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Long Island Mountaineer

NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB

LONG ISLAND CHAPTER

JULY — AUGUST 2011

T he summer season stirs memories of warm sand, shell-lined beaches, endless summer sunsets,

hiking a mountain and getting a tan, fireflies, outdoor con-certs, biking and feeling the cool wind, get-togethers with family and friends, kayaking and feeling part of the water experience, and great barbecues – watermelon is a must.

This year, for many people, summer may mean taking a “stay-vacation,” seeking enjoyable activities close to home, because of the hard economic times, rising gas prices, or other reasons. For ADK-LI members, there will be plenty to do.

The Club will be offering hiking, biking and kayaking trips throughout the summer. On Long Island, we’ll be kayak-ing through the waters of the Hamptons and Southold. No kayak? You can rent one for a reasonable price. There will be bike rides on all areas of Long Island.

A DK-LI leaders will be guiding hikes in Harriman State Park, the Catskills and Adirondacks. See the

Outings list starting on page 4.

And, of course, there’s our Annual Picnic on Sunday Au-gust 14th at Centerport Beach. You will be able to take a bike ride, kayak, play volleyball and share the warm sand and cooling water with friends -- and a great barbecue.

So, everyone, come hiking, biking or kayaking with us and enjoy a great summertime -- whether on a “stay-vacation” or heading upstate.

We take the summer off from holding monthly meetings, but we’ll see you in September at the next ADK-LI meet-

ing on Tuesday, September 6th to compare notes and swap stories on our summertime adventures.

U ntil then, start planning to attend our Columbus Day Weekend at the ADK’s Adirondack Loj when the

High Peaks area is covered in Fall colors.

Enjoy your summer.

Summertime President’s Corner

Jeanne Millspaugh

Highlights: In This Issue

• Outdoor Skills Series – Tom Farre, Education Chair-man has organized a series of outings to help you learn or improve your skills (see Highlights below, page 3, and the Outings schedule.)

• Trail Maintenance Roundup – Reports on recent TM outings and the volunteers who keep our trails in great shape (p. 8 & 9)

• Caumsett State Park – Arlene Scholer takes us for a tour of this beautiful, varied favorite for year-round activities right here on Long Island (page 2.)

• Outings Highlights: (Listings begin on p. 4)

• Outdoor Skills Series Sea Kayaking – July 2 (Ross Moore) Birds of the Boreal Forest – July 9 (Jeff Ritter) Foraging for Edible and Medicinal Plants – July 30 (“Wildman” Steve Brill) Map & Compass Workshop – November 12 (Tom

Farre)

• Green Mountain Adventure – July 22 – 25. Three-days on Vermont’s rugged and scenic Long Trail

• Columbus Day Weekend in the Adirondacks. Details and Registration form on page 10.

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www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER — JULY – AUGUST 2011

People and Perspectives… Arlene Scholer

Continued on page 7

Adirondack Mountain Club Long Island Chapter

2011 Executive Committee

President

Jeanne Millspaugh [email protected]

Vice President

Mike Vetrano [email protected]

Treasurer Nancy Hodson (516) 692 5754

Secretary Alice Scanlon (516) 759-2732

Director to Main Club Martha McDermott

631 581 4574

Alternate Director to Main Club Carol McHugh (718) 423 4083

Board of Directors Betty Horstmann (631) 472 9677

Susan Kenyon [email protected]

Ross Moore [email protected] Eunsil Recksiek [email protected]

Bill Schneider [email protected]

Mike Vaughan [email protected]

Committee Chairs Conservation

�Position Open

Education Tom Farre [email protected]

Hospitality Arlene Scholer (516) 354 0231

Mountaineer Micheline Kagan

[email protected] Orrie Frutkin [email protected]

Membership

Michael Vaughan [email protected]

Outings Elie Bijou [email protected]

Programs Jeanne Millspaugh (516) 723-9269

Publicity Sue Stricker (631) 470-2197

NYNJ Trail Conference Diane Grunthal

[email protected] Trail Maintenance

Pat Wachter (631) 669-6450

WebSite Mike Vetrano [email protected]

Yahoo Group Moderator Allen Grunthal

[email protected]

Young Members Group �Position Open

Caumsett State Park – How to save gas dollars, and still enjoy outdoor activities. Caumsett, (the name is Al-gonquin for “place by a sharp rock”) is the former estate of Marshall Field III, located between Lloyd Harbor and Long Island Sound, a few minutes drive north of Huntington. In 1961, New York State purchased 1540 acres, setting aside a beautiful destination for you and me to enjoy in all seasons. You can walk, jog, bike, cross-country ski, snowshoe, fish, and watch woodland and sea birds. For information on guided nature walks, in-terpretive tours and educational pro-gram, call 631 423-1770. There’s a sea-sonal $8 parking fee (free if you have an Empire Passport.) Ask for a map you when you enter.

If you’re not familiar with Caumsett, allow me to give you an overview using the map.

The Park entrance (latitude N 40.914257, longitude -73.473289) is lo-cated on Lloyd Harbor Road, a continua-tion of West Neck Road, which you take north from Main Street, Huntington.

You’ll park near some buildings from the days when this was a self-sufficient manor. Bathrooms are nearby. On the east side of the dairy barns, look for a headstone honoring all the cows that

served the family. From this area, you can walk the paved path to the main house, where you can enjoy sweeping views of Long Island Sound before heading downhill past a fresh-water pond to a network of trails.

Take a trail leading to the beach and then head west along the boulder-strewn shore. You’ll pass dramatic cliffs, beyond which you can re-enter the property by stairs going up to a fisher-men’s parking space (permit required) and a nice 2-mile walk back along “Fisherman’s Drive” (the long north-south line from the beach to the main parking area on the map.)

