September Newsletter 2022
View from the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, pic by M Waldman
FALL BANQUET: Join us at the Fall Banquet! It is a couple years overdue! See old friends, make new friends and enjoy a nice meal.
Where and when: Moscatiello’s Italian Restaurant, 99 North Greenbush Rd (Rte. 4), Troy, on Sunday, November 6, 12:00 to 3 - 4:00 PM
Cost: $20 per person. The Club partly subsidizes the meal.
Meal: Sit down luncheon, including salad, penne marinara, menu choice of chicken parmigiana or salmon florentine, followed by mini cannoli.
Meeting: After the meal we will have a brief business meeting and Election of Officers, followed by our feature presentation.
Presentation - Follow the Forest: Julia Rogers of Housatonic Valley Association will provide an interesting presentation on the Follow the Forest initiative https://followtheforest.org. The initiative strives to protect and connect forest habitat throughout the Northeast, bringing together conservation partners in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont, under a unifying vision that connects us to the places we love and the wildlife that depend on a conserved forest landscape. The long-term goal is to strategically protect a minimum of 50% of each core forest habitat to anchor this great wildlife corridor. Additionally, they aim to secure at least one habitat linkage in between each forest, connecting the large blocks of forest to allow for wildlife movement. This initiative builds on and relates to conservation and planning work in our area. Join us to learn how important the initiative is, the steps conservation groups are taking, and how we can join in this effort.
Make your reservation now! Mail your $20 check made out to Taconic Hiking Club, include your menu choice of Chicken Parmigiana OR Salmon Florentine and your email address or phone number to Taconic Hiking Club, c/o Margaret Parks, 9 Tokay Lane, Schenectady, NY 12309. Due Date: Sunday, October 30.
TRAIL WORK UPDATE - New reroute: On August 19, a Taconic Hiking Club (THC) trail crew of seven completed a reroute of the Taconic Crest Trail (TCT) which bypasses a section which contained huge mud wallows created by illegal ATV use. The new reroute was flagged by a team from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the THC on 8/12/22. The new section of trail is located immediately south on the junction of the TCT with the Robinson Hollow Trail. This reroute will provide a drier, wilder, and more enjoyable experience on the TCT. Many thanks to all involved! (Pictures below.)
Note that we've logged 583 hours of trail work so far this year compared to 506 hours total for last year! The picture on the right is another example of the perseverance of our trail crew. Some time, energy, and a Silky folding hand saw (20-inch blade) was all that was need to cut this large diameter tree trunk, which was across the trail, to clear an opening for the trail, chainsaw not needed!
Robinson Hollow access: Use Robinson Hollow Way to access the Robinson Hollow parking area. Do NOT use Michelle Lane, it is marked “private” and there is a keep out sign near the bottom of the lane
Pic by B Coyle
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: SECRETARY
Enjoy working with others? Want to help promote the Club and protect the Taconic Crest Trail? Consider becoming the next Secretary of the Taconic Hiking Club. The primary duties include taking minutes at the four Board and two general meetings per year and typing them afterwards. The Board currently meets via Zoom on weekday evenings, the meetings tend to be only 1 – 2 hours long. You would also be able to actively participate in the meetings and help make decisions on club expenses, policy, and activities.
General requirements include having email capability, as well as a computer with a Word program which you are comfortable using, to produce the minutes. Please contact the Board at taconichikingclb@gmail.com (no “u” in club) if you are interested or have any questions about the position.
If you do not want to be Secretary but would like to help us to find someone for the position, consider being on the Nominating Committee. Please contact the Board at taconichikingclb@gmail.com (no “u” in club) if you are interested.
EXPLORE CHERRY PLAIN STATE PARK! We are beginning a series of articles on the state and community parks that surround and abut the Taconic Crest Trail. They provide a ring of pleasurable hiking in beautiful woods and often have ponds or lakes that are great for swimming. This month we are featuring Cherry Plain State Park.
Cherry Plain State Park (CPSP) is one of the smallest state parks just off Rt. 22 south of Berlin, NY. It offers 175 acres of biking, horseback riding, hiking, and nature trails and features a day use picnic area with a sandy beach and swimming in Black River Pond, with a rest room and showers nearby. There’s a special section for dogs to swim too!
