Long Island Sound: Sailing the Salty J

An old friend stopped by recently while I was in Peekskill, NY, visiting my mom. Joe and I grew up in the same neighborhood and he was visiting his parents as well. Our conversation drifted to his Precision 21 Pocket Cruiser, which he loves sailing near his current home on the north shore of Long Island. He was bummed that the calendar had already flipped to August and he had yet to get the sailboat in the water for the season.

transporting sailboat
Transporting the Salty J from its winter storage

I offered my services to help him launch the boat during my stay in NY and a quick check of tides and weather found a brief window of opportunity to make it happen.

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Basin Mountain: East Face and Ribbon Slides

Over the past several summers, Bailey and Brian and I have been exploring landslides that scour the mountainsides across the High Peaks. Many of our objectives come from the book “The Adirondack Slide Guide: An Aerial View of the High Peaks Region” by Drew Haas, which contains images of most of the major slides and their bestowed names.

drainage

Throughout the years, we’ve climbed over 100 slides, including some formed after the book was published in 2006. Of course, some slides are more enjoyable than others due to their grip, dryness, accessibility, and views. Slides such as the Lake Placid Slide on Whiteface, the Autobahn on Santanoni, and the Eagle Slide on Giant are all notable and frequented slides to name a few good ones.

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Drumlins: Syracuse’s Lost Ski Hill

Mention the word “drumlin” to most people and the response will at best be a blank stare.

In Syracuse, however, it’s a familiar geological term describing the long, rounded hills left behind by glaciers during the last Ice Age that shape much of the region’s landscape.

Drumlins Country Club ski hill

Drumlins aren’t unique to that part of the state (they’re found throughout New England and the Upper Midwest); however, conveniently for this article, the term also lends its name to a well-known country club in the area with two golf courses — one public, one private — and a distinctive 1920s clubhouse.

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