them a number of ducks and geese flew overhead, presumably heading toward wherever they were planning to spend the night. A little further down there was a decent-sized group of mallards in the stream alongside the path, but no mergansers today. I would have liked to keep going all the way to the base of the old landfill, but tired legs, failing light, and ever-colder temperatures convinced me to head back. In any case, I still did my longest ride this year, with a bit of hill work... now I just have to keep at it once work starts back up again tomorrow!
JMH
Weekly Training Summary
3/14/2010 - 3/20/2010
running (2x) - 11.2 mi
riding (2x) - 32.2 mi
snowshoeing (2x) - 9.3 mi
pushups - 0
Didn't run quite as far as I'd hoped this week (in part due to snowshoeing instead of running on Thursday) but I did hit two snowshoe PRs - over 100 miles for 2010 (the most in 5 years on snowshoes) and my 16th (and final) snowshoe race for the 2009-10 season (one more than last year.)
JMH
3/14/2010 - 3/20/2010
running (2x) - 11.2 mi
riding (2x) - 32.2 mi
snowshoeing (2x) - 9.3 mi
pushups - 0
Didn't run quite as far as I'd hoped this week (in part due to snowshoeing instead of running on Thursday) but I did hit two snowshoe PRs - over 100 miles for 2010 (the most in 5 years on snowshoes) and my 16th (and final) snowshoe race for the 2009-10 season (one more than last year.)
JMH
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
It's... GODZILLA!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
When I was considerably younger I was fascinated by dinosaurs and monsters... so it was no great surprise when I became a big fan of Godzilla and other daikaiju (giant monster) films. No easy feat at the time, when the only Godzilla movie that consistently made it to television was King Kong vs. Godzilla and showings at movie theaters were few and far between. While I'm no longer quite as big a fan as I was back then (let's be honest, as movies go most of them are pretty bad!) I have managed to get most of the films on DVD, as well as a few other notable daikaiju like Gamera (a giant fire-breathing turtle! Way cool!) And a few reminders share space with me while I'm working.
Yes, I am an unabashed geek.
Which is probably why I am very amused by Godzilla Haiku, a site where SamuraiFrog posts haiku inspired by various Godzilla pictures (and ones submitted by readers, as well.)
Some are wistful, some are funny... but as a whole, they're wonderful, at least for an old daikaiju fan.
JMH
Thursday, March 18, 2010
When I was considerably younger I was fascinated by dinosaurs and monsters... so it was no great surprise when I became a big fan of Godzilla and other daikaiju (giant monster) films. No easy feat at the time, when the only Godzilla movie that consistently made it to television was King Kong vs. Godzilla and showings at movie theaters were few and far between. While I'm no longer quite as big a fan as I was back then (let's be honest, as movies go most of them are pretty bad!) I have managed to get most of the films on DVD, as well as a few other notable daikaiju like Gamera (a giant fire-breathing turtle! Way cool!) And a few reminders share space with me while I'm working.
Yes, I am an unabashed geek.
Which is probably why I am very amused by Godzilla Haiku, a site where SamuraiFrog posts haiku inspired by various Godzilla pictures (and ones submitted by readers, as well.)
Some are wistful, some are funny... but as a whole, they're wonderful, at least for an old daikaiju fan.
JMH
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Tough Way to Travel
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
As I was driving on the NYS Thruway this afternoon I came up on a truck that had bits of white fluff flying out of the back... when I passed it I saw why, it was filled with cages crammed full of chickens. I wish I'd thought to grab my camera and snap a couple of photos, but I was too busy thinking about how much it must suck to be those chickens... but here's a photo I found online that gives a pretty good idea of what it looked like, except the one I saw was much larger and covered over the top.
image courtesy of webshots
I was interested to find that in addition to this seeming like a fairly cruel way to transport chickens, there are also possible health risks involved. Apparently researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found increased levels of bacteria and in particular antibiotic resistant bacteria on and in cars that travel behind open-air poultry trucks. No great surprise, really, since many chickens have antibiotics added to their feed and it was clear that the truck I came up on was leaving plenty of material in its wake. I'm glad I decided to pass instead of staying behind the truck!
JMH
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
As I was driving on the NYS Thruway this afternoon I came up on a truck that had bits of white fluff flying out of the back... when I passed it I saw why, it was filled with cages crammed full of chickens. I wish I'd thought to grab my camera and snap a couple of photos, but I was too busy thinking about how much it must suck to be those chickens... but here's a photo I found online that gives a pretty good idea of what it looked like, except the one I saw was much larger and covered over the top.
image courtesy of webshots
I was interested to find that in addition to this seeming like a fairly cruel way to transport chickens, there are also possible health risks involved. Apparently researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found increased levels of bacteria and in particular antibiotic resistant bacteria on and in cars that travel behind open-air poultry trucks. No great surprise, really, since many chickens have antibiotics added to their feed and it was clear that the truck I came up on was leaving plenty of material in its wake. I'm glad I decided to pass instead of staying behind the truck!
JMH
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
2.3 Mile Walk at Durand Eastman Park
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
It was definitely too nice an evening to spend indoors, so Ann and I headed up to Durand Eastman Park along the lake, figuring if nothing else we could always walk along the paved Irondequoit Lakeside Trail... as it turned out, we spent most of the time walking on the beach. We tried walking the trails along the shores of Eastman and Durand Lakes, but the first trail we tried ended up underwater after only a short distance, and the second turned out to be pretty muddy, so we turned back there too.