Another option is to pick up the Fisher-man’s Drive near the barns and walk down to the water. At the fishermen’s parking area, look for a metal gate on the left; walk around it and follow the sandy and worn, plank trail west to the tip of the peninsula. There was once a landing area here for sea planes used by the Field family. In May, I walked this park and path between the tidal wetland and L.I. Sound with Allison Orme, Yo-shiko Takeshita, JoEllen Elsener, Pauline Lavery and Sheila Lipshie. We saw pink, white and reddish rosa rugosa blossoms that last until the fall, and then give way to colorful rose hips. We also saw paddles of prickly pear cactus. Returning to the cars via the fisherman’s trail, we passed tulip trees, whose extremely tall trunks, generally free of side branches, were used by Indians for canoes. The blossoms re-semble tulips; look for them on the ground to easily identify the trees them-selves. We also sampled the spearmint flavor found in the smallest stems of the black birch trees. Watch for the shiny black bark of this small tree.

As you turn off the path to approach the parking area, look for the cages on your left, and visit the injured birds of prey be-fore their cages are shut down at 4 P.M.

I’ve visited this local park since the 1970s before there were parking fees. Visit and enjoy it yourself!

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Joy Adler, Hicksville

Andrew Beganskas, Merrick

Patricia Bush, East Islip

Ray Clarkson, Middle Island

John Cunningham, Saint James

Roger Gilmore, Westbury

Sue and John Hall, Glen Cove

Dolores Loesch, Nesconset

Elizabeth Mazza, Bellerose

W. J. and Jill Nielsen, East Islip

Edward Palmese, Ronkonkoma

Laura Rath, Islip

Ed Rymas, Medford

Marvin Schlesinger, Freeport

Victoria Stewart, Smithtown

Timothy Taylor, Cincinnati, OH

Roy Wallace, Central Islip

Welcome Back! Stephen J. Bishop, Freeport

Courtney Greenblatt, Mineola

Hector Herrera, East Rockaway

Ernest Herrington, Islip

Lance and Antonieta Rosenberg, Medford

Robert Tierman and Ridgely Ochs, Northport

Kevin Wasp and Maureen Going, Port Washington

Welcome New Members! ADK Board of Directors' meeting, March 2011 -- This meet-

ing’s main focus was on “hydro-fracking,” extracting natural gas out of shale by drilling, and then pumping huge volumes of wa-ter under high pressure into the rock. The practice has been associated with serious environmental damage. ADK is working hard to prevent this in the area of shale on the southern border of NYS, which we share with Pennsylvania.

You can read much more about this in the Executive Director's and Conservation reports in ADK’s Adirondac maga-zine. Executive Director Neil Woodworth showed us many photo-graphs of wells and other sites just over the border in Pennsyl-vania. The photos, shot by well-known nature photographer Carl Heilman while hanging out of a small plane, were pretty shock-ing, showing large areas of deforestation and degradation.

They also showed that some of the exploration was danger-ously close to, if not encroaching on, the unmarked NY/PA bor-der. Since then, a crew from New York DEC and ADK has marked the state boundary! ADK will be in the forefront of this issue, which you may know is becoming a national one. At the meeting, the Board passed a resolution authorizing ADK staff to actively support legislation to provide regulation of hydraulic fracturing and water withdrawal to protect the beautiful state lands of southern New York from degradation.

Black Fly Affair – On May 21 a group of us from ADK-LI – Herb Coles, June Fait, Jeanne Milspaugh and I –attended ADK’s famous Black Fly Affair. If you haven't been to the Black Fly you have got to go next year! A beautiful setting, great peo-ple, good stuff to auction off [Jeanne created a wonderful gift basket with a “birding” theme], and the best live band I've danced to in years! We're a wonderful club, lucky to have members all over the state -- come next year and get ac-quainted with some more of us. We are not a local hiking club!

Director’s Report Martha McDermott

Learn from Others in Learn from Others in Learn from Others in Learn from Others in

New Outdoor Skills SeriesNew Outdoor Skills SeriesNew Outdoor Skills SeriesNew Outdoor Skills Series

Did you ever want to learn about bird watching, sea kayaking or how to use a compass? That's the idea behind the new Outdoor Skills Se-ries of outings being offered this summer and fall by experienced ADK-LI members to help you learn or improve your skills. Our Club has many "human resources", who enjoy sharing with others what they know. If you want to learn, try one or more of

the outings below (See the Outings schedule for details):

∗ Bird Watching with Jeff Ritter – Catskills, Saturday, July 9

∗ Sea Kayaking with Ross Moore – Connetquot River, L.I. on

Saturday, July 2

∗ Foraging with “Wildman” Steve Brill – Belmont Lake State

Park, Saturday, July 30

∗ Map & Compass Workshop with Tom Farre – Melville,

Saturday, November 12

If you have an outdoor skill you'd like to share in an outing, please contact Tom Farre at (631) 427-4795, [email protected]

SAVE THE DATE

ADK-LI ANNUAL DINNER Thursday October 20, 2011

Watch for details in the September/October issue.

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OUTING RULES AND PROCEDURES

REGISTRATION FOR ALL OUTINGS IS REQUIRED. Call several days in advance if you have any questions. Leaders accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis after the outing is officially listed in the Mountaineer or on the Outings page at www.adkli.org.

Leaders may refuse to take anyone not registered or pre-pared. Registered participants are expected to show up or call the leader to cancel. Simply sending or leaving a mes-sage does not constitute registration. If you do not receive a reply to your message, it is your responsibility to follow up and contact the leader prior to the deadline for registra-tion. Participants should provide leader with their phone number in case of last minute changes.

Guests are welcome on all outings. Where space is lim-ited, members of the ADK Long Island chapter will have priority. If you go on two or more outings, please help sup-port the Adirondack Mountain Club and the Long Island chapter by becoming a member.

