Sprung in Shinhopple - the bottom of Bear Spring Mountain

In the way that McCoy Ridge tops Delaware County, New York's Bear Spring Mountain, providing the backbone of waterways

Sap-Snow in the Catskills

March came in like a lamb but issued a mighty lion's roar mid-month when the western Catskills saw an average of 30-inches of heavy wet snow fall and brought traffic and commerce to a stand-still.

It  also provided snowmobilers and snowshoers one last opportunity for a weekend of snow-filled fun.
Sap-snow, is so named for the time frame during which it falls - maple syrup making season. Though there is no official start date and it changes every year. It's the time when the tree's sap is running freely with above-freezing temperatures during the day and colder temperatures at night.
When snow falls during that time frame, it doesn't stick around long.
Several days of above 40-degree temperatures followed the storm and the snow became heavier and stickier - making for excellent snowman creating.

The snowmobilers packed the snow to make hiking an enjoyable experience and offered friendly waves as they slowly passed by.
The most professional New York State forest rangers were also on hand to make certain that state-owned property was being used in a lawful and safe manner.

The snow, as expected, melted quickly, leaving toppled snowmen askew and

snowmobilers, cross-country skiers and snowshoers looking forward to the next big snow event.

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics and business in Delaware County. She is a NYS licensed outdoor adventure guide exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram @catskills.unleashed on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook/Catskills Unleashed. www.CatskillsUnleashed.com - #unleashyourpotential

Catskills Snowopolis - How Stella Caused a Standstill

"Beware the Ides of March" is not only a soothsayer's uttered death warning to Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare's famous play of the same name, it now marks an epic meteorological event that crippled the western Catskills on March 15, 2017.

Winter Storm Stella, predicted to dump feet of snow through mid-state New York and along the eastern seaboard, was the one time the weather forecasters were right on the money.  Though initially forecast to arrive on March 13, just weeks after 60 degree temperatures began to bud wild apple trees, Stella arrived in all her dangerous, white, wondrous glory on the 14th.

New York found itself in a state of emergency and travel bans quickly followed as the snow fell for the next two days, sometimes at the rate of two-inches per hour.

Small dogs, those meant for warming the lap or captaining a kayak, were reluctant to partake of nature's call - and did so grudgingly and quickly to avoid the expansive piles of snow. Big dogs, those meant for hiking, romping, exploring and guarding, found the snow tiring after a few minutes of dolphin-like diving.

Stella reminded Catskill residents of winters-gone-by - the kind experienced in the region in the time before global warming altered her name to "climate change." 

Old Man Winter could be heard on the edge of 40 mph wind gusts screeching "Remember me from '93?!" - reminiscing about the last big snow storm, also in March, that disabled the region.

Though roads, schools and businesses were closed, we winter sports enthusiasts, thrilled that the weatherman was correct - donned snow shoes and embraced the late-season sap-snow storm that brought the Catskills to a standstill. "Et tu' Stella?".

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics and business in Delaware County. She is a NYS licensed outdoor adventure guide exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram @catskills.unleashed on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook/Catskills Unleashed. www.CatskillsUnleashed.com - #unleash your potential