Not that walking along the beach was unpleasant... quite the contrary, the waters of Lake Ontario were unbelievably blue and I always enjoy looking at the water-smoothed pebbles and the shells in the sand. Of course, the best part was having some time to walk with my sweetheart...
JMH
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
It was definitely too nice an evening to spend indoors, so Ann and I headed up to Durand Eastman Park along the lake, figuring if nothing else we could always walk along the paved Irondequoit Lakeside Trail... as it turned out, we spent most of the time walking on the beach. We tried walking the trails along the shores of Eastman and Durand Lakes, but the first trail we tried ended up underwater after only a short distance, and the second turned out to be pretty muddy, so we turned back there too.
Not that walking along the beach was unpleasant... quite the contrary, the waters of Lake Ontario were unbelievably blue and I always enjoy looking at the water-smoothed pebbles and the shells in the sand. Of course, the best part was having some time to walk with my sweetheart...
JMH
16.2 Mile Ride Through Genesee Valley Park & Along the Erie Canalway Trail
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Today began the stretch of unseasonably warm weather we're supposed to have this week, along with plenty of sunshine... a good day for a ride! I rode through Genesee Valley Park up the west side of the Genesee River and then back down the east side. Looking at the water flowing in the river I realized it's very deceptive... because it's relatively calm it looks like it's barely moving, but when you watch things floating downstream you see that it's actually moving very quickly... I suspect High Falls in downtown Rochester is pretty impressive right now. Hopefully the current will decrease by the end of April, when we're supposed to be paddling one leg of the Flower City Challenge Paddle Triathlon... if it's running this fast then, it could be a tough three miles of paddling.
There's a shallow section along the east side of the river by the University of Rochester campus that has snagged a number of logs, often a spot that the gulls, geese, and ducks (and herons and egrets, later in the summer) congregate. Today saw quite a few gulls and geese, along with a few ducks... many of whom were snoozing in the sunshine. There were also two crows that seemed to be enjoying the chance to splash around in the shallows.
The ride along the Erie Canal was also pretty nice... there were a few people out on the path, but one plus to riding in the afternoon on a weekday is a lot of folks are still at work. The canal itself isn't much to look at this time of year - mostly muddy stretches with a little bit of water at the bottom, it will be a few more weeks before they open the guard gates and let the water back in. I got off to a slightly later start than I'd planned on and needed to pick Ann up after work, so I mostly concentrated on riding and didn't stop for many photos. I ended up going all the way out to the new ramp under route 65 (replacing a set of stairs or a fairly busy road crossing) which is pretty nice. When I got back to the park I had a few minutes left so I looped through the park on the other side of the canal... the path along Red Creek was a lot more fun to ride before it became one long stretch of broken pavement and potholes, but at least it was quieter than it is during summer, when there are typically large picnics with all sorts of loud stereo systems blasting.
JMH
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Today began the stretch of unseasonably warm weather we're supposed to have this week, along with plenty of sunshine... a good day for a ride! I rode through Genesee Valley Park up the west side of the Genesee River and then back down the east side. Looking at the water flowing in the river I realized it's very deceptive... because it's relatively calm it looks like it's barely moving, but when you watch things floating downstream you see that it's actually moving very quickly... I suspect High Falls in downtown Rochester is pretty impressive right now. Hopefully the current will decrease by the end of April, when we're supposed to be paddling one leg of the Flower City Challenge Paddle Triathlon... if it's running this fast then, it could be a tough three miles of paddling.
There's a shallow section along the east side of the river by the University of Rochester campus that has snagged a number of logs, often a spot that the gulls, geese, and ducks (and herons and egrets, later in the summer) congregate. Today saw quite a few gulls and geese, along with a few ducks... many of whom were snoozing in the sunshine. There were also two crows that seemed to be enjoying the chance to splash around in the shallows.
The ride along the Erie Canal was also pretty nice... there were a few people out on the path, but one plus to riding in the afternoon on a weekday is a lot of folks are still at work. The canal itself isn't much to look at this time of year - mostly muddy stretches with a little bit of water at the bottom, it will be a few more weeks before they open the guard gates and let the water back in. I got off to a slightly later start than I'd planned on and needed to pick Ann up after work, so I mostly concentrated on riding and didn't stop for many photos. I ended up going all the way out to the new ramp under route 65 (replacing a set of stairs or a fairly busy road crossing) which is pretty nice. When I got back to the park I had a few minutes left so I looped through the park on the other side of the canal... the path along Red Creek was a lot more fun to ride before it became one long stretch of broken pavement and potholes, but at least it was quieter than it is during summer, when there are typically large picnics with all sorts of loud stereo systems blasting.
JMH
Monday, March 15, 2010
GOODBYE SNOWSHOE SEASON... HELLO MUD & WATER SEASON!
8 Mile Run at Black Creek Park
Monday, March 15, 2010
While it's not out of the question that I may get in a few more miles of snowshoeing over the next couple of weeks, snowshoe season is basically done... and all that melting snow, combined with the rain we've had recently means - lots of mud and standing water out on the trails!
I headed over to Black Creek Park expecting the trails to be pretty wet, and I wasn't disappointed. Mud, soggy ground, ankle deep water, knee deep water... there were a few spots that had firm footing but they were definitely in the minority.
