Hunters and Hikers - enough room for both?

Small game hunting season is about to begin in Delaware County, New York and with early bear season already underway,  forested lands, public and private, are about to get very busy.

Hikers, who have been sporadically visiting the trails are finally gearing up for both leisurely and hardcore trekking now that the heat and humidity have left the air, taking all of those no-see-um and other pesky, biting bugs with them.
The two nature loving groups are about to converge. It can be a scary time for hikers, and hunters alike, with so many people in the woods, eager to harvest a trophy and some wild game.
New York forest rangers are also about to get busy making sure that everyone stays safe. They are also making certain that our public lands are protected.
Ranger Jason Seeley, assigned to Department of Environmental Conservation's Region 4, which includes Delaware County, reminds hunters and hikers alike that each has equal rights on public land during hunting season.

Sign in at all trail heads on public property. It will

help officials find you if you become lost or get hurt.

Some common sense ways to stay safe, he suggests, are to wear blaze orange when in the woods no matter which group you belong to.
If hiking - stick to the trail. If a hunter - positively identify your quarry before pulling the trigger or releasing an arrow.
Both groups of public land users should always sign in at trail heads which helps officials to determine how much public land is being used, which in turn dictates funding, and it also provides search and rescue teams a last known location, in the event you get lost or hurt while in the woods.
Seeley is stealthy. He knows the landscape of Bear Spring Mountain's 7,000 acres (where I bumped into him) like the back of his hand, and you will not see or hear him approach, unless he wants you to. So, if hunting, make certain you have your tags and your license on your person.
If you are traveling with your canine companion, they must be licensed.

Bird dogs and those on the scent of small game are permitted to be off-leash, but all dogs must be under control.

Ranger Seeley caught me with Charlie Browne

off-leash, however, when I demonstrated

the I had control, he opted not to write me

a violation ticket.

As an avid hiker, I take a short hiatus from hiking during the first two weeks big game season. Not only do I think it's fair to give hunters a wide berth - after all they only get a few weeks per year, I get the entire year - I'll be with the sportsmen and women in the woods curating photos and stories for writing assignments.

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics and crime in Delaware County. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram @lillian.browne, on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook.

Mount Utsayantha - a tongue-twisting view

The only thing more fun than gazing from the fire tower atop Mount Utsayantha, is saying it's name. Pronounced ooh-sigh-on-tha, the mountain peaks at 3,214 feet. It gets its name from the legend of a Native American woman, who was said to have drowned herself after her father killed her newborn baby and the baby's father - a white settler. The woman's father, bereaved, retrieved her body and buried it, the legend goes, on the mountain. There is a memorial site, plaque and stones, located 3/4 of the way to the peak.

This gem is located in extreme northern Delaware County, just outside the small village of Stamford. Getting there is a cinch, as a resurfaced and well-maintained dirt road leads to the property which is maintained by the municipality. There are several communication towers positioned adjacent to the fire tower.

No matter the day, the climb to the viewing platform in the fire tower will provide access to spectacular views at a temperature that is several degrees lower than on the ground.

If you visit on a day like I did, you'll fight the wind to stay upright while climbing. My hat sailed away twice and I finally gave in and stuffed it into my backpack.

This outing took place the first weekend in September and was more of a sight-seeing trip than hiking. If desired, and up for a 700 foot gain challenge, one can hike the 1.5 miles from the pull-off at the bottom of Tower Road. The remains of a hand-gliding take-off ramp near the educational building are the makings of a neat photo opportunity.

Fun fact: There is thermal and ridge soaring here and the air-space is managed by UFO (Utsayantha Flying Org) a parasailing and hand-gliding organization.

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics and crime in Delaware County. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram @lillian.browne, on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook.

Vroman's Nose - a precarious precipice

The expanse of views from Vroman's Nose in Middleburgh, in Schoharie County, left me breathless in mid-September. In part, because I've started a new job, several new writing projects, welcomed my first grandchild into the world, have done some legal hand-holding for my middle daughter who was in a horrific car accident and because I've not made time to go for a "real" hike in the past two months.
As hikes go, Vroman's Nose is not difficult. The trails are extremely well maintained, easily accessed off Mill Valley Road via state Route 30, with plenty of signage; and once on your way, a rainbow of blazes to lead the way.

The hike was not pre-planned. I only ended up there because I agreed to take a surprise day trip to an unknown location for an unknown purpose a week before in the spirit of being an adventuress. The surprise trip was to the Adirondacks where I was to be gifted with a 13-pound Kevlar canoe after test-paddling on Lake Sacandaga. Having never paddled still water, always opting for rivers instead, I became so sea-sick, I nearly crawled out of the lake. 

The two and a half hour drive back to southern Delaware County, was a bummer - until my decision to take Route 30 to Route 10.
I'd never driven Route 10 past Stamford and though I was both headachey and nauseated from the canoe, I began to feel much better meandering through towns with names like Breakabeen, where all-things-ag are still a way of life.
I am a lover of water and I couldn't help but to wonder what the name of the stream was that ran alongside Route 30. I began to see signs for Gilboa, which made me think of reservoirs, which made me think of the Schoharie Creek, which made me think of pulling over to look up directions for the Gilboa Dam. I discovered I was in Middleburgh and a near-by attraction - Vroman's Nose - announced itself on google. How could I resist a hike on a nose?

The table-top is chiseled by glaciers and by visitors wanting to leave their mark.

The trail to the cliff-face includes passage along The Long Path, another hike I've been meaning to take. Not knowing what to expect I glanced at the map while at the trail head and unwittingly choose the steepest climb up.
Though the loop is not long, only 1.5 miles, there is a 700-foot elevation gain in 3/4 of a mile, which reminded me that I hadn't been hiking lately.

I was well-rewarded for the effort and am reminded once again that traveling without a map and not knowing where you are going, can be full of surprises.

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics and crime in Delaware County. She is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram @lillian.browne, on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook.