Outings

If you do not feel well, please stay home!

Click Here to download printable PDF of the rating charts.

OUTINGS RATING CHART

IS THIS OUTING RIGHT FOR YOU?

Please take care to match your physical condition, abilities and limitations to the stated length and elevation gain of the outing you choose and refer to the ratings chart above. The “level of effort“ is not the same for everyone. If you are new to hiking or unconditioned, a hike listed as moderate would be very strenuous for you. The outing leader may ask questions in order to determine if you can complete the trip safely. Please cooperate for your safety and the safety of the group. It is your responsibility to have appropriate equipment and clothing for an outing. It is in your best interest to let someone know if you have limiting physical conditions or are taking a medication.

MAY

Monday, May 5: Schor Preserve Canaan, NY   C

This will be a relatively short hike (c. 3+ miles) with a one hilltop climb of about 350’ elevation gain.  I cannot guarantee if there is still a view from the overlook. There is a pond with a picnic pavilion that we will use for a break so bring a late morning snack.   Address is 58 Shore View Drive, Canaan NY.   I would be willing to carpool from Schodack Park and Ride (Exit 11 East off I 90) or Defreestville Park and Ride (Exit 8 off I 90)  depending on hikers’ locations and interest in carpooling. Contact leader to register. 

Leader:  Sharon Bonk, scbonk@gmail.com 917-864-7437   Rain date, Friday, May 9. Meeting time at Schor parking lot, 10AM

NEW DATE: Thursday, May 8: Round Lake Paddle C/B

Let's explore Round Lake before the weeds and milfoil take control. Meet at the Round Lake boat launch on Route 9 located between Northway Exits 10 & 11 at 10:00am.  We'll explore Anthony Kill and Little Round Lake while circumnavigating the lake.  Bring rain gear, lunch, water, change of clothes (if you dump), pfd (required) and headlamp. NO COTTON. Wear synthetics / quick drying clothes.  You must wear a securely fastened PFD and have a white light and whistle. Registration required.

Leader: David Pisaneschi, dapadk@gmail.com 518-227-5630

Wednesday, May 14: Cherry Plain State Park & WMA B-

We will explore this less used State Park and the surrounding Capital District Wildlife Management Area. We will hike up Pesticide Shack Road to access the North by Northwest Trail, which meanders through hard woods and hemlock forests. Then we will hike on a couple of dirt woods roads to a cutover trail to the Charcoal Trail. We can go by the marked remains of an old charcoal kiln and continue up the Charcoal Trail. We will backtrack to the lake and enjoy the views across the lake. Exact trail combination used may be modified before the hike but the mileage would still be about 6-7 miles. Bring lunch, snacks, water.

The hike is about 6-7 miles, with approximately 600 feet gain, at a moderate pace. Contact the leader for meeting time and location. Parking is limited. NOTE: 5/9, Hike is full.

Leader: Martha Waldman, email - martha829r@aol.com

Monday, May 19: Yokun Ridge along a portion of The High Road,  B

This hike will feature about three-quarters of the first portion of Berkshire Natural Resources Council’s vision of The High Road. https://www.bnrc.org/thehighroadyokunridge/

We will hike north from Reservoir Road in Lenox along the Yokun Ridge Trail, which features vistas at Lenox Mountain, Yokun Seat, Osceda Mountain, and Mahanna Cobble, and finally down the Mahanna Cobble trail to its trailhead at Bousquet Mountain Ski Area. The one-way hike is 6.75 miles with an overall elevation change of about 1,100 feet. Because the hike is one-way, we will be spotting cars, and then driving about 6 miles to the trail head.

Please contact leader for meeting time and directions.

Leader: David Dutra, email: ddutra@nycap.rr.com

Wednesday, May 21: Fall Stream Paddle B

 Plan on about an 11-mile paddle. We'll paddle upstream past Fall Lake up to Vly Lake. If there is time and interest, we will visit Mud Lake. Expect to encounter beaver dams and obstructions. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF YOUR BOAT TO GET OVER / AROUND BEAVER DAMS. Bring rain gear, lunch, water, change of clothes (if you dump), pfd  ( required) and headlamp. NO COTTON. Wear synthetics / quick drying clothes. You must wear a securely fastened PFD and have a white light and whistle.

Directions: From the intersection of NY 8 and Route 30 in Speculator drive west on NY 8 for nine miles to Old Piseco Road  (County 24) on the right. Turn and drive 1.6 miles to the bridge over Fall Stream. The put-in is on the right on the far side of the bridge, Park along the road, being sure not to block the entrance to the put-in. Meet at the put-in at 9:30am. Registration required.

Leader: David Pisaneschi, dapadk@gmail.com 518-227-5630

Wednesday May 21: Grafton Lakes State Park C

Let's do some of the lesser used trails at GLSP along with the more familiar Long Pond Trail. From the Welcome Center. We can go up the west side of Long Pond then take the Water Tower Trail to the Little Johnny Trail. This takes us to the boat launch at the north end of Long Pond. offering a nice view and a good place for a lunch stop.

We can return on the Long Pond Trail along the west side of the pond. I would then like to go past the beach and proceed a short distance up the east side of the pond to enjoy the Beaver Lodge Trail. This is a short and easy loop with good views of Second Pond and yes --- a beaver lodge. It is also remarkably rock free by GLSP standards. See Note below. We then return to our starting point and call it a day. Welcome Center will be open.

PLEASE NOTE: Much of this hike is over rocky and rooty terrain. That's how it is at much of GLSP. You have to pick up your feet. Good boots and No shuffling. Pace on the slower to moderate end of the scale for safety.

