June Newsletter 2022
Berlin and Raimer Mountains, pic by M Waldman
Saturday, June 11: SPRING GATHERING, Grafton Lakes State Park (GLSP)
Join us at the THC Spring Gathering, to be held at the Deerfield Pavilion at GLSP. You may come for all or part of the event. Meet old friends and make new friends!
Morning: We will start with a brief meeting at 9:30 followed by a group hike, either around Shaver Pond or we may head towards Criss Cross Trail and the Water Tower. You can also stroll along the beach if you don’t want to hike.
Noon: We will meet again at the Deerfield Pavilion by 12 noon for a “bring your own” picnic lunch. Picnic tables are available, but you can bring your own chair if desired.
Afternoon: After the picnic you can paddle in one of the lakes, swim, take another hike, or relax and hang out at the pavilion. Bring your own kayak or canoe or rent one at the lake; remember to bring your life vest, white light, and whistle.
See the outings page for registration information.
End-to-End Challenge 2022 a success!
Finally, after being postponed for two years, a group of trail runners and hikers finished the Challenge on May 14. We were lucky with the weather--partly cloudy with no rain and a starting temperature in the lower to mid 60’s. However, the hikers would have enjoyed lower temperatures than the 80-degree afternoon temperatures; no one is used to the unusually warm temperatures yet!
All 18 participants finished! This may be a record.
This was a fast group of athletes that included a mix of trail runners, hikers that combined running with hiking, and traditional hikers. The group started from Berry Pond in Pittsfield Sate Forest at 5:51 AM. The fastest runner arrived at the end of the trail at 11:58 AM. The last hiker finished at 6:28 PM, which may be the earliest, last finisher in the history of the Challenge. We will not call her slow!
Congratulations to all of the participants: Lara Comithier, James Grady, Dan Gura, Tom Hart, Cameron Hastie-Etchison, Seamus Hodgkinson, Quinton Jensen, Eric Kelly, Charity McManaman, Joy McManaman, Jeff Moss, Thomas O'Grady, Tina Palmero, Evan Roberts, Kim Scott, Julie Urbanski, Jason Weaver, and Geoffrey Wilk.
This event would not have been possible without all the volunteers who were involved in planning and organizing, communicating with the participants, keeping the money on track, trail maintenance, publicity, lugging water to Mattison Hollow, sweeping, monitoring participants arrivals, shuttling sweeps, bringing water, snacks, baked goods, tents, chairs, etc. and good cheer to Petersburg Pass and the finish line at Rte. 346, cleaning up, etc. Volunteers included: Walt Addicts, Bob Armao, George Astle, Sharon Bonk, Mike Boucher, Dave Cole, Bill Coyle, Tim Fiato, Tom Hart, Dave Nagengast, Lynne Nagengast, Margaret Parks, Nate Parsons, Cliff Prewencki, Kendra Pratt, Leslie Siegard, Chris Simpson Boucher, and Martha Waldman. A special thank you to Steve Jackson, NYS DEC Forest Ranger, for spending the day with us at the Petersburg Pass Support Site!
SOMETHIN’ BIT ME!
If you’re out and about in the woods, fields, and trails, you’re likely to get bitten by something at some point. Things bite you from the grasses, from bushes, by a flying assault, or after dropping off the trees. Yes, it’s wild out there. Most of the time you know right away what has bit you because you’ve slapped it and killed it. But sometimes you don’t and that mystery spot or red circle leads you on a search for the culprit.
Was it a bite or a sting? Here are some of the things that are around who either want your blood or that strike out in self-defense. And what’s the difference between a bite and a sting? Invertebrates that feed on blood BITE, while invertebrates that are defending themselves, or using venom to incapacitate prey STING. A bite usually involves mouth parts, ranging from mandibles (pincer-like mouth bits) to a big straw-like proboscis or snoot. Stings usually involve the opposite end of the invertebrate, and the abdomen. One exception are the hairs of some caterpillars, which can really irritate the skin.
What can sting me? You can be stung by hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, honeybees, and ants. Sometimes there is a black spot that is the stinger. (Honeybees and bumblebees use their stingers exclusively for defense.) Honeybees can only sting once, because the stinger is barbed and will stick in the skin or surface that is stung. Honeybees literally pull out their internal organs when they pull away from the creature being stung. It's important to remember that when they do this, their venom sac and dufours (scent) gland are left behind. They are still pumping away, even though the bee has left.
Bumblebees, wasps, and yellow jackets can sting multiple times, because their stinger is smooth, which allows it to move in and out of whatever is being stung. However, like with bees, their venom is a cocktail of chemicals from the dufours gland, which includes a "scent" cue that signals "danger" and can bring more bees!