GROUND RULES Minors (younger than 18 years) must have signed permis-sion of a parent or guardian. Participants are responsible for their own safety and comfort. Food, snacks, water and extra clothing/raingear must be carried by participant. Check with leader to learn of any special requirements for the hike. Hiking boots are recommended for all ADK hikes.

UPDATED CARPOOL RATES A $5 surcharge will be added to the following suggested guidelines whenever gasoline prices are more than $4 per gallon. Carpool rates shown are for roundtrip per rider: East End $10, Harriman $18, Shawangunks $25, Catskills $35, Adirondacks $60 (all rates for roundtrip.) For upstate rides: If 2 riders, deduct $2 each; 3 riders de-duct $3 each; 4 riders deduct $4 each from these rates. Drivers set the final rate. Leaders should try to equalize number of riders in each car.

HIKE CLASSIFICATIONS

(Hike classifications are subjective. If you are uncertain if you are up to the hike, consult the leader.) A: Strenuous, long distances over rugged terrain with lots of climbing or more than 35 miles on bike.

B: Moderate, shorter distances with less climbing or 10-30 miles on bike. Moderate hikes may have some steep climbing and/or rugged terrain, but are less demanding than strenuous hikes.

C: Easy, short distance over flat terrain at a leisurely pace or 10 miles or less on bike. Suitable for beginners.

LONG ISLAND ADK OUTINGS SCHEDULE FOR JULY — AUGUST 2011

LEADERS: To list a hike for the September–October issue of the Mountaineer, contact Outings Chairman Elie Bijou [email protected] Following the outing, be sure to mail the “Release of Liability/Sign-In Form” to Elie Bijou, 920 E. 17th St., Apt 608, Brooklyn NY 11230. Send “Trip Report” to Ron Engasser at [email protected] or 73 Matsunaye Drive, Medford, NY 11763. Forms for leaders can be downloaded from www.adkli.org. Click on “For Leaders.” HIKERS: Be sure to check www.adkli.org for additional outings, which may be added from time to time!

Outings continued on next page

CARPOOLING/PARKING LOCATIONS

Due to limited on-street parking at our old meeting place (LIE Exit 32), we suggest Outings participants meet at one of the following locations for carpooling: Christopher Morley Park parking lot (Searingtown Road, just north of LIE Exit 36.) In parking lot, turn right and go to end, the Park & Ride area. NOTE: To avoid $10 summer parking fee for non-county residents, plan to meet well before 8 A.M. Other option: Lake Success Shopping Center (Union Tpke, west of New Hyde Park Road) LIE to Exit 34 or Northern State Pkwy to Exit 26, New Hyde Park Rd south. After gas station, turn right on to Union Tpke. Turn left at first traffic light to enter Lake Success Shopping Center. Turn left and go past HSBC bank for carpool site. Park at east end of lot. MEETING PLACE IS

LEADER’S CHOICE. HIKERS: BE SURE TO ASK

LEADER WHERE TO MEET.

• C Saturday, July 2 – Outdoor Skills Series: Sea Kay-aking on the Connetquot River. A great chance to hone your sea kayaking skills. We'll cover paddling tech-niques, how to re-enter your kayak on the water and other paddling safety techniques -- and we’ll have a nice paddle on the river. Wear a bathing suit and bring drink-ing water and a snack. Rentals available. Call or email leader Ross Moore by Wednesday, June 29. (631) 544-0941, [email protected]

• A Thursday, July 7 – Adirondacks Tabletop Hike to a 46'er with an unmarked path to the summit. Please bring lunch, snacks, at least 2 liters of water. We shall filter water, as well. Insect repellent a must. And, since this is the Adirondacks where weather may change in minutes, bring raingear. Distance 9.5 mi (15.8 km); ascent approx 2250 ft (685 m). Pace AARP (at a relaxed pace.) Expect hike to take 9-12 hours. Leader: Elie Bijou 518-873-2119 [email protected] (Call between Monday and Thursday 9:30 A.M. – 9 P.M., or on weekend to 5 P.M.)

• A Saturday July 9 – Sugarloaf in the Catskills. Hike approximately 7 miles with an ascent of 1850’ to an ele-vation of 3800’. Beginning on the Roaring Kill Trail, to Mink Hollow Trail, to the Devil’s Path to summit Sugar-loaf and back on the Pecoy Notch Trail with time at Dib-ble’s Quarry. It will be a strenuous trail hike at a leisurely pace. Must have hiking experience. Beautiful views. Joint with Catskill 3500 Club. Register with leader Sue Kenyon, [email protected] or 917 613-2042 by July 7.

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• B Saturday, July 9 – Summer Kayaking on Accabo-nac Harbor in East Hampton. Knowing how to swim is important, and you should have kayaking experience. Come paddle a beautiful harbor in the Hamptons. Con-tact co-leader, Jeanne Millspaugh 516 723-9269, or Richie Mardosa 631 864-1803. Kayak rentals will be available at $30/kayak. Must call no later than Thursday July 7th, 9 P.M. to arrange for kayak rental.

• A Saturday, July 9 – Outdoor Skills Series: Catskills, Birds of the Boreal (Northern) Forest We will hike to a

high Catskill summit to listen and watch for birds that breed there. The focus will be on gaining new insight and appreciation for the Catskill mountain-

top environment, the place of many of our hiking adventures. Destination will be Hunter, Slide or Plateau. Binoculars are recommended. Leader:

Jeff Ritter. Register by Thursday, July 7. Call 718-279-3431 before 10PM.

• B Saturday, July 16 – Fahnestock State Park. This is a 7.5-mile loop hike with some moderate ups and downs. We’ll climb Round Hill and East Mountain, reaching sev-eral viewpoints and passing historic stone walls and other remnants of the area’s former agricultural past. This is a good hike for fit beginners. Register with leader Bill Schnei-der, [email protected] (preferred) or call 516-378-3043 before 10 P.M. by July 14.

• A-B Friday to Monday July 22 – 25 Green Mountain Adventure - Escape to the tranquil and bucolic Green Mountains of northern Vermont. This will be a three day hiking adventure on Vermont's rugged and scenic Long Trail. The first day will be a classic 10-mile traverse of Mount Mansfield as we achieve Vermont’s highest point. We will ascend above tree line into the alpine zone with some amazing views of Lake Champlain and the distant Adirondacks. The second day will be a relaxing day with a short and moderate 5-mile hike through scenic Smug-glers Notch and to the boreal shores of Sterling Pond. We may have time to rent a bike and enjoy the Stowe Recreational Path and an evening concert. Monday will be an optional hiking day for those who can stay the ex-tra day. Enjoy gourmet dining at night at area restau-rants in the charming village of Stowe. Our base will be at the comfortable Honeywood Inn http://www.honeywoodinn.com/ at a discounted rate of $49.50 per night based on double occupancy. Two night mini-mum stay. Includes full breakfast. Joint with NOHC. REGISTER BY FRIDAY July 15. Lanny Wexler [email protected] (516) 644-5867

• C Saturday, July 30 – Outdoor Skill Series: Join “Wildman” Steve Brill, America’s Go-to Guy for For-aging as he leads us on an exciting afternoon explora-tion of edible and medicinal plants found at Belmont Lake State Park. We’ll learn about mushrooms, berries, sheep and wood sorrel and other wild plants. Kids are welcome! For further details and registration, please

Outings Continued on next page

contact Jo Ellen Elsener at 631-553-1378 or by e-mail to [email protected] To find out more about “Wildman” Steve Brill and foraging, go to his web site at http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com (Note: this web site is not for registration for the outing.)

• C Sunday July 31 – Robert Moses Beach, Naturist Hike and Swim. Join thousands of sun worshipers in an invigorating day at the clothing optional, nude beach. Side trip to Kismet for eats, 3 miles of easy beach ramble, and laze about and do nothing. Leader Ron Engasser, 631-289-5375 or [email protected]

• C Sunday July 31 – Kayaking on the Peconic River. Calm waters. About 5 miles. Rentals available. Contact Nancy Hodson by July 24. 516-692-5754 or by e-mail to [email protected]

• B/B+ Saturday, August 6 – The Rock Trail in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation (Westchester) This should be a good “step-up” hike from C and B outings. Hiking this new (2010) set of trails will take us to six of the Park’s major rock formations noted for their historic, sce-nic or Native American cultural significance. About 7.5 miles with short ups and downs, some steep, but with little elevation gain and no scrambling. Many of the trails will be rocky underfoot, so wear boots or sturdy hiking shoes. Hiking poles will help, too. Maps will be distrib-uted. Car pooling strongly recommended. There’s an $8 per car entrance fee. Register with leaders Orrie and Goodie Frutkin (516) 883-3369 or e-mail [email protected] by Thursday, August 4, 10 P.M.

• A Saturday to Thursday, August 6-11, 2011, White Mountains, NH Adventure. Trek over the Presiden-tial Range high peaks on the AT, including Mt. Washington. Overnight at AMC lodges and huts in the White Mountains. Spec-tacular settings! Car pool up. Six days, five nights $485; or $425 for AMC mem-bers. Includes breakfast and dinners for five days, and shuttle bus to trailhead. Return Thurs-day evening. Not for beginners. A-class strenuous hike at moderate pace. Mountain weather. Ridges above tree line. Peaks may be bypassed or itiner-ary modified depending on conditions. Ability to train to A-level hiking required. July training hike to Wittenberg planned. Register as soon as possi-ble. Holding four spots. Six maximum. Cut off for registration July 22. ADK-LI leader Jim Ansel, 516-567-9308. [email protected]

• B Sunday, August 7th Mid-summer Kayaking – Cedar Point to Goose Creek near Southold. Knowl-edge of swimming a MUST. Co-leaders Jeanne Mill-spaugh 516-723-9269 and Richie Mardosa 631-864-1803. Kayak rentals available at $30/kayak. Must call by Wednesday August 3rd 9 P.M. to reserve kayaks.

• Sunday, August 14 – ADK-LI Beach Party and Picnic!

Centerport Beach, Centerport, NY. See ad on p. 11

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• A Saturday, August 27 – Adirondacks – Saddle-back and Jay Please join me on a hike on a spec-tacular ridgeline. There are six bare summits, each more spectacular than the previous one. There is no path between Jay (3600 ft) and Saddleback (3615 ft.) We'll set our compasses and trek on over and then back. Please bring lunch, snacks, water, raingear and long sleeves/pants, gloves and protective eye-ware. Distance about 8 miles. Joint with other ADK chap-ters. Leader: Elie Bijou [email protected] 518-873-2119 Call between Monday and Thursday 9:30 A.M to 9 P.M., or on weekends to 5 P.M.

• B Tuesday September 6 – Adirondacks – Amper-sand Mt. 3360 ft. Hike to a small peak with a great, open summit and superb views. Level B, Distance 5.4 miles (8.6 km). Ascent 1800ft (548 m). Elevation 3360 ft (1024 m). Pace: Slow. Joint with other ADK chap-ters. Leader: Elie Bijou [email protected] 518-873-2119 (Call between Monday and Thursday 9:30 A.M. – 9 P.M., Weekends to 5 P.M.)

• Tuesday September 6 – ADK-LI Monthly Meeting.

All Welcome. Program to be announced.

• B+ Thursday, 15 September Adirondacks – Indian Head and Rainbow Falls We'll hike along the many waterfalls of Gill Brook to the superb view of Indian Head. Please bring lunch snacks and water as the route may be dry. Level B+. Distance 7 miles (11 km). ascent 1500 ft (457 m). Pace: Slow. Joint with other ADK chap-ters. Contact Leader: Elie Bijou [email protected] or 518-873-2119. Call between Mon. and Thurs. 9:30 A.M. – 9 pm, weekends to 5 P.M.