I actually had a lot of fun running through the mud and water... the really wet sections were far enough apart that my feet generally warmed up in between, and the slippery footing slowed me down even more than usual, which meant I didn't finish 8 miles feeling whupped. Only passed a couple of folks out walking dogs (no surprise, given that it was in the afternoon on a work day) though I did see lots of evidence of folks who didn't clean up after Fido did his business... sometimes I think parks should require people to put diapers on their dogs when they walk them, though that's unfair to the dogs... after all, it's the rude dog owner who's at fault. OK, I'll climb down off my soapbox now...
Lots of birds out and about... tons of chickadees, Ann and I will have to try feeding them by hand sometime and see if they're as accomodating as the ones at Mendon Ponds. Saw a few geese in the swamp, and a heron flew off when I checked out the heron rookery. I also saw a decent sized grey raptor fly up from the ground near the end of the run... didn't get a clear enough view to see if it was a hawk or an owl, unfortunately. I even startled three deer in the woods overlooking the pond at the far end of the park.
The big surprise of the run was how much Black Creek has overflowed its banks... the creekside picnic area was flooded, which is where I ended up walking through knee-deep water (well away from the creek) to keep moving forward, rather than backtrack and take a different trail back to the car. All part of the adventure...
JMH
8 Mile Run at Black Creek Park
Monday, March 15, 2010
While it's not out of the question that I may get in a few more miles of snowshoeing over the next couple of weeks, snowshoe season is basically done... and all that melting snow, combined with the rain we've had recently means - lots of mud and standing water out on the trails!
I headed over to Black Creek Park expecting the trails to be pretty wet, and I wasn't disappointed. Mud, soggy ground, ankle deep water, knee deep water... there were a few spots that had firm footing but they were definitely in the minority.
I actually had a lot of fun running through the mud and water... the really wet sections were far enough apart that my feet generally warmed up in between, and the slippery footing slowed me down even more than usual, which meant I didn't finish 8 miles feeling whupped. Only passed a couple of folks out walking dogs (no surprise, given that it was in the afternoon on a work day) though I did see lots of evidence of folks who didn't clean up after Fido did his business... sometimes I think parks should require people to put diapers on their dogs when they walk them, though that's unfair to the dogs... after all, it's the rude dog owner who's at fault. OK, I'll climb down off my soapbox now...
Lots of birds out and about... tons of chickadees, Ann and I will have to try feeding them by hand sometime and see if they're as accomodating as the ones at Mendon Ponds. Saw a few geese in the swamp, and a heron flew off when I checked out the heron rookery. I also saw a decent sized grey raptor fly up from the ground near the end of the run... didn't get a clear enough view to see if it was a hawk or an owl, unfortunately. I even startled three deer in the woods overlooking the pond at the far end of the park.
The big surprise of the run was how much Black Creek has overflowed its banks... the creekside picnic area was flooded, which is where I ended up walking through knee-deep water (well away from the creek) to keep moving forward, rather than backtrack and take a different trail back to the car. All part of the adventure...
JMH
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A COLD GREY WINDY AFTERNOON
1.4 Mile Walk at Turning Point Park on the Genesee Riverway Trail
0.6 Mile Walk at Ontario Beach Park
0.3 Mile Walk at Braddock Bay Park
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Hello Daylight Savings Time! Hurray! Combined with the roughly 3 minutes of daylight we're currently gaining each day, that means my options for running and riding after work just went way up.
The predicted rain held off today, though it was grey, grey, grey... and very windy, which combined with the damp air made it much colder than either of us expected it to be. But despite that we still headed out for some walking, up near the shoreline of Lake Ontario.
Turning Point Park
Our first stop was at Turning Point Park, which was surprisingly quiet, probably because the gates were locked. We walked down to the Genesee Riverway Trail on the boardwalk across Turning Point Basin and about 2/3 of the way to the far side before we decided it was just too darn chilly to keep walking there. Along the way we spotted a group of mergansers, some gulls snoozing out on a mudbar, and a few geese and ducks. Red-winged blackbirds also hollered at us from perches near the start of the boardwalk, and at one point a red-tailed hawk took off and spent a while circling higher and higher into the sky before catching an air current he apparently liked and zooming away.
Ontario Beach Park
No great surprise, the beach was even colder, with the wind blasting in off the lake. The waves were incredible... even if we had wanted to brave the wind and walk all the way out to the end of the pier, we most likely wouldn't have because waves were breaking over the sides. I fed the gulls for a few minutes, then Ann fed the ducks, but we spent most of the time there watching a couple of fellows who were parachute-surfing - essentially their feet were strapped to what looked like an oversized snowboard and they were harnessed to parachutes that pulled them through the crashing waves. I would guess they had some pretty impressive cold gear on, because the water had to be absolutely frigid. It was neat to watch but I don't think I'd want to give it a try - I doubt my knees could take the stress. While we sitting in the car getting ready to leave, a killdeer came darting across the grass in front of us and plunked down near the parking area. It's amazing how well camouflaged they are... I kept losing sight of him and having to zoom out then back in, even though he wasn't moving.
Braddock Bay Park
We actually started out for the Braddock Bay Raptor Research trails but stopped first at Braddock Bay Park to take a look out over the wetlands, and it was sufficiently cold that we decided to call it a day. We spotted a couple of swans braving the cold and the wind but that was about it, and the ground was sufficiently saturated with water that the walk out to the observation deck was a bit wet. Hopefully the weather will be much better for Birds of Prey days at the end of April. Ann said it was pretty incredible last year, with dozens of hawks streaming across the sky, and this year I'll actually be in Rochester that weekend for the Flower City Challenge both mornings.