Most bee stings appear as red swollen areas of the skin, about dime to quarter size (depending on the person), with a whitish center where the stinger went in. If a wasp or bumblebee stings you multiple times, then the area of inflammation may be larger. In some cases the center of the sting may also develop a dark dot or node.
What can bite me? You can be bitten by mosquitoes, ants, ticks, deer flies, black flies, and horse flies. In most cases, symptoms include a skin rash or redness, itching, or a stinging sensation or swelling. Some bites can lead to allergic reactions that might require immediate medical attention. Symptoms are breathing difficulty, rapid swelling, dizziness, confusion, and even unconsciousness.
Mosquitos: Only female mosquitoes feed on blood meals. Female mosquitos find you by detecting the carbon dioxide you exhale, as well as your body heat. They can even detect lactic acid, so if you're working out you are extra vulnerable! When a mosquito bites you it uses it hollow snout-like proboscis, which is actually quite flexible, and contains two tubes. The mouth parts can slide into the skin and actually "probe" around until it finds a blood vessel to suck on. One part of their complex snout is a tube that secretes saliva on you, the other is a "drinking straw." Their saliva has a chemical that acts like an anesthetic, so you don't feel them "probing" around. They also have serrated mandibles that go to work probing around and tearing up tissue to help make you bleed, while looking for your veins. These little blood suckers are also amazing because they can both suck blood and spit anesthesia at the same time! If they hit a nice vein, then their saliva tube begins to secrete more chemicals, namely a vasodialator (which causes your blood vessels to dilate, and the blood to flow more freely) and an anticoagulant that keeps your blood from clotting. It's during this "injection" that parasites like malaria in the mosquito's saliva get passed on to humans, like malaria.
As we all know, a mosquito bite shows up as a reddish bump that causes severe itching. An ant bite leaves a painful elevated whitish sore. Tick bites leave a painful red circle, and if one of the Lyme diseases is present, that circle, known as a bull’s eye, can be large.
Flies: A little smaller than house flies, deer flies emerge in the spring. They use their scissor-like mouthparts to open skin, so deer fly bites are rather painful. Like deer flies, horse flies slice into the skin when they bite, which causes pain and swelling. The large size of a horse fly can also be daunting for some people. Due to their large size and the intensity of their bite, horse fly bites are often considered one of the most painful. If you’re a hiker, you are well acquainted with black flies, who love moisture and thrive around rivers or creeks. A black fly’s distinguishing feature is its humped back, when viewed up close or under a dissecting microscope.
How Can I Avoid Getting Stung:
Wear light colored clothing (to bees and wasps you look like a big bear or predator if you're in dark colors; this is why bee keepers wear white).
Avoid shampoos and body products that smell floral.
Stay calm and move slowly around bees and wasps, do not swat and flail!
Run to a safe area in a straight line, and try to find a sealed location where the insects can't gain access. DO NOT RUN TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE.
Don't take your clothes off, this just opens up more places of sensitive skin to be stung.
Wear a long sleeved shirt and pants. Tuck pants into socks.
Avoid sweet drinks such as sodas, and areas where sweet things are disposed of, like trash cans.
Remember, all these insects do great good too and are mostly just trying to go about their business.
OUTINGS: Refer to the THC website outings page for details about the outings and how to register. We are scheduling on a short-term basis rather than seasonally, so check the website periodically.
Tuesday, May 31: Mid-Week Paddle – Kaydeross Creek B
Note: Mid-week paddles are posted a few days before the outing, check the outings page weekly.
Saturday, June 4: National Trails Day, Grafton Lakes State Park
Thursday, June 9: Berlin Mt. B
Saturday, June 11: SPRING GATHERING, Grafton Lakes State Park (GLSP)
Thursday June 16: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary B-
Thursday June 23- Field Farm Williamstown C
Thursday June 23: Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, Cycle, Kinderhook-Hudson B
Tuesday, June 28: Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, Cycle, Nassau–Kinderhook B
Assembling for the End-to-End Challenge at Berry Pond, pic by M Waldman
Yukon Ridge Trail, Yukon Seat overlook, pic by M Waldman
Shepard’s Well Trail, view of Greylock, pic by J Berninger
Three of four sweeps at Mattison Hollow, pic by L Segard
Yukon Ridge Trail, Mahanna Cobble viewpoint, pic by M Waldman
A quick break at a TCT viewpoint, pic by M Waldman
Hikers stop for lunch at the Mattison Hollow support site, pic by L Siegard
We are halfway there! Mattison Hollow Support Site, pic by L Siegard
Viewpoint on TCT, towards Rensselaer Plateau, pic by J Berninger