• TM B Saturday, September 17 – Trail Maintenance – Catskills Join us for Fall Trail Maintenance on part of the Long Path, east of Peekamoose Mountain. The trail covers Bangle Hill and Samson Mountain. Please register with Eunsil Recksiek, [email protected] (preferred) or call 631-921-0028 before 8 P.M. by Fri-day, Sept 16. Free TM t-shirt for volunteers!

• B- Tuesday October 4 – Adirondacks – Catamount Mountain 3185 ft. A relatively short hike through the woods and then a short chimney climb leads us to the open rock of this great summit. The view is spectacu-lar, ranging from the northern Adirondacks to the High Peaks. Level C+ to B-. Distance 3.8 miles (6.12 km). Ascent 1572 ft (470 m). Pace: Slower moderate. Joint with other ADK chapters. Register with Leader: Elie Bijou [email protected] 518-873-2119. Call between Monday and Thursday 9:30 A.M. – 9 P.M., weekends to 5 P.M.

Outings continued from previous page

• NR Friday to Monday, October 7 – 10. Annual ADK-LI Columbus Day Weekend at Adirondack Loj. See details on page 10. Contact leaders for available

lodgings.

• C Saturday, November 12. Outdoor Skills Series – Map & Compass Workshop. Learn the basics of map reading, the compass, and how to use them together. Morning workshop in Melville followed by a short hike on the Walt Whitman Trail, where we'll use map and compass to determine our route. Bring your compass and any hiking map for learning session. Register with leader Tom Farre, 631-427-4795 after 6 P.M. or [email protected]

JOIN NOW!

ADK Membership Application

Name_________________________________________

Address________________________________________

City______________________State___Zip+4__________

E-mail_________________________________________

NOTE: Your email address will not be distributed to outside organi-zations.

X I want to join as an ADK Long Island Chapter member.

Please choose a membership level

� Individual $50 � Family $60 � Individual Life $1,300 � Student $40 * *School_______________________________________ Multi-year membership available at www.adk.org or call ADK headquarters, 1-800-395-8080

For Family membership only:

Spouse_________________________________________

Children (under 18________________________________

I would like to give a tax-deductible gift in addition to my

membership. $_______

___Check enclosed (U.S. funds only)

Please bill my ___Visa ___MC ___American Express card

Account No. _____________________Exp. Date______

Signature____________________________________

Send this form with payment to: Adirondack Mountain

Club, 814 Goggins Road, Lake George, NY 12845-4117

...or bring it to a Long Island Chapter meeting.

ADK is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Membership fees are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please allow 6-8 weeks to receive first issue of Adirondac magazine and Long Island Mountaineer newsletter.

� Senior (65+) $40 � Senior Family (65+) $50

� Family Life $1,950

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Looking BackLooking BackLooking BackLooking Back Ron Engasser

MARCH 20 ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE, MON-TAUK – Ron Engasser (L) and Stan & Michelle Coop-ersmith, and Dominique [Sorry, we don’t have her last name] boarded the LIRR train at Patchogue for the trip to Montauk. The train soon filled up to standing room only with exuberant high school kids. Our group en-joyed Irish food in Montauk town, and the parade rounded out a beautiful day with thousands of GREEN people and GREEN dogs and cat’s. The usual action packed return train ride rounded out this exciting day. Distance covered was 3 miles.

APRIL 9 MASHOMACK PRESERVE, ON SHELTER ISLAND – Joan Gossner (L) Tom Pelletier, Barbara Fox, Will Ortiz, Dolores Loesch, Kyle Whit and Ada Busso took the Greenport ferry to Shelter Island, sight-ing long-tailed ducks on the way. At the preserve, we saw bluebirds and tree swallows in the meadow, a great egret in the marsh, red-breasted mergansers in the bay and red-tailed hawks and osprey soaring above. The ospreys were squawking and diving, and one was car-rying a fish. Other sightings included a garter snake, two seals basking on a rock, a muskrat, and we heard the vocalizations of spring peepers. Several common loons were observed from the ferry as we return to Greenport. It was a perfect day for hiking the 10 mile blue trail – temps in the low 50s, mostly sunny, and great views as the leaves had not yet emerged on the trees. Other wildlife we observed: a red-bellied wood-pecker, downy woodpecker, mockingbirds, robins, swans, Canada geese, red-winged blackbirds, tufted titmouse, crows, chickadees, and a dead raccoon. This was a wonderful place to hike and observe nature.

MAY 1 NISSEQUOGUE RIVER PADDLE – Leader Kathleen Berger and Gayle Strauss rented a canoe from Nissequogue River Canoe & Kayak. Joseph and Anne Cardella brought their tandem kayak, and Phil and Aileen Nathan, and Heidi Mauricio had solo kayaks. After shuttling cars up to the take-out at the mouth of the Nissequogue, we returned to put in at the headwa-ters at Paul T. Givens Park (across from the Smithtown Bull.) It was just about high tide as we started north, and the river was beautiful; what more can I say? The reeds along the river had not greened up yet. In another week, vibrant green will rule the day. Red-winged black-birds were busy in the reeds, but we saw only a few swans, which I thought was surprising. Since it was high tide, the mud flats were submerged and we missed seeing the usual diamond-back terrapins sunning them-selves. We stopped for a snack halfway downriver, and then stopped again to get some sun at the mouth of the

Nissequogue River at Short Beach, which is directly across from the Old Dock Road take-out. At the end, Gayle and I had a bus ride back to Paul T. Givens Park to retrieve our cars. Meanwhile, Joe and Heidi, who had dropped their cars off earlier and shuttled to the headwaters, were able to leave from Old Dock Road. It was a beautiful day and an enjoyable paddle. Distance covered was 3.5 miles.