The entire hike (including the Beaver Lodge loop) is just short of 5 miles with total elevation change under 500 feet.

As usual, contact leader for timing and details. Possible rain date is Friday May 23.

Leader: Bob Armao, email: bob_armao@yahoo.com phone: 518 322-6889 (mobile)

 Wednesday, May 28 Albert Family Forest, Hayes Rd off Rte 66, East Nassau C+

We look for wildflowers as we wind our way about the preserve Orchard, Susan’s Ramble, and the Cascades trailers (4+ miles, 400+ feet gain). Lunch at the pavilion at the end and/or extend the hike by a mile on the blue trail. Contact leader to register.

Leader: Sharon Bonk, scbonk@gmail.com 917-864-7437. Rain date Friday, May 30. Meeting time at trail head, 10AM.

Wednesday, May 28: Big Boom Paddle B

 We'll be starting at Big Boom Road in Glens Falls. The launch is just off Northway Exit 18 down Big Boom Road. Plan to be in the water and ready to go by 9:00am. We'll paddle upstream past the Northway and explore the waterfalls.  For directions, refer to the link below:

 https://www.lakegeorge.com/business/hudson-river-park-23143/

 If time permits, we'll paddle past the launch site and explore a vast wetland area. You must wear a securely fastened PFD and have a white light and whistle. Please let me know if you're coming. 

Leader: David Pisaneschi, dapadk@gmail.com 518-227-5630

JUNE

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

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.

To register: Margaret Parks, margaretparks213@gmail.com or Martha Waldman, martha829r@aol.com . Let us know if you are planning to attend all of the gathering or if just attending the meeting, and/or hike and/or lunch.

Tuesday, June 3, Afternoon ramble at Kinderhook Preserve, East Nassau NY  C

Meet at noon at Kinderhook Preserve (off Martha Hicks Road). We will walk a half mile to the picnic table at the creek and eat our lunches there and then continue to walk about 3 + miles up and down the ridges. Contact leader to register.

Leader: Sharon Bonk, scbonk@gmail.com 917-864-7437.

Wednesday, June 4: Coxsackie Four Mile Preserve Paddle B

 We’ll be launching from the Four Mile Preserve Road near Coxsackie. When you reach the parking lot at the Preserve, bear right on the curve at Four Mile Road and drive a short distance to a parking area and a launch site next to the road.  PLAN TO BE IN THE WATER AND READY TO PADDLE AT 9:00AM. We’ll take advantage of the incoming tide (HT 11:30am; LT 5:41pm) to explore the back sets of Vosburgh Swamp. Afterwards we’ll cross over to explore Stockport Creek. We’ll then use the incoming tide to paddle upriver and visit the Empire Brickyard and Gay’s Point. This is an all-day event, so bring lunch and rain gear.  Plan on a 6 hour, 12 mile paddle. You must wear a securely fastened PFD and have a white light and whistle. For directions enter Four Mile Preserve into Google Maps.

Please let me know if you're coming. 

Leader: David Pisaneschi, dapadk@gmail.com 518-227-5630

Tuesday, June 17: Mountain Laurel Hike: Bear Mountain (Mt. Riga State Park) Salisbury, CT,  B

This hike will feature the most amazing display of mountain laurel I’ve ever seen. From 5 minutes onto the trail, all the way to the summit of Bear Mountain, there are groves of mountain laurel at various stages of maturity. In addition, there is a great view from the summit.

For anyone familiar with Bear Mountain, we will be skipping the steep, rocky scramble when approaching the summit from the northeast side of the loop, and instead, we will hike the trail as an out-and-back using the west side of the loop, where the elevation gain is steep, but more gradual. The out-and-back hike is about 5.5 miles with an overall elevation change of about 1,600 feet.

Please contact leader for meeting time and directions.

Leader: David Dutra, email: ddutra@nycap.rr.com

Wednesday, June 25: Another Mountain Laurel Hike: Bob’s Way & Mt. Hunger at Konkapot Ridge, Monterey, MA,  B-

Although not as spectacular as the mountain laurel display on the way to Bear Mountain on the 6/17 hike, toward the end of June Bob’s Way usually has an impressive display of white and pink mountain laurel along the trail approaching the beaver pond and surrounding the pond itself. Other features include a colonial era stone foundation, a built-in stone bench with a view, and an abandoned motorboat (in the woods!). When we finish Bob’s Way, we will drive about 5 minutes to one of BNRC’s newest reserves, Mt. Hunger at Konkapot Ridge, which has a nice vista at the summit.

At Bob’s Way, we will incorporate the basic loop trail with both the Truman Dowd and Cathcart cross-trails to configure a loose figure 8. The trail to Mt. Hunger is a relatively short out-and-back. Combined, the hikes will total just under 5 miles, and a little under 700 feet of gain.

Please contact leader for meeting time and directions.

Leader: David Dutra, email: ddutra@nycap.rr.com

Thursday, June 26: Hand Hollow C

Join me for a leisurely 3.5 - 4 mile at Hand Hollow, one of my favorite Columbia County properties. We will hike through fields, woods, and past a lake, where we may see some recent beaver activity. We will enjoy a snack at the lakeshore. Then it’s back through the woods to our cars.

Meet at the parking lot off CR 9. Bring water and a snack to eat at the lake. Contact Leader for the meeting time and to sign up.

Leader: Blanche Nelson 914-462-8054 or biancanelson45@aol.com