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.

Cresting the Ridge - Bear Spring Mountain, Trail No. 5 - Meditation Rock

The 7,000 acre New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wildlife management area that composes Bear Spring Mountain is flush with opportunities for hiking.

A short, easy hike is Trail No. 5, Fork Mountain Trail, located approximately 1/2 mile off West Trout Brook Road, accessed by state Route 206 via Beers Brook Road.

The trail is one of only two throughout the mountain that were mowed by state employees earlier in the season, which makes it one of the few that are accessible without much effort.
The gently rolling 1.28 mile hike to Meditation Rock carries hikers through mature hardwood and evergreen forest land along the ridge of the mountain.

Trekking the peak provides valley views which vary seasonally.

During late summer, the trails and adjacent tree-lines are overflowing with wildflowers, wild edibles and mushrooms.

St. John's Wort

July's end provides hikers with remnants of juicy raspberries as August promises an overabundance of blackberries trail-side.
An early morning hike gave way to carpets of healing St. John's Wort, sour Wood Sorrel, yarrow and a surprising Amanita Muscaria subspecies mushroom, as well as a variety of unidentified but interesting carnation-like ruffled-edge mushrooms.

Amanita Muscaria subspecies

Approximately 1/2 mile along the trail there is a large rock, flush with the ground, mostly covered by moss and lichen that sports a graffitied smiling sun. Rather than remove the marking, which has been there for at least the past 10-years, I use it as a visual marker, and prefer to think of it as a hippy hyroglyph.

Mediation Rock is hidden from view by blackberry brambles from the trail during late summer, but marking mileage via a pedometer or with GPS coordinates

GPS coordinates for Meditation Rock

can help to easily locate the jutting boulder that makes for easy viewing of the valley, or a nice place to sit, snack or meditate.

Bob and Maxine Locherer of Walton are frequent visitors to Bear Spring Mountain.

Trail head parking, near the sign-in sheet, can easily accommodate a half-dozen vehicles.

* Lillian Browne is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram at lillian.browne, on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook

Shavertown Trail - A Glimpse of Delaware County's History

A piece of Delaware County's history lends itself to one of the county's most spectacular views accessed from The Shavertown Trail in Andes, which overlooks the Pepacton Reservoir.

The first one-mile section of the trail, found near the intersection of state Routes 30/28 and county Route 1 also marked BWS Road, is a challenging 520 foot climb.

Trail head parking is located at the boat launch on the northeast side of the Shavertown Bridge, a short distance from the trail. The trail begins with a plank foot-bridge that spans a small gully to deliver hikers to the trail head sign-in, where primitive wooden walking sticks and/or hiking poles have been left behind.

The narrow foot path is well-worn, clearly marked and traverses a mostly-young hardwood canopy of heavy shade. As the trail climbs, so does the rockiness. However, trail maintenance crews have done a superb job of ensuring mostly easy footing by placing larger flat rocks and an occasional plank atop seasonally muddy spots. Watch out, though, there is the sporadic sapling that has been cut two or three inches above ground that can provide a tripping hazard.

In addition to wildlife - a red fox was spotted crossing the main road en-route to the trail and toads, birds and butterflies were present along the trail. A wide-variety of mushrooms were also spotted.

The trail sharply turns upon intersection with an old logging road just past the half-way point of the first section of trail.  The logging road soon becomes mostly grassy and is cut in a swath through a wildflower meadow flush with goldenrod, queen anne's lace, yarrow, chickory and a variant of wild astilbe.

Near the crest of the grassy knoll, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which has partnered with the Catskill Mountain Club to construct the trail, maintains a weather station. The weather data collection system records temperatures, precipitation, humidity and wind speeds and transmits the information via solar-powered means to a central location for record keeping and forecasts.

It is near the weather station that dragon- and damsel-flies begin flitting about heralding Snake Pond a couple of hundred feet away. The well-mowed trail around the pond provides access to benches crafted by the Catskill Forest Association in honor of CMC volunteer Ann Roberti, which are positioned to provide stellar views of the Pepacton Reservoir.

Below the Pepacton Reservoir lie the sites of  former towns:  Pepacton, Arena, Union Grove and, of course, Shavertown.  The building of the dam - located in Downsville, was completed in 1954 and the reservoir was filled in 1955. Approximately 954  people from the four towns were displaced by the construction of the reservoir and dam. There were 13 cemeteries between the four towns from which bodies were re-interred. Many graves were unclaimed and before flooding the reservoir, DEP re-interred those bodies at what is now known as the Pepacton Cemetery, located between Andes and Downsville on NYC Road 30a, off county Route 1; providing the former residents with a final resting place that is maintained by New York City personnel.

As one takes in the views of distant mountain tops in shades of blue, purple and green, the reservoir waters can be seen rippling from either bench-marked vantage point.

The landscape adjacent to Snake Pond is dotted with low-growing berry plants, which show off a brilliant red contrast to the earthen-hued cattails and shimmering goldenrod hugging the pond.

The hiking trail can be completed with a 1.5 mile loop which rounds Perch Lake Mountain with an additional 240 foot elevation gain. The complete trail gives hikers a 5.3 mile workout.