Caumsett Before It Was a State Park

ADK-LI member Richard Furman visited the area about 70 years ago when the father of his elementary school friend was the estate’s head chauffeur. Richard told me of the landing of sea planes and a unique shuttle system. Although a self-contained manor that boasted its own wa-ter supply and power plant, Caumsett needed town resi-dents to maintain the manor house, guest houses, polo stables, tennis courts, a pool, fields of produce, a dairy complex with a herd of 80 cows, horses, cattle, and other animals, as well as facilities for horseback riding, pheasant shooting, trout fishing, swimming and boating. The shuttle system ran cars from the estate into Huntington to pick up employees and return them home. The shuttle system also transported manor house workers who shopped for miscel-laneous supplies. Richard says that everyone knew about the shuttle service, and they could contact the chauffeur’s house to learn the schedule. Can you imagine enjoying the simpler life style in the modest village of Huntington in the 1920s and ‘30s, and shuttling to the baronial estate? Visit this local gem in any season with family and friends. For lots of information online, see the beautiful Caumsett Foundation web site: http://tinyurl.com/6f2cezb

LEADERS, PLEASE MAIL TRIP REPORTS TO: Ron Engasser, 73 Matsunaye Drive, Medford, NY 11763. Or e-mail: [email protected]

Hilltop Acres Resort Jewett, NY

Small resort near Hunter Mountain in the Catskills.

Beautiful mountain views. Private lake and woods.

Ideal for hiking, skiing or a relaxing getaway.

Central European cuisine.

Modestly priced.

Open all year.

Tel: 518.734.4580

www.windham-area.com/hilltopacres.htm

Caumsett – People & Perspectives continued from p 2

8


Trail Maintenance reports from the people who keep our trails in great shape.

Long Path – Catskills

report by Eunsil Recksiek

May 21st — Despite a chance of rain, nine nature-loving, ADK-LI volunteers gathered, determined to put in a good day’s work on our section of the Long Path in Catskill State Park. Our crew was made up of Bill Schneider, Pat Wachter, Peter Bonkowski, Steven Gold-stein, Wan Lee, Michael Vaughan, Keelin Murphy, Joe Guiheen, and Eunsil Recksiek.

ADK-LI adopted this 4.5-mile stretch of the Catskill Park’s blue-blazed trail, which is also part of the Long Path, from Peekamoose Road trailhead to Bangle Hill mountain up to the junction with the orange-blazed trail. The trail has been maintained by the Long Island chapter for 45 years, starting with Dick Allen, George Elias, and then Arlene Scholer, George Form, and other Club members.

The warm, humid day started with big swarms of insect “friends” eager to welcome a fresh group of volunteers to their picnic. We were their lunch! No, thank you! We pro-tected ourselves with lots of bug spray, and divided into two groups to start work from each end of the trail in order to work most efficiently. Pat led one group, and I was with the other group as we worked toward each other.

After taking care of the bugs, we weren’t thinking much about encounters with other animals. But then we found fresh bear scat right on the trail. For the rest of the day, I felt like the bear was watching us.

Toward the end of day, I could not wait to meet the other group, and I was calling Pat’s name into the forest. “Pat… Pat…” Finally, I heard some noise in the woods. Whew...it was Pat. Our groups

met, happy to end the work of the day! It was hard work, but we were happy with what we accomplished — 10 water bars were created, several downed trees were cleared, and the entire trail was pruned and lopped.

Fresh bear scat kept crew alert

and working fast.

Steven Goldstein, Peter Bonkowski, Bill Schneider, Wan

Lee, Pat Wachter, Joe Guiheen ready to get to work.

Long Path Pruners: Keelin, Joe and Michael

On an April advance trip to the Long

Path section, Pat, Bill, George and Elie

took care of clearing some blow-downs.

9 9

L.I. MOUNTAINEER — JULY – AUGUST 2011

Brothers Trail, Adirondacks report by Herb Coles

Saturday, May 28th — This year the annual maintenance of the Brothers Trail in the Adirondack High Peaks area was wholly done by ADK-LI. Scheduling conflicts prevented ADK from sending someone from the ADK Pro Trail Crews. In the past, Wes Lampman or one of the Volunteer Crew leaders was there with an ax to clear most of the blowdowns. Luckily, we found only four or five branches or small trees that had to be cleared. Likewise side cutting and trimming back the ever-growing small shrubs and trees was at a minimum.

This year, the problem is water. Record rainfall produced more erosion than was noted in any prior year. It’s evident that we need to work with the ADK and DEC to put in as many dips, inter-cepting ditches and water bars as we can to slow down the acceler-ating erosion. This will be next year’s project, if they will agree to be part of our solution.

In addition to erosion, the final section of the Trail near Slide Mountain junction was very wet with flowing water along much of the trail. The advance group of Pat Wachter, Eunsil Recksiek, Bill Schneider and Mike Kaiser did what they could to divert the water off the trail. The rest of the group Pauline Lavery, Carol McHugh, Herb Coles, June Fait, Mike Vetrano, Cathy Stare, Kathy Daly, Betty Horstmann, Mike Vaughan and Keelin Murphy labored on the lower and middle sections of the trail.

We all met for a dinner at the Baxter Mountain Pub following our day’s work. The rain held off for all except the advance party who got thor-oughly soaked on the return. Sunday was a day for individual trips; Phelps Mountain for Mike Kaiser, The Wild Center in Tupper Lake for Herb and June, and others finding their own attractions in the area.

