2012 Fall Outings Schedule
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 1: TCT Trail Day in Pittsfield, MA State Forest
The Berkshire Chapter of the New England Mountain Bikers Association will be doing trail work on the Taconic Crest Trail. Mountain bikers are also authorized users of the TCT in the Pittsfield SF and this group has been active in improving the trail around Tower Mt. This project will be to “bench cut” a re-routed portion of the trail south of Tower Mt. and to “brush-in” the old trail. Like any work along the trail, the more hands, the lighter the work. It’ll also be a great chance to meet and mingle with another group of outdoor lovers.
Meet: At 8 a.m. at Berry Pond along the circuit road in Pittsfield SF
Road Distance: Your house to Berry Pond.
Thursday, September 6: Paddle Brant Lake, Brant Lake, NY
Brant Lake is a classic example of an Adirondack lake enjoyed by hundreds of campers, vacationing at numerous youth camps spread throughout the lake. There is a great boat launch but little public land available for day visitors to use. Consequently, we will fully explore the lake, snacking enroute and returning to the launch for a late lunch. It will be late in the season so there should be little recreational activity and there might even be some foliage colors. This will be a leisurely paddle of less than 10 miles.
We will meet at Northway Exit 9 Park & Ride at 8:00AM.
LENGTH: The total trip will be about 10 miles
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 120 miles round trip. To the extent people have rack room we will carpool where possible
Sunday, September 9: Hike Ice Glen and Laura’s Tower, Stockbridge, MA
Afternoon hike. Set among Stockbridge mansions, this short set of trails has a little bit of everything, a wild cooling glen with a section of rough footing including boulders which is a difficult traverse; a tower with views of the Berkshires; a bridge over the Housatonic; and a walk along the river on the Mary Flynn Trail. 600’ elevation gain. Iced tea or wine on the porch of the Red Lion Inn afterward is a possibility. We will meet at the Schodack Park and Ride at 12:30PM.
LENGTH: Approximately 3.5miles with 600’ elevation gain.
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 65 miles round-trip; parking is limited so we need to use as few cars as possible.
Wednesday, September 12: Bike ride, Queensbury, NY
We will ride on the Feeder Canal Trail to Lake George. Meet at the Exit 9 Park & Ride at 9AM.
CONTACT: George Astle at 508-735-2116 (this is different area code than 518) or georgeb.astle@gmail.com
LENGTH: 25 miles round-trip.
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 70 miles round-trip.
Friday, September 14: Paddle Round Lake, Round Lake, NY
This will be a leisurely paddle on scenic Round Lake. We will meet at the Round Lake boat launch at 10AM.
CONTACT: George Astle at 508-735-2116 (this is different area code than 518) or georgeb.astle@gmail.com
LENGTH: 3 to 4 miles round-trip.
ROAD DISTANCE: Depends on your departure point.
Sunday, September 16: Bike Ride, Glens Falls, NY
We will ride from Glens Falls to Lake George on the bike trail. Meet at the Exit 9 Park & Ride at 9AM.
LENGTH: 15 miles round-trip.
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 90 miles round-trip.
Saturday, September 22 Kayak Somerset Reservoir, Somerset, VT (rain date 9/23)
This beautiful lake is approximately 30 min. east of Bennington. The paddle will be 8 to 10 miles. If it is too windy we can go to Grout Pond instead, which is a few miles from Somerset. Meet at Hannaford in Bennington at 9AM. Call Rob for details.
LENGTH: Approximately 8 to 10 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 40 miles round-trip.
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 40 miles round-trip.
Sunday, September 23: Dubuque State Forest, Hawley, MA
This was a farming area grown back to woods. We will take a different loop trail this time starting from the north, up the closed Middle Road.
We will meet at the Schodack Park and Ride at 8AM.
LENGTH: Approximately 9 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: Round-trip approximately 90 miles.
Wednesday, September 26: East Mountain, Monterey/Great Barrington, MA
Route 23 Monterey (MA) to Junction of Boardman and Kellogg (Great Barrington) 7.1 miles
Trail climbs East and June Mountains and features a scenic ridgewalk through Ice Gulch and a scramble down the steep ledges on the western side. Great views South and West. Hiking footwear with good traction required. Poles will be useful. Meet at junction of Boardman St and Kellogg Road in GB at 9AM to spot cars. Hike begins at the AT parking lot at the Junction of Rts 23 and 57 in Monterey at 9:30AM. Rain Cancels. Contact Sharon for NY carpool arrangements. Carpool meeting is place Schodack Park and Ride at 8AM.