JMH
1.4 Mile Walk at Turning Point Park on the Genesee Riverway Trail
0.6 Mile Walk at Ontario Beach Park
0.3 Mile Walk at Braddock Bay Park
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Hello Daylight Savings Time! Hurray! Combined with the roughly 3 minutes of daylight we're currently gaining each day, that means my options for running and riding after work just went way up.
The predicted rain held off today, though it was grey, grey, grey... and very windy, which combined with the damp air made it much colder than either of us expected it to be. But despite that we still headed out for some walking, up near the shoreline of Lake Ontario.
Turning Point Park
Our first stop was at Turning Point Park, which was surprisingly quiet, probably because the gates were locked. We walked down to the Genesee Riverway Trail on the boardwalk across Turning Point Basin and about 2/3 of the way to the far side before we decided it was just too darn chilly to keep walking there. Along the way we spotted a group of mergansers, some gulls snoozing out on a mudbar, and a few geese and ducks. Red-winged blackbirds also hollered at us from perches near the start of the boardwalk, and at one point a red-tailed hawk took off and spent a while circling higher and higher into the sky before catching an air current he apparently liked and zooming away.
Ontario Beach Park
No great surprise, the beach was even colder, with the wind blasting in off the lake. The waves were incredible... even if we had wanted to brave the wind and walk all the way out to the end of the pier, we most likely wouldn't have because waves were breaking over the sides. I fed the gulls for a few minutes, then Ann fed the ducks, but we spent most of the time there watching a couple of fellows who were parachute-surfing - essentially their feet were strapped to what looked like an oversized snowboard and they were harnessed to parachutes that pulled them through the crashing waves. I would guess they had some pretty impressive cold gear on, because the water had to be absolutely frigid. It was neat to watch but I don't think I'd want to give it a try - I doubt my knees could take the stress. While we sitting in the car getting ready to leave, a killdeer came darting across the grass in front of us and plunked down near the parking area. It's amazing how well camouflaged they are... I kept losing sight of him and having to zoom out then back in, even though he wasn't moving.
Braddock Bay Park
We actually started out for the Braddock Bay Raptor Research trails but stopped first at Braddock Bay Park to take a look out over the wetlands, and it was sufficiently cold that we decided to call it a day. We spotted a couple of swans braving the cold and the wind but that was about it, and the ground was sufficiently saturated with water that the walk out to the observation deck was a bit wet. Hopefully the weather will be much better for Birds of Prey days at the end of April. Ann said it was pretty incredible last year, with dozens of hawks streaming across the sky, and this year I'll actually be in Rochester that weekend for the Flower City Challenge both mornings.
JMH
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Geese on the Move! Part 2
Saturday, March 13, 2010
This afternoon as I was driving on the NYS Thruway west of exit 42 I saw a field with hundreds of snow geese feeding... what a beautiful (if fleeting, at 70 mph) sight. I was very tempted to pull over and take some pictures... but decided against it. Perhaps I'll get lucky and they'll be at Montezuma NWR when I stop there in a few days...
JMH
Saturday, March 13, 2010
This afternoon as I was driving on the NYS Thruway west of exit 42 I saw a field with hundreds of snow geese feeding... what a beautiful (if fleeting, at 70 mph) sight. I was very tempted to pull over and take some pictures... but decided against it. Perhaps I'll get lucky and they'll be at Montezuma NWR when I stop there in a few days...
JMH
Friday, March 12, 2010
18.1 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path & through Colonie Mohawk River Park
Friday, March 12, 2010
With rain in the forecast for the next few days I decided today was a good day for riding rather than running... I'd much rather run in the rain than ride in it, and I really need to put some time in on the bike before the Flower City Challenge at the end of April; it's bad enough that I'll probably be jumping in the kayak without any time to train beforehand. So this afternoon I took the bike over to the bike path for some relatively easy riding with a few short hills thrown in. Started out heading east from the Nisky Lions Park over to Colonie Mohawk River Park; other than one short stretch the path was clear of snow and ice. The park was pretty much deserted, even though there were several cars parked at the locked gate... maybe folks were walking their dogs on the trails. Spent a little while enjoying the river and just listening, then headed back to the car to add an extra layer (it was getting chilly) and head west to Lock 7. I expected to have to turn around there, since the ice usually lingers for a while on the shaded path between Lock 7 and the base of the old landfill, and I was right.
Today was a day when a lot of things didn't go smoothly - I had a flat when I went to take the bike to the car, then I left my seat bag open and had to stop to pick up my tire levers that fell out, and I forgot to put fresh batteries in the camera, so I had to be somewhat judicious in my picture-taking. But in the end all of those were pretty minor challenges, and the pluses of the ride definitely outweighed them.
The biggest plus - critters galore! Canada geese and muskrats at the Nisky boat launch. Red winged blackbirds and robins all along the route. A large group of common mergansers out on the river near the trailhead just east of the Nisky Lions Park, and a few gulls over at Colonie Park. Heading west there were geese and ducks along the way, and - very cool - a trio of hooded mergansers in the beaver pond just west of the Ferry Road bridge. When I got back to the Nisky Lions Park there was a beaver swimming in the river as well... all in all, quite the day for wildlife. As much as I love winter, I'm definitely enjoying the approach of spring and the birds and animals that are returning with it.