I’ve been a part of the Chapter that has made the trip to the Brothers for more years than I ever thought I would. During this time I’ve seen the character of the trail undergo changes. The initial section is now a wide smooth path. On my first trip I remember that this was narrow and grass grew almost over the footpath, requiring us to use a grass whip to control the growth. At the approach to the Third Brother there was a large birch grove which now is about finished, with dead trunks and downed trees rotting away. In their place is more light, new grasses and small bushes and conifers. Time changes all.

For decades, ADK-LI volunteers have been maintaining trails in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. We and all other hikers who use those trails benefit from the dedication, time and hard work our trail crew put in to it. To everyone who volunteers for trail maintenance, a heartfelt “Thank you.”

For everyone else, why not volunteer for a trail maintenance out-ing. Watch the Outings schedule for upcoming “TM” trips.

Kathy Daly on a previous Brothers

Trail maintenance trip

NY/NJ Trail Conference Report Diane Grunthal

The NY/NJ Trail Conference is an organization of many clubs and groups involved in parks and trail use in the area. An especially important function of the Trail Conference is to coordinate the trail system main-tenance, assigning portions of trails to member clubs to maintain. In addition to the ADK-LI trail maintenance reported on in the adjacent articles, Pat Wachter main-tains a portion of the Long Path on Schunemunk Mountain. Our responsibility starts at Route 32 at the Metro-North Railroad trestle, climbs 650 feet in 1.3 miles to Little Knob, and another 350 feet in 0.5 miles to High Knob. The trail offers great views of the Hud-son River Valley. Our section ends at the junction of

the unofficial red trail.

The Trail Conference is now seeking volunteer trail maintainers for areas in the Catskill Forest Preserve.

For application, go to: http://tinyurl.com/63oskol

The Conference also produces the trail maps we all de-pend on, and has an excellent website: www.nynjtc.org

News from NY/NJ Trail Conference:

The Trail Conference held a Delegates meeting on

February 18, and announced:

• A half-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail at the Bear Mountain summit, part of the new 1.3-mile AT sec-

tion. [It opened on National Trails Day, June 4th.]

• Headquarters: Restoration of the Darlington School House on Route 206 in NJ has started and

is scheduled to take a year and a half.

• New Trail Coordinator Position: There are pres-ently an East Hudson and a West Hudson coordi-nator in NY. Now a Catskills coordinator position

has been added.

• Treasurer's Report: Due to an unexpected bequest, there was a $400,000 surplus over expenses since the start of the year. In addition, some land sales

are expected in the months ahead.

• The number of members contributing to the Con-ference has remained the same; however, donation

amounts have dropped.

• In June, the NY/NJ TC announced that NY State bought 389 acres on the Shawangunk Ridge, add-ing to Huckleberry Ridge State Forest in Orange County. The Conference said that it aims to expand

the network of recreational trails in the region.

Herb Coles’ Open Letter Moves Members

to Choose Mountaineer by E-mail. Herb pointed out that 43% of ADK-LI’s budget went for printing and mailing the newsletter. Since then, a growing number of members have opted to get the Mountaineer by e-mail. You can, too. Send your name and zip code to Micheline, [email protected]

10

www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER — JULY- AUGUST 2011

34th Annual ADK-LI Columbus Day Weekend Adirondack High Peaks at the ADK Loj

Friday, October 7th to Monday, October 10th, 2011

Join fellow ADKers for the best-ever, fun-filled weekend of hiking and explor-ing in the scenic Adirondack High Peaks! Our popular weekend isn't just for extreme hikers. There's plenty to do besides scaling high peaks, such as mod-erate hiking and walking, paddling, shopping, antiquing, visiting the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the Adirondack Museum and other attractions. Or just

enjoy the Fall foliage and soak up the unique Adirondack atmosphere.

Don’t miss out! Reserve early. Complete the reservation form and mail it with your checks today!

Schedule: Saturday and Sunday: several guided outings will be offered. Monday: On-your-own activities. Saturday Night: Our traditional wine and cheese party at the Wiezel Cabin. Potluck Dinner after party at Wiezel Cabin. Everyone is invited. Please e-mail Kathy Daly what dish you will be bringing — [email protected]. (All attendees will be charged a $7 party fee.) New attendees and their “sponsors” will attend the party gratis.

Meals at the Loj (optional): To have dinner at the Loj on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night(s), you must notify the staff at least 24 hours in advance. Call (518) 523-3441. On Saturday, you may want to attend our pot-luck dinner at the Wiezel Cabin. Many ADK-LI merrymakers eat in Lake Placid on Saturday and/or Sunday. No Loj meals are provided for those staying in a lean-to or campsite, or in the Wiezel or Campground Cabins.

Questions? Ask us. What Dish Will You Bring for Saturday Dinner? Tell us.

Contact Kathy Daly at (631) 687-3456 or by email at [email protected].

Reservations: First-come, first-served! This event usually fills up quickly, so send in your application and

deposit/payment checks now to secure your favorite space.

(For all lodging rates and details, see May/June issue of Mountaineer at www.adkli.org, or call Kathy or Betty.)

• LODGING AVAILABILITY at PRESS TIME: There were NO spaces available in the private rooms and

the upstairs 12-bunk room. STILL AVAILABLE: 4-person bunk rooms, the campground cabin (4 bunks,

shower, small fridge & stove), bunks in the Wiezel Cabin, and lean-to #1 & #4.

• Contact Betty (631 472-9677) for last minute availability details.

• Complete this form and mail it with two checks made payable to ADK LI and a stamped, self-addressed

envelope to: Betty Horstmann, 278 Gillette Avenue, Bayport, NY 11705 no later than July 30th.

• Payment: You must enclose TWO checks – one for 50% deposit and one for the balance – no excep-tions. This is due to a new Loj policy, we must make one final payment for the entire group. For your

convenience, you may post-date your balance check to Sept. 1, 2011. Prices shown include 3% tax and

10% discount for ADK members.

