Gilligan Mountain: 06/16/2012

At 1420 feet, Gilligan Mountain's summit elevation is lower than most High Peaks parking areas and trailheads. But if you're looking for an easy, rewarding family hike or just a quick fix of beautiful High Peaks views, this off-the-beaten-path mountain fits the bill.

The first viewpoint on the Gilligan Mt. trail, just 0.3 miles in.

Between school activities, karate, lacrosse, and who knows what else, it's been difficult fitting in any family hiking so far this summer. On Saturday, we had just a half day available and decided it was too nice a day not to hike.

Lake Placid Half Marathon: 06/10/2012

It's a good thing I didn't look at the course profile before entering the Lake Placid Half Marathon, or I might have chickened out. I don't mind a challenging race, but I wanted to beat my half marathon time from last year (1:39:47 in the Vermont Covered Bridges Half Marathon).


Whiteface dominates the view along River Road

The course is scenic but challenging. After starting in front of the Olympic Arena, runners proceed up Main Street, around Mirror Lake, then out Route 73 to the ski jumping complex. At the ski jumps, the course turns onto River Road and follows a beautiful, scenic route along the Ausable River for nearly 4 miles before turning around, retracing the route back and finishing with a lap around the 400-meter speed skating oval. This route is very similar to the run segment of the Lake Placid Ironman triathlon in July.

Upcoming mountain biking events

I've been something of a mountain biking hermit since (re)discovering the sport last summer: I ride solo on the same 8-10 miles of single track out my back door once or twice a week. I ride mainly for fun and for fitness, but I know I'd get even more out of the sport by riding with others and checking out some new trails. Some of the organized mountain biking events taking place in the Saratoga region and Adirondacks over the next few months may give me the opportunity to expand my horizons a bit.

Saratoga Mountain Bike Association's Mix Up the Dirt Festival on June 9 is free and open to the public. SMBA's trail system will be open for members and non-members alike to check out. There will be group rides for all ability levels, demonstrations, vendor displays, a barbecue, and a free raffle.

The HRRT “Hot August Nights” Race Series in Schenectady's Central Park is a 4-race series every Tuesday night in August at 6pm. The course, described as a "combo of flats, twisty singletrack (under the trees) and skinnies," is marked with white squares with black arrows and can be pre-ridden anytime. The race prizes caught my attention: "Beer and prizes will randomly distributed among all racers." Free beer is always indicative of an excellent event, and the mid-week timing fits well into my schedule. I've never done a mountain bike race before and fully expect to get my butt kicked.

National Trails Day events: June 2

This Saturday, June 2, is the 20th annual National Trails Day. A number of local organizations have scheduled volunteer trail work projects and events to introduce people to natural places. Following is a partial list:

Wilton Wildlife Park & Preserve, Scout Road, 10am – 3pm. WWPP’s Lupine Festival will be held at their Camp Saratoga parcel and is expected to coincide with the peak of the wild blue lupine bloom and the first brood of Karner blue butterflies for 2012. Events include nature walks led by DEC and Nature Conservancy personnel and presentations with live local reptiles, amphibians, and birds of prey. Children’s activities include nature craft projects and pond exploration with dipping nets. The recently restored Cornell Hill fire tower will be open. Check their website for directions and a complete list of activities.

Wild blue lupine

Haystack, Basin and the last snow on Marcy? 05/27/2012

Mount Marcy and its snow bowl, viewed from Haystack's summit

My wife Beth and I have a deal: when there’s an opportunity for her to get another peak towards her 46, she gets to hike. On Sunday Beth teamed up with three of the women she hiked with last summer to tackle Haystack Mountain in the upper Great Range. Haystack is often cited as having the best view of all the High Peaks, not only for its close-up perspective on surrounding peaks like Marcy and Gothics, but also for its feeling of all-encompassing wilderness. As a bonus, the view on Sunday included what may be winter’s last remaining snow in the Adirondacks.