JMH
Friday, March 12, 2010
With rain in the forecast for the next few days I decided today was a good day for riding rather than running... I'd much rather run in the rain than ride in it, and I really need to put some time in on the bike before the Flower City Challenge at the end of April; it's bad enough that I'll probably be jumping in the kayak without any time to train beforehand. So this afternoon I took the bike over to the bike path for some relatively easy riding with a few short hills thrown in. Started out heading east from the Nisky Lions Park over to Colonie Mohawk River Park; other than one short stretch the path was clear of snow and ice. The park was pretty much deserted, even though there were several cars parked at the locked gate... maybe folks were walking their dogs on the trails. Spent a little while enjoying the river and just listening, then headed back to the car to add an extra layer (it was getting chilly) and head west to Lock 7. I expected to have to turn around there, since the ice usually lingers for a while on the shaded path between Lock 7 and the base of the old landfill, and I was right.
Today was a day when a lot of things didn't go smoothly - I had a flat when I went to take the bike to the car, then I left my seat bag open and had to stop to pick up my tire levers that fell out, and I forgot to put fresh batteries in the camera, so I had to be somewhat judicious in my picture-taking. But in the end all of those were pretty minor challenges, and the pluses of the ride definitely outweighed them.
The biggest plus - critters galore! Canada geese and muskrats at the Nisky boat launch. Red winged blackbirds and robins all along the route. A large group of common mergansers out on the river near the trailhead just east of the Nisky Lions Park, and a few gulls over at Colonie Park. Heading west there were geese and ducks along the way, and - very cool - a trio of hooded mergansers in the beaver pond just west of the Ferry Road bridge. When I got back to the Nisky Lions Park there was a beaver swimming in the river as well... all in all, quite the day for wildlife. As much as I love winter, I'm definitely enjoying the approach of spring and the birds and animals that are returning with it.
JMH
Thursday, March 11, 2010
EAGLE!
6.4 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Another day of feeling just a bit off, which meant I didn't get outdoors until late in the day and ended up doing a big chunk of the run at dusk. I also ended up cutting my run short - I'd planned to do 8-9 miles today but just didn't feel up to that once I got out there.
Plenty of wildlife along the bike path... blackbirds and robins, and quite a few geese now that the river is no longer iced over. I spotted a merganser right near the Niskayuna Lions Park boat launch, and I'm pretty sure it was a beaver I saw swimming nearby. Also saw a number of muskrats out and about. But the prize of the day was the bald eagle perched in his (or her) usual spot at the mouth of the Lisha Kill. Now it remains to be seen if this is the start of another "eagle whammy" like last spring, when I spotted an eagle almost every time I was out running or riding.
Since there was still some daylight left when I reached the construction zone by the Ferry Rd bridge, I was able to get a better look, and it does seem like they're going to be working on the bridge rather than replacing it with a ground-level roadway. In the meantime they've built a construction road from Rosendale Rd over to Niska Island and cut down a lot of trees to provide access. Necessary work I'm sure but it sure is unsightly. I'll have to wait and see what kind of impact it the construction has on the wildlife in the area - that's a prime area for herons, waterfowl, muskrats, and beaver. Of course, it's also the spot where I saw the otter last week...
It was such a pleasant night that I found myself seriously considering trying for the entire 8-9 miles, but I suspect I would have regretted it if I had. Spent a few minutes when I got back to the park looking out at the river and just listening... it's incredible how much the night sounds have changed in just a month or so when I was there in the midst of one of the big freezes back in late January/early February. Of course, as the weather keeps warming up things will really pick up in the evenings...
JMH
6.4 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Another day of feeling just a bit off, which meant I didn't get outdoors until late in the day and ended up doing a big chunk of the run at dusk. I also ended up cutting my run short - I'd planned to do 8-9 miles today but just didn't feel up to that once I got out there.
Plenty of wildlife along the bike path... blackbirds and robins, and quite a few geese now that the river is no longer iced over. I spotted a merganser right near the Niskayuna Lions Park boat launch, and I'm pretty sure it was a beaver I saw swimming nearby. Also saw a number of muskrats out and about. But the prize of the day was the bald eagle perched in his (or her) usual spot at the mouth of the Lisha Kill. Now it remains to be seen if this is the start of another "eagle whammy" like last spring, when I spotted an eagle almost every time I was out running or riding.
Since there was still some daylight left when I reached the construction zone by the Ferry Rd bridge, I was able to get a better look, and it does seem like they're going to be working on the bridge rather than replacing it with a ground-level roadway. In the meantime they've built a construction road from Rosendale Rd over to Niska Island and cut down a lot of trees to provide access. Necessary work I'm sure but it sure is unsightly. I'll have to wait and see what kind of impact it the construction has on the wildlife in the area - that's a prime area for herons, waterfowl, muskrats, and beaver. Of course, it's also the spot where I saw the otter last week...
It was such a pleasant night that I found myself seriously considering trying for the entire 8-9 miles, but I suspect I would have regretted it if I had. Spent a few minutes when I got back to the park looking out at the river and just listening... it's incredible how much the night sounds have changed in just a month or so when I was there in the midst of one of the big freezes back in late January/early February. Of course, as the weather keeps warming up things will really pick up in the evenings...