Number of people attending_______ Is this your first year attending? (Self)________ (Guest)_________

Name(s) ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:_________________________ E-mail_______________________________________________________

Emergency contact name/phone# ______________________________________________________________

Cancellations/Refunds: Cancel prior to 8/1/2011 for a full refund. After that date, the spot must be

filled by someone else or we cannot refund your deposit. For Wiezel or Campground Cabins, no re-

funds after 8/1/2011.

11 11

www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER — JULY– AUGUST 2011

ADKADKADKADK----LI Beach Party and Picnic!LI Beach Party and Picnic!LI Beach Party and Picnic!LI Beach Party and Picnic! Sunday, August 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centerport Beach, Centerport, NYCenterport Beach, Centerport, NYCenterport Beach, Centerport, NYCenterport Beach, Centerport, NY

Grab your sun screen, sun hat, beach chair, sports gear — and let’s party!! Everyone’s wel-

come at the ADK-LI Annual Picnic and Beach Party at Centerport Beach. We’ve reserved a

covered pavilion on the beach. Come as early as you like. Take it easy or take on some fun activities before

the big ADK-LI Picnic and Barbecue!! Kayak outing and other activities start at 11 AM Picnic and Bar-

becue start at 3 P.M. ( In case of rain, BBQ will start at 1 P.M.)

Bring a kite, Frisbee, ball, running shoes or whatever summer games you like to play.

SEA KAYAKING: Ken Fink, kayak outfitter and instructor, will offer an easy, guided sea kayak outing from approximately 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M as well as sea kayak rentals. Cost is $30 for kayak rental, no charge if you have your own kayak (PFDs a must). Register early for kayak rentals (40 boats are available, including two double kayaks). Payment for kayak rental must accompany

picnic payment.

BARBECUE & POT LUCK PICNIC (bring a dish to share): We’ve reserved a beach pavilion. It’s a nice shady spot with picnic tables, barbecue grills and parking. The barbecue starts at 3 P.M. (1 P.M in

case of rain.)

DIRECTIONS: Take 25A ( Northern Blvd.) to Little Neck Road in Centerport. Go north on Little Neck Road (turn left if coming from west; turn right if coming from east.), Continue on Little Neck Road,

which ends at the beach area. GPS coordinates: Lat: 40.90462, Long: -73.378503.

YES, I want to attend the ADK-LI Beach Party and Picnic, August 14th, 11 A.M to 5 P.M.

Name(s)______________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________City_________________________State___ ZIP____________

Tel: ____________________________ Cell:_____________________ E-mail:_______________________________

Emergency contact: ___________________________________________Tel: ______________________

COST: (To cover pavilion rental) $8 per person for members ($11 for non members.) Children under 12 free.

Amount Enclosed: $________ (make check payable to ADK Long Island)

___ Yes: I (we) would like to participate in the guided sea kayak outing: # of people ______

___ Yes, I (we) need a sea kayak rental ______ # of boats. (Send payment with this reservation form.)

___ Yes, let’s play volleyball

I will bring 8 servings of ______salad (specify type) ___side dishes ___soda ___dessert ___meat __other___

Mail completed form with your payment to Jeanne Millspaugh, 8 Raymond Court, Sea Cliff, NY 11579

Questions? Call Jeanne 516 723-9269

ACTIVITIES:

� Sea Kayaking with Guide (rentals available)

� Beach and Trail Walking and Running

� Bike Ride with Leader

� Volleyball

� Swimming and Fishing in L. I. Sound

� Enjoying Sun, Sea and Friends

12


ADK-L.I. 171-08 Gladwin Avenue Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

[email protected]

Join now for last-minute info on hikes, outings, gear discussions and carpooling possibilities. Plus photos and downloads. Don’t miss out!

Go to www.adkli.org and click

(on left side of home page)

Change your

address?

Don’t tell us — tell ADK headquarters.

They print our address labels.

Write: Adirondack Mountain Club Membership 814 Goggins Road Lake George, NY 12845-4117

Or call: 1-800-395-8080 Or email: [email protected]

DEADLINES FOR SEPT. – OCT. ISSUE

OUTINGS DEADLINE: JULY 25

COPY DEADLINE: JULY 30

Send Outings to: Elie Bijou: [email protected]

Send Articles for Sept. – Oct. to: [email protected]

and to [email protected]

Send Trip Reports to: [email protected]

ADK-LI MONTHLY MEETINGS RESUME IN SEPTEMBER — ALL WELCOME!

NO MEETINGS IN JULY and AUGUST. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER — WE’LL SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER

NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 - PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED

WHERE: ST. LUKE LUTHERAN CHURCH (EDUCATION BUILDING) 20 CANDLEWOOD PATH AT VANDERBILT MEMORIAL PARKWAY, DIX HILLS, NY

WHEN: MEETING AT 8:00 P.M. COME AT 7:30 P.M. TO SOCIALIZE, NETWORK AND ENJOY LIGHT REFRESHMENTS.

DIRECTIONS: (GPS Coordinates Latitude: 40.810493, Longitude: -73.336918 (or N 40° 48' 36”, W 73° 20' 12'') From Northern State, Exit 42 (Deer Park Ave. South) Go south about 2 miles to light at Vanderbilt Parkway. Turn left (east) on Vanderbilt. In about 2/10 mile, turn right onto Candlewood Path. Continue to St. Luke Church.

From L.I.E. Exit 51 (Deer Park Ave. North.) Go north 1 mile to Vanderbilt Pkwy. Turn right (east.) In about 2/10 mile, turn right at Candlewood Path, and continue to St. Luke Church.

Parking: Take narrow driveway on left side of church to main parking lot at the rear of the church. Park and take the steps to the upper level. Look for ADK sign on the outer door of the educational building. Enter. Our room is on left.

long island mountaineer · 2015-12-28 · 2 l.i. mountaineer — july – august 2011 people and...

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