LENGTH: Approximately 7.1 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: 80 miles round-trip.
OCTOBER
Friday, October 5: Greenport Conservation Trail, Hudson, NY
This hike rescheduled from August.
Easy and moderate trails in a Columbia Land Conservancy property just north of Hudson NY. We will walk a series of loops in woodlands and meadows with views of the Hudson and the Catskills. Sheila Rorke is co-leader. Contact Sharon for details.
LENGTH: Approximately 5 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: 50 miles round-trip.
Monday, October 8: Cycle Harlem Valley Rail Trail, Dutchess/Columbia NY
From Millerton to Wassaic Metro North station and return. C.22 miles
RT.
Contact: Sharon Bonk, 674-0042, sboqc@mindspring.com.
Meeting place: Millerton, parking lot near bike trail. 10am OR Schodack Park and Ride 8:30 am
Road distance: 140 miles RT
Contact: Sharon Bonk, 674-0042, sboqc@mindspring.com.
Meeting place: Millerton, parking lot near bike trail. 10am OR Schodack Park and Ride 8:30 am
Road distance: 140 miles RT
Tuesday, October 9: Dickinson Fire Tower, Grafton NY
This is a joint hike with HVCC hikes for Creative Retirement.
We will hike along Long Pond Road via the Fire Tower Trail to the restored Dickinson Fire Tower. We will have lunch at the summit and allow small groups to climb the tower and enjoy the vast panoramic scenery. We return to our cars via the Chet Bell Trail. We will meet at the Rt 4 & 43 Park and Ride, Defreestville. Please be sure to call Susan for meeting time, to offer your help with this hike or to let her know you will be joining her.
CONTACT: Susan Roberts at 766-4170
LENGTH: Approximately 2.5 miles round-trip with an ascent of 300 feet.
ROAD DISTANCE: 25 miles round-trip.
Sunday, October 14: Three-State Marker from TCT, Petersburg, NY
Not far off of the Taconic Crest Trail is a stone marker denoting the border of New York, Massachusetts and Vermont. We will head north on the TCT from Petersburgh Pass and then descend via an old logging road to the marker. Just beyond the marker is a lean-to on Hopkins Forest land where we can have lunch.
LENGTH: About 6 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: 46 miles round trip
Tuesday, October 16: Dyken Pond, Grafton, NY
This is a joint hike with HVCC hikes for Creative Retirement.
We will do a hike in the Dyken Pond area and Environmental Center. We will meet at the Rt 4 & 43 Park and Ride, Defreestville. Please be sure to call Susan for meeting time, to offer your help with this hike or to let her know you will be joining her.
CONTACT: Susan Roberts at 766-4170
LENGTH: Several trails with a wide range and minimal elevation.
ROAD DISTANCE: About 30 miles round-trip.
ROAD DISTANCE: About 30 miles round-trip.
Saturday, October 20: Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, NY
We will hike the historic Albany Rural Cemetery. Meet at the cemetery parking lot at 10:30AM. Call Margaret for details:
LENGTH: Approximately 3 miles round-trip.
ROAD DISTANCE: Depends on your departure point.
Sunday, October 21: Monroe State Forest, Monroe, MA
A neat spot at the Northern end of the Hoosac Range near the Mass/VT border, Monroe SF boasts a number of hiking options; including trails over Spruce Mt (2,730') and along Dunbar Brook. We will most likely will do a loop which includes both trails.
LENGTH: Approximately 6-9 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: 90 miles round trip.
Monday, October 22: Yokun Ridge from Olivia's Overlook to Bousquet Ski Area
We will spot cars at the Bousquet Ski Area, drive around to Olivia's Overlook in Lenox and start hiking north along BNRC's (Berkshire Natural Resources Council) Yokun Ridge Trail. We'll briefly exit onto Reservoir Rd. and continue along Yokun Ridge. This is a wonderful hike with views out from the Pleasant Valley Fire Tower and from the dramatic Yokun Seat overlooking Richmond. The trail heads down through "The Damp" up to the new BNRC property called "Mahanna Cobble," and comes out onto the Bousquet summit, where you can dangle from a ski chair. From there we’ll take one of the ski trails down and test out the knees for the ski season.
