CRITTERS EVERYWHERE...
0.4 mi Walk at Braddock Bay Park
2 Mile Walk at Turning Point Park & the Genesee Riverway Trail
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
No Paddling Saturday...
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Recently Ann and I discussed how high and fast the Genesee River was flowing through Genesee Valley Park and wondered about the paddling portion of this Saturday's Flower City River Challenge Triathlon - today I got the answer, which is the paddle leg has been replaced by a 2nd running leg (so everyone is now doing a duathlon.) I'm not at all surprised - Yellowjacket Racing is always very concerned about athlete safety and it's clear that being on the river this weekend would be very unsafe. Not only is the water flowing almost 6 times faster than it was last year (11300 cfs compared to 1800 cfs) but there is also a good deal of debris moving in the water as well. As much as I enjoy the change of pace that the paddle leg offers, I really didn't want to be out on the water in current conditions, so I won't miss the paddle at all. And it has suddenly become a lot easier to prep for the race - I no longer need to mount the roof rack and load up the kayak and associated gear, drop all that off before parking the car, and then load it all back up after the race. All things considered, a very positive development on my end of things!
JMH
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Recently Ann and I discussed how high and fast the Genesee River was flowing through Genesee Valley Park and wondered about the paddling portion of this Saturday's Flower City River Challenge Triathlon - today I got the answer, which is the paddle leg has been replaced by a 2nd running leg (so everyone is now doing a duathlon.) I'm not at all surprised - Yellowjacket Racing is always very concerned about athlete safety and it's clear that being on the river this weekend would be very unsafe. Not only is the water flowing almost 6 times faster than it was last year (11300 cfs compared to 1800 cfs) but there is also a good deal of debris moving in the water as well. As much as I enjoy the change of pace that the paddle leg offers, I really didn't want to be out on the water in current conditions, so I won't miss the paddle at all. And it has suddenly become a lot easier to prep for the race - I no longer need to mount the roof rack and load up the kayak and associated gear, drop all that off before parking the car, and then load it all back up after the race. All things considered, a very positive development on my end of things!
JMH
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
MORE HIKING THAN RUNNING... IN THREE STATES
18.5 Mile "Run" at Mt Everett State Reservation, Along the Appalachian Trail, and at Mt Washington State Forest
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Why oh why would I choose to run this week's long run on trails which I attempted to run 12 years ago (when I was lighter and in better shape!) and declared unrunnable? Ok, the answer to that one is obvious - I'm an idiot. Which is how I ended up "running" (ie. speed hiking) for most of 18.5 miles and up and down five mountains today...
18.5 Mile "Run" at Mt Everett State Reservation, Along the Appalachian Trail, and at Mt Washington State Forest
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Why oh why would I choose to run this week's long run on trails which I attempted to run 12 years ago (when I was lighter and in better shape!) and declared unrunnable? Ok, the answer to that one is obvious - I'm an idiot. Which is how I ended up "running" (ie. speed hiking) for most of 18.5 miles and up and down five mountains today...
Saturday, April 23, 2011
3.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Rained pretty steadily until well after lunch so I decided to postpone my long run until tomorrow... trudging up and down the southern Taconics in the rain just didn't have any appeal. But getting outside once the rain stopped certainly did. I considered going for a short run, but my guts were grumbling a bit so I ended up heading over to Five Rivers for a walk instead.
More signs of spring today... leaf buds popping out all over the place. I have to admit it will be nice when all the brown and grey is replaced by greenery, even if it will be much harder to see through the foliage once that happens.
Birds everywhere, especially very cranky geese. Didn't get chased by any (actually, the one spot with signs up warning about an aggressive gander seemed to be goose-free - and I found eggshells nearby, so I wonder if something managed to raid the nest and that pair left?) Lots of honking and goose-fighting down on the Beaver Pond, where I counted at least three nesting (and a fourth across the road on the Heron Pond.)
All the activity seemed be taking its toll... toward the end of the walk I came across a pair of geese at the edge of one of the ponds, and after acting a bit wary of me they proceeded to settle in and go to sleep, with me standing just a few feet away taking pictures. Guess that beats being chased like last weekend!