JMH
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
11.1 Mile Ride at the Corning Preserve & Schuyler Flatts Cultural Park
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I was feeling a bit under the weather today, so instead of stopping somewhere between Rochester and Albany for a run I decided to take one of the bikes out once I got home. Unfortunately I dilly-dallied around a lot in the morning so by the time I got home, changed clothes, and got the bike on the car the only reasonable option was to go down to the Corning Preserve, which meant I'd be somewhat limited in the distance I could cover.
Yesterday Ann and I noticed that while the day was pleasantly warm, the temperature dropped rapidly once the sun started to go down, and today the same thing happened... I ended up with a fairly chilly ride in the end, especially since I got off to a late enough start that I ended up making the ride back pretty much in the dark. On the plus side, that meant I spent most of my time riding, because it was too dark to stop and take pictures!
The warm weather continued to bring out the birds, especially red-winged blackbirds and robins. I also spotted the kingfisher at the spot where I frequently saw him last year - it's good to see that he's back. Surprisingly there were very few gulls around.
There were more people than I expected out on the path during the ride back, most walking with no lights and dark clothing... that kept me on my toes, since I really didn't want to run into anyone. The worst stretch was the last mile to the parking lot, both because it was darkest and the lights from downtown and the cars over on 787 made it tough to see what was in front of me.
JMH
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I was feeling a bit under the weather today, so instead of stopping somewhere between Rochester and Albany for a run I decided to take one of the bikes out once I got home. Unfortunately I dilly-dallied around a lot in the morning so by the time I got home, changed clothes, and got the bike on the car the only reasonable option was to go down to the Corning Preserve, which meant I'd be somewhat limited in the distance I could cover.
Yesterday Ann and I noticed that while the day was pleasantly warm, the temperature dropped rapidly once the sun started to go down, and today the same thing happened... I ended up with a fairly chilly ride in the end, especially since I got off to a late enough start that I ended up making the ride back pretty much in the dark. On the plus side, that meant I spent most of my time riding, because it was too dark to stop and take pictures!
The warm weather continued to bring out the birds, especially red-winged blackbirds and robins. I also spotted the kingfisher at the spot where I frequently saw him last year - it's good to see that he's back. Surprisingly there were very few gulls around.
There were more people than I expected out on the path during the ride back, most walking with no lights and dark clothing... that kept me on my toes, since I really didn't want to run into anyone. The worst stretch was the last mile to the parking lot, both because it was darkest and the lights from downtown and the cars over on 787 made it tough to see what was in front of me.
JMH
Geese on the Move!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Yet another sign that spring is on the way - Canada Geese are migrating north. During my drive back to Albany I saw a number of flocks flying overhead, in some cases with what looked to be a hundred or more geese in a group. They were particularly concentrated in the area around Montezuma NWR - no surprise, really, except that the ponds there are still frozen, which left me wondering where the geese are spending their time. I had my answer just past Montezuma - a flooded field just a short distance east of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal had some open patches of water and was covered with geese. I wish I could have stopped and gotten pictures of both the flocks in the air and the geese on the ground, but given that I was on the NYS Thruway it would have been an incredibly bad idea to do so.
JMH
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Yet another sign that spring is on the way - Canada Geese are migrating north. During my drive back to Albany I saw a number of flocks flying overhead, in some cases with what looked to be a hundred or more geese in a group. They were particularly concentrated in the area around Montezuma NWR - no surprise, really, except that the ponds there are still frozen, which left me wondering where the geese are spending their time. I had my answer just past Montezuma - a flooded field just a short distance east of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal had some open patches of water and was covered with geese. I wish I could have stopped and gotten pictures of both the flocks in the air and the geese on the ground, but given that I was on the NYS Thruway it would have been an incredibly bad idea to do so.
JMH
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
1.4 Mile Walk at Ontario Beach Park
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
After Ann got home from work we headed over to Ontario Beach Park to see the sights and hopefully feed the gulls. Only problem was - there were almost no gulls there! I would have fed the ducks instead, but there were a couple of people already doing so with large bags of bread, so they seemed all set. Even the swans got in on the free food action...
We walked all the way out to the end of the concrete pier, which turned out to be tougher work than usual because much of it is still covered with snow and ice. I was hoping to see more "barking" ducks (actually long-tailed ducks) like we spotted this time last year, but the only ducks in sight were mallards. As the sun went down it chilled down very quickly, which made things a bit foggy out on the water... while we were standing out at the "lighthouse" we could hear gulls and geese off in the distance - maybe there was an ice floe they were on out in the lake? - and we spotted one diving duck that was probably a long-tail - the photo I took was very blurry but the markings didn't seem to match any other diving ducks.
The sun setting over the water was very scenic but it also made things very cold by the time we headed back... I was very glad to finally get back in the car and turn on the heat!
I've seen very few gulls so far this year in places where they usually congregate - I wonder if that's timing (either wrong time of day or maybe I'm out earlier this year than usual) or something else going on? Clearly more visits are in order to figure out the answer...
JMH
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
After Ann got home from work we headed over to Ontario Beach Park to see the sights and hopefully feed the gulls. Only problem was - there were almost no gulls there! I would have fed the ducks instead, but there were a couple of people already doing so with large bags of bread, so they seemed all set. Even the swans got in on the free food action...
We walked all the way out to the end of the concrete pier, which turned out to be tougher work than usual because much of it is still covered with snow and ice. I was hoping to see more "barking" ducks (actually long-tailed ducks) like we spotted this time last year, but the only ducks in sight were mallards. As the sun went down it chilled down very quickly, which made things a bit foggy out on the water... while we were standing out at the "lighthouse" we could hear gulls and geese off in the distance - maybe there was an ice floe they were on out in the lake? - and we spotted one diving duck that was probably a long-tail - the photo I took was very blurry but the markings didn't seem to match any other diving ducks.
