May Newsletter 2025

SPRING GATHERING, GRAFTON LAKES STATE PARK (GLSP), SUNDAY, JUNE 1

Join us at the THC Spring Gathering at Grafton Lakes State Park, at the Deerfield Pavilion on Sunday, June 1. You may come for all or part of the event. Meet old friends and make new friends!

We will start with a brief meeting at 9:30 at the Deerfield Pavilion, followed by a group hike. We plan to hike around Shaver Pond and take a side trip on the Granville Hicks Trail. You can paddle on Long Pond or stroll along the beach if you don’t want to hike.

We will meet again at the Deer Field Pavilion for a “bring your own” picnic lunch. If you cannot make the morning hike you can still join us for the picnic lunch; plan to arrive by 11:30.

After the picnic you can paddle on Long Pond, take another hike, or relax and hang out at the pavilion. Bring your own kayak or canoe; remember to bring your life vest, white light, and whistle.

See the outings page for registration information.

Using USGS Gages to Check Stream Flows Before Paddling

When paddling the rivers and streams of the capital region it’s a good idea to check stream flows before you go. If the flows are too low you may find yourself bottoming out and possibly even damaging your boat. If they’re too high you could get swept downstream in an unexpectedly strong current, which could be dangerous if you encounter widow makers or other obstacles.

The easiest way to check flows before your outing is to look at the website of local United States Geological Survey (USGS) gages (New York water conditions - USGS Water Data for the Nation). Most USGS gages look like metal boxes or small sheds. These structures contain sensors that measure how high the water is and transmitters that send this data to the web. You have probably driven by them without realizing what they were.

The gage data that are most useful to paddlers are discharge and gage height. Discharge is a measure of the volume of water that moves over a designated point during a fixed period of time and is measured in cubic feet per second. Gage height, measured in feet, is the height of the water surface above a reference point. The website provides graphs of the current discharge and gage height as well as the historical median values for discharge. Comparing current and median values is an easy way to determine if present flow conditions are normal, higher, or lower than what would typically occur on a certain date.

It is also helpful to know which flows are most desirable for paddling. This isn’t always easy because these values can change if high flows or floods cause streambed scour or sediment deposition at the location where the gage sensors are making measurements. The most reliable way to assess flow conditions is by having people who have recently paddled the area share their experiences. If you wish to post conditions encountered during a recent paddle, please send a write up with the date of the outing, launch location, take-out location, the gage height and discharge being reported at nearby USGS gages, flow conditions, and one or two photos (if available) to taconichikingclb@gmail.com for posting on the THC Facebook page.

Trail Work Update: As of today, the THC trail workers have 281 hours of trail work on the Taconic Crest Trail (TCT) and several of the access trails so far this year. Our focus has been on removing the blowdown from the winter storms and clearing water bars. Blowdown removal can involve anything from throwing a small branch off the trail, to dragging or pushing large branches off the trail, to using hand saws to cut multiple branches off a large tree that has fallen across the trail.

In recognition of the work the Taconic Hiking Club does to maintain the Taconic Crest Trail, and the Stewardship Agreement the Club has with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), DEC has posted signs like the one pictured on the right at TCT trailheads and TCT access trails in NYS.

Many thanks to our diligent volunteer trail crew! Protecting and maintaining this trail is a major conservation effort that we should all be proud of.

OUTINGS: Refer to the THC website outings page for details about the outings and how to register. We schedule on a monthly and short-term basis, so check the website periodically.

Monday, May 5: Schor Preserve Canaan, NY C
Wednesday, May 7: Round Lake Paddle C/B
Wednesday, May 14: Cherry Plain State Park & WMA B-
Wednesday, May 14: Kunjamuk River Paddle B
Monday, May 19: Yokun Ridge along a portion of The High Road B
Wednesday, May 21: Fall Stream Paddle B
Wednesday May 21: Grafton Lakes State Park C
Wednesday, May 28 Albert Family Forest, Hayes Rd off Rte 66, East Nassau C+
Sunday, June 1: Spring Gathering, Grafton Lakes State Park
Tuesday, June 3, Afternoon ramble at Kinderhook Preserve, East Nassau NY C
Wednesday, May 28: Big Boom Paddle B
Thursday, June 26: Hand Hollow C

Quote: “It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain

**Trail workers, ready to go, pic by K Ross**

**View of Greylock Range from Hoosac Range Trail, pic by M Waldman**

**Moreau Lake State Park, Lake Ann Lean-to, pic by N Mckiernan**

**Enjoying a hike in new snow in mid-April, Hoosac Range Trail**

**Richmond Overlook lunch stop, pic by M Waldman**

NewsletterMartha WaldmanApril 30, 2025May 2025