JMH
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Rained pretty steadily until well after lunch so I decided to postpone my long run until tomorrow... trudging up and down the southern Taconics in the rain just didn't have any appeal. But getting outside once the rain stopped certainly did. I considered going for a short run, but my guts were grumbling a bit so I ended up heading over to Five Rivers for a walk instead.
More signs of spring today... leaf buds popping out all over the place. I have to admit it will be nice when all the brown and grey is replaced by greenery, even if it will be much harder to see through the foliage once that happens.
Birds everywhere, especially very cranky geese. Didn't get chased by any (actually, the one spot with signs up warning about an aggressive gander seemed to be goose-free - and I found eggshells nearby, so I wonder if something managed to raid the nest and that pair left?) Lots of honking and goose-fighting down on the Beaver Pond, where I counted at least three nesting (and a fourth across the road on the Heron Pond.)
All the activity seemed be taking its toll... toward the end of the walk I came across a pair of geese at the edge of one of the ponds, and after acting a bit wary of me they proceeded to settle in and go to sleep, with me standing just a few feet away taking pictures. Guess that beats being chased like last weekend!
JMH
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
No Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Cam in 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Went to the DEC website to check on whether or not the falcons that nest under the Dunn Memorial Bridge have returned and instead found a long explanation that, due to extremely important work needed to keep the bridge safe, the falcon cam will not be operating in 2011 (and possibly 2012.) The DOT in conjunction with the DEC has installed sight baffles to try to keep the falcons isolated from the workers, but it really isn't clear if the falcons will successfully nest there this year, in light of the construction. Obviously the work needs to be done, but this is still disappointing news - I've enjoyed checking the cam images over the past few years, and it's reassuring to see such a beautiful species coming back from the brink of extinction.
JMH
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Went to the DEC website to check on whether or not the falcons that nest under the Dunn Memorial Bridge have returned and instead found a long explanation that, due to extremely important work needed to keep the bridge safe, the falcon cam will not be operating in 2011 (and possibly 2012.) The DOT in conjunction with the DEC has installed sight baffles to try to keep the falcons isolated from the workers, but it really isn't clear if the falcons will successfully nest there this year, in light of the construction. Obviously the work needs to be done, but this is still disappointing news - I've enjoyed checking the cam images over the past few years, and it's reassuring to see such a beautiful species coming back from the brink of extinction.
JMH
Monday, April 18, 2011
1.9 Mile Walk in the Pine Bush
Monday, April 18, 2011
I had hoped to get out on the bike tonight but really couldn't get into the thought of riding in the cold rain... so I headed over to a section of the Pine Bush I rarely visit (both because it's out-of-the-way and because the trail there is fairly short), the Kings Highway Barrens. The trail is a wide fire road that loops through the area over a variety of terrain, mostly flat but with some short hills, through meadows, evergreen forests, and hardwood stands. There's also a few sections that show clear signs of disturbance sometime in the past, which makes me think the area may have undergone some minor development at one point. I also found a discarded sign for the Pine Bush Farm from 1986, which makes me wonder if this was one of the first sections set aside for conservation - I'll have to dig out the books I have on the Pine Bush and see if any of them talk about the history of the Preserve.
The rain was pretty consistent the whole time I was there, but I have to say I'd rather be walking in the rain than riding in it.
JMH
Monday, April 18, 2011
I had hoped to get out on the bike tonight but really couldn't get into the thought of riding in the cold rain... so I headed over to a section of the Pine Bush I rarely visit (both because it's out-of-the-way and because the trail there is fairly short), the Kings Highway Barrens. The trail is a wide fire road that loops through the area over a variety of terrain, mostly flat but with some short hills, through meadows, evergreen forests, and hardwood stands. There's also a few sections that show clear signs of disturbance sometime in the past, which makes me think the area may have undergone some minor development at one point. I also found a discarded sign for the Pine Bush Farm from 1986, which makes me wonder if this was one of the first sections set aside for conservation - I'll have to dig out the books I have on the Pine Bush and see if any of them talk about the history of the Preserve.
The rain was pretty consistent the whole time I was there, but I have to say I'd rather be walking in the rain than riding in it.
JMH
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Saturday, April 09, 2011
SIGNS OF SPRING: THE BIRDS...