The sun setting over the water was very scenic but it also made things very cold by the time we headed back... I was very glad to finally get back in the car and turn on the heat!
I've seen very few gulls so far this year in places where they usually congregate - I wonder if that's timing (either wrong time of day or maybe I'm out earlier this year than usual) or something else going on? Clearly more visits are in order to figure out the answer...
JMH
Monday, March 08, 2010
SUNSHINE, BIRDS, & DEER
1.2 Mile Walk at Mendon Ponds Park
Monday, March 8, 2010
For some reason my legs were a bit tired today (OK, that was no surprise) so Ann and I decided to go for a relatively easy walk at Mendon Ponds Park, with a bit of feeding the birds and checking out the deer thrown in for good measure.
Given what a gorgeous sunny day it was, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised to find lots of other folks there as well, many with small children in tow. We started at the Nature Center and headed down the path, spotting a deer a ways off immediately. When we stopped at the spot where people feed the birds, we were a bit disappointed that the birds didn't seem all that interested... we had a couple of chickadees come to our hands but that was it. Of course, with all the seed on the ground it may just have been a case of the birds being so well fed that they didn't have any need to take food out of our hands. We spotted lots of them while we were there - there were chickadees, titmouses, cardinals, juncos, sparrows, downy woodpeckers, and nuthatches all around us. We also saw a couple more deer, including one that appears to have figured out that people can mean free food, because it kept wondering out onto the path not far from where all the people were, even after getting chased by a toddler at one point.
From there we headed over to the other spot where we've fed the birds, catching sight of half a dozen deer along the way. Apparently they were enjoying the warm sunny weather too! We had a similar reaction from the birds at the 2nd location, and the usual spot was in the shade (and thus a bit chilly) so we tried a sunny spot nearby. Ann had a titmouse come to her hand; I gave up after a bit and put my seeds on the top of a fence post, then sat on the fence and watched the birds come in to eat. I also watched a pair of nuthatches at a suet feeder someone had hung in the trees a little ways off.
We drove the long way through the park to see what we could see on our way out, and spotted even more deer. There were two by the Cobblestone House parking lot, so we pulled in and spent a while watching them. Ann even put some seed on the snowbank and managed to lure the smaller one over to eat... given how unconcerned they were about our presence (as well as people running and riding by on the road nearby) I suspect these two have done the "look cute for the humans and get a snack" trick before, though the larger deer was much more interested in the grass where a patch of snow had melted.
The Monroe County website refers to Mendon Ponds Park as the crowning jewel of the county parks system, and I will definitely agree that it's one of the more beautiful places to go in Monroe County (which is saying a lot... western NY has many wonderful parks and greenspaces.) There's an excellent article by John Sheret at the Crooked Lake Review which discusses the history of the park and includes a number of cool historical photos. At the end of the month I'll be over at Mendon again, for the Spring Forward 15k... though that only runs small part of its 9.3 miles through the park. On the other hand, the Medved Madness 15 mile trail race in early May will once again give me a chance to see the Mendon trails up close and personal - and if the snow and ice that are there right now are any indication, it should once again turn out to be the Medved Mudness trail race I've run for the past three years.
JMH
1.2 Mile Walk at Mendon Ponds Park
Monday, March 8, 2010
For some reason my legs were a bit tired today (OK, that was no surprise) so Ann and I decided to go for a relatively easy walk at Mendon Ponds Park, with a bit of feeding the birds and checking out the deer thrown in for good measure.
Given what a gorgeous sunny day it was, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised to find lots of other folks there as well, many with small children in tow. We started at the Nature Center and headed down the path, spotting a deer a ways off immediately. When we stopped at the spot where people feed the birds, we were a bit disappointed that the birds didn't seem all that interested... we had a couple of chickadees come to our hands but that was it. Of course, with all the seed on the ground it may just have been a case of the birds being so well fed that they didn't have any need to take food out of our hands. We spotted lots of them while we were there - there were chickadees, titmouses, cardinals, juncos, sparrows, downy woodpeckers, and nuthatches all around us. We also saw a couple more deer, including one that appears to have figured out that people can mean free food, because it kept wondering out onto the path not far from where all the people were, even after getting chased by a toddler at one point.
From there we headed over to the other spot where we've fed the birds, catching sight of half a dozen deer along the way. Apparently they were enjoying the warm sunny weather too! We had a similar reaction from the birds at the 2nd location, and the usual spot was in the shade (and thus a bit chilly) so we tried a sunny spot nearby. Ann had a titmouse come to her hand; I gave up after a bit and put my seeds on the top of a fence post, then sat on the fence and watched the birds come in to eat. I also watched a pair of nuthatches at a suet feeder someone had hung in the trees a little ways off.
We drove the long way through the park to see what we could see on our way out, and spotted even more deer. There were two by the Cobblestone House parking lot, so we pulled in and spent a while watching them. Ann even put some seed on the snowbank and managed to lure the smaller one over to eat... given how unconcerned they were about our presence (as well as people running and riding by on the road nearby) I suspect these two have done the "look cute for the humans and get a snack" trick before, though the larger deer was much more interested in the grass where a patch of snow had melted.