* Lillian Browne is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram at lillian.browne, on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook.

Bramley Mountain - An exercise in elevation

The Catskill Mountain Club's newest hiking trail, created in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, is a exercise in elevation.

This trail surpasses the myopic beauty of most Delaware County hiking trails by providing a variety of views, scenery, wildlife, flora as well as choices in degree of workout.
A couple of drawbacks, that have nothing to do with the trail itself, are directions provided by partnering organizations and parking.
To elaborate on directions - from the village of Delhi, take Delaware Avenue aka county Route 18, also known as Back River Road to Glen Burnie Road, rather than taking state Route 28 South, toward Bovina and Andes to pick up Glen Burnie Road.

Though either direction will get you there, the southerly direction, which I took,  is the scenic route, adding unnecessary but picturesque miles onto the trip.
There is only room for three vehicles at the trail head, which is marked by a smallish sign around a blind curve, on a windy section of a dirt and gravel road. I recommend parking on the shoulder of the roadway, above or below the trailhead - which is wide enough to accommodate several vehicles.
CMC has provided several pamphlets in the trailhead sign-in which give a recommended route for either of the two trails OR a combination of both. They know what they are talking about.
The 1.2 mile Quarry Trail is an excellent warm up for the large loop which includes the 1.8 mile Summit Trail.
I bumped into CMC volunteers who were in the midst of trail maintenance and gave plenty of advice about the trail, which they have all hiked several times.

I also bumped into two trail runners. This 20-something duo gained my respect within the first five minutes of our encounter. Not only were they both outfitted in running shorts and sneakers, they had picked up a red handkerchief dropped by the trail maintenance crew mid-way on the Quarry Trail with the intent on returning it to them - and, they were RUNNING while talking. Respect.

They also greeted #charliebrowne with a quick hello and pat on the head as they RAN by, speaking to their animal-friendly ways.
The pair stopped long enough for me to snap a photo of them as they made their way back from what must have appeared to them as a mismarked trail near the abandoned stone quarry.
The Quarry Trail is peppered with a macramé of artistically crafted stone walls that intersect intermittently with the old logging/quarry road which serves as the trail. The craftsmanship displayed in the wall-building, which varies from two- to four-feet in height, speaks to not just the work ethic, but attention to detail, in days gone by.
Another tip for hikers as the Quarry Trail becomes the Summit Trail is to CROSS the old roadway that leads to the former fire tower to pick up the trail. I missed this on the first pass, making an assumption that the trail followed the old road on a decline. It was only when I failed to spy a blue or red trail marker after several hundred feet, that I backtracked UP the old road and noted the marker opposite the exit of the Quarry Trail.
The trail footing is firm yet soft (not many rocks), clear of debris and expertly maintained, making the climb and the descent easier than expected.

There are rock ledges and caves along the trail, which trail maintainers described as "Porcupine Caves," which caused me a bit of concern about hiking with a dog. Not a single porcupine was spotted along the trail that was filled with birdsong, mushrooms and an occasional toad.
The trails are shaded in a light-to-heavy canopy of mostly young and mid-growth hardwoods about 90% of the way. One becomes grateful for that during ascension of the Summit Trail.
The first clearing, which provides a spectacular view of distant mountaintops, is welcomed and almost precisely timed to a needful rest and rehydration break.

CMC was thoughtful in placing a lovely bench/art-piece at the site, which makes for off-the-ground-seating and interesting photos.
The second viewing location, the site of the former fire tower, is breathtaking, and for future trips, is a great place for a picnic lunch, sketching, photography, reading or painting.

From here, the descent begins.
The descending trail is neatly mowed through a blackberry bramble that rambles for what seems like miles. The bushes were heavy with un-ripened fruit, which the first weeks of August will change.

It was along this trail that I spied two common, but slithery and silent, snakes. One was large and lazily crossing the freshly mowed trail; the other small, spry and climbing uphill - directly beneath my right foot. From that point on, I was resistant to taking my eyes off my footing lest I encounter another of their tribe.
#Charliebrowne responded to my shrieks by first making certain that I was not in imminent danger and then by walking a mere six inches away from my right side, for the next several hundred feet. As if reading my mind, he then switched tack and padded three feet directly in front of me to scare away any other shriek-inducing reptile. Good Dog.

The remainder of the trail is the stuff that famed local artist Richard Kathmann's (and fellow tree-hugger-lovers') dreams are made of. The young hardwoods that cover the hillside are nestled in a carpet of sea-green ferns waving in an ever-present light breeze.
The appearance of stonewalls further down the trail herald the end of the four-mile loop.

The trail peaks at 2,817 feet, making it a hearty challenge to Delaware County hikers.  I underestimated the amount of water I would need for myself and my four-legged friend and only brought 32 ounces. I recommend carrying more than you think you will need, because no matter the weather, you will need it.

I am also happy to report that bugs were not much of a problem. I did not apply insect repellent, except on my socks and boots out of tick-induced fear, and found myself doing very little bug-waving.
The trail is scheduled to be officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, July 29, 2016.
Happy trails fellow hikers, this is going to be a favorite!

* Lillian Browne is exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram at lillian.browne, on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook.