The Ski Season in Photos #13

Chic Chocs Basecamp • Early April 2012

After the lift-served season ended across New York and the Northeast, the most enterprising skiers were left to their travels.  One such adventurer, ml242, pursued a long-held dream to ski the Chic Chocs at the northernmost end of the Appalachian Chain, on the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.

Against the advice of one of the most respected guide services in the region Matt and his group insisted on visiting the region, in one of the lowest snow years the region had seen in decades.  As luck had it, some new snow did fall as they were travel north, and the conditions they found were quite nice, thank you.

Continue reading

Time Travel to the Summit of Rusk Mountain

Maybe I’ve seen the Last of the Mohicans one too many times: it seems I’m now obsessed with local lore and the “old days.” On a recent canoe trip down the Delaware I couldn’t stop talking about the Lenape Indians, their travel routines and dress. And on a hike up the highest mountain in Orange County NY, I drove my companions nuts detailing the meaning of the word Schunemunk.

Saint Anne's Peak
Saint Anne’s Peak

Actually I’ve always been fond of remembering the time when men were men, and hiking meant figuring out how to get from point Algonquin to point British without the use of marked trails.

Continue reading

The Halfway Brook Trail

The Halfway Brook Trail was another traditional path through the Garnet Hills, in the Southern Adirondacks. It was used by locals for decades prior to the land’s inclusion into the Forest Preserve. In the 1930s, it was traveled by mine workers moving from their North River living quarters to the mine each day. In the last 50 years, the trail has been used mostly during the winter by backcountry skiers.

William Blake Pond.
William Blake Pond

Halfway Brook Trail now officially extends all the way to the old farm road, absorbing (and shortening) a trail that had been called “Overlook” on the Garnet Hill trail map for years. I was never sure if Overlook was actually a new name for part of the Halfway Brook Trail, or something truly distinct.  To further complicate things, the first section of the trail, became known as the William Blake Pond Trail — another result of the way lodge guests used the route.

Continue reading