2.3 Mile Walk at Ooms Conservation Area
Saturday, April 9, 2011
It was just too nice an afternoon to head back indoors, so I decided to stretch my legs a bit before going home and walk the very wet and rather muddy trails at Ooms Conservation Area. What a great day for birds! I watched swallows darting and swooping near the birdhouses just past the boardwalk, bluebirds in the trees up on the hill, and mergansers chasing each other on the pond. Plus a plethora of red-winged blackbirds and robins in a variety of locations.
Lots of folks fishing and walking too, though by the time I was done (no surprise, I was moving slowly) I was one of the few people left. The sun was starting to set by the time I got back to the car, and I was just starting to hear a woodcock calling off somewhere near the treeline on the far side of one of the fields...
JMH
2.3 Mile Walk at Ooms Conservation Area
Saturday, April 9, 2011
It was just too nice an afternoon to head back indoors, so I decided to stretch my legs a bit before going home and walk the very wet and rather muddy trails at Ooms Conservation Area. What a great day for birds! I watched swallows darting and swooping near the birdhouses just past the boardwalk, bluebirds in the trees up on the hill, and mergansers chasing each other on the pond. Plus a plethora of red-winged blackbirds and robins in a variety of locations.
Lots of folks fishing and walking too, though by the time I was done (no surprise, I was moving slowly) I was one of the few people left. The sun was starting to set by the time I got back to the car, and I was just starting to hear a woodcock calling off somewhere near the treeline on the far side of one of the fields...
JMH
Friday, April 08, 2011
HIGH FLYING WOODCOCKS
1.2 Mile Woodcock Watching Walk in the Pine Bush
Friday, April 8, 2011
I've noticed woodcocks calling at dusk in the spring and summer for a while now and have even seen a few... but I've never seen the male doing his courtship display, which is what the nasally "peent... peent... peent" is part of. So when I saw that the Pine Bush Discovery Center was offering a woodcock-watching program it was a no-brainer to head over there and see the show.
The program started out with a short presentation about woodcocks, where I confirmed a lot I already knew and learned a few new facts (the females nest out in the open relying on excellent camouflage for protection, eggs hatch in about three weeks, and the chicks fledge a little over a week after hatching.) Then we headed outdoors for a short walk through the Pine Bush. Initially the guides concentrated on giving us info about other aspects of the Pine Bush, and we even got to see a motion-triggered camera that's set up along one of the trails for a research project. We listened but didn't hear any woodcocks because it just wasn't dark enough - though there were a lot of robins calling and we could hear the peepers off in the distance.
On the way back we had a lot more success, hearing and then watching a woodcock take off up into the sky until I lost sight of him (some of the others said they could see him as he circled far above us, then dropped almost straight down to start all over again.) A little further along we had one doing his thing only a little ways off the trail; unfortunately at that point it had gotten dark enough that all we could do was listen.
I didn't manage to get any video - the little guys move incredibly fast for such chunky, awkward-looking birds - but I did find the following video on Youtube which shows what we saw and heard:
Definitely a worthwhile trip to the Pine Bush tonight - now that I know what to look for I'll have to try spotting them on my own sometime.
JMH
1.2 Mile Woodcock Watching Walk in the Pine Bush
Friday, April 8, 2011
I've noticed woodcocks calling at dusk in the spring and summer for a while now and have even seen a few... but I've never seen the male doing his courtship display, which is what the nasally "peent... peent... peent" is part of. So when I saw that the Pine Bush Discovery Center was offering a woodcock-watching program it was a no-brainer to head over there and see the show.
The program started out with a short presentation about woodcocks, where I confirmed a lot I already knew and learned a few new facts (the females nest out in the open relying on excellent camouflage for protection, eggs hatch in about three weeks, and the chicks fledge a little over a week after hatching.) Then we headed outdoors for a short walk through the Pine Bush. Initially the guides concentrated on giving us info about other aspects of the Pine Bush, and we even got to see a motion-triggered camera that's set up along one of the trails for a research project. We listened but didn't hear any woodcocks because it just wasn't dark enough - though there were a lot of robins calling and we could hear the peepers off in the distance.
On the way back we had a lot more success, hearing and then watching a woodcock take off up into the sky until I lost sight of him (some of the others said they could see him as he circled far above us, then dropped almost straight down to start all over again.) A little further along we had one doing his thing only a little ways off the trail; unfortunately at that point it had gotten dark enough that all we could do was listen.