LENGTH: 8.25 miles with approximately 900’ vertical ascent.
ROAD DISTANCE: Contact Karen or Lori for details.
Tuesday, October 23: Thatcher Park, Voorheesville, NY
This is a joint hike with HVCC hikes for Creative Retirement
We will hike on the Schrieder Memorial Trail and can visit the Emma Treadwell Nature Center. We will meet at the Rt 4 & 43 Park and Ride, Defreestville. Please be sure to call Susan for meeting time, to offer your help with this hike or to let her know you will be joining her.
CONTACT: Susan Roberts at 766-4170.
LENGTH: To be determined by the group.
ROAD DISTANCE: To be determined by starting place
ROAD DISTANCE: To be determined by starting place
Saturday, October 27: Snowhole, Petersburgh, NY
We will hike north on the Taconic Crest Trail into the “Snowhole” and enjoy the beautiful views along the way.
Meet at the Wal-Mart parking lot off Route 7 in Brunswick, NY at 10 AM.
LENGTH: About 6 miles round-trip with ascent of about 700 feet.
ROAD DISTANCE: About 60 miles round-trip.
NOVEMBER
Thursday, November 1: Sleeping Beauty Mountain, Lake George, NY
Help celebrate the clubs 80th anniversary with a beautiful view. Meet at Clifton Park, Park & Ride at 8AM.
LENGTH: Approximately 6 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: Round-trip approximately 90 miles.
Saturday, November 3: Mt. Washington State Forest, Mt. Washington, MA
Depending on the group and the weather, we'll hike one of the South Taconic peaks (Alander, Brace, Frissell) from the Mt. Washington plateau.
LENGTH: Approximately 6-8 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: 90 miles round trip.
Saturday, November 3: Walkway over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY
This bicycle trip is planned to the Poughkeepsie area where we will bike on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, which connects to the bridge. Meet at the Rt 4 & 43 Park and Ride, Schodack at 9AM.
CONTACT: George Astle at 508-735-2116 (this is different area code than 518) or georgeb.astle@gmail.com
LENGTH: Approximately 13 miles.
ROAD DISTANCE: Around 200 miles round-trip.
Sunday, November 4
Taconic Hiking Club Annual Banquet
This year's banquet will be a sit down luncheon at Paolo Lombardi's Ristorante at 104 West Sand Lake Road (Route 150) in Wynantskill from noon to 4 p.m. In addition to the meal, there will be a brief business meeting and a guest speaker (to be determined, check the blogspot for more details).
Entrees: Pollo Alla Marsala, Salmon Arrosta and Lasagna Della Casa
Side dishes: Italian-style potatoes and Broccoli Romano
Other items: Garden salad, Italian bread, coffee, tea, soft drinks and cake for desert.
Cost: $22 per person.
CONTACT: Margaret Parks at 728-6690 or margaretparks213@gmail.com before Oct. 30 to reserve your spot.
DIRECTIONS: Depends on where you're coming from. Best bet is to go to www.paololombardis.com, click on the Contact link, and go to the Google Maps application.
Thursday, November 15: Winter Schedule Activities due
Here comes winter and snow and many fun activities. Time to send in your hikes, skiing or snowshoe trips for our winter schedule.
Let’s make this our busiest winter ever!
LENGTH: You decide.
ROAD DISTANCE: Unlimited.
Sunday November 18: Moreau Lake State Park
We can choose from a variety of options with some moderate climbing, ridge trails, and one scenic overlook of the Hudson River and beyond. A number of loops are possible, ranging from a couple of miles to 6 miles or more. With most of the foliage down, we could have some good vistas. Easy drive right up the Northway.
LENGTH: Roughly 4 to 6 miles depending on our choices.
ROAD DISTANCE: Approximately 80 miles round-trip.
Remember:
Get out and stay out!
posted by Taconic Hiking Club @ 2:03 PM
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