Tabletop Mtn: 06/12/2011

With reports of landslides, flooding and road closures in the news over the past month and a half, it's no surprise that this hasn’t been a great spring for hiking in the Adirondacks. But, despite a sketchy weekend weather forecast, Beth had a chance to hike Tabletop Mountain with two friends on Sunday, picking off another peak towards her 46.

Covered Bridges Half Marathon: June 5, 2011

One of my goals this year has been to bump up my running. I had been a pretty avid runner until about 7 or 8 years ago, when I took a break from running. My hiatus was partly due to other diversions, like getting married and starting a family, and partly due to a sense of "been there, done that." In any case, my interest in running lay dormant until about a year ago, when I bought a pair of running shoes and began running again.

The difference between a "jogger" and a "runner" is an entry blank, and races have always been a big part of my running. When I started running again last spring, I entered a local series of five 5K trail races. This year, inspired by my wife Beth who ran the Covered Bridges Half Marathon in 2010, we both signed up for the 2011 CBHM.

The race passes through the Middle Bridge in Woodstock

Current Issues and Events

Several issues of importance to those with an interest in skiing and outdoor recreation in the Adirondacks have been in the news this week.

Proposed ban of gasoline motors on Thirteenth Lake. Last week, DEC released for comments a proposed regulation banning gasoline powered motorboats on Thirteenth Lake. Under the proposed regulation, electric trolling motors would be allowed. The proposal represents an excellent compromise that preserves access for sportsmen and the mobility impaired, yet also protects nesting loons and enhances the environment of the lake and surrounding wilderness. You can add your voice to others in support of this proposed regulation by contacting the DEC prior to July 2.

Thirteenth Lake

WWPP Update and Chat with the Executive Director

One of the great things about living in the Saratoga / Glens Falls region is the easy access to outdoor recreation. The Adirondacks are just stone's throw away, but there are some amazing outdoor resources literally out the back door. If you live in or near Saratoga and don't already know about the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, its outdoor recreation opportunities and interesting ecology, you need to get introduced. The lupine is in bloom and the first hatch of Karner blue butterflies are emerging, so now is a great time to visit.

WWPP has been featured in several news stories recently, including pieces in The Saratogian and the Times Union about the restored fire tower that was dedicated recently, and a pair of pieces I wrote for Spirit of Saratoga (a monthly magazine published by The Saratogian) last month. The Spirit of Saratoga pieces don't link well, so they're reprinted below:

Oasis for Butterflies, Wildlife, People

Many area residents are familiar with the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park for its recreational opportunities, but some may not realize that those protected lands and open spaces owe their existence to the presence of a small, but strikingly beautiful, endangered butterfly. The Karner blue butterfly once inhabited a broad geographic range from Maine to Minnesota and north into Canada, but now exists in just a few locations in the northeast. In the mid-1990s, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Town of Wilton partnered to form the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park (WWPP) with the goal of not only preserving habitat for the Karner blue butterfly, but also providing recreational and educational opportunities for people. Since that time, approximately 2400 acres of land has been protected with 14 miles of trails for recreational use, and WWPP now supports the largest population of Karner blues in the northeast.

On Distance Running

Last night I ran a 12-miler, my final long run before the Covered Bridges Half Marathon on June 5. It's been nearly a decade since I ran that far, but having run a marathon each year from 1995 to 2001, I found myself in familiar territory. Make no mistake, there’s a world of difference between training for a half marathon and a marathon: the training commitment for a marathon is easily 3 to 4 times what’s required for a half. But at 13.1 miles, the half is long enough to require long training runs, and it’s those long runs that develop physical and mental toughness.