I didn't manage to get any video - the little guys move incredibly fast for such chunky, awkward-looking birds - but I did find the following video on Youtube which shows what we saw and heard:
Definitely a worthwhile trip to the Pine Bush tonight - now that I know what to look for I'll have to try spotting them on my own sometime.
JMH
1.8 Mile Walk in the Pine Bush
Friday, April 8, 2011
Once again my plans to go for a run were stymied by lack of time and the inconvenience of having to go from running gear to the woodcock watch at the Pine Bush Discovery Center. So instead I stopped at the Blueberry Hills section and walked from the Columbia Circle trailhead over Blueberry Hill West and back. A nice walk on a pleasant evening, nothing too spectacular - I had hoped maybe the toads would be out breeding but either the timing isn't right or it just isn't wet enough right now.
JMH
Friday, April 8, 2011
Once again my plans to go for a run were stymied by lack of time and the inconvenience of having to go from running gear to the woodcock watch at the Pine Bush Discovery Center. So instead I stopped at the Blueberry Hills section and walked from the Columbia Circle trailhead over Blueberry Hill West and back. A nice walk on a pleasant evening, nothing too spectacular - I had hoped maybe the toads would be out breeding but either the timing isn't right or it just isn't wet enough right now.
JMH
Monday, April 04, 2011
1.8 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, April 4, 2011
Planned to go riding after work today but when I stepped outside it was very windy and really freakin' cold! So I decided to do a little walking instead and headed over to Five Rivers to see if any wildlife was out and about, even though I expected the trails to be pretty wet given all the rain we've had recently.
As always Five Rivers didn't disappoint... I was surprised to see a couple of frogs in the small artificial pool near the headquarters, and there were geese and ducks down on the Heron and Beaver Ponds. I was also surprised when I flushed a heron down on the Beaver Pond - he took off to other parts of the pond several times while I was walking around it, so I never did manage to get a decent picture of him. Two beavers were also out and about, so I spent a while watching them swim around, dive to the bottom to bring up roots, and float on the surface munching away on what they'd brought up.
On my way back to the car I followed the paved road from the Heron Pond up the hill and past the trailhead for the Vlomankill Trail, where I spotted a couple of deer. They seemed basically OK with my being there, but then another walker came down the access road jabbering away on her cell phone and scared them off. I just don't get it - why go for a walk at a beautiful place like Five Rivers if all you're going to do is blabber on the phone?
All in all a nice walk but a chilly one... I'm ready for spring to get here for good!
JMH
Monday, April 4, 2011
Planned to go riding after work today but when I stepped outside it was very windy and really freakin' cold! So I decided to do a little walking instead and headed over to Five Rivers to see if any wildlife was out and about, even though I expected the trails to be pretty wet given all the rain we've had recently.
As always Five Rivers didn't disappoint... I was surprised to see a couple of frogs in the small artificial pool near the headquarters, and there were geese and ducks down on the Heron and Beaver Ponds. I was also surprised when I flushed a heron down on the Beaver Pond - he took off to other parts of the pond several times while I was walking around it, so I never did manage to get a decent picture of him. Two beavers were also out and about, so I spent a while watching them swim around, dive to the bottom to bring up roots, and float on the surface munching away on what they'd brought up.
On my way back to the car I followed the paved road from the Heron Pond up the hill and past the trailhead for the Vlomankill Trail, where I spotted a couple of deer. They seemed basically OK with my being there, but then another walker came down the access road jabbering away on her cell phone and scared them off. I just don't get it - why go for a walk at a beautiful place like Five Rivers if all you're going to do is blabber on the phone?
All in all a nice walk but a chilly one... I'm ready for spring to get here for good!
JMH
Sunday, April 03, 2011
It's Amazing What You Can See...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
... rocketing along the NYS Thruway at 70 mph...
Catching sight of multiple red-tailed hawks during the drive is a fairly common occurence, though they can still surprise me - like the time I saw six of them sitting on the fence between the road and Montezuma NWR over the space of about a mile.
Today I was pleased to see that the herons have returned to the rookery just east of the Junius Ponds service area... not only were there herons on many of the nests I could see but there were also herons flying to and from the nests - inlcuding one that flew low enough over my car that I wondered briefly if I was going to hear a "thump" on my roof...