Take a virtual tour of the lovely sandy beach area: http://www.nystateparkstours.com/cherryplain/
There is also a boat launch for anglers of bass, bullheads, and pickerel. It is said if you’re a good fisherman, you can do “very well” out there. In winter, you can come for ice fishing, xc skiing and snowshoeing. During the season there are kayaks and rowboats to rent as well as recreation programs offered by staff.
Camping is generous, with 10 trailer sites, 10 lakeside tent sites as well as 10 "hike-in" tent sites. A playground and showers make this a user-friendly camping experience. Cherry Plain has two pavilions/tents. Prices range from $75 to $100 and can accommodate 80 to 100 people.
The Capital District Wildlife Management Area (WMA), managed by DEC, surrounds the park and offers another 4,153 acres!! of forested land for outdoor recreation on a system of 9 miles of minimally improved trails for hiking and xc skiing, in addition to space for horseback riding, hunting, and trapping. In addition to wildlife typical of wooded areas, such as white-tailed deer, beaver, and wild turkey, the Capital District Wildlife Management Area also hosts moose, which have recently arrived in the region from neighboring states.
Trails are well-marked, color-coded, and well-maintained. Many old logging roads cross the WMA area.
Click here for a trail map of the park and here for a trail map of the surrounding Wildlife Management Area.
View from the dam, across Black River Pond towards the beach at CPSP. Pic by C Prewencki
Autumn at Cherry Plain State Park, pic by C Prewencki
A special feature of the park is a Charcoal Kiln Site that can be found by hiking a trail that begins at the southern corner of the main parking lot.
The Waterfall Trail is an easy 1.4-mile (157’ vertical) out-and-back trail that takes less than an hour and is perfect for that little getaway or trail run to clear your mind. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
The Cherry Plain SP Loop Trail, a 5.1-mile (603’ vertical) is a moderately challenging route that takes an average of about 2+ hours and will provide some lovely solitude to enjoy.
This state park has been described as a “peaceful lake day trip” known to be family friendly and clean.
Spillway of the dam at CPSP. This dam was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. It created the Black River Pond and made CPSP possible! Pic by C Prewencki
According to Fran Egbert, who heads up a Friends of Cherry Plain State Park group that is administered as a committee under the Grafton Lakes Friends group, the campsites are lovely, and facilities--including bathrooms--are new. The Park is lucky to have a good-sized trail crew shared with RPA and RLT that keeps the trails in good shape for hiking.
Future plans are to raise money to buy equipment to show movies to campers, to set up a library and craft area for kids that would be under cover, to provide evening music programs and to sponsor Nature and Craft programs—all during the Memorial Day to Labor Day season. They are looking for someone who might want to lead this effort. If you’re interested in helping out at CPSP or joining their Friends group, you can go to the Grafton Lakes State Park website and look under Friends of Cherry Plain State Park.
Many thanks to Fran Egbert for her update on all the activities available at Cherry Plain State Park. Come check it out!
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.
Wednesday, September 7: The Boulders, Pittsfield C+ (rescheduled from August)
Friday, Sept 9: Ashuwillticook Rail Trail B
Monday, Sept 12: Sarah Tenney – TCT – Shepherds Well Loop B
Wednesday, Sept 14: Cycle - Ashuwillticook Rail Trail B
Wednesday, Sept 21: Hopkins Memorial Forest Loops and Birch Brook Trail, Williamstown B
Monday, Sept 26: Moreau Lake State Park B
Monday, October 17: Dickson Fire Tower – Grafton Lakes State Park C
Sunday, November 6, 2022: Fall Banquet: Moscatiello’s Italian Restaurant
Stoney Ledge, Greylock summit in the distance, pic by M Waldman
March Cataract Falls, Mnt. Greylock, during the drought on 8/18/22, pic by M Waldman
Cutting the reroute, pic by D Pisaneschi
March Cataract Falls last year, 7/22/21, pic by M Waldman
Hikers can now use the reroute and avoid this heavily ATV damaged section of the old trail, pic by D Pisaneschi
Still-life on the Dunham Reservoir, pic by B Armao
Trail crew on the reroute, pic by D Pisaneschi