Hike and Seek - but not on purpose

Summer 2017 in the Catskills is nearly complete. The leaves and ferns are putting on their Autumn pre-game show mid-August and the thigh-high weeds, brush and grasses carpeting Bear Spring Mountain's multi-purpose trails are transitioning from vibrant green shades to dusky golden hues.

Signage is hampered by overgrown brush on Bear Spring Mountain in Delaware County.

This has been an unfortunate year for outdoor enthusiasts such as Charlie Browne and myself. We've extracted multiple ticks embedded in hard to reach places, and brushed off countless more; endured muddy, wet hiking boots for the majority of the season due to unseasonable - but nonetheless welcome - rain and become accustomed to the ear-buzzing, biting no-see-ums.

Pesky as those situations are, they are nothing compared to the inconvenience, danger and cost involved in locating hikers who become lost due to overgrown brush and hidden directional signs.

State trail maintenance crews are focused elsewhere, like mowing grass outside their garage on Beers Brook Road in Walton once a week. That task, as well as maintaining the annual flower beds at the garage, have taken priority over trail maintenance.

So far, not one hiker has gotten lost near the NYS DEC maintenance garage.

However, a hiker did get lost on the Finger Lakes Trail, which traverses Bear Spring Mountain and crosses into Campbell Mountain, in the town of Colchester.

The hiker blamed himself for getting lost. He was traveling east to west on the Finger Lakes Trail and was not versed in reading GPS location points or his compass, he admitted. He became disoriented after "losing" the trail because it is badly overgrown and directional signage is not clearly visible.

The same situation exists on Bear Spring Mountain. However, the NYS DEC has paid employees assigned to the task of maintenance, whereas the Finger Lakes Trail Conference operates strictly with volunteers.

It was a multi-hour "rescue" mission that was chaotically mis-managed by local police, who, instead of connecting him to the Finger Lakes Trail Conference via cellphone or providing with a telephone number as he requested,  told him to stay where he was and call 911. Multiple agencies were dispatched, including forest rangers and emergency services crews with local fire departments.

The police officer that took the initial call from the hiker is partnered with a drug-sniffing dog that is also trained in tracking, which is how the idea of a police dog was "sold" to the taxpayers in the municipality.

A lot of "what-ifs" and "how-muchs" arose from the incident. What if the police officer had used the dog for one of it's intended purposes? How much money was spent on dispatching personnel to locate the hiker though he said he didn't need to be rescued? What if the trails were adequately maintained before or after the incident?

We can only hope that this has also become a summer of learning opportunities as well.

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics, crime 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. 

Unexpected Glory

Feeling incredibly patriotic and grateful for the glorious landscape of the Catskill Mountains' pristine air, water and forests, Charlie Browne and I decided to turn Flag Day into Flag Week and create a scavenger hunt-ette of 13 two-foot tall American flags throughout Bear Spring Mountain in southwestern Delaware County.

The flags are planted in spots that we frequent but have been mostly inaccessible until this past week because of the lack of trail maintenance. However, this past week trail maintenance began in earnest throughout the mountain freeing miles of tick-hiding, thigh hide weed-grass and brush.

We wanted to give other mountain explorers - hikers, bird-watchers, mountain bikers, small game hunters, anglers, campers and horse back riders something to look for and to look forward to while on the mountain!

The 13 flags are planted in plain view and each of them represent a favorite, significant location on the mountain. The 13 flags also represent the 13 original colonies in the formation of the country and serve as a metaphor for the wild independence of the mountain.

Whether the skeletal, foundational remains of a one room school house, a man-made waterfall or the boundary lines of an old apple orchard - the flags offer insight to the industrious nature of the region's settlers - not to mention great photo opportunities!


The flags also acknowledge the freedom we have to explore, wonder and wander. You never know what you might find on the mountain!

While scouring the mountain for flag-sightings, bring along an extra bag to pick up trail trash. 
The mountain, wild-life and Charlie Browne will thank you. And remember to sign-in at the trail head every time you visit the mountain. Mountain use helps to determine levels of funding for trail, park and wildlife management area maintenance.

Post your BSM flag photo with the hashtag #13flags on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. 
(The flags will be removed Thanksgiving weekend 2017.)

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics, crime 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 @catskillsunleashed or on Facebook/Catskills Unleashed. www.CatskillsUnleashed.com - #unleashyourpotential and #getanewleashonlife

Spring Has Sprung in the Catskills

The weather finally broke today and though we were donning winter wear just three days ago, today we put on shorts for the first time this season and hiked to our sweaty heart's content.

The sapphire sky with cotton candy clouds reflecting off Bear Cub Pond was an omen for the remainder of the three hour, semi-strenuous hike over trails no. 11, 2 and 3 on Bear Spring Mountain in Delaware County.

The sky was in stark contrast to the monotone palette of the landscape. Even Charlie Browne was camouflaged.
The mid-60's temperatures and weighted backpack left us both thirsty.

The first mile of the trail netted a several hundred foot elevation gain and because of the rocky footing carpeted in last autumn's hardwood leaves, there was no opportunity to appreciate the landscape until ascending the summit at the intersection of trails 11 and 2.
Once there, the trees seemed to whisper messages. 

One was about the permanent scar of a hopeful love, forever memorialized on the spine of a poplar tree.
Another, a Shagbark Hickory, encouraged embracing individuality and quite frankly reminded me of my unruly hair.

Yet another indiscernible species reminded us that even when we find ourselves twisted into knots, perhaps traveling a road that clearly takes us in the wrong direction, that we will eventually land right where we are supposed to, back on target.

Because the forest was still naked, natural landmarks - such as this toppled-on-edge piece of stone that resembles the hood of a car - was visible.

In the coming weeks when the brush is flowering and the trees are leaving, the stone will once again become invisible.
The Bear Spring Litter Bugs had run amok this past winter and left tell-tale signs of their imbibing and tobacco use.

A hike would not be complete without a roll in a mud puddle, which Charlie Browne made certain to do right before we exited the trail.

*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

A Shore Thing - Opening Weekend of Trout Fishing Season

Many people celebrate April 1 with pranks, tricks and gags in celebration of Fools Day. The jokester's holiday is celebrated differently in the Catskills with winter-weary anglers descending on area streams and rivers in welcome of opening day of trout fishing season.

The western Catskills are the birthplace of American fly fishing as the likes of Theodore Gordon bestowed fame on the headwaters of the Beaver Kill in Ulster County.
Marketing geniuses capitalized on the oft-told fish tale of the BeaMoc, a two-headed trout who forever swims beneath the waters of Junction Pool, the convergence of the Willowemoc and the Beaver Kill in Roscoe, NY and rebranded the tiny town "Trout Town USA."

Those in the know forego the hype of the ceremonial first cast on opening day and head to favored secreted fishing holes.

However, opening day this year came complete with the ultimate April Fools Day prank by Mother Nature herself - a morning filled with freezing rain, followed by an afternoon of light snow and an evening of downed limbs and branches as a coating of ice proved too weighty for some tired trees.
An early morning decision to hike rather than fish proved to be an exercise in well ... exercise, as slushy, grainy snow became something akin to walking through beach sand, for six miles.

We stopped to admire the tenacity of budding maple leaves that appeared to be encased in a snow-globe and for some non-purist cairn building.

The naked forest welcomed us by showing us some love.

Venturing out the following day proved to be more angler friendly. However, access to area waters, like the East and West Branches of the Delaware River in Delaware County, was denied unless one was equipped with a boat or waders.

Not a single complaint was heard from shore-bound anglers up and down the river banks - with too big smiles and empty lines - who revealed with the fish simply were not biting.

*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

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