And as I was driving past Montezuma NWR I caught a glimpse of a bald eagle sitting in a tree overlooking one of the pools near the Thruway... yet another time when I really wish there was a safe way to stop and take pictures!
JMH
Sunday, April 3, 2011
... rocketing along the NYS Thruway at 70 mph...
Catching sight of multiple red-tailed hawks during the drive is a fairly common occurence, though they can still surprise me - like the time I saw six of them sitting on the fence between the road and Montezuma NWR over the space of about a mile.
Today I was pleased to see that the herons have returned to the rookery just east of the Junius Ponds service area... not only were there herons on many of the nests I could see but there were also herons flying to and from the nests - inlcuding one that flew low enough over my car that I wondered briefly if I was going to hear a "thump" on my roof...
And as I was driving past Montezuma NWR I caught a glimpse of a bald eagle sitting in a tree overlooking one of the pools near the Thruway... yet another time when I really wish there was a safe way to stop and take pictures!
JMH
LONG DISTANCE 2011 - Race #1
Spring Forward 15k Road Race
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Back to beautiful Mendon Ponds park for my first race of the 2011 season, plus a few miles afterwards to build distance for the trail marathon at the end of May. While I can't say that the Spring Forward 15k is one of my favorite races (it is a road race, after all!) the course is nice and hilly for a good workout, the scenery can be really nice, and the folks at Yellowjacket Racing are always great.
What wasn't great was how freakin' cold it was when I arrived at the park! Even though I knew I'd probably warm up a couple of miles into the race I didn't want to risk freezing for 2 hours, so I wore my jacket and gloves (and I was right, I tied the jacket around my waist at about the three mile mark and never needed it after that.
Didn't set any PRs today but I did keep to a nice steady pace that left me some gas in the tank for my post-race run and still mananged to pass a couple of other back-of-the-packers. Not quite as satisfying as pushing my hardest and ending fried... but that won't get me ready for the marathon. I also set a goal of running up all the hills and I pretty much accomplished that - walked a bit toward the top of the longest ones, but that's OK. It was definitely a good day for a medium-length run in the sun at a pace that was probably a bit faster than I'd have gone if I just headed out for a run.
I sometimes wonder if the other runners see some of the things I notice as I'm cruising along at the back... like the herd of deer running across a field in the distance as we were leaving the park... or the hawk perched in a tree just over our heads about a mile and a half from the finish. Wonderful sights like that help me appreciate being slow!
JMH
2011 Event Totals
Run 9.3 mi, 1 hr 57 min
Bike 0 mi, 0 min
Snowshoe 74.3 mi, 18 hr 57 min
Kayak 0 mi, 0 min
states visited: MA, NY, VT
Spring Forward 15k Road Race
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Back to beautiful Mendon Ponds park for my first race of the 2011 season, plus a few miles afterwards to build distance for the trail marathon at the end of May. While I can't say that the Spring Forward 15k is one of my favorite races (it is a road race, after all!) the course is nice and hilly for a good workout, the scenery can be really nice, and the folks at Yellowjacket Racing are always great.
What wasn't great was how freakin' cold it was when I arrived at the park! Even though I knew I'd probably warm up a couple of miles into the race I didn't want to risk freezing for 2 hours, so I wore my jacket and gloves (and I was right, I tied the jacket around my waist at about the three mile mark and never needed it after that.
Didn't set any PRs today but I did keep to a nice steady pace that left me some gas in the tank for my post-race run and still mananged to pass a couple of other back-of-the-packers. Not quite as satisfying as pushing my hardest and ending fried... but that won't get me ready for the marathon. I also set a goal of running up all the hills and I pretty much accomplished that - walked a bit toward the top of the longest ones, but that's OK. It was definitely a good day for a medium-length run in the sun at a pace that was probably a bit faster than I'd have gone if I just headed out for a run.
I sometimes wonder if the other runners see some of the things I notice as I'm cruising along at the back... like the herd of deer running across a field in the distance as we were leaving the park... or the hawk perched in a tree just over our heads about a mile and a half from the finish. Wonderful sights like that help me appreciate being slow!
JMH
2011 Event Totals
Run 9.3 mi, 1 hr 57 min
Bike 0 mi, 0 min
Snowshoe 74.3 mi, 18 hr 57 min
Kayak 0 mi, 0 min
states visited: MA, NY, VT
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