The Monroe County website refers to Mendon Ponds Park as the crowning jewel of the county parks system, and I will definitely agree that it's one of the more beautiful places to go in Monroe County (which is saying a lot... western NY has many wonderful parks and greenspaces.) There's an excellent article by John Sheret at the Crooked Lake Review which discusses the history of the park and includes a number of cool historical photos. At the end of the month I'll be over at Mendon again, for the Spring Forward 15k... though that only runs small part of its 9.3 miles through the park. On the other hand, the Medved Madness 15 mile trail race in early May will once again give me a chance to see the Mendon trails up close and personal - and if the snow and ice that are there right now are any indication, it should once again turn out to be the Medved Mudness trail race I've run for the past three years.
JMH
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Weekly Training Summary
2/28/2010 - 3/6/2010
running (1x) - 7 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing (2x) - 10.7 mi
pushups - 0
I had hoped to get in a few more miles this week but obviously that didn't happen. Having the next two weeks off should help... I've got a lot of training to do if I'm going to be ready for a half marathon (albeit a slow one!) a little over a month from now...
JMH
2/28/2010 - 3/6/2010
running (1x) - 7 mi
riding - 0 mi
snowshoeing (2x) - 10.7 mi
pushups - 0
I had hoped to get in a few more miles this week but obviously that didn't happen. Having the next two weeks off should help... I've got a lot of training to do if I'm going to be ready for a half marathon (albeit a slow one!) a little over a month from now...
JMH
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Cool...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Sunday's Moody Spring snowshoe race got a write-up on the Runner's World website... the article also mentions Brad Herder's short but hilarious Youtube video of our descent off of Rounds Rock at the Moby Dick snowshoe race the weekend before.
While I didn't think Moody was as difficult as Jeff Dengate describes it, it's worth noting that (1) he came in 5th in 1 hr 5 min, I came in 49th in 1 hr 45 min, and (2) I had over 50 people ahead of me stomping down the trail before I got there... and I still found it very slow going. But maybe I was just saving my energy for Nationals this weekend...
It's hard to believe that in a few more weeks my 5th season of snowshoe racing will be coming to a close... seems like it was only a few short weeks ago that we ran the first race of the season at Woodford!
JMH
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Sunday's Moody Spring snowshoe race got a write-up on the Runner's World website... the article also mentions Brad Herder's short but hilarious Youtube video of our descent off of Rounds Rock at the Moby Dick snowshoe race the weekend before.
While I didn't think Moody was as difficult as Jeff Dengate describes it, it's worth noting that (1) he came in 5th in 1 hr 5 min, I came in 49th in 1 hr 45 min, and (2) I had over 50 people ahead of me stomping down the trail before I got there... and I still found it very slow going. But maybe I was just saving my energy for Nationals this weekend...
It's hard to believe that in a few more weeks my 5th season of snowshoe racing will be coming to a close... seems like it was only a few short weeks ago that we ran the first race of the season at Woodford!
JMH
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
OTTER!
7 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Didn't get my butt in gear until it was almost dark, but that's OK for running on the bike path... I started out on the Gerbil Wheel, ran over to Lock 7 and back. I tried heading in the opposite direction, but the snow was too difficult to run in, so I gave up fairly quickly and debated calling it a night... fortunately, I decided to go out to the Ferry Road bridge and back one more time, because while I was out there checking out the construction work next to the bridge (they've cut down a swathe of trees and bushes on both sides of the bridge and essentially built a road through the water from Rosendale Road over to Niska Isle, with pipes so that the water can flow from the Lisha Kill outlet into the river - I'll have to check it out later in daylight but it looks like they're either working on or replacing the Ferry Road bridge) I noticed something swimming in the water. It was too big to be a muskrat, so I thought it might be a beaver... but when I shined my light on it the tail was wrong. It took me a minute but I finally figured out it was a river otter! How cool is that?
I watched him swim for a bit, then lost him... thought I found him a bit later but that turned out to be a muskrat. Still, this makes the 2nd time I've seen otters in the wild - very exciting, and well worth the run back out to the bridge and back.
An otter I photographed at the Barkhamsted Reservoir in CT last August... I wish I could have gotten a picture of the one I saw tonight!
JMH
7 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Didn't get my butt in gear until it was almost dark, but that's OK for running on the bike path... I started out on the Gerbil Wheel, ran over to Lock 7 and back. I tried heading in the opposite direction, but the snow was too difficult to run in, so I gave up fairly quickly and debated calling it a night... fortunately, I decided to go out to the Ferry Road bridge and back one more time, because while I was out there checking out the construction work next to the bridge (they've cut down a swathe of trees and bushes on both sides of the bridge and essentially built a road through the water from Rosendale Road over to Niska Isle, with pipes so that the water can flow from the Lisha Kill outlet into the river - I'll have to check it out later in daylight but it looks like they're either working on or replacing the Ferry Road bridge) I noticed something swimming in the water. It was too big to be a muskrat, so I thought it might be a beaver... but when I shined my light on it the tail was wrong. It took me a minute but I finally figured out it was a river otter! How cool is that?
I watched him swim for a bit, then lost him... thought I found him a bit later but that turned out to be a muskrat. Still, this makes the 2nd time I've seen otters in the wild - very exciting, and well worth the run back out to the bridge and back.
An otter I photographed at the Barkhamsted Reservoir in CT last August... I wish I could have gotten a picture of the one I saw tonight!
JMH
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